A/N: It feels so surreal to be here and be able to scream at the top of my lungs "I'm back!"
Guys, it's been a wild 1 and a half year. Magnificent, hectic, stressful, beautiful, sweet, happy, despairing, and everything in between The ride has been wild and I'm finally finding bits and pieces of time to do more of what I love.

This story was in my mind even before we finished WTWTA with Lau Whisperer. It's been a work in progress ever since we finished the first story. I would jump in and write even a single line or a new thought or idea and it kept me going while actual devoted and focused writing was not in the picture.

Now this story will not be as long as WTWTA. It's a short sequel that opens up a new chapter for the Winchesters and sets a promising stage for more one-shots and shorts later on.

Another thing that has changed is that I'm solo writing this time. My dear friend Lau Whisperer is knee-deep in an awesome project of her own and won't be able to co-write this with me.

I know this is a humongous writer's note, but I'm so happy to be back and excited to catch up with all of you! I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as you did WTWTA. And please drop a review once you're done reading this first chapter! I'm making sure to keep the chapters shorter this time around, like so many of you requested while reading the WTWTA.

Enjoy!

Slowly Out Of Line

Title credit: Lyric from the song "You're gonna go far, kid" by The Offspring

Fun fact: One of the songs that so intensely remind me of Amber, her vibe, her character, het flaws, her spirit.

"Jack, we don't do that in public!"

Pausing the loud slurping of his milkshake's remains, Jack turned to look at Amber, confused.

"Why not?"

"Because it's gross for other people to hear," Amber patiently explained. "And at some point, you need to consider drinking something else for a change."

"But I love milkshakes," Jack countered. "Milkshakes rock!"

Rolling her eyes at the phrase he had probably picked up from Dean, Amber snorted.

"Rock and milkshakes are two things that don't go together in the same sentence, pal," Amber snorted, her glinting eyes meeting her little brother's -in everything but blood. Pausing to take a sip from her beer, which she had offered for the third time that evening, she said, "How about a beer?"

Jack shook his head, a small frown forming. "Sam, Dean, and Cas..."

"Are not here!" Amber groaned. "Come on, Jack! Live a little! You've had one before!"

"Yeah, and it was bitter," Jack replied, his words accompanied by a grimace of disgust as he brought that escapade to the forefront of his memory. "And Sam, Dean, and Cas were present and allowed it," he added, sending a pointed look to Amber.

Ignoring his last words completely, Amber only answered his first sentence. "It's an acquired taste. You'll get used to it and end up loving it."

"What if Sam, Dean, and Cas..."

"Okay, first, we need to figure out a way to shorten that a bit, because if I hear all three names side by side one more time, I'm gonna start pulling hair out of my head. Second... How? How are they gonna find out, Jack? You've practiced what we talked about, right? Not allowing Cas full access to your mind?"

"Yes. It seems to be working well. He doesn't seem aware of our project," Jack answered confidently.

"Good. Well, if we can successfully hide that, don't you think we can do the same about having a beer?" Amber reasoned, raising her eyebrows pointedly.

Still uneasy with the idea, Jack shook his head. "I don't have my ID on me," he offered as his last excuse.

Amber shook her head but dropped it. She knew Jack was still new to all this—new to life on Earth, new to life with humans, new to having a dysfunctional family that he desperately wanted to please, and new to having a moral compass. Not to mention taste buds.

"Fine. Want another milkshake?"

"An Oreo one this time," Jack eagerly nodded.

Amber couldn't help but chuckle at this oversized kid as she turned to look for the waitress. Her eyes scanned the small place for the tenth time since they arrived. No non-human energies or suspicious faces. This cute little diner with '60s vibes in its decor and menu was their place of choice whenever she and Jack went out alone. They had never brought the guys here. On purpose. Amber wanted this space to be theirs and just theirs. She had come alone a couple of times, making sure nobody would be lured in by her energy. When she deemed it safe, she brought Jack, too. Looking to the other side of the store, she spotted the young woman who had served them earlier. Amber raised her hand and smiled at her. As soon as the waitress walked up to them, Amber looked at Jack and waited.

Understanding that she wanted him to order for himself, Jack turned to the woman with an awkward smile plastered on his face.

"One Oreo milkshake, please, ma'am!"

Amber choked on her beer as the waitress left hastily.

"What?" Jack asked, his face uncertain. "What did I say?"

"Ma'am?" Amber asked, wiping the droplets of beer that were trickling down her chin. "Where did you hear that?"

"From Dean. He used it one day while talking to Jody," Jack explained, eyebrows lowered in confusion.

Smirking at that bit of information, Amber shook her head. "Well, that word is appropriate only for really old ladies or for Jody when she's mad, okay?"

Jack simply nodded. The two of them remained silent and spent a couple of minutes people-watching. Amber sat up a bit straighter, her eye catching something she didn't expect.

"Hey!" Elbowing Jack, she asked, "Do you see that girl over there?"

Jack looked to where she was pointing. At the far corner of the bar, not too far away from their table, there was a young woman, probably a couple of years older than them. Jack noticed her beautiful blonde hair and the intense red color of her lipstick. He confirmed that he saw who Amber was pointing at with a small nod.

"She's checking you out," Amber informed him.

"What does that mean?" Jack asked, his brow creasing as he tried to remember if he had heard the phrase before.

"That means she thinks you're cute," Amber replied with a smirk.

"Cute like a dog? Is that why Dean keeps comparing me to a dog?" Jack asked, trying to pinpoint where Amber was going with this. And failing miserably.

Amber felt equally frustrated and entertained by the direction of this particular conversation.

"Okay, first, Dean compares you to a dog because he's an ass. Second, no, not cute like a dog. Cute like 'she wants to shove her tongue into your mouth.'"

"Like in the movies?" Jack asked skeptically, slowly but surely doing the math.

"Yeah, like in the movies," came Amber's amused confirmation.

"So if we kiss, I'll end up either married or heartbroken?" Jack asked next, his tone serious in this dilemma.

Amber seemed impressed. "You know what heartbroken means?"

Jack nodded, perking up a bit as the waitress returned to their table with his milkshake. Turning back to Amber while clutching his glass, he answered, "You explained it to me when we talked about Kyle."

Amber remembered that particular conversation. It was the day she decided she'd ask for Jack's help to save Kyle. Taking another sip of her beer, she brought her attention back to Jack and their current situation.

"Heartbroken or married," she repeated his words, avoiding the subject of Kyle. "Well, there are a few shades of gray in between these two. You know what... drink some more of your milkshake. It might not get you drunk, but it'll at least give you a sugar high. And then we'll practice some flirting before it's time for you to go home."

"Still waiting?"

The voice that sounded from just outside the partially open door made the pacing man turn his head in its direction.

"You got any better ideas?"

Sam looked at his brother skeptically. "We could always go get her."

"How?" Dean asked gruffly. "In case you forgot, she can change continents within seconds."

"But she said she'd be in town for coffee and burgers," Sam reasoned, stepping inside the room and leaning against the wall next to the doorframe.

"That was when she had the puppy with her. He is back, she isn't," Dean replied, anger evident in his tone. His patience with Amber had evaporated. He was done.

"Will you ever stop referring to Jack as a dog?" Sam asked, annoyed.

"Probably not. He still refuses to spill where she's at?"

"I don't think it's a "not spilling" issue. I think he truly doesn't know. I doubt Amber would put him in a spot to lie and risk getting in trouble. She probably just sent him home before resuming her outing."

Dean's exasperation only grew with how collected and measured Sam's words came out. He presented everything as if it were normal or acceptable. Like he was talking about some random kid and not their little sister.

"I can't believe she's doing this again," the oldest Winchester growled.

"Why?" Sam asked in honest wonder. "She promised she would."

"And I promised something back, which should have changed her mind," Dean answered gruffly, his eyes scanning their sister's room.

"Dean, she's still grieving… lashing out like this is expected."

"Expected maybe, accepted? No. Hell, no! And no chance in hell you're getting her out of trouble for this one, Sam," Dean determinedly responded.

"She lost the man she was in love with, Dean. And she thinks she's able to get him back. It's us who said no and stood in her way. Which makes her angry and resentful. And you can't really blame her. She's sixteen. She can't see the bigger picture or the jeopardies the way we can."

"Exactly my point. She's not realizing how reckless she's being. She thinks she's safe and untouchable now. Like we haven't infuriated heaven by playing them! Like Lucifer's remaining followers aren't seeking revenge or a way to bring their master back…." Dean seethed, his worry only aggravating his anger. "She acts as if she's invincible, Sam. And she's gonna end up dead if she keeps being this cocky. Don't tell me you don't see this!"

"Yeah, Sam. How dare you have a different opinion than the almighty Dean?"

The Winchester brothers turned to look at the door, where Amber was now standing, regarding them with a discontent expression.

"Where the hell were you? Do you know what time it is? What the hell, Amber?" Dean boomed, his hands opening wide, palms up, with his palpable indignation.

"Out. And yes, it's…" pausing to look at her phone, she added, "1:36 am. Honestly, I planned to stay out later, but my company had to go."

Sam's eyes flew from Dean's furious face to Amber's provoking expression, and he felt a tension headache already forming.

"Who were you with?" Dean barked his next question.

"A friend," was Amber's laconic answer, her expression neutral.

"Amber, I swear to God…"

"You can swear to the devil for all I care, Dean. When you don't give a shit about what I want, don't expect me to give a shit about what you want!"

"Not agreeing to do something that would put you and the entire world at risk is very different from "not giving a shit" about what you want, Amber," Sam intervened, feeling his own temper rising at his sister's attitude.

"Feels exactly the same to me," Amber shrugged.

"Which proves your level of immaturity and how much growing up you still have left," was Sam's exasperated answer. "Look, I get how you're f…"

"No! We're not having that miserable, pointless, pity-talk again, Sam! I'm done! You've both made it clear you're not willing to try and bring Kyle back. I know your reasoning behind this decision, but frankly, I couldn't care less about it. Don't expect me to play nice or pretend I'm okay with any of this, though!"

And Amber was being honest. One hundred percent honest. She had tried to not be bothered. She had tried to accept this was her brother's perspective; she really had. But with every passing day, every day that Kyle was locked away in a parallel universe emitting SOS signals that grew fainter and fainter, all her good intentions flew out the window. She had talked to her brothers again and again, trying to bring them to her side, trying to get them to agree to save Kyle, but it never worked. She was doing her own thing and trying to figure it out on her own, but they were running out of time, and she desperately needed help. Which made Sam's and Dean's continuous refusal that much more frustrating and painful. That was why she had involved Jack. Because she was desperate. She'd never risk his involvement and safety otherwise. She had vowed to herself to at the very least attempt to save Kyle, and she would. She just hoped it wouldn't be too little, too late.

"You're more than entitled to your feelings, Amber, but you're not entitled to not "playing nice" when that translates to recklessness and risking your safety!" Sam's tone had raised slightly but noticeably. He could empathize with his sister; he really could. But he had more than enough of her "no-care-in-the-world" attitude. Dean had his points.

"What he said!" Dean added curtly. "We gave you your time, we turned a blind eye to you constantly breaking the rules - the new more elastic rules - that you agreed on, not two months ago! But it ends here! You had your fun, you showed your displeasure, but this shit is over. I mean it, Amber, this is the last time I'm letting even the slightest thing slide. I should belt your ass to Sunday for today and yet I won't. Against my better judgment, I'm giving you one last, LAST, chance to shape up. Am I clear?"

Amber snorted at his words before stepping in her room and holding her door open pointedly. Her expression was taunting and unwavering, yet her stomach did clench at the promise. It hadn't been that long since Dean had taken her in hand and she certainly didn't want a repeat. Ever. She was also realizing that maybe she had managed to make her own life harder. If the brothers decided to keep a sharper eye on her that could pose problems to her coming and going to Sioux Falls. Well, she'd lay a bit lower for the next few days and see how it'd go.

"Get out of my room. Both of you," was her only answer.

Sam was feeling his temples pulsing with slowly but steadily building anger. He knew Amber was suffering. But she was making damn sure everybody else was suffering right alongside her. He glanced at his brother wondering if he'd actually manage to keep himself from roasting their sister then and there. He knew he felt this very intense urge to do so himself, at this moment. To his surprise, Dean, jaw set, face red and fists clenched, simply strode out of the room.

Amber turned to look at Sam, eyebrows raised, lips tight, and expression challenging as ever.

"You heard Dean, Amber. Note that I'm one hundred percent with him," he told her, before leaving her room, closing the door behind him.

Amber, dressed in a pair of tights and an oversized green hoodie, grabbed one of the three remaining laundry baskets filled to the brim with folded clothes fresh from the dryer and walked towards her brothers' rooms. It was her turn to do laundry, and considering her plans for later in the day, she didn't want to further aggravate them after last night. She had already taken Cas' and Jack's clothes to their rooms, and she was finally close to being done after doing hers, Sam's, and Dean's.

She went to Sam's room first and knocked on the door. Receiving no answer, she opened it and stepped inside the vacant room, placing the basket on his carefully made bed. Thankful that Sam wasn't there and she wouldn't have to go through any conversation attempts, she returned to the laundry room and grabbed Dean's basket. She had made a point of not folding his clothes particularly neatly, not that she'd ever admit it. Walking to his door, she knocked, and inwardly groaned when he answered. She was hoping for as little interaction with the brothers as possible for that day.

Opening the door, she kept her face and tone neutral as she stepped inside.

"Laundry," she stated simply before putting the basket on the floor near Dean's bed and immediately turning to walk out of the room.

"Thanks," Dean said evenly, eyeing the girl. Before she made it out the door, he added, "Hey, Amber? You up for a ride?"

Amber paused and turned to look at him, unable to hide her surprise at his words. "A ride?"

"Car ride. Just drive around for a bit. Talk."

Amber lifted her right eyebrow at the suggestion. "I doubt us in the same car, talking is a remotely safe situation, Dean. Thanks for the offer, though. I have a lot of lore studying to catch up on anyways."

Dean wasn't surprised she turned the offer down. Yet, he was determined to reestablish some sort of common ground with Amber. Knowing that making her do this would defeat the purpose, he simply nodded. "Okay then. We'll have a raincheck."

"Sure, Dean," Amber answered, her tone a blend of sarcasm and disbelief.

If she was being honest, the prospect of a car ride with loud music and Dean on the wheel didn't sound half bad. They'd done it a couple of times in the last few weeks - in between her rage waves - and they had been fun. But for one, she was still angry as hell with her brothers and refused to let go of her anger so easily, and two, she did have a lot of studying to do. Just not the lore they thought she was studying. And not in the bunker.

Getting her own and last basket to her room, she jogged up to the library. She was not surprised to find Sam there. Throwing a "Hey" in his general direction, she grabbed the book she had left on a table up there the previous day and left hastily. She felt Sam's eyes on her as she kept walking towards her room.

Closing and locking the door behind her, she threw the book on her bed. It had served its purpose and wasn't needed anymore. Grabbing her coat from her closet and putting it on, she sent a telepathic message to Jack.

"Heading to Sioux. Let me know if they come looking for me, OK?"

At the positive response, she glanced at her door, making sure the sigil that sealed her room from Cas was intact before she teleported out and into Bobby's house.

Thoughts? Is anyone else as excited as I am, reading Amber's and the gang's new adventures?
Please review and tell me!

P.S.
As always, I'm open to considering requests and ideas as long as I can somehow incorporate them into the storyline and they ignite my muse. I'm happy to work on them!