Chapter six: Family rules

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the supernatural series.

Dean and Christina sort of make up in this chapter. Christina seems very whiney and angst in this chapter. Sorry, couldn't help it.

Christina glanced down at her arm and saw a small patch of red slowly seeping through her shirt. Damn, clearly her bandaging skill left a lot to be desired. It looked disgusting and Christina looked away from it quickly. She caught sight of Sam's concerned filled face and almost flinched. Play it down she told herself, make out it doesn't hurt and under no circumstances whine.

"Christina?" Sam's concerned voice broke through her thoughts and she jolted her head back up o look at him. She forced herself to smile. "It's nothing. Just a little cut. I must have knocked it before to start t bleeding again. No big deal." She assured them. She turned to the car. "Les go." She called back. She was about to get in the car when she felt a hand grab a hold of her wrist and pull her back. She swirled around fully expecting to se Sam and crashed into not Sam's chest but Deans. As she bounced back he grabbed a hold of her shoulders to stop her from falling but when she steadied herself he kept a hold of her. "So, how exactly did you get this 'little cut'? We haven't done anything dangerous today you haven't even been out of our sight for more than ten minutes." Dean sounded extremely frustrated.

"It wasn't today that I did it, it was yesterday, when dad hit that lamp. But its okay I got the glass out." Dean gave her a strange look. "Then why didn't you say something?" Sam asked incredulously. Christina shrugged and looked away. Dean opened his mouth again but Sam interrupted him.

"Well we can't look at it properly now, it' getting darker we'd best find a motel." He said squinting at the sky. Dean looked like he was going to argue but then he looked at the sky as well and sighed. Turning to Christina he frowned, "Do not get blood on my car." He warned. Sam came over to her and guided her to the back seat. "Put some pressure on it." He told her. As she was getting into the back seat she saw Sam and Dean exchange a cautious look.

She sat in the back frowning. If they were angry with her about not telling them about the cut then they would defiantly be angry with her if they found out about the bruises she was sporting as well. Which meant that she had to keep them from being shown in front of either of them? Something that was going to be difficult considering she'd have to take off her shirt to get at the cut there. It was all so confusing she thought as she tilted her head to the side and watched the tress fly past her window. First they didn't want her to whine and now they did. Christina clenched her eyes shut and wished with all her might that her mum was here, she'd know what to do.

"Don't go to sleep." Sam called back to her, "We're almost there." Sure enough after two minutes Dean pulled the Impala into the parking lot of yet another motel. There weren't many cars in the lot and Christina could see a neon sign advertising the great breakfasts of a diner next door. The three Winchesters quickly got out of the car and made their way into the reception room.

After getting a room Sam and Dean went back to the car to get all of their stuff and Christina persuaded them to let her go and check the room out. Walking in she saw it was much the same as the last one, it still only had two beds and Christina found herself wondering if she'd have to go on the sofa or if they'd share. She hoped the sofa she could imagine that Sam would accidently kick her all night with his huge legs, and Dean, well considering how much Dean disliked her he'd probably spend all night kicking her to.

Next to the beds she noticed a door leading into the bathroom and made a beeline for it. He quickly shut the door and made to lock it before remembering Deans threat of never letting her close it again if she did. Hopefully they'd respect her privacy and not burst straight in. She quickly shed her shirt and pulled of the now soaking bandage. It wasn't looking so good and it defiantly didn't feel good. He ran the tap and stuck her arm underneath all the while looking for something to wrap around her arm. She cursed under her breath slightly. She was annoyed that she hadn't thought to bring bandages when she'd been packing her things.

She heard the door open in the main room and Sam shout out, "Christina?" "I'm in the bathroom." She answered then with a sigh, "Have you got any bandages?" "Yeah but let me see the cut first. Please. It might need stitches, it defiantly needs cleaning it might get infected." He was speaking quieter now and Christina knew he was just outside the door. Probably fighting the temptation to just barge straight in. "It's fine." She told him, "Just bleeding a little." "A little?" Asked Sam incredulously, "Christina it bled through your shirt, there was a lot of blood." Christina didn't answer him; she didn't want to show any more weakness in front of her new found brothers than she already had. She'd only been left with them for a few hours and she was making a nuisance of herself. She couldn't see any way of getting him to not look at it, that is unless he gave up and gave her the bandages. This was clearly not going to happen but she defiantly didn't want them seeing the bruises.

"If you don't let us examine them properly you do realise that Dean will storm in and carry you out?" Sam threatened."Dean doesn't even care," She retaliated.

"Dean doesn't even care about what?" came Deans voice. She wondered how long he'd been there and decided not to answer. She thought quickly, "Okay then can you pass me in a strappy top please?"

"A what? Came Dean's voice again sounded completely baffled. Cristina stifled another sigh, "A spaghetti top, sleeveless basically a t-shirt with very thin straps." She talked slowly as if to a five ear old or just someone very stupid. "Oh." She heard both Sam and Dean muttered. In the next moment the bathroom door opened a little and Sams hand came in clutching a pink t-shirt.

"Thanks." she muttered before slipping out of the door. Sam had already moved away from the door apparently confident that she would come out by herself now. He was now sat one of the beds next to Dean. As soon as her saw her Sam stood up and moved away to the table where a first aid kit lay open. Dean however just narrowed his eyes at the trail of blood now making it way down her arm. He slowly beckoned to her.

She moved warily towards him careful to give him no clue to how much pain she was actually in. "Christina, sit down." He half asked half growled at Christina. Sam was back now and passed Dean a cloth then sat back on the other bed opposite her. Nobody said anything for a moment whilst Dean inspected her arm. Until finally he sighed and looked up. "It'll need stitches." He told them."Sammy go and get the stuff."

"Oh no." Christina starting to back away, "There is no way that you are stitching up my arm." Dean reached out and grabbed a hold of her arm preventing her from moving even further away. "Calm down." Sam soothed as he got back and handed the things in his hands to Dean. Then he took a hold of on of her hands and squeezed gently. "It's okay." He told her, "He does it for me all the time." "Just sit okay?" Dean asked her. At her nod he stared and Christina closed her eyes tightly.

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It had taken Dean ten minutes to stitch up the cut. He had to keep on stopping to get Christina to stay still. Christina tried her hardest and ended up just keeping her eye squeezed tightly shut and her hand firmly clasping Sam's.

When he was finished Dean lightly ran a thumb over the cut and frowned deeply. Sam looked at his hand tracing their sister's injury and smiled softly. He soon became solemn again when he thought about Christina trying to keep her injury away from them. As if he had read Sams mind Dean put the question to Christina, "So, why exactly didn't you tell us about this then?" He kept his tone light as if it didn't really matter though his face was still set into a frown. Christina wasn't even looking at them but shrugged anyway, "Just because." "Christina." Dean warned, "Clearly this is something we need to talk about if you're going to start hiding injuries from us. We lead dangerous lives and we need to trust you to tell us when something is wrong."

"I don't get it. You said to Dad that if I started to whine then I would be gone." Both brothers were shocked into silence neither of them expecting anything like that. Finally Sam uttered, "You were awake?" She shrugged again, "I couldn't move or open my eyes or anything but I could kinda hear you." Dean groaned loudly and rubbed his eyes, "Christina, by whine I meant about the motel, or always travelling or not having a proper bathroom etc. Not being hurt. I mean for god's sake I was angry, still am for that matter but not at you and certainly not enough to just leave you in pain. Not matter what I say or do you the fact is your my sister. My baby sister and since Dads gone it's my responsibility to take care of you and I promise even if you whine non stop and completely ignore all of my rules I will not put you in care okay?"

Christina nodded quite tearfully and gave a very uncharacteristic squeeze to her hand. Then instead of letting go he rubbed his thumb in circles over the top. The three siblings sat in a comfortable silence until Sam went very still. "Christina." He sighed. "What is that?" He asked pointing to her stomach where her t-shirt had come up a little exposing the ugly dark bruises. "A bruise." She stated obviously. "I thought we just told you to tell us about all of your injuries." He lectured. "You can't do anything for bruises" She argued. "You have to tell us about them all, family rule." Said Dean. Christina frowned, "Your family rules are stupid." Sam smirked, "You mean our family rules are stupid. You are a Winchester." Sam started to laugh at the look on his sister's face.

That night after they'd eaten and Sam and Christina had gone to bed Dean sat watching T.V on the sofa and casting protective glances at his two younger siblings every now and then to check they were okay, not that he'd ever admit that.

End notes

Thanks for the reviews last time guys. A always sorry for any mistakes I've made.