Author's Note: I was going to write a disclaimer or something explanatory, and have discovered that I have nothing to note of any importance. Maybe I'll edit this later. … Way later.

The Beginning

"Emma Jean!" her daddy's voice called from outside and her mother bustled out of the room toward the front door. Hearing a slight commotion, her cousin slipped off her chair and moved around the table to peer into the living room.

"Sophie, get back here. Mama's gonna skin you if you don't finish your lines."

The younger girl ignored her and said, "Somebody's with them."

Ace looked back at the paper on the table and continued to write her lines as she was told.

"Hey, there's a kid, too."

Pencil halting, Ace queried, "Really?"

Suddenly, Sophie scurried back into her chair and picked up her pencil, scribbling.

"What?" Ace began to ask, but her mother came back in and she put her head down so far, her nose almost touched the paper.

"You done yet?" the woman asked, looking over their shoulders. "Close enough. Put your things away and go wash up. We've got guests." The girls exchanged looks and grabbed up their papers and pencils and put them in a drawer, making a beeline for the stairs. As they passed the living room, the men's backs were turned toward them, but they made brief eye-contact with a boy on the couch before running up the stairs to the bathroom.

"There's more than one," Sophie told her cousin as they fought for the water. "That's not the boy I saw. The other one is older."

"Would you get out of my way?"

"I was here first."

"I was born first."

Sophie rolled her eyes and splashed water at the other girl.

"Stop it, Sophronia. You'll get us in trouble," said Ace, grabbing a hand towel and drying her hands, face and glasses. "I have to change."

"For a couple of boys?"

"No, 'cause you got water all down my front."

"Whatever." Ace left her cousin in the bathroom and quickly changed into a dry t-shirt and pulled her hair up, straightening her glasses in the mirror. Sophie was still in the bathroom when she started down the stairs, but the girl caught up with her quickly and was at her side when they went to stand by their fathers who were both speaking with a man they'd never seen before.

There were two boys. The one that Ace had seen on the couch looked liked he was Sophie's age and he gave her a shy smile which she returned. The other boy looked a couple years older than her and seemed a little gruff, standing next to his Dad with a stern face, doing his best to ignore them. Sophie grinned at him and waved, but he just made a face and looked away.

"Ah, this is Ace, my daughter," her daddy introduced, putting his arm around her shoulders. "And my niece, Sophie Sue."

Both children smiled politely at the man.

"Girls, this is John Winchester, his son, Dean," her father went on, pointing at the older boy. "And-"

"I'm Sam," the boy on the couch waved and his brother frowned at his enthusiasm.

"I think it's time we moved this into the den, Harper," her uncle suggested.

With a glance at the girls, Harper Blackburn nodded, "Yeah, alright. Please, John, just this way."

The men headed for the den across the hall and Dean tried to follow them, but his father turned him away at the door. He returned to the living room and dropped heavily into a chair, arms folded over his chest. Ace and Sophie exchanged a glance and sat in the two empty seats on the couch.

"Don't mind, do you?" Ace asked when she sat beside Sam.

"Not my couch," Sam said, smiling again, his tone friendly. "Ace is a different kind of name."

She shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess. It's a family name."

"That's cool."

"So, your daddy's a hunter?" Sophie asked Dean suddenly.

Ace nudged her with a sharp elbow, murmuring, "Sophie!"

Dean cast them both a bored expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Sam scoffed at him and told the girls, "Yeah, he is." Dean glowered at his brother. "What? Their Dad's are hunters, too."

The older boy leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"Doesn't mean they know anything about it."

Sophie made a face at him and said, "Somebody put on their cranky pants today."

Sam laughed outright at that and Ace feigned scratching her nose to hide a smile. Dean cheeks reddened and he looked like he wanted to say something but pursed his lips and slouched instead.

"Oh, come on," Sophie said, throwing her arms in the air and then looking at Sam, asked, "Is he always like this?"

Sam looked at his brother and sneered, "Yeah, usually."

"Have your fun, Sammy," Dean muttered in a sinister tone. Sam made a face at him and he snorted, "You're so immature."

"I know you are, but what am I?"

Dean huffed and one of his legs started bouncing. There was the sound of silverware and plates being set-out in the kitchen.

"Well, you might as well try to be friendly," Sophie told him flatly. "Sounds like you're staying for dinner."

"No," the boy insisted, "we aren't."

Ace craned her neck and counted the plates stacked on the kitchen table. With a nod, she confirmed, "Oh, I think you are."

"Awesome!" Sam cheered. "Can I take off my shoes?"

"No," said Dean, but the girls held their bare feet out in front of them.

"Why not?" they said in unison. Sam beamed and toed off his shoes and socks, wiggling his toes next to Ace's.

"Girls!"

Both of them got to their feet quickly and ran into the kitchen to find Emma Jean making several trips between the table and the stove.

"Yes, mama?" said Ace.

"Wash up for dinner."

"But we just washed up for guests," Sophie pointed-out.

Her aunt paused, serving spoon poised over a twice-baked potato casserole.

"Hmm," she grunted. "I guess you're right."

Just then, another woman entered the kitchen dressed in scrubs with a bag slung over her shoulder.

"Mama!" Sophie greeted, hugging her mother around the waist. Dolly Blackburn petted her hair, but looking at her sister-in-law, jerked a thumb over her shoulder.

"There are two boys arguing in the living room."

Her daughter looked up at her and explained, "That's Dean and Sam. Daddy and Uncle Harp brought them home with their daddy."

"Why are they arguing?"

"Because Dean's a butthead."

"Sophie," her mother scolded through surprised laughter.

"Well, he is."

Emma waved another serving spoon toward the door.

"Dinner's ready. Acey, go get those boys. Sophie, help me bring the drinks to the table."

Sophie let go of her mother and Ace made her way back to the living room. When she entered, Dean looked at her, his stern face back in place, but Sam smiled kindly.

"Mama says dinner's ready."

"Cool," said Sam, jumping up from the couch and walking to her.

"You coming?" she asked, giving Dean a smile.

His face relaxed a little and he nodded, standing.

"Yeah, alright."

Sophie was already seated and waiting for them when they sat down around her.

"Say grace, Sophie," her mother ordered, bowing her head. Dean arched an eyebrow at the others as they all, even Sam, bowed and the girl asked a quick blessing over the meal ending in a chorus of amen's.

They ate in silence for a minute before Dean asked, "Where's my Dad?"

"Still meetin' with the men. Table ain't big enough for all of us to eat together, so I figured we'd get you kids taken care of."

"I'm almost 14, you know," he said, rudely.

Sam swallowed a mouthful, shaking his head, "Huh-uh. He just turned 13 in January." The boy flinched as his brother kicked him under the table.

"Ah ah," Dolly Blackburn said. "I don't care whose you are, there is no kicking at this table."

Gritting his teeth, Dean apologized and went back to his dinner. The rest of the meal passed in relative quiet as the women talked idly and waited for them to finish eating. Afterwards, Emma shooed them out the back door.

"Gimme half a breath and I'll get you something sweet," she told them through the screen as they wandered out into the yard. There were several overturned milk crates and the girls and Sam each took one to sit on while Dean paced and kicked at stones in the dirt.

"Your mom cooks good," said Sam, looking at Ace.

"Wait'll you try her apple pie."

Dean paused, fists in his pockets, "Apple pie?"

"Aunt Emma's apple pie is best in town. She won blue-ribbon last two years at the county fair."

"She just pulled two of 'em out of the oven 'fore you showed up," said Ace, scratching a mosquito bite on her calf.

"Dean likes pie," Sam disclosed.

"Who doesn't?" Dean argued, looking at the house. "Best in town, huh?" Sophie giggled and the boy glanced at her. "What's so funny?"

She shrugged in reply and he went back to pacing for another moment until Emma Jean came down the porch with a stack of saucers, forks and a pie, setting them on an old picnic table. Dolly was behind her with a tub of vanilla ice cream. Dean was halfway to them before Emma hollered for them to gather round.

"You like yours a la mode?" Dolly asked him, twirling an ice cream scoop as the others reached the table.

"Duh," he said quickly, licking his lips. The woman arched her eyebrow and put her hands on her hips until he tried again, "Uh, I mean, yes, ma'am, that would be … swell."

Emma and Dolly exchanged a glance as the other three children shared a smile. A few moments later, all of them had pie and ice cream and were eating happily as the adults went back to eat dinner with the men.

"D'you like it?" Sophie asked Dean after a few minutes.

"Hell, yes," he said, mouth full.

Looking at Ace, Sam agreed, "Best ever."

"So where do you live?" asked Ace a moment later.

"Nowhere," Sam replied and Dean glared at him.

"Nowhere?" Sophie repeated, curiously. "Like homeless?"

Ace kicked her under the table.

Dean shook his head, "No."

"Sounds like you're homeless," Sophie told him and Ace kicked her again.

"Would you shut up?" she hissed.

"We move around a lot," Sam clarified, suddenly timid.

"But you don't have a house?" asked Sophie, making a face.

Ace saw Dean's ears get red and she opened her mouth to apologize, but he spoke first.

"Why do you care?"

"I don't. I was just—"

"Yeah, you don't, so you can shut your mouth."

He stood from the table and stormed off towards the front of the house.

Ace kicked her cousin a third time.

"Ouch, stop it!" Sophie demanded, swinging her legs out of reach.

"Sorry, Sam," Ace apologized.

"Oh, it's okay. I should go, though," he said, but Ace shook her head.

"I'll go," she said, standing. "You finish your dessert and you," Ace looked at Sophie, "try to be nice."

"I wasn't being mean."

Ace rolled her eyes and left the table. She found Dean sitting on the front porch steps, looking the other direction, his ears still red.

"Hey," she tried quietly, but Dean didn't acknowledge her, so she sat a couple feet away from him on the step and scratched her mosquito bite.

"They go away faster if you don't scratch them," he said suddenly, watching the sunset.

"Yeah …" she shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest, trying to ignore the persistent itch on her leg.

"We're not homeless," Dean said again, looking at her.

"I know," she nodded. "You're way too clean."

Dean arched an eyebrow, but couldn't hide a small smile and she took that as a good sign.

"She didn't mean anything by it, you know."

What little smile he'd given was gone when he said, "Well, she shouldn't put her nose where it doesn't belong."

"I was the one who asked where you lived," the girl reminded him, "but I'll keep my nose out of it from now on."

Dean shifted on the step.

"It doesn't matter. Once we leave, you'll probably never see us again."

"You think?"

He looked back to the horizon and nodded sagely, "We don't make too many friends moving around like this."

She made a face.

"I don't think that's because you move around so much."

"What's that supposed to mean? Don't think I can make friends?"

"Calm down, that's not what I meant at all ," she said, dismissing the suggestion with a wave of her hand and his face relaxed. "Sophie and I don't make a lot of friends, either, but that's 'cause our daddies are hunters. We get along alright, but we can't invite kids from school out here. We're just different. You're the first kids that have been inside the house … ever. Well, except for other cousins and stuff, I mean."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

He thought a minute.

"How old are you?"

"Just turned 11 last month."

"And you don't have any friends at school?"

"Not really. It's not cool for a girl to be able to out-shoot all the boys."

Dean blinked.

"Out-shoot? Like with a gun?"

"Yup," she grinned, sitting up a little straighter. "Just about anything with bullets, but Dad keeps me to rifles and revolvers, mostly and straight bows and crossbows, too."

"No way," he smiled incredulously.

"Yes way. They don't call me Ace for nothing. Wanna see?" she asked getting to her feet, excitedly.

"Sure," he said standing with her.

"See what?" Sophie asked, coming around the side of the house with Sam.

"I'm gonna ask Daddy if we can get out the rifles. Dean don't think I can shoot better than him."

Sam gave Ace a dubious look.

"You? Shoot better than Dean? Not a chance."

Dean's chest puffed out a little and Sophie laughed.

"She can probably shoot better 'n your daddy."

The younger boy shook his head.

"And now I know you're crazy."

Sophie's forehead wrinkled.

"You just wait and see."

"See what?" Harper Blackburn asked as he stepped out onto the porch with the other two men.

"Oh, Daddy, I was just gonna ask if we could get out the rifles," Ace asked quickly, grabbing her father's hand.

He laughed and shook his head.

"It's too dark, Acey. We can shoot tomorrow."

"Aw, but I was gonna show Dean—"

"Sorry, baby," her father cut her off, "We were just going to take these boys back to their truck."

There were groans from Ace and Sam.

"You mean we can't keep them?" Sophie asked and her uncle laughed again.

"No, darlin', we can't keep them."

The three men came down the stairs and headed for a crew cab pick-up.

"Come on, boys," John Winchester beckoned, over his shoulder.

"We gotta get Sam's shoes," Dean called to him and started for the front door with the other kids in tow. Once Sam had pulled on his socks and shoes, they started back for the porch, but stopped and there was an awkward silence between the four of them. Ace was surprised to notice that Dean seemed a little disappointed at their departure and broke the silence.

"You just didn't want me to show you up, is all," she said to him.

The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Maybe Dad will bring us back someday," Sam said hopefully.

"Dean! Sam!" their father shouted from outside.

"Gotta go," said Dean, half-dragging Sam out the door. Ace and Sophie watched the truck until it disappeared over the hill.