Chapter: 7

Cora's face beamed as she looked at the sheepdog with small blue eyes and a tongue hanging out of its mouth.

"This one" Cora said as Sam stopped what he was doing and looked down at her.

"You sure?" Sam asked. Out of all the stuffed animals that were in the aisle, she picked the one that was the least impressive in Sam's mind. It was plain, nothing unique or interesting whatsoever. It was just a dull grey and white with a hard black nose and big paws.

"Yeah I'm sure" Cora laughed. "Look at him, he looks so lonely in here." It wasn't until Sam got a good look at his surroundings that he noticed the scruffy sheepdog was the only one of his kind, maybe he was special after all. When the two were finally back in the car, Cora introduced the dog to her unicorn.

"Angel this is Bear" Cora explained as she held out the dog's paw and made it shake Angel's hoof.

"Bear the dog?" Sam chuckled.

"It's perfect!" Cora answered, "Look at these paws, they are huge just like a bear!"

"They are pretty big aren't they?" Sam answered.

"Yeah" Cora giggled. She stroked the dog's messy fur and held both of her animals tight, pulling them close together.

"Sam" Cora began as her voice quieted and a crestfallen expression replaced her smile.

"Yeah Cora?" Sam replied.

"Yesterday you got really hurt; I saw a lot of blood…." Cora began.

"Cora…" Sam started.

"What happened Sam?" Cora interrupted, "Dean wouldn't tell me."

"I just slipped and…" Sam began.

"Don't try and tell me you fell Sam" Cora sighed, "Dean already tried that, I know he was lying." Sam sighed deeply and shook his head as he tried to focus on the road. He was silent for a long time before Cora broke the silence.

"Please tell me Sam!" she begged, "I'm old enough to know the truth."

"No Cora, you're not" Sam answered. "Believe me it's better off if you don't know."

"But I wanna know, please" Cora asked. Sam fell silent again and Cora began to think of the terrible wound she had witnessed the other day, and she worried "Please Sam!" she exclaimed.

"Dammit Cora that's enough!" Sam shouted. Cora jumped at the sudden anger in her brother's voice and this time she quieted. They rode for a while this way before Sam's guilt go the best of him and he faltered.

"Listen Cora, I'm sorry" he said, "Will you just trust me to tell you when I think you're ready to handle it?"

"How long do I have to wait?" Cora questioned. Sam thought for a moment back to his childhood and how he had only been five years old when he had found out.

18 years ago-

"Sam what if I told you I know for sure there's no ghost" Dean said.

"How would you know?" Sam asked.

"I know because dad hunts monsters" Dean finally said.

M...monsters?" Sam asked, Dean could tell by his voice that he was terrified.

"Don't worry Sammy, they won't get you dad's the best at hunting them, he makes it so they can never hurt anyone" Dean explained.

"So they're real?" Sam asked, his voice was starting to sound stronger now as it didn't shake anymore.

"Yeah, but you're safe. I know there's no ghost because if there was you would feel a cold spot, it'd happen out of nowhere" Dean told him.

"How come daddy never told me?" Sam asked.

"Cause he didn't think you were old enough to handle it" Dean replied.

"Do you hunt em' too?" Sam questioned.

"Not yet, I have to be older" Dean replied.

"Deem, I don't want you to go" Sam said.

"Why not?" Dean questioned.

"Sam!" Cora said loudly, this time successfully snapping his out of his reminiscing. "How long do I have to wait?"

"Until next October, when you're ten" Sam replied.

"You promise?" Cora asked as she held out her pinky.

"Promise" Sam said sincerely as he locked pinkies with her and released.

"You have to promise Angel and Bear too" Cora said as she looked at Sam skeptically.

"Alright" Sam chuckled. "It'd be easier to do this if they had pinkies though." Cora didn't know how to respond to this fact so she thought for a moment and turned back towards Sam. "Shake on it" she replied simply. Sam acknowledged her idea and shook the paw and hoof of Cora's pals.

"Okay, now there's no going back, now you promised all three of us and a sheepdog never forgets!" she stated.

"Is that right?" Sam laughed.

"Course it is" Cora replied.

"So unicorns can heal and sheepdogs always remember?" he questioned.

"Yep" Cora answered.

"I'll keep that in mind" Sam said sarcastically. Cora nodded triumphantly.

"Can we get breakfast?" Cora asked. Sam looked at his watch and saw it was 10:00.

"Sure what are ya hungry for?" Sam asked.

"Biscuits" she said instantly as she licked her lips.

"I could go for some biscuits too" Sam replied. The two stopped by McDonalds and ordered the food and got a water for himself and fruit punch for Cora. The two ate as they rode towards home and when Sam stopped unexpectedly at a red light, Cora's drink went flying forward off her lap, spilling the red juice all over the carpet.

"Oh no Cora" Sam said frustrated, "Look what you did, Dean is gonna freak."

"Sorry Sam, I can clean it up" she answered quickly as she grabbed a handful of napkins from her bag and began dabbing the carpet. After she was finished the two were home and Sam got out and examined the situation. The red juice had stained the carpet bad.

"This is just perfect" Sam sighed.

"I can cover it up" Cora explained as she placed the two stuffed animals on the ground, trying to cover most of the stain. "He doesn't have to know."

"Listen Cora" Sam sighed, "You gotta tell Dean the truth." Cora shook her head and her eyes instantly watered and filled with fear.

"Y….you can tell him" Cora stammered. "I don't wanna."

"You have to, it's always better to tell the truth" Sam explained.

"C…Can you come with me?" she said shakily.

"Course I can" Sam answered. Cora nodded and picked up her two stuffed animals, squeezing them tight as she made her way inside, Sam trailing behind her.

"What took so long?" Dean called from the living room.

"We stopped for breakfast" Sam answered as the two entered.

"Did you bring me any pie?" Dean asked.

"Sorry man, we were trying to hurry" Sam answered. Dean turned around as they entered and he chuckled as he spotted the new sheepdog. Cora hid the two toys behind her back and flushed with embarrassment. Sam put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gestured towards Dean with his head.

"Cora's got something she needs to tell you Dean" Sam started.

"Oh this ought to be good" Dean replied as he stood from the couch and moved his laptop aside.

"I….um….I spilled in your car" she said hesitantly.

"What?" Dean asked as the smirk faded from his face.

"I said…" Cora started.

"No I heard you" Dean interrupted as he looked angrily over at Sam. "I mean what!?" he snapped. "Sam I really hope you did not let a little girl have juice in my car."

"Dean I didn't know she would spill it" Sam defended. Dean walked towards him angrily, and stared him in the eyes in disbelief, the room got eerily quiet. Sam wasn't threatened by his brother's glare and he looked back at him fearlessly. Dean clenched his fists and cast his eyes down at Cora, where she instantly averted his eyes and instinctively backed up. Dean towered over her and when he grabbed her harshly by the arm and she squealed Sam reacted. He shoved Dean away and blocked her from him.

"What in the hell are you thinking Dean?" Sam snapped.

"This little brat needs to be taught a lesson" Dean answered.

"Are you kidding me?" Sam shouted, "What lesson is that Dean?"

"To respect other's property" Dean answered.

"You were really gonna hit her just now?" Sam yelled.

"Well that's how you discipline a kid isn't it?" Dean replied angrily.

"After all that dad did, after how he kicked us around, you're really gonna resort to violence like he did?"

"That's how you teach kids respect" Dean replied.

"I can't even believe what I'm hearing, who are you?" Sam demanded. "You sound just like the man."

"Maybe he was right Sam, look at us now we wouldn't have never been able to be strong like we are now without him" Dean began.

"So what? You're like a brainwashed clone of him now?" Sam demanded.

"I'm nothing like that monster" Dean shouted, "Dad beat the crap out of us for no reason and he was drunk half the time, I have a reason and I'm not a raging alchohlic" Dean explained.

"Reason or not, it's never okay to hit a kid Dean" Sam said.

"It's the only way we know Sam, now get ready to go, we have a case to take care of." Sam watched him walk past him and Sam was at a loss for words. He kneeled down to Cora and hugged her. She wouldn't speak and Sam began to fear a repeat of how he had reacted the first time John had attacked him.

"Are you ok?" he asked. Cora simply nodded and Sam sighed and looked towards the door. "I gotta go for a little bit ok?" Sam asked. Cora broke from her silence in a second and grabbed Sam's arm tight.

"No, please don't leave" she said, "Not again." Sam looked regretfully over at her. He didn't want her heart to break every time he had to go.

"You gotta trust me ok?" Sam answered. "I promise you I'll come back."

"You promise?" Cora questioned as if it was the word that solved all of life's problems.

"I do" Sam answered. Cora nodded and Sam hugged her goodbye and walked out. A few minutes later, Cora watched as the Impala took off towards the road and she waved goodbye hopeful that she would see her brother again. Little did she know, that the reunion wouldn't come as soon as she thought.

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