ALYSON WINCHESTER DRABBLE #6: WATCH YOUR SISTER, SAMMY

same AU as The Adventures of Alyson Winchester

SUMMARY: Sam reflects on taking care of Aly while she is growing up.

"Watch your baby sister, Sammy."

It gets said to him when their mother is still alive, when Aly is a couple months old and wriggling on a blanket on the floor. He sits on the floor next to her and dangles toys abover her to keep her occupied so their mother can go take a shower. He walks the floor with her when she is fussy and wants to be held while their mother is making dinner. He takes her out for a walk in the stroller so that their mother can take a nap. He loves the way her little fist grabs his finger and her face lights up when she sees her family members. He likes taking care of her and knowing that he is helping his mother.

"Watch the baby, Sammy."

It gets said to him when they are staying at Pastor Jim's after the death of their mother, and their father is sunk so deep in grief that he can barely function. Sam and Dean had become surrogate parents to Aly and to their father during this time, cooking and doing laundry and cleaning and trying to get their father to eat something, anything, and taking care of Aly. Once they get to Pastor Jim's, some of the congregation are quick to step in and help, and they have casseroles to eat and grandmotherly types coming over to help take care of Aly, but there are times during the day when there is no one. The evenings after dinner when everyone has gone home to their own families is the hardest on their Dad.

This is when Pastor Jim takes him into his study to talk, and he tells Sam to watch the baby.

"Watch your sister, Sammy."

Their Dad says it to him when he starts taking Dean out on hunts, leaving the two of them alone for the day, or later, overnight. By then Sam has become an Aly expert, he knows how to get her to sleep- rubbing her back- and which books are her favorite and what games she likes to play- she loves "This Little Piggy" but she can easily get too wound up if you play it near bedtime. She loves to be pushed on the swings, buy she is scared to go down the slide by herself. She likes music, but Brahms' Lullabye makes her cry. There are times he gets annoyed at having to take care of her, but it melts away when she toddles after him, calling "Sammy!" and she winds her little arms around his neck and gives him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"Watch your sister, Sammy."

By the time he is thirteen, he has started to resent the sentence, he wants to be left alone, to go off and do what he wants, and not have an inquistive 5 year old following him around asking questions. He doesn't want to answer her or talk to her, or anyone, he wants to do his own thing. He has started to question their father too, he doesn't want to be trained, he wants to do his schoolwork and read, not take care of an obnoxious little girl or run his ass off because someday a werewolf might chase him. He is surly and arguementative with everyone and on more than one occasion, he makes Aly cry, which earns him a swat on the back of the head from their dad. Which in turn makes him more angry at the man.

"Watch your sister, Sammy."

Aly is showing that she's got some smarts in school, she picks up reading quickly, and is usually at the top of her class. Sam takes her under his wing and takes pride in how well she does in school. He encourages her and teaches her when they are at home, when he has time. He is busy with school, and when their father catches wind of the demon that killed their mother, his need to hunt becomes obsessive, and he is busy too. Aly gets left with other people more and more often, Pastor Jim, or Bobby, or other hunters, while they go off on hunts. Sam sees Aly changing from a compliant, sweet girl to an angry kid who wants attention and will do just about anything to get some, even if it is negative attention. He knows he should talk to their father about Aly and how she needs more from him, from all of them right now, but he doesn't know how to bring it up.

"Watch your sister, Sammy."

It doesn't need to be said anymore, it is inferred, and she is turning into a teenage girl, and their Dad is mystified, as well as Dean. Aly becomes distant and grumpy and at times arguementative and questioning of their father, just like Sam did. Sam understands her better than his father and brother but he still feels a distance from her because she has put up a wall. Their Dad tires to breach the wall and is rebuffed and hurt and confused, but he backs away, because he has very little experience with teenage girls. Dean is the same way. Sam tries hard to stay connected and it doesn't always work, but he knows he still has a connection. Although when he sees her bound to the chair in the warehouse, her face bruised and bloodied, it terrifies him to think he could lose her. He wants nothing more than to protect her and keep her safe.