Amber Alert

Scared. That was the word. Dean had been trying to place the look on Sam's face all day, but couldn't because the context was all wrong. There was no danger. No monsters chasing them. No imminent death or even threats of death. They were driving, chilling in the front seat of the Impala; one of the safest places in their world. But Sam was scared.

Scared of the back seat and the new passenger sitting there, quietly reading.

Dean would be grinning, babbling with nerves, bouncing to the music on the radio, if he found out he had a kid. He remembered the warm, hopeful feeling when he had met Ben. It should be the same for Sam, right?

Of course not. However Dean reacted to something, Sam would do the opposite. His brother just sat there, curled in on himself, brooding. He said he was waiting for the DNA test, but he was already trying to cope with the facts of fatherhood.

Meanwhile, there was a teenager in the back seat, watching, waiting, hoping. And glaring every time Dean cranked the music too loud. Well, it was getting late. Dean sighed, and pulled off at the next motel. It was the first time he had ever gotten two rooms. Gwen took her key, gave Sam a sideways look, and vanished behind the stained door.

Sam paused for a moment, staring at the space where Gwen had been. Dean took the opportunity to claim a bed in their room, and settled in with his tablet. Impala Watch. It was like a gold mine. He called up the webpage again, scrolling through entries. Finding parts for the Impala was getting harder and harder. If he could track down other owners, maybe he could track down some new parts.

Dean expected to be interrupted at any moment. Sam had been silent all day, a sure sign of an emotional storm brewing inside. Soon enough, the dam would break and Dean would be deluged with Sam's internal monologue. It was coming soon, it always did. But Sam just settled his laptop on the small table, folded himself into the half-sized chair, and hunched over the screen.

Dean frowned. Not good. The longer it took Sam to get around to sharing his feelings, the worse it would be. He could prod, but a gut feeling told him that would be bad idea tonight. So Dean went back to his search for likely Impala owners. There was one in Kentucky; right on the way home.

"Dean."

His head snapped around at the sound of his name. Sam's voice was sharp, impatient. Dean's stomach clenched. "What?"

Sam turned the screen so Dean could see Gwen's picture framed in red, a special alert from the police to ask the general population to help locate the runaway. At least it didn't say she had been kidnapped. Still. Dean could just imagine what would happen if the cops found Gwen with them.

It would not be good.

Dean jerked his thumb at the door. "Come on." Sam picked up the laptop and followed, his face crinkled with worry.

Music poured through the cracks in Gwen's door, something peppy that made Dean's ears cringe and want to encircle his beloved cassette collection with a protective arm.

"Everything will be alright if we keep dancing like we're 22!" Gwen's voice was off-key, even through the door. The singing stopped as soon as she heard the knocking at the door. There was a yelp, a scuffle, and then she was there, a sweater pulled over her tank and cotton-candy-pink pajama pants.

"Hi!" Her face was filled with a wide smile that vanished as soon as she saw their stern faces. Her eyes grew wide, and she backed up. Dean bit his tongue, holding back a chuckle. It was classic. This girl was used to getting into trouble. Her I-didn't-do-it response was classically calculated to inculcate the illusion that she was innocent. "Um-is something wrong?"

"Gwen, we need to talk." Sam held up the laptop, fixing her with penetrating eyes.

Gwen's jaw dropped, and she let out an indignant squeal. She snatched the laptop, staring at the picture. "Oh no she didn't! I can't believe this! She told me it was her way or the highway-what did she expect? Now she thinks she can have the police drag me home? No!"

My way or the highway. That had a familiar ring to it.

Sam pulled his laptop back protectively. Dean glanced up and down the walk, and motioned to Gwen's room. "Let's take this inside, shall we?"

Gwen pulled the door open wide and spun out of the way. "It's not a big deal, ok? I'm not a runaway, I just decided I don't live in Jackson, Ohio anymore."

"An Amber Alert is a big deal, Gwen. It means that the police are looking for you. It means they're asking the public to help look for you. You do know what they'll think when they find you with us, right?"

She blinked, deflating a little. "What? It's not like you kidnapped me or anything. I'll tell them that."

"Gwen, who did you run away from?" Sam's voice was soft, inviting her confidence. "Why did you leave Jackson? Did someone hurt you?"

"No." Her answer was quick and sure, and Dean believed it. "No one hurt me. I just didn't want to be there anymore. I want to be with you."

"Gwen, there is someone looking for you. If they care about you, they're probably worried." Dean knew all too well that gut-churning feeling. There was nothing like it. He had assumed that Gwen had no one. That she was on the road because she had no place else to be. The thought of someone sitting at home, waiting by the phone, made him glower. "Who did you run away from?"

She shrank back from his gaze, eyes flicking guiltily toward the floor. "My grandmother."

"Gina's mom?" The tone in Sam's voice indicated that he would have ditched that place as fast as possible, too. Dean turned his glower on him. Sam had always been the one doing the running; he had no idea what it felt like to be the one left behind.

"I think we need to call your grandmother, Gwen."

"No!" Gwen's eyes flew wide. "I don't want to go back there!"

"You said she didn't hurt you."

Gwen crossed her arms and looked away again. "No. She just wants to dictate my entire life."

Nope, there was no need to wait for the DNA test. Apparently, this girl had inherited more than her eyes from Sam.

"You said I could stay with you!" She turned those eyes on Sam now, but apparently he was immune.

"Until we get the DNA results, yes. But if you have someplace else you can be, Gwen-if you have a home, you should be there."

Gwen refused to look at Sam. He sighed. "We can talk about this tomorrow, ok? The DNA test will be in, we can decide what to do then."

Dean grimaced, thinking about an old woman sitting alone at home, waiting to hear if her granddaughter was alive or dead. He fixed Gwen with a stern eye. "If you believe that your grandmother loves you, you should call her. Let her know you're ok."

"I'll think about it," Gwen said, crossing her arms. Her expression clearly said there should be nothing to think about, she'd made her decision when she left. But her eyes twitched toward her phone, and Dean knew he had gotten through her prickly armor.

"Good-night." Sam gave her a small wave as they exited the room.

"Good-night, Dad."

The word made Sam squirm. He ducked out the door, and turned to Dean. "What do we do if she's really mine?"

"She's family. We make sure she's safe."

"No, we can't." Sam put his hands in his pockets, shook his head, and walked away. Dean watched him go, silent. So. That was the problem. No need for a long emotional talk to get his feelings out this time. Sam was scared he couldn't protect Gwen. The trail of dead Winchesters in their past proved him right.

Dean went to fetch a beer out of the cooler in the backseat and contemplated Gwen's closed motel room door. She wasn't in danger yet, but she would be. As soon as Crowley or the angels or anyone else who didn't like Winchesters learned Gwen existed, she would be their favorite blackmail.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the DNA test will come back negative, and we can just drop her off with child services.

But he doubted it. They were never that lucky.

NOTE: What will the DNA test show? What happened between Gwen and her grandmother? Will Sam and Dean be able to find a way to keep Gwen safe? More coming soon!

I do love reviews! If you liked it, please let me know. Also, I'm trying to weave music into this story. The lyrics in this chapter were from Taylor Swift. Gwen loves her music as much as Dean, but they have such different taste! If anyone has some good song suggestions, let me know. I love finding new music to listen to.

Thanks for reading!