A/N: I'm sorry my updates have been inconsistent. I've been having a rough month. I'm going to try to be better. My Dad keeps shutting off my wifi because I haven't been making great choices. I hope you enjoy my update. Thank you for your comments and reviews! And especially thank you to Wayward Daughter for your listening ear and your help with my story! You're the best!
Dean made it to the Impala with Brinley before Sam and John. He opened the back door to the Impala and motioned for Brinley to climb inside. "Stay here," he ordered. Once she was safely in the car, he closed the door and made his way to the edge of the hill and looked for Sam and John. Sam appeared seconds later. "Are you ok?" Dean asked.
"Yeah," Sam replied. "Is Dad here?" Dean shook his head no. "Is Brinley ok?"
"Not sure, I haven't had a chance to check on her yet," Dean replied as they both looked over the side of the hill for John. "Dad!" Dean called out. After a long pause John finally came running up the slope. Relieved, Dean hurried to the car to leave.
"They won't follow. They'll wait till tonight. Once a vampire has your scent, it's for life," John replied.
"Well, what the hell do we do now?" Dean questioned.
"We gotta find the nearest funeral home, that's what," John replied and at the same time noticed movement in the back seat of the Impala. "Who's in the car?" he questioned. Sam and Dean exchanged glances.
"Brinley," Dean replied.
"Brinley?" John demanded, raising his voice. "What the hell is she doing here?"
"The vampires had her in the barn," Sam replied. "She was tied to a post when we found her. That's all we know."
"She's really shook up," Dean added.
"Is she hurt?" John questioned as he hurried toward the car and opened the door. Brinley was laying on the back seat completely covered with her blanket. John could hear small sobbing noises coming from underneath. "Brinley," John stated as he pulled the blanket off of her causing Brinley to pull herself into a sitting position and scoot to the other side of the seat. She focused her eyes outside her window. John climbed in next to her. "Are you hurt?" he asked worriedly.
"Why do you care?" she replied without looking at him.
"Dammit Brinley, I don't have time for your games, look at me," he ordered. She sighed and slowly turned to face him. Her cheeks were tear stained with dirt and blood, and her eyes were bloodshot from crying. John found himself consumed with guilt. More than anything he wanted to protect her from this life. "Are you hurt?" he asked again, his voice gentler.
"Just my wrists hurt," she replied hoarsely.
"Let me take a look," he said as he reached for her hands. Brinley placed her hands on her lap, still trembling from the whole ordeal. "Looks like bad rope burn…we'll clean them up at the motel," he said as he picked them up and held them in his hands. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"
"I don't think so," she replied. John gently set her hands back onto her lap and set her blanket next to her. "We should get back to the motel before it gets dark." Brinley was surprised that he didn't interrogate her. "You and Sam will come with me. Grab your blanket." John slid out of the car and approached the boys. "Dean, I need you to go to the nearest funeral home and get dead man's blood. It's poison to the vamps."
"Yes sir," Dean replied as he headed for the Impala. Brinley was climbing out as he opened his door. "Are you ok kid?" he asked.
"Yeah," she replied quietly. Dean was eager to hear Brinley's story just like everyone else. He felt responsible when he thought back to their conversation on the phone. Brinley continued past Dean and made her way to his truck. She groaned at the idea of being trapped in the front seat between John and Sam, but climbed in anyway. Minutes later John and Sam were on each side of her.
"So, are you ready to tell us how you ended up in a vampire nest?" John questioned as his truck rumbled down a dirt road through the woods.
"No," Brinley replied as she clutched her blanket in her lap.
John sighed. "That's fine, but we will talk about this." Brinley sat quietly for the rest of the ride to the motel while Sam and John discussed the vampires and their plan. Once they were back at the motel, John tended to Brinley's wrists while Sam paced the room waiting for Dean.
"It shouldn't be taking this long. I should go help," Sam sighed.
"Deans got it," John replied as he finished cleaning Brinley's wrists. "How do they feel?" he asked her.
"They're ok," she replied. John smiled in response and got up and headed over to the table and set the peroxide and bandages down. Meanwhile, Brinley climbed under the blankets on the bed and sank her head into the pillow.
"Sammy," John said as he watched his son pace.
"Yeah," Sam replied.
"I don't think I ever told you this but ... the day you were born, you know what I did?" he questioned.
"No," Sam replied. He stopped pacing and sat down on the edge of Brinley's bed.
"I put a hundred bucks into a savings account for you. I did the same thing for your brother. It was a college fund. And every month I'd put in another hundred dollars, until... Anyway, my point is, Sam, this is never the life that I wanted for you," John explained.
"Then why'd you get so mad when I left?" Sam questioned.
"You gotta understand something. After your mother passed all I saw was evil, everywhere. And all I cared about was keeping you boys alive. I wanted you...prepared. Ready. Except somewhere along the line, I ... uh ... I stopped being your father and I ... I became your, your drill sergeant. So, when you said that you wanted to go away to school, all I could think about, my only thought was, that you were gonna be alone. Vulnerable. Sammy, it just... it never occurred to me what you wanted. I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me - We're just different," John explained. Sam huffed a laugh in response. "What?" John asked.
"We're not different. Not anymore. With what happened to Mom and Jess...Well, we probably have a lot more in common than just about anyone," Sam replied.
"I guess you're right, son," John replied with a smile.
"Hey Dad? Whatever happened to that college fund?" Sam questioned.
"Spent it on ammo," John replied. They both looked at each other and laughed. Brinley found it comforting to see a softer side of John and decided it was probably a good time to come clean about the events of her day and besides, she knew she would eventually have to come clean about losing all her clothes. John headed into the bathroom.
"Sam?" Brinley questioned from her bed.
"Yeah," Sam replied as he turned to face her.
"I have a big problem," she pouted. "And you're all going to be so upset with me."
"Does it have anything to do with what happened today?" Sam asked as John came out from the bathroom to hear the beginning of the conversation. Brinley sat up and looked from Sam to John and tears fell from her.
"I did something really bad," she said with a sob. John was relieved she seemed willing to talk about it and took a seat at the table. He decided this time he was going to listen first before reacting.
"You might feel better if you talk about it," Sam said gently as Dean entered the room holding a small paper bag. He was about to say something, but paused when he realized what was happening and leaned against the doorway between the rooms.
"I was going to run away," she announced, "I packed my bag, and I was going to hitchhike a ride."
"So, you were outside when I called?" Dean questioned.
"Yes," Brinley replied. She couldn't look at him. She felt too ashamed.
"That's great….you lied to me. Dammit Brinley, and hitchhiking?" Dean responded angrily.
"I'm sorry….I was going to go back, I really was, I was headed back to the motel when the vampires took me," she explained as tears fell from her eyes. "And I dropped my bag and lost everything!" she sobbed. "All those new clothes you and Sam bought me…..gone."
"Boys, I'd like a few minutes alone with your sister," John chimed in. Sam and Dean didn't argue and were impressed with their father's restraint. They too were disappointed in their sister and knew she deserved whatever she had coming. They both headed out of the room and closed the adjoining door on their way. John stood up from the table and carried a chair to the side of her bed, and sat down. "You broke a lot of rules," he sighed, "And you almost got yourself killed."
"I didn't exactly know that vampires were going to kidnap me today," she replied abruptly.
"The vampires never would've been able to kidnap you if you had just stayed in the room like you were told to," John replied firmly.
"Well…the only reason I was running away was because of you….you're mean, and I don't think you even like me," she replied.
"I figured that," John replied. "And hell, I know I can be mean, but it's only because I want to keep you and the boys safe, and I want you kids to be prepared. Like I said to Sam, I know sometimes I may sound like a drill sergeant and I'm trying to change. I want to be more of a father to you. I'm not always good at expressing my emotions but you need to know, that I love you and I loved your mother, and I would be devastated if anything ever happened to you. The thought of those vampires harming you…..," he sighed.
"I'm sorry," Brinley replied.
"Me too," John replied. "But that doesn't change the fact that you disobeyed us today." Brinley sighed with dismay. "Let me ask you….what do you think your punishment should be?" Brinley's eyes widened with surprise.
"Is this a trick?" she questioned suspiciously. John smiled in response.
"No. I'm curious what you think," he replied.
"Well….I WAS going to run away, and I didn't so I think that should count for something…..and it technically wasn't my fault that the vampires kidnapped me." Brinley looked at John for a reaction and he just nodded his head. "I also think being a prisoner of vampires was definitely punishment in itself. Soooooo…I think I should be let off the hook this time because I learned my lesson."
"I see," John replied with a sigh, "And I agree…to a point, but my first order….I mean rule…..was to stay inside the motel room and if you had obeyed me, none of this would've happened." His words were firm.
"I know," she replied disappointedly. "And I won't do it again, ever, I'll follow all your rules…..I promise."
"I'm sure your intentions are good, but I'm going to have to give you a spanking for disobeying me," John replied firmly. Brinley was speechless and felt her cheeks get hot. She thought for sure he was going to let her off the hook and his words were a huge disappointment to her.
"Just when I thought maybe you weren't a meanie anymore," she mumbled.
"This has nothing to do with being mean," John replied sternly. "I am your father and it's my job to teach you that there are consequences to the choices you make." Tears filled her eyes. "I was going to wait until after the hunt, but I think it's best if we take care of it now." John glanced at his watch and then looked over at her. "Come here," he ordered. Brinley looked down at her lap and didn't budge. John grew frustrated. "Get off of that bed right now little girl," he ordered. She pretended not to hear him and continued to play with a string on her blanket. John was impatient and angered by her blatant disobedience. He stood up and plucked her from her spot on the bed and placed her over his lap as he sat back down. Brinley whined and struggled to release herself, but was immediately stunned when his large hand connected her bottom. She knew right away John's spanking was going to be a lot worse than Dean's. John continued the spanks in rapid succession. Her whines quickly turned to sobs, and that's when John knew she had had enough. "It's finished, you can get up," he stated, his demeanor softer now.
Brinley slid so her feet were on the floor and stood up. She was consumed with many emotions at once...anger, sadness, and embarrassment, but mostly embarrassed as she tried to stop the tears from falling from her eyes. She hated being treated like a little girl. She wanted to be angry with John, but she knew what she did was wrong and even though she didn't like the punishment, she knew she deserved it. She felt sad that John didn't want her in his life and more than anything, she wanted to be with her brothers and her Dad. She was about to seek refuge under the covers of her bed when John stood up from the chair and placed his hands on her shoulders. He then gently put his hand under her chin and lifted it, so she was looking at him. "The rules are meant to keep you safe, and I expect you to do what you're told from now on," he stated sternly. "Do you understand?" Brinley nodded her head and then threw her arms around his waist. John placed his hand gently on the top of her head and held her tightly with the other. "I know we have a lot of work to do to repair our relationship," he said gently, "But I'd like to try, and I'm going to let you make the decision on whether you want to go live in Florida with your uncle or not."
"I want to stay with you and my brothers," she replied quietly and without hesitation.
"I was hoping you'd say that," he said as he ruffled his hand through her hair. Brinley released him and took a step back. "You are definitely a Winchester through and through," John smiled proudly.