Here we go! I hope you all enjoy part 2 of this story and I can't wait to hear what you think!.

Big shoutout to Emma Winchester 424 for always reviewing my work and being my cheerleader!

John didn't wait for an answer before heading back over to Sam, signaling for Kate to follow along. The youngest stole a look with her eldest brother, filled with worry. Dean wanted to tell her it'd be okay, it'd be over soon enough. But he could only bring out his parenting side and hoped this would put an end to all the fighting. Maybe whatever was about to happen was what both of them needed to knock off this bickering nonsense once and for all. Dean had to swallow the compassion he wanted to show her and replied stoically, "You know what role you had in this, Kate. Now get out there before you make it worse."

Hating that not even her brother had sympathy for her in this moment, she hauled herself out of the car and shuffled over to them like someone walking to their death.

Before Kate arrived, John stepped right up in Sam's face, gripping his son's jaw again, so he'd understand he wasn't messing around. As if that wasn't already known. John looked him squarely in the eye. His fury saw right past the fear in the kid's eyes. "You so much as take a step without her by your side, it'll be your biggest regret. Understood?"

Having no choice but to look at his father, Sam nodded with furrowed brows, "Yes sir." Although his father's words didn't quite make sense to him in that moment, he knew what he had to say.

Placated that his point was made, John released his grip before turning and yanking Kate over to them, placing her beside Sam. "Until the two of you can learn to get along, you're walking. School. Home. Diner. Everywhere. Hell, you'll walk to South Dakota next time. Riding in the car is a privilege and it's not for those who can't follow rules. Now stand here until we leave."

John didn't wait for an answer before turning back to the Impala, leaving both siblings dumbfounded at what just happened. He got back into the car, turned it on, and pulled away. Dean had no idea what was going on either, not having been able to overhear their conversation. All he saw was two severely pissed off and confused siblings staring as the car drove by them.

It was as if John could sense the boy's distress. "They gotta learn, Dean."

Dean tried to settle into his seat and act like it didn't bother him that much. He stared ahead at the darkening sky, a storm clearly in the works. He replied simply, "Yeah, I know." Dean attempted to remain silent, knowing his dad was riding on some intense anger right now, but he couldn't hold his comment back—he had to make sure John knew. "It's like four miles back to the motel." Which meant four miles of them walking alone on a desolate road with no protection. Without him.

However, John didn't see it that way. He continued to accelerate down the road and replied with no compassion, "I know. Should be plenty of time for them to learn to behave."

Dean's body and mind was like a magnet around his siblings, always innately fighting to stay close. Dean had to struggle against every molecule in his body to not turn around and stare at them through the back window. Instead, he discretely tried to look at them in the sideview mirror as the pit in his stomach grew bigger when they were no longer in his view.

As the car disappeared from view, the shock started to fade. Sam and Kate turned to stare at one another, each with a deathly glare, steam pouring from their ears.

"I can't believe you, Katelyn!" Sam threw his arms up in the air out of fury.

She quickly fed off his anger. "This is all your fault, Samuel!" she countered.

"My fault?! This is all because of you!" Sam yelled with sheer frustration. Although he was irate at the situation right now, he'd later realize he was thankful it ended this way.

Every instinct in her being told her to yell the same phrase right back in his face. It wasn't just her fault that they were in this mess! But between the sudden fear of getting her ass beaten and Dean's words echoing in her mind: You know what role you had in this, she felt an unfamiliar pang of guilt when it came to her brother. She looked at the ground for a moment before locking eyes with Sam. "I didn't know this was going to happen." There was still fresh anger in her voice, but there was a hint of regret.

Sam huffed in disbelief as his emotions were still riding high from the berating conversation with his father. "Yeah right! Your one mission in life is to screw me over. Well congratulations, you succeeded."

Kate was dumbfounded at his words but that didn't stop her blood from starting to boil. "You're the one who smacked me with a folder! I didn't mean to get you in trouble!"

Sam took a threatening step closer. He'd recently started a growth spurt and now easily towered over her. "All you do is live to annoy me and get me in trouble! And now we have to freaking walk everywhere because my folders touched you ON ACCIDENT!" Sam took a breath and let his rage continue before his sister could cut him off. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins and he wasn't thinking straight. "And Dad's probably going to rip us a new one when we get back, so that's just great, Katelyn. I hope you're happy because I freaking hate you!"

Hate. It was such a strong word, especially directed at someone in a family. The heaviness of what Sam had said didn't go unnoticed and both siblings stood in silence, glaring at one another. Kate was beyond exasperated with her brother and all the stupid things he did—but the word hate hadn't even crossed her mind once. As much as she tried, she wasn't able to remove the hurt from her eyes at how deeply his words had just sliced her.

Sam knew it was too late to take the words back. The damage had already been done, even if he truly didn't hate his sister. The devastated look on her face was something he'd never forget, even in years to come. He didn't know what else to say, knowing she wouldn't accept an apology and he wasn't sure he was ready to give one.

They stood in silence for what seemed like a rather long time. Finally, Kate snapped back into place and started walking as she called over her shoulder with little emotion, "We better get moving. It's a long way back to the motel."

Sam's gaze dropped to the ground as he reluctantly started moving behind his sister. The patter of their feet along the road was a dull sound that eventually faded out after the first ten minutes. Staring straight ahead, he watched the back of his sister's head, silently wondering what was going through it at the moment. He used his hunting skills to try and pick up on any clues from her body language from behind. The almost rhythmic motion of her hand reaching up to her face and dropping back down let him know that she was fighting off tears. He knew he'd fucked up and crossed the line. The sudden weight of the guilt made it harder for him to keep up pace behind her.

Sam had plenty of time to dwell in his misery of what he'd done, because he honestly didn't expect Kate to say another word to him. He'd become the worst version of himself today and for that, he was ashamed. However, the darkening sky ahead made him stay focused. He didn't want to break the silence, but he knew he had to watch out for his sister. That was his job on some level, too, and he needed to come to terms with it. With a deep breath, he said calmly, "We better pick up the pace. There's rain coming." He picked at the hem of his shirt, waiting to see if she would acknowledge him.

Kate lifted her gaze ahead at the sky, clearly having heard his warning of the pending storm. But she didn't change her pace at all. She took about ten more steps and abruptly stopped, still facing ahead. Sam had to catch himself, halting just before he ran into the back of her. It was silent except for a flock of birds chirping as they headed away from the storm.

Finally, Kate turned around. The redness around her eyes was the first thing Sam noticed, causing his heart to get stuck in his throat. And suddenly Sam was reminded of John's words a few years ago. Don't you dare hurt your sister again, boy, or you'll be sorry. They'd been having fun on the playground when Sam teasingly shoved Kate, only it was a bit too hard and she'd fallen and scraped her knee. He was reminded of what a shitty brother he'd been. Only this time, the pain was caused by his words, and that was something harder to fix than a scraped knee.

"Why do you hate me so much?" It was phrased so delicately, so simply. It was a hidden plea for answers, for understanding.

Sam's face immediately softened. "I don't hate you, Katie."

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, you do. You said so. And I want to know why."

Sam stared at his shoes for a moment, overcome with guilt. "I didn't mean it. I promise. I was just really upset and it came out without thinking."

Although the confession came from a place of honesty, his sister was not having it. Folding her arms across her chest, she stood firmly. "I don't believe you, Samuel." She used his full name to show her displeasure. "You never want to spend time with me, you always find ways to show me I'm wrong, you only want to be around Dean because you two have your stupid secrets, and now you hate me. I want to know why!" Her voice showed that clear Winchester determination. The one that said she wasn't backing down until she was satisfied with his response.

Sam shifted his weight from one foot to the other while he bit the inside of his cheek. His gaze took in the countryside scenery around them—open fields and trees all over. He needed a moment to reflect, because truthfully, she was right. It took his strong side to not try and throw it back at her, saying that she always made fun of him and bothered him on purpose, too. It was a true moment of maturity for the young teenager. He was starting to realize just how much his actions impacted his little sister, and what an awful influence he had been on her. And in his heart, he knew the answer and he had to voice it.

"I'm jealous," he confessed quietly.

Kate's brow immediately furrowed, not having expected that answer. "What do you mean you're jealous?" she shot back.

Sam took a deep breath, steadying himself to choose his words carefully. He had no choice but to continue. He'd backed himself into this corner and now he had to pay the price. "I'm jealous of you, okay? I know it's not a reason to say mean things or treat you like crap, but it's the truth." He paused before adding, "I'm jealous that you're the youngest, because Dad goes easier on you." When he can tell she was about to protest that statement, he quickly added, "I know he's hard on all of us, but it's different for you. You don't have the extra responsibilities like Dean and I do." Because you don't know what's really out there, you don't have to always look over your shoulder or make sure your little sister is safe from what lurks in the shadows or train for stupid hunts, he wanted to add but knew he couldn't. "Being the middle child sucks, okay?" He looked her right in the eye. "And I'm sorry that I've taken it out on you over the years." What had started as typical sibling banter and annoyance in their younger years had slowly grown into something stronger for Sam over the years—he became bitter and jealous of the way he was treated, especially as he was forced to take on a more adult role sooner than he'd ever wanted. He became so resentful of what his father pushed onto him that he'd taken it out on someone else he loved—his sister.

There was some rumbling of thunder off in the distance now, adding even more urgency to get back to the motel, but Sam wasn't going to push it. Not right now.

Kate stared at him for the longest time, taking in all of his features. Although they'd never really gotten along, that didn't mean she wasn't aware of his nuances and nonverbal expressions. It was pretty easy to tell Sam was being vulnerable with her, so it was her turn to do the same.

She felt tears prick her eyes as the confession rolled off her tongue. "Well, I'm jealous of you. I'm jealous of what you and Dean have, because I don't get to have it, too. You guys get to share secrets and inside jokes and do lots of stuff together, but I get left out. I don't have anyone to share with, because Dean…I don't know. I can't tell him all the stuff or whatever. It's not the same." She'd later be able to understand why she'd felt this way when she'd realize it was because Dean was more like an overprotective father to her growing up.

There was a moment of silence as each sibling reflected on what was happening. Before Sam could say anything, Kate added, a bit more hesitantly, unable to meet his eye. "I want that…someone I can be close with." She felt exposed, vulnerable at the verbal confession of what she longed for.

His sister wanted a friend. All she wanted was a fucking friend, and here he was, bitching about how John went easier on her than the rest of them. It had never occurred to him how much Kate was affected by their constant moving around. Sam was used to it by now, developing his own coping mechanisms. But they were never in one place for more than a few months, so of course none of them had any true friends. Their only friends were the ones in their family. Sam and Dean had naturally gravitated to one another as brothers and the only two siblings "in the know" of the supernatural life. But he'd deprived her of a friendship for no reason other than he was selfish. He liked his sister; he truly did. They had more in common than he would admit at this point, and that probably contributed to the fact that they butted heads so much over the last nine years. But he was determined to get his act together now. His sister needed him. Not Dean, not John, but for the very first time, him. He wasn't about to disappoint her again.

Sam knew his sister—he truly knew her well. He'd just ignored most of that knowledge over the years, not having any real need for it. But right now, he knew exactly what she needed. He reached out and pulled her tightly into a hug, wrapping his arms around her. He rested his chin gently on top of her head. "I'm here now, sis," he announced affectionately. He vowed to himself that he'd never let her down again or deprive her of a true friendship. That was his job now and he'd be damned if he failed again.

Kate could count the times they'd hugged on one hand, but there was something different about this embrace. It was infused with love. They were quiet for a moment when she felt a few drops of water fall on her head—whether it was the rain or something else, she'd never know. But Sam felt her body relax as she melted into the hug, soaking up the love.

After nine long years, this friendship got a new beginning.