"Hey, Daddy. How are you?" She asked, a smile appearing on her face as she exhaled the smoke from the cigarette. She normally tried to call her dad at least once a week to let him know that she was doing well and still alive. Kate tried to stop by his house at least once a month but only if she knows that a certain someone would not be there. It was not like she did not want to see him, because she did ever so badly, she was just scared to see him again. She had done a great job at hiding her true feelings for him over the years, she had done her best not to leave any clues that she was falling deeper in love with him. It was not like Kathleen Singer to fall in love with someone but when he walked into her life when they were teenagers, her whole world changed again. Sam Winchester had made his way into her life, into her world, into her soul, her heart and there was no getting him out of there. She had tried everything she could think of to get him out of her heart, she knew that he was not the type to settle down and neither was she. Taking another drag off the cigarette, she leaned against the side of the motel building as she waited for her dad to say something.
"I'm fine, Kate, but you might want to get to Purple Heart Hospital in Dixon, Minnesota." The voice of Bobby Singer rang in her ears. His voice was stressed, worried, and panicked. She bite down on her lip as she waited for him to go on and explain more. She could feel her heart start to race as she exhaled again before taking another drag off the cigarette. "Its Sam, Katie. There was an accident and things are not looking good. They're really bad..." He trailed off, she wasn't sure if he was trying to find the right words to say to her or if he just couldn't bring himself to say the one of the worst things either of them could ever fear. "If you can leave now, I would if I were you." She could hear her father's voice breaking, she could tell he was in pain just at the thought of losing Sam. She could feel her heart in her throat, she couldn't talk, breath or move. It felt like she had just had the whole world dropped onto her whole body. She went stiff, even numb, for a few minutes. She gathered herself together with a few deep breaths and a few drags off the cigarette before she threw the rest of it on the ground, making sure to put it out as she made her way back to her room.
"Purple Heart Hospital in Dixon, Minnesota, got it." Kate said before she hung up and stuck her phone in the pocket of her jogging sweats. Heading back inside her motel room, she quickly but quietly packed her bags making sure not to leave anything. She scribbled a quick note on the pad of paper on the table about how she had to leave, family emergency. Even though she didn't want to admit it, the note she left for the tattoo biker was true down to the last 't'. She closed the door quietly behind her before she made her way over to the '09 Dodge Charger, sliding into the driver seat she slide the keys into the ignition turning the engine over before backing out of her parking space. Kate had only paid through the that day anyway so it wasn't like she was losing money or anything. Besides the biker dude needed to sleep off the night before. She drove down the highway towards Minnesota, hoping she was going to make it in time. A million different thoughts and memories crossed her mind as she drove for hours. Would Sam even want her there? Did he want to see her after what she did? She honestly wouldn't blame him if he wanted nothing more to do with her.
Once she arrived at the hospital in Dixon, Minnesota she took the first parking spot she found. She barely remembered to take her car keys with her as she rushed out of the car and towards the entrance of the hospital. Her lungs filled with the smell of cleaning supplies and iodine as she pushed past a man to get to the front desk. She took a moment to catch her breath before she spoke to the person behind the counter. "What room is Sam Miller in?" Kate's voice was hoarse and cracked when she said his name. The man behind the desk glanced up at her for a brief moment before he went back to doing whatever it was he had been doing beforehand.
"Are you family?" The man asked, his tone was unfriendly and cocky. She huffed a bit making a face at the man who was probably at least six inches taller than her and had at least a hundred pounds on her ass but she didn't give a shit. She was about to grab the collar of his scrubs when she heard a familiar voice shouting down the hallway. Her eyes moved to see what hallway when her eyes fell on Dean Winchester. She had thought about leaving right then and there, before Dean could get the chance to lay his eyes on her. She knew she was the last person that Dean would want to see, the last person he'd want to see his little brother on his death bed. "Ma'am, are you family to Mister Miller?" The male nurse's voice rang in her ears, but that was nothing compared to the deafening sound that followed.
"No, she's not family." His voice was rough, cold, uncaring as he spoke. Looking to her right she found the source of her heart dropping and a lump rising in her throat. She had missed her chance to escape without Dean knowing she was ever there. Kate prepared herself for whatever was about to come, she honestly thought he'd punch her or something. Instead he grabbed her elbow and pulled her outside and away from the doors and open windows before letting her go. He didn't look at her, he stared at the sidewalk in front of them for a moment, she could only imagine he was trying to gather the words he wanted to say to her. She took to biting on her lower lip when he turned around, anger clearly written on his face. "What the hell do you think you're doing here, Kate? What the hell makes you think he wants to see you? Do you even know what you did to him? What you meant to him? Did you even think about how any of this would affect Sammy?" He shouted at her, his green eyes on her blue ones. He ran a hand over his face while taking a deep breath in. "He didn't want this, you know? All he wanted was you, Kathleen. He was willing to do whatever just to keep you. You left a guy like Sam for what? Some biker gang? Sure, life isn't the white picket fence you wanted, but it was pretty damn close to it for him and you pulled that from underneath him. You know he hasn't stopped looking for you since you left him, right? He's questioned hunters, demons, vamps, shifters, you name it trying to get any kind of information about where you were. Way to keep Bobby out of the loop as well, you're his damn daughter. He has the right to know where you are at, Kathleen." Dean's voice shouted before he punched the bench next to them. His green eyes were locked on her, trying to read her.
She struggled to find not only words but her own voice, when she did she didn't recognize it as her own. It came out strangled, hurt, rough, and coarse. "I didn't leave him for some biker gang, Dean! I didn't leave him for anyone! I left because I-I had too. I knew from a young age that I was never going to get a house with a white picket fence in the front yard with a husband and kids. I knew what growing up a hunter meant and I'm okay with that. I've come to terms with the fact that I'll never be able to settle down and have a normal life, it's not possible for a hunter to do that. You of all people should know this, Dean!" She shouted, wishing she could take some of those words back as soon as she said them but it was too late for that now. "You don't think it was easy for me to leave him? You think it was a walk in Central Park for me, Dean? I loved your brother from the start. Hell, part of me still does love him and always will. I'm not what he deserved, he deserves better than me. I'm not what Sam wants, trust me." Her voice was soft, fading and breaking when she said his name. Her blue eyes staring into his green ones, teary and soft, filled with hurt and pain from years of torture. As her cheeks started to feel moist she felt a rough palm struck her face, leaving a slight red hand print on her cheek. Glancing up she saw that it was Dean who had slapped her, the first time he had done that to her since he found her bra in Sam's bed all those years ago.
"Look, Kat, if anyone knows Sam better than you it's me and trust me when I say that guy is crazy for you. He went to the ends of the earth to try and find you, he's madly in love with you and you're being a selfish bitch. We grew up hunters too, we know how to handle whatever is thrown at us. Well, pretty much everything. Sam's a tough kid and can handle a lot but I don't know how much more he can handle you leaving him again. I don't know what demons you're fighting but let us help you, Kate. You're like the little sister I never wanted." Dean said with a chuckle at the end. He put his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry about smacking you but you're not thinking clearly. There is no one else for either of you, he's perfect for you and you're perfect for him. You both grew up in this life and know what to expect and that's why it didn't work with me staying with Lisa and Ben." His voice was soft and caring this time as he hugged, despite what he told the male nurse at the desk he still thought of Kate as family. She couldn't help but lean against him and let the tears she had been holding back for so long out. Dean didn't do anything but rub her back and whisper that everything was going to be okay. "Listen, go sit with him. I need to get a few hours sleep. Besides, he'd want you there, Kat." He said before pulling away from her, giving her a soft and reassuring smile.
"A-are you sure? What if he doesn't want me here? Especially after everything I've done?" Her hand went up to the metal ring that was hanging around her neck on a white gold chain. It was a gold, two carat diamond ring. Sam had given it to her about a year ago, along with asking her to marry her. She was more than excited and willing to marry him but she knew that there would be no way they'd get the normal apple pie life that they both wanted to desperately. Kate had no idea what she'd even say to him or do. How could she show up out of no where now after all those months of being away from him and ignoring texts and calls from both brothers. She didn't take cases that her father passed on to her in fear of running into the Winchester brothers. Kathleen just couldn't bear to face Sam after she took the ring and ran. As her blue eyes looked up at Dean, he gave her another smile before pushing her towards the door.
"Come on, Kat, you stubborn ass." Dean's voice was lighter, a little more caring, the anger in his voice had disappeared and she didn't know if it was because he realized this fight was not going to get them anywhere or for some other unknown reason. All she could was nod her head and be pushed past the doors and the man at the desk who gave Dean a questioning look as they passed. "She's with me." He huffed at the man when he tried to stop the pair. Dean pushed past him with his other hand pulling Kate along with him. The two of them made their way down the hall, she watched as the room numbers they passed blur together before they stopped. Room 246 was written in white paint on a dark blue plaque, she could Dean nudging her towards the room. Taking a step back, she moved her hand to the cold metal around her neck and held it tight for a moment. Biting her lower lip she kept her grip on the ring she had been wearing around her neck since that night a year ago. Almost a year to the day, if her memory was correct. Before entering the room, she glanced back at Dean, hoping to get some kind of words of encouragement. "Just save the rough housing for after he's out of the hospital, eh, Kat?" He chuckled before giving her a gentle push into Sam's room then walked towards the exit of the hospital.
Walking into the hospital room almost knocked her on her ass, the sounds of beeping machine made her feel sick but it wasn't until her eyes landed on a bedridden Sam who had IVs sticking out of him and was covered in bandages. She reached out and touched the door frame for support, part of her wishing that Dean hadn't left her to do this on her own. Taking a shaky breath in, she gripped the ring tighter before she slipped the necklace itself off her neck. Her feet felt heavy as she slowly made her way over to the chair by the bed. She hadn't even realized she was moving until she sat down, still staring at the ring in her hand. Closing her eyes tight, she let her thoughts take over. She thought about that day a year ago, how she was already really happy. There was nothing else she wanted, she had it all. A guy that loved her more than the air he breathed, her father was still alive and more than okay with her and Sam being together, and, of course, there was always Dean. Even if they didn't always see eye to eye or even get along, she hated how he wouldn't let her put her feet up on the dashboard while they were driving and he hated every time she tried to put her feet on any part of the Impala that wasn't the floor. Kate didn't realized that she had been holding her breath, she let it out slowly as she slipped the cold metal, gold diamond ring over her left ring finger. Gently picking up Sam's hand she held his rough, scarred hands in her small yet just as rough and scarred hand her finger gently rubbing the back of his hand. "I'm so sorry. I should have been there, I never should have left. I'm sorry, Sammy." Her voice was cracking with every word she spoke. Her heart breaking with every beep of machine next to her. This was not how she wanted things to end for him, for either of them. She wanted so much more for him than this, she wanted something so much better than this life for him. Laying her head on the bed next to his hand, she closed her eyes only to feel a hand on her head. Soon there were fingers being ran through her hair before she heard anything.
"Katie?" His voice was soft, just above a whisper, and it was confused. Her heart about jumped out of her chest but instead it got caught in her throat. She had no idea what to say to him, what to do. Kate was not prepared to deal with everything she had ran from for a year. She simply nodded her head before she looked up at him, her blue eyes were soft and caring, begging to be forgiven. His eyes were still shut, he moaned a little before moving slightly. "Katie, no!" Sam muttered squeezing her hand before groaning again. She bite her lip before she started to rub his hand again softly before she brushed some of his brown hair out of his face. Just as she was about to brush the last bit of hair from his face when his hand grabbed her waist and pulled it away, his eyes opening. She was staring him in the face for the first time in a year, her eyes were filled with pain and guilt while his were full of anger and love at the same time. "Kathleen?" His voice was harsh as he spoke her name. She shuddered a bit as he spoke, he hadn't used her full name since they were teenagers. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she sat there with one of his hands wrapped around her wrist while the other held her hand gently.
"I should go..." She said before pulling away only to have Sam pull her closer to him, hugging her tightly. He didn't say anything, he just laid there and hugged her while she stood there confused. She didn't expect him to react to her being there like this, she half expected him to do what his older brother did which was yell at her and smack her. They sat stayed like that for what seemed like forever before she felt him shake his head. He tighten his gasp on her, making sure she was real that she wasn't going to disappear. Sam ran a hand up her back to her blonde hair, twirling her locks around his fingers. Sam finally loosen his grip on her letting her catch her breath, he took in her appearance. His brown eyes landed on her blues one, lingering for a minute.
"No, please don't go, Katie. I-I want you here." He said before shaking his head at her again. "No, I need you here. Please?" Sam tried his best to moved over in the small bed to make room for her, this of course wasn't how he wanted to run into her again but he'd take it. He patted the area he just made, motioning for her to sit down next to him. Kate slowly and carefully made her way onto his bed, laying down next to him. Sam wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He had noticed the ring on her finger, at first he didn't recogize it but a second peek at it made it clear that it was the ring he had given her a year ago. He thought about saying something until she put her head on his chest, her eyes closing. Sam watched her for minutes before his eyes started to fell heavy and he let them fall. Katie shifted slightly before taking a deep breath in.
"S-Sam?" The voice that came out of her was weak and gentle, she didn't think he'd hear her but she knew he did when a small smile appeared on his face and he perked an eyebrown at her. "I uh, I never gave you an answer a year ago..." She trailed off, biting her lip she looked down at his chest. Sam sat up a little, opening his eyes he looked down at her. His eyes were hopeful, he still loved her. "I was terrified. I never expected anyone would... Would want me like that..." She trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts. She knew she needed to tell him about the one night stands, the almost one night stands. Kate knew she needed to tell him that she wasn't the same girl from a year ago, that a lot had changed since he last saw her. "So much has changed since then... I don't know if you even want me still, I wouldn't blame you if you didn't." She said her eyes moving up to look at him. His eyes were soft and caring, like he had always looked ather. He had the same love in his eyes now as he did when he asked her to marry him a year ago. Kate opened her mouth to say something more, but Sam put one of his fingers over her lips soft.
"I don't care what happened over the last year, Katie. If you want to pick up where we left off, that's exactly what we are going to do and this time I'm not letting you go." Sam pulled her into a hug again. "I love you, Katie. I know we'll never get to have a normal life but we can try our damn best to give it a shot, right?" He asked sleepily, his eyelids falling shut as he kept his grip on her waist.
"Right." She said before she placed her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Kathleen soon drifted off to sleep listening to the sound she had missed terribly over the last year. A smile placed on both of their sleeping faces through the whole night. Dean walked into the room and sat in the chair next to them, watching them sleep before he too fell into a deep slumber.