Chapter 1: Stanford
Someone was in Sam's home. The home he shared with his girlfriend Jess, on their Stanford campus. He knew those footsteps couldn't belong to the woman he loved since she was lying beside him.
Fear helped Sam spring into action, swiping up the knife he kept tucked under his pillow just in case. He decided to slip out of his bedroom, stealth training allowing his footfalls to be light and nearly undetectable.
Sam inched towards the sound and was knocked down, landing with a thud that sparked some pain in his lower back. But he wasn't going out this easy, so he grabbed the intruder and they began to grapple and roll around until Sam realized he recognized the man.
"Dean?"
Dean laughed, a tone of childish amusement lacing his voice. "Hey there, little brother."
"Shit, man! Ya scared me!" Sam was upset at his brother for nearly giving him a heart attack.
"That's because you're out of practice," Dean said.
Sam smiled and flipped Dean onto his back, cutting his shit-talking session short.
"Okay, so maybe not." Dean was smirking.
That's when Jess walked in and inquired about the situation in front of her.
As Sam officially introduced his girlfriend Jess to Dean, he couldn't grasp why his big brother was here, in his apartment, this late.
"Why are you here, Dean?"
Dean eyed Jess warily but answered Sam anyway. "Dad hasn't been home in a few days."
Sam tensed a little but otherwise showed no sign of being worried. "So, he's prolly just stuck at work or something. He'll contact you eventually."
"No, Sammy. Dad's on a hunting trip," Dean said, frustrated that his little brother wasn't catching on, "and he hasn't been home in a few days."
Sam's next breath came a little short. Sure he hadn't spoken to John directly since he left home three years prior, but both he and John would ask about one another and try to get information through Dean.
John had gone on hunting trips and had not checked in before. It hadn't been a surprise if he wouldn't call for a few days at a time. But if Dean had come all the way out to California just to tell Sam their Dad wasn't communicating, something had to be terribly wrong.
Jess sensed the change in Sam's breathing and took it as a time to excuse herself. She knew the boys hadn't talked properly about anything in substance for a few years and she wanted to grant them some privacy.
"We have to go, Sammy," Dean said. "Plus I have the kids in Baby's backseat sleeping. It was a chore to get all their little asses to knock out at once so we better get going while we can."
Sam fought a smile at that. Sure he hadn't physically seen his baby siblings in a few years but their weekly, sometimes daily calls had been the highlight of his time away from home.
Adam usually made the call and feigned nonchalance, reporting how his week had gone and pretending he didn't miss Sam as much as the twins did.
Melanie would snatch the phone from her big brother when she figured his turn was up and ask a thousand questions about California and college. She would share what she read online as if her research could compare to Sammy's anecdotes and personal experiences.
Then Drea May would whine for the phone, demanding she also had a right to catch up with their big brother. But she would avoid Sammy's questions about her and life at home as much as she could, instead opting to hear how Jess was and what dates they'd been on lately.
Honestly, Sam worried for Drea May the most out of the little ones. She was never as reserved as she seemed to be over the phone and every week Sam hoped it would pass, but it never did.
Thinking of his younger siblings propelled Sam into action. He told Dean to give him a few minutes, gave Jess a brief rundown sticking with the hunting story, and packed a bag with some essentials. He didn't bother grabbing any weapons besides his monogrammed hunting knife, knowing Dean would have the armory in the trunk of the Impala.
Dean led them out of the house and watched with a small smile as Sam kissed Jess and hugged her. He knew his little brother still struggled with the way their worlds turned upside down when he left for college, but as much as Dean wanted to agree with John he couldn't.
Sammy may not have chosen what Dean wanted him to, but the kid seemed to have something adjacent to happiness and Dean was glad he had that.
As the two eldest brothers walked side by side to Baby, they saw three kids waiting for them outside of the car's back doors. Sam smiled at his younger siblings, noting how much they had grown.
Adam now stood practically a foot taller than he was when Sam last saw him. Scruffy brown hair with chocolate eyes to match, those same eyes trained on his brother and widened with excitement.
Sam's eyes wandered to the two younger girls next to Adam, neither one of them standing at six feet like their brothers. Though they too had grown, and it was evident in the way Drea May's tight brown curls cascaded down to her butt.
She wore a tattered baseball cap on the top of her head and Sammy recognized it as his old one. Her hazel eyes seemed to narrow at the sight of him and Sam resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
But it was Mel that surprised him. Her strawberry blond waves were cropped to her shoulders, bangs framing her face. She studied Sam for only a second before running towards him at full speed. Sammy opened his arms just in time as the kid launched herself into his arms.
"Big brother!" Mel cried, burying her face into his chest as she wrapped her legs around him. Sam cradled her, a hand behind her head as he dropped a kiss on her forehead.
"I've missed ya, princess." He carried Mel back towards Baby, ushering her back into the car.
Sam opened his arms again to embrace Adam, the boy giving him a tight squeeze before letting go. Sam knew the kids weren't used to affection from John, but he and Dean tried to show them love as much as they could.
When Sam turned to Drea, her eyes were still narrowed, glaring at her big brother. "Bug, we got an issue?" Sam's eyebrow raised as he studied her expression.
Her arms were crossed and she looked none too happy to see the tall man after so many years.
"We got an issue? Course we gotta issue, Sammy! Ya just standin' here after like three years and- y'know what, screw it!" Drea stomped back over to the car and slid onto the bench of a backseat.
Sam just turned to Dean, slight confusion on the younger brother's face. Dean sighed, his gaze hardening as well. "Drea hasn't had the easiest time with ya being away, no matter what she says."
Sam felt a pang of guilt at the statement. He knew it wasn't easy because it hadn't been for him either. But for the ten-year-old girl to be the only one this angry with him…he had to speak to her later on.
But for now, they had to get going, so the Winchesters piled into the Impala, some happier than others, and Dean pulled back onto the highway to start their journey.
Sam was in the middle of reading a book he'd already read twice before. It was the first installment in the Lord of the Rings series but no matter how many times he read it, it still was captivating.
He turned the page when he felt a thump in the back of his seat.
Sam decided to ignore it and flipped the page to continue reading. He knew exactly what was jerking his seat forward. But on the third kick, Dean apparently had enough.
"Quit it, Drea May," Dean warned the girl, watching her in his rearview mirror. It was when he saw her foot rise again that Dean's tone dropped lower.
"What did I just say? Ya kick Sammy's seat one more time and ya won't like what happens. Get me?" Dean's look was sharp, green eyes darkening at the mischievous kid in his back seat.
Drea glared back at Dean, fighting the urge to stick her tongue out at him, and nodded her head.
That wasn't acceptable to Dean, a growl entered his voice. "Can't hear ya head rattle, kid." Dean cringed inwardly at how much he sounded like John.
"Yes, sir" Drea whispered, grabbing her earbuds and putting them in.
Sam obviously wasn't her favorite person in the world right now but she knew better than to push Dean's buttons when she had no idea how long they'd be on the road for.
Dean continued the journey, he decided they'd stop and stay in a motel for the night since they were hours from Stanford. The twins were newer to motel life than the older boys, they used to stay with Bobby and sometimes Pastor Jim when they were younger. But things were a bit different now seeing as it was an emergency situation.
Dean pulled Baby around to the side of the motel, stopping in a spot to the left of their room door. He didn't worry much about getting two rooms since the kids grew up sharing quarters anyway.
It would probably be an adjustment to Sam after spending a few years in a place of his own, but the kid would deal, just like the rest of them.
Mel scrunched her face when they opened the motel room door. It was smaller than she expected, with two queen beds, a couch, a bathroom, and a kitchenette. Most days she wished they had a house to live in, or at least an apartment. It's why a part of her was irritated since leaving Sam's.
No one even invited the kids in, and all she could do was wave to Jess as they left. Dean dropped the pizza boxes on the table with a thud, interrupting Mel's thoughts.
"Ace can take the couch, me and Drea can take one bed, and hm," Mel's smirk was far from friendly, "Sammy ya can share a bed with Dean."
Drea slung an arm around her twin's shoulder and her smile was sickeningly sweet.
When they were standing side by side like this, Sammy wondered how the girls could look more alike in the face than they ever did growing up.
Drea's brown skin lost some of its pigment, and he guessed that had to do with the lack of sunshine the past month. But it meant that her skin tone practically matched Melanie's.
The one thing they always shared were those identical striking hazel eyes. Eyes that reminded Sam of Dean more than they did of himself.
The twins were fraternal and had many differences, but they still could make a great team.
Sam finally spoke, "Or how bout one twin with Dean and one with me? No way Dean and I'll fit on a bed together. Deal?"
Dean and Adam watched the exchange, the latter amused at the subtle standoff. But the twins, though they were upset at Sam for choosing college over family, they were tired.
"Whatever," Drea said, "I can sleep in the bed with Sammy."
Sam's smile widened a bit at that and Drea just gave him a quick side hug.
"We're not sleeping for long since we gotta head out early." Dean was trying to warn the kids they better hurry to bed for the long day that awaited them.
Surprisingly everyone listened to Dean, settling into their sleeping arrangements with ease.
"Hey Bug, it's time to wake up." Drea stirred as one of her big brothers shook her lightly. She was still too tired, so the girl groaned and pulled the covers closer to her body.
"Drea, we gotta get moving." Sam tried again, annoyed that the girl was ignoring him. He shook her once more and all she did was flip onto her stomach, trying to get comfortable again and settle down.
Drea heard Sam sigh as he walked away and she started to doze off again.
Drea yelped as a sharp swat landed on her bottom, she put her hand back to cover it and scrambled to sit up.
Dean didn't look happy, "Sammy told ya little ass to get up a few times. You forget you follow orders 'round here?"
Drea blushed knowing she was being chastised in front of all her older siblings, but the embarrassment died down soon. "No, sir, Deanie but I'm just too sleepy!"
Drea yawned and Dean wondered how in the world the girl could even give Sam's puppy eyes a run for their money.
"Sammy, Adam, take the bags out to the car. Mel ya can go with 'em, I'll help the little one get ready."
Drea's smile was small, knowing she was victorious. She was grateful she had showered even earlier this morning before she went back to sleep.
Dean handed her some underwear, black leggings, and a pink shirt, knowing how much the girl preferred anything but jeans when they'd be in the impala for long. He helped the sleepy ten-year-old into the clothes and raised an eyebrow at her scrunched-up face, one that almost matched Sammy's 'bitch face'.
"What's with the face, Bug?" Dean started on her shoes, the ones she begged for even though Dean hated that the damn things lit up when she walked. What type of design was that anyway? It made the kid a walking target, so she wasn't allowed to wear them all the time.
Drea huffed in annoyance, "Ya dressed me da same as Mel." She pulled at the pink shirt, her face not changing one bit.
"And? Ya girls dress alike almost all the time. What's the problem with it now?" Dean tried his best to hide the smirk threatening to take over his neutral expression.
"I just don't wanna, today!" Drea whined, snatching her foot out of Dean's hand to finish strapping the velcro together herself.
Dean was not impressed and he made a mental note not to budge on the girl's bedtime at all for the next few nights. "Bug, I know you're sleepy but you need to watch yourself."
"I am watchin' myself! 'N I ain't doin' nothin'!" The girl glared up at her guardian, tone snotty.
Dean knew she was just acting out, but he couldn't let her get away with it. He grabbed her by the waist and brought his hand down onto her backside ten times. Drea whined and demanded to be let go until she started crying.
Dean scooped her up into his arms as she wrapped her legs around him, resting her face on his neck. He rubbed her back and her bottom, "Baby, ya gotta watch your sass and attitude. You're being bratty and we still gotta long day ahead of us."
Drea's tears dwindled and she sniffled softly, "Sorry, Daddy."
Dean just squeezed her harder and dropped a sloppy kiss on her cheek.
Yes, he was the legal guardian of the three young ones and had raised them all of their lives; but it never failed to make his heart melt when the kids gave him the title he had grown to earn.
"It's okay, sweetheart. Let's go, ya can snooze in the car." Dean carried his youngest out to Baby, putting her in the backseat behind Sammy and buckling her in. He did a once over to make sure Melanie's was on as she now slid over in the middle and Adam's too as he sat on the opposite end.
The kids had an aversion to seatbelts for some reason and it wasn't unusual for the eldest Winchester to have to light a fire in some butts to get the kids to keep them on.
Dean settled in the driver's seat and took off, leaving Sammy in charge of distributing the sandwiches and snacks when he or the kids asked for them. Hey, they were gonna be driving for at least twelve hours and Dean was grateful he had his help back.
Yeah, some days it was rough being a single parent, in every sense of the word, but at least it sucked less with Sam by his side. Partners in crime, his father had once called them, and it stuck.
A/N: Hey everyone, thank you for reading! This story follows the Winchester siblings including my OCs. I kinda lost motivation for reading and life has been crazy as usual, but I'm trying to tap back into it. Please be patient with me, and I hope you enjoyed it!