A/N: In this one-shot, Laney is 12, Dean is 22, and Sam is 18.
An Apple Pie Life
"Sammy, it's here."
Sam shut his laptop and slowly got up from the table. He walked over to his little sister and retrieved the letter she held in her outstretched hands.
Laney smiled brightly at him. "It's thick," she said, excitedly. "Open it."
Sam barely nodded, flipping the envelope back and forth between his hands before finally and carefully ripping it open.
Laney watched him with baited breath as he removed the letter and read it. A bright, dimpled smile slowly spread across his face.
"You got in, didn't you?"
Sam nodded his head and smiled even bigger. Laney couldn't remember ever seeing him so happy.
"I'm in. Full scholarship."
Laney jumped up and tackled her brother in a hug. "I knew you could do it! Stanford University, full scholarship! Congratulations big brother."
"Thanks," said Sam. "I couldn't have done it without you."
"Of course not," she said with a laugh. "I'm just glad my tutoring service paid off," she smirked.
"Very funny," he said dryly.
Sam read through his acceptance letter a few more times. No matter how many times he read it, it wasn't sinking in. Finally, his ticket out of this life. The future never felt so wide open.
Laney studied the play of emotions across Sam's face. She knew this was what he had wanted more than anything for years. She was the only one he'd shared his hopes and dreams with. He knew Dean wouldn't really understand and he didn't want to hurt his feelings. Their father was a whole other story. Dad was going to blow a fuse for sure.
Sam frowned.
"When are you going to tell them?" asked Laney. She'd had awhile to prepare for Sam leaving for college. Not that it was going to be easy to watch him go by any means. But Sam never wanted to be a hunter. He and Dad fought about it all the time. He just wanted to get back the kind of life he'd lost when their mother had died. He had some years of a normal before he'd been thrust into life as the son of a hunter and then a hunter himself. Mostly Laney worried about how Dean would take the news.
"Tonight," said Sam. "Sooner the better, don't you think?"
Laney nodded. "I guess so."
Sam put an arm around his sister and pulled her close to his side. "You know, you can go to college too. You've already got your GED and a perfect score on the SAT's. You're a bona fide genius. Your future is wide open."
Laney laughed. "Nah, I don't think college is for me."
"Well, you're still young. You could change your mind."
"I won't," she said, firmly. Laney had no interest in college. She had no interest in much of anything besides computers, learning everything about the supernatural, and making herself useful to her family.
Sam pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to miss you."
Laney nodded into his chest. "Yeah, me too," she said, her voice tight.
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Laney sat on the front steps of the tiny house they'd been renting for the last couple of months while Sam finished high school. John and Dean had been hunting a pack of what had proven to be very cunning werewolves in the northern part of the state.
Dean had called that morning to let them know they'd be home by dinner.
She missed Dean terribly. John had been hunting the werewolves for a couple of weeks, but had been having such a difficult time, that he'd called Dean in for reinforcements. It had taken nearly another two weeks for them to put the entire pack down. She had never in her whole life, since infancy, gone that long away from her oldest brother.
And now, Sam was leaving. At least he was going to a safe place. She was proud of her brother and truly happy for him. She still wasn't sure how she'd deal with his absence. But she was grateful she'd at least have Dean. With Dean, she felt like she could handle anything. And it wasn't like she'd never see Sam again.
The sky was growing dark when she heard the welcome rumble of the Impala, followed closely by her father's truck. The car pulled into the driveway, the headlights illuminating her. She saw Dean's wide smile and jumped up to greet him.
The door to the Impala barely creaked open before Laney launched herself into his arms.
"Miss me?" he asked, with a laugh.
She answered him, by squeezing him harder. He smiled and hugged her back. God, how he'd missed her. Her never ending questions and endless commentary about the supernatural, hunting, guns, cars, computers, technology, anything and everything. She had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and even though he knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, she always came to him and looked up to him and respected what he had to say. She was miles and away smarter than he'd ever be, but she still looked to him for answers. She made him believe there were things he could teach her. More than that, she loved him unconditionally and without judgement.
"Bring me back anything?" she asked.
Dean laughed. "Does a mouse eat cheese?"
Laney laughed and rolled her eyes. She thought she was a little old for those silly sayings. But it still made her smile. And it was tradition for Dean to bring her something whenever he went away for more than day; could be a pack of M&M's, could be a new book, could be the bones of some supernatural creature. You never knew.
"Of course, I got something for you, but after dinner. I'm starving."
"I see nothing's changed then," she smirked.
Dean laughed and ruffled her hair. He stood for a moment looking her over. He'd been gone a couple of weeks but she'd changed. Or maybe he just hadn't noticed before. He could see glimpses of the beautiful woman she was going to be.
John approached from his truck. "Hey Delaney," he said.
"Hi Dad." She reached out and gave her father a quick hug.
"Sam home?" he asked.
Laney frowned. "Yeah," she said. It seemed like her father barely acknowledged her these days. The older she got, the more distant he seemed to be. He'd been gone a month, but acted like he'd just seen her yesterday.
Dean noticing his sister's look flung an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close. "So, what did I miss?"
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Dinner was a loud affair, with Dean regaling them with a full accounting of the hunt right down to the last detail, which included saving some damsels in distress. One of Dean's specialties.
Laney shook her head knowingly. She may have only been 12 years old, but she knew what her brother was doing with the random chicks he hooked up with.
Sam smiled and laughed in all the right places at his brother's story, but was mostly quiet and thoughtful. Laney had no doubt he was stressing over how he was going to break the news to the rest of the family about his impending departure.
"You've been pretty quiet Sam," said John, picking up his plate and placing it in the sink.
Dean's brow furrowed when he noticed the look that passed between his brother and sister. Something was up.
Laney offered Sam a smile and a wink, which Dean caught. Okay, now he was intrigued.
Sam sat up straighter in his seat and pulled an envelope out from his pocket, handing it to his father.
John hesitated a moment before he grabbed the envelope and read the contents.
Dean noticed that Laney had reached out and squeezed Sam's hand.
John's jaw clenched tightly. "What's this about?" he asked, his voice gruff.
Sam cleared his throat. "My future."
"What's going on?" asked Dean.
John handed the letter over to him, watching as he read it. Laney's heart sank. Her oldest brother looked stricken.
"Your brother is abandoning us," said John.
"It's college, Dad. I'm not abandoning anyone. It's a future for me. It's a great opportunity."
"We're not good enough for you?" asked John.
Dean looked at his brother with something akin to astonishment on his face. He'd always known Sam hated the life they lived. He knew he wanted to be something else, have a normal apple pie life. Still, he felt like he'd been kicked in the gut.
"Dad," said Laney, softly. "You should be proud."
"You knew about this?" Dean asked his sister.
Laney's guilty look was all the answer he needed.
"Fantastic," said Dean.
"Dean lay off," said Sam. "I asked her not to tell anyone."
"You can't go," said John, throwing the envelope on the table.
"What do you mean I can't go?" asked Sam, incredulously and getting up from his chair. "I'm 18 years old. I don't need your permission. I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want!"
"You can't walk out on your family! We have work to do!" shouted John
"No, you have work to do. This isn't my work. I've never wanted to be a hunter. I've never wanted this any of this!"
"You don't want to get the thing that killed your mother?" asked John, fury in his voice.
"Dad, we've been on the run for the last 12 years, killing anything and everything you can and none of it will bring her back!" shouted Sam
"Watch yourself Sam," warned Dean.
Laney got up from her seat and shrunk back to the periphery of the room and out of the way. Sam and Dad fighting was nothing new. They were always at each other's throats over one thing or the other. Most of the time it was this very fight; Sam wanting to have a normal life. Normally Dad would just run off to the nearest bar afterwards. Then when he came home the next day, it was like nothing had happened.
"If you walk out that door, you can't ever come back. Do you hear me?" demanded John.
Dean looked at his father with a stunned expression. "Dad?"
Laney's breathed hitched. She knew her father would take it bad, but to disown his own son, that went beyond reason.
"Don't worry, I won't," said Sam, defiantly. He snatched the letter up from the table.
Sam stared hard at his father, before John broke eye contact.
John grabbed his car keys and stalked out the door, slamming it shut behind him. Laney heard the squealing of the truck tires leaving the driveway.
Laney stood glued to her spot, unable to move. It felt like she'd just witnessed a death in the family.
"Sam, how can you do this?" Dean asked more quietly.
"Dean, it's California, not the end of the world. It's college. It's my future on a platter."
"But we need you. Dad needs you. You can't just leave us."
Sam shook his head. "Do you really want to do this for the rest of your life?"
"Why not? It's not as horrible as you make it out to be."
"Really Dean? Living out of suitcases, moving constantly, never being in one place long enough to make a friend. You ever stop to think about whether all this is really what you want. You follow Dad's orders and hang on to his every word. You're 22 years old. You could have left years ago. You can leave anytime you want, you can still have a future too," said Sam.
Dean rubbed his hands through his hair. He was trying to hold on to his composure. Every bone in his body wanted to tie his brother up and throw him in the trunk of the Impala and never let him go anywhere. But he knew that Sam was becoming his own man and that at some point he was going to have to let him go and let him grow.
Apparently that time had come.
"You can't tell me that you've never once thought about leaving," prodded Sam.
Dean paced the room for a second and stopped short, gazing out of the kitchen window. "Okay, maybe I have thought about leaving once or twice. But I have obligations Sam. I have a duty. I'm not just going to walk out. I can't just leave."
"It's your life Dean. You can do whatever you want."
"Maybe."
"It's college man. It's not like we'll never see each other again," said Sam.
Dean sighed. Whatever fight he'd been feeling was ebbing away. This was Sam's choice. Sam's life. All he'd ever wanted was for his brother to be happy, and if this was what he really wanted, he wouldn't stand in the way. He knew when his father cooled off he'd see it that way too. Hopefully.
"You have to promise to keep in touch," said Dean, turning to face his brother. "Regular check-ins. And I want the number of any hot college girls you meet."
Sam smiled and laughed, relieved and overwhelmed with joy. He never wanted to admit it, but Dean's approval was important to him. "Deal."
"Let us drive you to California," said Dean.
"You don't have to do that," said Sam.
"Dude, I'm going for the beaches and the girls. What do you say Laney? We can hit Disneyland." Dean turned when he got no response. His sister was gone.
"Laney?" he called out.
He looked back at Sam. "Where did she go?"
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"Okay, maybe I have thought about leaving. But I have obligations Sam. I have a duty. I'm not just going to walk out. I can't just leave."
I have a duty. I have obligations.
The words played over and over in Laney's head. Sam was leaving her and now Dean had admitted he had wanted to leave too. But he had a duty and obligations. She knew he had to be talking about her. She was years away from being a legal adult. Sure, she was a genius. She could get by in the world. But even though she was 12, she looked like she was 10. And for the first time in her life, she realized that she might be holding her brother back. Maybe he could have a real life, like the one he had before she was born. But no, he felt obligated to take care of her. He'd been taking care of her since birth. Dean was a man of honor, who never shirked a duty or obligation. Loyal to a fault.
But still in the end, she was just an obligation.
Quietly she had slipped out of the room and outside. She started walking down the dark streets, the tears falling down her face in time to her footsteps. She hated tears, hated crying. It was a sign of weakness.
It felt more and more that her father didn't want her around. Sure, she had value. She could hack into computers and databases, forge documents, research with the best of them. But she didn't hunt. Not like rest of her family. She was always in the way. He always had to make sure someone was watching her. Now that Sam was leaving, how was he going to rely on Dean for back-up? Dean would never leave her behind, alone and without protection.
It would be easier if she found somewhere else to go. Somewhere she'd be out of sight and out of mind.
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Sam and Dean quickly searched the house and the surrounding yard for their sister. She'd disappeared right under their noses. Not the sort of thing that happened regularly. Laney was always around and always at the ready to offer her skills as the resident genius.
Dean was panicking.
"She was excited for me. But she knew Dad was going to have a hard time. I'm sure she didn't expect him to practically throw me out on my ass though."
"Where the Hell would she have gone?" asked Dean, slapping the steering wheel of the Impala.
"I don't know," said Sam, softly. Laney didn't have friends. She'd finished her schooling early. She didn't go out much, living her life online instead. It was hard to make physical friends when you spent your life constantly on the move and sheltered.
"Maybe it's all a little much to take in and she got overwhelmed," said Dean. "She's probably working through some stuff. You know how she gets. It's like pulling teeth to get her to talk when things are bothering her."
Sam nodded. "Yeah, I know," he said, quietly. "I didn't want her to get hurt though."
"She'll be okay Sammy. She wants whatever is going to make you happy."
"I know that," he said with a sigh. "I'm really going to miss her." And for the first time since he'd learned he was actually leaving for college, he felt sad. "You have to take care of her."
"Duh," said Dean. It was his life's purpose.
"I mean, you know, since I won't be here. One less set of eyes."
"I can handle it Sam."
"I know you can."
Dean looked at his brother, having some sense of what he might be feeling. "Seriously little bro, don't worry about us. I'll take care of her. You go to school and you kick it in the ass. I know you can do it."
Sam smiled, his eyes felt watery.
"Let's try the bus stop," he said suddenly.
Dean raised an eyebrow. "You think?"
"Remember that time I ran away?"
All too well.
Dean nodded and turned the car around.
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Laney heard the Impala approaching before she saw it. She knew she would be found. Didn't really care about it either. It wasn't going to change her mind about what she had to do.
"Laney!" exclaimed Dean, relief lacing his voice. "You scared the crap out of us. What do you think you're doing out here?"
Dean and Sam sat down on the bench on opposite sides of her.
"Hey what's going on kiddo?" asked Sam.
Laney looked up at them with red rimmed eyes. "I'm waiting on a bus."
Dean pursed his lips. "Is that so?"
"Yup."
"Where to?" asked Dean
"South Dakota," she said.
"What's in South Dakota?" asked Sam
"Uncle Bobby."
"And why are you going to Uncle Bobby's house?"
"So you'll be free of your obligations, Dean."
"What are you talking about?" he asked, perplexed.
"Sam is going to college. You're 22 years old. You can go do something different with your life. It's how it's supposed to be. It's the natural course of growing up. You don't hang around to take care of your kid sister," she said.
"You're not an obligation," said Dean, firmly. She'd clearly overhead something. But she also misunderstood.
"I heard what you said Dean. You said you've thought about leaving, but you've got obligations."
"I wasn't talking about you," insisted Dean. "I was talking about hunting, saving people. And you know what? I enjoy it. I can't think of anything else I would want to do."
Dean reached over and turned his sister's face towards him. "Listen to me, young lady. You are not an obligation or a duty. If I left to go anywhere, do you really think I wouldn't drag you with me?"
Laney bit her lip and looked down, feeling suddenly embarrassed and joyful all at once.
"You know, for a genius, you can be pretty dumb," said Dean.
Sam chuckled and grabbed his sister's hand.
Dean put an arm around his sister and pulled her close. "I wouldn't have much of a life without you. You and Sammy both. We're family. It's always going to be the two of you before anything else, even with Sam going away to college. And if one day you decide to leave, none of that will change."
Laney shoved her face in Dean's collarbone and let the tears fall. She loved her brothers so much it hurt.
Dean let her have her cry, rubbing circles on her back and whispering words of comfort. Sam watched the scene with an ache in his heart. He was going to miss this. Miss them.
"Come on, shrimp," Dean chuckled. "You're getting snot all over my favorite shirt."
Laney pulled back smiling and punched him in the shoulder.
"What about Dad?" she asked softly.
"Dad…he's just upset and he's overreacting. You let us worry about him," said Dean.
Laney wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You ready to go home?" asked Dean
"I'll go wherever you go," she answered.
It was all Dean needed to hear.
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A week later the Winchester siblings arrived in California to drop Sam off at school so he could get settled in early. Dean had been unable to convince him to go on one last hunt, just for old time's sake. John never came back to the rental house, instead calling Dean to tell him that he'd found a case down in Mississippi and he'd be in touch later. Dean hadn't been able to talk any sense into him.
"Well I have to say Sammy, you picked a good place to go to college," said Dean, watching a few college girls strolling by the diner window.
Sam shook his head. "One track mind."
Laney giggled. She pulled out a gift bag and handed it to Sam. "This is for you."
"What's this?"
"Just some stuff to remind you of us."
Dean raised an eyebrow and looked curiously at the bag. He had no idea she'd put something together.
Sam began pulling items out of the bag; a picture of the three of them from the stop they'd just made at Disneyland, a picture of Laney as a baby being held by a little Sam and young Dean, a picture Laney had drawn of her family when she was 5 years old, a webcam, a small tattered stuffed puppy that had been their mascot for the last few years, and a small spiral bound journal.
Sam opened the journal and smiled. "What's this?"
"I just wrote some of my favorite memories of us growing up and random thoughts that popped in my head," she said. "You can read it whenever you miss me and it'll be like I'm right there talking to you and driving you nuts."
Sam nodded slowly and had to swallow the lump forming in his throat.
Dean looked away and wiped at what looked suspiciously like a tear forming in his eye.
He cleared his throat. "Okay, how about we kill this Hallmark moment before it gets out of hand and hit up sorority row?" he asked, waggling his eyebrows.
"Ugh Dean, you're hopeless," said Laney.
He smiled brightly. "I know."
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"I guess this is goodbye then," said Laney.
"Not goodbye," said Sam. "How about, until next time?"
"Sounds good to me," she said, she threw herself into her brother's arm, jumping up and wrapping her legs around him like a koala. She squeezed him tightly. "I want e-mail every day," she said. "And I want to know about all your classes."
Sam nodded. "Of course."
"I guess you'll have to do your own homework now, huh Sammy?" quipped Dean.
"Very funny," said Sam. Laney had helped him a few times with a difficult computer science course and Dean had yet to let him live it down.
Dean smiled. "You take care of yourself Sasquatch."
"You too," said Sam, embracing his brother. "Take care of the baby," he said more softly.
"I always do."
"I know," said Sam.
Dean slid into the driver's seat of the Impala, unable to prolong the goodbye any longer. He wanted it over, like ripping off a band-aid.
Laney threw her arms around her brother's waist and hugged him again. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said, close to tears. "I love you."
"I love you too," said Sam, swallowing the lump in his throat.
Sam looked at his brother in the Impala. Laney could see all the unspoken words and all the unspoken love between them.
She reached up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek. "I promise to take good care of Dean," she whispered in his ear.
Sam nodded. "Take care of each other."
Laney nodded and got into the Impala as it roared to life.
Dean drove away, watching his brother grow smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror until he couldn't see him anymore. Laney reached over and squeezed her brother's wrist. They didn't need to say anything, both knowing how the other felt, no longer completely whole.
Sam watched the Impala until it was gone. He turned around and headed towards his new home. Not really a home, right now it was just a place to live. Everything that made up his home was driving away. And nothing in his life had ever hurt so much.