Hey guys, wanted to say thanks again for the reviews: now up to 16!

Hope you enjoy.

The first thing she became aware of was how soft and comfortable the motel bed was. Usually stained sheets and lumpy mattresses were the norm for Dean and herself, so they must've struck gold with this one. Taking advantage of this gift she'd been given, Claire didn't open her eyes; content to stay in a post-sleep daze for a while longer. After all, how often do motels like this come along?

This explanation for the sense of comfort she felt right now made sense to her half-asleep mind only up until the second thing she became aware of: mumbled voices. Now, Dean was usually pretty good about girls: either going back to their place or at least giving Claire fair warning the night before so she could sleep in the car. She was his little sister after all, and although now 26 he was still as overprotective of her as he was when she was 15. That being said, to wake up to more than just the snores of her brother and the usual rush of the main road just outside their door, was unusual. But the more she listened, the more she came to realise that Dean's voice was slightly deeper and harsher sounding than the sounds reaching her right now, and the girl's voice she could hear was, unusually enough, not the giggly high-pitched squeal of the girls Dean usually chose.

Listening harder, Claire even managed to pick up a few words that most definitely wouldn't be used by either Dean or the bimbo he'd come home with, on the morning after the night before.

"Meeting…important…go we'll be fine" 'Dean' said in an uncharacteristically reassuring way.

"…sure? I…stay…maybe could help" and the bimbo's voice was soft, not high pitched as it usually would be.

It was at this moment that Claire knew she needed to wake up. Fast.

Because either 1) she'd been kidnapped and brought to an amazingly comfortable bed by complete strangers who spend too much time talking in a 'lets-hug' way and less time keeping an eye on their hostage.

Or 2) Dean had been possessed by some demon who brought home really nice sounding girls and they were planning to turn her into a 'lets-hug'-loving-kind-sounding minion in which to take over the world with smiles and rainbow dust.

Either way would mean hugging, of which would make her a little, well actually a lot nauseas.

Opening her eyes with trepidation, she was met with another set of eyes approximately 4cm from her own. In fact, if she moved even slightly forward Claire was certain their noses would touch so she moved back, until the fuzzy picture she had in front of her came into focus. Brown expressive eyes much like her brothers stared back at her… And it all came flooding back. Breaking into Sam's house and being tackled and meeting blondie and snooping around and the little girl. Abby.

The pair stayed frozen for a while, both transfixed on the other's face and mulling over their own thoughts on the other. Then the bubble they were in was broken as a sound from just behind the couch that she was on (it suddenly registered that it wasn't the motel direct from heaven but her brother's living room she was sleeping in. And actually, that did make more sense: Dean had crappy taste in motels).

"Abby come away from there, Claire's still asleep" at the sound of Sam's voice, Abby broke eye contact with her Aunt, looking up to her father before looking to her shoes guiltily and moving towards her parents and out of Claire's eyesight.

Now that she was awake properly, Claire could hear her little brother and blondie… Wait a second, what was her name? It wouldn't do to just keep calling her blondie… damn, always was bad at names. Erm… well Dean will know, but for now stealthy listening is required. Hopefully stealthier than last night, when snooping around had ended up with the dramatic entrance into their lives of a certain 3year old who was definitely gifted in the art of screaming-her-head-off. So stealthy listening…

"Well I can stay if you want some support" that was Blondie.

"They're my family if anyone knows how to deal with them it's me"

"I don't mean that and you know it" silence, Claire could practically hear Sam's brain working.

"I'll tell them," Pause "I will."

"I believe you'll tell them baby, I just… it's only been 2months, are you sure you don't want some support?"

Silence again. And now Claire was intrigued. There was something that Sam had to say, something that had happened 2months ago that had Sam so he couldn't talk about it. Or at least blondie thought would be hard for him to talk about. If Claire knew her little brother like she thought she did, she knew that for something to have this affect on him, it had to be important.

"I'm fine. I've dealt with it… I'm fine"

Claire peeked her head over the edge of the couch to witness a moment where no words were spoken, and Blondie looked at Sam like she knew he was lying. Claire thought only she could tell when he was lying.

"Sam…"

"Jess…"

"Jess! That's her…" Claire quietly exclaimed, before ducking back down on the couch and feigning sleep as Sam looked her way.

Once she was sure he wasn't looking towards the couch any more, although almost positive that he'd heard her, she peeked her head over again to watch the exchange.

"You're gonna be late" Sam said softly, and Jess sighed before replying.

"Ok. I'll see you later"

"Wait, Abby!" Sam called his daughter, who had moved back into the living room without Claire's notice and was promptly sitting on the floor, bored by adult conversations. At her father's call she jumped up and ran them, and Sam promptly hoisted her onto his hip.

"Wish mommy luck now, she's got an important meeting today"

Abby reached over to give her mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek "lucks lucks lucks" she said.

"Thank you baby" Jess replied before turning back to Sam again, "I'll see you later babe" before giving him a kiss and turning out the door.

Claire watched as her brother stood at the open door with a child on his hip and had Abby wave as the sound of a car driving away reached her ears. It still fascinated her: while Dean and herself had had Sam to look after and get experience with children with, Sam had had no younger siblings to look out for. It was strange to see Sam so carefully looking after a child when that was always her job for her little brother. But Sam had changed, he wasn't a hunter anymore, he was a father.

Sam closed the door, Abby still on his hip and walked into the living room.

"You can stop pretending to sleep now Claire" he said as he walked through a door on the opposite side of the room, not turning back.

Claire sat up, a little stunned. Ok so maybe he wasn't a hunter anymore, but the instincts were still there. It was still Sam, just… grown up. Yes, that's the word for it, Sam had grown up. So had they all.

Again, I know, not much actual action and you don't really learn any more, but you will in the next chapter!

See you soon x x