Katie walked outside to find Sam. He was on his way back up the drive way when she spotted him. She shyly waved and waited for him.
Sam stopped at the bottom of the steps and huffed out "water." between deep breaths.
Katie ran inside and brought him a bottle of water.
He took a long drink and wiped his face with his shirt before looking up at Kate and tilting his head.
Her face turned red and she looked down at her shoes. "I'm sorry I was mean to you. I shouldn't have yelled at you or tried to kick you."
"It's okay kid. Think of it as a right of passage." He said with a grin.
She shook her head. "If there are any other rights of passage I think I'll just skip those."
He got to the top of the steps and leaned against the railing. "I did try to warn you." He said with a raised eyebrow.
Katie smiled sheepishly. "I was too mad to listen but wish I had."
He nodded, knowingly. "Mad at your dad?"
"How'd you know?"
"You and I are a lot alike Katie. That's why I tried to dig you out of trouble before Bobby walked in. I get it. I'd get frustrated when I had to toe a line and my dad could just come and go as he pleased. I felt like it was a double standard. I couldn't understand why he would leave and we'd hear radio silence for weeks. Heck, I still get mad at him. I just handle it better now." He held his arms out for a hug.
Katie walked into his embrace and recoiled. "Ew, you are sweaty."
He laughed and let her jump back. "Fine, I'm going to grab a shower and then we can go fishing if you still want to."
Katie flashed a grin and squealed, "Yes!"
He grabbed her in a headlock and led her in the house. "Hey, Bobby? If you're done with Katie can she go fishing with me?"
Bobby walked out of the kitchen and saw the two standing in the entry way. He was glad the two were in each other's good graces. "You two go ahead. Just be back before dinner and keep your phone on you."
Sam let Kate go with a gentle shove to the side. He bounded the stairs and shut the bathroom door. Kate felt a pit of happiness growing, replacing the anger that had taken up residence in her stomach. She ran up to her room and dug through her bag. She grabbed her boots, sunglasses and a blanket. She snuck a pillow underneath the blanket and smiled to herself. She didn't think Bobby was grouchy enough to take her pillow but she might as well play it safe.
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20 minutes the later, the pair headed outside. Sam led the way through a worn path to a small clearing.
"I didn't know Bobby had a pond." Kate stated.
Sam nodded his head. "The pond has been here forever but years ago, my dad promised me he would take me fishing for the first time. We were going to go out on a lake with a boat and everything. I was excited but of course, the day before, my dad caught wind of a case and ditched me. Dean had called Bobby to let him know we were going to stay up here for a few days. When we got here, Bobby had these poles. He heard about what happened with my dad and took me down here to spend the day. We didn't catch anything. I'm pretty sure there weren't any fish in the pond but I needed the one on one time more than the fish, I think. Anyway, when we came back a few months later, the pond was full of fish. Bobby never would admit to it but I know he stocked the pond for me."
Katie sat her stuff down and squinted up at Sam. "That was really nice of him. Bobby really likes you guys."
Sam smirked. "Yeah it was. He likes you too, you know. He likes to pretend that he is all gruff and tough but deep down he's a teddy bear. But, don't tell him I said that."
Katie giggled. "That can be our secret."
The two sat on the edge of the pond and casted their lines out. They chatted quietly about anything and everything. Katie was happy that Sam was talkative. She didn't get to just chat very often. Usually she was told she talked too much.
An hour passed and no fish were caught, but Sam was right, the one on one time was nice.
A pinecone caught Sam in the shoulder blade and he turned around to glare at his older brother.
Dean laughed and said, "If I had been a monster, you two would have been dead. You need to be aware of your surroundings."
Sam hurled the pinecone back at Dean's head.
Katie stood up and cleared her throat. "We heard you as soon as you stepped into the woods. Hippos don't live in this part of the world so we just assumed it was you. If you were trying to sneak up on something, you'd be dead."
Sam snorted and high fived her.
Dean was stunned. He walked over and grabbed her and acted like he was going to throw her in the pond. She screamed and giggled. He sat her down and stooped to steal her pillow.
"Deannnn give it back, that's mine."
"You called me a hippo."
Sam piped up. "Actually, you sound like a hippo. Slight difference."
Dean swung the pillow and hit Sam in the face with it. "Since when did you two team up and why against me?"
"Since you ditched me to go on a date with your car." Katie said jokingly.
Dean scrunched his eyebrows. "Wait, no I went out with Cindy, the waitress from the diner down the road."
Sam chuckled. "I don't know Kate. Do we know a Cindy? He very well could have just took baby out. Seems in character enough."
Dean rolled his eyes and bopped both of them on the head with the pillow. "It isn't pick on Dean day. Move over and give me a pole." He glanced into the bucket beside Sam. "You know, if you two stopped yapping for two minutes, you might actually catch something." He crouched down on the edge of the pond and started to thread a worm onto his hook.
Sam winked at Kate from behind Dean's back and used his foot to push Dean into the pond.
Katie squealed and took several purposeful steps away from the pond. She thought for sure Dean would be pissed.
Dean scrambled back onto the edge of the pond and stood up. "Oh, it's on."
Sam screamed and ran. Dean caught up with him and wrestled him back to the pond. He stood on top of a large boulder and threw the younger Winchester in the deep part of the pond. Katie laughed whole heartedly until Dean turned around and made eye contact with her.
Her eyes flew open and she held up her hands, "Wait. I didn't do anything!"
Dean closed the gap between them. "Yeah, you called me a hippo." He threw her over his shoulder and returned to the big boulder. He took two large steps and launched both of them into the water.
Katie resurfaced and splashed water into Dean's face. Sam swam over and jumped on his back. They were so caught up in rough housing that they didn't hear or see Bobby coming down the path.
He whistled loudly. "So much for fish for dinner." He said with a raised eyebrow.
Dean shoved Sam and Kate's heads under the water and swam to the edge. "You know Bobby, I tried to tell them and they just wont listen."
Bobby laughed and slapped the back of Dean's head. "I am willing to bet my house that you started it."
Dean threw his hands up. "Maybe it is pick on Dean day."
"Do I want to know?" Bobby asked, glancing over at Sam and Kate.
Kate shrugged innocently and stated, "Dean's a hippo."
"See! She called me a hippo." Dean said toward Sam.
Sam walked over and shook his hair out on Dean. "She's not wrong."
Bobby shook his head and smiled. "Since fish is out of the question and since you started it, Dean, you can go back into town and bring home food for supper."
Dean huffed in resignation and started walking back to the house.
Bobby shouted over his shoulder, "and Dean, I swear if I find muddy foot prints on my floor I'll skin you alive."
Dean waved his hand without looking back, "Yeah, yeah I got it!"