2 hours into the car ride we stopped at a roadhouse.

"Bathroom break!" Dad declared, waking up a sleeping Sam.

I got out of the car. Looking around, a woman in her mid-to-late 40's and a teenage girl went up to dad.

"Hey, Dean." The lady greeted him.

"Ellen," Dad replied.

"I think I saw you with a blonde, she's a little too young for you, though," the teenager laughed.

Dad grimaced, "She's my daughter. Jo, this is Em."

I glared at Jo. By the sounds of it, she had the hots for my dad, and she was about my age. I shuddered.

"Hi, Jo," I greeted her.

Jo looked me up and down, taking in my T-shirt, Jeans and Sneakers combo.

"Jo, you two head on inside and grab something to eat while I talk to Dean and Sam, ok?"

"Oh, come on, Mom! You've gotta stop treating me like a kid!" Jo complained.

"Joanna Beth, don't tell me what I can and cannot do."

Jo stalked off into the Roadhouse. I looked at my dad.

"That means you, too, Em. Get going." Dad ordered.

I knew my dad well enough to not argue with him. I followed where Jo went off to.

"So, Dad, are you going to tell me what's going on here?" I asked my dad as Ellen gave him another beer.

"What you mean?" he asked, looking at me, confusion in his eyes.

"You know what I mean," I grumbled, "I want to know what's going on and I don't want to be lied to. Tell me the truth."

"Em, I don't know what you're talking about."

I looked at my uncle as I spoke, "Sam was talking in his sleep, talking about yellow eyed demons and Grandpa. I want to know what's happening. Either that or let me leave, dad."

My father recoiled as if I had slapped him, and I knew I had gone too far, but the truth was way too important to just forget about.

"Did your mother ever tell you why I left that first time?" Dad asked after a while, in a quiet voice.

I thought for a moment. "She said your job didn't care that you had a family."

Dad nodded, "Yeah, I remember that night, the night that I left. You were a little over three years old. You chucked up a ruckus and clung to my leg when I opened the front door."

My breathing hitched. I had been thinking it only hours before.

Memory

"Daddy! Don't go! Please! Daddy, I'm sorry if I've been bad, I'll be good I promise, don't leave, Daddy!" Three year old Em cried as her father tried to walk out the door. She turned to her mother, "Mommy, tell him he can't leave!"

Dean picked up his daughter and held her close, "I'm sorry baby, Grandpa needs me. I'll talk to you soon, ok?" He held her close for another minute and walked out the door.

I looked up at dad, "I'm seventeen, dad, I need to know the truth. And thanks for the reminder, why did Grandpa need you? What happened?"

Dad looked at Sam, the pained expression identical on both their faces.

"Tell her the truth, Dean. Or I will." Sam told his older brother.

Dad glared at Sam, and then surrendered, "Go outside while I talk to her, ok?"

Sam nodded and walked out the door.

I sat down on the barstool while Dad paced back and forth in front of me.

"You know how when you were seven and you told your mom that there was a monster under your bed, and she called me and called me until I picked up and came home?"

I nodded. Never found out if I was right, though, Em thought, "You packed us all up and we moved."

"Yeah. Cause your mother knew all about my job, and she wanted you to be safe, not knowing that there might be something bad waiting to get you. We never wanted to run the risk of you getting hurt, so whenever you felt scared, we moved."

"What is your job, Dad?" I suddenly asked. I realised he never spoke about it in front of me.

"I hunt the supernatural. Demons, werewolves, spirits... The whole 9 yards."

I stared at him for a moment, reading his expression, seeing if he was actually lying. Turns out, he wasn't.

"Um," I started, "so basically you lied to me my whole life? 'Em, monsters don't exist so stop being a baby and get to bed before I tan your hide?'" I quoted. Dad's eyes sparkled with tears as the words left my mouth.

"I'm sorry, Em. You used to ask so many questions and I didn't know how to answer them, you were a child. You were—are, my child, and if the only way to protect you was to lie to you and punish you, in the hope that you won't ask again, then I'd do it."

"Has that ever worked on any kid?"

Dad laughed, "No, I guess not."

I got up from the bed and hugged him, "Dad, thank you for trying, but, I am a part of this now. It's in my blood. Please let me stay and help. Please."

Dad was quiet for a long time. He sighed.

"Ok, but research only. I will not have my only child in danger. Got me?"

I nodded. "Yes sir."