Song Remains the Same

Chapter 126: Back to Business

"It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens,
that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments,
sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers: stones upon stones,
beneath the waters of their lives."
― Mitch Albom

Movie night with the Winchester family had never been a 'thing.' Not something they put an official name to, anyway. Honestly, most evenings when they'd been younger kids growing up and left to their own devices, they'd gotten into trouble, not watched TV. But when they had settled in and watched a movie or a show, it had usually gone about the same. The brothers argued over what to watch while their sister quietly took the remote and started watching something and ignoring their bickering. The boys would eventually cease their squabbling and notice what their sister was doing, disagree with her choice in viewing, then try and snatch the remote away. That was Alex's favorite part quite honestly, because running around a motel room and evading two annoyed brothers was some of the best fun a little sister could have. She would dodge around like a little furry critter, slipping out of grasps and darting over furniture at what felt like superhuman speeds at the time. If her laughter had been audible, it would have been roof-shattering peals.

The brothers inevitably caught her, usually sooner rather than later. It was a great game for them all. After they got her and everyone was laughing and exasperated and riled up, they all flopped in a pile on the bed that had the best view of the TV screen—Alex would try and get the remote again for awhile (mostly just to annoy the brothers). In between her snatching attempts, there they would argue again over what to watch (Dean and Sam fighting over the remote, Alex kicking or smacking them in the head when she didn't like their choices) until they found something they all agreed on. Then it was time to watch. Alex would calm down and bite her nails absently and lean onto whichever brother was closer. Sam paid utmost attention to every second of whatever was on the screen and got very grumpy if you said things or distracted him at all. Dean offered sarcastic or inappropriate commentary for awhile then would perk up and decide popcorn was needed to make the moment complete. Sometimes they had popcorn around, sometimes they didn't. When they did have it, Dean popped a bag or two and shared it with the twins (after throwing some at mostly Sam, who got mad about it—Alex just tried to catch pieces with her mouth). The night would grow late as it always did and eyes would become weary. Alex usually fell asleep first, then Sam, then inevitably Dean. In the morning, the TV would still be going and popcorn kernels were strewn across the bed and lodged into folds of clothing. Elbows and feet would be in each other's faces, mouths would be yawning open as snores created a morning chorus.

Maybe it wasn't like other families' movie nights, but it had been theirs, and all three Winchesters remembered those times fondly. These days with all of them grown up in their thirties, movie nights like the ones of their childhood were just a far off memory. It had honestly been forever since they watched something for fun, or it felt like that anyway. Currently, they were gathered at the long library table at the bunker and watching an old film reel projection closely. Not for entertainment, either. They were on the hunt for information—anything that would lead them any closer to finding out what 'curing a demon' meant. Sam had been poring over everything that the bunker had to offer on anything demonic in nature and had found this particular film reel in association with a possession that the file had claimed was 'weird!'

While Sam and Dean sat a few chairs away from each other in serious, silent contemplation of the movie playing, Cas and Alex sat closely together and there was a bowl of popcorn in front of them which Alex had almost finished... all by herself while waiting for Sam to get the reel to play. Cas had tried a couple bites of it, made strange faces as he chewed slowly, then proclaimed that all he could taste was molecules. Whatever that meant.