September 19, 1998

School wasn't bad, but she still didn't like it. The people weren't bad, but she still didn't like them.

Another first day of school, another library to hide in, another warning from Sam not to get too attached. That was normal, it had always been that way. The only difference was that in earlier years Dean would've been with them. He still drove them to school sometimes, sure, but the first thing on his mind was getting back home.

It was totally okay with her that this wouldn't be the last first day of school she'd have this year. Honestly, she'd gotten used to it. She was used to it and it wasn't all bad, but it wasn't good either.

As she walked into her new school, the first thing she looked for was who was who. There would always be groups of people. The people who belonged together, and then on the outside were the rejects who formed their own groups and mingled amongst themselves. That was where she belonged.

After parting ways with Sam, she was bombarded by questions from an older girl, "Is that your brother?"

She nodded.

"Does he have a phone?" the girl asked.

Grace hesitated, but nodded again.

"And you probably know his number, right?"

With that, Grace shuffled through her backpack for a pen and ripped a small piece of paper out of her notebook. She wrote the number neatly and folded the paper four times, then handed it to the girl.

Her brothers were lucky. Always getting hit on and having people actually like them. She'd probably had that happen once or twice, too, but she never picked up on it. It'd actually probably happened more times than she would imagine, but new levels of humble came with her.

The girl walked triumphantly away, holding up the little piece of paper for her friends to see. Either she'd just made her brother's week, or she'd ruined it. She couldn't feel good about either due to the fact that she wouldn't know. She'd be getting textbooks this week, meaning she'd be in her room the whole time just reading for the sake of reading.

She started walking towards her first class almost mechanically, expecting as always to be tripped or even once somebody threw a paper ball at her. She would have an English homeroom this year, which, by far, was her favorite. All in all, this first day wasn't half as bad as some of her others. So all she was left to do was worry about the next one.

September 17, 2008

It was strange wandering around Bobby's on her own. Every time she'd decided to do cartwheels in the basement there had always been Dean to tell her that was dumb and that she'd get hurt, but he wasn't there this time. He wasn't being an overprotective older brother right now, like she wanted him to be. It was easy to do nothing because somebody told you to, much harder to do nothing on your own volition.

But nothing was all there was to do. She missed both of her brothers, one of them being in Hell and the other just gone. All she could do was sit in the kitchen and think about nothing in particular. Thinking usually led to thinking about Sam and Dean, so she tried to avoid that too.

"Who was on the phone?" she asked curiously.

Bobby rolled his eyes. Always wanting to know everything. "Some idjit pretending to be Dean."

September 18, 2008

Everyday was the same. Get up, have cereal, take a shower, watch reruns of Dr. Sexy and then go to sleep. The avoidance of thinking was the hardest thing, but she managed pretty well. She probably would've done better on that part if not watching Dean's favorite show.

Her day was as mechanical as it was in school, when she'd get up, have cereal, take a shower, go to school, hide under her bed with a book and then go to sleep. But Bobby didn't have her kind of books. She wanted Auden and Poe, but had he had were books about lore and gore.

There were some days she considered breaking her routine. She gave the thought of just running, not driving, just running down the street screaming something about freedom the hardest look she'd ever given it.

There was a knock on the door as she ate her Captain Crunch. That wasn't routine.

"I'll get it," she yelled. She opened the door slightly and looked outside. "Bobby," she called, "Come here."

Bobby came and opened the door fully. And there stood her brother, looking tired and cautious.

"Surprise," he smiled.

"I- I don't," Bobby began, but trailed off.

Grace slowly grabbed the knife on the table, hoping for many reason that it was her Dean, but also hoping it wasn't. She handed the thing to Bobby and waited for him to do something.

"Yeah, me either," he said, stepping into the house. "But here I am."

As he stepped closer, Bobby did too, and soon he was trying to attack her brother. She cringed, never having been one for violence.

"Bobby it's me!" he yelled.

Bobby mumbled something she was sure only him and Dean could hear, but she was also sure he swore, so she couldn't care less.

Dean pushed a chair between them, hoping to explain himself. He pointed at his sister, "Your name is Grace Ann House, you were delivered to my dad's motel room after your mom lost her soul in a poker game and you're the closest thing I've ever had to a baby sister. Guys, it's me."

Bobby stepped closer to him, putting his hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, he slashed again. Dean managed to get the knife away from him, and moved backwards with it.

"I'm not a shapeshifter!"

"Then you're a revenant!"

Dean held out his arm and rolled up his sleeve, "If I was either could I do this with a silver knife?" He cut a slit just above his elbow where a line of blood formed.

September 18, 2008

She sat in the car, waiting for the right time to go inside. She wanted to wait until they were done fighting or whatever, but she didn't want to miss the touchy feely reunion afterwards. The right time would be about now.

She got out of the car and walked down the dingy hallway, looking for her brother's room. When she found it, she knocked carefully and quietly. And nobody answered. It was like 2005 all over again. So, when nobody did answer, she just opened it herself.

She found her brothers hugging, Bobby standing there smiling, and a nice young lady waiting for something.

"Are you two like, together?" the lady asked.

It was obvious that everyone had forgotten she was there.

"What? No he's my brother!" Sam said.

"Yeah, uh, okay I guess I should probably go," she motioned towards the door.

"That's probably a good idea, sorry."

September 19, 2008

The entire place shook and rattled. She wasn't entirely sure what those two idiots did this time, but she knew it wouldn't be good. Nothing they did ever turned out well, good intentions never paid off.

When she walked in, she was Bobby and Dean. Just Bobby and Dean with shotguns. Totally normal stuff. But as soon as she opened her mouth to ask what was going on, it was Bobby, Dean, and some guy in a trench coat. The light bulbs above his head shattered in a shower of sparks as he walked beneath them. As he came closer, Bobby and Dean opened fire, but it didn't slow him down.

"Who are you?" Dean asked, well, yelled.

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

So it was, though informally, the anniversary of the first day of the best year of her life that she met her brother's savior. His knight in shining armor, and therefore hers as well.