Group Hug on Highway 36

"Dean, what are we going to do?" Sam's eyes were sad, his face drawn. He stared out the window toward the building where Gwen had vanished, then turned to his big brother. It didn't matter how old they got, Sam could still make Dean's heart stop with that look. He had never stopped seeking Dean's comfort when the world felt too big.

Dean felt his spine respond before his brain, straightening his back and shoulders to carry the weight for both of them. He always had, and he always would. His tone was calm and sure.

"Call her grandmother."

Sam's face twitched. Not what he had been expecting to hear. "What?"

"Sam." Dean paused to weigh his words. It wasn't often he was so careful with them, but he knew that if this came out wrong, an explosion could follow. And that was the last thing they needed right now. He mentally unclenched his hands, letting his frustration and all of the baggage of years past fall away.

It was nothing, compared to shifting the rage the Mark of Cain had sent coursing through his entire system. It had been a month since the Mark was lifted, and Dean still marveled at how bright the world felt, how light his soul felt. And moments like this? Moments when he had struggled not to choke on his surging emotions too tangled to name. It was like lifting a one pound weight after carrying a thousand on his back.

"Think about it, Sam. The woman lost her daughter six months ago, and now her granddaughter has run away. She was worried enough she got the police to put out an Amber Alert. They don't do that on a whim. She loves Gwen-you know that much. She deserves to know what is happening. The first thing we have to do is call her. I've tried to be patient, but I'm about done."

Sam's face fell as Dean talked, and he looked away, eyes bright. "Yeah, I think I know how she feels."

You know? The stomach cramps, the inability to sleep, the constant urge to do something, anything, but unable to move? How could Sam know? He had always been the one running, leaving Dean behind to deal with the fear.

Except last month, Dean had left Sam. Tried his best to ditch him and become un-findable. Oh. Right.

"Dean, Gina's mom is-"

"Was frustrated with her high-strung teenage daughter, last time you met her," Dean said. "When you were sixteen, and you started butting heads with Dad, he turned into a different person. When you two fought-sometimes, it was like I didn't know either of you. We have to give the woman and chance, and find out what happened. Gwen's not talking."

"Maybe she could go back." Not exactly what Dean had said, but Sam clutched at the words like they were a life preserver. "She could live with her grandmother, and forget she ever met us. We could tell her she isn't mine."

Panic. It was clear now. Every line in Sam's tense frame reeked of it. When they had met Adam-not even the real Adam- Dean had been hesitant to bond but Sam had tried to work his way into the younger man's life almost immediately. Then, they learned he was dead. Dead before they could even really meet him. Now, he suffered an even worse fate.

In the grand scheme of things, death wasn't such a terrible thing. But that didn't make it good. As much as we wanted to wrap the teenager up in a bone-crushing hug and force his niece-his niece!-to listen to every mullet-head who ever put fingers to guitar, Dean understood Sam's hesitation.

Once they claimed her, they drew a target on her back. Lots of things hated Winchesters. Lots of things would love to have a bargaining chip against them. And now, the Darkness had made it clear she had a special interest in Dean.

Lying about the DNA test would solve all their problems. Keep her safe, permanently. Except for one small problem.

"Yeah, you're never gonna pull off that lie, Sam." And neither will I.

"Then what do we do?" Sam asked again. They both turned as the backdoor swung open. Gwen plopped down in the middle of the bench seat. She shifted her backpack onto the floor and paused, staring at the brother who were staring back at her.

"What?" Gwen's eyes flicked from one to the other.

Sam wordlessly reached over the seat and handed her his phone, the screen open to the email he'd just received. She took it, paused for a moment, and then her eyes went wide. The phone spilled out of her hand and she lunged forward, arms open for a hug. Either that, or she'd suddenly decided to strangle Sam, but Dean was confident that Sam could defend himself if that were the case. Before she could get there, her head collided with the Impala's roof.

"Ow!" Sam and Dean both winced on reflex. Then they all spilled out of the car and Gwen collided with Sam's chest, both arms wrapped around his torso in an iron vise. Like she was never letting go. Sam squeezed her close, but then pulled back to stare. He held her at arms' length, studying her face. Looking for his own reflection? Or Gina's?

Dean still hadn't gotten much out of him about that girl.

Dean let them have a moment before he butted in with a, "Hey!" and Gwen obligingly wrapped an arm around him, too.

Those were strong arms. Stronger than iron. Stronger than lead. Stronger than silver. They cut into his heart. He was caught in a net neither of them could escape. They may have just met, but she was family, and that changed everything.

Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality.

But they weren't her only family, and he couldn't forget that. He could still feel the memory of the ache that twisted through him when Sam had run away, all those years ago. He, too, pulled back and gave Gwen a long look. "Gwen, before we do anything else, we have to call your grandmother."

"What?" Her voice was shriller than Sam's had ever been, but the tone was the same. Her face darkened, a storm contained in her eyes. "No."

"Look, we're not going to send you back there, ok? But she needs to know you're ok. She needs you know you're alive." Gwen glared, but Dean had expected that. "If you don't call, we will."

Immediately, Gwen spun to face Sam. "Dad?"

Dean felt the world tilt a little. He was the head of this family. He made the final decisions. Not Sam. But she stood there and waited, eyes fixed on her father. Right. I'm just the uncle. Dean frowned, and looked to Sam.

Sam was caught with his mouth open. He could see the storm brewing, too, and cast his eyes from side to side. Looking for a way out? No, noticing all the other travelers at their little rest stop. A few had started to stare.

"Ah-look, Gwen. We do need to talk about this, but lets do it at home."

Gwen turned back to Dean warily. "You won't make me go back?"

There was a warning in Sam's eyes. If he said no, absolutely no, he could be lying. But he also knew from experience that if they sent her back and she didn't want to go, she wouldn't stay. "Sam's right. Let's talk at home. Ok?"

Gwen shifted from foot to foot, but nodded. It wasn't like she had much room to argue. "Yeah. Ok."

NOTE: Will Gwen decide to call her grandmother, or will Dean do it for her? What will Grandma Torres think of the Winchesters?

The bit of lyric's that Dean references are from Bohemian Rhapsody.

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