Chapter Text
It was just past midnight when you heard the rumble of a familiar engine approaching the house. You excitedly jumped off the couch and ran to the door, opening it just in time to see John Winchester pull out of the driver’s seat of his 1967 Chevy Impala. The brisk end-of-summer breeze tickled your face. “Hi, Mr. Winchester.”
“Hey, kid.” John sounded tired, as usual, but he also seemed somewhat upset. “Is your uncle home?” The door behind you opened wider and your uncle Bobby stepped out, remote still in hand. Dean was sitting in the passenger seat with a heavy expression, but it softened when you made your way to the car.
“Evenin’, John. Everythin’ alright?” He clearly hadn’t been expecting the visit, otherwise he would have told you.
“Sorry to show up like this. Can I have a word?” The two men quickly made their way inside, and the way they didn’t acknowledge Dean made you think something was up.
“Hey, Dean. How are you?” You hugged him when he stepped out of the Impala, and were about to ask him about Sam, when the door behind the passenger seat opened with a characteristic creak.
“Fine, as usual.” The answer was always the same, but you could sense the tension in his shoulders, and when you looked at Sam, you saw his eyes had a soft red tinge. It had been months since you had seen him, and he seemed to have grown at least five inches since you had. He’d gotten more handsome too, if that was possible, and you chastised yourself for the way you felt your cheeks burn.
“Sam.” You smiled at him, and despite the clearly upset look on his face, he hugged you with the same sweetness as always.
“Hey.” One of his hands landed on the back of your head, and the other circled your shoulders to hold you tight against him. He took a deep breath before letting go, and when he did his eyes were glossy.
“Everything ok?” You asked worriedly, bringing a hand to his arm.
“Oh, everything’s great, or at least it’s about to be for Sammy, here.” Dean quipped, pulling a single rucksack out of the trunk of the car and closing it with a heavy hand. He made his way inside the house before you could even ask what he meant.
“What’s up with him?” You asked Sam, walking toward the house with him.
“He and my dad are pissed at me because I told them I wanted to go to school. Properly, I mean. At least for a few months.” He replied meekly.
“Is that why you’re here?” The hopefulness in your tone was barely concealed.
“Yeah, dad got tired of my complaining, we got into a fight, and he just drove here. He’s asking Uncle Bobby if he’ll have me.” Despite getting what he wanted, Sam didn’t seem satisfied. It was to be expected. When you’re made to feel guilty or burdensome for your wants and needs, it’s hard to enjoy them.
You placed a hand on his back as you both climbed the stairs to the small porch at the font door. “Of course he will, he loves you, and we love having you here.” He gave you weak smile in return for your words, and you both entered the den just in time to see John and Bobby trade a curtly pat on the back.
“Thanks Bobby. I’ll send you money every other week to cover the costs. Dean and I have to get going, we’re hunting a werewolf pack in Wisconsin.” John turned to leave. “Bye, kiddo.” He patted you on the shoulder and walked out the door without so much as looking at Sam.
Bobby hugged Dean tight. “Bye, kid. Call me when you get there; and be careful.”
“I’m always careful.” He replied smugly, and both you and Bobby rolled your eyes. Despite being upset, Dean couldn’t leave his brother without saying goodbye. “Bye, Sammy. Don’t forget to call.” He rustled his hair, patted his back and walked out into the night.
“I’m glad you’re here, son.” Bobby held Sam, who was clearly hurt by the way his father ignored him. “Don’t mind your dad, he’ll get over it. You made the right choice askin’ to go to school. I wish your brother had been as wise.”
“Thanks, Bobby.”
“And you had perfect timing; school starts next week.” You said supportively, offering a comforting smile. He smiled back, the tension on his shoulders gradually fading.
“Well, if you’re stayin’ longer than a few days, I don’t want you sleepin’ on the couch. Sunshine, why don’t you help Sam get settled into the library? There’s a spare bed there, get the books off it and I’ll clear it out properly tomorrow, so he has more room.”
“He can stay in the extra bed in my room- I mean, if he wants to.” You quickly offered, and Sam seemed to light up at the idea. Up until you were about 12, anytime the boys stayed over, you and Sam shared your bedroom, talking and laughing late into the night. After that, Bobby thought it best to keep you apart at night; he could have some old-fashioned ways. Despite that, Sam still sneaked into your room sometimes, when he had a nightmare, or couldn’t sleep, or just wanted to talk about things he could only share with you, only to wake right before the sun was up to sneak back into his own bed. Dean usually slept in the living room with him, so he always noticed when Sam sneaked away, but he pretended not to know, and never told on the two of you. You and Sam had been attached at the hip since you had met, and his brother felt it was cruel to try to keep you apart when you did see each other.
“Aren’t you two a little old for sleepovers?” He asked with a raised brow. You both shared an awkward glance, neither of you daring to attempt an answer. After a few seconds of absolute silence, Bobby sighed. “Fine, I’ll let it slide today, but tomorrow we’re fixin’ the library into a bedroom for you.” He asserted, pointing at Sam. “You’re probably gon’ be yappin’ all night anyway. How long’s it been since you’ve seen each other? Eight months? A year?” He rubbed his temples. “Just keep it down, I need my beauty sleep.” Both your faces lit up with a smile, you looked like you were 10 years old again.
“Thanks, Uncle Bobby!” You said in unison. Sam picked his rucksack off the floor, and you darted up the stairs toward your bedroom together.
“How did you fit an extra bed in your room? I thought you’d finally gotten your “grown up” double bed.” Sam inquired.
“Well, actually…” You opened the door to your bedroom and, when Sam entered, he only saw your big double bed. He looked both confused and flustered. “It’s not a double bed, it’s our old beds, I just put them together.” You looked at him and saw the flush in his cheeks. “I’ll pull them apart, of course!” You raised your hands up to your chest and waved them frantically. “Let me just go get us some single sheets.”
“No!” Sam said, a little too quickly. “I mean, I don’t mind if you don´t. It’ll be like the old days, when we pulled the beds together and talked under the sheets.” There was a gleam in his eyes as he spoke, and you couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah. I’d like that.” You pulled him in for a hug, and he dropped the rucksack so he could hold you properly. “I missed you, Sam.” Your eyes closed instinctively as his warmth encased you.
“I missed you too.” He leaned his chin against the top of your head and stroked your hair softly for a moment, until you looked up at him.
“I got you something.” You said excitedly. You pulled away from him and reached for your closet to get his gift.
“Why?” He questioned. It was a dumb question, if he were honest, because Sam had gotten you something too, way before he even knew he was coming.
“I got it for your birthday, but I didn’t get to see you until now.” You handed him a small box. “Happy sweet 16.” You chuckled. He tittered and took the box into his hand, opening it to reveal a small chain necklace on top of a leather pouch. “It’s silver.” He smiled and picked up the pouch to see what was inside. “It’s a lock pick kit, silver too, so it’s double useful.”
“Thank you.” He smiled and hugged you again.
“Don’t want you dying on me, Winchester.”
“Great minds think alike.” He said, reaching for his rucksack and pulling out his own small box to hand you.
“What-“
“Come on, it was your birthday too.” Sam handed you the box which you opened with shaky hands. Inside was a necklace with a pendant of a snake vaguely curved into an S shape.
“Sam- It’s beautiful.”
“It’s silver, too. Don’t want you dying on me.” He parroted your expression with a grin.
“I love it. Thank you.” You reached up to kiss his cheek, and the warmth of your lips seemed to spread throughout Sam’s face, though he didn’t understand why.
You spent all night talking, catching up and telling jokes, until you both fell asleep with your heads touching. It was as if he had never left.
That was the year Sam told you he wanted to quit hunting, go to college, and have a normal life. You knew his family wouldn’t like that, but you made sure he knew he had your and Bobby’s support. After all, you yourself were planning on going to college, even if you didn’t exactly feel the need to completely cut anything to do with hunting out of your life. The immense library that was your uncle’s house had always been your passion, along with the many cultures and languages he had taught you about, so it was only natural for you to follow that path.
When the time came, Sam’s dream came true. He went to Stanford to study Law, and you, much to your uncle’s pride, got a full ride at Sorbonne, in Paris. At first, you managed to stay in contact fairly regularly, but the distance, the time-zones and life itself gradually drew you apart, until the calls became more and more sporadic. Eventually, they stopped completely, and after you tried calling him once after months of no contact, he didn’t answer, so you gave up.
Once your degree was done, there was still a research bug within you, so you decided to get a master’s degree to continue your folklore and mythology studies. Following the master’s, you wanted to keep researching, but you were burnt out, out of ideas and, if you were honest, you missed your uncle. You thought about Sam, but you had no idea where he was, and you hadn’t spoken in years. The last you had heard, John Winchester had died, and he was hunting with Dean again.
Then, one day, while you were still ruminating on the thought of taking a break from your studies and going back to Sioux Falls to be with your uncle, he called you.
“Sam and Dean just got back from a hunt. They’ve been comin’ ‘round more lately. I can’t tell if it’s because they think I’m lonely without you or because it’s convenient.” He grumbled.
“Maybe it’s a mix of both, and maybe, just maybe, they also like you. You’re their uncle too, you know.” You disputed his argument, trying to keep your tone even, but you couldn’t stop yourself from focusing on a realization. The boys were home. They were home and they hadn’t told you; Sam hadn’t told you. You paused and took a deep breath. “Hum… I know I told you I’ve been thinking about taking a break and coming back home. But- maybe I should just stick around; keep trudging on and try to find a PHD topic, you know?” You fidgeted with the snake pendant on your necklace; the one Sam had given you years ago.
“Now, why would you do that?” Oh, Bobby knew why, alright. You had been complaining about how tired you were lately and saying you weren’t sure about doing a PHD straight away. The fact you were walking back on your plans just when he announced the Winchesters were staying with him was no coincidence. He knew you and Sam hadn’t spoken in years; he’d been the one to tell you when he left college, when he started hunting again, and even when John died.
“It’s just- the house will probably be full, and-” You said hurriedly, trying to come up with an excuse. Bobby knew you wanted to come home, but he didn’t want to push you, not until now.
“The house will be full?! Young lady, who do you think you’re tryin’ to fool?” His voice was so loud over the phone it made you scrunch your face and pull it away from your ear. “You know darn well there’s room for the three of you, just like there always has been. Now, stop bein’ an idjit, get your ass on a plane, and come home. It’s about god damn time I see my niece.” He hung up, not even giving you the opportunity to protest.
Fine. It was fine, really. It was just Sam. Sam, who had been your best friend since you were six and shared everything with you. Sam, who always called you from whatever motel he was staying at to make sure you knew he was ok. Sam, who spent the first half of junior year following you around like a lost puppy, or a guard dog, you couldn’t tell which. Sam, whom you hadn’t seen since he went to college to start his new life. Sam, who never called you again three months into his new relationship. Sam, who had gotten back into hunting and didn’t call you even then.
He had become a memory. The only vestige that he had been in your life was the necklace you never managed to take off, everything else stayed home with Bobby. Now, suddenly, you were supposed to go live with him again, as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn’t hurt you.
There was no point fighting it, your uncle told you you were being an idiot, and he was right. You needed a break and to go back home, and Sam Winchester wouldn’t be the reason you didn’t. Who knew, maybe you’d even do some hunting. The past few years had pretty much been a normal, monster free life, aside from the odd werewolf or vampire you caught trying to lure college students. Not that you hunted a ton before; Bobby was always hesitant to bring you, no matter how much you trained. He wanted you to be able to defend yourself in case anything happened, but he was adamant that you at least had a somewhat normal childhood and young adulthood. Hunting could wait and, if you chose never to follow that path, he had no complaints.
The journey home had you fidgeting more than when you moved to an entire new continent. You were excited to see your uncle and Dean, but the idea of seeing Sam created a bottomless pit in your stomach. When you finally arrived, after many hours and two connecting flights, Bobby picked you up at Sioux Falls Regional Airport just before dawn. There were a few new gray hairs in his beard and some new wrinkles by his eyes, a reminder of how long it had been since you had last seen him. When you reached the junkyard, there was a familiar black car parked outside the house. You looked at it and back at Bobby.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so stoic after seeing that car parked in the driveway. The European air must have dulled your senses.” He teased, before he slapped his legs and got out of the truck, making his way to the back to get your bag.
The familiar smell of your uncle’s house flooded your nostrils as you opened the front door, and memories of what seemed like another life filled your mind. You made your way to the den, just in time to see Dean come down the stairs, looking like he had just woken up.
As soon as he saw you, he reached for you and gave you a warm hug. “Hey, sunshine. Long time no see.”
“Don’t call me that, Dean. You know it’s a Bobby exclusive nickname.” You complained, but there was a smile on your face and a pep in your voice as you hugged him back. He hadn’t changed much, and he still had that same leather and musk smell you remembered.
“Yeah, yeah, quit the tough guy act, you know you love it.” He tussled your hair as if you were still a little kid, which was still as annoying as before, if not more. “How was Europe? Heard you got a fancy master’s degree in hunter lore.”
“Something like that, yeah.” You chuckled. “It was good, but I’m glad to be back. I needed a break from stuffy academics. How are you, though? It’s been years!” You hugged him again.
“Ah, same old. Still hunting throughout the country, though we’ve been staying with Bobby a lot more lately.”
“I’m glad. We have so much to catch up on.” You said in a light tone as you looked around. “So - uhm, where’s-“
“Sam’s upstairs. He’s staying in your room.” Bobby cut in.
“He-“
“They’re staying a while, so I don’t want them sleeping on the couch. Dean is staying in the library, and Sam’s in your bedroom, where he’s always stayed.” Subtlety wasn’t your uncle’s forte, but it was true. Apart from the year he spent living there, Sam always stayed in your room. Besides, Bobby wasn’t dumb, he knew he spent half that year sneaking into your bedroom to spend the night talking to you. He didn’t like it, but he trusted the two of you or, at the very least, he trusted how oblivious you were to the possibility of anything romantic happening between you. Things had changed, though. You were adults now, and, most of all, you needed to fix whatever had happened between you. He’d be damned if his kids didn’t get along.
“Oh, well, Dean can stay there and I can go to the library, it’s fine by me.”
“Nonsense!” Dean peeped, much too quickly. “It’s your bedroom, you should stay in it. Besides, Sammy’s probably ecstatic he doesn’t have to listen to my snoring all night. It’s probably why he’s not woken up yet; he’s enjoying a peaceful sleep for once.” Great. He was in on it too.
“Since you’re going up to put your things down, why don’t you wake him up and tell him to come down?” Bobby asked.
“Fine.” You sighed, picking your bag up and slowly bringing it upstairs.
Your hand was shaky when you turned the doorknob and slowly opened the door. There he was, lying in the middle of those two twin beds you had pushed together all those years ago, bathed in the morning sun that shone through your translucent curtains. He had grown so much, and yet seemed the same in so many ways. You stood at the door, not knowing what to do, just watching his chest rise and fall, and your hand trembled again as you felt that familiar heat in your face that came just before you cried. Suddenly, your massive trunk fell on the floor with a thud, making Sam jump out of his sleep. His wide eyes quickly turned into a squint as he became aware of the brightness in the room; he started rubbing them when he saw you, calling out to you as if he wasn’t sure you were really there.
“Hi.” You said meekly, the corner of your lip twitched up as you tried and failed to smile at him.
He jumped off the bed and hugged you so tightly he picked you up off the floor for a moment, which was terrifying. No one had picked you up since you were a child, not even Sam, but when you felt the massive firm muscles around you, you weren’t so surprised. “It’s been so long. I’ve missed you.” He really had, though he only realized just how much when he saw you and remembered how you felt in his arms. You had grown too, not much in height, but your features were no longer those of a teenager.
“You – you did?” You blinked.
“Of course I did.” He looked at you with that same sincere, puppy eyed look he always had. There was a sweet, easy smile on his face that made you soften instantly.
“I’ve missed you too.” The words escaped you before you could think, and they made his dimpled smile widen and his eyes crinkle. Puppy eyes – 1, you – 0. You broke from his arms, realizing you were still hugging. You didn’t know what to say. The whole way home you thought you’d just act cool and avoid talking to him as much as possible, but that plan crumbled as soon as you laid eyes on him. “Uhm- Bobby was asking for you to go down do the den.”