May 2003

Ellie POV

When Sam shows me his acceptance letter, I burst into tears. A mixture of happiness and sadness consume me. I know it's his dream, it's his chance to get away from his dad, but a part of me selfishly wants him to stay longer. I get my acceptance into the university thirty minutes away the next day, mom and dad insisting it's the right one for me. I still plan on taking the following year off, but I have yet to inform them of my plan.

The day before graduation, I'm on the floor of the bathroom for the fourth morning in a row, emptying the contents of my stomach. I chalk it up to nerves, Sam leaving in less than a week, finals and graduation. I feel a cold towel on the back of my neck, and turn my head to see mom behind me, trying her best to soothe me as I fight the urge to vomit again.

"Honey," she says, rubbing my back, "maybe we should take you to the doctor?"

"Mom," I offer weakly, knowing all the color has drained from my face. "I'm fine. I think it's just a stomach bug. I don't even have a fever."

"Either way, you're staying home today, I'm gonna call the school."

"Mom," I try to protest, dry heaving over the toilet. "It's the last day, no one's gonna believe that I'm sick."

"It doesn't matter, Lizzy. It's only a half-day, your teachers will understand. The ceremony is tomorrow, and you need to keep up your strength, your father and I would hate it if you couldn't go."

I try to stop her, but she's already out the door, and I can hear the muffled sounds of her calling the school. I gather myself and head back to my bedroom. I crawl into my bed, pulling the covers over my head and sleep for hours. I wake up late in the afternoon, feeling slightly better. My eyes focus on the framed photo on my bedside table; a present Sam had given me weeks earlier on what he called our six-month anniversary. I smile, thinking about how he sheepishly explained that it had been six-months since we had met. It was from one of our first dates, nearly ruined when I got my period. It suddenly dawns on me. Shit.

I hop out of bed, making my way to the desk where my day planner sits. I frantically open it to the beginning of the month, looking for the subtle stars that I would have put on the pages, nothing. I go back another month scanning the pages desperately, assignments, and the occasional date with Sam being the only thing written on them.

"Has it been since March?" I whisper to myself as I count the weeks. "You cannot be this girl, Ellie. Ten Weeks." I cover my face with my hands, thinking back. Spring Break. "Shit."

"Lizzy? Everything okay?" Mom calls from outside my room, perhaps I'm not being as quiet as I thought. "You feeling any better?"

"Yeah, mom, I just…" I open the door to come face to face with her; concern etched on her face. "I think I'm gonna go for a walk, get some fresh air."

"Would you like me to go with you?"

"No, I won't be gone long," I say, grabbing my wallet as discreetly as I can, heading downstairs and out the front door. I make my way to the drug store, praying that I'm wrong, we'd been so careful. The chime of a bell pulls me out of my head as I enter the store. I feel a sense of relief as I look around, noticing that the store's empty besides the pharmacist behind the counter. He's new to Weldon, and I rejoice knowing he won't recognize me, smiling at me as I walk past him.

I stand in front of the row of tests, I hear the chime again, bringing my attention to the door, and I begin to panic as I recognize one of my classmates. I grab a test and make my way to the counter, quickly paying. I rush home, run into my bathroom, and tear the box open, carefully reading the instructions. I slip back into my room, quietly shutting the door behind me, and sit on my bed watching as my clock slowly passes the time. I take a deep breath as I compare the stick to the box. Positive. Crap, crap, crap. I throw the box and instructions away, keeping the test, willing it with all my might to change. If anything, the pink plus becomes more dominant, taunting me.

I stare at the test in my hands, unsure of what my next move should be. How am I gonna tell Sam? What about Stanford? I'm unable to stop the tears from flowing.

"Honey, are you sure you're okay?" I hear mom's voice on the other side of the door. "Maybe you shouldn't go out, you should-" she opens the door just enough to walk in. She stops in front of me, and I can hear the concern laced in her voice. "What's wrong?" I know I look a mess, face blotched, and eyes puffy. I grip the test tighter in my hands and shake my head. "Lizzy, whatever it is, you can tell me."

"You'll hate me," I whisper, not looking up. "I can't-"

"Lizzy, I could never hate you." She closes the door behind her. "You're my daughter, and I love you."

I open my hands slowly, revealing the test to her. It takes her a moment as she takes a step closer, taking it out of my hands.

"Oh, Lizzy," she whispers, handing it back to me. "How—how did this happen?"

"I'm sorry." I choke out through sobs, "We didn't mean to. I—I—"

"Shh.." she sits down next to me and wraps her arms around me, placing a kiss on my head; I'm prepared for yelling, not this. She holds me against her as sobs leave me uncontrollably. "Sam?"

"I thought we were careful. It-It was an accident."

"What was an accident?" Dad says as he walks by my room, "Sarah, Lizzy?" He looks between us. I open my mouth to speak, but all that comes out is another sob. His eyebrows furrow at the sight in front of him. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

"Rob, you should sit," I feel the bed dip for a moment as mom steps away from me, and guides dad to a chair in the corner of my room. She gestures to me to move towards the end of my bed, so we're both facing him. "I want you to stay calm, okay?" He nods reluctantly. "Don't jump to any conclusions, Lizzy is going to need you," Dad's jaw clenches and his breathing becomes heavier as he prepares himself for what mom is about to tell him. "Lizzy is.." mom's own voice is shaky, she takes a deep breath, "pregnant."

All the worry and confusion on dad's face immediately fades away. His face grows red, his brow furrows, and his breathing becomes rapid. He stands up quickly, pacing the floor of my bedroom. He's silent as I continue to cry, my shame and embarrassment consuming me.

"Sam," he rasps, unable to look at me. "He- he took advantage of you." I can see a vein throbbing in his neck,

"Rob. Lizzy's old enough-"

"That boy is over 18, Lizzy is a minor… I should go down to the sheriff's office right now and—"

"Daddy, no!" I cry, trying to reason with him, "Sam, he didn't- he didn't do anything to me. It's not his fault."

"Like hell, it isn't!" He continues pacing in front of me, mom grabs at his shoulder, trying to get him to sit back down. "He's clearly been conditioning you ever since the attack. He made sure that you thought he was your savior so that you would do anything for him."

"Rob, calm down, this isn't good for Lizzy, what's done is done, and there's nothing we can do about it. Lizzy and Sam, they'll have to deal with the consequences."

"No, Sarah. We told her that boy was bad news. Now Lizzy's in trouble." He turns to face me. "You aren't having that baby," he says sternly.

"Dad," I barely muster, "you can't. Please."

"Rob, let's talk about this." Mom tries to argue, "maybe we should-"

"You're not having it." He points at me, "and you're not going to see that boy again." Dad leaves my room; mom quickly follows him.

For the rest of the night, I hear muffled arguing. I fall asleep, still clutching the test in my hands. When I wake up in the morning, dad doesn't speak or even look at me. As I sit down at the table, he immediately leaves, and I want to break down. Mom offers a sad smile, eyes puffy, and red. She runs her hand down my back, leaning forward to press a kiss to my forehead. "We'll get through this, Lizzy."

*LINE BREAK*

When we arrive at the school the next day, I search the hallways for Sam. I find him standing outside the auditorium watching as parents file in. 'You can do this, Ellie.' I'm about to touch his shoulder when he turns around, widely smiling when he sees me standing behind him. He wraps his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Missed you yesterday," he says, placing a kiss on my cheek. "Your mom said you were sick." My whole body stiffens, and I take a shuddering breath. He pulls away from me slightly, noticing my blotchy face, and the tears I'm trying to fight. "Ella, what's wrong?" I shake my head and look down at the floor, not ready to say the words. "You're scaring me. It can't be that bad, talk to me, baby."

"It is that bad," I whisper, bringing my eyes up to meet his face. "I- I thought it was stress, or a bug or something. Then I realized, it's been weeks."

"Ella." His eyes search my face, trying to make sense of what I'm telling him. "Weeks since what? What are you trying to say?"

A shattered exhale leaves me, "I'm pregnant."

All the color drains his face, "No, you can't be," he shakes his head. "We always use protection."

"Spring Break?" I mutter, choking back the lump in my throat, using all my might to not break down in front of him.

"That was over two months ago." Sam paces in front of me, stopping when he catches sight of me. "You're sure?"

I chew on my bottom lip, nodding my head.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" he asks, running his hands through his hair, apparent concern lacing his voice. "I would have been there with you."

"'M sorry," my voice cracks, "I didn't know. This is my fault. I should've-"

"No, Ella, this is not on you. It takes two, and I should've—we both should have been more careful," he says, pulling me back into a hug, holding me as I sob into his chest. We stay like that for a few minutes; I can hear him sniffling and feel his hands leave me for a moment to wipe his eyes. He lets me calm down before speaking again. "What do you want to do?"

"Dad wants me to get rid of it," I say against him.

"Your dad doesn't get to make that decision," he says firmly. "What do you want, Ella?"

"I don't know." I was still processing everything. I haven't even thought about what I'm going to do. Neither mom nor dad asked me what I wanted. All I can think about are our futures, how badly we both want to get away from our families. Now, it doesn't seem like a possibility. I can't get rid of the baby; it's Sam and me."I want to have it," I pull away, my eyes fixated on the ground, "but if you don't—"

He stops me, softly cupping my face and guiding it up until our eyes meet and then smiles warmly. "Ella, I love you so much, and this," he splays a hand gently over my stomach, "is our baby. If you want to keep it, Ella, I'm here."

"What about Stanford?" I ask softly, it is his dream, and as much as I don't want him gone, I don't want him to feel forced into staying."You've worked so hard."

"Come with me," he says, taking my hands in his. "You, me, and the baby. We'll go to California; it'll be the fresh start we've both always wanted." A glimmer of hope wells up inside me, and I smile. "Away from our parents, everyone who knows us, we can do whatever we want."

"Don't say something you don't mean."

"I mean it, more than anything. I love you, no matter what. I think we can do this, together, I'll figure everything else out. Take a few days, I still have to tell my dad about Stanford, and I'll tell him about the baby too." I can't believe what he's saying. "I'm leaving on Monday, and I want you to come with me."

"You don't have to do this, Sam," I look back down at the ground, "this can be your out." John's words from months ago replay in my head. "I'm just some girl from a town you were working a case. I was never gonna leave this place. You can tell me the truth. If you don't ever want to see me again, I'll understand. I don't want you to think I'm trying to trap you."

"I love you. And I'm gonna love our baby so much. Monday, at 7 a.m., I'll be waiting for you."

****LINE BREAK****

Sam POV

Sunday comes quicker than I expect it to. Dad wants to leave the night of graduation, just like he threatened, but I convince him to wait out the weekend. He and Dean had been working back-to-back hunts for the last month, and though neither of them will ever admit it, they're exhausted. I already quit my job at the grocery store and I use the little money I have saved to buy a ring from the pawn shop—a simple gold band with a small square-cut diamond. One day I'll get her the ring she deserves. With Dean in town, I know I can easily get into the bars and earn some extra cash for the trip. Dean's always been the better player, but I need to get as much as I can, for Ella and the baby.

I should have proposed the moment she told me about the baby, but it would have seemed forced. I don't want her to think that the only reason I want to marry her is that she is pregnant. I want her with me; I want her to be my family.

There is only one hitch in my plan; Ella's parents. At seventeen, we would still need her parents' consent to be married. Not only will I need their permission, but I also need their blessing. 'They're very old-fashioned.' Ella's voice rings in my ear. They never quite warmed up to me, only tolerating my presence when necessary. That will have to change now; I'm the father of their grandchild, I'm going to marry their daughter.

Dean and dad are out, so I pull out a button-down from the back of my closet. I haven't worn it since Valentine's Day, but it's the nicest piece of clothing that I own. I lift my pillow, inspecting the ring once more before putting it in my pocket. I pull up to Ella's house and notice a dim light coming from her window. I take a brief moment, calming myself before walking up to her front door. I knock and pace in front of the door, reminding myself to breathe. I hear grunts on the other side before the door swings open.

"You've got some nerve showing up here, Sam," Ella's father appears in front of me.

"Sir, I want to talk to you about Ella," I say, trying to keep myself calm as I see the growing anger on his face.

"You took advantage of Lizzy, and now she's in trouble."

"I didn't-" I take another deep breath. He can't possibly believe that; I have to make him understand. "I love Ella, and I take full responsibility for what happened. Ella and I-"

"There is no you and Lizzy," he snaps. "You stay away from my daughter."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Y/L/N, but I can't do that. Ella's carrying my baby, and I want to be with her, forever." I scramble for the ring in my pocket. I open the box to show it to him. "I want to do the right thing, sir, I want to marry her."

"That's not going to happen, Sam," he says, dismissing the ring and stepping out from the doorway and onto the porch. "You ruined Lizzy's life, and she wants nothing more to do with you. She's spent the last three days broken up over everything, Everything she's worked so hard for, it's all gone down the drain, thanks to your foolish behavior. She's asked her mother to make her an appointment at the women's clinic, and then this will all be over. You can go back to your own life, and Lizzy can go back to the plan we made. There will be no baby."

"No," I whisper, "She said… she can't." She said she wanted to keep it, what changed? "Please, Mr. Y/L/N, let me talk to her."

"She can, and she's going to. You will not be talking to her anytime soon. Don't you think I know what you've been up to? The only reason her mother and I allowed you two to date was because Lizzy begged us. She told us you were a good person, and I'll admit you had me fooled. I know you've been conditioning her ever since the attack, making her reliant on you. You're lucky I haven't gotten the sheriff to arrest you, stay away from our family."

"Sir, please. I- I have never done anything to hurt your daughter. Please, can I have five minutes with her?" I'm desperate. I need to talk to her. I need her to know that I'm here.

"No. Lizzy has already made her decision, and we will not allow you to talk her out of it. She doesn't want to see you again."

"Please, leave our family alone," Ella's mother says, appearing behind her husband. "Haven't you done enough damage? We all want what's best for Lizzy; as soon as all this is over, we're moving. This is too much for her."

"Please, I love your daughter. I want to marry her, that's why I'm here." I show the ring to her mother. "To ask for your blessing and your permission, she and I can do this. Please, just let me see her," I beg them. "Please."

"She's resting." Her father sighs, taking the ring from his wife's hands and handing it back to me. "Sam, this was a difficult decision for Lizzy, and she didn't come to it lightly. You should go."

I leave the house, defeated. I know she wouldn't have made that decision without me. If it's what she wants, really wants, then I can understand, but I still want her with me, baby or no baby. I have to hope that she'll show up tomorrow morning. She has to.

Pulling back into the motel parking lot, I spot dad's truck, but the Impala is nowhere to be found. A part of me is happy that Dean isn't here; there's no way I can tell both dad and Dean about Stanford and the baby. It's going to be hard enough to tell dad about Stanford, but having to also tell him about Ella, and admitting he was right about us, that scares the crap out of me. He had made it clear that he thought she was too young, and that we were getting too serious, too fast.

The ring box sits in the center of the bench; I can't bring it back inside, not until I talk to dad. I take a couple of deep breaths, calming myself before exiting the car. Maybe once he learns I got a full-ride, he'll understand, it's only four years. I pull my key out, slowly unlocking the door as I prepare myself for whatever may happen next.

"Hey, Sam," Dad's walking between the dresser and the spare bed, packing his duffle bag, whistling as he takes in my appearance. "A little dressed up for hustling, don't you think?" He laughs as my cheeks burn. "How'd it go? Make any money? Swindle some college kid out of his trust fund? Or maybe you got some old bat to leave you her fortune, set us up for life?"

I laugh uneasily, setting my keys and phone down, dreading what I'm about to tell him. I rarely see him in a mood like this, I huff, struggling to find my words.

"C'mon, Sam, you know I'm just fuckin' with you." He zips the bag up and sets it on the floor. "You say good-bye to Ellie yet? Don't drag it out; it'll only make things worse."

"I—"

"It's for the best Sam. Maybe in a few years, after we finish the job, you can come back and see her again. She'll probably be married, have a gaggle of kids running around." My heart stops beating at the mention of kids. I know what he's doing; he wants me to be ready for her to move on, he still thinks I'm going with him and Dean. "She'll probably just get her M.R.S. degree while at college."

"Dad," I stop him. "I- I have to tell you something. Why don't you sit?"

"Oh-kay." He's confused but compiles, sitting on the edge of the bed, "What's going on, Sam?"

I pace in front of him. 'Stanford first. Then Ella and the baby.' I know he isn't going to like anything I'm about to tell him. I look down at the dark green carpet of the room, never having paid attention to it before. I look back to dad, concern, and impatience etched on his face. I'm leaving in the morning; I can't have them both in the dark, tell him.

"IwasacceptedintoStanford," I blurt out. He furrows his brow, and I realize he didn't understand me. I take a deep breath, preparing myself to say it again, this time more deliberately. "I was accepted into Stanford, full-ride," I say clearly, "and I'm going. There's early admission, and I have to be there in a few weeks."

"S-Stanford?" He says in disbelief, a small smile forms before he shakes it off, hardening his face. "Sam, we talked about this. There's no reason for you to go to college. Your brother and me, we need you."

"It's what I want, dad," I say calmly. "Ella and I-"

"Ellie," he sighs, "of course it's about her," he groans, burying his face in his hands. He is silent, and I can see his shoulders tense and nostrils flare before he's off the bed, pacing in front of me. "Ellie is a minor, Sam. You can't just up and take her with you to California. You do know what happens when you take a minor across state lines without their parent's permission, don't you? It's called kidnapping. And I'm sure her parents would have no issue pressing charges against you. We've all tolerated your little romance," he huffs, "but it's time to move on." I knew what that tone meant, no room for argument. "She's a nice girl and all, but she isn't cut out for the life we lead, you know that. You belong with your brother and me, and she belongs here."

"She's coming with me," I state, trying to keep my voice steady. I wanted to ease into this subject, but I can see from just this moment that there's no easy way to do this. "Her and the baby."

He looks like I just hit him with a ton of bricks.

"Jesus Fucking Christ, Sam! She's pregnant?" Dad roars, "she's knocked up, and what? Goddammit, son, I told you. I told you to be careful, I told you to end it with her, and now you think you are going to ride off into the sunset? You're going to take her away with you, from the only place she's ever lived? She's trying to trap you here, Sam, don't you see that?"

He paces back and forth in front of me, his anger rolling off him in waves. I try to stay calm; he's shocked and pissed. "You barely even know the girl. She could be sleeping around with half the boys in your class. You're just gonna believe her when she tells you that kid is yours? No, Sam, I'm not gonna let you ruin your life just cause some little slut-"

All I see is red. I have dad on the floor before either of us realizes it's happening. I'm holding him down as my fist pulls back and connects with his jaw.

"Don't you talk about her that way!" I yell as my fist comes down again. I can already see a bruise forming at the base of his jaw, and I can feel my knuckles getting scrapped with every hit. "It's my baby!"

He doesn't fight back at first, letting me get in a few more hits before his hand connects with my cheekbone. He flips us over, easily holding me down. He keeps me pinned there as I thrash against him. His palm meets my face again, and he loosens his grip on me. I pull my hand back, going for the final hit. I don't realize that he's trying to calm me down.

"Sam, you can't let this girl ruin your life, and that's exactly what's going to happen."

I hear the door open, and dad's distracted as I land another blow. Dean pulls dad off of me, as I try to go in again. "What the fuck is going on?" He inspects dad as I get up, feeling the bruise forming on my cheek. Dean steps away from dad, and I go charging in again.

"That's enough!" Dean shouts, stepping between the two of us. "Sammy, back off." He looks back at dad, who's wiping the blood away from his nose. Dean walks me away from dad, fights between us rarely got physical, and Dean knows that. Him needing to pull us off of each other could only mean something serious. "Talk to me, man, what's going on?"

"Nothin'," I pant. Dad lets out a sarcastic laugh. I move towards him again, jabbing the air as I try to close the space between us. Dean is quick to push me back, "Don't talk about her."

"You're a selfish son of a bitch; you know that? Gonna walk away from your brother and me?" Dad spits out. "For what? Some girl? College?"

"Sam? What is he talking about?" Dean looks at me, questioningly.

"I was accepted into Stanford. And I'm going. I'm leaving first thing in the morning."

"Wait, tomorrow?" Dean steps back, and his eyes go wide at my confession. "Sammy, you can't. We need you."

"I'm going, Dean, it's something I have to do. If I stay here any longer-"

"Sammy…" Dean runs his hands over his face, guiding me towards the door. "Let's take a drive before you say something you'll regret."

"Fine," I say, picking up my keys and exiting the room. Dean's close behind me, entering the car as I turn the engine over.

"Something else you want to tell me, Sammy?" He asks, picking up the box. "Something to do with Ellie?"

"No," I snap, grabbing it out of his hands and placing it in the glove box. He opens his mouth to speak again, "I mean it, Dean. Drop it."

****LINE BREAK***

Ellie POV

I gather my things quietly, packing as much as I can into a large duffle bag. I write out a note and leave it on my desk, hoping that Sam and I will be long gone by the time mom or dad find it. They are making plans to send me away soon, sending me off to live in the middle of nowhere until the baby's born, and I can put it up for adoption. I called Jana last night, asking her to take me to the motel, I know I can trust her to keep my request a secret.

I quietly make my way down the stairs and out the front door. Jana's already at the corner where our streets intersect, warmly smiling as I get into her car, quietly sipping on a coffee. The smell makes my stomach turn, and I use every ounce of will-power I have to not vomit in her car. We sit in a comfortable silence as she drives towards the motel. I take in the town one final time, knowing I very well may never come back here. She drops me off in the parking lot and insists on staying until she sees Sam, but I assure her I'm okay.

I walk up to the door, knocking on it softly—grumbling coming from the other side. John answers the door, a look of surprise on his face when he realizes it's me.

"Mr. Winchester," I say, looking around the room, noticing the alarm clock next to Sam's bed, 6:15. "Is Sam here?"

John takes a deep breath, seemingly turning something over in his mind. He looks down at the bag at my feet.

"I'm sorry, darlin', Sam's gone," he says, pointing to where Sam usually parks his car. "He left last night."

"W-what?" I look into the room. "He said-" John smiles sympathetically at me. "He's coming back, right?" I asked, hopefully. John shakes his head. "Can I call him? It's important."

"Left his phone here," he says, gesturing to the side table. "Said he didn't want to be bothered anymore."

"But what about...?" I move my hands to my stomach, John's eyes follow, and he lets out a sigh.

"He told me about the baby," he says looking where my hands were gently laying. "I hate to be the one to tell you this Ellie, but he decided he wants nothing to do with it. Said it's too much." He takes another long breath as if what he's about to say is going to hurt him. "Said he," John closes his eyes as the words come out of his mouth, "doesn't want to be saddled down with a kid."

"What?" I can't believe what I'm hearing. "Why would he say that?"

"I don't know, darlin'. I told him if that's how he felt, then he should talk with you." He brings his hand up to his chin, and I notice a small bruise forming there. He rubs the scruff forming on his face, "He thinks that you got pregnant on purpose so you could trap him into staying here. "

"I- I wasn't, I'm not." I shake my head. "I'm going to have the baby," I blurt out. "My parents wanted me to- to have an abortion, but I told them I couldn't." I take a long breath, trying to keep myself calm. "They want me to give it away, but- I don't know, I want to keep it. It's my baby."

"You do whatever you think is right, Ellie. And if I hear from Sam, I'll tell him what you've told me. Here," he says, grabbing a notepad off the table and writing a number down. "You need anything, you call me, okay?"

"Thank you, Mr. Winchester," I say, folding the paper gently and sticking it into the pocket of my bag, letting the tears I'd been holding back fall freely.

"You can call me John, Ellie, we're family now." He smiles warmly. "Let me take you home, darlin'."

We don't speak on the drive to my house; the only sound filling the air is my sniffs. John parks in front of my house, and gets out to come around and help me exit the truck. He stands there for a moment, before gently pulling me into a hug, reminding me to call him if I ever need anything. I smile and nod, wiping the tears away as I turn away from him, walking towards my home. I look back once more, and he gives me a smile and a wink. My parents are out the front door before I've made it halfway there. Mom keeps her arms around me as dad charges towards John's truck.

"You keep your son away from my daughter. If you don't, I'll-"

"You'll what?" John says, stepping away from the truck. "I'd choose your next words wisely." Dad's body stiffens as John approaches him, eyes shifting to me, then back to dad. "I know about Ellie's condition, and I am no happier about it than you are." It's the last thing I hear before mom ushers me inside. I watch from the living room window as John and dad continue talking for several minutes. As soon as he's gone, mom and dad walk me towards their car, confirming what I already know; they're sending me away.

****LINE BREAK****

Sam POV

We've been out for hours, Dean spending most of the time trying to get me to tell him what was going on between dad and me. He already knows that it involves Ella, guessing that she was trying to get me to stay. "A-As long as you didn't knock her up. Last thing any of us needs is a baby showing up on our doorstep." I nearly choke on my beer.

"But you always wrapped it, right, Sammy?" he laughs, taking another shot. I nod hesitantly. "Then you got nothin' to worry 'bout."

"Yeah." A part of me wants to tell him, Dean's the only one I know I can trust to help us through this, make dad understand. But as he finishes off his beer gesturing at the bartender for another, speech becoming more slurred, I know I can't tell him, not like this. He's pissed off enough at the thought of me leaving; I can't disappoint him further.

"Stanford, huh?" He throws back another shot. I know he's trying to cover the bitterness in his voice when he grumbles, "Dad's never gonna let you go."

"He can't stop me; I'm nineteen. I'm not like you, Dean, I want to be more than just a hunter."

"You're just gonna go off, knowing what's out there and not do anything about it?" Dean accuses, tossing back another shot of amber liquid. "Live some college-boy fantasy life? Join a frat?" He's becoming more belligerent. "You should've dumped Ellie weeks ago. She won't be able to handle the long-distance." Dean brings the brown bottle to his lips. "Can't let some chick stop us from what we do best." Some chick. I want to punch him in his face. "They always fall hard, Winchester's have a-always had a-way with the ladies."

"Whatever you say, Dean." He's drunk and probably won't remember any of this later. "Let's go," I say, pulling him off the barstool, and he nearly takes us both down. I walk him out of the bar, putting him in the back seat of my car so that he can sleep it off. I settle into the front seat, cautiously reach into the glove box, and pull out the ring. She'll be there. She loves you. I repeat it over and over until sleep consumes me.

A rapping on my window pulls me out of my deep sleep, a security guard telling me to move along. Pulling out of the bar's parking lot, I notice the time, 6:30. Shit, I need to hurry, I told Ella to meet me at 7:00. Dean grumbles in the back seat as I pull into the motel's lot and shut the car off. I'm already at the door to our room by the time he stumbles out of the back, but before I can stick the key in the lock dad swings the door open. Dad rolls his eyes as Dean struggles to stand upright.

"Dean, why don't you go take a shower and sober up? We're leaving in an hour," he snaps, taking in our appearance. Dean mumbles in response as he pushes past me. Dad closes the door behind me and inhales deeply. I open my mouth to speak, but he raises his hand to stop me. When we hear the shower running, he turns to me, rubbing his face.

"Sam," his eyes meet mine, "I know we both said some things last night." I walk past him, not acknowledging him. "But you can't just walk away. You can't walk away from your brother and me. We need you, Sam."

I consider his words and then grab my bag off the floor. "I'm going, and you can't stop me." I walk to the door, "Ella will be here soon, and we're leaving, together."

"Ellie's not going anywhere with you, Sam," he says as I reach for the doorknob. "She called after you left, she and her parents agreed that the best decision for everyone would be termination. She doesn't want you around anymore. She wants you to stay away so that you both can move on with your lives."

"No!" I shout, turning back to face him, I can feel the heat pooling in my face. "She wouldn't do that; she loves me. What did you say to her?" I'm only inches away from him and can see the discoloration in his face from our previous fight. He continues to stare at me, face devoid of emotion. As I wait for him to answer, my anger gets the better of me, and my hand goes through the wall. "I know you said something," I accuse him. "What did you say to her?"

"The only thing I told her," he sighs, "is that you would support any decision she made." My vision is hazy as I hit the floor, sobs leave my body, and I can't breathe. "I know this isn't what you wanted to hear, and I'm sorry."

He pulls me into a hug, something that he hadn't done in years, and lets me sob against him. "Ellie wants to be able to forget any of this ever happened, and I think you should too," he says, trying his best to be comforting. I didn't know how long I had been crying when dad finally spoke again. "I found us a case in Mississippi, and if we leave in the next hour, we can get there before dark."

I pull away from him. Of course, the next thing he would bring up is a case. I'd just lost my first real love, and all he can think about is a case.

"No," I mumble, wiping the tears away from my eyes.

"Care to speak up, Sam?" Anger replaces the calmness that filled his voice moments ago.

"I said, no." Rolling my shoulders, I stand to my full height. "I told you last night that I'm leaving for California today. With or without Ella, I'm done hunting."

"You really are a stubborn son of a bitch. You're gonna just leave your brother and me?" I don't respond. "Just like that, huh? You get accepted into some fancy college, and now you're too good for us? Is that it? You'll never have a normal life, Sam. Whatever you do, you're going to put anyone you care about in the line of fire. You think you can handle that?" He scrubs a hand down his face. "Goddammit, son, think about your brother, you're just gonna walk outta here without a word to him? You think Ellie wants to have a kid with someone who has no respect for their family?"

"You don't know a fucking thing about me and Ella." I get into his face, "I love her. I want to marry her. I'm going to convince her to keep the baby."

"If you really care about her, you'll respect her wishes." Dad lowers his voice when he hears the shower turn off. "She wants you to stay away, wants nothing more to do with you, and you will not manipulate that young girl into keeping a baby she clearly doesn't want just because you think you do." Dean emerges, and dad pauses for a moment. "Let her move on with her life, son, and then you can too, with your brother and me. In a couple of months, you'll forget all about her."

"I'm done," I huff, reaching for my bag.

"Sammy," Dean pleads, "C'mon man, we talked about this, Ellie will understand."

"You can't control me anymore, dad," I say bitterly, facing him once more. "I'm not going to be your obedient little soldier anymore. I fucking hate you. You robbed Dean of his childhood, I never had a chance, and now, when I've got the opportunity to start over, you think I'm going to pass it up, for you? I would've—for Ella, but never ever would I do it for you," I reach for the door. "All I ever wanted was to be normal. You won't stop me this time."

"You walk out that door, don't you ever come back, you hear me? Ever."

I look at Dean a final time; I can see his eyes glistening, his jaw clenches as I turn the doorknob. 'I'm sorry.' I open the door, taking a shuddering breath as I do the only thing I can; leave.