Return of Winchester

Chapter 3 Trouble Seems to Follow Her

The next morning Dani woke with a weight on her chest. She opened her eyes to see a shaggy face staring down at her he nuzzled his wet nose into her cheek. Miracle was sprawled out on top of her. Somehow he had nudged open the stained-glass sliding doors that divided Dani's room from the rest of the apartment and lept up onto Dani's bed.

"Hey, buddy! Good morning." She said her voice still gravelly from sleep. She looked to her right where the doors were indeed open. "Is Sam here? Is that what you came to tell me. You came to announce your presents." The smell of cooking bacon filled the apartment. Dani looked out through the now open sliding doors. Sam had his back to her he was cooking what she assumed was bacon on the stove. He turned to look at her.

"Morning sleepy head."

"Morning. When did you get here?"

"About half an hour ago. I drove all night."

"What!? Sam, you shouldn't have done that. I told you it wasn't a big deal if you got here late." Dani gasped. She pulled back the bedsheets and turned to sit on the edge of the bed her hands subconsciously rubbing at Miracle's ears, his head in its usual place on her knee the minute she sat upright.

"Yeah I know but I wanted to be here for you as much as I could today, so here I am. Bacon?" He asked gesturing to the pan. Dani offered a grateful smile.

"Yes please."

"Okay sit at the table I'll bring it over when it's done." Dani did as she was told. Sam placed a cup of coffee in front of her which she sipped hungrily. "How are you feeling?"

"Crappy but I'm looking forward to today, trying to have a positive outlook."

"Good."

A comfortable silence fell over them as the bacon cooked and Dani gave herself time to wake up. Melancholy settled itself in her ribcage as it did every year.

"So." Sam said placing the plate down in front of her "You haven't told me much about your mom." Dani peeked at him over the rim of the coffee cup clasped between her palms.

"Is there a question somewhere in there or...?" She asked evasively.

"What was she like? How did you grow up?"

"That's two questions."

"Dani."

"Fine, fine." Dani stared into her coffee cup for a while before answering. "Not to brag or anything but I had the coolest mom ever. And probably the most stubborn." She let out a little laugh through her nose. "Which I'm kind of glad of because I don't think she would have stuck with me otherwise, I was uh...not an easy child to raise." Sam smiled at that raising his brows, urging her to keep going. "Um, she uh...Oh! she knew how to read tarot cards."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, she taught me when I was like twelve or something."

"Wait you can read tarot cards?!"

"Yeah. Not that I use them much but yeah."

"Is she the one that got you into theatre?"

"Yeah. It started with the singing lessons then when I'd gotten more comfortable she signed me up for theatre and thought it'd be a good way for me to meet people. She ended up convincing Jason to go with me so I wouldn't be alone. Yeah, there was no turning back after that."

"How did you meet her?"

"I uh, It's complicated."

...

DECEMBER 2006

"I'm sorry we can't keep her! She just causes too much trouble it seems to follow her around!"

Daniella sat on a bench outside the matron's office. She swung her legs over the edge of it as she listened to the muffled voices of her now ex foster family radiating from the wall behind her. This had been the second time this year that she had been given up. It really hadn't been her fault this time. She looked up when she heard footsteps echoing down the hall. A woman dressed in a business suit was striding down the hall. She was being escorted by the lady that worked at the front desk.

"Right in here Agent Beatrice." The receptionist said gesturing to the office door before turning and walking away. The agent turned her gaze down at Daniella for a moment. The woman had a round face and big brown eyes. Her mousey hair was pulled into a neat bun at the back of her head. She offered Daniella a half-smile before stepping into the office.