Sam and dean walked into the small rundown bar outside of Louisiana tired and starving. They had been on the road for a week following around small jobs and finally had stopped to eat sleep and recuperate a little. Sam had gotten restless with no word from there Dad and Dean was tired of covering for him.
The waitress led them to a booth and as they sat down signing with satisfaction to be sitting somewhere a the impala dean noticed a girl sitting at the bar. Her long tab legs were crossed and her dark hair hung to the middle of her back in loose waves.
She had an oversized black t shirt that hung off one shoulder and tight dark purple lace shorts. Deans pants stiffened at the sight, maybe this wasn't going to be a bad night after all.
"Look at her Sammy," dean said whispering over the menu.
Sam looked over at the girl at the bar who by now had had some guy walk but obviously hitting on her and failing.
"Come on Dean, I don't feel like being kicked out our room and sleeping int the car...I want a bed..." He whined.
"Come on, you don't always get kicked out of the room..you're being dramatic," dean took a long swig of his beer smiling to himself.
"Yea right! though, in your defense it has been a while for you... a few weeks to be exact."
"What are doing keeping tabs on me now?"
"No, I'm just making an observation, since we left Cassie you've kind of been off your game, makes me wonder what she said that got to you."
"Shesh, nothing got to me..she just helped me realize something.." He stopped cursing himself for blurring that out.
He had thought he loved Cassie for the longest time and when his Dad made him leave her that day and he spilled the family secret to her he was crushed at the time that she wasn't as accepting.
Even after the job Sam and him helped her out with he was still partly convinced it had been love but their last conversation had stuck with him and probably proved otherwise. But she was right and maybe it took someone saying it out loud for him to realize it: he was using her to replace Kathryn.
Kathryn Brantley...he hadn't heard her name in at least a two years, not that he would have been surprised, Sam probably never talked to her and if she had any contact with their Dad they never would have known. Sam and dean had grown up with her, she was right between he and Sam in age, she and could more than hold her own as a female hunter. She had too, her dad was Caleb Brantley, a weapons dealer any good hunter knew and feared so he had raised her right. T
Kathryn would be dropped off at Bobby's just as often as they were, and Kathryn had taken an instant liking to him. It's was funny for him to think of them that way best friends, he can remember the first time they met, she was six, and he was eight. Caleb had dropped her off for a few weeks after her mother had left unsuspected, claiming with a note she had given to Kathryn to give to her father when he returned he couldn't be married I a hunter anymore. That wasn't of corse after she left Kathryn by herself for a week with no supervision. Cell phones weren't around then and contact on the road was limited, Caleb might not have found out If it hasn't been for a neighbor complaining of all the lights in the house being on at night. Kathryn had developed a fear for the dark then. Caleb had instantly left the job he was on scooped Kathryn up and headed for Bobby's. he had every intention of finding her mother and beating te shit out of her for the emotional damage she had caused his little girl. After that anytime Kathryn was left alone she would always ask if they were coming back, and she also could not sleep or be left alone in the dark.
Dean remembered the first few nights she stayed with them. He and Sam were in a two week stretch bored out of there minds, which at the age of four and eight was frustrating for Bobby.
Kathryn had long black hair that was
In loose waves an big brown eyes. She walked up the path holding Caleb's hand and a small bunny in the other. She wore a little black dress with white converse shoes. Looking back on it dean smiled, Kathryn wasn't your average girl. She could run around like one of the boys but look smoking hot afterwards.
Caleb introduced her to John and the boys, she had known bobby for a while, her mother had dropped her off there while Caleb was out.
Kathryn didn't talk either, she would sit at the table calmly and read a book while they ran around raking havoc in Bobby's house. Sam attempted to ask her to play but she politely declined.
Dean could remember the first time he actually talked to her, it was bed Time and she wa crying because Bobby wouldn't leave her lamp on (as instructed by Caleb) while she slept. She was argues with Bobby and Dean could tell Bobby didn't want to it. It ended with Kathryn pouting and Bobby leaving the room. He had compromised ad left the hall light on, but for Kathryn that wasn't enough.
Dean couldn't sleep he could hear Kathryn sobbing. He looked over at the clock and it was two in the morning. God this girl needs to go bed. He thought to himself. He signed and decided he'd go check in her, Sam often had nightmares so maybe that was hat she was afraid of.
Dean peaked through the open door, "hey, you're going to wake everybody up with all that crying."
"So..sorry," she said meekly as she rolled over towards the window.
"Oh..I didn't mean it like that." Dean wanted to kick himself. His dad had told him to be nice to Kathryn, she didn't have a sibling like he did to keep her company, and how her mom had left her John had told Dean did a number on her. That part Dean was too little to understand, his mom had died protecting Sammy, and here this girl was with some mom who didn't care enough to stay.
"Um..I brought you this," dean whispered, almost forgetting why he came in there.
Kathryn sat up and looked as Dean reached in his pajama bottoms for a small flashlight.
"It's my dads, police grade, so it's really bright you have to be careful."
They stared at each other not knowing why to say.
"Yeah, we'll ill leave it here he placed it on the bed," as he walked out the door her little voice stopped him.
"Will you come back," she asked nervously avoiding eye contact.
"I'm not going anywhere but across the hall," he laughed at the question.
"Oh..um okay.." She blushed
"Do you want me to stay? Look under the bed or the closest? Is that why you don't like the dark?"
"I'm not afraid of any of that, I already checked," she said bravely
"Oh..then y don't you like the dark," dean said intrigued as he leaved again the door frame.
"It's lonely, my mom left at night and she left all the lights out and I looked everywhere and I couldn't find her..she dumb, that's what daddy says," she played with the ears of the bunny. "I don't miss her either."
Dean signed, must be nice he thought because I miss my mom.
"We'll..good night..." Dean said
"Do you want to stay? For a little bit?" She looked at him wide eyes. This was the most she had talked to anyone but Bobby. She usually avoided the boys, he assumed because Caleb said so.
"Um..I'm kind of tired.." He didn't know why he said that because she instantly looked crushed.
"Okay," she scooted back down and turned her back to him holding her bunny close and playing with its ears.
Dean didn't say anything he looked down and went to walk out of the room.
"You know this room gets really cold at night, it used to be mine but I couldn't stand it, if you want to come in mine, the beds newer and stuff, I have a TV.." He stammered.
Kathryn laid there for a min then popped up, "can my bunny come too?" She said sheepishly.
He smiled," Sure," he reached for her hand and helped her off the bed and they walked to his room. Kathryn climbed on the bed and scooted to the left side closest to the windows while Dean turned the tv on some cartoons and climbed in next to her.
They watched tv silently for a while, Kathryn had tied the string of the flashlight on her bunny so it was easier to hold and they had both turned towards each other. There eyes grew heavy and Kathryn couldn't help but look over at Dean. He had the greenest eyes she thought, like little emeralds.
Kathryn hugged a pillow close to we making sure her bunny and flashlight were close, dean helped her turn the light on.
"Do you want me to go?" She asked yawning.
"No.." He whispered he liked her being there, it felt calming, the way they laid there not having to talk.
"Can I tell you something," she said softly.
"Hmm.." Dean said through closed eyes.
"You're eyes are really pretty,"
Dean smiled and blushed, when he opened his eyes to say something Kathryn had fallen asleep. He signed as he looked down at her hands clutching to the bunny and the other one close to her face grabbing the corner of the pillow.
He reached for her small hand and unclutched it from the pillow and kissed her palm. He didn't know why at the time but he couldn't help but fall asleep with a smile.

John and Caleb returned early that morning dead tired and beat. Bobby was still asleep as they made there way upstairs to check on the kids. Sam was fast asleep in his room and as John threw his jacket off Caleb checked on Kathryn
"John, she's not in here.." Caleb's yelled down the hallway in a panic. John rushed down the hallway peaking in her room, "wait," John immediately turned to check on Dean across the hall. Caleb followed behind them and when they opened the door they both let out a sigh of relief. Kathryn had her head on Deans chest and they were both sound asleep and comfortable.
"Thank god," Caleb muttered.
"Hey aren't they cute?" John said smiling as he looked then over again. It made his heart hurt for Mary, she would have thought they were sweet, and she definite would have like Kathryn.
"Yea, but when there teenagers battling a bunch if hormones I doubt we'll find it as amusing." Caleb walked over and scoped Kathryn up and took her back to her room. John shook his head, maybe he was right but it was still nice too see that after a long hunt.