A/N: So, this chapter tells a little more of Amanda and Chloe's backstory-specifically, how they met Dean.

I've gotten reviews and PMs commenting on how much of a jerk John is to Chloe in this story. I promise, there's a reason for it, but it'll take some more chapters to unravel it. Please be patient with me.

It had been a week since Sam left, and things were slowly going back to normal in the house. John had called Bobby from the road, hoping to patch things up between them and be able to live with him, but he'd been refused. He'd called pastor Jim, who claimed to have someone house sitting for him, so that option was out too. As much as he might have wanted to, John knew he wasn't fit enough to hit the road hunting on his own again. He was surprised to find a voicemail from Chloe on his phone, and didn't know what to think of it after checking it.

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for calling you a jerk. That was mean of me. Please don't leave because of me. Dean really loves you, and he loves having you here. With uncle Sam gone working all the time, he's really sad sometimes 'cause he misses the both of you. So please, please come back. He needs you."

So, after being gone for three days, John had come back home, acting as if he'd never left in the first place. Chloe had approached him that night, before she went to bed, and asked him if he got her voicemail.

"I did." John said stiffly.

Chloe stood there, waiting for something, expectant.

"Was there something else?" John asked.

Chloe's expressive face told a story that she would never be able to portray in words. She was first angry, then sad, then regretful. Only when Chloe had wished him a good night and gone to bed, did he realize where he'd seen that look before.

He'd seen it on Sammy's face.

It was a look that said I want you to understand me. At least try. Please. He'd seen Sammy throw him that look many times when they argued over Sam's dream of a normal life, of having friends, of not wanting to be afraid all the time. Now, John figured, he'd have to see that look on Chloe's. Good job, jackass. You screwed it up with Sam, now you're gonna screw it up with Chloe, too. He knew the right thing to do. He knew he should approach Chloe and apologize to her too. But, as with Sam, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Dean's birthday was approaching, and John could tell that Amanda and Chloe were planning something. He was a little annoyed at not being included in the plans, but instead of asking, let his annoyance and resentment simmer. Finally, a few days before Dean's birthday, Chloe approached John very carefully.

"Can I talk to you?" Chloe asked. "Alone?"

Intrigued, John put down the newspaper in his hands. "Sure."

"It's about Dean's birthday." Chloe said. "I need your help."

"Help with what?"

"Well, Mom and I are throwing him a surprise party for him. We're throwing it at the garage where he works."

"Okay…" John said, not sure where Chloe was going with this. "What do you want me to do?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd bring Dean to the party." Chloe asked. I need mom and Sam's help setting up…."

"Sam's coming again?"

Chloe frowned. "Yeah."

John couldn't stand it anymore. "The right answer when I ask you a question is 'yes, sir' or 'no, sir'. Is that clear?"

John immediately noticed a difference in Chloe. She flinched and her shoulders tensed. She looked ashamed. Her eyes went to the floor and her hands were clasped behind her back. Good, John thought. Maybe I'm finally getting through. He waited a few moments before Chloe finally said something almost inaudible.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just remember that for next time, please." John said, his tone slightly kinder and less harsh than it had been. "Now. What did you want my help with?"

"I, um…I…"

"Chloe, it's okay, sweetie. I'm not mad. Just ask what you wanted to ask me."

Chloe swallowed hard and shook her head. "No, sir. It's okay. Never mind, I'll figure it out. I'm sorry I bothered you."

Before John could stop her, Chloe turned and left the room quickly. John felt a sharp pang of regret. Another chance to connect with Chloe and he'd completely blown it. He knew it was his own stubborn personality, his own inability to be wrong that led to the troubles he had connecting with not only Chloe, but Sam years before.

Chloe hadn't felt this way in a long time. The shame, the inadequacy, the wondering why she even bothered trying to make anyone happy. Her breath was coming in short little bursts, and she fought to get herself under control. A long-buried memory started to resurface in her mind.

Thirteen Years Earlier

"Scott, come on. Chloe's tired, we need to get home."

In the backseat of the car, Chloe was in her car seat, sucking her thumb and holding her stuffed shark, trying to go to sleep. The sun had been down for a long time, and she knew it was past her bedtime. She'd tried to ask Daddy where they were going, but he'd yelled at her for asking questions and told her to be quiet and not say anything else. She'd cried a little, but she'd learned that crying too much around her father only led to her getting in even more trouble with him.

But Chloe had a problem. A couple of them, actually. The first was that she couldn't sleep because Mommy and Daddy were being too loud. She liked to sleep with music, and to her surprise, her mommy was able to play her music in the car without Daddy shutting it off. But she couldn't hear the music because they were fighting.

Her second problem was that she had to go potty. Now. She was wearing a pull-up, but Daddy had refused to let Mommy bring another bag of them. Daddy got really mad when Chloe had an accident, or when she wet her bed, but she was usually too scared to tell her daddy she had to go. And when he didn't bring any more pull-ups, she got even more scared. She held it as long as she could, but she had to go. She decided that, since Mommy was there, maybe it would be okay. She gripped her shark in her arm and spoke up.

"Mommy?"

Amanda, startled because she thought that Chloe had been asleep, turned and faced her. "What's wrong, baby?"

"I gotta go potty. I gotta go bad."

"Oh, um…"

"For God's sake!" Scott shouted and slammed his hand against the steering wheel.

"Scott, calm down…"

"Don't tell me what to do!" Scott shouted, then turned the car sharply to the side of the road.

"Scott, what are you doing?"

"Get out." he spat. "Both of you."

"It's raining! She's not gonna go on the side of the road in the rain!"

"Both of you, get the hell out of the car right now."

"Fine."

Amanda stepped out of the car and pulled out a shaking Chloe. The rain was thankfully slowing down, and Amanda placed Chloe on the ground next to her. She expected to hear Scott yell at her to 'hurry up', but when he didn't, she grew worried. She looked inside and told Scott,

"We'll be right back."

"Get your purse."

"What? Why? We're just going…"

"Grab your purse or you'll lose it."

Amanda reached in and grabbed her bag, before she realized what Scott was saying. "Scott…"

"Five seconds and I'm leaving."

A distraught Chloe walked to the front passenger door, crying. "Daddy, you're gonna leave us here?"

"Step away from the door, Chloe."

"Daddy, please don't go. I'm sorry I had to go…"

"Step away, Chloe. Now. Before Daddy pops you."

Chloe stepped away from the door, crying hard as she listened to Mommy beg Daddy not to leave them behind. Daddy sped away so fast that the front and back passenger doors slammed shut. Mommy was still yelling, for Daddy to come back and get them, but he was gone. A crying Chloe, not knowing what else to do, sat down on the ground, crossed her legs, and cried into her hands.

"Chloe?"

Chloe felt Mommy put a hand on her knee, and she pulled away. "I'm sorry, Mommy."

"Sorry for what, honey?"

Chloe looked up, and Mommy wiped her face for her. "Daddy leaved us 'cause of me."

"No, baby. Listen to me, okay? Daddy left because of Daddy. It is not your fault."

"You not mad at me?"

"You are the last person I'm mad at right now." Mommy said. "Are you okay?"

Chloe started to say yes, but she realized something that made her cry all over again. "No."

"Are you hurt?"

Chloe shook her head.

"What's wrong?" When Chloe shifted, Mommy put it together. "Did you wet yourself?"

"I sorry."

"It's okay. Look."

Mommy had pulled her purse out of the car, and Chloe saw her digging around for something. She pulled out a single pull-up, and Chloe smiled.

"Thanks, Mommy."

"You're welcome, baby. Come on, let's get you changed."

Mommy took Chloe slightly off the road, where there were some bushes that hid her, and helped her change. The rain was slowing down even more, so that now it was barely a trickle. Once Chloe was settled, Mommy picked her up. Chloe could tell Mommy was just trying to cheer her up, so she didn't say anything.

"There we go. You ready?"

"Mommy? What we gonna do? Home's a long ways away."

"I don't know, boogie. We're gonna walk a little ways and see what we find."

"Is Daddy gonna come back for us?"

Mommy frowned and Chloe saw her try not to cry. "I doubt it, baby."

"Okay. I'll be good, Mommy. I promise."

Mommy smiled at her, and this time Chloe could tell it was real. "You always are, my sweet girl. Let's go."

"Chloe?"

Chloe jumped, her thoughts brought abruptly back to the present. "Hi, Dean."

"Hey, kiddo. You okay? You look a little spooked."

"Yeah. I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."

"What were you thinking about?"

Chloe smiled. "You." At Dean's puzzled look, Chloe's mind finished the flashback that Dean had interrupted.

They'd been walking for a few minutes, and Chloe was close to falling asleep. But she was determined to stay up and keep her Mommy company. Suddenly, a big, black car pulled up. Chloe kept her arms around her mother's neck and peered inside. The stranger was smiling at them, but he looked worried.

"You guys okay?"

"We're fine." Mommy said. "Our, um, our car broke down a few miles down the road. We're just trying to find a gas station."

"Nearest one's ten miles away. You guys want a ride?"

Chloe could tell Mommy didn't want to, but they couldn't walk much farther.

"Look, I know you're worried. Just get in the passenger seat and hang onto that little cutie there."

"Please, Mommy." Chloe begged. "It's cold. And I'm hungwy."

"Okay, baby. Come on."

Mommy took the front seat, and the stranger smiled at them from the driver's side. He seemed friendly, and Chloe watched him carefully from Mommy's lap. Once Mommy was inside, she sat Chloe down next to her.

"There's a blanket under that seat if you're cold."

"You want the blanket, baby?"

"Yes, please." Chloe said. She looked to the stranger and smiled. "Thank you for picking us up."

"You're welcome, honey. I was about to get some food at the diner a couple miles away. You guys want to join me?"

"Um, it's okay."

"My treat."

"I'm hungwy." Chloe said again.

"I guess so. Thank you." Mommy pulled the blanket out and wrapped Chloe up with it. "I'm Amanda. This is Chloe."

"Nice to meet you guys. I'm Dean."

"You sure you're okay, kiddo?" Dean asked.

"I'm fine." Chloe said.

"Alright. Your mom sent me to get you. Said it's almost time for dinner."

"I'll be right there."

Dean left, and a smile formed on Chloe's face. Suddenly, she felt better. No matter what her struggles with John, Dean loved her and she'd never doubted that. She checked inside her desk and found what she was looking for. The DVD with the video for the party, and the yellow envelope with the papers Sam had gotten for her. Amanda called for her from downstairs, and Chloe went to dinner.