That Ol' Sister Fic
"Take your brother outside as fast can. Now Dean! Go!"
Dean felt baby Sammy in his arms as he ran down the hallway. He stopped at another white door and ran in. "Seffie!" The boy yelled.
Large brown eyes rose up to meet his hazel ones in confusion. Shifting Sam to one arm he held out his hand for his two-year-old sister. "Come on Seffie," he said hastily.
"Why Dea?"
"Daddy said so, we need to get outside."
The little blonde girl grabbed the older sibling's hand and followed him down the stairs. They both stopped on the lawn to gaze up at the amber glow coming from little Sammy's nursery. Just as they did John stooped down and picked up Stephanie and grabbed Dean's hand, dragging the four-year-old and the baby with him.
"Sammy, come on pick up the phone," Dean tapped his foot anxiously, on the cell phone waiting "patiently" as he could manage.
"Dean, he doesn't need this, kid's probably got studying to do or something."
"Yeah, but still, this is kind of important and I know that he'd answer for you. You call him," Dean demanded.
"You can't use that as an excuse, we'll figure this out on our own."
Dean rolled his eyes, "Please?" He said it in such a patronizing tone that the person in the passenger seat slapped him. "What was that for?" He cried out, pretending to be hurt.
"Don't be such a baby."
"Just call Sam."
Dean was met with a sigh and watched as his younger sister silently flipped open her cell phone. The woman held down the four key as she waited for speed dial to ring their baby brother's cell phone. "He's going to be pissed," she said with mild distain.
"We need his help, this is something big. Something big is starting to happen, the ball is rolling and we can't find Dad." Dean said earnestly. "If we can't get in contact with him there's no way to tell if he needs help."
"Shut up, it's ringing," she replied shooting an icy glare to the older Winchester. "Hey Sammy," she said brightly as the younger man spook a lazy hello.
She seemed lost in her own world as Sam seemed to say some long-winded sentence, which Dean only caught the tail end, "Everything going well with you and Dean?"
"Yeah, we're fine," she said slowly. She bit her lip, "Sammy, do you mind if we stop by your place to discuss something really quick? Important business… yeah… sounds okay… no, I won't let Dean anywhere near your girlfriend. Short chain, I got it… oh you sly dog… of course I'll keep quiet."
Dean glared at her as she laughed, to which she only laughed harder.
"Yeah Dean's in a pissy mood, but I won't tell him. It's between you and me. All right Sammy, see you in a little bit. Bye." She clicked the phone closed and grinned at Sam. "He promised to let us come so long as you kept your hands and arms inside the vehicle while it is in motion. Por favor mentenga yadda, yadda, yadda."
"English?"
"Hands off the girlfriend."
Dean lifted his eyebrow in interest, "Girlfriend? Is she cute?"
His sister smiled, "I'll never tell."
"I'm gonna see her anyway Seffie, no use in delaying the inevitable," Dean grinned.
Stephanie laughed, "This is serious Dean," she said between laughs, "Don't ruin this because you're perverse need to take Sam's girlfriends. Him helping us is dependent on you not screwing this up. Or her up. Take your pick."
"Okay, okay. I get it."
After a couple of hours and Stephanie nagging Dean about taking a break from driving, (something about driving zombies) Dean pulled the Impala into a gas station and Stephanie walked into the store while Dean pumped gasoline into the tank. She pulled out a diet Pepsi and a bottle of water out of the display cooler and paid for it before stalking out to the car back to her brother.
"Dean!" she called, tossing him the water, "How far are we from Palo Alto anyways?"
"Couple hours, should get there about three in the morning."
"He's not going to like it if we break into his apartment in the middle of the night."
"He invited us, we're not breaking in."
"He invited me, for the purpose of helping him out with…" Stephanie clapped her hands on her mouth. "Making waffles," she added hastily.
Dean eyed his sister carefully, but dropped the matter, "We need to get moving." The twenty-seven year old put the nozzle back in its port and slid into the driver's seat. "Why the water Sef?"
"Healthier, showed Sam a recent picture of you, granted it was a surveillance video still but still, and he said you needed to shed a few pounds."
"Why do you have a soda if water's healthier?"
"Because."
"That's not an answer."
"Whatever water boy," the blonde laughed.
Twenty-four years old, the middle Winchester acted as caretaker for her family since Mary Winchester died. Because of that, her father rarely let her go on any hunts, insisting that Sam needed her to watch him, thus it was her job to patch them up and cook and clean and make sure the boys did their homework, etc, etc.
Not to say that John never taught her how to fight or shoot a gun, however it wasn't until Dean started working "alone" did John allow his daughter on the field. His children would always have someone to watch their backs.
She was pretty, not drop dead gorgeous granted, but she looked much like their mother had, except her stern brown eyes and rounder face like John's. Dean often thought to himself that was the reason that John didn't want Stephanie hurt or killed, because losing her would be the same as how he lost Mary.
Over recent weeks, John sent Dean on a flurry of jobs that overloaded him, almost to keep Dean distracted from John's comings and goings. It got so much that Dean asked his sister for an extra hand. Stephanie agreed, because her fiancé was on some trip for the research center he worked with so she decided to spend a few weeks with her brother.
"How was Sam looking last time you saw him?" Dean asked when they were once again on the interstate. "Is he keeping his grades up?"
"You know Sam, his grades are always up. If it's not an A it's an A ."
"I know, just keeping up with the kid."
Stephanie looked at Dean seriously, "He's not a kid anymore Dean."
"He's still my baby brother," Dean shrugged.
"God, what are we going to say to him when we get there? It's the middle of the night right now, him and Jess are definitely going to be asleep at this point," Stephanie said, running her palm through her wavy blonde hair.
Dean yawned, "I'll take care of that."
"By doing what?" Stephanie asked, eying the older brother suspiciously.
Dean veered off to the breakdown lane.
"What the hell Dean? We're fifteen minutes from the exit!" Stephanie practically yelled.
The older Winchester grinned at her, "You drive."
She laughed, "Now you let me? What's with the change of heart?"
"Yeah," Dean replied simply, "You drive."
Stephanie shrugged, "I don't get you sometimes."
When Stephanie pulled up along the youngest Winchester's apartment Dean grinned widely, "I think it would be best that I ring the doorbell while you park." The middle Winchester eyed him, but nonetheless Dean got out and stretched, "Time for a little family reunion eh?"
"Don't hurt him," Stephanie sighed.
"Me? No!"
Stephanie went around the block to parallel park the Impala, taking her time as to not walk in at an inopportune moment in Dean's and Sam's touching reunion. When she did finally walk up to Sam's front door she was dismayed to find it unlocked and the light flick on as she entered the foyer.
"Sam?"
"Jess… this is Dean."
"Your brother Dean?"
"Dean, this is my girlfriend, Jessica."
"You… are way out of my brother's league."
"Let me go change."
"No I wouldn't dream of it. Really."
"Sammy, are you going to offer us some coffee or have us just stand in your living room until the sun rises in the west and a snowball survives a summer in hell?" Stephanie asked, drawing the attention away from the oldest Winchester as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Sam smiled, the best he could manage after his family just broke into his home, and gave a limp wave at his older sister, "Hey Sef, good to see you in town too. Mind if I ask what you're both doing here at God knows what time? I thought that you would show at a reasonable hour… like normal people, but no, apparently you two are the more shock and awe type."
Dean glanced from Sam to Jess, "Well sweetheart, we're going to need to borrow your boyfriend for a couple minutes to discuss something."
"No," Sam stated, suddenly having a very adamant look of stubbornness on his face, "Anything you say to me you can say to her." Sam wrapped his arm comfortingly around Jessica's waist.
Dean gave one shrug to Stephanie before saying, "Dad's on a trip, and he hasn't been home in a couple days."
"Probably working overtime on a Miller Time shift. Don't worry Dean, he'll wander back in sooner or later," Sam retorted.
Dean sobered and replied, "Dad's on a hunting trip, and he hasn't been home in a couple days."
"Jess, excuse us. We have some family things to talk about."
"Jessica sweetey, why don't we go ahead and make us a pot of coffee, Dean and I have been on the road for a really long time. We could use the caffeine," Stephanie smiled.
The other woman nodded quietly as Sam led the oldest Winchester through a back door. "It's been almost three months since the last time you visited," Jessica said congenially to Stephanie. "Everything okay with you and Brennan?"
"Well I spoke with him last night, he said the school has him traveling to Ireland in fact to work on some stuff over there in a few weeks after this job in Boston."
"Such is the life of a closet Indiana Jones junky," Jessica laughed. "Did you decide a date yet?"
Stephanie shook her head, "No, I told him about not being able to contact Dad and with him going to Ireland… we're pushing it back again." Stephanie looked at the ceiling mournfully, "I wonder if I'll ever get married, sometimes it feels more like I'm married to Dean with the amount of time we spend together. He's been so busy with work, and I've been with Dean for the past couple weeks since things started heating up with Dad… I almost miss my days of lazily lounging around the apartment as Bren had his face buried in an old manuscript."
"Brennan and you are cute together though, I'm sure it'll all work out in the end."
Stephanie smiled, "He finally found a ring! I don't want to know how he managed to find a 18th century silver engagement ring without breaking some sort of antique law but it's absolutely gorgeous." She held out her hand for Jessica to inspect, she smiled to herself, Brennan got the ring from his uncle, who had found it digging old graves up – those were the benefits of having a gravedigger's son as a fiancé.
Dean hoped there wasn't a spirit attached to it…
"Oh wow," Jessica breathed. "That's amazing," the woman said holding the middle Winchester's hand delicately as she inspected the ring. "It's very pretty, I love how it's so elegant in it's simplicity. One might say I was jealous."
Stephanie retracted her hand, "At least your boyfriend isn't across the country and soon to be world."
Jessica sighed, "Sometimes it feels like Sam isn't always here with me, like his mind is elsewhere you know?"
"I bet he was just worrying over some test."
"Probably," Jess replied cheerfully. The coffee machine ringed merrily and Jessica chimed, "Oh, brew's done. How do you and your brother like it?"
"Black," Dean replied as he entered with Sam in tow behind him. "And Seffie likes it with lots of cream and lots of sugar. Poor girl can't stand the taste."
"Sam…" Jessica trailed off when her boyfriend entered the room, "What's up?" She followed him into their bedroom, almost stepping on his feet. "Wait, Sammy," she said as the door closed behind them.
"That went well I suppose," Stephanie shrugged at Dean.
"He'll come, that's what matters. It'll be good to get the band back together won't it? Be like old times, only less arguing and louder music. We'll head off to Jericho as soon as Sam packs. I think it'll be best for you to sit in the back though; Sam isn't in the best of moods I figure it would be good to let him have some control over this trip."
"Dean are you sure you should drive? You've been at this for a while now with no breaks. We should wait until morning to get going, get some sleep or something. At least let Sam or I drive."
Dean grinned, "I let you park her didn't I?"
"You are going to get us both killed Dean, you need to get some rest," Stephanie protested.
"I'm not letting either of you drive my car if that's what you're attempting to get at."
"Must we get into this argument again?" Stephanie asked folding her arms across her chest. She was going to speak again just as Sam and Jessica entered the room with the two older Winchester siblings.
Sam leaned down to kiss his girlfriend, promising, "I'll be home by Monday. I'll make sure of it."
"See that you do Sam Winchester," Jessica replied, looking at the other two she continued, "Keep an eye on him. And I hope you find your father."
Stephanie smiled, "Sam? You up for driving?"
"I am not letting anyone else drive the Impala!"
One posthumously-pmsing Woman in White ghost later…
Stephanie sat the long ways across the back seat of the Impala, not wishing to get involved in Dean and Sam's building argument. It was sad, even though she loved Sam, she wanted to take Dean's side with this. More and more she was growing concerned about their father. Dean just wanted his family…
It was a tender spot for the middle Winchester, she'd been carefully treading around the fact that she was leaving Dean too with her upcoming marriage. More than once Dean hinted that she could bring her fiancé in on the family "business," and more than once Stephanie stalled because she just didn't want to put Brennan through that.
Before she realized it Sam was out of the car and heading for his apartment. "Call me if you find him."
"Yeah," Dean said with a touch of sadness.
Sam gave a wave to Stephanie and shouldered his bag.
The two older siblings watched their baby brother retreat to his safe haven, silently. Dean tapped the steering wheel like he did when he was anxious and Stephanie shifted in her seat. Both look tired, with dark circles under their eyes.
Finally, after a second, Stephanie said quietly, "We should head to Colorado…"
Dean frowned, hesitant to leave Sam quite yet.
Both jumped as they heard a shout from inside. Within seconds both Dean and Stephanie were on the lawn. Momentarily, fear shot through Dean and he yelled at his sister to stay where she was, he didn't want her in danger too.
Stephanie froze when Dean yelled at her and looked fearfully at the apartment… hoping her brother and Jess were okay.
When Dean pulled Sam out of the apartment Stephanie ran from the street in front of the two. She could feel the heat on her skin and saw fire reflected in both of her brother's eyes.
"No!" Sam struggled as another explosion wracked the building. "Jessica! Jess!" Sam cried, stumbling into his sister's open arms. Stephanie hugged Sam's head, as he grew lax in his sibling's hands.
Dean stumbled backwards, and he stared at the apartment with a mix of anger, confusion, and shock. He gripped the shotgun he held in his hand tighter and gulped with the realization of what had just occurred dawning on him.
Stephanie and Sam sunk to the ground, the older sister hugging the youngest Winchester fiercely, not saying anything but quietly running her hands through his hair. Both had tears staining their cheeks that reflected the glow of the fire.
The oldest Winchester stood up and walked past his two younger siblings, still staring at the fire. There wasn't anything he could do, he couldn't go back in and make everything all right. He let Sam down… he got his brother home by Monday, so the kid could make his interview… Dean just couldn't get his brother home in time.
His sister looked up at him expectantly, helplessly holding Sam. Expecting Dean to do something to make this go away. "What are we going to do?" She asked sadly.
Dean replied by shrugging his shoulders… there wasn't anything else to do. He heard the muted wails of fire engines and ambulances drawing closer. "We need to… find Dad… he'll know what to do from here." The shotgun fell from his fingers and onto the ground unceremoniously.
"But Dad's not here right now… Sam… I… I need you to know what to do. You're supposed to take care of us Dean…" she replied.
Drunkenly, Sam fell backwards out of Stephanie's arms and picked up the shotgun clumsily.
"Sammy?" Dean asked alarmed. The firemen sirens grew closer and it would only be a moment of time before they blasted streams of pressured water at the apartment in a futile attempt to save the beautiful young blonde woman who Sam loved.
Sam got up using the shotgun as support and wandered over to the open trunk of the Impala. His face hardened and his two siblings looked at him with trepidation. "We've got work to do…" he whispered, tossing the gun into the truck.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you'd recognize. I would certainly love to borrow Jensen or JDM or Jared for a little while, but that isn't going to happen much to my chagrin.
Author's Note: Hehh… seriously, this whole "episode" is entirely derived from wanting a chapter called "That ol' sister fic"… we're all guilty of it, reading at least one. And frankly, I know, I'm a hypocrite, but I hate them so much, except apparently when I'm writing them. So yeah, Stephanie Winchester… in the story arc in my head it's okay because she and her fiancé eventally die. Does that make you sad? I hope it does, I kinda liked her.
As for the reason I don't like these fics, it nots because they're not well written or whatever, hell, I'll even accept some crazy family drama – but honestly guys… the last thing I want to hear is that after losing his wife, John Winchester would go out less than a few years later to bang some woman who he "deeply loved but could never be with", have a kid, and not tell the boys. And this girl, even thought she's never known her father or her brothers is apparently brilliant, smart, and sexy, and knows about hunting because her mother was tragically killed by the yellow-eyed-demon and the sister was then raised by wolves……………
4 srsly guyses… wtf?
And keeping this in mind, I am a hypocrite, look to see me posting a sibling (omg guys! It's a BOY!) fic soon. And yes… it's plausible, (le gasp!) Not to give too much away but if you've listened to or seen Miss Saigon you'll know what I'm talking about.