Uncharted Waters

Okay, I must my story with a warning, this wasn't my idea. In fact, it was Sam's. You see, I'm not really a 'people person', so spilling my life story out to complete strangers is, no offense, not exactly what I yearn to do in my free time.

Anyway I made a promise to him so here goes nothing. It had a beginning like any other I suppose. I had a family which consisted of a mom, dad, me, my little sister Emma, and my younger brother Erin. We were as happy as any family really is I guess. But, like many people have experienced, my mom's health took a turn for the worse.

Long story short, my mother died, my father couldn't handle it, and I lost my siblings. Don't I have a happy tale? Not long after the funeral, well funerals, I shuffled around from foster home to foster home. By the age of fourteen I had been to six foster homes and was now on my way to the seventh.

Not that I really thought this foster home would last either. As you get older and older less and less people are willing to open their doors to you. I have been informed that I should consider myself lucky that they found another home for me. Lucky me.

I sat in the little car whose air conditioning stopped working a half hour into the four hour drive.

"Hey look Toto, I think we're in Kansas," I muttered as we passed a sign that read 'Welcome to Kansas.'

My driver, I think his name is Dale something, snorted and rolled his eyes, "And that is the perfect attitude for a new foster home." He commented as he flicked the blinker on and made a turn.

I flashed him a grin, "I try."

He just shook his head, "You do know that the agency is getting a little fed up with you, right?"

"They're a Child Protection Agency, isn't relocating kids like me their job? They're mad at me for making them do their job?"

"Well most kids don't blow through six foster homes in two years," he pointed out.

I smirked and rolled my eyes.

"I'm serious," Dale continued, "Especially after that fiasco with the grades."

"Hey, no one told me I couldn't do that," she argued.

"Yeah, well hacking into a school's computer system doesn't really sound like a legal thing to do now does it?"

"Whatever," I muttered, smiling.

Dale just shook his head and pulled out his cell phone.

"Hey, driving while talking on a cell phone doesn't really sound like a legal thing to do now does it?" I commented, making my voice drop to mimic his.

"Stung by my own words," he replied with a small smile of his own he hit the call button and pressed the device to his ear, "Hello? Hey, Mister Winchester this is Dale Hemmington, I believe I spoke to you earlier?" he paused listening to the other end. I strained my ears to listen to but the deep voice on the other end was too soft to catch anything of use. "Oh, great. Yes, we're a couple hours out now, okay, yes I will definitely call if we need directions, thank you, yes…uh huh see you soon bye."

Dale ended the call and dropped his phone in the cup holder before he returned his attention back to the road. He was silent for a few minutes. I didn't know what else to say to him so I kept quiet as well and looked out the window at the passing scenery.

"The Winchesters are a good family, I've known them for a while," he said finally.

"Uh huh," I replied, not really interested, "I've heard that one before."

"They have two boys," he added, ignoring my response, "You're a lot like Dean, he's quite the trouble maker."

"Well guess I'll be giving him a run for his money. Wanna bet on how long I'll last there?"

He raised an eyebrow at me.

"What?" I asked defensively, "I won twenty bucks off of my last caretaker from a bet."

"How long did they think you'd last?"

"Three months," I said.

"So how long were you there?"

"Two," I replied with a shrug.

"Was it worth it?"

"Made me twenty dollars richer."

He grunted, clearly not pleased.

"What would you have me do? Pick a home and pretend it's mine?'

"If that's what it takes, relocating people isn't exactly easy, especially not teenagers. People want cute and chubby, not obnoxious and cocky."

"Well thanks, really boosting my sense of self-pride over here," I told him rolling my eyes.

He sighed and dropped one arm from the steering wheel and propping his head in it, "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," I said seriously.

"You'll still have to go in and see a therapist every week, just so you know."

I groaned, "Really? I swear I am getting better, it's really not necessary anymore."

"The board disagrees."

"Why? What does the board say?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"That because of your childhood experiences you're unbalanced, hence all of the rule breaking on your part and that you quote 'need an outlet'."

I scoffed.

"Hey, not really my decision to make," he said.

I rolled my eyes and turned on the radio, "Whatever."

~ Dean

"Mom I don't see why I can't just take Sammy to the park," I said, not caring that my tone sounded whiney, I had just gotten the impala as a birthday gift two months ago after all, and I was itching to take my baby for a ride.

"Dean," my father's voice had a clear warning in it. I knew that look. The 'shut-up and just do what you're told', glance.

"I think it would be nice if we're all here to welcome her, okay?" My mom asked, she stepped out from behind the counter and dusted her hands off onto her jeans.

"Fine," I replied.

She smiled and glanced at her watch, "They'll be here in about half an hour or so, you can play in the yard if you want, or-"

"Video games?" my kid brother asked hopefully, entering the kitchen.

"Sure," my mom agreed.

Sam looked at me with those annoying puppy-dog eyes of his.

"Fine," I said grudgingly, sliding of the stool and following him into the adjacent living room.

"Wanna play Halo or Minecraft?" Sam asked, plopping down in front of the tv.

"Don't care," I replied, grabbing a pillow from the couch and laying down on the floor.

"Minecraft it is," Sam decided sliding me a controller and putting in the correct disc.

~ Sam

I didn't really know how to feel about a girl coming to live with us. Dean didn't seem too fond with the idea, and had informed me of it. But underneath I could've sworn he was as excited and nervous as I was. I wasn't stupid. My parents had had a long discussion about it all with Dean and I before they had made the decision. I couldn't remember many of the details just that her father was abusive and her mother had died. Other than that, my ten year old mind didn't really care. I continually glanced up at the clock as we played, silently counting down the minutes until she would arrive.

"Sammy come on man," Dean complained, "You just pushed me into lava!"

I giggled, "Woops, sorry."

He shoved me playfully, "Yeah right, bitch."

"Jerk," I replied.

"Boys," my father warned.

Dean and I exchanged glances and grinned.

I paused the game the second I heard a car pull into the driveway and ran to the window. A girl stepped out. She wasn't very tall, and her stance looked as if she wanted to jump into the ground, as if the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Her brown hair whipped in the wind as she leaned into the car and emerged carrying a backpack and suitcase.

"What's her name again?" I asked, not caring who answered.

"Liliana," my mother replied.

"Sounds like a princess from one of your movies Samantha," Dean whispered in my ear.

I swatted him away, "Back off!"

A man walked with Liliana to the door and my father opened it for them, welcoming them inside.

"John, good to see you in person," the man said as he and my father shook hands, he smiled and nodded to my mother.

"Dale," she acknowledged warmly.

"Now if we could talk about a few things…alone?" Dale said with a pointed look at the girl and Dean and I.

"Sure," Mary replied, I saw her exchange a look with my dad before she turned to Dean and I who were still standing by the window, "How about you two show Liliana to her room?"

"Uh, Lily please," the girl said, at my mother's raised eyebrows she repeated her statement, "I prefer to be called Lily please." Her voice was quiet and wavered slightly, I furrowed my brow and looked at Dean who mouthed, 'later'.

"Absolutely," my mother said, "What a pretty name."

Lily nodded in thanks but didn't make any verbal reply.

"Dean?" my mom asked, gesturing to Lily's suitcase.

"Oh that's-"Lily started to protest but my big brother was already there.

Not wanting my brother to get all of the attention I decided to make my presence known."Your room's upstairs," I said, running to the steps, "Come on I'll show you."

I heard my brother and the girl follow me up the stair case.

"So, you ever been to Kansas before?" I heard Dean ask.

"Actually I used to live here," the girl replied, almost sounding hesitant.

"Oh really? Where at?"

"Few towns over," was her short reply.

"What made you leave?"

"The police."

"Did you break the law?" I questioned, opening the second door on the left and walking into the room that we had spent days trying to prepare.

"No, I didn't, they took me away because someone I knew was breaking the law."

"What law?"

"One that shouldn't be broken."

"Gosh, you sound like Dean," I complained.

My brother ruffled my hair, knowing that it annoyed me, as he dropped the suitcase on the floor by the bed.

"Seriously, what law?" I asked.

"What are you going to be some lawyer someday?"

"Maybe."

"Well then if you become a lawyer I promise I will tell you exactly what law this person broke, deal?" She said.

"Promise you won't forget?"

"Promise."

I watched as the girl walked around the room, taking in everything. My mom and I had been working on it the past couple of days. We got new purple bed sheets, new shades that had green leaves on them, and a few other odds and ends.

"Do you like it?" I asked.

She looked at me then back at the room as if putting two and two together, "I love it, did you decorate it?"

I nodded fervently, "Uh huh, I picked out the bed sheets and helped my mom put things up."

She gave me a warm smile, "Thank you."

I smiled back.

"Sam come on!" my mother called from downstairs, "It's your turn to set the table!"

"Coming!" I yelled back, not even noticing the way the girl flinched when I raised my voice, "I have to go," I told her sheepishly, "Do you like spaghetti?"

"Oh yes," she said politely.

"Good!" I rushed out of the room and flew down the stairs.

~ Lily

"Sam's the social butterfly of the family," Dean explained, smiling fondly as he shook his head.

I smiled back, recalling how closely Sam's actions had been like my younger brother's. I walked over to the window and watched the car I had ridden in pull out of the driveway.

"Rude," I muttered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"He didn't even say goodbye," I replied, nodding towards the window and using my finger to indicate a tear falling down my cheek.

Dean raised his eyebrows at me, "Uh-huh," he moved the pad of his middle finger over that of his thumb, "Know what this is?" he asked teasingly. When I started laughing he nodded, "That's right, world's smallest violin."

We laughed as he herded me out of the room, and I had the strangest feeling, it was almost like I was home.