Chapter 25

On Sunday, Taylor remained in her room, all day, listening to a mixture of classic rock, Jesse McCartney, and Frozen while she drew, at her desk. Sam and Dean tried to get her to eat something. She refused breakfast and lunch, but, they did manage to get her to eat something, at dinner.

After the weekend was over, Dean was the one who took Taylor, to school, every morning, and picked her up, afterwards, since his job was closer and around the same time frame. When they got back to the apartment, the two of them would have a snack while Taylor turned on cartoons. Aside, from My Little Pony, she watched cartoons on Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, and sitcoms on the Disney Channel. Dean tried letting her watch South Park. He admit, there was some funny moments. But, even Dean had to step in and say, enough, after awhile. The other adult cartoons, though, like Bob's Burgers and The Simpsons, he let pass, though.

Sam got home, a half an hour after his siblings did, and would help Taylor, study her spelling words, using each word in a sentence for her. Taylor never wanted to study, taking after Dean, when he was in school. Sam tried to make it, fun, at least.

"Pain. Dean is a pain in my ass." The sentence made Taylor, giggle, as she leaned on the couch arm.

"Pain," Taylor repeated. "P-A-Y…"

"No," he shook his head. "Close. You got the first two, right. What letter sounds like Y, sometimes?"

"Um…" Taylor stopped, going into thought.

"Sound it, out, if you have to."

"P-a-nnnn," she sounded out. "P-A-N?"

"Nope," Sam shook his head, again. "That spells, pan. You're missing a letter, somewhere."

Taylor thought some more, placing a leg underneath her, on the couch arm. When her shorts leg rose, she, quickly pulled it down. Sam noticed, but remained silent. "P...A…"

"Remember when I hinted changing the Y?"

"Um, P-A...I?"

He nodded, "Yup. What's next?"

"N?" she added.

"Good job," Sam raised his hand, out to her, for a high five. Taylor returned it. "How about dash?"

Taylor grinned. "D-A-S-H," she spelled it out, before Sam could even think of a sentence.

"Look at you, Smartie," he complimented his sister, proudly. They usually went at it, for about an hour, before someone got started on dinner.

During the night, Taylor continued to have night terrors, that caused her, to cry in her sleep. Every time, she would ask for Sam, rejecting Dean's comfort. Neither of the brothers knew why she had shifted over to him, from Dean. Dean didn't like it, at all. By Wednesday, when he came out of his room and saw Sam go in there, he turned right around and headed back to bed.

Thursday morning, Sam got up before Dean did. He headed into the kitchen, to start the coffee, where he saw, it was already made. His brother had told him, he was sleeping in, since he was taking Taylor to her therapy, that day. Why was the coffee made?

Sam headed over to Dean's door, knocking. "Dean," he called through it. "Dean." When all was heard was groans, Sam opened the door, sticking his head in, to see around the wall. Dean was still asleep, in his bed. "Dean."

Dean remained sleeping, holding his hands under the pillow, facing the other way.

He moved more, inside the room, stopping beside the bed and shook Dean's shoulder. "Dean."

Dean woke up, from his brother, shaking him. He rolled, halfway over, propping himself up on his hand and peered up at Sam, through half closed eyes. "What?" he moaned, groggily.

"Did you turn on the coffee, again?"

"No, I told you, I was sleeping in. Do it yourself, like you've been doing, all week." He dropped back, down, turning his head away, to fall back to sleep.

"What?" Sam was confused to hear Dean hadn't been starting the coffee. "I thought you've been doing it." There was no answer, that time. He had gone back to sleep, already. Sam left the room, closing the door, behind him. If Dean hadn't been starting the coffee and he hadn't been starting it, then, who…? Could Taylor have been doing it, for them? Sam didn't think she knew how. Then again, she did wake up, first, every day. That was a mystery, also. What kid woke up, early? Never once, had him or Dean, had to drag Taylor out of bed, like how they had to get her, to study or do the dishes.

He headed for Taylor's closed door, next, knocking. "Taylor?"

Shortly after, the door opened. Taylor stood there with a pair of basketball shorts on, but with her Las Vegas pajama shirt still on, meaning she was in the middle of getting dressed.

"Hey, Taylor, I have a question for you."

"I didn't do it," she blurted out, suddenly.

"You don't even know what I was gonna ask," he pointed out.

Taylor turned red, dropping her gaze towards the floor.

"I just wanted to know if you're the one who's been turning on the coffee pot, the past week. You're not in trouble," Sam, quickly, added. "But, you see, Dean says, he hasn't been, and I haven't been, either. So, I'm just curious how the coffee is getting, magically, made, every morning."

"I'm sorry," she confessed.

Sam watched her, sympathetically. Just as Dean has done before, he lifted his sister off the floor, holding her, in his arms. "Were you trying to be helpful, Bud?"

Taylor kept her gaze lowered.

He reached over, kissing her on the cheek, which Taylor rubbed the back of her arm against, afterwards. The stubble Sam kept on his face must have tickled it. "It's alright if you want to start our coffee for us, Bud. I'm not mad."

Taylor started to open her mouth, to speak, but, closed it, instead.

"What is it, Bud?" Sam encouraged his sister, gently. He saw her eyes, water, as she chewed on her lip. "You can tell me, anything that's on your mind. Dean and I will always be here, to listen."

Taylor closed her eyes and dropped her forehead, onto his shoulder. He hugged her, tight, until Sam had to put her, down. His arms were starting to grow, sore. The brothers figured they, probably shouldn't be picking their sister up, but, guessed Taylor never got held, growing up. Unless the kid decided to go through a growth spurt, they would do it, now. Sam had done research on the effects on child and sexual abuse, and found, kids usually regressed into a younger mental state of age. But, why it was still going on, six years later, he wasn't sure.

Sam let Taylor, continue getting dressed, and took a shower and got ready for work. Afterwards, he gave his sister, a hug and kiss, goodbye, on his way out the door. Taylor was drawing, in her room when Dean finally woke up and got dressed, before coming out to the kitchen.

He poured himself, the last of the coffee, warming it up in the microwave. The noise bought Taylor out, curious. Dean noticed, as he shut the microwave door and took his coffee over to the table, taking a sip of it. "Morning, Kiddo."

"Good morning, Dean," she replied.

"You ready to go?"

Taylor nodded.

"Have you eaten, yet?"

That time, she shook her head.

"What some eggs?"

She shrugged, "Sure."

Dean fried some scrambled eggs and a few pieces of sausages, for both him and his sister. He divided them up, between two plates, turning off the stove, and carried the plates over to the table. While they sat and ate breakfast, Dean tried to make small talk.

"So, do you like having to go to therapy?"

Taylor, barely, shrugged, one shoulder.

"I mean, I guess it gets ya out of school, once a week, am I right?" he nudged her, with an elbow.

"Mindy picks me up from school and drops me, off, afterwards, sometimes." Taylor was working on a piece of sausage.

"Yeah, I guess I could have picked you up from school. It was out of the way for Sam, and out of the way, for me, too." Dean scooped up some of his eggs. "So, what kinds of things does Emily make you talk about?"

Taylor shrugged, again. "She asks how I feel and, usually, lets me, draw, the whole time. She's weird, sometimes," she also added.

Dean had taken the bite of scrambled eggs. Once he chewed and swallowed, he asked, "How is she weird? She seemed normal, to me."

"Sometimes, she'll get the dolls out and we have to act out how we see someone."

"Um, okay. I won't have to do that, will I?"

Taylor shrugged. "She didn't make Sammy do it."

"Well, Sam said, she wants to see how we interact with each other. So…"

"Emily might make us, play with the dolls, then."

Dean stared at his sister, when she said that. "I have never played with dolls, in my life. There is no way I am starting, now."

"She writes a lot of notes when you make the dolls do things," she added.

"What kinds of things?" he asked.

"Anything. Even if you just make it sit." Taylor was sitting on one of her legs, as she ate.

Dean rubbed at his eyes. "I hate therapists," he groaned. He would rather be at work, or facing a whole pack of werewolves, even, then having to go in with Taylor, to her therapy. Dean told her, to finish up, so they could go and get this over with, stating he needed to get gas, on the way.

Once the two were ready, they headed out to where the Impala was parked and slid in. On the way, the two of them sang along to the music, since it was just the two of them. Taylor played air guitar while Dean took air drums, playing with one hand, since he had to steer with the other, as Led Zeppelin's Rock and Roll played on the radio.

When the song ended, the siblings exploded into laughter, having a grand ol' time. Dean couldn't remember the last time, he enjoyed himself, this much.

"Hey," he said, afterwards, slowing down as they came to a red stoplight. "Want to learn how to help me, take care of Baby?"

"Sure," she replied, with a one-shoulder shrug.

"Maybe we can do that, this afternoon. Baby could use a tune-up, and an oil change."

"You don't take it to someone, to do that?" she asked.

"Hell, no," Dean responded, as if offended. "Some stranger under Baby's hood, who would charge me, more than he should? Not ever happening. Don't ever take a car into those guys. You take it in, for one tiny thing, suddenly, you're spending hundreds of dollars on a bunch of other stuff, they probably broke, themselves when you weren't looking. Dad taught me, everything there is to know about how to fix a car, and then, the stuff he didn't know, Bobby took care of."

"Would Daddy of taught me?"

"If you wanted to learn," he replied. "Sam was never interested, so Dad never bothered to teach him. I was the only one that took his interest, for myself."

"Even though I'm a girl?"

"Doesn't matter. Everyone needs to know. Girls, especially get taken advantage of, at garages, because they usually aren't into cars, like guys are. Unless their dad teaches them."

"So, if Daddy taught you, then he'll still be teaching me," Taylor pointed out, optimistically. "It'll just be you teaching me, what he taught you."

Dean smiled over at his sister. "I guess, that's one way of looking at it. Have to say, though, I think this is the most talkative you've been, so far."

Taylor looked away, at that, turning red, in the face.

He just continued to smile, over at her. "I've been waiting for my ear to be talked off."

She looked back, over at her brother, and managed to smile.

"I'm really proud of you, Kiddo. You've come a long way." Right before the light turned green, Dean reached over to kiss Taylor on the head. He then, faced forward and drove on. Dean stopped at a gas station, letting Taylor get out, to show her how. She was surprised the gas tank was in the back, instead of on the side. "Baby's older than I am, Kiddo. She's a 1967 Chevy Impala."

"1967?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Baby's just as old as Helen is."

"Oh, is she, now," Dean smirked, which Taylor giggled at. Helen had come by, on Tuesday, like she said she would. Taylor didn't want to go anywhere, though, not even to get ice cream. Instead, they had their visit at the apartment, which Taylor wanted Dean to join in,and Sam, once he got home. Dean was, at least, glad, his sister wanted him, around, during the day. Helen stayed long enough to catch up and then, left.

At the therapy center, Dean signed Taylor, in, letting the receptionist know they were there to see Emily Hutchinson. They waited there, in the waiting room, for ten minutes. The restroom was closed off with yellow, traffic tape and a sign that said, Restroom Closed for Repair. The door was also missing.

Dean noticed Taylor was looking across the room, over at the restroom, probably remembering what went on, in there. He lifted an arm, up, and over her, wrapping it around her. "You doing okay?"

She nodded.

Eventually, Emily came out, to grab the siblings, leading them, back, to her office. "How are you, two?" she asked as they made their way down the hall.

"Not bad," Dean replied, throwing on a I am so glad I am here disposition, even though he wasn't.

Inside her office, Taylor took her usual spot and pointed for Dean, to sit in the chair, next to her, across from Emily's seat. Dean sat down, as Emily made her way over to the other side.

"So," Emily began, starting the session, as she pulled the chair forward. "How has the first week been?"

"Uh, pretty good, I think," Dean shrugged.

She turned to Taylor, noticing the dolphin nowhere, in sight. "Taylor, no dolphin, today?"

Taylor looked around her seat, realizing she hadn't grabbed her dolphin. She frowned.

"He'll be fine, at home. You have me, at least," Dean assured his sister, leaning forward on his arms. Taylor forced a smile for him.

Emily was already making notes. "So, Taylor. On a scale from one to ten. Ten, being, you love being at your brothers' apartment. One, you, absolutely, hate it. Where do you think you are?"

Taylor held up all ten fingers.

"Wow!" she said, excited to see Taylor give a ten. "A ten?"

The kid nodded.

Emily smiled at Taylor, switching over to Dean, to say, "She's never given me, a full ten, before. This is stupendous progress for Taylor."

"Really?" he asked.

She nodded. Emily pulled out the mood chart. "Show me how you're feeling, Taylor."

Taylor scanned the chart, with her eyes. Sam had told Dean about the mood chart. Actually, the whole thing, in general. Dean could understand how Sam felt, waiting to see what Taylor would pick. Finally, at what seemed like forever, except, it was only a few seconds, she stopped and pointed to one. Her finger covered up the word, so neither him or Emily could see until Taylor removed it, revealing the happy box.

"You're happy, today?"

Taylor nodded, excitedly.

Emily couldn't help smile, seeing the kid, take a complete one-eighty. "I have never seen Taylor, this happy, before. You and Sam are lifesavers," she told Dean.

"I'm just glad we could be here, for the kid. Even I've seen the change in her," he agreed. "She's talking, more and more at home. She's pitching in, with the chores. Taylor's doing, real good."

"You know, the day I laid eyes on Taylor, she was one of the most petrified, timid child I have ever met, and I have worked with many children. I think you were the key to unlocking her spirit, again."

Dean looked from Taylor, to Emily. "Do you think, eventually, Taylor will open up, about her past?"

She shrugged. "Honestly, when that time comes, is when she'll be able to fully heal, and at the rate you and your brother are going, it could, very well be soon. It has to be up Taylor, though, as Sam has reminded me. We can't force it out of her." Emily smiled over at Taylor, "Right, Taylor?"

Taylor had laid her jaw on her folded arms, as if she was waiting.

"You're waiting for me to give today's drawing assignment, aren't you?"

Taylor nodded, not lifting her head.

"Of course." Emily reached over and pulled the stack of paper over, grabbing a sheet, to place in front of Taylor. She, then, pulled the box of crayons over. "How about, today, we draw a picture of you and your family. How's that?"

She nodded, now sitting up. Taylor reached into the box and pulled out a purple crayon, starting on herself, first.

"So, Dean," Emily turned back to him. "How are things, now that your sister is with you. I see things are going great, but, is there anything we should discuss? Or, is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Uh, well, there's…" Dean started to bring up the shifting over to Sam, at night, but, decided against it. He wasn't about to spill his guts to this woman, he barely knew and talk about how he felt. "Nothing. It's nothing. Everything's fine, at home."

Emily looked at him, looking like she could sense he was lying. "Are you sure? You can say anything you need to, here. Like I told Sam, stuff that is said here, can remain only in this room. You will not be shamed."

"No, it's fine. Really." About that point, Jody's words to him, came to mind. Dean was going to have to stifle his pride. If he wanted Taylor to open up, he guessed he was going to have to do the same. But, the thought of spilling his guts to a licensed therapist. The last time he did that, him and Sam were trying to get inside a psych ward, to kill a wraith. "Actually, there is something."

"Okay, what is it, Dean?"

Dean felt really stupid, doing this. Only his baby sister could make him, do this. No one else. "You know how you had Sam, jump in, instead of me, whenever Taylor had one of her episodes?"

"Are they still happening?"

"Not really," he answered. "The nightmares are the only problems Taylor's still dealing with."

Emily was taking note. When she finished, she looked up. "Okay?"

"Ever since you had Sam step in, instead of me, whenever I step in, now, she…" his voice trailed off. Dean couldn't believe he was doing this.

"She, what?" she encouraged the eldest Winchester.

"Taylor...asks for Sam, now. I get her to wake up. As soon as she realizes where she is, she asks for Sam. So, last night, when I got up to go check on her, and seen Sam heading there, as well, I just turned around and let him, take care of Taylor. Sam never came and said, she wanted me. Neither of us can figure out, why Taylor has suddenly switched to wanting Sam, now, when I've been the one who has calmed her, down," he explained.

Emily glanced at the table. "Well," she said. "When did it start? Taylor asking for Sam?"

"The first time, was Saturday night."

"After Taylor moved back with you?" Emily paused to think on it, when he responded with a yes. "What about Friday night? The dreams are usually, nightly. Did she ask for you, then?"

Dean thought about it. It dawned on him, shortly after. "I didn't even hear...Sam told me, Taylor fell asleep in his bed, while they were watching Netflix on his computer."

Emily asked Taylor, "Can you remember if you had any nightmares, last Friday, Taylor?"

Taylor stopped coloring in Sam's shirt, staring at the picture. She ended up, shrugging her shoulders. They weren't sure if Taylor really couldn't remember or if she was lying.

"You don't remember waking up, at all?"

She shook her head, at her therapist.

Emily turned back to Dean. "Did Sam say, anything about Taylor having any nightmares, that night?"

Dean thought back on when they had talked about it. "He said, she did, but she never woke up, because as soon as he heard her, talking in her sleep, Sam started talking to her, right away. He said, it took over half an hour, until Taylor was fine."

"And, the rest of the week, Taylor slept in her own bed?"

He nodded. "Yes."

"Well, for starters, the sleep talk doesn't surprise me. Foster parents and group home staff has reported, in the past, of Taylor, talking her sleep, just before she started crying. Like when she started saying your name, remember?"

Again, Dean nodded.

"My guess is, it sounds like, since Sam was with her, and started talking back, to her, it kept the nightmares from escalating, further," Emily explained. "If we're not fully in REM sleep, we can actually hear what goes on, around us, while we sleep. So, Taylor was, more than likely, able to take ahold of her dream, by listening to your brother. Which now, thanks to your brother being there, in time, whenever Taylor has those dreams, wants to hear your brother, again, and may even be looking around for him, in her dreams. Now, that he's in a whole other room, when she wakes up, all Taylor wants, is Sam to comfort her, like he had done, that night. Does that make any sense?"

Dean stared down at the table. "Yeah." So, if Dean hadn't of went to bed. If he had stayed up, to watch a movie, would Taylor have fallen asleep with him? If he had been there, instead of Sam, would things still be the same as they were before? If so, Dean was, now, kicking himself, for giving into exhaustion. He could have lasted long enough to watch a movie, with his sister, like he said they would.

"I really don't think you have anything to worry about, when it comes to the bond, you seem to have formed," Emily assured him. "By how happy Taylor seems to be, I think she still loves you. Right, Taylor?" She had to tap on the table, to get Taylor's attention.

Taylor flinched, looking up from her coloring.

"You love both of your brothers, right?"

She nodded, and smiled over at Dean. Taylor stood up, to give him, a hug, around the neck and whispered, " I love you."

Dean smiled, when he heard her, and hugged Taylor, in return. He was glad Taylor still loved him, but, Dean still felt he should be there for his sister, when she had a bad dream.

Emily finished the rest of the session, eventually, having Taylor show her picture she had been coloring. Taylor had labelled each person, including herself. She was in the center, with her brothers on either side, along with John. To Dean's surprise, Taylor had even drawn Castiel, in the picture. Unfortunately, Taylor didn't get to know Jody, long enough before she had to leave. Otherwise, maybe Taylor would have included her, too.

"Who's Cas?" Emily asked, curious, as she pointed at the drawing of the angel.

"He's a friend of ours," Dean was the one to explain. "Pretty much, like another brother, to me and Sam. We've all been through a lot. We have other friends like that, that Taylor still needs to meet. We have a friend, named, Charlie, who's, actually been like a sister. That may be good for Taylor." He shrugged, "I think, anyways. Especially, with having two brothers."

"What about Jody? I could tell you three seemed really close, especially when she was speaking, during the meeting."

"She had to head back to Sioux Falls, to return to work, so she didn't get to hang around Taylor as much as she would like. Since she had to stay longer than planned."

"Understandable," she nodded. "What I got from her, was a mom vibe. Is that who Jody is?"

"Oh, yeah. That lady," Dean shook his head, once, at the table and lifted it, smirking. "She could turn on the mom thing, whenever it was needed." He wasn't about to admit, Jody's mom side, frightened him, at times. There was some things that did not have to be said, and Dean wasn't going to spill his whole guts to this woman. Truthfully, during the session, he had searched for a wedding ring, unfortunately, finding one. It was probably for the best. It probably wouldn't look good, to sleep with his sister's therapist.

Before, during the session, Emily had tried to ask Dean about John, as she had tried to get out of Sam. He wasn't budging either. At least, with his feelings. Dean did tell her, who John was, as a person, skirting around the hunting part. He was glad when the hour was finally up and Emily walked them, back out, to the waiting room.

Just wanted to point out, I am really sorry for the typos. Even when I wait until the next day, to read over and revise a chapter, something always seems to slip by. I am trying to get better at catching them. As I revise it, I find a lot and am able to fix most of them. It's usually one or two, or sometimes three, that I seem to miss.