A/Notes: I made up the word "jigleader", just saying. Well, I hope you enjoy it! Read right on ahead!

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Supernatural except Presleigh.

Dean: 15

Sam: 11

Presleigh: 5

Chapter 4: Trouble Arising

"Dean."

John whispered into his oldest son's ear. He tried not to wake Presleigh, whom was curled up beside Dean, nor Sam, whom was knocked out on the other bed across from Dean and Presleigh. When John still got no reply or evidence that his son was about to get up, he swiftly nudged Dean's shoulder with another sharp whisper.

"Dean!"

"What the- oh hey Dad."

Dean caught himself before he let a stream of cuss words fly from his mouth once he realized John Winchester was hovering over him. John didn't reply to Dean's greeting, but motioned impatiently for his son to get up.

"Dean, I need ta tell ya something."

Dean started to get out of bed slowly, not wanting to wake Presleigh, until he saw the clock sitting next to him on the wooden nightstand.

"5 o'clock?! Dad, what the heck's wrong with you?"

John turned around and gave his son the look, the look that shut Dean up real quick and got his butt moving the same speed as his closing jaw.

Dean followed his father into the kitchen area, where they could talk a little louder without waking Pres or Sam. John went to the fridge and got out a beer and popped the lid. Drinking at five in the morning, typical John Winchester. Dean leaned up against the counter and watched his father intently, giving himself something to do, so his eyes wouldn't start to droop and cause him to fall asleep right there on the spot.

After John took a few more sips of his beer, he cleared his throat ready to tell his son the news.

John was going to be leaving for another week at the least. The missing kids reports were a few towns over, and it would be best to just keep the kids in Bluefield and get a motel for himself in the town where the kids went missing. He knew that he had just gotten back from a three week hunt, but he had to stop whatever was taking these kids. If there was something that motivated him half as much as finding the demon that killed his wife, it was finding and killing the monsters that hurt innocent children. With three kids of his own, he just couldn't seem to fathom losing a child.

So here goes the time to man up and tell Dean. He knew he wouldn't argue with him, but he knew he wouldn't be happy with him.

"I'm going away for a week or so, son. You think you can handle things back here for me?"

John didn't want to beat around the bush. His son was old enough to take it like a man.

"Yes sir… But-

"Son, I don't have time for a but."

John wasn't really in that big of a rush; he just didn't want to have to talk any further about his absence because it honestly did sadden him.

"I gotta leave before Sam or Presleigh wake up. You know how they get when I leave, especially Pres. I can't have all that right now."

Dean nodded his understanding but still wanted to ask him his question. He knew when his father was done listening, and he noticed that he wasn't quite there yet, so he didn't waste his opportunity.

"I just was gonna ask if you needed help. I mean, Dad, aren't you kind of tired from that wendigo? You know I can help you if-

"No Dean. You need to go to school, watch after Sammy and Pres. I can take care of things by myself just fine, trust me. I would ask you if I needed you."

That last comment stung in Dean's heart. After all Dean had done for his father, he never seemed to get his approval.

"Yes sir."

Dean responded robotically with the only answer that John Winchester accepted.

"Alright, good."

John got ready to end the conversation, when Dean spoke up again and asked him about the hunt he was going on. Dean always liked to get as much information out of his dad on a hunt, so he wasn't completely left in the dark.

"Is there anything I need to know about what you're hunting? Ya know, just to be on the safe side."

John nodded, and Dean mentally gave himself a high five for not having pissed off his father just yet with his questioning.

"I'm hunting a jigleader. A jigleader is something that kidnaps little kids and feeds them until they're super fat and then cooks em up for supper. They're some nasty sons of guns, normally run in pairs. I've already done some research on em, and from what I found, they say that a silver blade to the head will kill it. So far, that's the only thing I've found that does."

"So the kids missing, they still have hope?"

John titled his head and raised his shoulders as he answered his curious son.

"From what I've read, I think so. They say the jigleaders keep the kids hostage for a week or so before they make little kid stew out of em. The kids have only been missing for about 48 hours, so hopefully I'll find em soon."

Dean nodded his head in relief.

"Good. If you need any help with research or anything, just let me know, okay Dad?"

"Sure, son, but I'll be fine. Promise. Now get back to bed and set your alarm for school. Tell Pres and Sam I said to behave themselves or I'll take care of them when I get home."

Dean chuckled at the thought of his brother and sister's face when he would tell them what their father said. Dean always used those words from his father to keep order with his siblings. Those few words would straighten them out real fast.

"Alright, yes sir."

Before Dean turned around to go back to bed, he looked at his father deep in the eyes.

"Be safe Dad, okay?"

"Of course, son. I'm always safe. Besides, I've still got you in your brother and sister to whip into shape."

Dean laughed again and nodded his head.

"Okay Dad."

"Bye Dean."

John smiled at his son as he turned around and went back to bed.

John may not tell his son how much he's proud of him all the time, but in all truth, he was so proud of him. Dean always, or mostly always, obeyed what he commanded him right then and there and rarely asked why. Sam and Pres, on the other hand, they always questioned their father first before doing anything he asked. John was hoping that they would one day be like Dean when it came to following orders, but he knew that that wasn't so likely.

John gathered up his things and headed for the door. He downed his bottle of beer before tossing it on the counter, as he left his three sleeping kids. He shut the door softly and turned around to look at the bright sun. He squinted his eyes and headed for the Impala.

His kids were safe in bed. Dean was watching the little ones. What could possibly go wrong?

SPN

"Deannn, I don't feel good."

Presleigh laid her upper body back down onto the bed and turned over onto her side. She snuggled closer to the edge of the bed, as if she could escape her brother's grasp.

Dean sighed and got into bed with her. He rolled her tiny body over to his and picked her up. He put her on his lap and looked into her eyes. They were sad and on the verge of leaking small, tiny tears. Dean felt her forehead with his hand for a moment and looked at her skeptically.

"You don't feel warm?"

Presleigh adverted her eyes to the side and started to whine again.

"It's my tummy, Deannnn."

Dean rolled his eyes and thought, of course it is.

"Well, Dad left for a hunt so…"

Dean tried to approach the missing dad dilemma nonchalantly in hope it wouldn't be that big of a deal to Presleigh. Surprisingly, it worked. She just nodded her head as if it was no surprise to her. In all honesty, she had been eavesdropping on the conversation between him and her father, so it really wasn't a surprise.

All of a sudden, Presleigh widened her eyes and wiggled her arms.

"I feel like Ima 'bout to throw up!"

Presleigh put emphasis on her last two words and doubled over. Dean acted quickly because he wasn't going to let his skeptic-self lose to his baby sister's throw up all over his bed.

"Hey, hey, don't do any of that. Here, let me get you to the bathroom."

He picked her up under her armpits with his hands and ran her to the bathroom. He sat her down in front of the toilet. Presleigh turned around to face her brother in a panic.

"You can't be in hewe Dean!"

Presleigh looked up into her brother's eyes with her big, sad eyes.

"Pres, I'm not just gonna leave you while you're hacking up stuff in here. You're five, little girl."

"Basically six, and anyways, I gots to go potty now."

She looked up at her brother innocently as she danced around. Dean rolled his eyes and held up his hands in surrender. He backed out of the bathroom and cracked the door.

He made sure she wasn't lying to him and finally went to the kitchen when he heard her begin to pee.

After a few minutes she came out from the bathroom and trudged her way to Dean. Dean stood at attention with his arms crossed and shoulders standing tall.

Once Presleigh made her way over to her big brother, she hung her head in shame.

"I thinks I got the stomach bug."

"Oh do you now?"

Dean raised his eyebrow.

Presleigh nodded her little head and looked up at him.

"Please don't make me go to school, Dean. As much as I would loves to throw up all ovah Wed headed Weagan, I knows I shouldn't."

Presleigh helplessly waited for an answer from her brother. Dean groaned as he rolled his eyes to the sky. His once stiff, uptight body released its tension as he gave into his little sister.

"Fine."

Presleigh pumped her fist into the air with a silent "Yes!"

"You better not be fakin', Presleigh Rose."

Dean said sternly once he saw her excitement. Presleigh wasn't one to lie. She knew that Dean and especially Dad never accepted dishonesty, which always confused Presleigh because John actually taught Sam and Dean to lie for when they went on hunts.

Presleigh quickly erased her excitement and replaced it with a look of sorrow and hurt.

"Dean, 'm not fakin'. Why woulds you say dat?"

Dean saw the jutting lip and misty eyes of his little sister and decided that he had better intervene quickly or else. He picked her up into his arms and gave her a kiss on the forehead before setting her on top on the counter.

"You're right, Pres. 'm sorry."

Presleigh gave Dean a small smile as he rubbed her forehead with his thumb. Dean walked over to the single cabinet hanging in front of the kitchen sink and started rummaging through all the medical stuff John had put up there.

Being in the line of work that John was in, tons of medical supplies was very much needed. From cotton pads to pain killers, John Winchester had it all. Dean was the only one that John allowed in the cabinet, but oddly enough, Dean was the only one actually able to reach the cabinet, so it didn't even matter.

Once Dean finally found what he was looking for, he shut the cabinet and put the pill bottle down beside Presleigh. One look at the bottle and Presleigh immediately started to freak out. Presleigh jumped off the countertop but not before Dean could catch her and keep her hostage.

"Stop, Pres. You gotta take some medicine."

Presleigh shook her head stubbornly and began to pout.

"Uh un. Just gives me some of dat blue stuff."

Dean shook his head, as he kept his right arm restricting Presleigh and his left arm holding the glass he was filling up with water from the sink's faucet.

"That stuff's for a cold, Presleigh. You've got a stomach ache, so you take this. Only one pill, it's not that bad."

"How 'bout you take one den?"

Presleigh smiled at what she believed was a good comeback. Dean just shook his head and hid his smile from her eyes.

Once the glass was filled with water, he handed Presleigh the pill.

"Okay, Pres. On the count of three I want you to put it on your tongue and then take a big gulp of water. You got that?"

Pres shook her head no, saw Dean's stern look, and shook her head yes. She knew that there was no way she was getting out of taking this medicine. She had always tried but had always failed. She had even given up on trying to get out of taking any form of pill when her father was home.

"Okay, Pres. One…Two… Go!"

Dean looked on with anticipation, but that anticipation slowly faded once he realized she was not going to take the pill. She sat there with the pill in hand staring at her brother innocently.

"Presleigh, what the mess? I said three."

Presleigh shook her head earnestly.

"No you didn't. You said go."

Presleigh was infamous for being a smart aleck.

"Take the damn pill."

"I thought Daddy could only say dat wowd?"

Dean rolled his eyes and huffed out his frustration.

"Presleigh."

"Okay, okay."

Presleigh noticed his thinning patience and decided to give in.

Presleigh said a quick prayer before popping the pill into her mouth and quickly swallowing a gulp of water. Her face portrayed that she ate something sour, but nope, just one tiny pill. Dean sighed with relief and picked her up and sat her back down on the floor.

"Go back to bed, 'kay? We can still get a few hours of sleep," Dean said with a yawn.

Presleigh skipped back to bed excited that she could get to sleep some more. She jumped onto the bed and got back under the covers.

Once Dean washed her glass in the sink, he made his way back to the bed as well. He got under the covers and didn't even have to scoot close to Presleigh because she already was. She snuggled into his side and her tiny fist twisted his t shirt like she always did. Within minutes, they were both sound asleep.

SPN

"Dean, why didn't you wake me up?! We're gonna be late for school!"

Sam stood leaning over Dean's sleeping body. His eyes were seeking answers that he knew only his big brother could give him. Why didn't Dean wake him up for school? And where was Dad?

Dean grunted and slowly sat up. He wiped the sleep from his eyes. Presleigh didn't budge from Dean's side. Probably, eavesdropping.

"Calm down, don't get your panties in a twist, Samantha."

Sam's face grew bright red.

"Dean."

"See what I mean?"

"Dean!"

Dean sat up more and waved his little brother to calm down.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry, okay? Happy now?"

Sam stood back giving his brother some breathing room and crossed his arms.

"That depends. Sorry for not waking me up? Or sorry for calling me you know what?"

Dean thought about the question his little brother just asked him. Dean was never good with wordy questions right after he was woken up.

"Uh… both?"

"Dean, why didn't you wake me up? And where's dad?"

Sam just completely avoided his previous question and got down to the real questions.

"I actually like going to school. Dad knows that. You know that."

Dean mouthed "I know" to himself and rolled his eyes.

"Look, Sammy, Pres is sick, okay? I can't just leave her here by herself, and you can't just walk ten blocks by yourself."

Sam was mortified at Dean's assumption. Of course he could walk to school by himself! He wasn't a little kid, even though he might be treated like one by his father and brother, and even baby sister sometimes.

"Oh come on, Dean! It's only like seven blocks, and besides I can walk to school by myself. I don't need your help! I'm not a baby you know."

"Yeah, well you sure do sound like one."

Dean muttered his response as he swung his legs off the bed and stood up to stretch his upper body.

"Sam, I'm done discussing this with you. You're not going. End of story."

Dean said his final words over his shoulder as he went to go pee in the bathroom and take a shower. Sam was left looking angrily at his brother.

How dumb was it that he couldn't even walk himself to school? Kids do it all the time! And most kids don't have a switchblade in their backpack, now do they? Better yet, know how to use a switchblade. He would be just fine!

Sam huffed as he sat down on his bed in frustration. Once he heard the shower turn on, a lightbulb went off in his head.

Sam jumped up from his bed and went to gather his backpack. As he was making his great escape, Presleigh quickly sat up..

Sam grabbed his heart and sighed a sigh of relief.

"You scared the heck out of me, Pres."

"Where are you going?"

She cut to the chase, not waiting for any small talk.

Sam slouched his shoulders thinking his great plan had come to a tumbling end within minutes.

"I won't tell Dean, if you won't tell Dean 'm fakin' a tummy ache."

Presleigh's agreement came out so quick that Sam barely had time to register what she just said.

"Wait, why are you faking, Pres?"

Presleigh quickly dodged Sam's curiosity.

"Not part of the agweement."

Sam rolled his eyes and said, "Oh alright."

Presleigh motioned for him to hurry up.

"Go before Dean gets out."

Sam ran up to his sister and kissed her forehead. On Sam's way out, he grabbed a piece of paper and pen to write his excuse to give the office for why he was late.

Sam knew that Dean was obviously going to find out that he had run away to school for the day, but he was so mad at his brother that he really didn't even care what the heck his brother would do. What kind of normal family won't let you go to school?

One word: Winchesters.

SPN

"I'm gonna kill him."

Dean had just come out of the bathroom, dressed in sweats with wet hair. He had gone as far as the "kitchen" before realizing that Sam was missing. Call it his big brother intuition or Sam's unfortunateness, it didn't matter, Dean just knew something was up.

He quickly woke Presleigh up and begged her if she knew where Sam was or where he had run off too, but she promised she had no idea. It took all of about three seconds for Dean to connect the dots. A missing backpack and a missing angry Sam could only mean one thing: Sam had run away to school.

At first, Dean was dripping in anger, but then his anger slowly turned to fear. What if Sam didn't make it to school? How would he know where he was or who took him? Did he carry the switchblade like he was supposed to, or did he just write off that command too?

All these thoughts circulated Dean's mind. He tried not to think the worst, but he just couldn't help himself. After a while, Presleigh got him to calm down and reassured him that Sam would be just fine.

Once Dean's fear washed away, his anger returned again.

"I'm so gonna kill him."

SPN

"Presleigh Rose Winchester."

"Uh oh."

"You wanna explain to me why you're up dancing all around right now, when 'your tummy feels so bad it's gonna explode'?"

Dean had stepped out of the room for a good fifteen minutes to call his father and tell him about Presleigh. Dean chose to leave his brother's whereabouts out of the phone conversation with his dad because he decided to save Sam for himself.

When Dean was making his way back through the door, he caught sight of his oh so sick baby sister dancing around the room to the theme song of "The Brady Bunch". Dean thought his head was about to explode with anger.

His little sister had totally played him.

She made up the whole thing, about her stomach hurting, about not being able to make it through a whole school day without puking her brains out. How could he have been so stupid? He knew something was a little off, but he just didn't want to question her because they had just had a fight the other day.

Dean was looking at his little sister with eyes full of fire and arms tightly crossed.

"I want an answer, now, young lady."

Presleigh gulped down hard before answering.

"Uh….no?"

"Wrong answer."

Dean immediately started to charge after her. Of course Presleigh tried to escape his reach, but of course Presleigh was no match for her big brother. Dean caught her within seconds, but she kept turning and twisting. He threatened to take care of her right then and there and not wait until her father came home if she didn't quit squirming.

She quit squirming.

"Dean, I didn't wants to go. I was scawed."

Presleigh was trying unsuccessfully to get out her explanation, as if that would help her case.

"Sit. And don't get up."

Dean pushed her down onto one of the wooden chairs in the kitchen.

"Deannnn."

Presleigh was starting to get scared that she really was in big trouble.

"Stop whining, Presleigh!"

One look at Dean's hot and angry face shut her up real quick.

"You think you can just fake sick, so you don't have to go to school cus you're scared?! That's bull, Pres and you know it. Just wait til Dad gets back."

"No Dean! Please don't tell Daddy!"

Now she started to cry. She knew that her father was going to be very upset with her for lying about being sick, but worst of all, she didn't want her father to know because she didn't want to appear weak in front of him.

Presleigh faked sick because she didn't want to go to her speech class. She was sacred about what they were going to make her do and what the other kids were going to say about her. She was scared.

"I said no talking!"

"You said no wh-

"Presleigh!"

Eye contact with angry Dean: quiet Presleigh.

"You and Sam- I just can't believe it."

Dean kept on saying that again and again as he paced back and forth.

Presleigh sunk back into her chair and started to cry quietly. She had lied to Dean straight to his face. Sure she maybe told her big brother a couple of white lies here and there, but she had never flat out lied to her brother before. She was desperate and she found that to be her only option. Now she had to face the consequences.

And apparently, so did Sam.

SPN

Within twenty minutes of Presleigh's timeout, it came time for Sam to come home from school. Dean knew exactly what time his brother was going to walk through the grass field over to the motel room, and he planned his attack perfectly.

Dean hid behind one of the tall trees and waited for Sam to pass by.

Once he saw Sam trudging through the grass, Dean appeared from behind the tree and started running at Sam full force.

"Sam!"

Sam, caught by surprise, widened his eyes and froze. His brother continued to charge him. Sam walked back a few steps and held up his hands.

"Dean! I can explain."

"Not after I knock your teeth out."

"Dean!"

Dean sprang onto his younger brother with all his weight. He shoved Sam to the ground forcefully. He pinned his helpless little brother down to the ground.

"Stop Dean! Stop!"

Dean didn't waver his hold on Sam.

"You gave me a freakin' heart attack! I didn't know where the mess you were! I didn't know if this thing Dad's hunting took you or what! How could you be so selfish Sam?"

"I'm sorry, okay?! Get off me, please!"

Dean stayed on top of Sam for a few more heated seconds before slowly getting off him. Sam slowly got up and winced at his aching neck. Dean waited for Sam to start following him back to the motel.

The walk back was made in awkward silence until Dean finally broke it with a sly remark to his brother.

"When we get back, go wash off. You look terrible."

"Thanks. So do you."

Dean rolled his eyes at his brother and gently hit the back of his head. Sam shook it off and kept on walking. Eventually, Sam decided to ask his brother the scariest question yet.

"You're not gonna tell Dad, are you?"

"If you don't tell Dad I pinned you to the ground."

"Deal."

Sam stopped walking and held out his hand. Dean grasped it tightly and shook it.

"Sorry," Sam apologized.

"Yeah me too," Dean muttered.

The two disheveled brothers finally made their way back to the motel. Dean unlocked the door with his key and stepped into the room.

Presleigh was no longer sitting in the kitchen's wooden chair like he had left her. Dean didn't worry about it, not until he noticed that the bathroom door was open and the light was off.

"Presleigh? I said you couldn't get up until I told you you could!"

Dean yelled for Presleigh as he looked around for her tiny blonde head. Dean looked under the covers, each bed, the couch, the table, he couldn't find Presleigh anywhere!

"Presleigh! Stop hiding or you're really gonna get it! Come out now!"

No reply.

"Presleigh?!"

"Dean!"

Sam stopped his brother and shook his shoulders with a worried look etched into his face.

"She's not here!"

Dean didn't care what his brother just told him. She was here, she had to be.

"Presleigh?! PRESLEIGH!"

Five minutes more of panicked yelling and turning over the entire motel room, Dean finally gave up.

Presleigh Rose, his Presleigh Rose, was missing.

A/Notes: I hope you enjoyed it! There will be some action in the next chapter. I'm almost done with my story of Presleigh being five years old :/, so tell me what you want to see next! Please, please review! I want to get better for y'all, so then y'all will like it better (: