Chapter 10

(Revised)

Saturday could not come any faster. In fact, Sam and Dean were counting down the minutes all day, Friday, and could barely get to sleep that night, especially Dean. Taylor's game was at ten in the morning. Dean woke up at seven and woke Sam up, telling him to hurry. Thankfully, they only had to wait for Sam to shower since Dean showers when he gets home from work.

They grabbed breakfast from a nearby McDonalds, and headed for the north part of Las Vegas. Sam punched the address to the school, Taylor's game was being held at, into his phone. He tossed it on the dash, letting the GPS take the brothers there. It was an forty-five minute drive there, with the freeway, and Dean parked on the street by the open field. Him and Sam got out which Sam came around to his side.

"You see her?" Sam asked Dean, standing beside him. Both of them looked around the field. There was another game already in progress. "That's not them, right?"

Dean was looking out, scanning the soccer field. "No. I don't see Taylor out there." He looked over at some girls, eleven to thirteen, kicking a ball amongst themselves. Dean stopped on one girl, in particular. "Found her."

Sam surveyed the field. "Where?"

He pointed Taylor out to his brother, which Sam then spotted her. They had already informed Taylor, they would be coming, last night, over the phone. If Taylor was excited, none of them knew.

When the brothers got closer, Dean whistled towards his sister to get her attention. It got quite a few people's attention, but him and Sam only cared for one of them. Taylor had just kicked the ball to her teammate, nonchalantly, when Dean whistled. He saw her look, back over her shoulder. He waved at her.

Taylor stood there for a moment before she started walking over to Sam and Dean, taking it slow at first. The brothers could see she was eyeing them, carefully. Dean was so relieved to see that Taylor looked okay. When she got close, Taylor stopped a few feet away, looking up at Dean.

Dean gave her a warm smile. "Hey, Kiddo." Out of nowhere, Taylor wrapped her arms around him. Dean was caught off guard, but accepted the hug and wrapped his arms around her, and ended up lifting Taylor up, hugging the kid, tight. He felt Taylor wrap her arms around his neck. Even though the kid was a little heavy, Dean held his sister for a really long time. No words were said and Sam wasn't going to protest. The middle Winchester just hoped his turn would be next.

Dean stood there, holding his sister with his eyes closed, as she held her face in the crook of his neck.

It was Sam who noticed a woman in her late thirties, walk over to them. When she was in range, she called over to them. "You must be Taylor's brothers?"

Sam held his hand out as she grew close. "Yeah, I'm Sam," he greeted her, which she accepted the handshake, "and this is our brother, Dean." He motioned over at Dean with his head. Dean hadn't acknowledged the woman, at all. Sam did recognize the voice from over the phone. "Diane, right?"

"Yes. It's nice to meet you, both." Diane looked over at Dean and Taylor. "You know, the overnight staff has reported, Taylor's been saying your brother's name in her sleep, the past two weeks. Ever since you started calling. I guess it's better than her waking up from nightmares, crying." The woman smiled over at Taylor.

Neither one looked like they were letting up. Sam could see Taylor's leg shift, up and down, like she was struggling to stay in Dean's embrace, a little while longer. Dean held on as best as he could until finally he had to put her down. Once she was on her feet, Dean shook out his arms, rubbing them to get the feeling back.

"You are heavier than you look, Kiddo," he told her, giving Taylor a smile so she knew he was teasing her.

Taylor just stared up at him.

Sam grabbed their sister's attention. "Hey, Taylor. Did you forget about me?" he smiled at her.

She looked over at Sam. Her gaze immediately dropped towards the ground, backing away, a few steps.

"Aren't you gonna say hi to Sam?" Dean asked and pointed out, "you gave me a hug."

Taylor remained in the spot she had backed away towards. She smashed at the grass with her foot. Sam noticed she had on the usual attire for kids' soccer, from her dark blue and white uniform shirt and black checkered polyester shorts. Her long socks were the same dark blue as the shirt, with the shin pads underneath, and soccer cleats.

Sam knelt in the grass to look up at his sister. "Hey, remember I said I used to play soccer as a kid?"

Taylor shrugged one shoulder, a little.

"Maybe I can show you a few pointers before your game starts. I might be a little rusty, but I think I remember a good bit of it."

"Why don't you go get your new ball, Taylor, to show your brothers," Diane suggested. Taylor turned around to wander over to where some of the girls were sitting on a blanket. She watched the girl until Taylor walked by, and turned back to the brothers.

"How's she doing?" Sam asked of the woman as he rose to his normal height.

Diane held her hands on her sides. She glanced back over her shoulder, turning forward again. Her eyes squinted from the Nevada sun. "The whole month Taylor has been here, I've only heard her say one word. She barely responds any other way. We have to force her out of her room. Honestly, I'm thinking of calling her caseworker and having her come get her."

Dean stared at Diane, at that. "What? Why?"

Diane shrugged. "Taylor should be in a foster home, or at least, a smaller group home. This is for teenagers, who know how to care for themselves. Taylor seems to not be understanding that, even after we teach her."

"Well then, keep showing her," Dean told the woman, firmly. "You don't toss a kid away just because they can't get something on the first try."

"We're not tossing Taylor away," she tried to assure him. "It's been a month, and we've showed Taylor, how to wash the dishes, wash her clothes, fold them, put them away, and other things she should know how to do." Diane shrugged. "She either doesn't want to or doesn't have the capacity to. We don't know because she won't talk. Then, she barricades herself under her bed when she's upset and refuses to come out until we say you're on the phone. My boss had to call in a staff on her day off to come watch Taylor, while the day person took the other girls to their appointments."

"Sounds like you're making Taylor, an inconvenience for you," he argued. "You're supposed to help these kids, no matter what it takes."

"Yes, Dean, I do help these kids, no matter what. But, Taylor needs special care that our staff can't give her. I am not saying she is a inconvenience. Taylor is a sweet kid and I wish I could do more, I really do. Each one is different and needs to be where their needs will be met. I can't see her getting it at our place."

"Can't, or won't," he continued to argue, not wanting to drop the matter.

Diane looked at him, sadly. "I can't. I was going to call Mindy on Monday when I come in."

"Then, why the hell did you sign her up for soccer?!" His voice rose so high, everyone looked over in their direction.

Sam looked out among the crowd, noticing them staring. "Dean, settle down. You're making a scene," he warned him.

Dean said nothing. He just stared at Diane. His fists were quenched at his side. Taylor had returned at that point, carrying a soccer ball that matched her uniform. She was approaching the adults, very cautiously as Taylor stared at Dean.

Remaining calm, Diane told Dean, "I didn't want to. My boss signed the girls up for sports. I hadn't had the chance to give her my concerns, yet."

"Dean," Sam continued to calm his brother down, ready to jump in the middle to pull Dean away.

"It's no wonder the kid has no trust in people. Everyone either hurts her, or turns her over to someone else," he said, in a soft, cold tone. Dean, then turned and walked away.

Sam looked over at Diane. "We are trying," she tried to tell him.

"I know," he nodded at the woman and turned his head over to his sister. "That your new ball, Taylor?"

She gave him a small nod.

"Can I see it?" Sam held his hands out towards her. Taylor hesitated before holding the ball up to her brother. He took it, dropping it on the ground. Sam, then, tried to juggle the ball with the inside of both his feet, like he was able to as a kid. It lasted a couple times until the ball got away from him. "Told ya I'd be rusty." Sam laughed and tried again, managing to get the ball high enough to bounce it on his knees. He bounced it on one knee before it rolled away.

Taylor hurried over to grab it. She tried to kick it up, herself, but the ball just rolled away from her.

"Here, let me show ya." Sam went to retrieve the ball, kicking it, gently over to where Taylor was standing. He noticed Taylor take a step backwards when Sam stopped right in front of her. But Sam didn't say anything about it, letting it be, for now, and showed Taylor how to kick it up, into the air, high enough to bounce it on his knees. It took him a while before it started coming back to him, and Sam was bouncing it, a few times. "See. You try." Sam let the ball drop and passed it over to Taylor with the inside of his foot.

Taylor stopped it with her foot on top and scooped the ball up. The only direction it went, was forward. Sam retrieved it for her.

"You'll get it, eventually," he assured his sister. "It just takes practice."

Taylor did not look at Sam, at all. At least, not directly. She looked enough to watch what he was showing her, with the ball.

The first game had ended and the kids had left the field. Taylor's coach blew his whistle for their team to huddle up. Sam said, he would watch her ball for her while she was playing, and walked Taylor over. He had placed a gentle hand on the back of her collarbone until Taylor flinched from his touch, staring up at him. Her breathing had increased as Sam still held his hand up.

"I'm sorry, Taylor, I was just…" Sam couldn't finish. Taylor had dashed away to join her team. He watched her, lowering his hand to his side, holding her ball under his other arm. Diane had rejoined the girls on the blanket.

Dean rejoined his brother. "I saw what happened," he said.

Sam glanced towards his brother from the corner of his eye. "I thought things were different. Why is Taylor opening up to you more than me?"

He shrugged. "It probably goes back to the incident at the bunker."

Sam watched as Taylor stood a few feet back from where her team was huddled in a circle. She wouldn't even put her hand in, with the rest of them when the coach finished the prep talk.

The game started, with Taylor on the side. Dean was almost one of those parents who tried to yell at the coach for that, until Sam pulled him back, covering his mouth and waving at the coach, that all was well.

"Dean, chill. It's only the first half of the first game," Sam scolded his brother. "She has a whole season to play."

After ten minutes, the coach did switch Taylor in for another player. Sam and Dean cheered the loudest, as Taylor walked onto the field.

"Go, Taylor!" they cheered and clapped for their sister. "You can do it!"

Most of the time, Taylor seemed like a tree out there. She moved a tiny bit. But, unless the ball managed to roll in her direction, Taylor didn't try to go after it. Instead, she moved up and down, along the inside of the white, chalk line. When ten, fifteen minutes went by, the coach switched her, back out, for now.

Sam moved over to kneel beside where Taylor sat in the grass, crossed-legged. "Want some water, Taylor?" he offered a large Dasani water bottle they had brought with them. Taylor flinched at the sound of his voice, but took the water, anyway, holding the bottle in her lap, to unscrew the cap and take a drink. She took a long drink, pausing to take a breath before drinking some more. "That was a great effort out there, Kiddo. You did good."

Taylor screwed the cap back on, passing it back to him. She wiped her mouth on the back of her arm.

Sam stood up to back away towards where Dean was standing. He heard one of Taylor's teammates ask her, "Is that your dad?" which she shook her head and turned it to watch the game. "Just asking. You both look alike." Taylor didn't look back, or respond in any way. Sam wasn't sure what to think of that. Both he and Dean thought Taylor looked like their father. Of course, to another kid, it was probably the hair. Taylor's was a little longer than his was, but their hair did grow, similarly. Or, it could also be the fact, there was a twenty-year age gap and both he and Dean was old enough to be her father.

Taylor got to play in the second half, as well. It was mostly the same as the first. Sam figured she was either too scared or too shy to try and go after the ball. He noticed she tried to make attempts, but stopped herself at the last minute. When their game was over, the other team ended up winning by six points. Taylor's team didn't do too badly, though. They got twelve points, themselves.

Once each team gave the other, they're appreciation, the coach's wife passed out gatorade and a Chewy Bar, to each girl, including Taylor, before breaking up to head over to their families.

"Oh, what did you bring me?" Dean teased his sister when Taylor walked over to them.

Taylor looked down at her Chewy Bar, and held it out towards him.

He snickered. "I was just teasing ya. I don't want it."

She pulled her hand back.

"I asked Diane, if you can ride with us to your house and we can grab lunch, on the way. She said, you had to ride with them. But, we'll meet you there for our visit, and we'll bring you, something, how's that?"

Taylor just shrugged.

"You want a burger, chicken sandwich, or nuggets?" he asked.

She held up three fingers.

Dean wasn't sure what three meant. "Three, what? You want all of it? I mean, that's a lot of food for one kid."

"I think she's telling you, she wants nuggets," Sam took a guess. "Am I right, Kiddo?"

Taylor nodded up at Dean.

"Okay, we'll get ya chicken nuggets, then," he smiled for her and wrapped an arm around Taylor, pulling her in towards him. He kissed the top of her head. "What your preference for soda? Coke, Dr. Pepper, Root Beer, orange soda?"

Taylor counted on her fingers with her other finger before holding up four.

"Orange?"

She nodded.

"What kind of sauce do you want with your nuggets, bar-ba-que, ranch, or ketchup?"

She shook her head at him.

"No sauce?"

She shook her head, again.

"No sauce."

Taylor shook her head, a third time, like Dean wasn't getting it.

"I'm confused." He looked towards Sam, for help. "Do you want any sauce to dip your nuggets in?"

Taylor nodded, that time.

At that point, they heard Diane call for Taylor.

Sam and Dean looked from Diane's direction, back to Taylor. "So, do you want bar-ba-que, ranch, or ketchup? Or, do you want honey mustard?" He had forgotten about the last sauce. Taylor had nodded, suddenly when Dean included honey mustard. "You want honey mustard with your nuggets?"

She nodded, some more. Dean could not wait until the kid was comfortable enough to start speaking more.

"All right, so, chicken nuggets, with honey mustard, and an orange soda. Got it." He kissed the top of her head, again before releasing her.

"We'll be there as soon as we can, Kiddo," Sam called after her, after holding her ball out to her, which Taylor grabbed on her way. Of course, not before she flinched, stopping in her tracks. When she realized it was only her ball, she grabbed it and was on her way. Once she reached Diane and the girls, Taylor looked back over at Dean. Dean saw she was scared to leave him as if she wouldn't see him, again. He gave her a reassuring nod.

Dean turned to his brother when Taylor had gotten inside a big, white van. "By the way, Sam. Get your own nickname."

"What?" Sam questioned. "What do you mean?"

"I heard you call her, kiddo."

"So? What's wrong with both of us, calling Taylor, kiddo?"

"Because I'm the oldest, and the oldest calls the shots," he told him, and started walking towards the Impala.

"No, you don't, and I like Taylor being kiddo," he argued, following after Dean.

"Yeah, my kiddo. Find another nickname to call our sister." Sam and Dean ended up arguing all the way to a Burger King. It wasn't really a serious argument. It was mostly a sibling rivalry between them, that Dean felt he should win at.

"You didn't say anything when we all started calling Castiel, Cas, after you started it," Sam pointed out.

"That's different. Kiddo is my nickname for Taylor. It doesn't sound right, coming from your mouth."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam questioned his brother. "I think it sounds fine. And, until something better comes along, I will keep calling her, kiddo."

"No, you won't."

"Yep"

"Nope."

"Huh uh."

"Not happening, and that is the end of this discussion."

Sam scoffed, looking out his window.

Dean drove through the drive-thru and ordered food for all three Winchester siblings.