Dead man's blood

"When's the new year starting?" Dean glances up from his paper to ask me the same question he's been asking me all week. "In about a month." I answer, letting out an exhausted sigh. "So, when do you enroll?" Dean ignores my attitude, grabbing his coffee to take a sip. "I receive information about that this week." I repeat what I've told him all the other times he's asked me this, reaching for my necklace and twirling it absentmindedly through my fingers. The necklace Dean got me, exactly a week ago, for my seventeenth birthday. A silver cord with a pendant of a dog's paw hanging from it. Dean had claimed it wasn't much, but that it had made him think of me. He'd complained very loudly when I'd thrown myself around his neck in gratitude. It is now the most valuable thing I own. Sam had gotten me a cake and a book, probably stolen from some library. It didn't seem like much to anyone else, but it was a book that detailed the basics of the supernatural world out there and information on a lot of creatures. He'd stumbled upon it somewhere during a case, had checked if the information was right, which most of it was, and had given it to me in an attempt to give my knowledge about the supernatural world a boost. He had even taken the time to scribble some of his own notes in there. He had lovingly hugged me back when I'd expressed my gratitude.

Dean lets out a sigh and puts down his paper, glancing over at Sam, who's sitting across from him. Busy on his laptop, deeply focused. "Alright, dude, not a decent lead in all of Nebraska. What've you got?" He asks, crossing his arms. "Well, I've been scanning Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota… here, a woman in Iowa fell ten thousand feet from an airplane and survived…" Sam looks up, shrugging at Dean. "How does that even happen?" I question out loud, grabbing my cappuccino and taking a sip. "Good question, however, sounds more like 'that's incredible' than uh, the 'Twilight Zone'." Dean mutters and Sam nods. "Yeah." He mutters, having concluded that himself too. "Hang on, you do know that's like, impossible, right?" I glance at Sam, very confused at their rating of this 'accident'. Sam scoffs. "Depends completely on the place, the time and the amount of injuries." He tells me, shooting my argument down. "Hey, you know…" Dean interrupts us, smirking. "We could just keep heading east, New York. Upstate. We could drop by and see Sarah again, huh?" He glances at Sam, who has a slight smile on his face at the mention of Sarah. "She's a cool chick, man. Smokin'…" Dean whistles and I nod, he's damn right about that. "And you two seemed pretty friendly. What do you say?" Dean looks at Sam expectantly. "Would be fun to see her again." I chip in, remembering how much I liked Sarah as well. Sam lets out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, I don't know. Maybe, someday." He scratches his head, eyes glancing back at the laptop. "But, in the meantime, we've got a lot of work to do, Dean. And you know that." He then states, eying Dean knowingly. Dean rolls his eyes. "Yeah, all right. What else you got?" He asks, leaning back in his seat. "Uh, a man in Colorado, a local man named Daniel Elkins, was found mauled in his home." Sam continues to read the information on his laptop and Dean frowns. "Elkins." He repeats, glancing at me. "I know that name…" I shrug at him, having no idea and Sam also announces that it doesn't ring a bell with him. "Elkins, Elkins, Elkins…" Dean mutters under his breath, clearly remembering something that we don't. Sam starts talking again. "Sounds like the police don't know what to think. At first they said it was some sort of bear attack and now, they've found some signs of robbery." He reads on. I'm only halfway listening, part of my attention on Dean, who has grabbed dad's journal from his bag and has put it on the table. "Mm-mm." He hums to Sam, flipping it open. "What are you looking for?" I ask him curiously, leaning closer so I can take a look. Dean doesn't answer me and starts flipping through the pages, until he's found something. His face falls. "There… check it out." He hands the journal to Sam, having it open on a certain page. He points at the left, as Sam grabs it. Sam turns the journal so I can see it too and we both stare at the left corner, where dad seems to have scribbled the name 'Elkins', together with a phone number and address. Sam huffs in recognition. "Is that… could that be the same Elkins as the one who was found mauled in his home?" I question, frowning. That would be one hell of a coincidence. "It's Colorado area code." Dean answers, face serious. Sam and him exchange a look and suddenly, the next heading has been decided. Dean strolls over to the counter to pay for our coffee and Sam and I pack our stuff. We're on the road again within fifteen minutes.

It's about a seven hour drive through the states to get to where this Elkins guy was murdered. I try to nap in between stops, but get bored soon. I play a silly little game with Sam, but then he claims he needs to do more research and I'm on my own again. I sing some tunes with Dean, from his cassette tape collection, but that also doesn't keep me busy enough for the three more hours we still have to go. I settle on annoying Sam in the remaining time, until he gets so fed up with it that we're almost thrown into a fight and Dean snaps at us that if he hears another word, he's gonna go crazy. I fall silent after that, pulling out my own headset. The area we're driving through is very beautiful and distracts me enough for the last few miles. Snow-capped mountains, going up into the clouds, forests and lakes we are driving past. It makes me think about what it would be like to just live here, in a cabin somewhere, just like this Elkins dude. Without the 'getting mauled' part, though.

It's late in the afternoon when we arrive in the right town and it doesn't take us long to find a motel room. Sadly, it's one without a sofa, meaning there is no other choice than sharing a bed. I argue with Sam, pointing out that he could also share a bed with Dean, making him scrunch his face up in disgust and claim loudly that he'd rather sleep on the floor. I laughingly challenge him to do so, but then Dean walks over to me and wraps his arms around me from behind, pulling me in a headlock. "Oh, come on, honey… you and I can share a bed just fine." He jokes, tightening his grip and ignoring my struggles and protests. I pretend to be choking, making Sam laugh and then agree to share a bed with Dean. I don't mind that very much, anyways.

After a well-deserved dinner, me and Sam go for a walk through the town to see what's around here and Dean goes on a rampage of cleaning all the weaponry that's in the trunk of the impala. He wants to force me to help him at first, claiming that it could be a good teaching moment, but Sam saves me and pulls me with him on a walk. We have to wait for it to get dark, before we can go to Elkins cabin to check it out. As we're walking across the streets, Sam glances sideways at me. "So uh, how are you gonna fix next year?" He asks, seeming genuinely interested. "What do you mean?" I reply, confused. "Well, you have to do another year of high school, Skye. And, I'm pretty sure it's gonna be impossible to follow every class online…" He puts his finger right on the wound and I let out a sigh. That's something that's been gnawing away at the back of my mind now for a few days as well. Especially since the date I have to enroll myself somewhere is coming closer. "Well, uh… the school system I've done my exams in, has some uh, online possibilities. I mean, that's how I did most of last year…" I mutter, not looking at him. "Yeah, but that's hardly doable…" Sam scoffs, shaking his head. "Well, what else am I supposed to do, Sam?" I ask, feeling very annoyed. Sam puts his hands in the air defensively, to show me he's not looking for a fight. "I just… I just wish you could have your last year in high school as it is supposed to be…" He tells me, real worry in his voice. "And that is..?" I press on. "Being able to go to a physical school, Skye. With real people, so you can make some real friends. And can come back home, moaning about homework and tests and then go hang out with your friends. And go to a prom, maybe even with a date, to celebrate that it's over…" Sam's sketch on how it's supposed to be is making me sad. "That may be how normal teenagers go through their high school years, but that was never my reality, Sam. You know that." I accuse, scoffing. He should know this, he never had that either. "But, don't you want that?" Sam asks me directly, stopping his walking for a second so he can properly look at me. I let out a desperate sigh. "It doesn't matter if I want it or not, Sam. Dad's busy hunting the demon that killed our mother, you and Dean are both done with school and helping him, both hunters and continuing with the family business… there's no place for me to go." I snap at him, pointing out the reality. Sam stays silent, sad eyes on mine. "There could be…" He then mutters, moving forward again. We walk around a corner to our left, an awkward silence rising. "How could there be?" I then ask him, trying to keep myself calm so I don't end up shouting at him. "Well, uh… dad said he's closing in on the demon, we could've beaten it before your new school year starts… then, he could get, I don't know, a place somewhere…" Even as Sam is suggesting it, it sounds ridiculous. "Sam, dad is a hunter. Just like you and Dean. We don't settle down, remember?" I remind him, voice raised. Sam lets out a sigh, stuffing his hands deeper into his pockets. "Well, uh…" I can see he's hesitant in what he wants to say and let out a breath, waiting for him to continue. "What if I took you with me?" Sam doesn't look at me as he says that. I open my mouth to say something, but don't even know where to begin. "W-What do you mean?" I then question, a heavy feeling in my heart. "Well, once this is all over, I intend to go back to finish law school…" Sam turns to me now. "What if I took you with me, so we settle down somewhere together and you can finish your last year of high school." He finishes, awkwardly scraping his throat. I gawk at him, having no clue what spurred this on and only halfway realizing what he's suggesting. "Uh… I…" I splutter something, glancing down at my feet. We walk on, both staying silent and my mind tries to process what he just said. "W-Would you, uh, really do that?" I whisper to him, hating how fragile my voice sounds. "Of course." Sam immediately confirms in a loving tone. "Huh…" I can't even begin to describe how sad his offer is making me feel, so I don't. "We'll see… I'm doubting we'll have gutted that demon within a month… dad's been looking for it for years." I mutter, shutting down the conversation. "Yeah…" Is all Sam says to that. We turn at the next corner, both very ready to get back to the motel and let Dean distract us from whatever happened just now. His words, however, stay in my head for the rest of the evening.

At nine, we all get in the car to go investigate Elkins' cabin. It's a little drive up the mountain, where his cabin lies in a wooded area. It does not look very inviting, especially at night. Darkness does that to places.

"Here, hold tight." Dean hands me a flashlight, he himself grabbing a gun. Sam's also armed and I can't wait for the day that I'll just have my own gun to keep on me day in day out.

"Alright, stay behind me. We don't know what we'll find here." Dean warns me and as soon as his back is turned, I make sure to roll my eyes dramatically. We move up to the front door of the cabin, Dean up front. The door's easily picked open and it swings from its lock with a creepy screeching. When nothing charges at us and all seems clear, Dean enters, Sam and me following him. We shine our flashlights around and Dean wanders further into the home. Sam crouches down next to me, looking at the floor. "It's like the maid didn't come today…" Dean calls to us, looking at the mess that's the home of Elkins. Sam looks up from his crouched position on the floor, having found a substance and has pinched some between his fingers, holding it up. "Hey, there's salt over here, right beside the door." He calls out to Dean, rising back to his feet. "You mean 'protection against demons' salt, or uh 'oops I spilled the popcorn' salt?" Dean asks, having gone through to another room. "Definitely the first one." I yell back to Dean, having also seen that the salt Sam found is kind of there in a circle. This was no spill. "Yeah, it's clearly a ring." Sam confirms, motioning for me to go further into the house. "You think this Elkins guy was a player?" He asks Dean, who is a little further in a smaller room, looking at a desk that's filled to the brink with documents and journals. And now that I think about it, it's all I see when I look around. On the walls, all surfaces… Just documents, journals and books. "Definitely." Dean confirms Sam's suspicion, leaning further over the journal he's reading. Sam and I join him and when I see the journal, it looks very familiar to me. "That looks a hell of a lot like dad's…" Sam mutters as he leans over Dean's shoulder, squinting his eyes. "It's literally almost the same." I agree with a nod, seeing all kinds of familiar scribblings as Dean turns another page. "Yes, except this dates back to the sixties." Dean informs us, flipping another page. I huff and turn around, glancing through the room. "This house couldn't be a bigger mess." I mumble to myself, walking through a door and into a kitchen that smells just as bad as it looks. But, that isn't the worst part. On the floor, a broken table, broken chairs and glass are scattered around. Like there was a fight here, a bad one. Sam, who has followed me, notices it too. He scoffs, before glancing up. I follow his line of sight and we both look at a large hole in the ceiling, the sky and moon visible. "Huh, well, whatever attacked him, it looks like there was more than one." Sam says and that actually makes sense, it's hard to believe one monster or whatever it was, could have made such a mess. "Yeah, and he put up a hell of a fight, too." Dean, who walked in behind us, inspects the area with his flashlight, clearly impressed with our dead guy. "Yeah, still lost, though." I mumble, pulling my eyes away from the broken furniture. "Yeah." Sam huffs, walking up to a table in the back, the only one that is not broken. He and Dean start looking through the objects lying there, before Dean crouches to the floor. Having spotted something. "You got something?" Sam asks, abandoning his own search. "I don't know, there's some scratches on the floor." Dean informs him, glancing around from his crouched position. "Death throes, maybe?" Sam suggests, walking to the same spot and also looking down. I scrunch up my face, images of this man fighting for his life coming alive in my brain. "Yeah, maybe…" Dean doesn't seem too sure and reaches behind him, grabbing a piece of paper. With interest, I watch him put it over the floor and then draw over it with a pencil, copying the scratches onto the paper. Pretty smart. He pulls the paper back off and turns it. Then, something dawns on his face. "Or, maybe a message." He says, squinting his eyes. "A message?" I walk up to him and glance over his shoulder at the outline of the drawing. I cannot make out what it's supposed to be. Dean hands the paper to Sam. "Look familiar?" He asks, expectantly looking up. Sam inspects the scratches and does seem to see what Dean saw. "Three letters, six digits. The location and combination of a post office box. It's a mail drop." He concludes and now I do understand what's happening. "Just the way dad does it." Dean confirms my thoughts, standing back up. "It's not too late to go there, right?" I ask, excited that we got a clue. Dean assures me that it's not and we make our way back to the town.

Sam and I know where the post office is, we saw it on our walk and it's thankfully empty. We go inside and based off of the message on the paper, Dean finds the right office box easily. And while I'm on the lookout, he is able to pickpocket the lock and open it. He pulls out a single letter. "Come on!" He then orders and we venture back outside, back in the car. Once we're inside, Dean pulls out the letter and all three of us stare at it. The letters on the front are clear. J.W. The initials of my father. "'J.W.' You think? John Winchester?" Sam dares to say what we're all thinking. "Has to be." I say at the same time as Dean utters an 'I don't know'. He still looks quite stunned. "Should we open it?" He turns to Sam, but just as we're about to discuss what to do, a sharp knock on Dean's window makes us all jolt. I let out a small yelp, quickly covering my mouth. Then, the face of no one other than my father appears in the window. "Wha..?" I'm too stunned to speak, looking at the dark features of a man that is sure as hell my father. "Dad?" Dean cries out in complete confusion. Dad doesn't say anything, but soon the door next to me opens up and he appears, wanting to step in. I quickly scoot over and dad takes a seat next to me with a grunt, the familiar smell off muddy clothes, rain and old cologne accompanying him. Dean and Sam spin around in their seats, all of us now gawking at him. "Dad, what are you doing here? Are you alright?" Sam is the first one able to speak, looking at our father in shock. "Yeah, I'm okay. I read the news about Daniel, I got here as fast as I could. I saw you up at his place." Dad answers, glancing from Dean, to Sam and then to me. I freeze in my spot when I catch his glance. If he saw Dean and Sam at Elkins' place, he saw me. He saw them take me inside to investigate. And I can see it in his eyes. As calmly as he's speaking right now, there's a twinge there. An angry sparkle that does not bode well. "Wha… why didn't you come in, dad?" Sam asks him softly, either oblivious or wanting to talk over it. "You know why, because I had to make sure you weren't followed. By anyone, or anything…" Dad answers, glancing back at Sam. "Nice job of covering your tracks, by the way." He then compliments, glancing at Dean. Dean smiles. "Well, yeah, we learned from the best." He compliments right back, looking slightly proud. "Wait, so you came all the way out here, for this Elkins guy?" Sam asks dad, clearly still very confused about that. "Yeah. He was uh, he was a good man. He taught me a hell of a lot about hunting." Dad explains, a hint of grief hidden in his tone. "Well, you never mentioned him to us." Sam points out, still confused. Dad bows his head for a second. "We had, uh, we had kind of a falling out. I uh, hadn't seen him in years…" Dad stops his explanation and glances at the envelope that was still in Dean's hand. "I uh, I should look at that." He gestures for Dean to hand it to him and Dean quickly does. We all watch dad open the envelope with high interests, although I don't dare say a word. Dad opens a letter that's in the envelope and folds it open, purposely leaning away from me a little so I can't see it. "If you're reading this, I'm already dead… that son of a bitch." Dad lets out a sigh. "What is it?" Dean asks him softly, but dad's features are hardening. "You two, out." He orders to Sam and Dean, motioning for them to get out of the car. Dean throws me a very quick, concerned glance, before complying and opening his door. Sam follows and dad turns to me. "You stay here, okay sweetheart?" He says to me, tone still light. I gape at him, feeling a very familiar frustration boiling inside of me. "Dad…" Dad leaves me no room to even begin to protest. "Skye Winchester, you stay here in the car, this does not concern you and I am not putting you in any further danger, you got me?" His tone is no longer light, but strict and slightly cold. I huff out a breath, fighting very hard to keep my composure. "Yes, dad." I comply through gritted teeth. "Good, cause god knows why you are here in this car anyways. And were up at the cabin." Is the last thing he says to me, before getting out of the car and closing the door. Giving me a clear message that he indeed saw me and that there will be a conversation about that. "Damnit." I curse to myself, hating how this is making me feel. I glance through the window outside and can make out three silhouettes a little further from the car, next to a tree. Dad is spilling all the information he has about that letter and this Elkins man to my brothers. I sigh, fighting my emotions. I had almost forgotten how this felt and it's even worse now.

Sam and Dean return to the car twenty minutes later. Their faces filled with confusion and shock, but there is something else. It's especially in Dean's eyes. A tortured look, meaning dad already noted to him that he saw me and grilled him on why I was with them. Dad doesn't follow my brothers to the Impala, but walks back to his own car that's parked a few feet away from ours. I stay silent as my brothers get back in, until the doors are closed. "He knows." I whisper to Dean, not liking the look in his eyes. "Oh, believe me, I know." Dean answers through gritted teeth and I probably don't even want to know how bad he got yelled at. Sam's feeling highly uncomfortable, I can see that too. "What did you say?" I ask softly, leaning forward. "That I only took you cause you weren't too keen on staying back since the whole Meg thing and that I figured a swift investigation wouldn't hurt. That you stayed by the door the whole time and only had a flashlight." Dean quickly explains, tone guarded and jaws clenched. He starts the car, glaring at me through the review mirror. "So, you better keep to that story." He adds, tone even harsher than before. "Of course." I promise him quietly, hating the way he's treating me. I know it's because dad probably yelled at him, but it still really sucks. "So… what did he tell you?" I dare to ask when we're on our way back to the motel. I've noticed dad's car is following us and I have no idea what's happening. Dean ignores my question completely and after a little, awkward silence, Sam turns around in his seat to face me. "He uh, he knows what killed Elkins and he wants us to join him in hunting down what it was…" Sam doesn't get further than that, before Dean angrily calls his name. "Sam!" Sam quickly turns to him, hands defensively shooting into the air. "Dean, she can know about the vampires, dad knows she's informed of the world out there." He argues, voice soft. Dean shoots him a death glare, while I gasp. "Vampires? Are vampires a thing?" I had not expected that and it lifts up my spirits for a few seconds. "Sam, dad knows she's informed of what he told her, mostly anyways." Dean snaps at Sam, ignoring my question. "Yeah? So?" Sam dares to continue to have my back, which I really appreciate. "We are not telling her more right now." Dean shoots him down angrily. "We can't just go from teaching her all about hunting, to not saying a damn word, Dean. That's not fair at all." Sam throws at him, starting to get angry himself. I wisely keep silent when I see Dean's frustrated look. "I know it's not, but dad is here, Sam. You heard him just now." Is all he points out and by the way Sam flinches, I really don't want to know how bad they got yelled at. "So, drop it." Dean stares Sam down and Sam's arms fall to his sides in defeat. "Okay." He then agrees, leaning back in his seat with a heavy sigh. I try to fight the tears that are pricking in my eyes, shutting down the horrible feeling that's taking me over. As much as I loved to see my dad again, especially after what happened last time, his presence right now is not doing me any favors. And I hate that my brothers got yelled at because of me, this was a slip up we cannot let happen again.

When we arrive at the motel room, dad's right behind us. He steps into our room, glancing around. "Ah, this is too small for four people, I'll go check in next door." He announces, shaking his head disapprovingly. "Yeah, most motel rooms come with two beds." Dean points out awkwardly. "Skye, go grab your stuff. You're with me, then at least you can have your own bed. Boys, sleep well." Dad throws me a smile, before barging back out the door. My mouth falls open and I immediately glance at Dean, having no desire to go with my dad to the other room. "I don't know what you are looking at me for." Dean tells me when he catches my glance. When he sees the way I drop my shoulders in defeat, he softens up a little. "Ah, honey, just go with him. He's right, you'll have your own bed." He mutters, walking up to me. "You're forgetting that he's yelled at you, but not me yet." I point out to him, really dreading the conversation I know will happen as soon as I move into the next room with my father. "He won't yell at you, puppy. I took the blame on that one." Dean tells me reassuringly, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I ain't so sure about that." I mutter, wrapping my arms around myself. "Hey, you'll be fine." Dean bends forward, giving me a swift kiss on my forehead.

A sharp knock on the door tells me dad got his room and with dread building up in my stomach, I walk to my bag. "Well, good night." I mutter, purposely not looking at either of my brothers, before walking outside. My father is waiting for me, a smile still on his face. "Come on, sweetheart, you get to pick." He tells me, opening up the room right next to Sam and Dean. "Thanks, dad." I walk into the other room, which looks exactly like the one I just left. I wander over to the beds and just choose the right one, putting my bag down. Dad came in after me with his bags and who knows what else and I watch him unpack one of the bags, pulling out all sorts of papers and articles. He's gonna make a crime board, which he always does in cases like these. It's silent between us and I have not much else to do, then just watch him plaster the wall with everything he knows about this case. "So, uh, vampires?" I dare to comment, once I see him hang up a page from a lore book that has the title 'vampires'. Dad tenses up immediately. "How do you know that this is about vampires?" He asks sharply. "Um, dad, look what you are holding in your hand." I point out to him sheepishly. Dad glances up, sees the article and the title and visibly relaxes, letting out a low chuckle. "Ah, yeah, I shouldn't put this all up here. I'll do it tomorrow, in the boys room." He then says, bringing the article back down. I resist the urge to react to that. "I thought vampires were not real?" I ask instead. Me showing interest is nothing new, so should be safe. "Why all the interest?" Dad answers my question with a question of his own, turning around to face me. I shrug. "I've always been interested, dad." I tell him, hopping on my bed. Dad smiles softly, glancing down. "Ah, I guess you're right about that." He mutters to himself. "Well?" I push for more information, hoping he'll tell me something. "Well, all you need to know is that they are real, sadly so. But not like you see them in the movies, like they don't need a stake to the heart. Oh, and they don't look like Dracula." That last bit was a joke and I chuckle, nodding. "So, uh, what do they need to die?" I lean my head to the side as I look at dad curiously. "That's none of your concern, darling. I won't fill your head with all that nonsense." He drily tells me, already shutting the conversation back down. "But I want to know." I try, leaning back on my elbows on the bed. "The fact that you want to know, still won't make me tell you." Dad informs me, eying me knowingly. I groan and let myself fall back completely, making dad chuckle. "Now, there is, however, some catching up we need to do." I can hear dad get up and instantly my whole body tenses. "We do?" I ask hesitantly, watching him walk up to the beds and sit down on the other one. "Yes, we do." He nods, intently looking at me. "Cause if I'm correct, my little girl's no longer sixteen, but seventeen…" That sentence catches me off guard, since I'd been bracing myself for a question about why I was at Elkins cabin tonight. "Oh… um, yeah." I splutter, my brain trying to catch up. "I am so sorry I couldn't be there, Skye." My dad's tone is heavy and bears a hint of sadness. Or guilt, one of the two. "Oh, don't worry about that, dad. I didn't celebrate it anyways." I quickly sit up, trying to brush his apology away. "Didn't celebrate? I hope my boys at least had a cake for you?" Dad seems genuinely surprised at my answer and I blush, shaking my head. "Oh, yeah, no, they did. Sam got me a cake and a book and Dean got me a necklace…" I ramble, quickly trying to save my brothers from a potential yelling again. Dad smiles approvingly. "That's what I'm talking about. Did you have a good day?" His interest in my birthday is thoroughly throwing me off guard and I awkwardly scrape my throat. "Uh, yeah, dad." I mutter. Thankfully, my answer seems to satisfy him. "Good. Now, I also remember when I spoke to you on the phone all those months ago, that you were studying for your exams. Now, seeing as some time has passed since then, I'm sure you've had them by now?" Dad's once again looking at me with interest and this time, it doesn't surprise me. He's been hellbent on forcing me through school, so it makes sense that he wants to know about that. "Yeah, I did. And I passed all of 'm." I inform him, smiling proudly. "Of course you did, you're a smart-ass." Dad chuckles approvingly, twinkles appearing in his eyes. "That's what Dean said." I laugh with him, enjoying the easy atmosphere between us. "He's right." Dad confirms, nodding. "Okay, so, I know I've been away and that I have not been there for you, but I promise I will try to be back for your last year, okay?" He then says remorsefully, looking up at me with that same expression as before. "Sure, dad." I nod, resisting the urge to roll my eyes. I don't know who he is kidding, but if it makes him feel better to say that, then sure. Dad lets out a sigh and now his face falls even more, a tortured look in his eyes. "Now, darling, I do not want to bring this up, but I have to, cause we haven't had a chance to talk about what happened the last time we saw each other…" He starts and I nervously bite my lip, bringing my hands into my lap. I stay silent, letting him continue. "I uh, I know you saw some really horrible things, sweetheart. I know that girl hurt you, took you from the motel… I uh, I really wish I could have protected you from that." My dad's voice breaks at the end of that sentence, hurting my heart. I feel the need to reassure him, so I sit up more firmly. "I'm okay, dad." I promise him, trying to sound as confident as I can. Dad glances at me, unsure. "Dean, uh, mentioned that you were at the cabin tonight because you don't feel safe staying behind alone anymore. Is that true?" I instantly tense up, my eyes flashing down at my fidgeting hands. Shit, there it is. I have to be very careful now. "On most days I am, dad. I mean, I know Meg can't get me and I have Sam and Dean, but uh… yeah, today was a bad day." I make up on the spot, purposely not looking at my father. I hear him sigh heavily and then he stands up, moving over to my bed and taking place next to me. "Skye, do you realize how dangerous it was that Dean took you with him?" That's a direct question and I know my father expects a direct answer. "It was fine, dad." I say, glancing up at him. I do not like the look on his face and brace myself for the discussion that's coming. "It was not fine. There was no way of knowing if that cabin was empty, there was no way of knowing what you were gonna find inside. What if the vampires that killed Elkins had still been there?" Dad starts his lecture and I grit my teeth together, fighting the urge to move away from him. It is way harder than I expected, to keep up the ruse. "Dad, there was no one in the cabin. Dean knew that, he would have never taken me otherwise." I try to stand up for my brother, realizing too late that my tone is filled with irritation. Dad raises his eyebrows at me, his eyes turning angry. "There was no certainty in knowing that…" Dad continues his lecture, voice rising a little, as he goes on about how I should have known better, how Dean should have known better. I keep defending Dean whenever dad mentions him, and do the same once he goes over to Sam. It is incredibly infuriating to see him blame my brothers for this and once again I'm reminded of why my father can never know about the last year. Dad does not appreciate my attitude and it's not long before I'm getting yelled at, just like I had predicted. With furious eyes and gritted teeth, I let it happen. It's the worst feeling in the world and dad does not hold back. Once he's done and his voice softens up a bit, he makes me promise that I won't 'manipulate' my brother into taking me again, even if I am scared. Better scared and safe, then fine and put in danger, according to my dad.

I have a terrible night after that evening. No matter how hard dad tries to lighten up the air again, after all the yelling, it's impossible and I flatly wish him goodnight, before locking myself in the bathroom and then diving straight into the bed. Dad doesn't go to bed, at least it doesn't seem like it. He is pacing around, ruffling with his papers, reading things and muttering to himself and somewhere early in the morning, he leaves our motel room. The moment he disappears, the tension I was apparently still carrying, glides off of me. And with a content sigh, I finally fall asleep.

I wake up only a few hours later, when morning light is shining through the windows of the room and the door opens. When I open my eyes, stifling a yawn, I see it's Dean coming towards me, and not dad. "Morning." I greet him, smiling. "Morning." He greets me back, although his smile is not reaching his eyes. "What's wrong?" I ask, sitting up quickly. "Dad just got something from the police scanner, we're gonna check it out." He tells me, sitting down next to me on the bed, putting a hand on my side. "Ah." My smile falters. "Well, good luck then, I guess." I mutter when Dean stays silent, guilt in his eyes. He hates this just as much as I do, this reunion and how it's going, so I can't bear to start snapping at him too. "Yeah. Don't worry, it'll be three of us." Dean assures me, halfheartedly trying to make me feel better. "So uh, did you get yelled at?" He then asks me, concern shining in his eyes. "Yeah, but don't worry, it wasn't that bad. I just need to stop 'manipulating' you and Sam." I tell him, huffing out a laugh to make a joke out of it. "Well, all things considered, it would be nice if you stopped manipulating." Dean chuckles with me, though his eyes are not twinkling. "Yeah…" I fall silent again, stifling another yawn. "You know what, why don't you get a few more hours in, huh? We'll be back before you know it." Dean affectionately pats my side, standing back up. "Uh, Dean..?" I cannot help but call after him, watching him stop and turn back around expectantly. "C-Can I have the gun?" I don't look at him as I ask him my question, already feeling guilty. But, I had to ask. Ever since Meg, I haven't been alone without the protection of having one close by and it has made a big difference. "Skye…" Dean groans, shaking his head at my impossible question. "I know." I whisper back, swiftly meeting his eyes. His pained look makes it even worse. "I can't, Skye. But you're safe, don't worry." And with that, he dashed out the door. And doesn't return, not for the whole morning.

My worries increase when I haven't heard anything by ten a.m. and after a long shower and a trip outside to the bakery, there's still nothing. "Damnit." I growl, reaching for my phone and calling Dean's number. "Hey." Dean picks up after the second ring, voice sounding rough. I can hear the impala's roar in the background, meaning Sam must be driving. "Hey, where the hell are you?" I pass right by the greeting, my tone accusing. "Woah, easy, we're heading west. Dad confirmed it was the vampire group this morning and we're following." Dean explains quickly. "What?" I let out in shock, sinking back down on my bed. "Why didn't you come back?" I then add in a whisper. "Cause dad's running his show and only cares about the job, Skye." I hear Sam's annoyed voice coming through the phone and I instantly realize what's happening. He and dad seem to already be in a bad place. "Oh, is it starting?" I ask, more to myself than them, but Dean agrees with me wholeheartedly. "Oh, you're damn right it's starting." He confirms, ignoring Sam's weak protests in the background. "But seriously, you're not coming back?" I try to ignore the sting of betrayal in my heart as I hear Sam confirm that they're indeed not coming back. "We might be the whole day, Skye." Dean adds right after that and I slump further down on the bed. Instantly getting flashbacks of my life from before dad disappeared. Back then it was like this all the time. When I was younger, he'd make one of my brothers stay with me as he went on a hunt with the other one, but the older I got, the more he seemed to be convinced I could take care of my own basic needs and would leave with both my brothers. Sometimes for days on end. Back then, I'd have school to distract me and during holidays, dad used to drop me off at Bobby's for a few days at a time. And I had all but forgotten how freaking lonely it could make me feel. Especially when Sam went to university and it was just Dean and me. "Skye?" Dean's rough voice brings me back into reality and I furiously blink away my tears. I open my mouth to reply, but don't trust my voice. "Hey, you know how this goes, okay?" Is Dean's next comment and that one stings even harder. "Yeah, lovely. Just cause I'm used to it, doesn't make it suck any less." I snap at him, instantly angry. "Skye…" I hang up before he can say anything else, throwing my phone through the room in a moment of rage. Every damn time, and now we're back to leaving me out of everything again. After I worked so hard to be included, to be a part of it. Dad won't tell me anything about the vampires and god knows what he's discussed with Sam and Dean about the demon that killed mom, that I know nothing of. Tears are stinging in my eyes and I furiously blink them away, balling my hands into fists. Well, if we're back to this, I can do it alone. I've always known how to do it alone.

I change into my leggings and put on my running shoes. I stuff my headphones in my ear, put on my running playlist and take off. Putting all my frustration into sprinting through the town, challenging myself to go even harder and further than I normally do. Causing me to return to the motel about two hours later, drenched in sweat and completely exhausted. I take a shower, dress myself and then sneak into the other motel room in search of some cash. Dean said they might even be gone the whole day, so I need to do some basic groceries. I find a twenty in Sam's trousers and then pull on one of his sweaters too, just for good measure. I venture into the town in search of the supermarket and find one a few blocks away. It's busy, but I need to get some things, so after a few deep breaths, I do venture inside. I work down my list systematically, focusing on my music as I push through people to get to the items I need. It's when I look for pie, that I'm coming across a problem. There doesn't seem to be any pie. "Hey, can I help you with something?" A voice from behind me scares me half to death and I jolt, swirling around. A guy is standing in the isle, wearing a green vest with the name of the supermarket on it and a name tag, that says 'Wesley'. I can't help but blush when I catch his glance and the first thing I notice, is how attractive he is. He has brown hair, a very even face and deep, blue eyes. "Oh, uh…" I quickly pull my headphones out of my ears, shaking my head. "Well, I'm looking for some pie, but can't seem to find any. So, uh..?" I awkwardly fall silent, glancing at the ground. "Follow me, please." Wesley gives me a dashing smile, before leading the way out of the isle and back towards the front of the store, to the bread section. "Here you go, we have all sorts and sizes and shapes." He announces, stopping in front of a cooled counter where there's indeed multiple pies on display. "Ah, that's more like it." I smile brightly at him. "So, what kind do you prefer?" Wesley doesn't walk away, but leans on the counter, looking at me expectantly. "Oh, no it's not for me, but for my brother." I quickly explain, chuckling awkwardly. "Ah, well, what kind of pie does your brother enjoy?" Wesley asks, clearly not wanting to leave this conversation yet. "Uh, well, as long as it's pie he doesn't mind that much, I think. But, he's known to really like cherry flavor." I tell Wesley without thinking about it, glancing down at the pies. "Well, then he has good taste. Here, let me pack you a piece." Wesley grabs a carton box and I watch him pack me the pie with a grin. He's cute. "So, what kind of pie do you prefer, then? Or are you more a cake girl?" Wesley asks once he's finished, handing me the carton box. "Ah, thanks. Uh, well, no, neither, really. I prefer a good pastry, though." I tell him, smiling brightly. "Ah, well, good choice as well." Wesley chuckles, before frowning at me. "So, uh, I don't think I've seen you around here before…" He looks at me expectantly and I nod, putting the carton box in my bag. I tell him I'm on a trip with my dad and brothers, here for just a few days. Wesley then tells me he lives here, goes to the high school one town over and that this is his first job since he turned seventeen a few months ago. Talking to him turns out to be fun and interesting and before I know it, I've been standing with him next to the pie counter for over half an hour. His smile keeps me there, just as much as his stories. I get distracted when I hear my phone ring and finally realize what time it is. "Oh, oops, um…" I stare at my watch and then apologetically look over at Wesley. "I'm sorry, but I need to get going. It, uh, it was really nice meeting you." I tell him, raising up my hand to give him a little wave. "Oh, that's too bad. Uh, I didn't catch your name yet?" Wesley looks at me expectantly and makes me realize I haven't even introduced myself properly. "Oh, right. Um, Skye." I tell him, grabbing the hand he jokingly reached out to me, shaking it. "Well, Skye, I am working tomorrow as well, so uh… if you need anything else, feel free to stop by." The smile Wesley throws me after that invitation is mesmerizing and I feel myself blush again. "Thanks, uh, yeah… thank you." And with that, I walk away. My phone has stopped ringing and I make sure to pay for the groceries first, before wandering outside and checking who called. It's dad. It's almost weird to see his number on my phone, he has been out of reach for so long and now he's calling me. Now. Not on my birthday, not when we thought Dean was dying. Now.

I grit my teeth, but dial his number and start walking back. He picks up immediately. "Skye, why didn't you answer? Everything okay?" He's instantly worried, making me suppress a sigh. "I'm fine, dad." I reassure him shortly, crossing the street. "Good, good. You've been having a slightly okay day? I mean, I know I rushed me and your brothers out this morning without much information, so I'm sure you're confused." Dad tells me in a softer voice and I huff. "Well, confused doesn't even begin to cover it." It's out before I know it and I bite my tongue, my heartbeat fastening. Dad stays silent for a second and then lets out a sigh. "Damn, you've gotten like a proper attitude since turning seventeen, huh?" It was meant to be a joke, but it's nowhere near funny and I do not laugh. "Ah, okay, Skye, listen… what do you want to know?" Is his next question and I can tell by the sound of his voice that he's not happy with it. "Where are you?" I question directly. "In the car, speeding down east, after a vampire nest." Is his short, but honest answer. "What's the plan?" Is my next question. "Skye, there's literally nothing for you to gain on knowing the plan." Dad reacts in irritation. "Yes, there is. Clarity, dad. Clarity and peace of mind. If I'm stuck in a motel room, then at least tell me what your plan is. Please, dad…" I try to sound as sad as I can, knowing full well that does the deal most of the times and I'm right. "Fine, we're following the vampire nest, we're probably gonna wait until they're asleep and then rescue the hostages and come back." Is his short explanation. "How do you kill a vampire?" I try asking that question again, but don't get an answer and roll my eyes. "Ugh, fine… when will you be back?" Is my last question. "Hopefully, if everything goes to plan, before you wake up tomorrow morning." He tells me, trying to sound reassuring. "Okay." Is all I can say to that, fastening my pace and turning around the left corner. "Okay. Now, if you need money for something to eat…" Dad wants to continue, but I interrupt him. "No worries, I've already eaten and found some money for groceries." I inform him, glancing down at the bag I'm still carrying. Dad proudly states that he should have known I'd already figured that all out. I tell him to be careful, he makes me promise to lock the doors and then he hangs up.

I wander back to the motel, carefully loading the pie into the mini fridge and putting the rest away. Then, I let out a deep sigh and stare around the small room. There is not much more for me to do, now. I've already gone on a run, a walk and gotten groceries. Maybe I can read the book Sam got me again. I've read it twice already, but plan on memorizing it and I sure as hell don't know every word yet. I settle on the couch, buried deep in Sam's sweater, and read the evening away.

When, by eleven, no one has come home yet, I reach for my phone and dial Dean's number. He picks up right away. "Hey, pup." He sounds way too relieved and I frown. "What's up with you?" I ask, immediately curious. "Nothin much, just trying to keep the two ticking time bombs I've got with me from exploding." He jokes, but his tone is serious. He sounds tired. "That bad, huh?" I softly reply, sinking deeper into the couch. "Yeah, well, it'll be fine." He says, sounding more like he's convincing himself than me. "Where are you at?" I question, changing the subject. "Uh, I think we're close to where the nest is supposed to be. Sam's gassing up the cars right now." Dean tells me the information I really did not want to hear and I let my head fall against the cushions, suppressing a groan. "Look, I know we said we'd come back tonight, but I don't think that's gonna work out." Dean then tells me what I've already concluded in my head. "Yeah, figured as much." I mutter softly into the phone. "I'm sorry, pup." He apologizes, his voice dripping with guilt. "Don't be, just go do what you have to do and please be careful. I don't know much about vampires and dad won't tell me how you kill 'm, but it doesn't sound like an easy job." I try to reassure him and he promises me they'll be back as soon as they can. He also promises me to make sure dad and Sam don't burst out into a nasty fight again and sounds even more tired when he says goodbye to me. I drop my phone on my chest and stare around me at the empty, now pretty dark room. They're not coming back, I'll be alone tonight.

"Well, might as well get to it…" I mutter to myself, getting up from the couch and retrieving my bag from the room next door. I'm sure as hell not sleeping in that room again. I change into more comfortable clothes, but keep on Sam's sweater and carefully lock the doors and all the windows, just like dad taught me to do from the moment I could walk. I then crawl into Dean's bed and let myself fall into an uneasy sleep.

I stir awake when I hear voices coming from outside of the motel room and a second later, it opens. Through sleepy eyes, I watch dad and then Sam walk in. Both looking tired and on edge, bringing their hostile atmosphere with 'm. I can feel it as soon as they're inside. Dad doesn't react to me lying in Dean's bed and just walks over to the table and his crime board, sitting down on the chair with a heavy sigh. Sam does acknowledge me and with a small smile, he approaches the bed. "You had to steal this bed, huh?" He chuckles at me, sitting down next to me on the mattress. I throw him a small smile as a greeting, moving a little to the side to give him more space. When neither Sam nor dad says anything else, I awkwardly scrape my throat. "So, uh, where is Dean?" I glance at my father, pretty sure that I have to look at him for answers. "Running an errand, he'll be back soon." Is dad's simple answer. "What kind of errand?" I dare to ask, sitting up against the headboard. My dad lets out a sigh. "You need to stop asking all these questions." Is all he says and I roll my eyes in irritation. I'm about to react, when Sam puts a hand on my leg to catch my attention and then shakes his head at me. I huff at him, but defensively cross my arms and stay silent.

When dad and Sam stay silent as well, I'm not able to bare it long. "So, is anyone gonna tell me anything about how the mission went last night?" My voice cuts through the silent room and makes me uncomfortable. "We got to the nest, rescued the hostages and had to make a run for it." Dad slowly says, leaning his elbows on the table, not looking at me. "Did you kill the vampires?" I glance at Sam, who's still sitting beside me. "No, uh, we got caught as we were getting the hostages out and had to make a run for it." He tells me softly and I raise my eyebrows at him. "So, what now?" I know dad will never let this go until the nest is destroyed, meaning this is not over. "So, now we go back to finish them off." Dad says in a warning tone, hinting that with that, the conversation is over. I groan, but accept defeat and throw the covers off of me, ready to go get ready myself. Sam raises an eyebrow once he sees that I'm wearing his sweater. "Did you steal that from my bag?" He asks incredulously, a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "No, I found it in the trash and thought it was nice." I joke, pushing him to the side so I can get out of the bed. "You can't keep stealing everything I own." He cries out with a laugh as I move past him to get to my bag. "Yes, I can." I inform him drily, grabbing my leggings and my sports bra, ready to go for another run. Sam huffs, but doesn't say anything else and I smile back at my father when I pass him to move into the bathroom.

When I come back out, dressed in my running gear and with my hair in a high ponytail, dad's looking at me all weird. Kind of nostalgic, or something. It's making me uncomfortable. "What?" I ask him, moving past him to get my headphones. "Nothing, nothing… just uh, don't go too far." Is all he says. "I'll be back before you know it." I react, tone dripping with sarcasm, and then I'm out the door. I do listen and take a different route then yesterday, causing me to arrive back at the motel room in forty minutes. Still drenched in sweat and pretty out of breath.

When I enter the room, the atmosphere is tense and uncomfortable. Sam's pacing around the room and dad's still sitting at the table, looking pretty tired. It looks like they've been fighting again, and I hate the tension between them. When I'm sitting on the bed, catching my breath and looking at my phone, Sam speaks up. "It shouldn't be taking this long… I should go help." He mutters, more to himself then us, pacing back towards the other side of the room. "Dean's got it." Is all dad says to that, trying to sound reassuring. Sam stiffens and glances at him, before letting out an annoyed breath and continuing his pacing. His concern is getting me concerned and I'm highly aware of the uncomfortable silence. Dad taps his pen on the papers in front of him and then glances up at Sam. "Sammy…" He starts and Sam stops walking, turning his eyes to him. "Yeah?" His reaction is guarded. Dad lets out a breath, looking down at the pen still in his hand. "I don't think I ever told you this, but… the day you were born, you know what I did?" A nostalgic smile grows on dad's face as he expectantly looks at Sam. I abandoned my phone and lean back against the headboard, curious as to what is happening. "No." Sam tells him, curiosity also on his face. "I put a hundred bucks into a savings account for ya, did the same thing for your brother, and for you too, actually…" Dad now looks at me, his smile faltering. He sighs and looks back down. "It was uh, a college fund, and every month I'd put in another hundred dollars until…" He falls silent and Sam and I exchange a look of surprise. "Anyways, my point is, Sam… this is never the life I wanted for you." Dad gets to his point and I can see Sam's features saddening. "Then why did you get so mad when I left?" He asks, voice heavy and my whole body tenses up at the mere mention of that fight. I warily glance at dad, expecting him to get angry. He doesn't. "You gotta understand something… after your mother passed, all I saw was evil. Everywhere. And all I cared about, was keeping my children alive. I wanted you prepared, ready…" Dad's heavy eyes turn to me swiftly and I hate how sad he's looking. "And I wanted you protected. Out. Not having to carry the burden that was already on your brothers." He explains, sighing and looking back at Sam. "Except uh, somewhere along the line I… I uh, stopped being your father and I- I became your drill sergeant…" My eyes grow wide when I hear my father say that, never having expected him to ever realize that, or say it out loud. I can see that confession softens Sam's attitude and he slowly takes a few steps towards dad, sitting down in the chair across from him. Dad scrapes his throat. "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." Dad's looking at Sam now, his face contorted as he opens up about that fight and the reason for his anger. It completely throws me off guard and the sad atmosphere is making it even harder for me to stay in control of my emotions. I can only imagine how relieving this must be for Sam to hear.

"Vulnerable. Sammy, just uh, it never occurred to me what you wanted." Dad continues, tone filled with grief. "I just couldn't accept the fact that you and me, we're just different." He then states, a sad smile entering his features. Sam bows his head and lets out a chuckle, shaking his head. "What?" Dad asks him in surprise. "We're not different." Sam tells him, his voice so soft I can barely hear it. "Not anymore… with what happened to mom and Jess…" He shakes his head and lets out another shocked laugh. "Ah, we probably have a lot more in common than just about anyone." He finishes, heavy eyes on our father. Dad gives him a short nod, a real smile entering his face. "I guess you're right, son." He agrees and a soft silence rises between the two of them. "Hey, dad? Whatever happened to that college fund?" Sam then asks curiously. "Spent it on ammo…" Dad answers truthfully and that's so dad that Sam can't help but laugh.

The moment is so relieving, that I can't help but let out a content sigh, literally feeling the tension in the air disappearing. "What are you sighing about?" Dad chuckles, turning his eyes to me. Surprised by the sudden acknowledgement of my presence, I sit up. "Nothing. Uh…" I'm not sure what to say, not wanting to see that horribly sad look back in my father's eyes. "Dad..?" Sam swiftly glances at me and then back at out father, who nods at him expectantly. "I know she can't be involved, okay? Like, I get that, but uh… it couldn't hurt to give her a little information about uh, about…" He falters, not sure how to say what he wants to say and I can't help but gawk at him, stunned that he would try this right now. Dad sighs at him, before glancing my way. "Honey, come here." He then says, motioning for me to come to him. With wide eyes, I scramble off the bed to approach him. "How much do you know of the thing that killed your mother?" Dad asks me earnestly, once I've gotten close enough. "Uh… well, after Meg attacked us, Dean explained that it was a demon that killed mom and uh, that we were attacked because you were getting close to it." I tell him, leaving out as much as I can to protect Dean. Dad gives an approving hum, eyes swiftly glancing at Sam. "Sit down." He then says and I move towards the last chair at the table, directly next to Sam. My eyes never leaving my father's face. "I guess it's fair to give you a little more information. You're not stupid and keeping you in the dark like this is not fair…" Dad sighs and then holds up a finger to me. "But I am keeping you out of that fight, Skye, okay? What I'm gonna tell you now is not an invitation to join the fight, I'd rather die than have you in danger like that. Got me?" His tone is warning and I can't do anything but comply, nodding at him. "You will let me protect you?" Dad doesn't seem satisfied yet and I know now is not the time for a discussion. "Yeah, dad…" I ball my hands into fists, but comply. "Good." Dad inhales deeply, before telling me what he can. Most of it I already know, but then he tells me something that does surprise me. Something about a gun that this Elkins guy was supposed to have, a special gun that, as legend said, could kill anything. Kill it, not send it back to hell, but kill it for good. And that gun, called the colt, surprisingly turned out not to be just a legend, but a real gun that was now in the hands of the vampire nest and the sole purpose of this case.

I let out a whistle, once dad stops talking. "So… so, if you get that gun, you can actually kill that demon?" I lean back in my chair, my brain trying to process what I was just told. "That's the plan." Dad nods at me, folding his arms over his chest. "Wow, okay…" My eyes dart to Sam, who's still sitting next to me and already knew about this. As if on cue, suddenly the door of the room opens and Dean barges in. "Whoo…" He whistles, glancing at Sam and me, before stepping up to the table. "Man, some heavy security to protect a bunch of dead guys." He ruffles with the keys in his hands, noticing the lighter air around us with a frown. "Did you get it?" Dad asks him and Dean fumbles in his pocket, pulling out a paper bag that carries something heavy looking. He's about to open it up, but a swift shake of dad's head makes him realize I'm still in the room. He stops. Dad's looks at him approvingly, eying the paper bag and then nodding at both him and Sam. "You know what to do." He states cryptically and both my brothers nod. Apparently, there's already a plan to go and hunt down the vampire nest, that was obviously not told to me. I'm feeling less annoyed, since dad did tell me about the colt, so I don't protest. I do tell Dean I've gotten him a piece of pie that's waiting for him in the fridge, grinning at his happy face as he goes to get it immediately. Dad and my brothers start preparing for the attack they'll launch this evening and I leave them to it, going for a nice, long shower to wash off the sweat from my earlier run.

Just after dinnertime, I watch them all leave to go and play out their plan. Hoping silently that it's not too dangerous and that they'll be okay. I waist away in front of the crappy old TV for a while, until I remember that Wesley told me yesterday that he was working today too. I groan when I glance at the clock, realizing the store is surely closed already and that I missed that opportunity. "Damnit." I sigh, shaking my head. Well, it's not like there was anything to come from that anyways, since we're probably leaving tomorrow. I know dad and his plans, he never fails in executing them.

I turn out to be right, the roar of a truck and the impala thundering outside just past eleven, when I've already taken place inside Dean's bed. I patiently wait for the door to open and my dad and brothers to wander back in. They all look in one peace, except for Sam, who had a gash on his face that's still has some blood trickling down. "You alright?" I ask in concern, sitting up in the bed. "Yeah, this is nothing." Sam instantly reassures me, waving my concern away. "So, uh… did you..?" I expectantly look at dad, who's wearing a content look on his face. "Yeah, baby, we got the colt and killed the leader of the pack." He informs me and I'm so glad he's not withholding that information, that a smile breaks through on my face. "Of course you did." I nod, happy to have them back and apparently with a win. The colt, that was long thought of as a legend and the perfect weapon to kill a tough demon.

"Come on, squirt, let's get back to our room." Dad invitingly holds up a hand and this time I move out of Dean's bed without dread in my stomach. I ignore Dean's teasing remarks about being in his bed and move with my father to the next room. "Go on, go to sleep." Dad swiftly puts an arm around me and kisses my forehead lovingly, before pushing me towards the bed. A little harder that was necessary. I yelp and stumble, but hearing his light chuckles is good enough for me. "Hey, dad?" I ask, climbing into my bed and throwing the covers over me. "Yes?" Dad leans against the wall, looking at me expectantly. "Thanks for uh… for telling me about the colt." I mutter, diverting my eyes to my hands. Dad lets out a sigh. "I still don't like it, but uh… yeah, Sammy was right." He then mutters and I smile, forever thankful to Sam for having my back on that one. And as I lean my head on the pillow and close my eyes, I hear dad go into the bathroom to finally go and take care of himself a little as well.

The next morning, it's time to pack and as I've hardly used my stuff anyways, I'm done quickly. I leave dad to rummage with his stuff and move into the other room, where Sam and Dean are also both packing their stuff. They look freshened up and in a good mood, seeming to have had a good night as well. I'm just in a conversation with Dean, making a plan to go to a laundromat, when dad walks through the door. Freshly dressed, hands inside the pockets of his jeans. He's looking pretty authoritative, making me slightly uncomfortable. "Hey boys…" He starts, tone strict. Sam and Dean turn around to him slowly, eyes wary. "Yes, sir." Sam answers, voice under control. I slowly step back and sink down in a chair at the table, wondering where this is going. "You ignored a direct order back there." Dad continues, stepping further into the room and making me wonder what happened on their trip last night that needs this conversation. It also surprises me. Sam is known for getting yelled at for ignoring orders and disobeying them, but Dean isn't. He seems to be just as guilty now, though. "Yes, sir." Sam answers shortly, no remorse in his face. "Yeah, but we saved your ass." Dean then comments and both Sam and me glance at him in shock. I nervously bite my lip, hoping that I'm not gonna be a witness to another yelling. Dad stares at Dean and Dean swallows, keeping his confident stare. "You're right." Dad then agrees, which throws everyone off guard again. "I am?" Dean questions, shock clear on his face. Dad sighs, looking down. "It scares the hell out of me, but uh… you boys and your sister are all I've got." He then admits, looking back up. I'm thoroughly confused at the turn this is taking and wonder what happened out there, that makes dad say this right now. "But, I guess we are stronger as a family. So, we go after this damn thing… together." Dad then finishes what he wanted to say, raising his eyebrows at both of my brothers expectantly. "Yes, sir." They answer him in unison, jaws clenched and eyes shining with determination.

I cannot help the sigh that escaped my lips the moment I realize what that means, hanging my head. I guess I'll have to stop my training and just wait out patiently, until this thing is caught. And that makes me more sad than I expected. "Did you just sigh?" My head snaps back up and dad has turned around to me, a playful glint in his eyes. "Wha..? No, I…" I don't really know what to say to that, since my disappointed sigh was clear to everyone. "What? You're not happy your dear old dad is back with you, huh?" Dad's grin grows wider and he takes a step towards me. The playful energy in the air is making both Dean and Sam grin, I can see it on their faces. "No, dad, that's not…" I put my arms up in defense, slowly rising from my chair. "Oh, it's not, huh? So, I imagined that disappointed sigh you let out just a minute ago?" Dad keeps on approaching me, getting a determined look on his face. Looking at me like I'm prey, which is filling me up with nervous, playful energy. "Dad… wait, no…" I screech when he dashes forward suddenly, trying to jump out of reach, but being too late. I can feel his arms lock around my middle and yelp in protest when he easily lifts me up and throws me over his shoulder. "Dad! Wait, no, put me down!" I can't help the giggles pouring out of me, getting a rare glimpse of his playful side. Dad ignores my protests and suddenly I can feel his hand locking around my side. "NO!" I screech loudly, but am not able to stop him and also can't stop the laughter bursting out of me as he starts to squeeze, attacking me with tickles.