Author's Note: Hello, mes amis! I hope that everyone is doing well today!

I know I have several in-complete fics, I realize that. But you see, my Muse is the type that he likes to pop up at random times and only give me inspiration for certain things. Never does he give me the inspiration for the thing I'm currently trying to finish. Thus, more fics!

And I just realized something too. My character, Kat, when she's canon...is eight years older than me! She was born in 1993. I'm 2001. Wacky thing.

Anyways.

Without further ado...

"We'll only be gone for a couple days, Sammy," Dean promised, ruffling his little brother's chestnut hair.

"Yeah, sure," Sam rolled his eyes. "You always say that."

"I mean it, Sam," Dean insisted. "It's a simple hunt. Really, I wouldn't even be going except that somebody's got to chant the Latin, and you know that Dad always mispronounces 'satanica'. You and Kat will be fine here. If I wasn't sure we'd be back, I wouldn't leave you two alone, believe me."

"I know, Dean," Sam softened, knowing that his brother really would rather stay with his siblings. But Sam also knew that Dean was needed with their dad, so he tried his best to be strong so that Dean wouldn't feel bad.

Sam glanced over at Kat, who was currently being held by John. It looked like John was giving the three year-old much the same talk that Dean was giving Sam.

"Besides," Dean followed Sam's gaze, chuckling lightly, "you know that Kat definitely isn't a typical kid. It's not like you're stuck babysitting."

"True," Sam nodded. They watched as John set Kat down, and the two of them walked over to join Sam and Dean.

"We'll be back soon, guys," John echoed, ushering Dean out the door ahead of him. "Watch out for Kat, Sam."

"Yes, sir," Sam replied, and John shut the door behind him. Sam turned to Kat, "So what do you think, math first or science?"

"Math," Kat answered, pulling herself onto a chair by the table. Sam joined her, dragging over his backpack and laying his homework out neatly in front of them.

In the four months that Katherine had been with them, Sam, Dean, and John had discovered that she had many interesting talents. Not the least of them being that she could already read, write, and calculate as well as any of them.

Each time they'd asked Kat how she was able to do what she did so precociously, she just shrugged. Apparently it was natural for her, and she wasn't exactly sure.

After they'd finished half of the homework, Kat paused. "Hey, Sam?" she asked.

"Yeah?" Sam looked up from his math, meeting Kat's troubled blue eyes. He immediately put his pencil down, "What's up?"

Kat stared down at her hands, "It's just..."

"Kat, what's wrong?" Sam pressed gently.

"Is John still looking for a family for me?"

Sam's heart wrenched. Did Kat not want to stay with them? Sam knew that the lifestyle they had wasn't the best place for a little girl, but they all loved Kat.

"Don't you want to stay with us?" Sam said before he could stop himself, hurt bleeding into his voice.

"No, I do!" Kat replied quickly. "But you guys don't need me. I get in the way. If I wasn't here, you'd be on the hunt with Dean and John right now."

"Kat, stop," Sam slid off his chair and went to kneel in front of Kat, lowering himself so that they were eye-to-eye. "Why do you think you're still here? If we didn't want you, we would have found a nice family with a dog and everything for you. But we didn't. Because we love you, Kat, and we want you to be apart of our family."

"Are you sure?" Kat questioned, still looking unsure.

"Of course I am," Sam insisted.

Later that night, Sam put Kat to bed. After he read a bit of Lord of the Rings to her, he went and grabbed a shower.

In the cascade of warm water, Sam thought about what Kat had said. He understood how she came to her conclusions, however false they were. Sam knew that despite his assurances, Kat would still probably be feeling out-of-place. He determined to mention their conversation to Dean and John when they returned, and until then, Sam would make sure that Kat knew exactly how much they wanted her.

Starting with some cookies, Sam figured. He was fairly sure they had a package of Oreos somewhere.

Sam got dressed, and he went back out into the room. Crossing to Kat's bed, he pulled the sheets back, reaching to shake her awake. Instead of warm, human girl, Sam's hand met a cold, empty bed.

He flipped on the lamp, panic flooding him.

Kat was gone.

For a second, Sam froze. He had no idea what to do.

Then he went into full-panic mode. He tore the entire room apart. Kat was nowhere to be found.

And neither was the green backpack they had bought for her. The morning after Kat was left with the Winchesters, John had gone out and bought a backpack full of clothes, toiletries, and anything else a three year-old girl could need. And since that bag was missing, Sam knew what had happened without a doubt.

And it broke his heart.

Kat had run away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

It couldn't be the hunt, because that hadn't even started yet. They'd just driven through the night, and the sun was coming up as John pulled into a motel.

The first thing Dean did when they got in the room was call Sam and Kat.

"Dean, it's five in the morning," John said, falling back onto one of the beds. "They're probably asleep."

"Well they can go back to sleep after I check in with them," Dean bit back, instantly regretting his words. He waited for his rebuke, but it never came.

"Dean!"

"Sammy, what's wrong?" Dean immediately picked up on Sam's panicked tone. He automatically switched into big-brother mode. In his peripheral vision, he noticed John sit straight on the bed.

"Kat ran away!" Sam cried.

"What?" Dean shouted, nearly dropping the phone.

"Dean, what is it?" John got up and stood beside his eldest, worry in the lines on his face.

Dean ignored him, "Sam, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened." Dean himself took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.

"Kat thought we didn't want her. I told her that we did, but she didn't believe me. She ran away last night. I didn't know how to reach you and Dad, so I've been searching the town all day. I just got back, Dean, and I can't find her anywhere!" Sam was sobbing now, and Dean felt his eyes fill as well.

"Sam, it's going to be okay," Dean assured him. "We are going to find her. Dad and I are coming back now." John had heard Sam's tearful story, and he had already went to check them out.

Dean met John at the Impala, and they took off. The hunt was quickly forgotten in their dust.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kat didn't know what she was going to do. She just knew that she wasn't going to bother the Winchesters anymore.

She had spent the previous night under a large oak tree in the park, snuggled under a hoodie of Sam's that he had given her a few weeks ago. She had awoken with the sun, and she found a hedge to hide in while she figured out what she would do.

She had no idea.

Kat had kept it together through the night, and now, as it was nearing what seemed like the afternoon, she couldn't do it anymore.

She cried.

Kat cried for having to hide in a hedge. She cried for having no idea what to do. She cried for having no food or water.

Kat cried for not having a mother. She cried for now not having a father or half-brothers either.

Kat cried for John, who had embraced her as his child. She cried for his gruff, but gentle at times, mannerisms. She cried because she knew that she had been a nuisance to him.

Kat cried for Dean, who had made sure she felt included in everything. She cried for his carefree attitude and his easygoing smiles. She cried because she had been too immature.

Kat cried for Sam, who she had considered the best friend she had ever had in her short life. She cried for his kindness and his brotherly actions. She cried because she had been holding him back.

Kat cried until she didn't have any more tears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dean's worry only grew as the sun went down. He and John had driven straight back to Sam, arriving in the early afternoon. Now, as night approached, Dean was walking the streets, searching for his baby sister.

Dean clicked on his flashlight, turning into the park in the center of the town. He remembered passing it when they'd first driven in. Dean had thought that it would be nice to take Kat there when they were finished with the hunt.

Thinking of her made his heart clench. How could she possibly think that they didn't want her?

Dean acknowledged that originally keeping Kat had not been the plan. After putting Kat to bed that first night, John had pulled Sam and Dean aside and explained to them that it would only be temporary. They would find Kat a good home, and they would get out of her life so she wouldn't get hurt.

Four months later, Kat was still with the Winchesters. Each hunt that the boys went on reminded them of what could happen when you were ignorant of what was really out there in the dark. Dean would never admit this to his father, but the thought of Kat being with some family that couldn't protect her from the supernatural scared him a little.

And over four months, the Winchesters had learned that they didn't want to find another family for Kat. They wanted to keep her.

Dean walked briskly up the path that led to the heart of the park, shining his flashlight at every shadow and bush. He neared the center of park where a massive oak tree stood.

He almost walked right by it before he noticed the bundle. It just looked like someone had left a pile of laundry out in the middle of the park. But then the bundle moved, and Dean took off running for it.

Dean skidded to a halt, dropping to his knees. He pulled back the top layer (a hoodie he swore he recognized), and he unearthed a startled Kat.

"Kat!" Dean scooped her up into his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Dean?" Kat squeaked, surprised by Dean's onslaught.

Dean held Kat at arm's length, "Now, I'm only going to say this once. We love you, we want you, we need you. And we want you to stay with us. Please. And if you ever take off like that again..."

Kat just nodded and hugged her big brother again.