A Good Christmas After All
I was ten years old when John Winchester brought me home to his two sons. Sam was nearly eight and Dean was almost twelve. I remember just how uncomfortable I'd been standing just inside the rundown, dinghy hotel room. They were arguing just in the other room.
"Are you my new sister?" Sam asked me innocently while Dean and John were discussing this latest problem. The latest problem was me. And it was kinda hard to not hear them, how Dean was discussing monetary problems.
"Honestly, I have no idea," I answered the little boy before poking my head in at the older Winchesters. "Hey you know I can be dumped at a local orphanage. I can just explain my story there."
"NO!" John protested loudly, turning to face me. His face was twisted in anguish and anger. I recoiled as it was similar to the looks my father would give me.
"John, I'll be fine. Really," I tried to placate the patriarch of the clan. "I'll even keep in touch with you. Let you know if something happens while you're away."
"No! Dammit Isis, I said no!" John slammed his hand down on the counter. This made me jump as other less pleasant memories evaded my brain.
"You can't give away my new sister!" Sammy protested, grabbing my left hand in his smaller one.
"Isis I'm sorry," John apologized to me before turning his attention on the youngest. "Sammy I promise I'm not going to give away Isis."
"Come on Sammy," I led him away from the discussion that was resuming in the kitchen. I steered him towards the old television set. "What are we gonna watch?"
John left an hour into Sam and I's marathon of Transformers. Dean came to join us on the couch. Sammy had somehow managed to wiggle his way onto my lap and place his sock covered feet on Dean's lap.
"De'n?" Sammy's voice, slurred from sleep cut through the silence as we watched Sunstreaker, Optimus Prime, and Bumblebee fight valiantly on the television.
"What?" Dean answered his brother a little harshly. I figured he was probably just annoyed at the day's events and now the interruptions to his television show.
"Are we going to have Christmas this year?" Sammy managed through his yawning.
"Sure Sammy," Dean sounded exhausted. I wondered if it was due to the stress of being responsible for Sammy and now me or just exhaustion in general.
"What are you hoping for?" I asked quietly, running my hands over his brown locks.
"A remote controlled car. My other Christmas present came earlier than I thought," Sam giggled as I furrowed my brow, confused.
"Sammy's been wishing for a sister for several years. Dad brought you home and now he thinks his prayers have been answered," Dean answered my thoughts, even though his eyes never left the screen of the television.
"Oh," I softly said. "C'mon Sammy, I'm sure it's well past your bedtime." He blinked at me owlishly before getting off my lap and trudging over to one of the beds in the room. Sam fell asleep shortly afterwards.
"So what is your story?" Dean asked, only after he checked Sammy. Now his undivided attention was directed to me.
"My father is an alcoholic. My mother died when I was three. Since then my father hasn't left the bottle," I admitted, getting off the couch. I padded to the window and looked out the window at the pure, white snow. "It began slowly. He would yell at me for something I hadn't or did do. Then it progressed to physical violence."
"He abused you?" Dean couldn't imagine his own father doing something like that. Sure John did drink a lot and got loud and rough with his boys but to purposely abuse one of them. That would never happen.
"Yeah. John found me on a backroad with my duffle. My father threw me out," I said drawing a smiley face on the condensation gathering on the window.
"You are only ten!" Dean was indignant. I just shrugged. We stood there in silence for a while. Finally Dean cut through the silence. "I'm sorry." I turned around, shocked.
"What for?"
"That you had to go through that," Dean just stared at me seriously with his green eyes.
"Well we all have to go through something right?" Dean just shook his head in disbelief.
"You're amazing, you know that?" After a few awkward moments he motioned with his hands. "Let's go to sleep."
"Who di I get to share with?" I asked, as Dean got into the unoccupied bed.
"Whoever you want to," I got into bed with Sammy. Instinctively he curled up to be nearer to me and my warmth. I fell asleep with a smile on my face. This was gonna be a good Christmas after all.
