Kath's POV

The next day, the three Winchesters wasted no time waking up and attempting to pack again, Dean trying hopelessly to salvage weapons and supplies from his ruined car. Kath sat by the cabin window, listening to his idle curses as he rummaged through the remains, his tone growing darker and angrier as the morning passed. She frowned, wishing that there could be some way to comfort him, but knowing that it was impossible. No words were going to save Dean now.

She turned away from the window and looked upward, in the direction she knew that Sam was standing and staring at her. "It isn't nice to sneak up on a blind girl, Sam. I'd hoped that Dean and Dad would teach you some manners. Apparently, no such luck."

She heard him snort. "By the looks of things, you don't get sneaked up on very easily." He walked over to her and sat down beside her, pressing a mug into her hands. "I made coffee."

She took a whiff of the drink and nodded, steam floating into her face. "That you did. Nice and black; good way to start off the day." She took a quick gulp of the hot drink, then cupped the mug inside her palms. "Peace offering?" she took a guess at the reason for the kind gesture.

Sam chuckled. Kath had never heard such a happy sound; it was a shame that she doubted it came often. "I guess it is. Dean told me last night, you can't pick family. We can decide what we spend time doing with them, though."

"A philosopher, eh? No wonder you went to Stanford," Kath said, making sure to let it be known that she was joking with him.

"So, you've known about me this entire time?"

Kath nodded. "I guess you can say the last time I saw you, you were barely enough of a person to make a difference. Now you're a giant, considering the way you're craning your neck just to have a proper conversation with me." She managed an apologetic smile. "Loss of sight is really helpful to hearing; I can sense things before most people know they're even there."

"That's pretty helpful," Sam managed to say in response. She playfully nudged him in an attempt to make him feel more comfortable around her.

"Relax! I'm not gonna bite. Here, I'll tell you a little bit amount myself. Ask me anyhthing, I won't lie," she said, straightening her posture.

"Um... What happened the day you met Dad and Dean? The second time."

Kath grinned sheepishly. "Dad tried to just walk right into the house, but Missouri had taught me quite well. I tried to stab him with a silver knife she always had on the table by the doorway. Good thing Dad was faster than I was."

Sam managed a grin at that mental image. "You're kidding."

Kath bit her lip, but smiled happily. "Nope. I promised, no lies. Ask another."

Sam thought long and hard about the next question. "What do you remember about Mom?"

Kath's smile went stale at that point. "Not as much as I'd like. She had long, beautiful blonde hair, apparently the same shade that I have, although I couldn't tell you. She had a smile... Goodness, it lit up this world when she smiled. She hadn't smiled much before the fire, though. She smelt like lemons. And she loved all three of us kids so much; it showed in her eyes." Kath looked past Sam then, staring out into the distance. "Gosh Sam, way to darken the mood. How about something less likely to make me want to jump in a river?"

"Hmm... Favorite animal?"

"A dog. I had a seeing-eye dog for a while, actually. But they're killer expensive, and this one picked a fight with one demon too many."

"Yikes, I'm sorry."

"Don't be, the demon had it coming," she said, her tone light. "How about you, Sammy boy? You've been stuck with Dean all these months; how are you managing to survive with that idiot around?'

"You know Dean," Sam said with a hint of amusement. "He's about as ferocious as a kitten. Besides," he added, trailing off, "he really needs someone to look after him. He doesn't do this job well alone."

Kath nodded in agreement. "That's a truth if I've ever heard it. Take care of him, Sam. He'll lose it if you're not around."

"I don't know, he seems pretty relieved to have you around," Sam said, carefully questioning her motivations for sticking around. Kath only shook her head in return.

"I'm the expendable Winchester, if any. Always have been. You boys, however, are peas in a pod. Separating you could put everyone in danger. Besides, he loves you Sammy. It'd break his heart if his real family split up again."

"You left, though."

"Yeah, and he'll never forgive me for it. For all Dean cares right now, I'm not really part of the family anymore."

"What did you do?" he asked, a little too quickly to be polite. "Sorry, I guess it really isn't my business-"

"Na, you're alright," she replied, patting him on the knee. "Family business is everyone's business; the two of us should know better than anyone." A pause. "I got cocky. Three years ago, I tried going after a demon who was a lot stronger than me. It's what I do: demon hunting. Requires less sight and a little more skill to get rid of those damned things, and I was getting really good at it: for a blind girl, that is. I guess the bastards figured I had caught into their tail, and sent one after me to finish me off. I called Dad after I found out that it was after me, but he was busy halfway across the country with Dean." Kath turned back to the window again, staring out into a distance that she could never see. "He didn't come. The thing had me cornered and nearly killed me before I managed to send it back to the netherworld. Gave me this though," she lifted up her tank top to just over her belly button. A jagged, dark scar covered her across the abdomen. She dropped her shirt and continued. "Dad showed up in the hospital a week later. I was furious. You know how he was; old man never wanted to admit when he was wrong. I had told him that this one was too strong for me. He didn't believe it." She smirked. "Not many fathers think they're blind daughters can take on thousand-year-old demons, huh? I stormed out of the hospital with him on my tail and locked myself in my own apartment. He tried explaining things to me, but..." She trailed off.

"I'm guessing you both said some things you weren't proud of?" Sam asked, reading her mind.

She nodded. "You had already left for college, from what Dean told me. I figured, if one of us had the guts to leave Dad's mess behind, then maybe another of us did too." She sighed. "That's the last time I was near him. And I told him to go to hell." She sniffed, but her eyes stayed dry. "Dean should never have brought me here; it makes things more painful for all of us." She stood, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "Don't worry, I'll be gone from your life before you know it, Sam. If you want, you can forget I exist. I won't mind." She started walking away, but a hand grabbed hers from behind to stop her. She sensed him stand as well, a little brother now towering over her.

"You really are a Winchester, Kath," he said, releasing her. "Not many people can screw up as badly as we can." She managed a painful laugh, but he continued. "Come with us."

"What?"

"You heard me. Come with us. Dean doesn't hate you; if this were any other instance I think he'd be ecstatic to bring along. And we both know that he needs a reason to be happier right now."

"What about you, Sam? I'm pretty much a stranger; you don't really need me around."

He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Any person with the guts to have picked a fight with Dad is fine by my standards."

"God, if he had a grave, he'd be flopping over and over in it at the moment."

"I'm sure of it."

She reached out and wrapped her arms underneath his, pulling him in for a hug. "Thank you Sammy."

He drew away for a second, a joke in his voice. "I'm not sure you've earned the right to the nickname yet, though."

"Ass."

"Jerk."

"Bitch!" Dean's voice entered the building, a wooden door slamming behind him. "What?" He asked, receiving both of their pointed stares. "I thought we were practicing cussing. Remember Sammy, when you were about eight-"

"I was scarred for life, Dean."

"Exactly," Dean replied, the hidden joke lightening his mood. "Aww, are you two finally making up? This calls for a family gathering. Group hug!" Both Sam and Kath attempted to split in opposite directions, but Dean was faster, hooking Kath around the neck and Sam by the arm. He forced the three of them into close quarters, each of the younger siblings struggling.

"Gosh, Dean, how old are you, ten?"

"Eleven, actually, little sis, but thanks for counting."

"Dean, get your dirty hands off of me-"

"Aw c'mon Sammy. It's family bonding time- Ow!"

Sam managed to headbutt Dean and the same time Kath elbowed him, sending them all flying in different directions. Kath landed against the couch, Sam the windowsill, and Dean the countertop. "Shit!"

It was a unanimous curse, and the three Winchesters realized it seconds after it occurred. Kath was the first to laugh, but the boys soon joined in. For the first time in years, Kath Winchester felt at home.

A knock on the front door, however, completely ended the happy mood. Kath heard the cocking of a shotgun and the drawing of a knife, but Kath raised her hands in a peace gesture. "Calm down boys; it's just a human. I'll get the door."

She walked steadily to the entrance, hands in front of her to avoid any walls she might accidentally run into, and opened the door. The figure outside was taller and broader than her, but the voice was the most familiar. "Kathleen?"

Kath gasped, then flung out her arms, wrapping them around her old friend. "Bobby!" She said, feeling like a child again when he lifted her off the ground. "It's you!"

"It sure is, sweetheart," Bobby said gruffly, placing her down. "What are you doing here?"

"I invited her," Dean called out from inside the house, brushing past Kath to give their friend a hug. Sam followed him outside, but stayed standing behind Kath.

"I should've known you idjits would be breaking all the rules as quickly as possible. Still, I'm real sorry about your dad, kids. John was a good man, even if his actions were usually moronic."

"You can say that again," Sam agreed, passing Kath after Dean returned to her side to greet Bobby. "Thanks for coming, Bobby."

"Wait, you invited him?" Dean questioned.

"You had your secret phone calls, I had mine. We need a ride with the Impala ruined and the stolen van won't stay a secret for long."

Kath groaned. "You could have stolen any random car, and it had to be a minivan?"

"I've got the tow truck outside, already running. Grab your things, kids. You really screwed that car of yours over, Dean," Bobby added. "Go hook it up and we'll be on our way." He turned back to Kath and ruffled her hair. "It's good to have you back in the game, kiddo."

Kath grinned. "I'm glad to be back." Bobby left the porch with Dean, but Sam stayed behind to help Kath grab their belongings.

"When did you meet Bobby?" he asked, and Kath paused a second before answering.

"Missouri taught me to find the supernatural, but it was Bobby who took me on my first hunt. He had a little more faith in my usefulness as a hunter."

"What did you get? The first time you went hunting, that is."

Kath smirked. "That's a story for the ride, little brother."

And here's Bobby! Writing from the view of someone who can't see what is going on around her and can only "sense" is hard!

The Roadhouse is next chapter, stay tuned. And please review: I know how hard it is for writers to stay motivated, and it really does help!