"Dad why are we here? Why aren't we going to Bobby's?" Sam threw down his duffel bag with all the strength of a scrawny 11 year old. John had driven all the way to the to some small port town: Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The house was clean and warm. Sam wasn't used to being in houses like this. There were framed pictures of a family on the wall, and Sam only just barely recognized a tall, handsome man with dark caramel skin, curly black hair and laugh lines from a few pictures Dad kept in the glovebox.

"He's busy, Sam. This guy's another old friend of mine, and he's got kids." John roughed up Sam's hair and headed down through the hallway into the kitchen.

"I don't want to hang out with other kids! I just wanna be with Dean and Bobby. Can we just go with you?" Sam pleaded, chasing after his father.

"No. Sorry kiddo. You'll be fine, he's a great guy-" John cracked a smile as he greeted the man, an inch or two taller than John himself. "James!"

"John Winchester! Long time no see!" The two shared a man hug before James slapped Johns' back. "I know you love my diner but I'm telling Lace you're cut off from our pies, big guy." The two shared a hearty laugh before John pulled Sam foreward by his shoulders.

"This is my youngest, Sam."

"Sam! How's it going big man?" James held his hand out for a fist bump to which Sam did reluctantly. Dean came into the kitchen then, standing tall next to Sam.

"Hey James!"

"Dean-o! What's up man?" The two hugged just like James had with John.

"So I'll leave them here a few weeks, that alright?" John patted Sam's head a last time and started backing out of the kitchen.

"Yeah man that's all fine, they can bunk in the guest bedroom. I can keep 'em busy a few weeks." James winked at Sam and put his hands on his hips. "Stay safe, Winchester." James and John shared another hug before John said his goodbyes to the boys and the last thing Sam saw when he looked out the window was the dust clouds trailing behind the impala and shining through the pink-orange sunset. He turned when James clapped his hands. "So! You kids have dinner yet?"

Dean's eyes lit up and he lightly hit Sam's shoulder. "Are we going to your diner?"

James smirked and nodded. "You two put your bags in the room and we'll be off." Dean nodded and flapped his hand at Sam's arm before running up the stairs. Sam followed behind, lugging his bag up one stair at a time. Dean was looking through the rooms trying to pick out which one was theirs. At the end of the hall was a plainly decorated one with a small couch, two dressers and a full sized bed in the center. A small girl was there making the bed. She looked up at them, slightly startled, then started rushing to straighten up the bed. She held her hand out to the two boys and stood up straight. She was an inch taller than Sam, slightly worrying him and making him wonder how old she was. She had the same facial structure as James, with high, regal cheek bones and a long, straight nose. Her eyes were the same shade as his, a pale yellow green with flecks of brown, though her hair was less kinky and her skin was a lighter olive tone. They also had the same mile-long eyelashes and eyes that tilted downwards on the outside edges. Her lips were thick, with an almost non-existant cupids bow, all curved up wards like those girls in magazines who puff out their lips. Her hair was long, tied into two thick braids down to the end of her shoulder blades. She was a tiny, thin little thing. Fragile looking with watchful eyes and a steady, straight, almost military-esque posture.

"You guys must be Dean and Sam Winchester! Hi! I'm Cairo, James' daughter! Nice to meet you!" She spoke a little too loudly and a little too quick, like she'd been rehersing it. Sam shook her hand while Dean just nodded his head at her. She took them both by the arm and showed them around the house, where the bathrooms were, where the entrances were, where her dad's study was that they were absolutely not allowed inside, then took them to the garage where James was leaning against a dark red '84 civic.

"I see you two met Cairo. She was excited to play host while you boys were here, I'll make sure she gives you two your space too though, don't worry. She might kick your butts on that Nintendo though, be careful." He ruffled her hair as she smiled up at him and unlocked the car doors. The little gang hopped inside the car and set off away from the little forested area and into town to a small building on the corner of a street near the edge of town. Inside was bustling despite the low traffic of the street, with some Jackson Five on the jukebox and the smell of good greasy food filling Sam's nostrils. Immediatly Dean ran to a both and beckoned Sam to join him. James and Cairo got into the seats across them and a waitress greated them with water and menus. When Sam picked it up to read it, he saw the logo. In Swoopy script it read James' Family Diner.

"No way, you own this place?" Sam looked across the table at James with an astounded expression. Dean smirked and bumped him with his elbow.

"Yeah man, he's an awesome cook and last time we were over we got to eat like kings every night! Damn Sam, you know how good his food tastes when you've been eating like we have? Just canned pasta and cheap cereal?" Dean sniffled and slapped his own chest. "It'll bring a tear to your eyes!"

Cairo giggled and covered her face with her menu, but slapped it down on the table soon after. "Hey! Do you guys wanna see the kitchen? It smells so good in there! One time when we were closed Baba let me cook with him! It was awesome!"

James chuckled and winked at the boys. "Yeah, Dean. I can teach you how to make those bacon burgers you love so much." Dean just about shot out of his seat.

"Really?"

"Yeah man, by the time your dad comes back you'll be as good as me and you can start having that on the road instead of your TV dinners. I swear, being on the road with that man was the most depressing time for my stomach I've ever had." James feigned a dramatically sullen face and rubbed his abdomen. "Show your old man a few tricks you learn and you'll be all set. Oh, and we don't serve it here, but I know how to make the most delicious five alarm chilly and it's easy enough for even John to do."

Dean bounced and turned to Sam. "You hear that Sammy? Good food."

With a full belly and a content mind Sam sat back in his seat, sucking the last bits of grease off his fingers and slopping the rest of the ketchup with a few extra fries. Dean nudged Sam with his elbow. "Ain't it good, Sam?"

Sam nodded and yawned, resting his head on Deans shoulder. The corner of James' mouth tilted into a smile. "You kids want dessert?"

Dean chuckled. "Do you even need to ask?"

James let out a low laugh and raised his hand to beckon a waitress. "Hey Suze, a Vanilla milkshake and- boys. Cherry, raspberry, apple or pecan?"

"Apple!"

"You heard the man. Apple pie please. Thanks, Suze."

"No problem, James. I'll bring the check, hun." James nodded and stretched his arms.

"Hey, you boys wanna see the kitchen while we wait?" They nodded and slid out the booth before following Cairo and James. They lead Sam and Dean, greeting customers who knew them both by name all the way past the end of the counter. Dean just about drooled when they walked past the desert case. The kitchen was huge, filled with industrial sized machines. Friers, stoves, ovens, grills and a walk in fridge all bustling with various dinner foods on every surface and the loud sounds of sizzling meats and and greens. "I'll take you kids in here Sunday night if you're interested and we can cook our own dinner. That sound like fun to you kids?" Dean nodded, and Sam was warming up to James, so he did too. James was a nice guy, friendly face. A family man. When they left the kitchen James stopped at the cash register and picked up a carry-out cup for the shake and a foil tin for the pie. He was cool and let the boys share them in the backseat, leaving not even crumbs by the time they got home.

When they stepped back into the house, Sam and Dean were introduced to James' wife, Lacey. She was a shorter blond woman, maybe 5' 5" and held an obviously fake smile. Cairo looked a little scared of her and kept her eyes on the floor. Sam didn't like her. She was the fake kind of friendly. He could see her glaring at Cairo. She greeted the two then left to her bedroom while James and the boys relaxed in the living room. James stretched his legs out across the smaller couch while Dean and Sam shared the larger one parallel to the TV. Cairo came back into the room tucking bits of her hair into a head-scarf. The boys noticed a hand-shaped patch of red across her cheek. James looked up when he saw her and tilted his head at the TV. "Hey Cairo, you wanna set up the Nintendo to play?"

Cairo perked up and brought a big cardboard box from a storage closet before connecting it to the TV and bringing the box to the boys. "We have a crap-ton of games, do you guys wanna play? I'm pretty good at Donkey Kong and Gradius!"

James nodded and fluffed a pillow behind his head. "She'll kick your ass, boys. Watch out."

Dean chuckled. "Well you've never played Sammy over here. This boy'll be on playing Mario until he collapses."

"Dean!"

Sam blushed but looked up when Cairo stood above him and handed him a controller. "Time to battle! Sammy!"

The two played late into the night, trading controllers with dean whenever one of them lost a life on Super Mario 3. Sam ended up winning and Cairo shook his hand, but declared she would indeed win tomorrow. She walked the boys to their room and showed them where to get extra blankets in case they got cold at night, and don't worry any tapping on the window really is just the tree scrapping the house in the wind. She promised, crossed her heart and hopped to die." g'night guys!"

They woke up the next morning to the smell of fried eggs, bacon, and sweet pancakes downstairs. The two raced down the stairs to see Cairo standing on a chair and operating the girdle on the stove-top. She had her hair held back with a bandana and wore an appron that could fit another three Cairos. "Hey guys! Hope you're hungry! Dad's outside chopping wood. I made-"

"Cairo! It's time to pray-" Lacey rushed into the kitchen behind the boys with a loud, controlling voice. "Cairo! Where's your hijab? You're disgraceful, go get it now and meet with your father outside to pray. Now."

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry Lacey." Cairo bowed her head and rushed past them. Lacey sighed and left the room, ignoring the two boys. The two shrugged and headed to the back, seeing Cairo and James in prayer position to the south-east. Soon the two stood up and entered the kitchen again. Cairo smiled weakly at them and gave them plates. "Sorry about that. Uhm, you two can serve yourselves if you want. We eat in the dining room."

Sam and Cairo ate in silence while Dean and James talked about their favorite football teams. For the most part they were in silence because all Cairo was doing was staring down at her plate with a solemn expression, and Sam was still too awkward to bring something up for them to talk about. He pressed his lips into a tight line and lightly poked her arm with his licked-clean fork. "Cairo, you okay?"

She snapped out of her little desolation at this and gave him a smile. "Yeah, I'm okay. Lacey's just annoying is all." She let out a nervous laugh and looked away for a second. "So! Didja sleep good?"

Sam nodded. "The bed's comfy, but Dean kept hogging the whole thing-"

"Oh hack it, small fry. I'm bigger than you, I need more space. And you were the one hogging it, Nerd." Dean smirked and nudged Sam with his shoulder.

Sam giggled but turned back to Cairo. She was giggling, watching the two."I can't wait 'til I have a baby brother to tease." She beamed at Dean.

Dean nodded and gave her a charming smile before returning to his conversation with James about how much he hated the Giants. At this, James loudly clapped his hands together and sat up. "Hey! You boys wanna play catch? I know I got some old gloves from when I was younger somewhere in the garage..."

Dean bounced in his seat. "Hell yeah!"

Sam was a little reluctant. "I don't really like catch, no thank you."

James nodded. "That's fair. You mind helpin' Cario with dishes then, big man?"

Sam nodded and sat up before helping Cairo collect plates to set in the sink. Rather than helping, he took a seat on the counter next to the sink and watched Cairo set to work scrubbing down the cookware. He pulled his legs into criss-cross position and leaned foreward on his hands. "Do you do all the chores around here?"

Cairo nodded and turned the temperature of the water up.

"Why doesn't your mom do any? Or help you at least. Isn't that what moms are supposed to do?" Cairo tilted her head and groaned.

"Ugh, I wish she would. She doesn't do anything. She tells me to do everything, and she's not even my mom! I don't understand what my dad sees in her, she's not even pretty!"

"She's not your mom?"

"No, thank god. And if she was, I'd want to die! She sucks. She watches Soap Operas, gets a bunch of plastic surgury that doesn't even help, just wasting my dad's money, and listens to New Kids on the Block. And she makes me go to bed early sometimes so she can watch a porn down here with my dad and do nasty things and get him to give her more money."

"And she hits you?" Cairo looked at Sam like he had called her something nasty.

"How'd you find that out?"

"I saw the mark on your face. And I know where marks like that come from, my dad does it to Dean sometimes."

Cairo took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, she does. For really dumb shitty stuff, too! Like I do everything she asks me to, and if I groan once she'll slap me! Or last time I asked why then she shoved my head into the wall... She just really sucks and I hate her."

"Yeah, she really does."

"The only good thing about her is she's gone all the time! Haha!"

Sam nodded and watched Cairo set the last dish on the drying rack before jumping down and bouncing on his toes. "So what do you wanna do?"

"Do you wanna play NES? Baba got me Ledgend of Zelda and I already passed it, I wanna see if you can beat it faster than I can!" Cairo dug into the storage closet again and fished out the cartridge. She held it like it was a torch leading her way and slid on the carpet on her knees directly to the NES like she'd probably done it a million times before. "Let's do this Sammy!"

It had been two hours since breakfast had ended, and James and Dean had most likely switched from catch to basketball as James kept yelling something about three pointers and Dean kept screaming for traveling. Cairo was sitting upside down on the couch with her legs in the air next to Sam. He hadn't noticed when, but Cairo had taken off her headscarf and it lay discarded on the floor in a heap. He nudged her ear with his foot and she playfully kicked at his shoulder. Before long, the two were playfighting, wrestling and putting eachother into any of the holds they could remember, the NES left forgotten. Sam ended up pinning her down under him. He'd seen scenes like these in the movies, where a boy and a pretty girl pin eachother down, then the one on top leans into a kiss. Cairo was really pretty. It was normal for him to want to kiss her right now, wasn't it? He lowered his head an inch before she started kicking her legs. "Hey! My leg's are falling asleep! Get off me!" He didn't say anything, just blushed and backed away. She jumped up and kicked her legs around before getting out a two-player game for the NES and laying on the floor by the TV to play, Sam taking the spot beside her. Before the two knew it, it was lunch time and James and Dean came back inside, sweaty and hungry. James beckoned Cairo for the noon prayer then fixed lunch for himself and the kids: fried banana and peanut butter sandwiches.

A phonecall rang in James office and he left to answer it, not coming back until dinner time to feed the kids again, but back into the office after that. Dean took a nap and went outside to play basketball by himself. Sam and Cairo watched TV and then Cairo showed him her little collection of books. He picked out The Lord of the Rings and they laid on a blanket in the livingroom, Cairo resting her eyes and listening to Sam reading to her. Before long, the two were asleep, and Dean covered them in a blanket.

Days went on this way. James was free for a good amount of time but would soon be called into his office an wouldn't leave until sometimes even the early morning hours. Dean did his own thing, still avoiding his winter homework, and doing whatever suited him. Sam hung out with Cairo. And lucky for them, a whole week had passed before Lacey came back home and Cairo had to wear her Hijab all day and be seen not heard. Which really sucked because Cairo's braids were really cute and her high little voice was like a little melody every time she spoke.

Sam picked up on more of the things Lacey did. One time Cairo woke up late and he saw Lacey go into her room to wake her up. She walked with a limp for three more days. Sam wanted to make Lacey hurt enough to limp for a while after that. A week and a half passed before James told Sam and Dean their father was coming to pick them up soon but not to worry the time would go bye fast. It went by too fast. But had enought time left by then so Sam got to enjoy her braids and have a new favorite: pigtails with ball hair tyes. The last night before John was picking them up, Cairo and Sam managed to stay up all night playing Mario. Well, until around 3. But it felt like all night and Sam enjoyed every second of it.

Cairo let Sam keep the book so he could finish it as long as he could give it back to her to finish next time he saw her

The next time he did see her was during summer the next year. John had dropped the boys off at Bobbys' and James showed up a day later with Cairo and a duffel bag. She hugged her father and sat outside to watch is car until she couldn't see it anymore. She had a different look in her eyes. Like she'd found out that maybe it wouldn't always be her tree scratching her window at night. He joined her outside, sitting next to her. She shook herself out of her little daydream, seeing him and gave him a tight hug.

"Hey Cairo, you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm just gonna miss him. I'm a little worried too." He patted her back and only stiffened a little when she rested her head on his shoulder. He was twelve now, he knew how to be cool in front of girls. "He finally told me what was in his office, let me look through the old lore books. And I'm guessing before now you already know too."

Sam nodded. "When I was younger Dean had to save me from a shtriga. This weird thing that sucks life from kids, like a boogey man. They decided to let me know about that stuff then."

"Lacey got attacked. Well, it went for me first but i hid behind her and it scratched her. A werewolf. Baba said it was tracking me. Now he's tracking it."

He let out a low chuckle. "Sounds like fun. What happened to Lacey?"

"She's in the hospital and Dad doesn't want me at the house alone. Also apparently it's too dangerous to have me tag along. Really, at least I get to stay away from her for a while. Fingers crossed for forever." She ducked her head and displayed her crossed fingers.

Sam nodded. "Me too"

Those nights with Cairo helping Bobby cook in the kitchen and watching her hand him books from around his desk if she wasn't already reading one cover to cover, were little snapshots that he wanted to remember. Bobby helped her and Sam recite excorsizm chants and then quizzed them on how to kill what monster.

Early mornings, if anyone was up on those days, when the sun was still sleeping under a blanket of clouds and the air was deliciously cool, was practicing fighting techniques. For hours, on old tattered yoga mats from Bobby's attick, they'd learn all the sleeper holds and take-downs and throw punches until they were blue in the face, or by the time the hot noon sun heated the air. Dean found some old punching bags from a nearby junk yard and had them all practice on them. At the moment, even both kids still weren't a match for Dean. How could they forget, he reminded them every time he got the chance, afterall.

One night, Sam woke up to a sound of banging from Cairo's room next door. Or really, Bobby's room. Bobby slept downstairs on the couch while Cairo slept in Bobby's room. He pulled out the sawed-off shotgun from under his bed and crept stealthily into her room. She was curled into a ball on the floor, leaning against the wall. She was banging her head. Sam ran to her and dropped the gun on the bed. "Cario! Cairo stop that! What's wrong?"

She was crying. "My dad. He's probably in danger right now. Because of me. Because that thing was following me. He probably blames me for her getting hurt. And now I'm gonna get him hurt because that god damn werewolf was following me!" She sniffled and pressed her face into Sams chest, wrapping her arms around him too. He steadied her rocking and brushed her hair with his finges.

"Don't think that. Don't ever blame yourself for things monsters do. They're monsters. That's what makes them what they are. And if your dad had a whole office dedicated to the things that go bump in the night, he's probably well versed in defeating them. It's alright." She nodded and wiped her nose on her own shirt.

"Thank you, Sam. I've been goin' insane ever since he told me he was leaving me here to deal with those fucking glorified coyotes. At least I don't have to see Lacy for a while."

"Yeah! And I kinda wanna thank the wolf for doing that to Lacy!"

Cairo looked at him like he called her something rude. "Don't say that. My dad blames me for that. He's hurting." Sam just nodded and looked away with an angry red tint to his cheeks, thanking god it was too dark for her too see it. He apologized and continued consoling Cairo through the night. She ended up falling asleep with her head in the crook of his neck. They hadn't woken until Bobby announced breakfast downstairs, not bothering to check whether or not anyone was in any specific room. They walked down the narrow staircast holding hands, and neither Dean or Bobby commented. Again Dean brawled with the two before noon, then took the two into town after endless pestering an permission to borrow one of Bobby's cars.

Cairo, now that the chance had finally given itself, had been talking to Dean the whole time. She was flipping through a magazine he had shop lifted a week or two ago with an article about James' diner. She was expressing her greatfullness in soft brushes of her hand on his arm and by twisting some hair behind her ears. Sam only watched the two with jealousy in the backseat. He was just jealous because they weren't talking to him, not because Cairo was flirting. Why would he be jealous of that?

Dean pulled into the half-filled parkinglot around a mall and twisted off the car. "Where do you guys wanna go first? I here theres a pretty good record store somewhere in there. You down Cairo?" She nodded and smiled before running to catch up with Dean and hook herself onto his arm. Sam saw his face. His expression. He was looking at her like he looked at pretty strangers in the street. Like all the cute girls at his highschool. Dean had never had a girlfriend before, but that didn't mean he didn't want one. It was supposed to be fun to finally get back into town. But with a few of the most important people in his life: Cairo and Dean, Sam felt as alone as if they had just left him behind with Bobby, like a child. A few times he managed to have Cairo's attention all to himself, but it quickly receded if Dean even muttered a comment about what Sam had done. Cairo would be back on his arm. The two wanted to enter a music store, and Sam ran away from them into the aisles. He had been alone, looking through all the sections of the store before he saw Cairo or Dean again. Dean was standing above her, pinning her to a corner in the back area of the store. She was looking up at him through long, dark eyelashes. He said something and she giggled, before he held her chin up and kissed her. Sam had to stop watching when Dean's hand started moving away from her waist.