The unexpected sharp thud of a knock on the door reverberated through the apartment. Sam stirred and groaned. He peered at the alarm clock on the night stand. 1:03 am. There was another set of knocks and Sam sighed. He better go check who was at the door before they woke Jess up with their knocking. Being careful not to wake his girlfriend up, he got out of bed and headed for the door.
Wondering who the hell would be at the door in the middle of the night, Sam peered through the peephole and did a double take. Rubbing some sleep from his eyes, he looked through the peep hole again and was met with the same sight. He quickly undid the lock and swung the door open.
"Y/N?" He muttered, looking down at your small form.
You grinned up at your older brother. "Hey Sam!" You stepped forward and wrapped your arms around him tightly. It had been two long years since you had last seen him. Come to think of it, you'd never even gotten the chance to say goodbye to your brother the night he had left for Stanford. After he and Dad had one of their biggest fights, Sam had quickly packed a bag and left. At the time, you hadn't really been worried. At 8 years old, you had believed that Sam would come back. He was just mad at Dad and needed some time alone. But as days turned into weeks, you eventually believed Dean's words that Sam had left to pursue a normal life at a place called Stanford.
After a brief hesitation, Sam wrapped his arms around you; a bit awkwardly placed since you were wearing your blue backpack.
"She's grown." He thought, noticing the slightly decrease height difference.
Y/N was what, 10 now? Wow, it'd been 2 years already...
Sam released you from his embrace and held you out at arms length, looking you up and down.
"Don't get me wrong," He began. "It's good to see you, but what are you doing here in the middle of the night? Does Dad and Dean know you're he-"
"Is this your house?" You interrupted, ignoring his questions. You stepped inside and tilted your head, taking in everything.
Sam sighed and shut the door behind him as you walked into the kitchen.
"Er, yeah. It's my apartment." He answered, turning on the kitchen light.
"So do you like, have your own room?" You asked, finding it a bit unsettling that Sam just stayed in one place instead of moving around like you were used to.
"Yeah, I do."
"Do you live here by yourself?"
Sam shook his head and chuckled. "No, I uh, live here with my girlfriend."
"You have a girlfriend?!?" You exclaimed, swiveling around to face your brother. "What's her name? Can I meet her?"
"Her name's Jess." Sam responded, chuckling at your reaction. "And um, not right now because she's sleeping. But you can see her in the morning, alright?"
You nodded and went to continue your exploring of the apartment when Sam grabbed your shoulder gently and turned you to face him.
"Y/N, I need you to tell me why you're in my apartment in the middle of the night. Where's Dad and Dean? Do they know you're here?"
You shrugged and avoided your brother's eyes.
"Y/N..." Sam warned. "You need tell me the truth."
You sighed and took a seat at the kitchen table. "Okay so, Dean and Dad were working a case a couple hours away. I asked Dad if we could visit you, but he said no. Anyway, they took care of whatever they were hunting and Dad left Dean to wrap things up. He said he was gonna go see someone about somethin, and that he would meet up with us in a couple of days. So of course, once he left, I asked Dean if we could see you. I thought he'd say yes, but..."
"He said no." Sam finished, starting to see where this story was heading.
"Yeah." You nodded. "We argued for a bit, and that ended with him telling me to go to bed before he went out. I really wanted to see you, so...I bought a bus ticket, and um, here I am."
Sam sighed and rubbed a hand over his face tiredly. "Y/N, you didn't stop to think about how dangerous it was for you to be by yourself? Something could've happened to you!"
You shrugged. "Well, nothing happened. I'm perfectly fine!"
"How'd you even get on the bus by yourself? Don't you have to be like a certain age to do that?"
"Well yeah, but I bought an adult ticket, so they didn't ask any questions."
Sam rolled his eyes. You certainly had the ingenuity of a Winchester.
"By the way, how are you not dead tired right now?" Sam asked, stifling a yawn. "It's past 1 o'clock in the morning."
"Oh! Before I boarded the bus, I bought one of those energy drinks." You answered. "And let me tell you, they really work! I'm not even tired!"
"Yeah, well I am." Sam sighed. The last thing he needed right now was you hopped up on sugar. "Look, why don't you get ready for bed? We can catch up some more in the morning."
"But I'm not-"
"No buts." Sam cut in. "Come on, I'll show you the guest room."
You picked up your backpack and followed him into the bedroom. He turned on the bedside lamp as you set your bag down on the bed.
"Did you bring some PJs?" He asked, eyeing your bag.
"Uh huh."
"Toothbrush and toothpaste?"
"Sam, I'm not stupid." You replied smartly. "Don't worry, I've got everything."
"Alright alright." Sam conceded, reaching out to ruffle your hair. "Bathroom's down the hall and if you need me, I'm in the next room over."
You nod, zipping open your backpack to find your night clothes.
"And hey," Sam added, pointing his index finger at you. "After you get changed and washed up, you go straight to bed, alright? It's way too late for you to be awake."
"Yes sir!" You replied playfully, raising your hand into a crooked salute.
Sam rolled his eyes and grinned,pulling you into a hug before heading for the door.
"Night Y/N."
"Night Sam."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Sam?"
"Mm?" He stirred, cracking an eye open to see his girlfriend standing over him.
"Why is there a little girl in the guest bedroom?"
For a moment, Sam had no idea what she was talking about. But then last night's events came flooding back. He sighed and sat up in the bed, scooting over so Jess could sit beside him.
"That's my sister, Y/N." He answered, covering his mouth as he yawned. "She came in late last night."
"Oh, so that's Y/N." Jess said. Although she had been dating Sam for almost 2 years, she barely knew anything about his family. "You didn't tell me she was coming."
"That's because I didn't even know she was." Sam laughed, wrapping an arm around Jess' waist. "She just showed up at like 1 o'clock in the morning."
As Sam and Jess continued to converse in their room, you were woken up by the sound of your phone buzzing on the night stand. Groaning tiredly, you picked it up and answered it.
"He-hello?"
"Y/N! Where the hell are you?" Dean's irate voice demanded.
Your eyes flew open and you sat up at the sound of your brother's voice. Uh oh.
"Um-"
"And don't you dare say that you're back at the motel because I found your little decoy." Dean added. You couldn't help but smirk as you pictured Dean pulling back the covers on your bed, only to find a couple of bunched up pillows.
"I'm at Sam's apartment." You answered, bracing yourself for the angry tirade.
"You're what?!?"He exclaimed. "When did you get there? How did you get there?"
"After you went out, I took a bus to Stanford."
"By yourself?!?"
"Um...yeah."
"Jesus Christ, Y/N! Do you know how pissed Dad's gonna be once he finds out?"
You froze. "Well uh, I was kinda hoping you wouldn't tell him..."
There was a pause, then an audible sigh as Dean rubbed a hand over his face.
"Alright, I'll keep quiet. Is Sam there?"
"Uh-huh."
"Give him the phone. I need to talk to him."
Phone in hand, you kicked off the blanket and walked over to Sam's room. You heard him talking to someone, so you knocked before pushing the door open. You were met with the sight of Sam and a blonde girl sitting next to each other in the bed. They both turned to you and you held out the phone.
"Dean wants to talk to you." You said awkwardly, feeling like you were interrupting something.
Sam nodded and took the phone from you. He shared a look with Jess and she nodded, somehow understanding what he meant. She got up from the bed and approached you.
"Hi there." She greeted, a smile on her face. "You must be Y/N. I'm Jess."
"Hi." You replied shyly, returning her smile.
"How about we make some breakfast?" She suggested. "While your brother's talking on the phone."
You nodded and followed her to the kitchen. Sam shut the door behind the two of you and you heard him start talking to Dean.
"So how do you feel about pancakes?" Jess asked.
You shrugged. "I like 'em."
"You wanna help me make them?"
You nodded and she began to pull out the ingredients from the fridge and assorted cabinets. After pouring all the necessities into a bowl, Jess put you in charge of stirring the batter as she pulled out a pan.
"So how old are you, Y/N?" She asked, turning on the stove.
"10."
"Oh." She mused, coming over to check up on you. "It's been a while since you've seen Sam, huh?"
"Uh-huh. I haven't seen him in two years." You informed.
"Oh wow, I bet you missed him didn't you?"
You nodded, watching Jess intently as she carried the bowl over to the stove. You observed as she carefully poured the batter into the pan in increments.
"Do you and Sam have school today?" You asked.
"No honey, we don't." She answered. "We don't have classes on the weekends."
"And thank God for that." Sam added as he entered the kitchen. He handed you back your phone. "After he uh, gets off work, Dean's gonna be here tonight to pick you up."
"Aw," You pouted, peering up at your older brother. You'd been hoping to get more than a day to spend with Sam.
Jess noticed your glum expression and looked over at Sam. She flipped the pancakes then set the heat on low.
"Sam, can I talk to you?"
"Uh yeah, sure..."
Jess sent you a reassuring smile as she and Sam walked into their bedroom and shut the door behind them. She turned and shot a look at Sam.
"What?"
"Do you have any plans today?"
"Well I was thinking about taking you to that new Italian place tonight. Why?"
"Well, you can forget that because you're gonna spend the day with Y/N."
"Wait, are you sure?" Sam questioned, a look of disbelief on his face. He knew Jess had been wanting to go to that restaurant for a while now.
"Yes, I'm sure." Jess stepped forward, entwining her fingers with Sam's longer ones. "She's your little sister, Sam, and I can tell she's missed you a lot. You need to spend some time with her."
"But what about you? What are you gonna do all day?"
Jess shrugged. "I might go to the mall with Cindy or somethin. I'll be fine. You go have fun with Y/N."
"...alright." Sam smiled and kissed her on the lips. "I swear Jess, you're too good for me."
"Aw, you know that's not true." She mused.
Sam laughed and rolled his eyes. "Come on, we better go check up on Y/N before she sets the kitchen on fire."
The kitchen thankfully wasn't on fire when they returned. Jess finished cooking the rest of the pancakes while you helped Sam prepare the table. When Sam told you that today you could do whatever you wanted with him, you immediately grew excited and suggested that you and your brother skip breakfast and head out now.
"Nuh-uh. Not happening." Jess stated firmly as she set a plate piled high with pancakes on the table. "Y/N, you're not skipping breakfast. Now sit down."
Sam shot you an amused look as you sighed. "Okay..."
The pancakes were amazing and you were glad you hadn't skipped the meal. After brushing your teeth and changing out of your pajamas, you urged Sam impatiently to hurry up. After what seemed like a lifetime, he was finally ready to leave.
"You and Sam have fun, okay?" Jess said as she helped you into your coat.
"We will!" You replied.
Sam kissed his girlfriend good bye then led you out the door.
Sam certainly kept you busy that day. He took you to the park (where you nearly died of laughter when he got stuck in one of the playground structures), to the movies, to a museum, and even an ice cream shop.
"You having fun?" Sam asked you as the two of you walked past some shops, the various stores' windows covered in advertisements.
You nodded, finishing up the last of your ice cream cone. Something caught your eye and you suddenly stopped in front of a shop window. You peered inside, catching sight of a wide array of toys. Sam noticed and chuckled. Out of all the shops, a toy store would be the one to grab your attention.
"You wanna check it out?" He asked.
You looked up at him, a hopeful look on your face. "Can we?"
Sam nodded and you quickly ran inside, somehow managing to not bump into anyone or anything. You pulled Sam throughout the store, pointing at various items and rattling about how so-and-so at one school had that toy and had allowed you to play with it before you had moved away.
As you circled back around and arrived back at the store's entrance, Sam noticed a glum expression on your face. He stopped you and turned you around to face him.
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothin." You shrugged, peering at a boy who's mother had just bought him a rather expensive looking toy.
Sam followed your gaze and began to understand. "You wanna buy something?"
"No, no! That's okay!" You replied a little too quickly, shaking your head. "I don't need anything..."
Sam sighed as he peered down at you as you attempted to mask your sullen expression. He and Dean hadn't grown up with a lot of toys themselves and it looked like you were being raised the same way.
"Go pick out a toy." He said, nudging your shoulder.
You looked up at him, surprised. "But I-"
"No buts." Sam cut in, a small smile on his face. "I'm not letting you leave this store empty handed."
You still remained hesitant, even as you stood in line next to Sam with a boxed remote controlled car tucked in your arms.
"Are you sure about this?" You asked for the fifth time. "You don't have to buy me this."
"Hey, it's been two years since I've seen you, right?"
You nodded. "Yeah..."
"So that means I've missed two of your birthdays." Sam pointed out as he helped you set the car on the counter. "Think of this as...a late birthday present."
You nodded slowly, seeing the logic in your brother's argument. After Sam paid for the toy, you immediately asked if the two of you could return to the apartment.
Sam chuckled, fully aware that it was only because you wanted to unbox and play with your new toy.
"Sure Y/N, whatever you say."
It was about 6:15 in the evening when the two of you arrived back at the apartment. You drove your car throughout the living room, while Sam prepared some dinner. The remote controlled car was a sleek, black sports model, and you quickly discovered that it had the ability to go very fast. You steered it into the kitchen, nearly avoiding a collision with Sam's foot.
"Whoa! You trying to kill me?" He joked as he set two plates down: one with a PB&J sandwich and one containing a salad. "Come on, it's time to eat."
After maneuvering your car back into the living room, you set the controller on the couch then got up to join Sam at the table. As you took a bite of your sandwich, Sam' phone began to ring. After setting his fork down, he pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open.
"Hello?"
"Hey Sammy." Dean's voice greeted. "Make sure Y/N's ready to go. I should be there in about an hour."
"Alright I'll tell her." Sam hug up the phone and looked over at you. "Dean's gonna be here soon. You should get your stuff ready."
You paused and lowered your sandwich onto the plate, your appetite gone. "Maybe there'll be traffic." You said hopefully.
Sam chuckled. "Whether or not there is, you still gotta go home with Dean." He took one last bite then stood up. "Come on. I'll help you pack."
You sighed and followed Sam to the guest bedroom. As he folded and placed your clothes neatly into your backpack, you couldn't help but feel a sense of apprehension as the minutes passed by.
"Why can't I just stay here?" You blurted out as you sat on the edge of the bed.
Sam sighed and placed the last of your shirts into your backpack. "Y/N, you know why. You have to go back to Dad and Dean."
"But why? How come I gotta go, but you get to stay here?"
"Well...I'm a grown up, Y/N. I don't have to stay with you guys."
"But Dean's a grown up and he stays with me and Dad."
"Well I'm not Dean!" Sam suddenly snapped, making you jump. He clenched his jaw and zipped up your backpack. "I don't live that life anymore, Y/N. I'm not going back."
You lowered your eyes sadly, feeling bad that you'd upset your brother. After a few seconds of silence, you swallowed the lump in your throat then opened your mouth to ask the question that'd been in your mind for the past 2 years.
"Is it because you don't love us anymore?"
Sam turned to you with a look of disbelief on his face. He moved off the bed and squatted down in front of you.
"No. No, that is not the reason why." He said, placing his hands on your shoulders and looking you in the eyes. "Why would you ever think that?"
"Because...because Dean said that you were happy here." You answered. "Where you were away from us."
Sam sighed then sat down on the bed next to you. "Why'd he tell you that?"
You shrugged. "He told me that when I asked if we could visit you. He said that you were happy here and that if we showed up, it'd make you sad." You turned to him suddenly, a worried look on your face. "Are you sad now? Aw Sam, I'm sorry-"
"Hey, hey, hey! Just hang on a second!" He interrupted. "Y/N, you coming here did not make me unhappy in any way, alright?" He wrapped an arm around you and pulled you close. "I know that me leaving wasn't easy for you, but just because I'm here at Stanford doesn't mean I love you any less."
You nodded and leaned into your brother's embrace. "Does this mean I can come back and visit again?"
Sam chuckled. "I suppose it does. But promise me that you won't sneak out to see me anymore, okay? You probably gave Dean a heart attack."
You giggled. "I promise, Sammy."
"Alright." Sam said, standing up and checking his watch. "We've still got some time until Dean should be here. Why don't you show me what you can do with your new car?"
It seemed like only a couple of minutes had passed when Sam received the call from Dean notifying him that he was outside. You sighed and grumbled, but obeyed when Sam told you to put on your shoes. Toting your blue backpack, you followed Sam as he led headed outside. You quickly located Dean leaning against the parked Impala and rushed towards him.
"Hey Dean!" You greeted happily, barely managing to stop yourself before you collided into him. "Guess what Sa-"
You were stopped mid sentence as Dean delivered a sharp slap to the back of your head. You grimaced and raised your hand to the assailed spot. "Ow! What was that for?"
"Y/N, what the hell were you thinking?!?" Dean boomed as he glared down at you. "Do you even know how much trouble you're in? You're lucky I didn't tell Dad! I swear, if you ever do something like this again-"
Dean's rant was paused when Sam emitted a quiet cough. The older Winchester turned to his younger brother with a look of surprise on his face, almost like he hadn't even seen him.
"Hey Dean." Sam said with a slight smile.
"Sammy..." Dean breathed, turning away from you. "It's good to see you, man." He stepped forward and wrapped Sam into a tight hug and pulled away somewhat sadly. "I'd love to stay and chat, but we really gotta get back and meet up with Dad..."
"Hey, I understand." Sam assured. He turned to you. "You be good now, alright? Don't give Dean and Dad any more trouble." He extended his arms out and you stepped forward into his hug.
"Okay, I promise." You said as you squeezed him tightly.
After Sam made Dean promise to not kill you, he allowed Dean to usher you into the car. As Dean walked around to the driver's side, you rolled down the window.
"Hey Sam?"
"Hm?"
"I can come visit you again, right?" You asked rather tentatively. "I mean, if it's okay with you and Jess..."
"As long as you have permission from Dad or Dean, feel free to stop by." Sam answered, ruffling your hair. You heard the rumble of the engine as Dean switched on the car.
"Bye Sam." You said somewhat reluctantly.
He offered you a soft smile. "Good bye Y/N. Hope to see you soon."
Dean waved farewell to Sam through your window then drove off. You swiveled around in your seat to watch as Sam's tall figure slowly grew smaller and smaller until it finally vanished from view.
