A/N: Evy gets to Bobby's and finally talks about everything going on in her life, both at school and at home.

Bobby waited patiently as the passenger unloaded off the bus. He knew that Evy was claustrophobic and liked to wait and come off once everyone else was done, so he wasn't worried. Finally, ten minutes after the bus parked, Evy walked off the bus. The first thing that stood out to Bobby was how exhausted she looked. Damn, when's the last time that kid had a good night's sleep? Evy got her bag from the driver, thanked him, and turned. She stopped a few feet away, looking at Bobby as if she had never seen him before. Bobby walked towards her, but was left speechless when Evy dropped her bag, ran to him full speed, and wrapped both arms around his waist.

"Hey, Baitfish."
"Hey, uncle Bobby." Evy said quietly.

Bobby had planned to start her talking right away, but clearly she needed a break. "You hungry, kiddo?"

"I'm starving." Evy said, arms still around Bobby's waist.

"How about we go to that pancake place you always liked?" Bobby said. "You can get as much as you want."

Evy pulled away from Bobby just enough to look him in the face, but kept her arms around him. Kid, what the hell are you so sad about? Bobby thought.

"Really?" Evy asked. "Whatever I want?"

Damn it, kid, you're breaking my heart here. It's just pancakes. Bobby thought. "Whatever you want."
Evy nodded. "'Kay. Yes, please."

"Alright. Come on, we'll go." Bobby said. He chuckled when Evy kept her arms around him. "You gotta let me go so I can drive, Baitfish."

"Oh, right." Evy said.

For the first time in a long time, she cracked a smile. It felt foreign to her, and Bobby noticed that. It broke his heart. Every time Bobby had seen Evy from the time she was old enough to smile, he remembered her doing just that. He'd seen her smile and laugh when she was sick or hurt with almost no effort at all. She had always done her best to make everyone around her as happy as she was. As Bobby drove to the pancake house, he wondered to himself what possibly could have broken Evy so badly that it was an effort for her to do something as simple as smile.

Bobby decided to wait on the talk he'd been planning to have with her. He remembered his conversation with John the day before. Evy's attitude has gone downhill. She's been suspended from school for cheating for money. She won't talk to me, Missy, Sam, or Dean. I don't know what to do anymore. Bobby had bit his tongue to keep from screaming Talk to your kid and keep talking! Two hours after arriving, they were back at Bobby's. Evy took her bag to the guest room, came into the living room, and sat down on the couch, where Bobby joined her.

"Time for us to talk, Baitfish." Bobby said gently.

"Okay." Evy said quietly.

"What's going on?" Bobby asked. "What's wrong?"

Evy laughed bitterly. "Haven't you heard? Dad and Dean and Sam are back. Everything's great."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you." Bobby scolded gently. "Are you mad at them?"

"Yes." Evy said. "They left me alone. They weren't there for birthdays, they weren't there when I was sick, when I was scared. They just dropped off the planet and expect everything to be okay."

Bobby sighed. "Can I tell you a secret, Baitfish? You promise not to tell your parents?"

"Sure." Evy said, curious about the change in Bobby's tone.

"Your mom and dad are stupid."

"What?" Evy asked, shocked.

"Your mom and dad are the biggest damn idjits I ever laid my eyes on." Bobby said. "I completely agree with you. They left you, hurt you, and then sent you away instead of really working to fix it. You've got every reason to be pissed at them, and no reason at all to trust them."

Everything Bobby had said was the honest truth, but he had unknowingly opened a floodgate of emotion inside Evy. For the first time in recent memory, someone was listening. Not just talking, telling her that what she was feeling was wrong or bad or made everyone else feel bad, but really listening and caring about her. The tears came and wouldn't stop, and Bobby was a little alarmed.

"Baitfish, talk to me, baby." Bobby said gently. When she said nothing, Bobby asked, "Look, you're not in trouble. Not with me. But I need you to talk. What happened at school?"

"I had to do it." Evy said, still sobbing.
"Why, baby?" Bobby asked, his own heart breaking at the obvious pain Evy was in. "Come on. Tell me. Why did you have to do it?"

Evy started crying hard again at the question.

"Okay, Baitfish. Let it out, baby girl."

Bobby pulled Evy into him, holding her just like he had when she'd been a toddler. Evy crawled into Bobby's lap, laid her head on his chest, and cried. Bobby hugged her, and wondered the last time anyone had held or comforted her. That's the first thing on the to do list this week, Bobby thought. When Evy's crying had slowed to steady sniffing, Bobby decided to try again.

"Tell me what you meant, Baitfish. Why did you have to do it? What were you using that money for? Where's whatever's left?" Bobby asked.

"There's nothing left." Evy said.

"What'd you use it for?" Bobby asked. Her answer nearly broke him.

"Groceries."

Bobby was so shocked he stopped rubbing Evy's back like he had been. "Groceries?"

"Yeah." Evy said, sitting up and wiping her eyes again. "I paid the bills too."

"What the hell, Baitfish?" Bobby asked. "Were things really that bad?"

"When mommy lost her job, she fell behind on the bills really fast. She was so upset daddy was gone that she didn't try to find another one. She just stayed in bed all day."

"Why didn't you call me?" Bobby asked, genuinely lost. "I would've come to get you."

"I was all mommy had left." Evy said tearily. "I was afraid you'd take me away from her. She needed help, and I didn't want to leave her all alone."

Bobby was left beyond speechless.

Unfortunately, Evy wasn't done. "We would have lost the house, mommy's car, we wouldn't have been able to eat. I kept us together and all I got for it was called stupid, lazy, selfish, and worthless. Then they sent me away."

"Who the hell called you all those names?" Bobby asked.

"Mommy and daddy both told me how stupid what I was doing was. Daddy told I was selfish for being mad at them. He told me I wasn't gonna be lazy and mope around the house anymore, and that I was gonna do something worthwhile while I was here with you." Evy explained.

Suddenly, everything fell into place. The reason Evy looked so incredibly tired was because she was. She'd been the only family member working on actually keeping the family together. And in return, when the family finally did get back together, she got called names, made to feel guilty for being angry, and worst of all, sent off like an inconvenient, misbehaving house pet. Bobby's heart shattered, but he was relieved to glad she was finally letting her feelings out.

"Uncle Bobby, what did I do so wrong?"

"Sit up and look at me, little girl." Bobby said, pretending to be stern only to catch and keep her attention. When she was looking at him, Bobby wiped her face for her and said, "Not a thing. Not one damn thing. You did everything you could to take care of your mom, and she's the one that let you down by not taking care of you. You are not stupid, you are not lazy, you are not selfish, and you are most definitely not worthless. You are a hero. Without you, your family would've fallen apart. And don't let anyone ever tell you different."

"I'm a hero?" Evy asked.

"You bet you are." Bobby said. "But there's just one problem."
"What?"

"It's not on you. You did do good, very good, but you're a kid. From this point on, I want you to promise me that until you grow up, you'll let your parents take care of you." Bobby said.

"What if they don't want to?" Evy asked.

"They do." Bobby said. "I promise they do. I'm gonna rip them a new one about the way they treated you here, but I promise you they do."

Evy nodded. "Thanks, uncle Bobby."

"Just one thing, okay, Baitfish?" Bobby asked. "There is one little thing you did here. Do you know what it is?"

Evy nodded again. "I didn't talk to 'em."
"Right. Baitfish, when you don't talk, no one can tell what's bugging you. Then it can't be fixed. Do you understand?"

"I get it, uncle Bobby. But you know Daddy. It's hard for me to talk to him sometimes." Evy said.

"I'll work on that too. Just promise me, please, that if something's really bothering you, you'll say something to somebody. If you have to, you can call me and talk to me about it, just don't keep it bottled up. Deal?"

"Deal." Evy said with a yawn.

"When's the last time you had a good night's sleep?" Bobby asked.

Evy shrugged. "I don't remember. I'm so tired, uncle Bobby."

"Why don't you go get some sleep?" Bobby said. "When you wake up, I'll call your mom and dad and tell them to get their asses down here pronto."

Evy winced. "Do you have to call them now?"

"You don't want me to?"

"No. Not yet." Evy said. "I feel like I need a few days away from them."

"How about this?" Bobby asked. "I'll call them in three days. Until then, you get some sleep, get some rest, do what you want to do."

"Thanks, uncle Bobby." Evy said. She had finally, blessedly, stopped crying, and grabbed Bobby's neck all over again. "Thank you for listening to me."

"Anytime, Baitfish. Anytime." Bobby kissed her cheek and said, "When your parents get here, I'm gonna have a long talk with them first. But don't worry about it until then, okay?"

"Okay." Evy said, yawning again. "I'm going to bed, uncle Bobby." Evy hesitated, then decided to take the chance. "I love you."
"I love you too, Baitfish. I love you too."

He really means it, Evy thought. "Will you stay with me until I go to sleep?"

"You bet. Let's go."

Bobby walked to the bedroom with Evy, and for the first time in years, he tucked her into bed. He waited next to the bed, holding her hand, and two minutes later, she was fast asleep. Bobby stood, checked her blanket, and kissed her cheek. He checked the clock and shook his head. It was barely seven at night, and Evy was already fast asleep.

"I'm gonna take care of this, Baitfish. Uncle Bobby's got you." Bobby whispered. "Sleep tight, baby. I got you."

Next chapter: Bobby takes the entire Winchester family to task for their treatment of Evy.