As she opened the front door she saw Dean, he was leaning on his car talking their father. She let the door slam behind her so that they knew they had company. Both looked up towards her. John walked up the stairs and stopped by her.

"Dean tells me you tracked the demon down" she looked up at him.

"Yeah"

"Leave that kind of work to me Emma" he walked into the house. She followed him in. they made their way to the kitchen where Missouri had called out to them.

"You don't think I'm capable of this do you?" she asked him as she walked behind him. He stopped and turned to her.

"I know his habits and I've been following him for years – the fact that you even knew he was in Lawrence is coincidence"

"You just can't let it go can you, we cant have leads, you have to always give us the work, the leads, even if we wanted to help you for a change you wouldn't accept it" she felt someone take her hand and looked behind her to see Dean, he shook his head slightly.

"Your not experienced Emma, the demon is evil and can get you killed" John told her.

"But he's not after me, according to Missouri, he has no problem with me" john was taken aback by that.

"Then there's nothing keeping you here is there?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked him, getting angry again.

"Your good at running Emma, we would never see you if we didn't track you down – that's all there is to it" he moved off.

"I'm not doing this for you" she told him to his retreating back. He ignored what she said.

Emma leant against the door and just watched as John settled on a chair. He looked tired and withdrawn. A conversation started and she didn't join in which was fine by her as she had too much anger pent up to say anything worth saying. She leant her head against the door and crossed her arms. Dean stood not far from her, keeping an eye on her. She straightened up and turned. He stopped her by placing a hand on her waist.

"Where you going?"

"Air" she sat on a rocking chair that Missouri had out on the porch, tucking her legs under chin, the chair rocked.

Sam came out and joined her, sitting beside her.

"You know that for me nothing has changed" he murmured. She looked at him and took his hand.

"Sammy, you know I'll always love you, you're my brother no matter what"

"But I feel that something has changed between you and Dean"

"Something but I don't know what" she laid her head on his shoulder and curled her arms around his arm. "I miss him Sam" he nodded. Dean had miraculously detached himself from them since the highway. Sam believed it was because Dean didn't like getting hurt and it was the only way for him to be able to cope with it.

"You do need to talk to him" he felt her sigh.

"I know, but how and when? He's already got his back up because he's here"

"Speaking of which, are you going to ask him about it?"

"Yeah, just working up from being angry to being able to be civilised"

"I'll come with you squirt" she shook her head.

"Tell you what Sam, you stay here, I'll come find you once I'm done" she gave him a kiss and went inside.

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She put the file in front of him. He looked up surprised at her.

"What's this?"

"I followed my dream –"she sat down in front of him. "I went to the registry today, something was bugging me" she kept her voice neutral and soft, determined he wouldn't get to her. He opened the file and read it. With one hand he rubbed his face and passed it over his head. Then he looked at her.

"So you know, I think when you were small, we had made the decision to tell you when you were older"

"But then it all changed?" she asked.

"Yeah it all changed, that wasn't my priority" he agreed.

"Can I ask you something?" he looked at her. "Did you wish on some days that it had been me and not Mom that had died? Because I was a stranger in your family?" she asked softly.

"Some days, you were a special little girl Emma, we – Mary suspected your gift when you were adopted, just this feeling she had, and I guess she was right"

"Why do you undermine me? That I can't do something when I put my mind to it?" she leant back in her chair.

"Out of habit I guess, I know you're strong, but I don't want any of you to die because of this thing, do the boys know?" he asked.

"I told them, Sam's ok with it, but Dean – "she cut off.

"Dean?" john asked, asking her to go on with what she was going to say.

"Dean's detached himself, he's put up his defensive wall" she wasn't going to add that Dean went cold when he was around his father, so that his father wouldn't hurt him with his abruptness. Dean wouldn't forgive her for it.

John leant back in his chair. "That's the way he's always been, get the job done, doesn't let his feelings get in the way, and I'm glad he's detached himself" that statement brought Emma's gaze back to him.

"Why?"

"In my mind, dean's always had an attraction for you, but being your brother he felt embarrassed by it, now – now that its all in the open that he's not –, he's always been protective of you, protecting you as much as he's protected Sam, well now with all this - I don't know what he's thinking, but I hope he stays as far from you as possible"

Emma stopped breathing for a minute. The last bit of that sentence hurt. She met his eyes.

"I'm staying for this fight – after that, I don't know" john nodded and stood up. She looked up at him. "Dad?" he looked at her. "Even if you don't love me, I hope you love the boys as much as I do"

"Come here" she stood up and went over to him. He framed her face with his hands. "Even with my down days, you're my little girl regardless, the boys – I do love them beyond anything in this world no matter what I do, ok?" he gave her half a smile.

"Ok" he gave her a kiss, he wasn't a showing man, but he felt he had to make this exception; it wasn't Emma's fault of what had happened. The demon had chosen his victim. He hugged her for 2 seconds then took a step back. "Get some sleep, long day tomorrow" he left the room.

Hope he stays as far from you as possible – his words echoed in her mind, all she could assume was that it was because distractions could cost them. She fiddled with the file and thought. Missouri wandered into the room and cast a look her way.

"Your heart is still heavy girl. Even if your not blood related, you still have that Winchester attitude and zest for life" Emma looked at her and smiled genuinely. Missouri smiled. "So good to see you smile, you'll stop hearts one day" Emma looked away at that. Missouri touched her face. "You already claim two hearts, and that's the only two you'll ever need, so tell me, do you want something to eat, you haven't eaten"

"Sure, what's cooking?" Emma smiled at her. Missouri saw too much but Emma knew she had her heart in the right place.

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Most of us have our own perceptions of what a person could be like given a situation or opportunity to spill out more then is naturally required. This chapter did just that.

Trying to keep to the true form of the Winchesters but adding as I said in my first chapter, the family psychotics to it all………………………

More to come.. .its not ending here just yet.