Thanks to everyone who read this little work. It was fun to write. Thanks for the follows and the reviews. This is the last chapter.

„Hey." Nelly turned around to see a very excited Dean approaching her through the crowd of people. „What are you doing here?"

Nelly smiled shyly. "My sister is in the play. Penny."

"Really? Sammy, too. No way! They're in the same class?"

Nelly shrugged. "Looks like it."

"So who's she playing?"

"Juliet." Nelly smiled proudly. Dean looked at her with huge eyes.

"Okay. Dude. That's creepy."

"Why?"

"Sam's Romeo."

Nelly didn't know what to say to that and obviously neither did Dean. They stood around awkwardly, looking everywhere but in the other's eyes, until the boy cleared his throat and scratched his head. "You wanna sit together?"

"Oh. Sorry, I'm here with my parents. They dragged me along. I wanted to study, but they said I wouldn't be allowed to go to the party on Friday if I didn't watch the play, so in the end, I had to come." She sipped at her juice. "You going? To the party?"

Dean shook his head and looked down. "Sammy needs someone to look after him. Plus, Friday is our movie night. Can't miss that."

"You spend all your time with your brother, don't you?"

"Well, not all my time."

"It's okay. I get it." But she didn't. She really didn't. While she reckoned she loved Penny the way family was supposed to love family, the eleven-year-old girl tended to get on her nerves. Of course, their parents asked Nelly to look after her younger sister every once I a while, but watching her all the time, being responsible for her day after day without an end on the horizon – that was a concept she simply couldn't imagine.

The principal climbed onto the stage and gripped the only mike into her plump hands. Chatter started quieting down. The lights dimmed. Nelly threw Dean a last look and he nodded curtly.

"I guess I'll see you after."

Romeo and Juliet began.

The applause was loud and booming. Nelly couldn't keep herself from looking over at Dean. But her stare wasn't returned. The boy was on his feet, clapping with enthusiasm exceeding that of every person in the room. He put his hands to his mouth and yelled, "Yeah, Sammy!" Nelly turned to the stage, sure that she would see the little Winchester frown, but he was glowing and staring at his brother, proudly wearing his stupid costume and standing high, higher than any of the other children even though he was by far not the tallest one.

She examined the stage in search of someone else. Something in her chest twisted. Her sister was there, of course, but she was overshadowed, dim. She was smiling, her white teeth glinting in the misty light, but she wasn't blazing bright, she wasn't the happiest person alive.

Was she, Nelly, doing something wrong? Was she a bad sister? Was she supposed to be more like Dean?

The kids bowed one last time and then went backstage one by one. Nelly had been planning on going home as soon as possible, but now she felt bad about that idea. She decided to go and see how Penny was doing after her big show, so she crept away from the commotion and toward the backstage room.

The corridor was oddly quiet – a spooky contrast to what was going on in the hall. And someone was already there.

Of course, it was Dean.

Naturally.

How could she have expected anyone else?

He turned around, startled by her steps, and smiled.

"How did you like it?" he asked.

She didn't know. Frankly, she'd slept through half of the thing, and she would have told anyone that much, because listening to children's plays wasn't commonly described as cool and finding one boring was exactly what people would normally expect of her. But Dean wasn't normal. She wasn't about to tell him that she was too good to pay attention to a stupid show her sister had been part of. In Dean's thrilled presence, it made her feel silly and childish.

So she only said, "It was nice."

Dean nodded his agreement and turned to the door. "Well, shall we?"

They stepped into the small room. Warm yellow light and the scent of sweat greeted them, but while Nelly needed a few seconds to look around and adjust, Dean had already found his brother and stormed in his direction. Sammy was seated on a stool, brushing something that looked like eye shadow off his little face, but he quickly threw the towel away and jumped at the older Winchester. His toothy grin floated in the air over Dean's shoulder and Nelly swore that everyone halted in their task only to look at the pair.

"Hey, Sammy, how're you feeling?" Dean asked, rubbing a hand over the dark, dark hair and ruffling it up even more.

"Did you see me, Dean? Did you see me?"

"Of course, Champ. I was there, remember?"

"Yeah, but I was good. Did you see how good I was?"

"You were the best," Dean retorted and it was with such conviction that it seemed he actually believed it. Sammy glowed, if possible, even brighter.

Nelly looked around, a heavy feeling in her belly, a question nagging at her. She found Penny at the back of the room and smiled. No, she wasn't a bad sister. Yes, she fought with Penny every once in a while, but that was normal when it came to family. Wasn't it? Plus, Sam and Dean fought sometimes, too. Yes, she had had doubts about the relationship to her younger sibling in the past, but everyone had those, didn't they?

No, she wasn't going to let a perfect family ruin hers.

She slipped through the room, pointedly ignoring the centre of attention – two certain brothers still hugging in the middle of the place – and stalked purposefully toward the back. She stopped in front of Penny and smiled down on her.

"Hey, girl. You were great."

Penny snorted. "Yeah right," she said. "What did Mom and Dad promise you for this?"

Nelly frowned. "Nothing. Can't I just give you a compliment?"

Her sister only rolled her eyes. Nelly's frown deepened. She hadn't thought about it before, but the careless banter and the continuous contact between the two Winchesters was something she had never experienced herself. Conversations in her family were normally short and gruff, often accompanied by one or more participants of the talk looking down on cell phones, computers or other various screens. As for touching – well, she was way too old to let her parents near her, and she couldn't remember the last time she had placed a hand anywhere on her sister's form. Not even fleetingly. Not once in the last month, at least.

She crouched down and smiled. "You want a hug?"

"Do you think I'm stupid? I don't want you getting rich by pretending to be nice to me."

"I'm not pretending. Mom and Dad didn't …"

"Stop lying!" Penny yelled. She pointed at something behind Nelly's back and the older girl turned around gloomily, already knowing what she would find. Her little sister leaned down and whispered into her ear.

"See that? That's not pretending. Sammy's brother is actually proud of him. See? Without having to be told. You think I don't know what this is all about? I'm not two."

Nelly looked at the ground. Was it that obvious?

"I have Mom and Dad. I don't need you!" The eleven-year-old girl screamed that part out for everyone to her, then stalked off and out of the room. The children stared in shock. Nelly buried her face in her hands. Her cheeks were hot, but she refused to make them wet. She got up without lowering her arms and stormed off, down the corridor and out of the building. The cold air was soothing on her heated skin.

She wasn't alone for long. Someone came out behind her. She knew who the newcomer was. It was always him. She could smell his aftershave, could hear his steps, big and heavy, and another set, smaller and lighter, but not much. They had both come after her. How fitting.

"Nelly –"

"What do you want?"

"Hey," Dean started, "I'm sure she didn't mean it that way."

Nelly spun around to him, chuckling. "And how can you possibly be sure of that?"

He shrugged. Nelly's gaze stopped on his hand that was safely holding Sammy's. They were in physical contact. Again. They seemed unable to live without it.

"Kids are like that sometimes."

She huffed. He'd seen too much of her feelings already; she could let the rest out too, she decided. It couldn't really hurt at this point.

"You say kids as if you mean all of them, but you don't seem to include Sam in that."

"Oh, believe me, Sam has gone through phases of hating me, too. Still has them. It's best to just wait them out."

Sam arched his eyebrows, but he didn't say a word. He just tried to look at her comfortingly.

That was too much. How the hell had Dean, a brother, a boy not much older than herself, done such a spectacular job of raising this kid? Raising him. Giving him the identity he had. Spending every freaking second of free time on him. How was that possible?

"You don't get to say stuff like that!" Nelly exploded. "You have like the greatest little brother in the world!"

Dean stepped closer, tried to calm her. "Look, Nelly –"

"Don't touch me! I'm a mess and … and … Fine. I'll tell you. Here and now. Look, I like you. I liked you. I really did. But you have Sam and he's important."

The older Winchester frowned, unsure of where the conversation was headed. "Well, so is your sister."

Nelly shook her head and sniffled. "No. I mean yes. Not the point. Your brother is the most important thing for you. You know? He's the centre of your being."

"So?"

"He'll always come first," she stated, quiet and teary, broken. She looked into his eyes, her own huge and round. He stared back, unable to deny her words. Because it was true. It was so damn true.

"I don't have that, you know?" she whispered, hardly even audible anymore. "When do I come first?"

He tried it one last time. He tried taking her hand, but she shied away and shook her head.

"No, Dean. No. It's over. Leave me alone."

And she went inside.

Sam looked up at his brother, sure he would find him smirking. But he didn't. Instead, Dean was staring unseeingly at the ground.

One tear rolled out of his right eye. And another.

That was it. Two tears. Dean wiped them away and smiled down at Sammy, his face carefully composed. It looked as always, but for Sam it didn't. "Let's go home, shall we?"

"But –"

"Don't, Sammy."

"But it was because of me."

"Everything I do is because of you, Genius. Get that through your thick skull already."

"But Dean –"

"Sammy, it's okay. A girl broke up with me. It happens. I'll be fine."

"I didn't want for this to happen."

"I know. Now let's go home."

Sam nodded. Home seemed pretty inviting. Home with Dean. A few pillows, a soft sofa, a movie. Maybe popcorn if they had any left. And Dean, lying by his side, big and strong and warm.

That was all he needed. And for a short moment he was sure that that was all Dean needed too.