The Escape
The sleek black Impala cruised into the 2nd rundown and beaten motel of the night, this time in Arizona. The patriarch of the family stepped out the driver's side door and made his way into the room where the front desk stood, leaving his four children unoccupied in the vehicle. Dean laid down across the back seat with sleeping nine-year-old Eli on top of his chest and his legs resting on Dottie. Sam, who was ordered to sit upfront, stayed motionless with his head resting in his palm and negative thoughts swarming throughout his brain. It was almost like his mind was spinning like the violent tornado in The Wizard of Oz. Only this time, he wouldn't wake up in the magical land of Oz. His siblings could practically feel the anger radiating off his person while he tried to stay calm in the vehicle.
John never liked to stay in the same place for very long, especially if he was finished hunting. If they stayed in a town for an extended period, people might start to ask the wrong questions and get the family in trouble. Thus, when John announced to the family that they'd be leaving the quaint town of Bloomington, Illinois, Sam more or less lost all his composure.
Fourteen-year-old Sam still did not understand why his dad and his family had to be the ones to hunt the supernatural. All that seemed to come out of the lifestyle was pain and failed relationships. The last school that the Winchester kids had attended was amazing and, thus, very difficult to leave. Especially for young Sammy, who had become close friends with another student who suffered from depression. Sure, it hadn't been perfect, nothing was perfect, but it was a good life and a home.
Hearing a door shut rather loudly somewhere in the motel, very soon to be adult, Dean Winchester awoke with a not-so-heavy weight on his chest. He smiled at his baby sister and ran a hand through her thick blonde curly hair. Dean kissed the top of her head and slowly began to sit up while trying not to wake little Eli.
Dottie quietly laughed as she watched her old cousin try to maneuver his body up into the seat with the youngest Winchester covering his body. She pushed his legs off of her own, causing Dean to shoot forward, almost losing his balance in the process. Dottie's laugh was not as quiet this time as Dean gave her a signature bitch face.
"Really?" He mouthed. Without any help from his younger cousin, he managed to sit up with Eli still wrapped tightly around his body. "Ha." He scoffed while rubbing a hand through his sister's hair once more. Dottie rolled her eyes and looked out the window towards the parking lot trying to find out where John had taken them this time.
Not a moment later, John exited to the motel office door and entered the Impala. He looked at Sammy, who seemed to be brooding his misery, and let out a sigh. John then turned his attention to the three kids in the back and saw that one of them was still asleep.
"Dean, wake up your sister," John ordered, not in a mean tone. Dottie couldn't help but stifle a snicker as all of Dean's work trying to keep her asleep was futile now.
"Aw Dad, I jus-" A stern look from John in the rearview mirror was all Dean needed to obey his father. "Yes, sir." He stated.
John put the car in drive and pulled out of the front area of the motel. He drove around the parking lot and found the family's home for a couple of weeks located on the far side of the building.
As the car started to move, the blonde bedhead having Eli, sat up to try and determine where she was. Dean smiled and tousled her hair.
"Deannn." She complained to her older brother. "Why'd you mess up my hair?" Eli asked him while trying to push her hair back into its place.
"Sorry, Kiddo. Couldn't help it." Dean smiled and watched as she tried to rub the sleepiness from her eyes. After another short bout of driving, she laid her noggin back on his shoulder. "Ah ah ah," He tried to move a little bit so she wouldn't be too comfortable, "Sorry sunshine, we are here now, you gotta stay awake, okay?" Dean looked down at his sister and gave her a 'sorry' look.
Eli glanced up at her big brother and blew out a breath towards his face. "M'kay, Deano," She smiled at him in understanding. He returned the gesture and looked straight out the front windshield until he felt a small tug on his leather jacket. Eli's deep blue eyes stared at him for a moment. "Can I please stay here, though, Dean?" She questioned.
He wrapped his arms tightly around the youngest Winchester. "Of course, kiddo." Dean smiled and watched her nuzzle deeper into his jacket.
As the car rounded the corner and found its spot in the parking lot, all the children waited for John's instruction before leaving the vehicle. It was something he always had them do, just in case he needed to brief them before the next hunt. The patriarch of the family rubbed his hands across his face and let out a long breath.
Dean managed to get Sam's attention and shot him a look that could only be translated between the brothers. It was no secret that John was furious with Sam at the moment, and Dean almost seemed to tell him not to argue with the man for once, as usually, they were always fighting about something.
With John always being on hunts, it was normally up to the eldest to manage and somewhat raise his siblings. Thus, Sam and Dean had practically invented a language without any words with all of their time together. Young Sammy nodded in response to his brother and looked straight ahead. John pulled the keys out of the ignition and began to speak.
"Sam, Dean, Dottie, and Eli, I registered you all in classes starting tomorrow. Sam, Dean, and Dottie will be in the same building, and Eli will be in the next building over." He paused to gauge their reactions. Eli hated being separated from her siblings, but there was no other option. John could sense that she was about to argue when he saw his eldest pinch her shoulder and give her a reassuring look. He internally thanked his son for being so good with his siblings. Four yes sir's echoed throughout the cabin of the Impala, so he continued. "I will be gone for about two weeks, but I will be keeping in touch with Dean. Singer will be here to pick me up in about 15 minutes, so Dean," He made eye contact with his son in the back seat, "What's most important?"
"Watch out for Sam, Dot, and Eli." He said with no hesitation.
"That's right. I will leave the Impala here to drive to school and in case of emergency." John pointed a finger up at Dean, "No girls. Understand me?"
A very serious yet disappointed "Yes, sir." left Dean's mouth as he nodded his head in understanding.
"Alright, Dean, Dottie, and Eli grab the bags out of the back and go into the room. Here's the key." He reached back and gave the motel room key to Eli. Dean shot an uncertain look at Sam, asking him if it was okay to leave. Once more, Sam subtly nodded his head. John smiled and watched three of his kids start to exit the car. "Be safe!" He called loudly as they grabbed the bags from the trunk and watched them enter the room.
Silence rang thick in the front two seats, and neither of the men knew what to say to one another. Without warning, John spoke.
"Sam. Look at me." The clear yet gruff elder ordered. The floppy-haired boy forced himself to make eye contact with his father. For only a moment, John wished that he could just hug his son and tell him that he would have an apple pie life with a normal family. But he couldn't; it wasn't realistic. John wasn't only raising sons and daughters—he was training hunters. "What you did back there was unacceptable, Samuel William. I know that you were upset, but it was disrespectful and absolutely unnecessary."
"Unnecessary?!" Sam somewhat scoffed in disbelief. "We had to move again! I had friends there, dad, a life!" His voice got louder with every word until, eventually, it almost sounded like a yell. His heavy breathing was the only sound heard throughout the cabin. John's mouth dropped open in disbelief. A tear managed to fall from his youngest son's face, and unfortunately for Sam, his father felt no sympathy. And although that outburst certainly warranted some kind of chewing out, John didn't want to deal with it right before a hunt.
"Get out of the car, Samuel." Sam's eyes widened as John also started to open his own door. He slowly brought his shaky hand to the door handle and walked up to his dad standing by the passenger side door. John looked off into the almost abandoned parking lot. "You know Sam," He paused for a moment, "Things would be easier on everyone if you could just listen to me." Sam's eyes focused very intently on his shoes. John raised his hand and pointed to the motel sign about twenty-five meters away. "There and back four times." He instructed coldly.
Sam kept his head ducked and did as his father directed. A few more tears fell from his eyes as his legs seemed to carry him across the lot and back four times. John watched his son and was thankful that he hadn't put up a fight for his insubordinate attitude. John truly longed to give Sammy the one thing he always wanted—a normal life; but, deep down, he knew it wasn't possible. Afterall, this life wasn't something John chose, it was an unreturnable curse. As Sam finished his last lap, he halted in front of his father. John grabbed Sam's chin, kindly forcing his son's eyes to meet his own.
"Listen, sport, I need you to listen to Dean and Dottie while I'm away. And watch out for Eli. You know she's going to be nervous going to school. Do you understand me?" Sam nodded his head. "Want to try that again?" John questioned.
Sammy bit his tongue but managed to let out a "Yes, Sir."
He released the grip on his son and tapped his shoulder. "I'll see you soon, kid. Don't do anything stupid."
For the first time that day, Sam smiled. Not a smile of understanding, or even one of sarcasm, but a genuine grin. Why? Because at that moment, Sam decided that he was going to run away.
"Yes, sir. Goodbye, dad." Sam halfheartedly hugged his father's leg before turning and making his way to the motel door. When he reached the green door that read 117, he turned around to see his father, somewhat awestruck that Sam had given him a hug and a goodbye. Sam waved and opened the door to find his siblings dispersed throughout the room.
The room was set up pretty open for a motel lodging. When Sam entered, the table and kitchenette were to his left, the couch and tv to his right, the bathroom door behind the sofa, and two full beds were next to each other on the back wall.
"Hey," Dean's voice called out from the table when he saw Sam enter the room. "How'd it go? I saw you running out there." He said with sympathy.
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "It went fine, I guess." The youngest Winchester boy's mind raced a thousand miles a minute. He couldn't lie to Dean, but he also had no intention of filling him in on his expert plan of running away. Feeling like there was nothing more to say, Sam made a beeline for the bed with the horrid green bedspread.
Rolling his eyes at his younger brother's antics, Dean grabbed Dottie from the couch and asked her to help him line the windows and doors with salt. The two started working to make sure that every exit was lined with a thick layer, just in case there were any unwelcome visitors.
Meanwhile, Sam hunkered down on the bed to the left, planning his escape. He deduced that the next day during school, he could sneak off in between classes and make a daring escapade to Flagstaff, Arizona, which was about an hour on foot from where the family was staying. It was a quiet and mostly desolate town and most importantly, it would not be on John Winchester's list of places to look. He smiled in satisfaction and began to write a list of what to take with him when he felt a body land directly next to him.
"Whatcha doing, Sammy?" Eli's small voice broke Sam out of his concentration. He turned to look at his little sister and couldn't help but smile at her innocence. Ever since they were little, there was no question that Sam and Eli had a very strong bond. It was unlike the other bonds Sammy had with Dean and Dottie, mainly because, with Eli, he always felt like she was his to protect because she was the only one younger than him. Of course, he knew that Dean and Dottie probably felt the same way about her; but for some reason, it was different for Sam. It was at that moment when a tragic realization dawned on the young boy—What about Eli?
There was no question that Sam had it the hardest between the four siblings, mostly due to how different John and Sam were. Dean always seemed to be the model for respect and following orders, so there was no doubt that John trusted Dean the most. For Dottie, well, John had always been different towards Dottie. After her Pa passed and he took her in as his own, John was always harder on her and trained her as a hunter. However, part of him always desired to treat her like Luke would have.
It is a completely different story for young Eli. Ever since Mary died when the youngest was only six months old, John seemed to have bittersweet feelings about his most youthful kid. Of no fault of her own, Eli is a spitting image of Mary, his wife, and thus seeing his daughter laugh and smile just as she once did was a constant and painful reminder. Oddly enough, sometimes John seemed to be harder on her than the others because he didn't want to see her die as Mary did. When Eli found out about the supernatural only a couple of months ago, John was less than empathetic and tried to train her up to par with the other kids in a much shorter amount of time. And while she didn't seem to land in as much hot water as Sam, there were moments when not even Dean would have wanted to be in her place.
Sam's heart began to hurt a bit as he thought of leaving Eli alone with John. All of the strictness their father put on the two of them would primarily rest on her shoulders. He shook his head, and without skipping a beat, altered his plan of escape—Eli would be coming too.
"Sammy?" The little voice broke him out of his daydream. He smiled and moved a piece of her hair out of her face.
"Eli," he began looking around the small room to make sure Dottie and Dean were too busy with something else to hear them, "I have to tell you a secret. But you have to promise me not to tell anyone, okay? Not even D squared over there." Eli let out a small laugh at that name. Sammy and his sister had come up with that nickname for them a couple of months ago, but Dottie and Dean had immediately shut it down. However, Eli and Sam still found moments to use it.
"Okay, Sam, I pinky promise," she stated while extending her pinky up towards his, which he interlocked with his own, "What is it?"
Sam took a deep breath and leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"WHAT?" Her voice resounded through the room, drawing Dottie and Dean's attention to the pair. Sam quickly clapped his hand over her mouth and let out a laugh before trying to think of a good lie.
"Haha," he said, laughing, "That's right! Dean did eat an entire pie at that diner one night!" He laughed loudly while nervously watching his siblings.
"You're damn right I did," Dean murmured under his breath while turning around to finish his task. Dottie rolled her eyes and turned to watch her now very suspicious-looking siblings. She decided to talk to Eli later that night to see if everything was okay. Turning back to finish lining the windows, Dottie's mouth turned upwards in a mischievous grin, as she poured a handful of salt into her hand.
"Hey, Dean." She called. He looked up at her right as she threw the salt into his face. "Got salt?" She burst into giggles as his face was covered in the small, white crystals. He brushed a hand down over his face and started to run towards Dottie.
"I'll give you salt!" He yelled, throwing salt in Dottie's direction and running towards her. Sam watched the interaction, almost forgetting about his sister, who now sat staring at him with wide bug eyes. He grabbed her hand and led her into the bathroom, just in case she felt the need to shout again. Sam guided her to sit down on the lid of the toilet and lightly shut the door.
"You're running away?" If she had asked any quieter, Sam wouldn't have been able to hear her. He snapped his head in her direction to see a look of pure and unrelenting fear plastered upon her face. "What about me, Sammy? I-I you can't leave me, bub...bubba." A few tears rapidly fell down the young girl's face as she tried to process the information he'd just told her. Sammy quickly ran over and suffocated her in a tight embrace.
"Shush, shush, shush. It's okay, kiddo." Her silent cries filled the small room, and truthfully he was unsure of what to do next. Sure, he had always been the emotional caregiver of the group, but this time he caused the tears. "Hey, hey, hey, Eli." He cradled her head, trying to lift it off of his shoulder for a moment, "I didn't finish telling you the secret, munchkin."
She looked up at her big brother with a tear-stained face, "Wha...whaddya mean?" He grabbed her hands and looked towards her with full sincerity.
"I want you to come with me." He stated matter of factly.
"You...you what?" She questioned with terror.
"I said that I want you to come with me." He paused and waited to see if her reaction would change. "I have a plan." Sam squeezed her hands tighter and looked deeper into her deep ocean blue eyes, "I would never leave you here alone with dad."
It seemed as if that simple sentence got her on board with his scheme. But just as she was about to nod her head, she shook it in disagreement.
"But what about Deanie and Dottie?" Sam gave her a warm smile. He knew that she only ever called her older brother 'Deanie' when he was mad at her, or she felt guilty about something. Sammy rubbed his thumb across her hand and thought a moment before speaking.
"I can promise you that we will see them both again, okay?" He stated with some satisfaction in his answer because it wasn't exactly a lie.
"Won't they be so angry at us, bubba? I would be angry if they ran away." This time Sam could only manage a half-hearted smile before answering. He lifted the young kid and placed her on the sink counter.
"What about if we only go for a couple of days? I mean, there's no way they'd be mad at that. It'd almost be like a vacation!" In truth, the juvenile Sam fully believed the words he was saying. It was not that he was naive about the real world, but he just couldn't imagine his family staying mad at them over something like this.
Eli chewed on her lip for a couple of seconds before looking up at her brother. "Okay, Sammy, I will go with you." She grinned, "But only if we can find a dog to spend our vacation with us." Eli looked up with hope, "I've always wanted a dog."
He chuckled and got a washcloth down from the towel rack across from the toilet. "Me too." Sam smiled, "You have a deal, little miss." He stated while running the cloth under some warm water. Sam dabbed the fabric across his sister's face in an attempt to calm her down a bit.
Thankfully, Eli possessed a rare and unusual gift; after she cried, there was never any evidence that tears had been shed. She could weep hard for thirty minutes and look more or less normal. And at this moment in time, Samuel was very thankful for that particular gift.
"So when are we going to go?" She asked, holding his hand above the cloth.
"Well, tomorrow during classes, I am going to sneak out in between the bells. I will call the school from dad's number and say that there has been an emergency and that he is sending me to come and pick you up."
Eli nodded her head in agreement, but her hands started shaking with fear. "What if they call dad or even Dean?" She questioned.
He let out a deep breath because this was truly the weakest part of his plan. "Well, I will ask them to call a certain number, which will go to a burner that I still have from an old hunt. Then I'll come by the school and pick you up."
He moved the damp fabric to the other side of her face. "But, where will we go?"
"There's a place not far from here, about an hour's walk through some backroads. It's called Flagstaff." He stopped and dropped the cloth into the sink. "Apparently, the people rent out cabins, and they are cheap since they're in the middle of nowhere." Sam reached into his pocket and pulled out about one hundred dollars in cash. Eli's eyes grew ten sizes.
"W-where'd you get that?" Her voice was a mixture of both fear and amazement. "Did you steal it from Dad?"
Sam shook his head. "No, Eli, technically, I didn't steal it. Dad had given me some money for food these last couple of trips. I've saved random amounts here and there. I had no idea what to use it for, but now," He tapped it against the counter, "I do."
She bit her lip once more before sending Sammy a smile so authentic it made his heart leap. "Let's do it, Sammy." Eli paused and then pointed seriously towards his chest. "As long as we can find a dog."
He snickered and lifted her off the sink. The pair slowly made their way back to the bed to enjoy more time with their two other siblings.
"I thought you guys disappeared for a second there." Dean interrogated as he flew his body onto the same bed, leaving thousands of white salt crystals scattered across the bedspread.
"Hey!" The younger siblings' voices rang out in unison.
"Yeah!" A second voice appeared from the kitchen. "Did Sammy need some girl advice?" She winked before plopping down next to Eli on the bed.
"Ha, yeah, right," Dean scoffed. "'Cause chicks dig guys who read." He leaned over a ruffled Sammy's hair.
"Dean, you only say that because Eli can read faster than you," Dottie paused and gave him a grin, "and she's nine."
All three of the kids laughed as Dean's hands flew up in surrender. "Alright, alright, but," He began with a finger pointed at his baby sister. "I'm still stronger than you."
"EEK!" Eli's voice rang loud, and she hastily tried to escape the clutches of her older brother. Not even eight steps later, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her body, and Dean's fingers tickled her body.
"DEEEEeEaAaAaNn! STooOoOp!" Her laughter rang throughout the room until finally, he picked her up and tossed her back up on the bed.
"See? Stronger." He boasted before kissing Eli's head. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him until he lifted her into his embrace.
"Eh." Dottie remarked, "Still think Eli's cooler," She pronounced while winking at her sister and laying her head down next to Sammy.
"Yeah, yeah." Dean brushed off her insult sarcastically.
"I don't know, Deano," Eli's small and serious voice drew his attention down to her face in his arms. "You are really cool," she stared forward in deep thought, "and you teach me things, AND," she exclaimed a little louder, as Dean's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "you ride in the back seat with me after dad gets mad at me for something, that's pretty neat," she said the last part to herself while looking down.
Dean looked and raised an eyebrow at Dottie, who couldn't help but smile at the naiveté of little Eli. "Yeah, I guess you're right, rugrat." Dottie insisted. Eli understood quite a few things; however, sarcasm was not one of them.
Her bright blue eyes traveled upwards to meet the emerald green ones of her older brother. Eli grinned and kissed the side of his cheek before cuddling further into his worn Zeppelin t-shirt.
Sam, on his part, felt partially guilty about running away from the three people that he loved most in the world, especially now as nothing but love was abiding in the room; but, truthfully, if he had to hear John Winchester get on his case one more time about being a good little soldier, he'd end up doing something that he'd regret. Sam reached over Dottie's head and grabbed The Wizard of Oz from the bedside table. It was a gift from his cousin two years ago, and he'd always kept it close to him, wherever they traveled. He rested his forearm onto Dot's head and started to read the story aloud to her. Ever since Dottie had first joined the team, she and Sam always enjoyed any moment they could read together. Although, usually, it was Sammy who read and Dottie who gladly listened.
A few minutes later, Dean and Eli left to pick up some food while the other two kept reading the brilliant journey of a little girl named Dorothy and her dog Toto.
Meanwhile, Dean and Eli pulled out of the parking lot with Zeppelin's Black Dog booming through the speakers of the '67 Impala.
"Listen to that purr of Baby's engine! Whoo!" Dean's voice loudly exclaimed to his baby sister.
"Woooo! Yeah! Faster Deanie!" She hollered while holding tightly onto the seatbelt. Subtly, Dean looked over at her for a moment, noticing the unusual use of his nickname. Soon enough, the car hastily made its way to the nearest diner and was put into park. Eli put a hand on the handle and began to get out before Dean's voice made her freeze.
"Wait a second, kiddo." He requested.
"What's up?" She questioned while turning her head slightly to the side.
Dean unbuckled his seat belt and turned to give his full attention to the girl. "Are you feeling okay? Or is something wrong?" He questioned, pretending to put his hand on her forehead to see if she ran a fever.
"Dean," She giggled while pulling his hand away from her forehead. "I'm," Eli paused and remembered that tomorrow was her and Sammy's big escape. She took a deep breath in anticipation. Eli had never lied to Dean before, or any of her siblings really, but especially not Dean. He watched as the gears in her brain turn.
There's a first time for everything, I guess. Eli thought before telling her first-ever lie to her hero. "I'm okay, bubba. I just miss dad." Eli whispered while trying very hard to avoid looking directly into his eyes. Dean felt his heart tense at the use of the other nickname she had for her brothers. Normally, she only ever used the word 'bubba' if there was something seriously wrong. Dean examined her body language for a moment as he watched her bite her lip in anxiety.
He turned his head to the side, not believing her words for one instant. "Are you lying to me, Elizabeth?" He asked in somewhat disbelief. Eli's face turned bright red, and she studied her shoes very intensely.
"Noo..." She trailed off while absentmindedly kicking the area behind under the glove box.
Dean was very confused as he knew she had never lied to him, so why all the sudden would she start now? "Hey, you know Baby doesn't appreciate being kicked like that." He added in nonchalantly.
Immediately her legs stopped swinging and brought them back to the edge of the seat. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"It's not me you should apologize to," Dean teased while tapping the steering wheel. Eli's small hand reached out and rubbed the glove box, and she whispered an apology to the Impala. Dean studied her for one more moment before speaking. "You know, kiddo, you've never lied to me before, so I'm just gonna chalk it up to a long day in the car. But," he started as Eli's eyes slowly drifted to his, "If you are lying to me, I am going to find out, because I have big brother superpowers." Dean winked and waited for her to smile. She never did. "Also," he continued seriously, "I would hate it if you said your first lie to me in my Baby." She swallowed before nodding her head. "So, is there anything you want to tell me before we go and get some dinner?"
Once more, Eli bit into her lip, hard. She had no idea keeping her pinky promise to Sammy meant lying to Dean! This situation was a nightmare for the nine-year-old. "I can't say, Dean." She started, "You'll just have to believe that I'm okay. Okay?" Her eyes watched as his look of confusion grew tenfold.
"You can't say, what sunshine?" He ventured softly.
"Just forget it for now." Eli's voice became annoyed. She absolutely hated not being able to tell her brother the truth. "Please? I'm just hungry." She gave a half-hearted smile before putting her hand on the door handle once more.
Dean blew out a sigh and opened his own door, "Okay." He reasoned. The two paused in front of the Impala. "I'll be here if there's anything you want to tell me, okay?"
"Yes, Dean," Eli responded before wrapping her arms around his legs. "Can we please get some pie?" She questioned.
"Hell yeah, we're getting pie." He stated with full resolution. The two walked hand in hand into the diner to retrieve supper and breakfast for the next morning.
Even though Eli hadn't technically lied straight to his face, there was a lie of omission buried within her answers. As the pair made their way to the corner booth, Eli's head drooped down to the ground, carefully studying each step they took as her heart flooded with guilt. There was no doubt about it; Eli had lied to the most important person in her young life—her brother and hero, Dean Winchester.
Although Dean was biologically the young girl's older brother, he went above and beyond normal brotherly duties. Hell, not only did he practically raise Sammy but also Eli. Therefore their relationship was also unlike any other in the family. And since he was essentially her brother and the guardian she always needed, their bond was strong beyond belief.
So Dean, with his many years of intuition, could tell that there was something awry with his little sister, and he would be determined to get to the bottom of it.
Meanwhile, back at the motel, Sam and Dottie continued to venture farther into the fantasy world of Oz.
"I wonder if a place like Oz really exists." Sam pondered with invisible hope.
"'m not sure, Sam; maybe there is." She paused and looked at him, "But it's probably pretty lame." Dottie jokes.
"Well, it couldn't be worse than this life..." his voice traveled off.
"Hey," She put her hands on his shoulder after lowering the book down onto the comforter. "It definitely could be a hell of a lot worse than this life, Sam, because we might not all be together." Dottie wasn't exceptional at expressing her feelings, but this struck a chord in Sam's heart.
"Well, we might not always be together, though, Dot." Sam ventured, trying to gauge a reaction.
In response, Dottie only scoffed. "The moment that we are all not together is the moment that the world might end." She said only somewhat jokingly.
Sam's chest constricted a bit with anxiety, but he managed to push away the guilt and went to pick the book back up to continue reading. There was no way he would tell Dottie about the plan, even though he felt guilty about not telling her above anyone else. Due to what happened to Dot's parents, the family had always tried to make sure that she never felt alone or left out in any way.
Unfortunately, Sam's juvenile logic flooded his brain once more, and he reasoned that she'd still have Dean and John. It's not like him and Eli would be terribly missed. Before long, the two siblings were both passed out on the mattress, laying in a tangled web of limbs, dreams, and the bittersweet fantasies of the world of Oz.
Back at the diner, the two Winchester siblings ordered breakfast for the next morning for school before heading back to the Impala. By this time, the weight in young Eli's chest began to grow increasingly heavier by the second.
Sitting at the corner booth back at Conner's Diner, the two had finished their dinners and were waiting for the waiter to come out with supper for Sam and Dottie and breakfast for the gang, in to-go boxes. Eli sat impatiently tracing the detailed carving on the wood table while Dean watched her intently, trying to deduce what was going on in that brain of hers.
Feeling the gaze of someone, Eli observed Dean's sparkling emerald green eyes seem to rip into her very soul. Trying to break away, she took a breath and started chewing on her sleeve.
"Hey, Dean?" Her small voice cracked while trying to gain her brother's attention. "Dean?" She questioned again after he didn't answer.
"Yeah. Sorry, I zoned out for a second." He shook his head in an attempt to get some of the wayward thoughts out of his mind.
"Do you think that I could wear your old AC/DC sweatshirt when I go to school tomorrow? I know it's big, but I'm really nervous about being there all by myself." Eli started hesitantly. Sure she was nervous about being there alone, but truthfully, she wanted to keep some part of her brother with her when she ran away with Sammy.
He gave a warm smile. Maybe this is what she's so nervous about. Dean pondered. It would make sense... "Sure, kiddo, it's in the back seat of the Impala. Do you want me to escort you to school tomorrow?" He asked in a funnier voice, hoping to alleviate some nerves.
"Yes, please," Eli answered meekly. It all made sense to him now. She hated to be separated from the rest of her siblings, so of course, she'd be nervous about going to school all by herself. Suddenly he had an idea. If he could sneak out of the cafeteria at lunch, he could stop by the school to give her some company! Maybe he could even get Dottie on board! He gave Eli a playful smile right before the waiter came over and delivered the remainder of their food.
"Here you go! You two have a great rest of your night now!" The waitress said to them with an oddly out-of-state midwestern accent.
"You too, thanks again." Dean winked and shot a smile in her direction. Eli rolled her eyes at her brother's antics before taking his hand and leaving the diner.
When the pair got back to room 117, Eli was wrapped tightly in Dean's huge sweatshirt and carrying most of the food, while the older opened the door and locked it after him. As they saw that Sam and Dottie were still asleep, Dean and Eli put the food in the fridge before heading to the bed adjacent to the occupied one. Eli quickly snuggled under the covers full of anticipation for the next day while Dean covered up his two younger siblings, turned out the lights, and hopped into bed with his little sister.
"Good night bubba," Eli whispered so quietly that Dean could barely hear.
"Goodnight, Sunshine." He replied, matching her volume and joining his little sister under the crappy motel blankets.
The Next Day
"Eli, wake up, wake up!" Sam's soft voice snapped the youngest Winchester from her sleep and into the real world.
"W-what time is it?" She complained.
"It's almost six, so Dean and Dottie will be awake soon. We need to stuff some clothes in our school bags before we leave, so they don't get suspicious." Sam prompted his sister.
"Ughhh," Eli complained very quietly and turned back around to snuggle back closer to the warmth of Dean.
"Eli, come on!" Sam protested. "Don't you want to have your clothes, and I don't know? A toothbrush, maybe?"
He made a strong case. "Fine." She finally folded. "But how am I gonna get out from under this?" Eli questioned urgently. Dean's arm had the young girl completely trapped close by him, and with any sudden movements, the beast would awaken.
Sam pondered for a moment before dragging the worn LL Bean green backpack that had once been Dean's over to the side of the mattress. "Okay," he said quietly, "tell me what you need to get, and I'll pack it into your bag."
Eli smiled, thankful to have a brother like Sammy. "Okay, well, I need my light green PJ pants and white shirt. They are on top of my duffle. Oh! and my shark from Dots."
With extreme caution, Sam made his way over to her beaten black duffle, which belonged to Dean many years ago, and silently unzipped the top, locating the desired clothes and stuffed shark.
"Okay, what else?" he whispered across to the other side of the room.
"Ummm," She tried to move around her brother's arm to see what else she might be forgetting. "Oh!" Eli said just a little too loud, causing Dean to stir.
"Shhh!" Sam hushed before looking through the rest of her bag. He found Dottie's old 'horses of the west' shirt, Dean's worn shirt with model cars, and even Sam's beaten up green and black flannel. He took a deep breath, realizing that she barely had any clothes of her own. Sam stuffed all said clothes into her school bag and her favorite jeans before running over to the side of Dean and Eli's bed. "Is this okay?"
She carefully reached down and shuffled through the clothes. "Yeah, thanks, Sammy. I need some...you know..." She blushed and looked at the ceiling, hoping he got the clue.
"Oh ... yeah, right. One second." He stuttered before carefully walking back over and putting a couple of pairs of underwear into her bag. He smiled at her and put her school bag on top of her duffle, and then sauntered back over. "You're all set, munchkin." Sam smiled. "You just need your toothbrush and hairbrush, probably."
"Thanks, Sammy," Eli smiled, kissed her hand, and then bopped his nose.
"Anytime." Sam discreetly snuck back onto the bed with Dottie, not anxious to draw any unnecessary attention to himself.
After all of the kids had gotten up, eaten, and prepared for school, Dean slid behind the driver's side wheel of his Baby. Sammy was about to sit in the back with Eli when Dottie told him to ride shotgun. The young kid shrugged his shoulders and slid in next to Dean. As Eli buckled up, she looked over to her no longer cousin, but big sister Dottie.
"Hey, smalls," she started, "are you ready for your first day? I wanted to ask you yesterday, but Sam and I got lost in Oz. I see you stole Deano's hoodie. Smart." She winked.
Eli was not excited. In fact, the youngest Winchester was so filled with nerves that she was visibly shaking. "Yeah, I guess." she managed to mumble out while practically eating her bottom lip. The car pulled out of the motel parking lot with Bob Segar playing gently in the background.
"Hey, come 'ere Eli," Dottie encouraged softly. Much like Dean, Dottie and Eli's relationship was very special. They weren't sisters by blood, but that never mattered. Ever since Eli was a baby, she could remember her Dots being there for her when no one else was, especially for the issues that none of the boys could ever understand. Eli loved Dottie like the life-long sister she obtained through hardship. She was her buddy, and nothing could truly ever come between them.
As Eli unbuckled her seatbelt and laid her head down on Dottie's leg, until she finally felt somewhat at peace, that was till Dot saw something she wasn't supposed to see.
"Hey, what's this?" She questioned while pulling Finn, Eli's affectionately named shark out of her forest green backpack.
The youngest shot up like a rocket, "Oh...umm...That's just in case I...I get lonely!" She crafted a quick excuse that was also not technically a lie.
"It's okay, partner. I gotcha." Dottie smiled and tipped her invisible cowboy hat.
"Thanks, cowgirl." Eli replied, tipping her hat in return, relaxing a little bit more after Dottie's gesture as she laid down to rest on her leg before school.
As the Impala pulled up to the front of the high school, Dottie and Sam waved goodbye before entering the building. Eli snuck over the seat to sit shotgun next to her brother. Her nervousness intensified as the car traveled a little further down the road and finally to a spot in front of the building.
"Alright, Eli, I'll meet you right here at the end of the day. Do you think you can find your classroom and everything?" She nodded her head before crushing her body into Dean's.
"I'll see you soon, bub...Dean." She said into his leather jacket.
He embraced the hug before slowly peeling her arms off from around his figure. "Hey," Dean encouraged, "Remember what dad told you, the first time that he let you come with all of us on a hunt?" Eli nodded her head. "Just to remind you, he said, 'that there may be monsters, but with your family, you can conquer anything and everything.'" He kissed her forehead.
"Love you, Deanie." She replied meekly.
"Love you too, Sunshine." He answered. "Now kick some ass." he winked and unlocked the passenger side door. Eli grabbed her bag and slowly made her way to the front of the building as she watched Dean whip out of the school lot so he wouldn't be late.
As Eli sat in her fourth-grade class anxiously awaiting the call from Sam, she found it very hard to focus on anything but her nerves. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, a call from the intercom played into the classroom.
"Sorry for the interruption, but may I have Elizabeth Winchester please report to the front office?" The voice rang through the speaker.
"Yes, she's on her way!" The teacher answered. Eli began to get up before her teacher intervened on her movement, "Why don't you take your bag with you, sweetie."
"Yes, ma'am." Eli's respectful voice answered the woman. She slowly swung her bag over her shoulder and made her way into the school office, where she saw her older brother Sam waiting in one of the chairs.
"Alrighty, you're good to leave! You two try to have a good rest of your day!" The secretary in the office told the both of them before they turned to leave.
"Thank you." The two of them replied, trying not to sound suspicious.
The next thing Eli knew was that she was running through the woods with her brother, trying to escape from something unknown. For Sam, he aimed to flee from his father and the hunting life in general. But, for Eli, well, she just didn't want to leave Sammy alone.
As lunchtime approached, Dean finally convinced Dottie to leave campus and visit their baby sister. The two of them hopped into the Impala and traveled a couple of minutes down the road to the other school. The next words that the two eldest siblings heard caused fear and panic to arise within their souls.
"What do you mean she's not here?" Dean grounded out in a silently deadly tone.
"Yeah, if she's not here, then where is she?" Dottie matched Dean's level of anger with her question.
The lady behind the desk looked somewhat mortified seeing these two very pissed off siblings, demanding to know where their sister was.
"I...I don't know," She managed to stutter out, "I think your...your brother, Sam was his name, came by to pick her up. We-we got a call from your father saying there'd been an emergency and that he was sending him to come and pick her up."
Dean and Dottie, having a mutual understanding that it was probably best not to involve John, decided that it was best to let the matter go.
"Sorry about that." Dean finally digressed. "There was an emergency, and we know exactly where they are." While in reality, neither of them had any earthly clue, because Sam and Eli were not the types to play hooky on a school day. Something must be extremely wrong.
Then with more force than a twin mac truck, a realization hit Dean. Eli acting out of character, calling him by his nickname, lying to him about being nervous about something, and just asking him to trust her? He looked over to Dottie from the driver's seat of Baby and slammed his palm down on the wheel. She paled at his next words.
"They ran away, Dottie, and I have no idea where."