Chapter: 9

After a month had passed, with still no luck of finding Sam, Cora began to lose hope. She was supposed to have started school by now, everything was set up for her to go, she just needed a way to get there. She was too afraid to approach Dean and so she kept it to herself. She wondered endlessly what could have happened to her brother and for some reason she kept thinking it had something to do with the brothers "work" that they always talked about. She knew she was gonna find out in less than a year about what they did, but Sam had said he would tell her and now that he was gone, Cora was beginning to believe she would never find out. As she sat in her room at her desk and stared out the window, she grew lonelier and lonelier; her mind was constantly filling her head with fear about what could have happened to Sam. After an hour of this pondering, she worked up the nerve to go and ask Dean if he would tell her the truth.

Cora stepped out of her room and went to the living room just in time to see Dean walk in with a few other men. They all stunk of that grimy bar that Dean had been spending so much time at. Cora's stomach instantly turned at the trigger and she swallowed hard. She was about to turn and go back to her room when she heard Dean shout to her. He had sat down at the table and cleared everything off as he and his two other buddy's laid cards down and began to play some kind of card game that involved chips that Cora had never seen before.

"What?" Cora replied at the call of her name.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and get us some beers from the refrigerator?" Dean questioned. Cora thought to herself, that was the last thing these guys needed but she knew better than to question Dean's orders and she got some from the fridge and brought them over to the table.

"Can I play Dean?" she asked hopefully. The men let out guffaws of laughter and Cora cringed at their chuckles.

"This isn't a game for kids" Dean replied.

"Oh" Cora answered disappointedly. She looked down at her feet and went back to her room. She couldn't take this anymore, it was time for her to go out and look for Sam herself.

Cora opened her window and climbed out as she began her trek down the street. There were woods on both sides of her and a straight road that seemed to go on for miles in front of her. When she spotted lights in the distance she decided she would head that way and ask if anyone had seen her brother. She came to a gas station and asked the cashier there if he had seen him. she described as best she could about what Sam looked like and the cashier apologized and said he hadn't seen him. When she saw cop cars outside a local sheriff station, a beacon of hope went off in her head. If anyone could find her brother the police could. She walked inside and to her dismay the place looked empty. It wasn't until she heard a man's voice behind her that she turned around and walked further inside.

"Hey kid, what can I help you with?" he asked with a smile.

"It's my brother sir, he's missing" Cora replied.

"I see; do you have any one else staying with you?" he asked.

"My other brother Dean" Cora replied.

"And where's he?" the sheriff asked.

"He's at home, he doesn't know I left" Cora answered.

"Well, let's make sure he is able to find you when he comes lookin" the officer said.

"He won't come looking for me sir" Cora began.

"And why's that?" the officer questioned.

"Well, we don't really like each other" Cora answered.

"A lot of siblings feel that way" the sheriff laughed heartily. "But your still family, and family looks out for each other and cares about one another."

"I guess" Cora answered as she glanced down at the floor. The officer cleared his throat and looked back at the computer,

"So you said you were looking for your missing brother?" the sheriff asked.

"Yes sir" Cora replied.

"How long ago did you realize he was missing?" he asked.

"A month ago" Cora stated. The sheriff seemed shocked by this and he lifted an eyebrow in confusion.

"And your brother didn't fill out a missing person's report all this time?" he asked.

"He's been looking for him himself" Cora replied.

"I see" the sheriff answered. Just then Dean ran into the station and was shocked when he spotted Cora.

"Cora?" Dean said as calmly as he could, "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Sam" Cora answered.

"Yes according to your sister here, she said he went missing a little over a month ago?" the sheriff asked in disbelief.

"Oh she did?" Dean questioned, "I just came all the way here to find her and tell her Sam's home."

"He is!?" Cora asked excitedly as he whole face practically lit up and her eyes filled with joy.

"Well there ya go kid" the officer chimed in.

"Thank you so much for keeping her here sir" Dean said as respectfully as he could despite his hate for cops.

"No problem" the officer answered. Cora ran out to the car as fast as she could and Dean followed. Once they were home Cora threw the front door open and ran in expecting to see Sam sitting on the couch. When he wasn't there she searched the whole house and was frustrated when she didn't find him. Dean was lounging lazily on the couch, a beer in his hand, when she returned.

"I can't find him anywhere!" she exclaimed as she threw her hands up in defeat.

"That's cause he's not here" Dean answered casually. At first the words didn't register with Cora and she looked taken aback.

"What?" she questioned, "What do you mean?"

"I made it up" Dean replied as he took another swig. Her eyes watered instantly at the words.

"W….Why would you do that?" Cora asked.

"Why'd you go to the police station?" Dean asked. "You don't think I'm trying hard enough to find Sam?"

"I know you are…" she started. Dean threw the glass bottle at the wall and it shattered loudly against the plaster. Cora jumped at the sound and when Dean stood abruptly Cora began to instinctively back away.

"What the hell do you think you were doing huh?" Dean demanded, "I don't want you ever, EVER, going to the police!"

"I was just trying to help" Cora defended.

"Did I ask for your help?" Dean snapped as he stormed towards her until she was backed against a wall.

"N….No" she said shakily.

"I told you I'd find Sam didn't I?" he questioned. Cora nodded quickly. "And I've been doing that haven't I?" When she didn't answer Dean grabbed her shoulders hard and clenched his jaw. Cora winced and tried not to yelp as he held her there.

"I know you have" she whimpered. "I j….just worry about him."

"It's not your job to worry!" Dean yelled as his grip tightened. A cry escaped her lips and a tear rolled down her soft little cheeks.

"D…Dean please" she said as she tried to keep her voice from shaking, "Lemme go."

"You're gonna start behaving and staying where you're told do you understand?" Dean demanded.

"Yes" she answered. Dean let her go and she rubbed her sore shoulders as he looked down at the ground. He grabbed his jacket and made for the door. "Wait!" she yelled.

"What?" Dean questioned.

"D…Don't leave" she said.

"Do you want me to find Sam or not?" Dean answered.

"Can you go when it's morning?" she asked.

"I'm going now" Dean replied.

"Can I go?" she questioned. Dean slammed the front door and turned towards her.

"You are staying here" Dean replied.

"I'll be good, I'll just wait in the car, and be really quiet, you won't even notice I'm there."

"Did you completely just ignore everything I said?" Dean asked, his voice raising.

"No I just…" she began.

"I said you're gonna start staying where you're told and that's final" he repeated. Cora knew she would rather die than be left alone in the creaky apartment at night; she spent too much time alone in the place, and every time she was alone she just started thinking about what happened to Sam. She was tired of worrying about him. As much as she was scared of Dean, she was more terrified of her own thoughts. She couldn't stand another night of silence in her room.

"Dean please" she begged as she walked over to him.

"No" Dean answered.

"I'm coming Dean" she said stubbornly, "If you try to leave I'm gonna follow you."

"That does it" Dean said as his temper snapped. Dean twisted her arm and pushed her to the ground making her hit her chin and causing her to bite her tongue. She could taste blood in her mouth in an instant. His weight was keeping her down as he pinned her to the ground. "You try to follow me and you're dead" Dean threatened. Cora spit some of the blood out of her mouth and cried as the pressure on her arm became agony.

"Fine just let me up!" Cora begged. Dean turned and left instantly, slamming the door behind him and driving down the road. Cora wiped the blood from her mouth with the back of her hand and looked down at her throbbing arm. It had bright purple bruises lining it and she winced as she traced it softly. She curled up in a ball, bringing her knees in to her chest as she sat upon her bed. She cried softly to herself and put her head on her knee's as she felt the full extent of her injuries. There was still a soft tint of iron in her mouth even after she had spit it up in the sink repeatedly. "Sam, please" she murmured, "I need you to come back, I can't live hear any more, I just want you to be okay." She picked up her unicorn and lay it on her arm. She felt a new pain that day, a pain in her heart as she thought of Dean's anger, and wished for Sam to come home. She pushed her unicorn against it but this time the pain didn't stop.

"Dean was right" she said. "You're just a toy you don't have special powers." But as she was about to throw it on the floor, something kept telling her to hold on and she fell asleep with the unicorn against her chest and her sheepdog standing by the window, it's eyes always searching for Sam, Cora knew the dog wouldn't forget about him and as long as Bear remembered to look for Sam, so would she.