A/N: Hello dear people. Lau Whisperer and I have produced another great chapter for you. It's full of fluff while building intrigue as we continue working up to the greater plot of this story.

Bwah hah hah. (Wringing our hands maniacally.) We have so much more in store for you as this story continues. The next two action-packed chapters are already in the works!

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"Oh, she'll like this alright." was Dean's sarcastic remark as he and Sam were at a gas station mini mart. Holding up a huge T-Shirt that said 'I'm with Stupid.' Below the slogan it had an arrow pointing down...insinuating the wearer's genitals. It was clearly a man's T-shirt and this was part of the gag.

Sam was less than impressed. "Really Dean? Augh...no!"

"Aw, come on Sam. She'd love this. Definitely better than your lame flashlight and batteries. Sam… You got zero creativity when it comes to gifts!" Dean's puckish grin broadening as he imagined Amber's reaction to this gag birthday gift.

Cas, nearing them, held up a can of shaving cream and pack of cinnamon-flavoured gum. "Are these bad enough gifts?" He asked, looking at Sam and Dean expectantly.

Turning to Sam, Dean shook his head, "Even Cas did better than you, Sammy."

A sour grimace spreading across his face, Sam pointed a finger at his wrist watch, "Yeah, well, if you two don't hurry up we won't find a bakery still open."

"Relax. Remember, we're getting her a cheap cake at the Krogers. They'll be open til 9 pm. That's more than we ever got. Jody will get her the fancy bakery cake," was Dean's response. He was really enjoying this prank birthday party the three of them were planning for Amber.

During their brief phone call, which had originally been just logistical planning for getting Amber to Sioux Falls, Jody Mills had discovered not only the upcoming birthday the boys were planning for Amber, but that neither of them had ever had a birthday party. Upon further questioning, Jody had found their party plans were underwhelming.

Jody's call about Amber's upcoming visit had sparked off the planning of two birthday parties, a deliberately gag-riddled Winchester version and a bigger Sioux Falls shindig. Becoming excited when she heard this was going to be Amber's sixteenth, Jody took it upon herself to plan something worthy of such a milestone. She'd done the same thing for Alex and, later, for Claire, on their respective sixteenth birthdays. This was a special celebration for a girl...budding womanhood and all. Dean had made it clear it had to be a low key event and she had respected his wishes. She'd get Alex and Claire to help out...or at least in the case of Claire, to be there.

Apparently John Winchester had celebrated his sons' birthdays, when he was in town, and happened to remember, with whatever was available in the fluorescent-lit aisles of gas station mini marts. This habit had become ingrained in Sam and Dean. The longer Jody knew these two men the more her heart ached for how they had been raised. She'd throw a birthday party for Amber and rope them into staying in town long enough to attend, as well.

Dropping Amber off in two days, the brothers were coordinating with Jody to delay their return to the bunker until after whatever party Jody had planned. She insisted that they attend. They'd get a motel in some town nearby so as to give Amber the promised solo time with the Mills' women, returning to the bunker the following day.

In the meantime, Sam and Dean were experts in the gas station gift-buying department.

With a last look around the aisles, Sam walked towards the cashier's counter, where a bored-looking man sat, eyes glued on his phone's screen. At the sound of Sam clearing his throat, he turned an almost annoyed gaze at him before grudgingly setting the phone to the side. Dean and Castiel joined Sam and left their own gifts on the small counter and patiently waited for the cashier to lazily check each item.

"Will you need a bag for these?"

"Three, actually," Sam answered.

"Do you have gift bags?"

At Castiel's question both the brothers' and the cashier's eyes turned to look at him incredulously.

"Does this place look like a gift shop to you, pal?"

Eyebrows furrowing the angel opened his mouth to retort, but Dean beat him to it. "Just give us three bags, pal."

Reaching slowly beneath the counter to take out three plain paper bags, the man set them on top of the small heap of items. "That'll be $33.47."

"Dude, this is more than dad ever spent on us. What were his gifts worth, maybe $5 at most?" Sam was feeling the tug of old memories shading his experience of Amber's birthday. It was entirely juvenile and he knew this, but knowing this didn't blunt the edge of the pain.

Rolling his eyes Dean shook his head. "Don't pull middle-child-syndrome crap on us now, Malcom."

Looking on, Cas could hear and see the pain and power struggle that was the Winchester brothers' relationship. To him it looked like shades of denial coming from both directions...tinged in this gooey-feeling envy and anger. If only humans could see their feelings they would have a better understanding as to what they were actually feeling. Oblivious to their own experience...people appeared to walk through life stumbling over the same issues wrapped up in different situations...and therefore unrecognized as the same unresolved problems. If he wasn't an angel, it would give him a headache.

This denial opened the door to so many darker aspects of the self...it was as if people were walking around with a sign around their necks for the entire demon population to read, "Open to Suggestion".

Sam bit back his emerging bitterness and reminded himself that among the three of them, Amber had it worst. At least he and Dean, they had each other. Even this silly tradition of crappy gifts, even the disappointing memory of John's pitiful attempts to acknowledge their birthdays, was more than Amber ever had experienced.

Feeling guilty over his own petty comment, Sam made quick work of putting all their items in the three bags, remaining silent. He was determined to make this special for Amber. Even this inclusion into their Winchester tradition was an important step to make this birthday count. He could never have his childhood back. He would never get all the experiences he'd always wished he had. But he could do his best to offer at least some of them to their sister.

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"Damn it, Dean! Watch it! You'll make me drop the cake!" Sam said in an exasperated whisper, as he Cas and Dean walked stealthily towards the library, where Amber was.

Dean could see her, face practically buried in a book, as she lounged in her favorite armchair, legs dangling off one of its arms, back resting against the other.

When Sam paused a few steps from the doorway, and out of sight from the library's grand entrance, Cas placed the 16-shaped candle in the center of the cake. Dean, retrieved a lighter and glanced at Sam for the okay. Once his brother nodded, he lit the candle. The three men stood awkwardly for a few seconds, watching the flame gaining length and brightness. With a nod from Sam, they finally walked in front of the entrance and started ascending the few steps that led to the coziest room of the bunker.

Once Amber's eyes turned to see who was approaching, the small gathering of three started singing out-of-tune "Happy Birthday to you. Happy birthday to you..." Continuing the familiar chorus, their own eyes lit up as a look of surprise and wonder graced Amber's face. They'd achieved their goal. Sam, immersed in surprising his sister, found himself dropping his previous bile-inducing memories and smiled as they sang his sister's first happy birthday song.

Amber, practically frozen in her seat felt the room swirl around her with the surrealism of the scene. Once the first wave of shock and surprise washed over her, she reluctantly sat up straighter and watched as Sam, holding the cake, and Dean holding three small bags, approached her, Cas walking rigidly beside them and singing the loudest of them all. She felt her lips twitching and her reluctant smile slowly grew to a face-splitting grin. Closing the book, setting it on her lap, and sitting up completely, she brought both her palms to cover her mouth as she let out a small giggle.

Once the three men stood in front of her and as the last tortured notes of the song echoed in the room, Amber got rid of the book, setting it on the small table beside her, biting her still grinning lips before leaning forward and blowing out the candle. A wisp of smoke curled languidly upward into the air leaving that familiar tinge of candle wax scent hanging in the air.

"Happy birthday, pain!" Dean said, his own lips forming a warm smile, eyes sparkling.

"Happy birthday, Amb" Sam repeated tenderly.

"Happy birthday, Amber," Cas said in turn, in his usual flat, deep tone.

"Guys," Amber could still hardly believe her eyes. "I can't believe you remembered!"

Grabbing her arm and pulling her up and into a strong hug, Dean shook his head, "Of course we remembered. You only turn sixteen once."

"You only turn any year of your life once, Dean," Cas commented.

Letting out a soft chuckle at the angel's words, Amber returned the hug to her oldest brother, before letting go of him and turning to Sam. Transfering the cake to Dean, Sam opened his arms for Amber to bury herself in his long torso. Enveloping her in the tender and soft kind of embrace only he could master, Sam placed a kiss on top of her head.

After a few seconds, Amber let go of Sam and turned to Cas, regarding him a bit reluctantly. "Oh, what the hell," she mumbled, as she took a step closer to him and hugged him. It was awkward and stiff, Cas standing still as Amber wrapped her arms around him. He remained still, arms by his side for a good five seconds, before he mechanically patted her back as if going through a ceremony that was required, but uncomfortable.

This was a decided step forward in their relationship. In Amber's mind, Cas was starting to become an assumed presence along with her brothers whenever they did things, even meals. Sometimes his comments were hilarious. One time Cas had offered to toss the salad and Amber burst out giggling. This had resulted in Sam looking uncomfortable and Dean looking confused. No one enlightened Cas or Dean.

Still in her embrace, Cas stood rather stiffly, slowly moving his hands to tentatively enfold the birthday girl a bit more. He knew how to hug. He just wasn't used to it. Two seconds later, Amber broke it off and turned to look at her brothers again.

Holding up the three bags Dean motioned with his head towards the tables that lined the center of the room. "C'mon! Present time!"

"You got me presents too?" Amber asked unable to keep the excitement out of her voice. With the exception of the small number of birthdays she had spent with Ty, she had never received so much as a card for her birthday, let alone the whole enchilada...Cake and Presents. Practically hopping to the table, and sitting opposite of Sam and Dean, she waited eagerly for Dean to pass her the first bag.

"So… This is from Sam," Dean said as he pushed the small brown paper bag towards her.

Amber scanned the bag and recognized the logo as one of Dean's preferred gas stations in town. Not sure what to expect she eyed the bag for only a second before pulling it closer to her and reaching inside. As her hand withdrew the small flashlight and the pack of batteries she remained staring at them in a mixture of surprise, disbelief, and slight disappointment. "It's… A flashlight," she said doing her best not to let the disappointment creep into her tone. Her eyes darted to Sam and she offered a smile. "Thanks, Sam! I guess, it's gonna be… Useful," she commented in a forced, light tone.

"You're welcome, Amber," Sam smiled, schooling his expression to not give away anything. On one hand he wanted to tell her right away that this was a joke, that these weren't her real presents. He hated the disappointment in her eyes. But he had promised Dean to go along with this little prank, a sort of Winchester Initiation. And he would.

Setting the flashlight and batteries off to the side she made room for the next gift.

"This is from Cas," Dean continued, pushing a second bag from the same gas station towards Amber.

"Shaving cream and gum," Amber mumbled in a disbelieving tone. Turning to look at the angel she added, "Thanks, Cas! A girl's dream is to receive a gift that makes her feel hairy and think that her breath stinks!"

"You are welcome," Castiel answered neutrally.

"And… Mine!" Dean said excitedly, pushing the last bag to her.

Pulling out the t-shirt and taking a couple of seconds to fully grasp what she was seeing, she turned incredulous eyes to her brother. "Okay, first, this is by far the best gift of the night… Sorry guys! And second… I'm so gonna be wearing this every chance I get!"

With a smug grin splitting his face Dean shot Sam an 'I told you so' look before turning to Amber. "And with these crappy, convenience-store bought birthday gifts, you're officially a Winchester."

Shaking her head lightly, Amber stared at Dean confused. "Come again?"

"Come on, how cruel do you think we are? Buying you gifts from the gas-station? Your first birthday with us?" Sam added.

"This right here, minus the cake, is the full Winchester Birthday Extravaganza. Both me and Sam received this kind of shit from dad for our birthdays, for Christmas, you name it. It bugged us for a long time, until we decided to make it a tradition."

Again, taking a full thirty seconds to register that these were supposed to be bad, Amber burst out laughing. It was a full, warm laugh with a tinkling edge that sounded so lighthearted. This was the first time they'd ever heard her laugh like this and it was delightful.

Turning to look at the cake, Amber considered that she'd never had a birthday cake.

"So, am I supposed to have the first slice? I've no idea how this works!"

Having never had a birthday cake, the brothers exchanged a look. They hadn't considered this, either.

"The person being celebrated traditionally received the first slice, but has the option of serving the guests first. The latter is usually done when the celebrant is an adult female," was Cas' overview, sounding like a Wikipedia page.

Amber wanted the first piece of her cake. She'd waited a lifetime for this...but she didn't wish to be perceived as a child. Reflecting upon the last few days she wasn't too sure where she fell in this category.

"Screw it! I want some cake!" was Amber's statement. Sam and Dean just smiled.

Just then, looking around, all three of them realized they hadn't brought in knife. Reading the situation Amber jumped up from her chair, "I'll get a knife."

Before anyone could object she was off like a shot.

Pushing open the swinging door, Amber rushed into the kitchen and went straight for the knife drawer, loudly pulling out the old, metal drawer from a 1940s kitchen. It screeched loudly and the abrupt jangle of knives within could be heard. Reaching in, she instantly scanned her choices. She opted for a chef's knife. It was the second largest knife in the drawer and would cut through this round, two-layer cake with ease. The meat cleaver looked ridiculous for this task. Dean kept their knives razor sharp along with all of their more specialized hunting knives. Reaching for this nicely weighted blade, Amber jumped as Cas' voice sounded right next to her ear, "I'll get some plates."

"Shit! Cas you…." Amber didn't finish her sentence as she was pulling her hand back from the drawer...examining her right hand. Slowly, a thin red line appeared on her right index finger just below the first knuckle. Staring at this thin line, Amber held her breath, watching this narrow cut open up and start to bleed more heavily, going from a thin red line to a thick trickle of blood seeping down her hand heading towards her elbow. She didn't even feel it, but it was now freely bleeding.

Cas watched this right along with Amber, and right along with her, watched in astonishment as the cut seemed to shimmer slightly, and reversed itself, healing her wound almost like a zipper closing up a coat. The blood seemed to seep right into her skin leaving her hand and arm clean. Amber felt the familiar warmth radiating from her finger, up into her arm and shoulder, growing to encompass her whole body like a patch in her code, updating everything.

"Oh, so now I heal," was Amber's sarcastic comment as she held up her hand, marveling at this minor miracle.

"What do you mean?" Cas inquired.

Realizing she'd spoken out loud, Amber blushed. Cas was initially confused by her comment and subsequent silence.

Then a flash of understanding hit him, his face changed and he seemed to take a step back, horizontal lines creasing his forehead, head cocked to the side, his eyes lidded to half moons with empathy.

Amber, feeling revealed, just cleared her throat. Looking away, not wishing to meet his eyes, she didn't know what to say. This had caught her off guard. Cas looked at her, then down at the floor, then back up at Amber's face. Clearly he was caught off guard, as well.

"Yeah, sometimes I don't heal up," was all she could bring herself to say.

Deciding to change the subject, Cas redirected his focus. "I'll get the plates."

"Yeah," was all Amber said, more carefully picking out the chef's knife from the drawer. Heading back to the library Amber was very glad to be away from that moment. She reflected that Cas seemed to understand, sort of see, what she was thinking This was uncomfortable. But at least she didn't have to say anything more about this. How ironic that she'd be happy about this. Thinking to herself, as she made her way back to the cake, Cas had been able to 'see' her thoughts more and more often. Why was this? Then it struck her, this could be a problem. Damn angel!

Even when they were getting along better, and she knew beyond all doubt he had her best interest in mind, he still presented her with problems. She'd have to figure out a way to cloak her thoughts from him when he was near. Could get complicated.

Entering the library with the knife in hand, Amber brought it right up in front of her face, "Naw, this is a knaife," she said in her best Australian accent. In truth, this kitchen knife was modest when compared to their hunting knives, and the Demon and Angel Blades. Still, this was a fun line to deliver. Her eyes danced and she sported a crooked smile.

"Careful with that Crocodile Dundee," was Dean's response. Reaching towards her right hand, which held the knife, Dean intended to take charge and do the cake cutting.

"Huh uh," was Amber's retort. "Mine, Dean. Back off."

Pulling the blade up and away from Deans' reach, pointy-end carefully away from everyone, Amber was determined to be the one to cut her first birthday cake. "It's my cake. You can have this after I've got my piece."

Coming out of the kitchen Cas carried a small stack of plates. After that moment in the kitchen with Amber, Cas would let it all drop. He understood everything and that was all that need be. He was applying discretion.

Setting them down next to the cake, Cas watched as Amber sliced herself a nice, hefty wedge. Licking her fingers clean of the inadvertent mess, she placed her slice on a plate and handed the knife off to Dean. Realizing they needed forks, too, she was once again off like a shot to grab a handful for their little party.

This party was happening three days since their return to the bunker. Upon the Winchester siblings' return from the rugaru hunt, Sam had sought Cas out for a private conversation. Sam had doubled down on what it meant to keep a private conversation PRIVATE...followed by Sam's questions about Amber's angel grace. It had been a bit ticklish, but Sam had explained the situation. He narrated Amber losing her trip to Jody's and her subsequent suggestion of a compromise, about her receiving physical discipline in place of her grounding so that she could still go to Jody's.

Amber's angel grace hadn't kicked in to heal her after Sam's discipline. Even though Amber hadn't received an overly harsh punishment, still her bottom had been tender on their drive back to the bunker with her squirming occasionally when Sam checked her out in the rearview mirror.

Sam also spoke about Amber's erratic energy signature and how it seemed to be affecting her maturity and thinking. Cas listened and commented affirmatively that he knew that this was the case. This unpredictable behavior was the result of her angel grace manifesting in her developing brain and central nervous system. Due to the Nephelims' dual nature, part-humans and part-angels, the angelic grace manifesting wasn't an easy process. It would be very difficult for a human body, and a human's nervous system, to assimilate this along the usual neurohormonal pathways...with them all competing for many of the same neurotransmitters. That was one of the main reasons that Nephilims were considered as dangerous and erratic creatures.

Sam had no idea the angel's grace had a neurochemical component to it. Despite this, he kept up with Cas' detailed explanation. Furthermore, this exacerbation of emotional and energetic upheaval was especially prominent during puberty and brain maturity. All that prefrontal cortex stuff. Cas was very matter-of-fact about this in a way Dean would have hated and Sam appreciated.

Then Sam got to the heart of the matter.

When he had physically chastised her, Amber had been upset. Very upset, in fact, and yet her angel grace hadn't activagted and blasted him. Considering how she'd become more and more adept at focusing it and controlling it's strength, Sam was anticipating that, at some point, this was going to become a situation they'd have to improvise with. Yet it hadn't happened. Cas listened to this and understood instantly.

"Sam, Amber trusts you and is not fearful of you."

"I wondered about this, but you should have seen how upset she was when she thought she'd lost the trip to Jody's. And then when we switched gears and she realized I was really going to punish her, she got very upset," was Sam's observation. "I'd have thought this alone would have triggered a protective response. I honestly thought I'd end up being splattered against the motel wall when Dean came back."

"And you proceeded?" Cas found it very trusting of Sam that he moved forward with this substitution even in the face of possible harm to himself.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I saw a way for her to have this trip and she really needs this trip...and she also needs consequences." Cas heard the underlying care Sam was expressing for his sister's well-being and upbringing.

"Sam, as a Nephilim, Amber is growing into an intuitive being, just as angels are intuitive, but for her even more so. She would have had an innate understanding of your intent. She may not even make the distinction between 'her thinking and her knowing' of a thing. Her response to situations will be her indicator. To her you're not a threat."

Sam found Cas' remark about angels being intuitive beings highly subjective, but chose to keep that comment to himself. To his experience they could be blatant assholes.

"Well, she seemed to feel threatened when it came time to drop the hammer."

"Sam, why were you using a hammer?"

Sam let out a quiet snort of laughter as he was reminded of how literal Castiel was.

"No hammers, Cas. Just a term. What I mean is when it came time to carry it out, and this was her idea, she was none too pleased. She was scared, and actually fought me hard. This is why I'm confused that I wasn't blasted."

"Sam, it's obvious that Amber trusts you even in upsetting circumstances. To her you are not a threat."

"The way she acted, she thought I was a threat."

"Whatever she did, her protective angel grace wasn't triggered. Innately you are not a threat she feels she must respond to. She might not consciously understand this…but she feels safe with you and Dean. Even when you punish her."

Sam reflected on this. "Huh... OK."

He'd already wondered about the simplicity of this answer, but frankly, it seemed too convenient. "So, she's essentially allowing us to punish her?"

"Yes. On a subconscious level." Cas' steady gaze remained calm and focused. "I can't be sure if she feels the same about Dean, since he hasn't punished her since she's achieved this more control over her powers, but for you, yes," was Cas' more specific answer. "I expect she will allow this from Dean, as well, but until this comes to pass, we won't know for sure."

Looking down, Sam smiled. "I'm in no hurry to test this out."

"Of course. Why would you wish to see Dean discipline Amber?"

Shaking his head, Sam had to smile at the angel. So literal.

"Believe me, I don't."

They'd said nothing more and Cas appeared to have understood the meaning of trust around confided conversations. Dean was not looped in on this either, although Sam was confident that there'd come a time when a 'need to know' situation would arise and then he'd be privy to this as well.

For the last two days Sam had simply kept an eye on Amber and she was fine. She wasn't grounded anymore and had made a trip into town to pick up toiletries she would need at Jody's. It had felt like freedom, even if it was only to get acne spot cream. They'd stopped by the local taqueria and this, too, had felt even more like freedom. That had been yesterday.

Coming back to the present, Sam's smile widened as he stared at the birthday cake on the table. There they were. Celebrating Amber's first birthday as their sister.

Dean cut two more pieces of the cake; one for himself and one for Sam. This cake looked so good. For being a grocery store-bought cake, the scent of sweet vanilla and butter floated in the air surrounding it. The cake was generously frosted with a whole 3/4 inch of icing sealing in the two layers of golden cake. Pretty blue roses on the top had been framed by white shells of scalloped edging and green icing leaves peeking out from beneath the frosting roses and rose buds. Green tendrils etched the outlines of the spray of blue roses and buds, drawing this into a circular frame along the top. In shimmery gold icing, written in cursive writing across the top, was the name, 'Amber'.

"Hey Cas, would you like a slice?" Was Dean's offer.

"No thank you Dean. I don't need to eat cake."

"Cas…" Dean's tone was one of annoyance, "Nobody NEEDS to eat cake. It's like pie. You eat it 'cause it makes you happy." To demonstrate this fact, he picked up the triangular wedge of his cake, and holding it firmingly in his hand, he took a big bite from the tip, chewing robustly with zeal. His eyes closed as he chewed, a small moan escaping from his throat.

Setting the wedge back on his own plate, Dean just sliced a third piece, managed most of it onto a new plate and thrust towards Cas's.

"Show some support for her, have a slice. Eat!" Dean remained holding the plate out to Cas and only set it down on the table when it remained in his hand, unaccepted.

Coming back from the kitchen Amber placed a small handful of forks on the table next to the plates. Grabbing one for herself, she reunited with her slice of cake and dug in, shoveling in a big bite. Her lips enclosing around the fork, sliding the cake and icing off together with gusto! She chewed slowly, her mouth doing that slow motion thing as her eyes closed in pleasure, experiencing the flavor, aroma, texture and mouthfeel. A low humming sound, "Hmmm…" was the only sound she made. All three men noticed this deep satisfaction and were pleased to have done this for her.

Sam grabbed his plate as well, and taking a bite he smiled. He allowed the chilled frosting and crumbly cake to disintegrate into this wonderful sensation of sweet taste and bakery scent.

Dean sat himself down, thrusting a forkful of cake into his own pie hole. Again, eyes closing with enjoyment. Yes, it was delicious, but… for his birthday he wanted pie.

Cas looked down at his own plate. Picking up a fork, he lifted the slice of cake Dean had set aside for him. He carefully cut off a bite with the edge of his fork and tasted of this gateau. The look on his face morphed into surprise. His eyes opened wider and he chewed appreciatively as he watched what could only be described as foodgasmic reactions all around him. This cake was good. He ate his piece of cake in quiet appreciation.

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Leaning back, sipping his beer, Dean was enjoying the tavern and more importantly, the sight of the women in the tavern. Attempting to be sly, he was eyeing these lovely things scattered around the room. It was easy for him to enjoy the site of them as he drank his beer, seated where he was against the wall with everyone else opposite him as he looked around the room. Contributing the occasional grunt or head nod gave him the appearance of being actively engaged in Amber's party. At least this was what he thought. Everyone else, Jody, Sam, Amber, Alex, and especially Claire, all knew what he was doing.

"Dean, did you hear me?" Jody asked, sounding frustrated. "Dean!" Jody's voice was louder, with her repeated attempt to get his attention finally piercing his bubble of fantasy sex. Sounding annoyed, she'd snapped him out of his bachelor revelry. Sam elbowed him, glaring at him with a hard look.

"Huh, yeah. What was that?"

Although Jody was sitting right across from him, practically opposite his own face, Dean had managed to ignore her more discrete attempts to get his attention. With Jody leaning across the table towards Dean, he automatically leaned forward too, bringing his face closer to her, their heads meeting in the middle. Sam kept an ear on their conversation, wishing to remain looped in. Alex, Amber and Claire were aware of this conspiratorial lean in, but remained talking about Kyle. He'd texted Amber, promising to show up tonight.

In a modulated tone, so as to create a bit of privacy in such an open move, Jody continued, "I asked if Amber could stay an extra two days. She would be no trouble," was Jody's reply.

Dean, paying attention now, started considering what this meant and the logistics of this request. Jody, seeing Dean working this out wished to further influence his answer to 'yes', adding, "It works out for all of our schedules, I'd be around and I know the girls would enjoy having Amber here for another few days. It would be no trouble at all." Looking at Dean, Jody added, "I would enjoy her being around. She's such a sweet girl and..." Jody saw Dean and Sam's faces both adopt a wry smile at her words and she knew this was privileged family knowledge. Choosing to push past this, Jody's imploring look was disarming.

Dean, glancing at Sam, who'd heard this request, just received a shrug. "I think this can work. It would be good for her, too."

Not finding any objection to Jody's ask, Dean turned back to face Jody. Glancing down the table at Amber huddled up in conversation with Claire, he had mixed feelings. He most definitely didn't want any 'Claire' influence coming home after this trip.

Reading his mind, Jody countered his concern with, "Amber seems to have talked to Claire about not hunting alone and it bugged her enough. Claire and I had another discussion about this. Amber appears to be a good influence on Claire."

This caused Dean to sit back in his chair. Sam added, "Dean, I think this is an excellent opportunity for Amber. I agree with Jody."

Once again, Jody wondered how much Sam was involved in the raising of his niece. It appeared to be significantly. Reflecting upon Dean's hard headedness, she felt if this was true, Sam's presence in Amber's life balanced out Dean's narrow mindedness. She loved these men like brothers, but she wasn't blind to their idiosyncrasies and faults.

Crossing his arms and taking in a deep breath, Dean seemed to have decided.

"As long as you're OK with this, and Amber agrees, I think this can work." Looking down the table at Amber, all three adults turned to face her. Noticing this action, Amber turned her own face to this tribunal, not knowing what this was all about. Claire and Alex followed Amber's gaze, curious to see what was happening.

Raising his voice, Dean asked, "Amber, Jody has asked if you'd like to stay two extra days. What do you think, kid? You wanna stay?"

Amber's eyes grew round with anticipation, slightly crinkling at the corners. Oh, this would be great! She couldn't believe how much fun the last couple of days had been, after the whole Josh mishap. The small shopping trip for this short stay at Jody's, the surprise bunker party, then this more elaborate and completely unexpected second surprise party. For the first time in her life she felt happy. Her troubles shoved to the furthest, darkest corner of her mind. "Hell, yeah!" Amber's voice lifted in a resounding 'whoop'.

Looking to Dean, then Sam, Amber found only approval. Behind Amber, Alex smiled, while Claire's face held a calculating grin. Dean caught sight of Claire. Making eye contact with her he lowered his brows and boomed out, "Claire, are we going to have a problem with you and Amber hanging out together?" Subtlety was not a Dean attribute.

Jody, slightly taken aback by this, held her tongue. Perhaps Dean's warning was needed.

"Not any more than she already has hanging out with you," was Claire's sarcastic retort, looking Dean squarely in the face.

"Don't you two start!" Jody verbally inserted herself between them.

"Claire will be fine and Amber will follow all the same rules the girls do. They all will. Right Claire?" Jody's body language shifting to that of Sheriff Jody Mills. Her question was forcing an accountability onto the young hunter that was unmistakable in its intent; behave or deal with me.

Backing down, Claire mumbled a reluctant, "Sure."

The two brothers catching all of this were seeing a side of Jody that was very reassuring. Amber would be in good hands here.

Taking the lead, Jody sealed the deal, "It's settled then. Amber, honey, you're very welcome here, and I think you'll have a great time with us."

Returning her smile, Amber was feeling so happy, grinning as she looked around the table. This was shaping up to be such a good birthday party. Her second 'First Birthday" party.

Reflecting on her first party back at the bunker, Amber surprised herself in feeling bad that the angel couldn't be here, too. Claire's presence usually prevented Cas from showing up. It was too much for the edgy blonde. Cas accepted this gracefully, but Amber was guessing that the angel would have enjoyed being here. She was definitely warming up to him.

Just then the band, who'd been setting up on the tiny stage area, started tuning their instruments. The sounds of the bass guitarist limbering up his hands as he worked through the chords sounded like lava flowing.

Then the keyboardist chimed in, improvising a scale to warm up her hands.

There was a guy in jeans and a flannel shirt walking up to the stage area with a violin poised under his chin, bow in hand. He started improvising riffs from a song by the band Fun, 'We Are Young'. The violinist was good, sawing so adroitly as if speaking the words through his bow. As the man reached his band mates at the stage, the drummer and lead guitarist settled in, each picking up the tune and beat the violinist has set in motion. The entire tavern was bending to their will. It felt magical.

Amber's heart leapt as she wound herself around the music, the spontaneous collaboration that was the language of musicians. She'd missed performing on stage, she'd missed jamming with other musicians, and how performing was like riding this heady call and response between the entertainer and the entertained. Neither knew where it would lead, but felt pulled into this space where inspiration gave birth as if everyone's eudemonia was inviting them to play.

Shit, Amber reflected that she'd been reading too much academic research and even her inner dialog was getting snobby. This made her laugh out loud. Everyone at the table noticed Amber's little laugh and assumed she was happy with her party. They were right.

The room was paying attention to the band. It was now 9 pm and a sandy-brown haired man in his late thirties, who'd been sitting at a small table in the far corner, nearest the kitchen door, now moved to the front door carrying a tall stool along with him. Setting it up just off to the front entrance, he seated himself, holding a large, zippered pouch in hand.

He kept an eye on the room, as he had before, particularly the Winchesters. As new people arrived to hear the band, he was in the position to monitor the entire room and any new additions as they filtered in. His pleasant, nondescript appearance, solid build, and calm, mature energy didn't send out any obvious confrontational challenges. Yet, he had a no nonsense air about himself. He could handle any young bucks who might try to get out of hand. He was exactly perfect for collecting the cover charge and acting as the bouncer. The owner had been relieved to have him come looking for work that day, his usual guy not showing up or returning phone calls the previous two days.

As the band started into their first set of the night, the more adventurous couples and single women started dancing on the floor space in front of the band. One woman, dancing alone while holding her drink in hand, was clearly riding the wave of her bourbon and coke.

Dean was enjoying the scene and momentarily forgot he was in the company of his family. Taking a sip of his bourbon, having just progressed to his first hard liquor of the night, was sizing up his opportunities. Sam, drawing swigs from his own beer, wasn't immune to the beautiful women in the tavern. His own instincts and drives being that of an adult man, were the same as Dean's. However, Sam understood that as long as they were in the presence of Jody and the three girls, no moves were allowed. It would be disrespectful and inappropriate.

Amber had never seen her brother like this, sort of predatory, but she'd seen it in other men when she played in the pub where she, Dean and Sam had first met. These ravenous wolves came out in droves, most especially when she was on break in between sets or at the end of her shift as she tried to go home. The pub's owner had looked out for her, intervening directly to protect Amber or having one of her male servers run them out if they were getting too aggressive towards their young singer. Fondly, Amber remembered Tyler would hang around the pub late on nights when he and his girlfriend didn't meet up, acting like another one of Amber's protectors.

Feeling a bit weird about her brother's more masculine self, she was reminded that she only knew Dean as a brotherly-parental figure. He lived a whole other life before meeting her and away from her. Reflecting on this she was reminded that she did, too. Josh and Kyle were certainly both her own private experiences. Then Amber's mind snapped to the present. Wasn't Kyle supposed to show up here tonight? He'd texted her that he would, but she didn't know him that well. Would he?

Ambers' mind drifted until the music changed and got her attention. The band was good, and interesting. A rock band with an electric violin was so unusual and they were tight. The lead singer had a fantastic, clear voice and the band was beginning the intro into their next song, 'Royal'.

Despite the music and noise of the tavern, Amber's head shot towards the door, half-hearing, half-sensing a familiar presence. Her eyes lit up as soon as Kyle stepped inside. She was unconsciously holding her breath and remained watching him silently, his moves registering almost in slow motion. His right hand running through his smooth, blond hair, his left hand moving inside his coat's pocket, his head turning around him, scanning the tavern. His gaze briefly paused as it fell on the bouncer. His eyes narrowed and he threw the man an almost challenging look. The bouncer simply smirked before turning his gaze away. Amber began wondering what that was all about, but her brain froze as Kyle's eyes locked with hers. Any thoughts simply vanished and she felt her face splitting into an excited grin and her cheeks involuntarily flushing.

The bouncer, positioned strategically to see the entire room, subtly kept his eyes on Kyle and Amber, following their every move.

Shooting from her seat, Amber walked briskly towards Kyle who also started moving towards her with a wonky grin matching her own. When they reached each other, Kyle wrapped her in a tight hug, before whispering in her ear a soft, "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks! I'm so glad you made it," Amber said, breaking the embrace to make eye contact with him.

Leaning in close and giving her lips a quick kiss he answered, "Me too."

Sam had watched the whole scene, from Kyle's interaction with the bouncer to kissing Amber, and turned to look at his brother wondering what his reaction would be. Dean hadn't been exactly happy about Jody having looped Kyle in and inviting him to their sister's party. But he had grudgingly agreed after failing to persuade Sam against it. Sam was worried Dean would make a scene despite having promised he wouldn't. He was almost shocked to find his brother completely unaware of Kyle's presence or even Amber leaving their table. His eyes were trained on a young redhead, who was dancing alone in one corner of the bar, sending smiles and glances towards Dean every few seconds.

"Dude!" Sam growled, quietly kicking Dean underneath the table.

"What now, Sam?" Dean asked annoyed, managing to take his eyes off of the woman and slowly turning to face his brother. It was then that he noticed Amber's seat empty. "Where's…" He started but cut his phrase short, as he spotted Amber a few feet away, still in Kyle's arms, laughing and talking. "Son of a bitch!"

Jody, not missing any of the proceedings eyed the oldest Winchester warningly, "Stop it, Dean! This is her night, alright? Plus, she's not doing anything wrong. We talked about this, remember?"

At the pointed question Dean could only grimace in annoyance, but managed to stay seated, his glare never leaving the young couple.

"Watch it, Dean. You're in heart-attack territory at your age," Claire said as she watched, highly entertained by the man's reaction.

Dean let out a warning growl but didn't get a chance to retort as Amber and Kyle had finally started walking back towards the table.

Kyle nodded a bit awkwardly at Sam and Dean, but his gaze, unwavering, met theirs squarely. He offered a measured, "Hey," before he turned to smile more warmly at Jody and the girls.

"Welcome, handsome!" Jody said as she raised her hand to catch the waitress' attention.

After ordering a soda, Kyle focused his attention on the birthday girl. The two of them practically tuned everyone else out as they sat close to each other and talked quietly together.

With every chuckle and every discrete touch between them, Dean felt his temper rising. "Sam… He's all over her!"

Eyes darting to the pair briefly, Sam turned to Dean with a stiff smile. "Dean, I know this isn't easy. It isn't for me, either. I can only imagine how hard it is for your overbearing ass. But, Jody's right. You remember our conversation about this stuff. We can't make this a big deal. Especially when they're not doing anything wrong. For God's sake, you were more inappropriate only minutes before with the redhead from across the bar!"

At Sam's words Dean turned hastily to scan the area where the woman had been dancing. With a relieved smirk, he spotted her, now sitting down, still glancing towards him.

"Dude…! Do you need to be hosed down or something? We're with Jody and three underage girls. Get a goddamn grip!"

Dean sighed annoyed, but couldn't argue with Sam's point. "Fine. But I'm starting to think that maybe we could also use a break. Two extra days off for Amber, two extra days off for us. We could use some action Sam. Especially you…"

Ignoring Dean's jab, Sam found himself considering Dean's words. He wasn't wrong. This could work and the truth was they could use some 'rest and recreation'.

"Just keep from humping anything that moves and we'll talk about this later, alright?"

"Can I punch him instead?" Dean asked as he took another sip from his drink, eyes glaring at Kyle, who was now whispering something in Amber's ear. Judging from her flush and hearty chuckle, she found whatever he told her cute. He got ready to shoot a random question towards them just for the sake of putting some distance between them, but Amber beat him to it.

"Hey, guys?" She asked turning to look towards her brothers. "Can we slip outside for just a sec?"

"No!" Dean immediately shot this down.

"We don't want you out in the street alone, Amber," Sam said in a kinder tone.

"We won't be in the street," Kyle intervened. When both sets of male Winchester eyes turned to him he nodded, indicating right behind them at the back of the tavern. "There's a small yard at the back. They open it up in the summer. You could even see us through the screen doors. Plus… She won't be alone."

Dean's eyes narrowed and he moved forward in his seat ready to let Kyle know who was making the calls here, but Amber, immediately added, "He just wants to give me my present. You can literally watch us the whole time. We just need two minutes of privacy, that's all. Please?"

With her imploring tone and pleading eyes, which reminded Dean of Sam's puppy-dog stare, he found himself wavering. "Two minutes. I'm counting!" He told Amber after a short pause. Turning to Kyle he added, "And I'm watching you!"

Ignoring Claire's snort of amusement, Amber shot to her feet and followed Kyle out of the crowded space.

"They need to visit way more often," Claire mumbled to Alex as she gulped down a generous sip of her soda.

The cold fresh air felt rejuvenating as Amber stepped out to the small yard. Taking in a deep breath she shuddered involuntarily at the crisp cold. Turning to face Kyle she saw him retrieving a long, black, velvet case from his coat's inner pocket.

"So, I know it's as cliche as it gets… your name is Amber and you get a gift with amber in it…"

Eyebrows shooting upwards, Amber stared at him surprised. "You didn't strike me as a jewelry kind of guy," she commented with a teasing tone, unsure of how to react.

Raising an eyebrow and forming a lopsided smirk, Kyle responded, "You didn't strike me as a jewelry kind of girl..."

"That's because I'm not! " Amber answered immediately, trying to decide if his words bothered her or not.

"Well, good, 'cause this ain't jewelry," Kyle retorted offering the case to her.

Taking it from his hand, Amber opened it and looked inside. She let out a small gasp of surprise and admiration. In the velvet interior, laid a knife. A beautiful knife. The clip-point blade was about seven inches long and double edged, while the handle was made of shiny amber with silver details. Amber remained staring at it for a few seconds before trailing her fingers over it. "Kyle… It's beautiful! I love it," she finally said, taking her eyes off the weapon long enough to look at him.

Kyle watched her reactions and found himself feeling pleased that she liked it. "The blade's pure silver. Will harm a bunch of creatures. Kill just a couple of them… Or any human if you strike properly," he said after a few seconds.

"What about angels?" Amber asked half-jokingly.

"Planning on going on an angel-killing spree or something?" Kyle asked back, amused.

Shrugging as she closed the case, Amber came back with, "I'm not particularly fond of the feathered fuckers."

"Yeah, well… can't blame you. Anybody who really knows what pricks they truly are wouldn't. This won't even cut them , though… But if you want me to hook you up with an angel blade…"

Eyes glinting excitedly, Amber beamed, "Now, this right here is why you and I could work."

Kyle remained staring at her face with an unreadable expression before forming a small smile and bringing a hand to cup her right cheek. "Looks like it doesn't, it?" He whispered, and leaned in for a kiss.

Feeling the world swirling around them, Amber brought her hands around his neck and let herself get lost in his kiss. Her lips tingled with pleasure at his taste and touch, and her heart started beating louder, practically pounding out of her chest.

The sudden sound of the tavern's backdoor opening startled them both. A glaring Dean held the door opened as he practically barked, "Time's up. Inside."

Sighing in frustration, but not wishing to let anything sour her mood for the night, Amber simply sent her brother an annoyed glare before grabbing Kyle's hand and leading them both past Dean and back inside the noisy tavern. Dean and Kyle briefly locked eyes...and a silent exchange of dominance existed between them as Amber led Kyle back inside and to their table.

Amber plopped herself back down in her seat. Keeping her actions subtle, she turned to place her new favorite knife into one of the bags with the presents she had received from Jody and the girls. Her eyes met Claire's, who was smiling conspiratorially at her, and she couldn't help but let out a small giggle. Claire would keep her secret. She could hardly believe how happy she felt at this very moment. Giddy over a guy and his gift, and having an actual girlfriend to share all of this with. With her attention focused entirely on this, she missed Alex's nod to Jody and Jody discreetly raising her hand to catch the singer's attention.

As the lead singer sang the last words of the song the band was performing, he saw Jody's hand and nodded to her. The crowd applauded as the band finished their song. Waiting for the applause to die down, the lead singer took to the mic.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a birthday in the house tonight!"

Just then the electric violin player burst into the familiar "Happy Birthday" tune. He added riffs and embellishments with his bow work...this musician was so talented.

Amber felt her face heating up as their waiter made his way to their table, holding a cake with a forest of lit candles on it. As the rest of the tavern's patrons turned to watch where the waiter would end up, Amber found herself feeling uneasy. She might be used to and even enjoy having the crowd's attention while performing, but when she was simply hanging out with family and friends, like she was right now, she didn't enjoy it at all. She felt exposed, yet at the same time she found a part of herself relishing the festivities and appreciating the time and effort Jody, the girls, even her brothers, had devoted to make this happen. For her. Just for her. But...did this constitute flying below the radar?

Dean and Sam both stiffened up in response to how much attention was being given to Amber.

Shit!

Sam was equally on edge, exchanging a concerned look with Dean and knowing how this was not good. All they could do was sit tight, play their role and keep an eye on Amber.

As the cake was placed right in front of Amber, she looked at it in awe. It was the most beautiful cake she'd ever seen. A spectacular creation decorated in chocolate and orange French buttercream icing with scalloped buttercream shells around the bottom, and French lace work scrolling on the top and cascading down over the sides. To top this all off, it had a luminescent dusting of burgundy-colored edible glitter on it. Amber had never seen anything like this before.

What Amber would discover inside was orange - chocolate ganache filling inside of mocha-flavored génoises sprinkled with Kirschwasser. It was like one big chocolate and orange truffle layered between dense mocha flavored cake soaked with cherry brandy. It was a truly magnificent creation. Where the hell did Jody find this? It was from that French bakery over on Phillips Ave. Yes, such sophisticated things did exist in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Sam and Dean were impressed as well. Once again, Sam felt a tug of envy, but as he saw Amber's face, this faded into the background. She was so happy. This really meant something to her. Dean smiled at their sister's palpable joy. Then, in a glimpse of all the smiling faces of the tavern's patrons, he snapped back into reality. There was too much attention that was being drawn to them. He was feeling angry at Jody for putting them in this situation, but continued to reminded himself that she wasn't in the loop. She had no idea who and what Amber really was. He couldn't expect her to guess their need for discretion.

Wondering if their decision to not let her in on their big secret was as wise after all, he watched Amber tugging her hair behind her ears and leaning over the cake, ready to blow out her sixteen candles.

The violinist finished up with his melody and, on cue, Amber blew out the candles on her birthday cake. The entire tavern clapped for her. Again, Amber felt the flush of being a spectacle, and the excitement of having this celebration of her birthday. Were all birthday parties like this?

From the stage, the lead singer continued with their announcement.

"Would the birthday girl have a request for a favorite song?"

Hearing this, Amber turned in her seat. Oh, this was just going on and on. Amber couldn't believe how the surprises just kept coming.

Jody had saved the bass guitarist's sister from an abusive and violent boyfriend, getting him locked up for six years. With Jody's modest request, the entire band was very happy to reciprocate to celebrate her young friend's 16th birthday. This was an easy ask for the service rendered and the band was more than happy to oblige.

"Come up here sweetheart. If we know the song, we'll play anything you want," was the lead singer's invitation.

Not even having time to cut into her cake, Amber gingerly got up and made her way to the stage. All eyes in the tavern were on this gorgeous girl. Dean and Sam watched as the male audience's eyes followed their sister. They could both see these guys' thoughts. They knew what the men were thinking. Kyle watched this as well, feeling the oddest confusion of protectiveness, jealousy, and frustration at trying to keep this girl hidden from the others. Sam noticed Kyle's jaw tightening and wondered how protective the younger man already was for his sister. This struck him as odd...as too soon. They barely knew each other...at least this was Sam's impression.

Amber had brought her guitar to Sioux Falls, but it was back at Jody's house. She hadn't brought it to the tavern. As she walked towards the stage she wished she had. She missed performing and this would've been a great opportunity. Not letting this bring her down, she stopped right next to the handsome young singer and smiled. "You guys are great," she said before anything else. The members of the band nodded their heads, acknowledging her compliment. "Thanks for this!" Amber said.

"Thank us with your song," the man winked at her. "What's it gonna be?"

"Counting Stars?" Amber asked hesitantly. "By 'One Republic'," she prompted.

Talking closely together with the rest of the band, the mic covered by his hand, the lead singer confirmed that the band knew the music, but he didn't know the words. Looking rather sheepish, he turned back to Amber. "Sorry for this sweetheart, I don't know the lyrics." Amber had overheard the band talking and how the musician's knew the music even if their lead singer didn't know the lyrics.

Not the least bit daunted by this, and thinking this could be the best way to celebrate her sixteenth birthday, Amber decided to take matters into her own hands.

"I know the words and I happen to sing, too." Leaning close to the band to give them a sample of her vocal skills, they in turn leaned closer to hear her voice. Amber started singing the chorus...her voice rich and smooth.

"Lately I been, I been losing sleep

Dreaming about the things that we could be

But baby I been, I been prayin' hard

Said no more counting dollars

We'll be counting stars

Yeah, we'll be counting stars"

As she sang her whole posture changed from stiff and awkward to relaxed, emitting the energy of someone who knew their way around a stage.

The musicians exchanged pleasantly surprised gazes. It wasn't the first time some girl had asked to join them for a song, but it was one of the very few times they liked what they heard.

Jody, from the table, watched Amber talking with the guys and wondered what was going on. Turning to look at Sam and Dean she could immediately tell they felt uneasy. They were shifting in their seats, looking pensive with their eyes never leaving the girl.

Claire noticed the uneasiness, too, and couldn't resist leaning over the table to tell Dean, "You think she plans on running away with them?"

When not only Dean's, but Sam and Kyle's glares all landed on her, she raised her hands in a placating manner. "Fine, shutting up," she mumbled, standing down.

Alex leaned in close to her right, as the three men's eyes turned back to the stage, and whispered to Claire, "I think you might be right. And that would be a first."

This was highly unusual for the tavern. As the audience watched and waited. Then the lead singer turned the mic back on and announced,

"Hey folks, we have a surprise for y'all. Give it up for Amber." With a gesture to the band, the musical intro to 'Counting Stars' began and the entire tavern listened intently to see if this was going to be good.

Kyle's eyebrows rose so high on his face they creased his brow and lowered his hairline. He was more than surprised as this was the last thing he expected. He had no idea Amber was singing. As the wave of shock and surprise passed he felt his temper rising. This wasn't good. This wasn't good at all. His eyes jumped to the bouncer who was vigilantly watching Amber from his spot near the door. A pleased smile plastered on his face.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" was all Dean could say, his anger palpable...and Sam felt the same. Staying under the radar wasn't happening here. "God dammit...What were you thinking..." was all Dean could get out to Jody before he regretted it.

Jody's eyes flashed with anger and confusion of her own. "Dean, what's your problem?

Seriously, Amber is having a great time and you seem intent on her living under a rock!" was Jody's angry response, brow creased, eyes fierce. This was not how she expected their night to go.

Alex and Claire were silent as they listened to this unusual exchange. They'd heard Jody get upset with Dean before, but not in such a commanding manner. She was pissed!

Eyes glued to this exchange, as if they were watching a ping pong tournament, the girls didn't know what to make of this.

Before any more words could be exchanged Amber's voice filled the room as she sang the first lyrics. All heads at their table turned back to the stage, momentarily forgetting all about their worries and frustration. Sam and Dean had forgotten just how amazing Amber was on stage. Listening to her singing now brought them back to the very first moment they laid eyes on her at the Woodpecker, back in Reno.

Jody was impressed with her talent. Sam had mentioned she performed where she used to live, and that she was good, but she hadn't expected her to be this good. Claire couldn't manage to find anything she could comment or criticize either. She was a music-lover herself. And she liked to think her standards were high. Definitely higher than Dean's. And she found Amber great. She was really great.

Glancing around them, Sam watched the people in the tavern getting excited and marveling at this fantastic singer. More than a few had taken their phones out, were taking videos and photos. This was so not good. He contemplated going to the stage and asking Amber to stop and return to their table, but he feared this would end up causing an even bigger scene and attract even more unwanted attention. It sucked, but all they could do was let this play out.

His gaze turned to Kyle and he watched his eyes darting from Amber on stage to the bouncer once again. Sam's eyes squinted with suspicion. What was the beef with these two? The man turned to look right back at Kyle, as if he sensed his gaze on him.

Sam watched as the two of them locked challenging glares. He was slightly surprised when the bouncer, despite his much bigger size and obvious age difference, was the first to averted his eyes and returned his focus to the stage.

Sam kept watching Kyle discreetly. He was getting an odd feeling that he couldn't quite place. Turning his attention to Dean, he saw his brother, hand clenched tightly around his bourbon glass, knuckles white, and jaw set. He was in high-alert-mode and as usual when shit hit the fan he was losing his temper.

Not wishing for the night to turn sour for any of them, and especially not for Amber, Sam leaned close to Dean and tried to calm him down. "Look, I know this sucks… But come on! We're in a tavern. Nobody's gonna give this a second thought come morning. Nobody will remember a random girl singing at a small place like this with a local band."

Dean stared back at Sam, annoyed. He could feel his younger brother's attempt to calm him down…to manage him. And he didn't like it. "Cut the crap, Sam! She has a target on her back! She can't go around pulling shit like this! How are we supposed to leave her here alone after this shit, huh?"

"We'll figure it out. We'll talk to her before we leave, alright? Tell her this was a dumb move, remind her she needs to lay low… We'll let Jody know she has to be careful with what she lets them do, too. But we can't ruin tonight, ok? Don't go yelling at her in front of everyone the minute she gets back here. We'll talk to her privately before we drive off. We have to give her our gifts anyway. We'll do it then. Just… Promise me you won't embarrass her right now."

Dean's eyes moved from Sam's face back to the stage. He watched Amber singing and could tell that right in that minute, she was happy. He'd like to see her this happy every day of their lives. With this thought weighing down on him, painfully he finally nodded. "I'll wait till we get some privacy. But she's gonna catch an earful! We can't ignore this, Sam!"

"I know, but this is her first real birthday and she's having a good time. We can't ruin this first birthday for her." Sam felt for the Amber. With her obvious love and talent for singing, keeping her on performance lock-down was so unfair. The thought struck Sam that going forward, what did this mean for her life? Was she going to have to give up all the things she loved for a life skulking about in the shadows? How would they get her compliance with so little reward except a continued existence of living at half-mast. 'Not much of a reward' was this the solution they offered.

Amber, oblivious to this turmoil at her family's table, was flying in her own world, the lyrics and music lifting her up and setting her free. She always felt like she was riding the wind when she was on stage...especially when the audience was riding this wind right along with her. It was alchemical!

"I feel the love

And I feel it burn

Down this river every turn

Hope is a four letter word

Make that money

Watch it burn

Old, but I'm not that old

Young, but I'm not that bold

And I don't think the world is sold

I'm just doing what we're told

I, feel something so wrong

But doing the right thing

I could lie, could lie, could lie

Everything that drowns me makes me wanna fly"

The band was riding this wind right along with Amber. This had been such a great surprise for them, too. What were the chances that in the middle of South Dakota this quality of a singer would just happen to turn up. The band members were watching the audience going wild as they were snapping pics of the band. This was freaking great! Huge grins and approving glances between the band members were open for everyone to see.

While Amber was singing, she'd felt a growing sense of anxiety building in her body...and frighteningly, she felt her angel grace trying to come out. This feeling was as if it was defending her from danger. This made no sense to her, but she knew somehow where she was right now wasn't safe for her. Her body was stepping in to protect her and she had no idea why. The building heat and pressure behind her eyes, and in her heart, was unmistakable...and she had to end this song quickly and get off the stage.

The lead singer concluded the song with his own voice adding to the final chorus. He'd picked up this much. As the last notes of Amber's song ended, the house erupted into applause...and the bass guitarist stepped over to Amber and gave her a sweet hug around the shoulders, whispering into her ear something that made Amber's eyes grow wide and sparkled with his words...despite the defending angel grace. Turning to look at the the man directly in the eyes Amber could be seen speaking back to him and nodding her head. This made Sam and Dean very nervous. Getting her off the stage and away from all of this attention became their primary concern. Kyle was practically having a conniption fit where he sat, frustrated anger on his face. Sam kept noticed Kyle's response and this had continued to confused him. He knew why he and Dean didn't want Amber to be so publicly recognizable and on display, but why would Kyle feel the same...because he obviously did.

As the band congratulated Amber and spoke to her, most especially the words the bass guitarist had whispered to her, Amber found her head swimming. She was being torn by two worlds, the world of her angel grace stepping in like a defending force, and the human world of creative opportunities with other creative people.

"Let me think about it. I'm only here for a few more days. But right now, I need to head back to my table. And thanks for this, guys! It was great singing with y'all."

With these parting words and a forced smile, Amber left the stage to more applause from both the audience and the band. Keeping a tight grip on her powers and keeping her anxiety tamped down was taking a toll on her. Amber walked as fast as she could back to their table. Her brain finally registered the expressions on the faces of everyone in their small party and she felt perplexed. Jody looked excited, but shot a strong glare at Dean. Alex and Claire didn't bother hiding how impressed they were, while her brothers and Kyle could barely school their collective anger.

When she finally sat back down in her seat right between Kyle and Dean, she could only ask, "What the hell did I miss?"

"Oh, how about flying beneath the radar and staying out of sight? How about this missed message?" was Dean's snarky comment, spoken in a berated whisper into her ear.

Sam's hiss of "Dean!" made the oldest Winchester shake his head and chug down a large gulp of his bourbon, practically emptying his glass and loudly setting the whiskey tumbler down hard on the table. Kyle looked up at Amber with near identical anger. Amber couldn't help but feel hurt and blind-sided. What the hell was up with everyone here? Her angel grace was jumping into high gear now...with that familiar ball of heat building even more within her heart and behind her eyes. What was going on?

"We're not done talking about this," Dean said. Everyone at the table fell silent. After a few seconds, he leaned forward and whispered into Amber's ear, "You rocked, by the way. Despite the wussy song."

Amber, again blind-sided by all of this, was feeling the emotional whiplash from the cold and hot of Dean's response. Her angel grace was having none of this...and she felt she needed to get out of this situation, out of this room. "I need to go to the bathroom," she said. As she attempted to get up, Kyle placed a restraining hand on Amber's arm. This was not what she was expecting. Was Kyle siding with her brothers?

"Take someone with you," was Dean's command.

Claire hearing this immediately offered, "I'll go."

Both brothers looked at Claire and simultaneously said a loud, "No!"

This took Jody back. "What is up with you two being so rude?" Jody was looking from the two men to Kyle, and back to Sam and Dean, her own face a mix of anger, confusion and disbelief.

Amber, needing to get out of there and deciding to overrule her brothers, just reached for Claire's wrist and pulled her up as she stood up, leaving the table of people gaping in astonishment. Amber was openly defying Dean and just leaving. "I'll be back," was all she could get out. This was overwhelming. As Amber stood up, so did Kyle, shooting an angry and concerning glance at the bouncer who was very interested in this family squabble...that also was obvious to everyone in the tavern.

While the band had continued to play their set, the music had lulled the crowd in the tavern and this whispered argument had been a low grade buzzkill to their previous music-induced high. Angry glances came at them from nearby tables...clearly telling this disruptive table to keep it down or take it outside.

Getting to his feet, Kyle said in a rather authorative manner, "Amber, I'll go with you."

Glancing at him, as she felt her own anger rising, Amber considered this hunter. How did he come off giving her orders like he was her boss? Not having the wherewithal to respond to any of this, she just tugged on Claire's arm more and headed out of the room. Dean was up like a shot, headed in their direction with Sam gaining his own footing.

Jody instantly intervened. "Sit down! I'll go with her." Her voice was no nonsense and full of the authority she commanded as sheriff, being the final word on any situation within her control.

"Jody, you don't…" was as far as Dean got and he was stopped in his tracks by the hardest glare he'd ever received as an adult...and he wasn't' crossing this line. Jody had run out of patience with being kept out of the loop on clearly important things..which Amber was paying the price for. Uh ha! Not on her watch she wasn't.

Dean froze in mid step and mid speech...feeling intimidated by this five-foot nothing woman.

"We'll talk when I get back. You three, stay right here," was said in Jody's strong, commanding tone of 'I've had enough of this.' Jody only needed a split-second glance at the three men to impart her meaning that if her orders weren't obeyed there would be hell to pay. Again, this was a first...stopping them in their seats. Turning away from the table, and following after Amber and Claire, Jody caught up to them as they turned the corner heading to the women's bathroom. Alex witnessed this interaction, feeling like an intruder into a family's drama. She remained quietly sitting in her own seat...temporarily forgotten by the others at their table. She was OK with this.

The three men remained sitting at the table feeling like they'd just received a scolding from mom.

Kyle had no idea how powerful Sheriff Mills could be and decided he'd underestimated this woman. This thought went through both Dean and Sam's minds, too. The three of them decided they'd just sit tight and see what happened.

Dean and Sam did trust Jody...and under the circumstances, with them not fully disclosing Amber's situation, she was their best option in order to not have a full-on family shouting match. Exchanging a glance with Dean, Sam felt the familiar anxiety of being out of control. Having to let something like this play itself out, ate at him. It ate at them both.

Silence prevailed. They waited. Dean finished his bourbon, and getting the waiter's attention, he pointed to his empty glass while holding it up and giving it a jiggle. Nodding at him, the waiter indicated the message was received. Within minutes another bourbon with water was delivered to Dean and he continued to drink. Sam worked on his beer...while Kyle wished he could openly drink, too. This situation was seriously fucking up his own plans.

Catching up with the pair, Jody spoke to Amber, "I don't know what's going on, but I'll go with you." Turning her attention to the blonde, "Claire, you go back, sit with those two, and keep them there. I don't want them interrupting us. Can you do this?"

Amber, only vaguely aware of what was going on around her kept walking towards the bathroom. She rushed to the first sink she could find and splashed a few handfuls of soothingly cool water on her face. The cold water was jarring and she needed this jolt. Leaning over the sink, forearms resting on its sides to support her weight, she closed her eyes and took in deep, steadying breaths.

Jody watched her and her confusion and anger turned to worry. Amber looked pale and on the verge of collapsing. She briefly wondered if she had a belated stress reaction from performing. This seemed so unlikely for someone who performed at such a professional level and so naturally, but Jody couldn't think of anything else that made sense. Walking to her she clasped a gentle hand on her right shoulder and leaned close to her.

"Honey, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

Amber's brain, still focused on getting the physical manifestation of her powers under control, couldn't work fast enough to think of an excuse. She simply shook her head hoping Jody would get the message and give her a few minutes. Splashing a bit more water onto her face she slowly stood up straight before reaching for a paper towel from the dispenser. She patted her face dry and took in another deep breath before turning to look at Jody, leaning back against the tiled wall.

"Is my mascara running?" She asked. This was such an obtuse response to this situation.

Cracking a tiny smile, Jody shook her head. "No, honey. You're fine." Looking Amber in the eyes, really focusing in order to convey her serious meaning, she continued, "What happened out there? Why were Sam and Dean so upset?"

Realizing that Jody probably thought her brothers were the reason for her losing her composure she decided to roll with it.

"They're just… so impossible sometimes, you know?"

Offering a sympathetic smile Jody nodded.

"I know. Though I really can't understand what got into them tonight. Don't they like that you're singing? Sam talked to me with so much pride about your performances…I'd never expect them to have such a reaction!"

Her fast thinking finally kicking in as her heart rate was now slowing, attempting to regulate back down to normal. The pressure behind her eyes was diminishing. Amber answered, "They think that me being Dean's daughter makes me a…a target. They don't want any attention drawn to me...to avoid things out there, especially demons, coming after me to get at them."

As she wove her excuse, Amber felt the revelation of her own words.

Of course Sam and Dean were angry with her.

She had promised to lay low. But she didn't do any of this on purpose! This wasn't planned, this just happened… And in the heat of the moment she failed to think straight. Fuck! She had to make this right and she had to act fast. If they thought she'd act recklessly again there was no chance in hell that they'd leave her here like they originally planned. She had to play the contrite card and plead temporary insanity. She could blame all of this on her being so happy and more or less high on life...which in fact, was the truth. Art imitating life.

Then her thoughts trailed to what she had just experienced. The sense of threat, her powers emerging protectively, telling her loud and clear that she wasn't safe. What on earth was that about? She was in a tavern full of people in the company of three seasoned hunters and two less experienced ones. Nobody had threatened her in any way, nor sought her out.

Were her powers acting up?

Was this even a thing?

Should she be worried?

For the first time since meeting him, she wished Cas was here. He'd know what was going on. Or at the very least he'd be able to guess. Would she tell Sam and Dean about this? She knew she should… But she also knew that if she did, after going up on that stage and blowing their "laying low" cover, there was no chance they'd let her stay in Sioux Falls. And she couldn't bear to lose this short trip. No way in hell. No, she needed to find another way to go about this.

Jody's presence came back into focus as these thoughts receded. She'd have to improvise quickly.

"They're just really worried something bad will happen to me. And I don't blame them," Amber tucked on after a few silent seconds. In this situation, Jody confirming to her brothers she regretted going up on that stage could definitely play in her favour.

Gaining some insight on the situation, Jody found her frustration with the Winchester brothers decreasing ever so slightly. She still thought they didn't have to make such a big scene out of this, but she got where they were coming from.

"They have a strong point. Being a Winchester comes with a price. But I don't blame you for enjoying yourself out there…doing something you clearly love. And Amber...you were fantastic!"

Jody had to slide this compliment in somewhere. Amber's talent had blown them all away. "Your dad and uncle will understand this, too. They just got worried and overreacted. It's what they do. Well, it's what Dean does." Amber and Jody exchanged a small smile.

"I guess," Amber mumbled. She hoped they would understand. Otherwise, she wasn't staying any extra days with Jody and the girls.

Her angel grace response was abating now and Amber felt much better. "Jody, will you help me convince them that it's OK for me to stay with you?" Manipulation kicking in, Amber knew a key ally when she saw one. Jody was a strategist...used to working with grown men and maneuvering situations into her own favor. And Amber could tell Jody Mills usually got what she wanted from Sam and Dean.

"You got it. You feeling up to going back out there again?" Jody's coaxing and concern were soothing.

Once again, Amber was reminded of how much she wished she could have met this strong woman years ago...been adopted by this woman. As her trail of thoughts led her straight to the few and painful memories of her own mother, and her birth, Amber felt her defenses crumbling. Receiving a hug around the shoulders, Amber looked at Jody and her eyes welled up. Silent tears started falling. She didn't attempt to hide them or to get herself under control. There was a time in her life that she'd never have let her emotions show. But ever since her family came into the picture she'd found this stoic character trait steadily changing. She found herself crying more easily now. She didn't fear showing her emotions. The fact that she was no longer on her own, that there were others to help keep her safe and protected so she could let her feelings out...none of this had crossed her mind.

Amber's renewed crying caught Jody off guard. She had no idea what was causing this response, but she hugged Amber back, harder this time, holding her as the girl dissolved into a puddle of tears. Jody kept her arms wrapped around the girls thin shoulders. She assumed it was the stress of this situation colliding with her birthday celebration...which had previously been going so well. Jody let Amber cry it out as she rubbed her back comfortingly. When her sobs finally slowed down, the woman reached for the paper towel dispenser and grabbed a few sheets. She handed one to Amber, and watching as she used it wipe her face and blow her nose, Jody silently considered Amber's situation at the bunker.

When Amber was finished clearing up the worst of her crying mess, Jody took a second one and gently dried Amber's face, wiping under her eyes, where her makeup had now smudged up a bit.

"Crap," Amber mumbled as she used a third towel to pat her face completely dry. Her shoulders shook with a few last dry sobs and she turned to look at herself in the small mirror above the sink. Her cheeks and nose were flushed and her eyes red from crying. "Now everyone will know I was crying. Just perfect," she said mostly to herself glaring at her reflection.

"Well… Maybe I shouldn't be giving you such advice, but… Sometimes a tearful face goes a long way to make people see things from your point of view," Jody told her with a wink.

Letting out a wet-sounding chuckle, Amber turned to face the woman again. "Are you proposing that I manipulate my guardians with tears?"

"I'm merely suggesting that your tears might trigger some empathy," Jody said with a grin.

"Who can find fault in that?"

Seeing Amber's shoulders relax, a small smile on her own face. Jody continued, "Now, come on! There's a cake still waiting to be cut, presents to be opened, and a certain dad and uncle to be persuaded you'll be safe and sound staying here with us. Just…laying low a bit more effectively this time around."

Taking in a deep breath Amber nodded and let Jody take her hand and lead her out of the bathroom and back to their table. As soon as the two of them joined the rest at the table, every set of eyes at their table turned to Amber.

Sam's face immediately clouded over when he spotted the telltale signs of tears on their sister's face.

"Amb, you alright?" He asked, honest concern lacing his tone.

"She's fine," Jody intervened with a clear and decisive tone.

"And this is still her birthday," she added sending a pointed look to Sam, Dean, and Kyle. Turning back to Amber she grabbed the knife that lay wrapped in a paper towel next to the cake and handed it to her. "Cut your cake, honey."

Amber shot one last glance at her brothers, before taking the knife and cutting the first slice. She still felt slightly shaking inside, but she steadied herself. Jody helped her place it on a plate. The waiter had brought out a stack while they were gone. Setting this first slice off to the side, Jody then offered Amber another plate to fill up. Amber proceeded to cut the rest of the cake into perfectly layered slices and served them to everyone.

Handing the last plate to Kyle, she looked at him with a mixture of confusion and insecurity. She hadn't liked the way he'd spoken to her. And she wasn't sure where they stood. His apologetic smile made her feel a bit more at ease. They'd have to talk about this, but it would have to wait.

As the party of seven started devouring this amazing cake, tiny moans of appreciation could be heard from around the table. The band was playing in the background. No one spoke for a while.

A few moments later, Claire's snarky comment, "Helluva birthday, Amber," brought a chaotic normalcy to the table and eased off some of the tension.

Once every plate was practically licked clean, Jody announced, "Present time!"

Amber felt some of her excitement return to her as she took hold of the first bag that was shoved in her hands.

"This is from me," Jody said with an eager smile and watched as Amber untied the ribbon that held the giftbag's handles together. She took out a cute cosmetic bag filled with bath products. Sparkly, sweet-scented bath bombs, fancy soaps and moisturizers, a couple of essential oils vials, and two kinds of exfoliating sponges. The whole bag smelled wonderful and Amber couldn't wait to get back to Jody's after the party and try out at least half of those products. Alex's gift was surprisingly nice. An instant polaroid camera. Not a fancy or expensive one, but still a great present. Amber was super excited about it and placed it on the table, insisting that they had someone take their picture before they left the place.

When Claire's turn came she discreetly informed Amber she didn't want to empty out all of the bag's contents while in public. Taking the hint, she glanced inside and barely managed to keep from laughing and drawing attention to what was going on. Inside the bag laid a lacey garment, that looked like lingerie, a pack of condoms, and a vinyl disc. Taking out the vinyl recording of 'Tan Vampires',she marveled at it and winked at Claire conspiringly. She found the gift a bit of overkill, even for Claire, but she enjoyed the humour behind it. She had grown to like the blonde's audacity and took this for what it really was, an inside joke and a best-friend kind of gift. Plus, she did love the vinyl. It was from the band the two of them had first heard while hanging out together. And that alone meant a lot to Amber.

Despite already knowing what Kyle's present was, she still opened it so that the rest could take a look. Amber noticed that Dean did look impressed and Sam sent Kyle a measured, but still acknowledging look. This was a hunter's gift. And the brothers approved.

"So, I guess this leaves us last," Sam said with a soft smile.

Amber noticed both Sam and Dean looked calmer by now. Feeling a bit better with the shift in their mood, Amber smiled. "You guys! The flashlight and t-shirt were more than enough," she commented jokingly, ignoring the confused glances exchanged by everyone except the brothers. Still, she leaned closer as Sam reached behind him and offered her what looked like a thin book, wrapped in gift-paper. When Amber took it in her hands she realized it was too light to be a book. Carefully tearing the paper off, she revealed a framed picture of three men and a young woman. She had to stare for a few seconds to realize what she was seeing.

"We know you never got to meet him, but he's a big part of who we are… And he's your… your Grandpa, so… We thought you might like this," Sam explained, his voice thick with emotion.

"You made this for me?" Amber asked looking at Sam with her eyes at the verge of welling up and her finger trailing over the picture.

"I know my photoshop," Sam answered with a smirk. Unbenounced to Amber, and especially unknown to Jody, Sam was the skilled forger for all of their governmental documents. Sam was good.

Amber looked back at the picture. Sam, Dean, and the man she knew from her mother's memories to be John Winchester, all stood tall, smiling, next to each other. Sam had placed a photo of herself from their days in the bunker, laughing at something Dean had said, right in front of their father. It looked like all three of them had posed for this picture, and for the first time, Amber realized the intense resemblance among all of them. Clearing her throat, and managing to keep her voice steady, she carefully placed the framed picture inside one of the other bags and turned to Sam.

"Thank you," she said and Sam offered her a warm smile. A small tear worked its way down her cheek and she brushed it away quickly. Both Sam and Dean noticed this. The three of them knew just how much this meant to them all.

Dean, saying nothing, placed his own wrapped packet on the table. "I think this will go nicely with… Kyle's gift," he said, struggling to get out Kyle's name without attaching any profanity to it.

Eyebrows knitting together, Amber unwrapped her last present and gasped with excitement. It was a dark, leather knife sheath. Bringing it close to her eyes for inspection she noticed it had numerous protection sigils engraved in it. Her eyes then caught a smaller but clear engraving on the inside of the sheath. JW. Turning gaping eyes to Dean, she let out a second gasp when his nod confirmed her speculation.

"This was your...um...your Grandpa's as well," Dean said, his own face cracking a small smile for the first time since Amber had taken the stage.

He'd spent considerable time searching for something of John's to give to his sister. He watched Amber's smile growing to a grin and her eyes again shining with unshed tears.

"Beats the gas-station gifts, then?" He asked only half-jokingly.

"Hell yeah," Amber said with a hearty chuckle. "Although, I really like the T-shirt." Imagining the reaction had she worn that T-shirt tonight, she was grateful she chose something much more stylish. She didn't need to keep reminding Dean of her mature sexuality.

They stayed a bit longer, enjoying the music and slowly falling back into easy conversation and joking. It was about an hour later, that Amber asked the waiter to take a picture of the seven of them, before they paid the bill and headed out of the store.

The seven of them walked out of the warm tavern into the chilling night, and stood awkwardly at the sidewalk. After a few silent seconds, Jody turned to Amber and took the gift bags from her. Handing them over to Claire she instructed, "You and Alex head home in our car and I'll ride with Amber and the boys. Put those in Amber's room, please. Sam and Dean will drop us off soon." When the girls complied with the request Jody glanced around them and spotted the Impala. Let's get in the car and let Amber and Kyle say goodbye. It's freezing out here!" Not waiting for an actual answer, Jody clasped a hand around Dean's forearm and nodded for Sam to follow them as she practically dragged a grumpling Dean towards the car.

Amber snickered lightly at the less-than-subtle hint, but greatly appreciated Jody buying her and Kyle some privacy. Amber turned to look at him as he stood next to her, looking uncomfortable.

Kyle stared back at her for a few seconds before asking in a slightly awkward tone, "I hope you enjoyed yourself tonight."

"I did… considering…" Amber answered leveling him with a steady gaze. Kyle was silent, keeping his eyes on her, but remaining quiet. "What was "that" in there?" She finally asked.

Kyle considered playing it dump, but decided against it. "That was me being jealous," he answered easily. "It was a dick move. I'm sorry," he added and brought a hand to cup her face.

Amber eyed him for a few seconds, sizing up his words. She was certain this was only part of the truth. "So… I'll be in town for a couple of days, hopefully. How about we meet up again?" She asked hating how uncertain she sounded. His reaction tonight had altered their balance. But then again she remembered the few moments they spent alone, when he first gave her the knife, how her heart melted. She wanted to see him again and wouldn't pretend she didn't.

"Sure," Kyle answered. Leaning close he kissed her first with a light peck and then with a deeper kiss. After their lips parted he rested his forehead on hers for a few seconds, eyes closed. When he managed to inch away from her, he added, "I'll call you."

Amber watched him take a step back and offered a small smile. "Right," was the only thing she managed to get out. As she shivered in the cold breeze, she tugged at the leather jacket she was wearing and suddenly remembered. Ignoring the cold and getting the jacket off she handed it to him, "I almost forgot," she said quietly.

Accepting the jacket Kyle nodded, his expression more distant than before. "Thanks. Now, go ahead," he said nodding to the Impala a few feet away from them. "It's freezing. And I wanna make sure you get in alright."

Rolling her eyes slightly at his words Amber gave him one last lingering look before turning around and hurrying to the Impala. Once she closed the door behind her she turned and watched Kyle waving a hand before turning his back to them and entering the tavern once again.

Dean's hand went to the ignition and he turned the key, only for Jody to reach from the back seat and turn the engine off. The oldest Winchester turned to look at Jody questioningly.

"I wanna talk about tonight and about Amber's stay," Jody said. "And I want us to talk here, not at home where the girls might listen in."

Sam and Dean exchanged looks, but remained silent. They had no idea where they stood with their plans of leaving Amber behind. Especially after tonight.

"Look, guys, I'm really sorry. I now realize why you got mad. I didn't even think about drawing attention. I honestly didn't. I swear," Amber immediately added, taking advantage of the brothers' silence.

Sam and Dean had turned in their seats and looked at her as she spoke from the back-seat, weighting her words for truthfulness.

"That's kind of the problem, though, Amber. You act first and think later. This isn't helping with the… with our situation," Sam answered.

"Sam, it's not like I planned for this to happen though, is it? I got up there and asked for my song. When they said they didn't know the words… I just went default. Singing was my everyday life up until just a few weeks ago. I just… I just let myself have a good time. It was risky, I get that now…"

Jody heard them, closely watching the Winchester brothers' expressions and uneasiness. She took the lead now.

"There haven't been any demon or other supernatural activity in Sioux Falls for more than a year now. I know you worry… I understand your fear that she might be targeted by someone. Being Dean Winchester's daughter is a heavy load, that's for sure… but Dean, Sam… I'm here. I'll keep a very close eye on her. We'll all agree she won't draw attention like she did tonight again during her stay, right Amber?"

"Right!"

"And she'll obey the rules and be careful, while still having a great time with Alex and Claire," Jody continued, eyeing Amber.

"I promise I will! I promise, guys! Please!"

Sam and Dean exchanged looks again. Speaking for the first time, Dean leveled the girl with a hard gaze. "If we do this… You have to tow the line. When we first discussed the stay here, we told you that it's imperative to lay low. And that it's crucial to mind the rules. Ours and Jody's. This ain't a game. This ain't a power struggle. This ain't a chance for teenage stupidity and is real shit and real dangers. You know that better than anyone!" He emphasized his last words, eyeing the girl emphatically.

"Knowing what lies ahead… and against my better judgement, I'll let you stay. You'll stay tomorrow like originally planned and then two more days like Jody offered tonight. We'll keep our promise. But you'd better keep yours, too. If you do anything to make me regret this decision, you and I are going to have a problem. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Again, he didn't have to spell it out. Nor would he in front of Jody. Amber understood. Loud and clear. And Jody did, too. The unspoken meaning behind this phrase was obvious. So this was how it was for them. Not so unusual for a hunting family. Still...not something she could do.

"I do! I understand! I promise and I'll lay low," Amber immediately nodded, not believing her luck.

Sam nodded at her words. "Amber, you know our situation better than anyone," he tucked on.

"You know what dangers… lay ahead. Treat this opportunity with the respect it deserves. Have a good time, recharge your batteries, and know that we have no idea when this will happen again. Don't make us cut this trip short. We don't want this...and you definitely don't want this."

"Understanding all the layers of his words and implied meanings, Amber nodded again.

"I won't!"

Jody watched the interaction silently. Seeing that the brothers weren't being unreasonable, she decided no intervention from her part was needed. She still couldn't quite grasp all of what was going on it was abundantly clear to her that they were hiding something big from her. But she couldn't for the life of her imagine what it was. Sure, being Dean's daughter was a risk, but this all seemed too over the top.

When Dean turned the key in the ignition for the second time, she didn't stop him. She leaned back in the leather back seat and watched Amber staring out of the window with an excited smile.

As the Impala roared into life and backed out of its parking spot, a pair of eyes from inside the tavern watched it closely. The eyes of the bouncer creased in the corners with his widening smile. He was more than pleased with himself and his discovery. As the car eased out onto the road it passed right in front of the tavern. The bouncer could clearly make out the Winchester girl's face as it stared out the backseat window. The heavy eyelids of the man lowered for a blink. When they peeled back up, pitch black eyes watched the Impala's tail lights.

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