Kayla Winchester had a pretty good life. She was eight years old and in the third grade. She was a few inches shorter than the rest of her classmates, but as uncle Dean put it, 'you're just tall enough to teach them something when they pick on you'. She was almost a straight-A student. She struggled with science, but Daddy was good at it, so he usually helped her out.

Slowly, Kayla noticed, things started to change. Mommy usually worked three days a week, time that Kayla would spend with grandma. But mommy started to work less and less, and was home more. But she didn't pay as much attention to Kayla. Kayla sometimes had to call Jess three or four times before she'd get her attention. It was the same, but to a lesser degree, with her dad and grandmother. After nearly a month of dealing with everyone's inattentiveness, Kayla decided to do something about it.

She started on Monday. Daddy had put a calendar in her room, and every day that passed, she marked it off. Tuesday passed, then Wednesday, then Thursday. With each day, Kayla grew more and more upset. Why was no one noticing? Didn't they miss her? Friday came. She got home from school and did her homework. At five o'clock, Daddy came home from work and told her to get her shoes on. She was going to her grandma's. Kayla got her sneakers on and sat on her bed, waiting on Mommy and Daddy to tell her it was time to leave. Finally, Daddy came to the door, laughing and grinning down the hall at Mommy.

"You ready to go…baby, what is it?"

Kayla wondered at first why Daddy sounded so scared, then she realized she was crying. She wiped her face and turned away, not wanting to look at him.

"Kayla, honey, come on, talk to me. What is it?"

Kayla just shook her head. Sam walked inside and sat next to her on the bed. He tried to hug her, but Kayla didn't let him.

"Kayla, honey, please. What's wrong? Why are you crying? Do you not want to go to grandma's?"

Kayla shook her head again.

"Why are you not talking? Are you mad at me or something?" Sam said. "Honey, please. Talk to me. What's going on?"

"I haven't talked all week."

Sam was surprised at how hoarse Kayla sounded. Was she sick? "What was that?"

"I haven't talked all week." Kayla said. "Since Monday."

"Honey, that's not possible." Sam said.

"Yes, it is. I haven't said one thing to you or mommy all week. And you haven't said anything."

"Honey, we've talked to you." Sam said.

"You have." Kayla said. "But I didn't say anything back to you and you didn't care."

"What's going on? We ready to go?" Jess had joined them and was impatiently waiting to go.

"Jess, we've got a problem." Sam said. "Kayla said she hasn't talked to either of us all week."

"What?" Jess asked. "Really?"

"Told you!" Kayla said sadly. "You didn't even see it!"

"Oh, honey, we're sorry." Jess said, walking in to join them on Kayla's bed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Kayla glared at Jess and Jess read between the lines. That was the point, getting you to notice me.

"Sorry. Dumb question." Jess said. "Why did you do it?"

"Because you guys stopped listening to me. You're always off somewhere by yourself talking. I have to call you over and over to get you to even look at me. You don't tuck me in anymore, and you don't ask me about school…." Kayla said.

"Okay, honey, we get it." Jess said. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Daddy and I have been pretty distracted this week."

"Distracted by what?" Kayla asked. "Is something going on?"

Sam and Jess shared a look between themselves, one that Kayla would call as an adult their 'talk without talking' look. They nodded and Jess took Kayla's hand.

"We've got something to tell you, sweetie." Jess said.

"What?"

"Well…" Jess said, looking to Sam who seemed just as excited as she was. "Mommy's having another baby."

"What?" Kayla asked. She looked at Jess's stomach and placed her other hand there. "There's a baby in there?"

"There is." Jess said.

"Is it a girl or boy?"

"We don't know yet. We won't know that for a few more weeks." Jess said. "What do you think?"

"Wow." Kayla said.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Sam asked.

"I guess." Kayla said. "Do I have to go to grandma's tonight?"

"You don't want to?"

"I want to spend time with you guys." Kayla said. "Please?"

"I guess we can do date night next week. What do you think?" Jess asked, looking to Sam.

"I think you're right." Sam agreed. "Why don't you call your mom and Kayla and I'll start a movie."

"Deal!" Kayla and Jess said at the same time.

Though Kayla felt better for one night, she started feeling scared again the next day. Everything moved really fast. Jess found out she was having a girl, and the baby's first name was decided as Mary. The bedroom next to Kayla's, which before had been used as a storage room, was emptied out and Sam and Dean started to create a nursery. Kayla noticed that Jess' energy started to go down, and she didn't want to do as much as before. One night, towards the end of the school year, with only four weeks left until Jess was due to give birth, Dean found Kayla alone in her room.

"Hey, kiddo. What's going on?"

"Hey, uncle Deanie." Kayla said.

"You okay? Why aren't you in the living room with everyone?"

"Just wanted to be alone." Kayla said simply.

"I see." Dean answered. "Can I be alone with you?"

"Sure."

"So, what's been going on?" Dean asked. "You doing good in school?"

"Yeah." Kayla said. She waited an awkward moment, then said, "Uncle Deanie? If I tell you something, you promise not to tell Mommy and Daddy?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"I don't want mommy to have this baby." Kayla said. "I'm scared of it."

"You're scared of the baby?"

"No, just what's gonna happen once the baby gets here." Kayla explained. "Mommy and Daddy are gonna like the baby more than me."

"What makes you think that?" Dean asked. "I happen to think you're the coolest kid on the planet."

"Thanks. But I live with Mommy and Daddy, not you." Kayla said sadly. "I just wish they'd let me help a little more."

"Did you tell them that?"

"I tried. It's hard to get them to listen to me." Kayla said.

"Listen, kiddo. I know how you feel. I know it's scary to get a new baby in the family."

"You do?" Kayla asked.

"Yeah. I'm your dad's big brother, remember?"

"Oh, yeah." Kayla said. "What was it like when Daddy came home form the hospital?"

"Well, at first, he looked like a little red, wrinkly, crying potato." Dean said, making Kayla giggle. "But after a while, he got bigger, and more fun to be around."

"Your mommy and daddy didn't stop paying attention to you?"

"Well, yeah, at first they did. But it wasn't on purpose, kiddo. You gotta remember-babies need a lot of attention. They can't do anything at all without their mom and dad's help."

"I can help too." Kayla said.

"I know you can, kiddo. Just give your mom and dad some time, okay? They'll get back to normal. Till then, just help them out as much as you can." Dean said. "And if you ever feel like you need somebody to talk to, you can call me, or your grandpa, or your grandma. Okay?"

"Okay, uncle Deanie. Thanks." Kayla said.

Sam suddenly appeared at the door, panic stricken. "Dean, I need you to stay here with Kayla."

"What's wrong?"

"Jess's water broke." Sam said.

"Is she okay?" Kayla asked.

"She'll be fine. It just means the baby's coming." Sam explained.

"WHAT?!"

Kayla jumped off the bed, pushed past her father and uncle and ran into the living room. Jess was sitting on the end of the couch, breathing very hard and very fast.

"Mommy? Are you okay?"

Jess looked up and tried to push past the pain of the contraction she was feeling. She could hear Sam down the hall, packing things in a bag and Dean talking to him as he did so. When the contraction passed, Jess held out a hand to the now crying Kayla. Kayla grabbed Jess's hand and held it tight, scared to death that something bad was happening to her mommy.

"Mommy's okay, sweetie. The baby's on her way."

"But you're hurting. You're crying." Kayla said. "Is the baby doing that?"

"She doesn't mean to, honey. It hurts to have a baby. But it's worth it." Jess said. "It'll be over soon and your little sister'll be here."

"Alright. I got it. Time to go." Sam said, a duffel bag on one shoulder and a blanket under one arm.

"No! You said it wouldn't be 'til I got out of school. Mommy, don't go!"

"Kayla, we don't have time for this…" Sam started to say.

"Sam, it's fine. One second." Jess said. "Kayla, listen, baby. Mary's decided she doesn't want to wait. She's ready to come now. It happens sometimes. It's not bad, it just means she's coming early."

"But…"

"Shh. Listen, honey. Daddy and I have to go. Uncle Dean's gonna stay here with you. I need you to stay here and wait for us. Okay?" Jess said patiently.

"When'll you come back?" Kayla asked.

"I'm not sure, honey. It could be a couple of days. But after the baby's here, Daddy will come back and get you and bring you to the hospital to meet her. Okay?"

"Okay, mommy." Kayla said. "Will it hurt you if I give you a hug?"

"Never."

Kayla hugged her mom, but a bad feeling took hold on her. She knew that something bad was about to happen. Daddy had to pry her off of Mommy and get her to let them go. Kayla cried the whole night, worried about her mom and wanting to be there with her. It didn't help that grandma Leslie wouldn't come over. Whenever Kayla felt scared, she had always been able to go to her grandma. Uncle Dean kept telling her everything would be okay, but she didn't believe him. A whole day passed before Kayla got any news. Grandpa John came and told her that the baby was here, but that Kayla would have to wait at least another whole day to go to the hospital. Kayla felt like screaming. What were they hiding from her? Where was her mommy? Why couldn't Kayla talk to her? Much to her frustration, uncle Dean made her go to school, but she couldn't concentrate. She hadn't seen or heard from her mommy in two whole days, and after she cried in class, she found herself in the office waiting to be picked up.

Grandpa came in, and Kayla expected to be in trouble. But grandpa didn't look mad or annoyed, he just seemed worried and sad. Which made Kayla worried and sad. She didn't say anything, just ran up and hugged her grandpa tight.

"I'm sorry, grandpa, I just…"

"Shh. It's okay. You're not in trouble." Grandpa John said soothingly. "We should have known better than to think you could concentrate in school."

"Where's mommy?"

"Come on, kiddo. Let's get in the car first. Grab your backpack." John said.

Kayla, mad and frustrated that no one was telling her anything, burst into angry tears right where she was standing. "Where's my mommy?! Why won't anybody tell me?"

"Kayla Ellen, I know you're upset, but you still need to listen to me. Get in the car. Now."

"No!" Kayla said, stomping her foot. "I want my mommy and I want her now!"

John's patience had increased a hundredfold ever since his days of raising Sam and Dean, but one thing he had never been able to tolerate was outright defiance. Before thinking about it, he grabbed Kayla's arm and spun her around, landing one firm swat to the back of Kayla's leg.

"Kayla Ellen Winchester, if I have to tell you again, I will drag you out the door and give you a spanking in the car before we go home. Do you understand me?"

"I just want my mommy." Kayla said. "Why won't anybody tell me where she is?"

Kayla started crying, weeping really, and John immediately felt, as Dean would so delicately put it, like a dick. He knew the tears were from much more than him swatting her, and the spanking threat just made him wish he could go back in time. Kayla's crying was starting to draw stares, but John took a breath before he spoke again.

"Kayla, I'm sorry, honey. I know you're worried. But listen to me, okay? Your daddy's at your house right now. He wants to be the one to tell you what's going on. I just need you to get in the car so I can take you home. Will you please do that for me?"

"You promise to tell me what's going on?" Kayla asked.

"Your daddy will. As soon as I get you home. I promise."

"Okay." Kayla said.

"Good girl." John said. "Grab your backpack and let's go."

The ride back home felt like it took hours, but when Kayla got there, she was excited to see her daddy's car in the driveway. The second John turned his car off, Kayla unbuckled herself, opened the door, and ran into the house. She got out of the car so fast that she left the door open. When she opened the front door and walked into the living room, Kayla smiled when she found Sam sitting on the couch.

"Daddy!"

"Hey, bug." Sam said. "Come here."

Kayla ran to Sam and gave him the biggest hug she could. She hoped that, if Daddy was here, it meant that Mommy would be okay and would be home soon. But there was something in the way Daddy held her. It was too tight, like he was afraid. Like she held on to him when she had a nightmare.

"Daddy, where's Mommy? Is she okay?"

Sam took a deep breath and pulled Kayla away from him. "No, honey, she's not."

"What? What happened?"

Sam swallowed hard and broke the news he'd been dreading telling Kayla for hours. "She had the baby, and the baby's fine. But there was a problem with Mommy. She, um…she started bleeding. A lot. She lost a lot of blood and now…"

"Now what?"

"She's in what's called a coma, Kayla." Sam said. "It means that mommy's very sick and she might not wake up."