Flashback: Outside Truman High School 1997

After getting a call from one of Sam's teachers, Angel quickly parked the impala in the lot and hurried over to the school. When she saw both of her brothers sitting at the benches in the front of the school she immediately ran over to them. Sam sat frowning at the ground while Dean paced in front of him angrily.

"I'm gonna rip his lungs out!"

"Dean." Sam pleaded softly, "It's not a big deal."

Angel came to a stop between them and looked at each one of her brothers expectantly, "What the hell happened?"

"Dean, you called her?" Sam scoffed, "I said it wasn't a big deal!"

"I didn't call her." Dean scoffed, "Not a big deal? Sammy, look at yourself. If Dad was here-"

"He's not."

"Well, I am!" Dean glared around angrily, "And as soon I'm finished with that dick-"

Sam glared back, "Just shut up, okay?!"

His mini outburst earned looks from both Angel and Dean. He usually didn't snap at either one of them like that. Occasionally, maybe, but it wasn't an often thing and it usually happened when he was struggling with something he didn't want to talk about.

"Is anybody gonna tell me what the hells going on?" Angel demanded before her eyes fell to Sams, "I'm in the middle of a case and Mr. Wyatt calls me to tell me you got into a fight. What the hells that about? I expect it from Dean, but that's not the norm for you, Sammy. What happened?"

"He didn't get into a fight." Dean interjected, glaring, "He's getting messed with by some punk. He got punched in the face!"

"What?" Confusion filled Angel, but the confusion was quickly replaced by white hot rage that filled her veins from someone laying a finger on her little Sammy, "Who the hell hit you? Hm? What's the kid's name? What is it, Sam?"

"Angel." Sam turned his big puppy dog pleading eyes to her livid ones, "Please, its not-"

"Samuel." She barked, "Now."

He let out a breath as his shoulders fell, "His name is Dirk but Angel-"

"Right, Dirk, got it." Before either of them could say anything she turned around, determined to storm into the office and cause hell but Sam caught her jacket sleeve, "What, Sam?"

"I don't need your help!" He looked back to Dean, "Either of you, okay? I don't."

"That's right, you don't. You could have torn him apart." Dean said, "So why didn't you?"

"Because I don't want to be the freak for once, okay?" He looked away from them as he sat back down, studying his hands instead, "I just want to be normal."

"Okay…" Angel willed herself to calm down as she came to sit next to him, "Taking a beating from some punk kid isn't normal. You gotta handle stuff like that, Sammy. You know that."

He shook his head, changing the subject, "Any word from Dad?"

Angel looked from him to Dean, knowing they weren't going to like the answer, "He called me this morning and said he's going to be another week at least."

Dean tensed and groaned at that, "We weren't supposed to be here this long."

"I know, Dean." She sighed, "But, uh, I'm almost done with my hunt. When I wrap it up we could check out the winter carnival they're having a few towns over." She bumped Sam with her shoulder, "Bet they'll have those candy coated apples you like, Sammy."

"That sounds like fun." Sam smiled at her, appreciative that she was trying to make him feel better, before smirking at Dean, "Maybe Dean can bring Amanda."

"Amanda?" Angel repeated, her eyes flashed to Dean who groaned and hung his head, "Whos Amanda?"

"Nobody."

"His girlfriend." Sam answered before shrugging, "She's cool."

"Ah, I bet she is." She winked at Dean, "At least you're staying out of trouble, for the most part. That's all I ask. So…" She pressed and grinned when Dean glared at her, "When do I get to meet this girlfriend? Gotta make sure she's worthy for my little brother after all."

He rolled his eyes again, "Shut up, god." The silence stretched for a few seconds before he broke it, "Dude, she wants me to meet her parents. I don't do parents."

Angel chuckled at him as cell phone rang. When she looked, it wasn't a number she recognized. It was probably Asa with some information on the case.

Dean watched her hopefully as she got up to take the call, "That dad?"

"No. Give me a sec, boys." She walked a few feet away from them to answer, "Got anything on those names?"

"Yeah, they were all past students at Truman University, all unaccounted for."

"Well, if they were students, why didn't they pop up before?"

"Because none of the disappearances were linked to Truman University. They either left a suicide note, or their cars were found pretty far from the campus, that sort of thing."

"Like somebody was trying to cover their tracks." She scoffed, "Someone like Dean Peretti."

"And if Peretti did take them, those old tunnels are our best lead to where."

"You know, I have an idea." She bit her lip as a thought came to mind, "Think you can meet me at the running trail entrance in five?"

"Yeah, for sure."

"Good. Bring the blueprints." Hanging up she turned back to her brothers, "Alright, i have to get back to work. Everything square with you two?" They nodded silently as her eyes met Sams, "Handle that asshole the next time he tries to hit you. Just like we practiced, alright?" He nodded silently as he looked down and she ruffled his hair on her way back to the car, "See you two losers later."

Later on, the bell rang dismissing kids from their classes. As Sam got up to walk out he was stopped by Mr. Wyatt.

"Mr. Winchester, can I talk to you?"

Sam stiffened up but walked over to Mr. Wyatts desk with Barry trailing behind him.

"Um…" Barry frowned from the teacher to his new friend, "I'll wait for you outside."

Sam nodded before sending Mr. Wyatt a look and quickly looking away, "Um, if this is about the fight… I didn't start it."

"Oh, no, it's not about the fight, Sam." He quickly dismissed, "I called your sister. Was she able to come down and talk to you?"

"Yeah…"

"Okay, good." He sat down at his desk before holding up his essay, "You know this assignment was nonfiction, right?"

Sam nodded, looking away from him again, "Yes, Mr. Wyatt."

"So you and your family killed a werewolf last summer, huh?" He smiled, "Why would you write something like this, Sam?"

"It doesn't matter." Sam shrugged, "As soon as my Dad gets back we're leaving, so you can flunk me if you want to."

"I'm not flunking you. I'm giving you an A." He handed the essay back to a very confused Sam, "Now, aside from the werewolf, is that really how you'd describe your family?" Sam nodded with a small smile as he thought about them, "Well, they're both quite the characters. And your father… he seems, uh, driven." He smiled, "Anyway, it's good, Sam. It's really good. Have you ever thought about pursuing writing?"

"I can't." Sadness filled his face, "I have to go into the family business."

"Family business?"

"Yeah, my- my dad's a mo-" He cleared his throat upon catching himself, "Mechanic. So I have to be a mechanic, too…"

Mr. Wyatt nodded softly, "Do you want to go in the family business, Sam?"

His eyebrows rose as he thought about the question, "No one's ever asked me that before…"

"Well?"

"More than anything, no."

"I don't want to overstep my bounds here, but…" He came over to sit next to Sam on the other side of his desk, "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." He pressed on when Sam looked away unconvinced, "Look, I mean, I know what it's like. I come from a family of surgeons, and that wasn't me. So, you know, I traded in the money and prestige of being a doctor for all the glamour you see around you." He grinned, "But the point is… there may be three or four big choices that shape someone's whole life, and you need to be the one that makes them, not anyone else. You seem like a great kid, Sam. Just live the life you want to live."