A/N: You guys are awesome. Well, here it is...the final installment of the story. Check out the bottom note for details on the sequel (hint: there will be one).

Enjoy!

Like he promised, the Impala rolled into the salvage yard around three in the afternoon, dirt and gravel being kicked up by the tires. Bobby heard the car before it got to the house and was leaning against the porch railings when they eased to a stop. Like a racer after a starting pistol, Sophie bolted from the car and flew passed Bobby into the safety of the house.

The rest of the trip had gone by in a similar fashion—a lot of awkward silence and angry huffs.

The salvage yard was a sight better than paradise—offering a reprieve from one another and space to think things through.

"So, start from the beginning," Bobby ordered, his arms crossed over his chest.

"You probably know as much as I do," Dean answered, dragging himself up the porch stairs to take a spot next to Bobby.

"Well, tell me again." Bobby was clearly not happy.

Dean hesitated, his eyes sweeping across the yard at all of the broken down cars. "We were in Texas…"

"At a bar," Bobby interrupted with a glare thrown in for good measure.

"Yes," Dean confirmed a bit sheepishly, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. "And we ran into Jackson and a couple of his buddies. Apparently, they're pissed at dad—he hasn't told me exactly why. And I guess they decided to use me to send a message."

"And Sophie?" Bobby asked, concerned about how she faired in the fight. He knew Jackson; he was one tough SOB…a tough SOB that Bobby was planning on hunting down.

"Shaken up, but I got her out," Dean assured.

Bobby released the breath he was holding and ran his eyes over Dean's form while the kid was trying to stare a hole in the porch. "And you?"

Dean seemed surprised by the question, "…I'm fine."

He expected Bobby to lay into him and to not stop until he was crawling away on his hands and knees—not show worry for his injuries.

"Uh huh," Bobby pointed at the bruising around Dean's left eye. "Let me guess, you tripped and fell into a doorknob?"

Dean glanced up like he could see the bruise that Bobby was referring to, "It's not bad; I've had worse."

Bobby pinned Dean with a glare that warned him not to lie, "That all?"

"Can we get back to the yelling?" Dean asked instead.

"Dean…"

"I'm fine! It's a couple of ribs. No big deal. Now, can we get on to something important—like how the hell we're going to explain this to Sophie?"

Bobby shook his head, "No clue. I'll figure it out though."

Glancing at Dean out of the corner of his eyes, Bobby had to ask, "That was the only rule you broke, right?"

Dean glared at him and lied naturally—his exasperation masking the fear that Bobby would see right through him, "Of course."

Sitting underneath the main window, Sophie uncurled her legs and stood up, having heard enough.

"Ya sure about that?" Bobby asked skeptically.

Dean threw his hands up, "Damn it, Bobby! Yes, I'm sure. Okay?"

"Alright," Bobby relented, his tone still slightly doubtful. "I'm gonna go do some damage control."

Letting the creaking screen door slam shut behind him, Bobby looked around the main floor for his niece. "Sophie?"

Heading for the stairs, Bobby started up them only to hear the tell-tale signs of Sophie stomping towards them. Moving out of the way, Bobby sputtered when he saw the duffle bag she was carrying with clothes spilling over the sides. "Wha…what…where the hell do you think you're going?"

Panic rose up in him at the steely expression Sophie wore—he could clearly remember the last time he had seen that look on a Singer's face and it had resulted in him not knowing that he had a niece until she was coming to live with him.

"I'm leaving," Sophie informed him, only pausing long enough to cram the shoes she had left at the bottom of the stairs into her bag.

"Like hell you are," Bobby growled, springing forward to take her bag from her.

"Let go!" Sophie yanked on the bag, but Bobby was determined. In his mind, the stakes were too high to lose. If Sophie won their tug of war, then he would never see her again. If he won, he could keep her safe. After a particularly vicious pull, the bag swung around and knocked over a table lamp—freezing the pair as it shattered on the ground.

Dean was sitting on the front porch blaming himself for everything. He should have known he wasn't capable of having a normal friendship. He screwed it up. As usual.

If he had kept Sophie at arm's length, then she would be okay and none of this would be happening. But, he was selfish…too selfish to give up his first real friend outside of Sammy. Rubbing his hands together, he jumped when the sound of breaking glass came from inside the house—his instincts pushing him to pull the door open before he could stop himself.

Faced with the evidence that Sophie was trying to leave, Dean wanted to return to the awkward silence that had plagued them for the past few days. He was such an idiot to think that everything could be fixed with a few half-truths and blatant lies.

"Get out!" Bobby hollered, his fear of Sophie leaving and his inability to change it, translating into hostility towards Dean—even if he knew deep down that it wasn't entirely his fault.

"I…"Dean supplied lowly, his eyes snapped away from the bag to Sophie, his brow furrowed in confusion like he was still having trouble connecting the dots.

Sophie met his gaze and her resolve wavered. Bobby was fighting to keep her here; Dean didn't want her to go…did she really want to give it up? If she left, what was waiting for her? She'd already lost her mom, her dad wasn't anywhere to be found—lies or no, they were all she had left.

As that thought penetrated her, her expression softened and she could feel Bobby respond by loosening his grip on the bag. Looking back and forth between two of the people who meant the most to her, Sophie's heart felt like it was going to break in half. They may be all she had left, but they weren't what she needed. Hardening her expression once again, she tore the bag out of Bobby's hands before he could react.

Knowing she had to do something to prevent him from trying to stop her again, Sophie let her harsh thoughts tumble from her head unchecked. "If I wanted to be lied to, I'd have gone and found my real father. I trusted you—I even thought of you as more of a dad to me than he was—but it was all a lie. Everything about you is a lie! It doesn't surprise me that my mom left you behind and wanted nothing to do with you. It just took me longer to get the memo. I hope you enjoy whatever life you've been keeping from me, because it's all you'll ever have!"

Sophie strode passed where Bobby was stuck in shock—blinking at the accusations, the fear, the shame of what he had done. She paused a few feet from Dean, not wanting to get too close in case he decided to try and make her stay. "And you…you can go to hell. Lose my number and forget that I exist because if I saw you on the street, I'd walk right by you and pretend you didn't exist. Oh," she added as an afterthought, "you might want to reevaluate your decisions in life before you end up like Bobby."

Both men were frozen as Sophie angrily slammed the door shut behind her.

"Aren't you gonna go after her?" Dean asked, waving his hands at the door in agitation.

"Why?" Bobby countered, trudging over to the fridge and using the counter to pop the top of a beer bottle off.

"Why!?" Dean's mouth dropped open. "Because it's Sophie? Because she's your niece? Because…"

"What do you want me to do?" Bobby finally shouted. "Say I go after her, what am I gonna do when I catch up? Hmm? Tie her up and make her stay? Tell her the truth? Sure as hell ain't gonna lie to her anymore—that hasn't done anyone any good."

"You have to do something!" Dean acknowledged the truth in Bobby's statement, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Bobby took a long drag from his bottle and didn't respond. "Fine, I'll go."

"Don't," Bobby commanded firmly. "She's gonna go to Alex's. I'll let her calm down for a few days, but she's not gonna let either of us talk to her until she's ready and I need to figure out how to handle the whole hunting thing. I'm not giving up on her; I'm just letting her have some space. And I want you to do the same. No calling, no going over, just leave her alone. She's her mother's daughter and definitely a Singer…so she's damn stubborn. If we chase her, she'll run faster.

Dean tried to follow Bobby's orders, but after three weeks of not hearing anything new, he broke down and called Sophie. Pacing outside of the motel of the week with the phone pressed against his ear, Dean felt his heart leap into his throat and then plummet into his stomach. He probably should have predicted it, but the fact that it went straight to voicemail stung a little. Sophie had never intentionally ignored him. He almost expected her voicemail to be changed—telling him and Bobby to leave her alone. So, he was surprised when it was her usual, "Hey, you've reached Sophie. Leave me a message."

The phone beeped over and he panicked. Bobby was right—what was he going to say that would change anything? The message ended before he could think of something and he snapped his phone shut. It was a stupid idea—if she had answered, he would've been screwed.

Bobby was keeping him up to date with as much info as he had or that he admitted to having. Sophie was saying at Alex's; a quick call to her friend's parents had confirmed that. Bobby told them that he and Sophie had a bit of an argument and as much as it pained him, he asked if she could stay there until things calmed down. Alex's parents readily agreed and turned down the offer of money to pay for Sophie's needs. But, she still hadn't reached out to Bobby.

Dejectedly, Dean reentered the motel room and tossed his phone onto the bed, causing Sam to look up from his book. Rather than say something, Sam just let out a breath of air and pursed his lips.

"Shut up, Sammy," Dean spat out, heading for the bathroom to escape Sam's judgmental eyes. Ever since Sam found out what happened, sans the whole kissing part, he had been giving Dean the silent treatment—only breaking it to mumble under his breath about how stupid his brother was or to send bitchy little huffs.

The day that Dean had met back up with his dad and brother, he had told them how Sophie left Bobby's. Sam immediately went to call Sophie—looking pleased when she picked up. As he listened to her, his happiness faded into anger at his family, at Bobby and the damned life they lived. When he hung up, the bitterness was radiating off of him and he opted to place all the blame on his dad and brother. He'd ignore Bobby too if he ever came out of his self-loathing long enough to do anything more than answer Dean's hounding phone calls.

Sophie felt awful for telling Sam to leave her alone, but he was a part of it too. He knew what everyone was trying to keep from her and he did nothing. So, like Bobby and Dean, she didn't want him around until he could answer some questions.

Was she being fair?

There were times that she felt like a brat. People were allowed to have their secrets. Hell, she didn't tell them everything about her life before she moved in with Bobby. But, it hurt that they were actively lying to her. It just hurt. And she couldn't do it anymore.

Dragging herself out of her thoughts, Sophie forced herself to not roll her eyes as Alex flicked through the nauseating amount of clothes in her closet. For the past two days, Alex had been sorting through the stuff she was taking with her to college. Alex had always been into superficial things, but with the way she'd been carrying on, Sophie was surprised she got into college in the first place. Apparently, it was 'so unfair' that she wasn't going to be able to take all of her clothes along. Because, 'How am I supposed to know what I'm going to want to wear?'

Meanwhile, Sophie's lone bag sat in a corner, stuffed to the brim, but more than likely lacking the essentials. She hadn't been thinking clearly when she was tearing clothes off of hangers—but she was going to make do with what she brought because she was not going back to Bobby's. When Alex heard her plan, she looked scandalized that Sophie was going to arrive at college with one bag…until she thought it over.

"Actually, that's probably for the best," Alex informed her, not meaning to, but coming off harshly. "I mean, your old clothes were like redneck chic—a cross between when you lived in the city and moved out here. Really not the impression you want to make when you get to California. I mean, there was a reason Dean only looked at you as a friend."

Worrying on her bottom lip, Sophie's mind flitted to Dean pressing her against the line of the Impala and she flushed brightly when Alex had to wave a top in front of her to get her attention. "Earth to Sophie—you want to share with the class?"

"There's no way in hell I'm wearing that top," Sophie focused on deflecting Alex away from the blushing.

"For the sake of your social life, you're going to wear whatever I tell you to wear."

Summer wore on and when it felt like the heat was at its peak, Sophie was beginning to wonder how she was going to get to California. The original plan was that she and Bobby were going to drive out there together, but she had managed to avoid running into him all summer long. So, she didn't know what she was going to do. Perhaps she could catch a bus? A plane ticket was out of the question. She only had the little bit of savings left over from the odd jobs that she had picked up around town over the year. She was going to need that to get settled. She didn't even want to begin to think about how she was going to handle tuition next semester.

More than the money issues, she felt alone. Alex was…well, Alex. She had kindly donated the clothes that she didn't want to Sophie's collection—most of which Sophie turned down. Mid-drifts and sheer were not her style and she sincerely hoped that college didn't change that.

Alex's parents weren't bad. They were normal. Which shouldn't have been a bad thing; normal should be welcome after all of the secrets running around her. But every morning when she left Alex's room and saw her parents drinking coffee on the back porch with the newspaper or sat down to eat the dinner that Alex's mom had prepared, she realized that normal was boring.

She missed the gruff, but warm, commands of her uncle telling her to get her butt out of bed and do her chores; the hodge-podge meals that they would make together, the comfortable feeling when she would curl up on the couch with a book while Bobby watched football. Everything in Alex's house was too new, too clean, too lacking in history. No loose staircase rails, no mismatched furniture…

No Bobby, no Dean, no Sam.

"Of course, come on in," Sophie half-listened to Alex's mom from her perch by the window, dismissing the sentence as soon as it entered her head.

The uncomfortable clearing of a throat caught and held her attention. As slowly as the blond cheerleader in a horror movie, Sophie looked up and her stomach knotted when she saw the same grizzled old man who was constantly on her mind.

"What are you doing here?" Her question came out harshly. The summer had been so hard that if she gave herself half a chance, she'd be across the room and throwing her arms around him.

Maybe he wasn't the same as when she left. When he reached up to tug on his hat, a nervous habit of his, he looked tired. "I uh…" Bobby turned the cap back and forth and then released it to rub his neck. "You start school soon."

"Yeah…and?" Sophie wanted to eat her words when Bobby all but winced at her tone.

Reaching into his back pocket, Bobby pulled out an envelope and held it out, waving it around a little when she didn't move forward. "Well…I'll just…" Bobby shuffled forward and placed the envelope onto the coffee table.

Bobby stepped back awkwardly and gestured towards the door, "I brought some of your stuff over."

"Okay," Sophie said, softer this time, unable to pretend to not appreciate all Bobby was doing for her.

"I'll just get going then," Bobby said, waiting a second to see if Sophie would stop him and then, visibly downtrodden, he made his way towards the door.

Sophie bit her cheek to keep herself from calling him back, but she didn't have to because he seemed to reach a decision when he reached the edge of the room.

"I know you're still pissed, but I just wanna say that I'm proud of ya and I know your momma is as well. I don't have any answers that are gonna make you happy. But, if you ever need anything, I'm a phone call away." Bobby sent her a weak smile, seeing the tears welling in Sophie's eyes and fighting his own. "You're gonna do great, kiddo."

Words couldn't get passed the lump in Sophie's throat and she could only watch as Bobby turned around and left the room. The snap of the front door closing was like a jolt of electricity spurring her forward. "Bobby!" She shouted as she flung the door open and raced off of the porch, nearly knocking Bobby over when he turned.

Bobby immediately wrapped his arms around his niece, unashamed at the sign of affection. "Hey, it's just college, no need to break down on me," he joked softly, trying to calm her.

"But, it isn't just college, is it?" Sophie pulled back and Bobby was surprised to see that the tears had finally escaped. Sophie just wasn't a crier and that made it even more difficult. "I can't…I don't know what to do…I don't want you to hate me, I just…"

"Now, you listen to me," Bobby demanded, holding her away slightly so she could see his face clearly. "There is nothing in this world that can make me hate you. Nothing. You got that? You're sticking to your guns and that's damned admirable. Now, if you run into trouble or you need me and hesitate to call, I might smack you upside the head, but…"

Sophie pushed forward and wrapped her arms around her uncle's middle again. "I love you, you know," Sophie mumbled, her face smashed against his chest.

Bobby never wanted children. With absolute certainty, he had told his wife that he was never having them. And then she died and he lost any chance he had to change his mind. He told himself that it wouldn't have mattered—he would've been a crap father and it was for the best that he never tried. Then, like a tornado, the Winchesters came barreling into his life. He tried. He tried so damn hard to keep them at arm's length. To keep himself from caring about them. But, they were broken—not unlike himself. They were broken and they needed someone to acknowledge it.

John cared about Sam and Dean—loved them immensely, but didn't know how to show it, didn't want to address the fact that his search for vengeance was costing him his boys. When he saw how Dean, a mere four years older, had taken on the unfair task of raising his brother, Bobby couldn't stop himself from stepping in.

He never told Dean how to handle Sam. Even at six, he was a force to be reckoned with when it came to his little brother. Very, "Thanks for the advice, but who the hell do you think you are? That's my little brother and you have about two seconds I make you regret looking in our direction." But, he could try to take some of the pressure off of him. Make them both meals, try to entertain Sam to give Dean a break from his brother's constant interest, make sure they felt safe when they stayed over. Little things, but little things he liked to think made a difference.

Those little things became second nature over time and him and the boys just fell into a pattern when they showed up. They never hesitated to track mud through his house or wrestle in his living room until they broke a lamp, or ask him for his opinion…he never said it out loud, but he considered them to be family and he thought that they felt that way too.

And it tore at him. All that time saying no to Karen and here he was playing a role in two boys' lives. He could feel as responsible for their well-being as he wanted, but in the end, what John said was law. He was their dad, he told them what to do and he sure as hell wasn't going to let Bobby take that away.

Then came a phone call. A call he had considered not picking up because he was busy that day. And like when the Winchesters entered his life, his world was completely changed—this time by a little slip of a teenage girl.

Sophie turned his world upside down. There was no more burying himself in booze when he was alone, no hopping into his car any time he caught wind of a case…he had someone relying on him to be there—really be there. And he had fallen down sometimes and he had screwed up with the whole hunting thing, but in the end, they were family.

"I love you to," he whispered back, crushing her to him a little tighter.

Sophie manhandled her duffle bag and suitcase off of the bus, thanking the driver as she attempted to not fall flat on her face as she went down the stairs. An hour ago, she had landed in California—after Bobby left Alex's, Sophie had found the plane ticket in the envelope that he had tried to hand her.

Looking around at themultitude of brick buildings, Sophie wished that she had a familiar face by her side as she tried to figure out her next step. But, despite their talk and ending on a good note, Sophie was standing her ground. Bobby knew that she wasn't cutting him out of her life for good and Dean…

...Well, she didn't have an answer on him.

Taking a deep breath, she recalled the map of the campus she had spent hours staring at in anticipation and she headed in the direction of her new home for the year.

The End!

Thanks to everyone who stuck with me through the unpredictable updating! I have loved every single thing you guys have had to say about my story and my writing and I hope you have enjoyed the journey. I will be posting a sequel, so keep on the lookout for that. To whet your appetite, here's a sneak preview. Thanks again for all of your support-you guys are awesome!

Sequel Preview:

"Have you never seen a horror movie before?" Sophie's joking question was ruined by the slightly breathless tone that she asked it in.

"Come on, what's gonna happen? We're on campus and it's not that much further."

"Alright, that's it. We're gonna be dead by morning. You've just signed our death certificates!" Sophie exclaimed, holding her arm out to balance herself as she wobbled on the heels she had borrowed from her roommate. "We aren't even going to be able to run…we're like trussed up turkeys on Thanksgiving."

"Oh, shut up. All you've done since you've gotten here is study. I've been begging you to come out with me and now that I've gotten you away from your books, you aren't going back until you've had some fun."

"Books are fun," Sophie defended. "And they won't kill me."

"Sure they will, you'll die from sexual frustration because you're never going to get some unless you get out of our room more."

"I don't want to get some," Sophie's hand grabbed unto her roommate's shoulder as she stumbled. "I just want to be me."

"Well, being you isn't getting you anyone," her roommate unknowingly hit on the same criticism that Alex had of her.

"What is it about me that makes everyone say that?!" Sophie nearly shouted in exasperation.

"Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it." When her roommate apologized, she actually believed it unlike if the apology had come from Alex. "It's just…I've seen you with Chase…"

"We're just friends," Sophie argued.

"Yeah, friends who flirt. It's like you don't realize that you're doing it and when you do, you panic and run off. Just one date, that's all I'm asking for. If I'm wrong then you can have a full month of uninterrupted study time in our room."

"It's complicated…" Sophie let her sentence drop off as the air shifted around them, stirring up the crunchy leaves beneath their feet.

Her roommate didn't seem to notice as she interjected, "That's what people always say, but it usually isn't…"

"Hey, I think we should head back," Sophie interrupted nervously, goose bumps breaking out over her arms.

"No, no, no, you aren't getting out of this. You promised me one night of fun."

"I…" Sophie hesitated. Was it her over active imagination, not wanting to go to a party, or a legitimate feeling of danger? "Look, if we go back now, I'll text Chase…but can we please go back?"