Once, there was a family. Just a normal family, living a normal life. The parents met when they were teenagers, and it was instant love. After a few trials, they ended up married, and settling down in their hometown.
On January 24, 1979, the couple had their first child, a son. They were completely overjoyed, and couldn't see how life could get much better. That is, until four years later, they added, not one, but two more additions to their small family. Twins, a boy and a girl.
The family of five was happy. Anyone in town could have told you that. However, that happiness was short lived, for one night, exactly six months after the twins were born, the biggest tragedy occurred.
"Is he hungry?" Mary asked her husband John that night, still half asleep and having been woken by baby Sam's cries. The shadow looming over the little boy's crib just made a hushing sound, to which Mary shrugged and headed back to bed. However, as she walked through the door, a flickering light caught her attention. She walked up to it, and heard the television playing in the living room.
After walking down the stairs, she found John Winchester sleeping in a chair. With a leap of her heart, she raced back up the stairs, into the nursery just as the man in the room turned around. The yellow eyes that caught her own brought back so many memories, and caused so much panic and pain in Mary.
"It's you," she breathed. As if an invisible creature had entered the room, Mary found herself tossed against the wall, where she was pinned.
John awoke with a start when he heard one of his two infant children crying. Rubbing his eyes and stumbling up the stairs, he walked into the nursery, and found it to be Sammy crying. Krissy was staring at the ceiling, kicking her legs and fussing, but not full out crying.
"Hey bud," John whispered to his younger son, running a finger down his cheek. The action caused time for two drops of blood to fall onto Sam's crib mattress. Confused, John looked up, into the pale, terrified face of his wife hanging from the ceiling. A cut ran along her stomach, dripping blood through her night gown.
"Mary!" John shouted as fire started shooting out from around her. Sam screamed from the heat and light, tearing John's gaze from his wife. He picked the baby up and ran into the hallway, where four year old Dean was stumbling out of his room.
"Take your brother outside and stay there, now Dean go!" John told the toddler. He turned back, only to find his wife was gone. He quickly picked up his daughter, who was still as quiet as could be, and ran from the room with her, but not before grabbing the picture frame that was sitting on the dresser.
Flashing lights filled the dark night as firefighters fought to put the fire out. John couldn't even watch as the home he had built with Mary was destroyed. He now had Sam and Kris in his arms while Dean clung to his father's arm.
Something was born in John Winchester that night, and over the next few months, Lawrence Kansas became a far off memory of a terrible nightmare except for one detail. The supernatural being that killed his wife. With his three kids in tow except for the most dangerous jobs, John Winchester sought out the answers he was desperate for, and not even his children could stop him.
~18 years later~
"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" Sam asked, walking up to his father who was reading an ancient looking paper. John looked up at his son and saw the determination in his eyes.
"Sure bud," John sighed, pushing the paper away and picking up the glass filled with whiskey.
"Dean!" Kris shouted suddenly, chasing down her older brother who was running around the kitchenette of the motel they were staying in. She suddenly stopped to cough, something that the family had grown accustomed to. She's had the cough since she was a baby. The smoke from the fire that killed Mary got into her lungs and affected their development.
"You two settle down!" John scolded them half-heartedly. Dean stopped running and smiled at his father, but Kris didn't hear John, and ended up jumping on Dean's back, causing the both of them to crash to the ground in a jumbled pile of body parts. John shook his head and turned back to Sam.
"What's on your mind?" John asked.
"Well, I was wanting to talk to you about, about me possibly taking time off hunting, to go to school."
"You're already out of high school son," John stated, sitting back in his chair.
"Not high school Dad, college. I applied for colleges, and I got into one on a full scholarship. I really want to go."
"Out of the question Sammy, you know that."
"Why?" Sam asked as John pulled his material back to him.
"We need you here son. Look, I would give anything to let you go to school, but it's just not in the cards. Don't you think Krissy would have liked to have gone with how smart that girl is? She graduated high school when she was sixteen and not once has she mentioned leaving to go to college."
"That's Kris Dad, that's not me," Sam mumbled, thought John heard him perfectly clear.
"The answer is no, you're too important here."
"You mean I'm too good of a hunter to run off to college. Dean's good, but he's cocky and messy, and Kris just sucks because she's a girl." Sam growled. He looked down at his hands before looking back up.
"I'm eighteen," Sam stated, standing up. "I'm legally old enough to do what I want without worrying about what you think. I don't need your permission." John looked back up slowly.
"Is that so?" John asked softly. Krissy and Dean, having finally untangled themselves and started their fighting training, felt the tension enter the room at once. John stood up and walked around the table, shoving it out of the way before putting his face inches from his son's. "Then get the hell out of here, if nothing is stopping you. Just know this son, once you leave this room, there ain't no coming back." John pushed the chair with Sam in it, causing it to slide across the floor. "You know what, that's fine. You want out, you're out. Get the hell out of this room, and never come back Sammy! Just be sure to tell your brother and sister goodbye, and why you're abandoning us."
"You're leaving?" Kris asked, looking up at Sam with large hazel eyes.
"I'm not abandoning you, I just want out of this. I've been here my entire life and I want something stable."
"You have something stable!" John shouted, advancing toward Sam again. "It's called your family! If we're not enough for you, then just get the hell out, and never come back."
"Dad, Sam, come on guys," Dean spoke up, but he was cut off as Kris started coughing again, this time harder than before.
"Kris," John started, but she waved him off, knowing what he was going to say. She needed to get fresh air and water, so she grabbed the ice bucket to walk to get ice. When she returned, the room was a mess, and only Dean and John remained in the room.
"He's gone," Dean informed her as he held a small cup of water up to her. "He just stormed out."
"He never wanted to be here," Kris croaked out, taking a sip of the water.
"Go rest," John told his daughter. She nodded and went to the bed she would have shared with Sam, but once she laid down, it felt completely wrong. "I can't relax," she grumbled, getting out of the bed. "This isn't right Dad. We need Sam here."
"He made his decision," John said in a tone that clearly stated there would be no arguments or discussions. John Winchester lost his son, so the only thing he could hope for is to keep his older son and his daughter.
"Heard from Krissy yet today?" John asked Dean as they drove across the country in the sleek, black '67 Impala.
"Not yet, but she said she might not be able to call today, it might have to be tomorrow."
"Well, when you hear from her, tell her to call me," John said, slowing down to a stop. He waited a few minutes before holding up his keys. "She's yours now son. I got a truck waiting on me in the town up ahead. This baby's seen a lot of miles, but even more lives saved. Keep her that way."
"Yes sir," Dean nodded, taking the keys from his father. In the town, Dean watched as his father climbed into the truck and drove away. Now that it was just him, he pulled away and headed in the opposite direction, toward Palo Alto, California.
"Jessica!" the voice rang out across the square. Dean sat on the picnic table a good distance away. So Sam would never realize he was here. He watched as his younger brother walked arm and arm with a blonde haired girl toward a building. They stopped and kissed before she went inside.
"Looking good isn't he?" a soft voice asked behind Dean. He looked up at his little sister, who was watching her twin with a look of longing and sadness.
"I guess so." Dean muttered, not ready to admit that he was just thinking the same thing.
"I miss him, and you, and Dad." Kris admitted.
"Why don't we partner up for a while then. Dad just gave me the Impala. I'm going solo now too."
"Dad gave you the Impala?" Kris asked, looking around at him. "He's been acting weirder than normal Dean, you have to admit that."
"Maybe, but look at everything we've all been through. You're not the healthiest person you know."
"I know," Kris sighed, watching as Sam disappeared around a corner. "I was on my way to a job, so I guess I'll get going. I love you Dean."
"Whatever," Dean muttered, smirking as Kris stood up. "Kris," he called as she started walking away. "Be careful, stay safe, and call if you need anything. You know I'm just one phone call away. I do love you, and I don't want to lose you."
"I know," Kris smiled. "That goes for yourself too though. We lost Sammy, I can't lose you at the same time. I'll never be able to bear it." Before Dean could say anything else, Kris turned and walked the rest of the way to her car. She didn't want him to see the tears flowing down her cheeks. Not tears of love or happiness, but tears of grief over her mother, and grief and anger over her twin brother. She never admitted it, but she despised Sam for leaving. She wanted nothing more than to have all of them back together as a family, but she now knew it would never happen.