･ﾟ☆ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞:
" 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 "

IT WAS A QUIET DAY when the phone rang. The chime was coming from the house phone and not one of the 'government' phones they had just in case.

The only people who had the number to the house phone were close friends and family, and other hunters.

It was a rare occasion, when all of the Clarke's were home. David was in his office, getting some work done–after all, hunting didn't pay the bills very well. Manny and Luke had just gotten back from a hunt, and Chris just happened to be visiting home, taking the weekend away from his fiancé.

Frankie would have joined her brothers on the werewolf hunt, if she hadn't broken her ankle a few weeks before. She'd been hunting her ass off, just as she had around the same time last year. And the year before that, and the year before that.

She never admitted it out loud, but they all knew it was to distract herself from thinking about Sam.

The first year after he left we're spent just as he promised. He called nearly every day when he could, he would send her letters filled with polaroids of his fun times at Stanford. It was difficult not seeing him for so long, but just knowing he was happy was good enough for her.

But then, a few months after Sam started his sophomore year, the calls would go unanswered and the letters, they all stopped. With no explanation or excuse, he stopped contacting her. She hadn't heard from him since.

When the time comes around, all Frankie can think about is how Sam hasn't talked to her for yet another year.

Even a hunter as good as herself gets distracted sometimes. From the start of the hunt for a ghoul that had been making its way around Colorado, her brothers could tell she wasn't as focused as usual. Silly mistakes, ones she rarely made were a dead giveaway. And in the split second she had let her guard down, the ghoul was able to snap her ankle like a twig.

Luckily, Manny and Luke got their quick enough to decapitate the ghoul. It was embarrassing, to say the least, and Frankie was stuck at home doing research for weeks.

Her ankle had healed up nicely, though she occasionally felt sparks of pain. Her father had mentioned soon letting her get back out to hunt, but she could tell he was keeping her home until he was absolutely sure she was healed.

David was the one to wander into the kitchen where the house phone sat on the wall. Once he had figured out which of their phones was emitting noise, he lifted it to his ear, "Clarke." He answered.

"David!" A familiar voice replied happily.

A grin immediately spread across David's face. "Dean Winchester!" He's had a soft spot for the Winchester boys since the first day they'd shown up with their father. "It's been too long. How've you been, son?"

A chuckle came from the other line, "I'm not gonna lie, man, things could be better."

David frowned. "Something happen?"

There was a short pause but it was long enough for David to become concerned. "That's actually what I was calling about. You home?"

The man furrowed his brows in confusion, glancing up the stairs where he knew his children resided. "We're all home."

"Perfect. I'll be there in fifteen."

Frankie happened to be downstairs fifteen minutes later, sifting through the pantry in search of lunch. The doorbell chime rang through the house, alerting everyone inside that someone was at the door.

It was as if everyone froze, all noise ceasing, the familiar sound of a guns safety being clicked off, Frankie's gun, bringing the house's occupants from their rooms.

The Clarke's were raised to always have their guard up, even in the safety of their heavily warded home.

Frankie kept her gun gripped tightly in both her hands as she crept towards the door. She had just made it to the peep hole, her eyes widening at the familiar face as her father yelled out from another room, "That should be Dean, Frankie!"

She wasted no time, twisting all five of the locks on the front door and swinging it open excitedly, "Dean!"

Frankie stepped back to let the man inside and swiftly clicked her safety back on before throwing it on the couch, the man easily stepping through the devils trap hidden underneath their welcome mat.

Dean's grin was just as large as he entered the house, immediately pulling Frankie into a hug. "Hey, kiddo." He greeted with a cheeky smile.

Frankie's narrowed her eyes playfully, lightly shoving him away. "I'm gonna let that one slide cause I missed you."

Heavy footsteps averted their attention from each other to the stairs where her three brothers were quickly coming down with their father following behind much more calmly.

Frankie stood back, watching the men greet each other with a soft grin. Chris and Manny were visibly excited. Chris was the closest in age, making their friendship fast, but Dean and Manny both shared a passion for hunting that their siblings didn't. Lucas was always too young to really hang out with his siblings or the Winchester's but it didn't stop Sam and Dean from becoming like two more brothers to him, and he hugged Dean with a grin as well.

It really was nice to see Dean. The last time she had seen him or John was months ago when her and her father had accompanied them on a hunt. When they were kids, of Sam and Dean weren't at Bobby's, they were staying with the Clarke's. As they grew older and John would take his boys on hunts, they saw each other less and less, but no matter how much time goes by, David still treats them like his own.

"Now what's this problem you were telling me about on the phone?" David asked, each of his kids perking up with concerned expressions.

"Problem?" Manny spoke, crossing his arms. As the oldest, he was as tall as their father and we'll built as a result of his healthy diet and constant exercise. Other than her parents, Frankie had never met a better hunter than her eldest brother.

Deans head dropped as he sighed. "Yeah, that's kind of, um, why I'm here." He ran a hand through his hair, unknowingly displaying how worried he actually was.

"My dad, he left on a hunting trip three weeks ago. I hadn't heard from him at all until I got this voicemail from him this morning." He explained, pulling a small tape recorder out from his jacket pocket.

Frankie leaned in as he pressed play, listening intently to the staticky recording. "Dean...something big is starting to happen, I think it's serious...I need to try and figure out what's going on. It may... Be very careful, Dean. We're all in danger."

"EVP." Frankie muttered absentmindedly, her brows furrowed in concern, matching those of her family.

Dean nodded, nibbling on his bottom lip. "Wanted to come ask if you could go through the internet, see if you could spot him anywhere." He said, looking directly at Chris.

The Winchester boy had never been the most tech savvy, which wasn't a surprise with how John had raised him. Chris however, was always up to date with technology and how to use it.

"And I was hoping, if it's okay with you," He paused, tilting his head towards David, respectfully. "That someone could tag along. I'm planning to go by Stanford and pick up Sam but I don't know how well that'll go."

Frankie, who had straightened at the first part of his sentence, felt her shoulders drop. She should volunteer, it would get her out of the house and it sounded as if John could really be in trouble. As much of a hardass as he was, she knew he loved his boys and had always been there for her family. But at the same time, was she ready to see Sam again? After all these years of him ignoring her, Frankie wasn't sure she could handle confronting him.

But she had never been the best when it came to impulse control. So just as David was going volunteer Manny, she stepped forward.

"I'll go." All the men stilled, various degrees of surprise and concern on each of their faces.

David sighed at his daughter. "Fran-"

"No, dad. I've been stuck in this house for weeks, my ankle's fine! I need to be useful." She stared at her father with pleading eyes.

It was no surprise to anyone when his face softened. David never could say no to his little girl. He looked over at Dean, who raised his arms as if saying your call.

Then he glanced between his children, the boys looking expectant and Frankie, who looked painfully like her mother, looking hopeful. David used one arm to hold up the other by the elbow, rubbing his eyes with his thumb and pointer fingers.

"Okay, sweetheart." He sighed in defeat. She gave him a grin that rugged at his heart before launching herself upstairs to pack.

Not even ten minutes later she was making her way back downstairs, two duffels filled with everything she may need hung on her shoulders. Dean was quick to take one from her, holding it patiently as she said her goodbyes.

Chris was the first to step forward, bringing his sister into a hug. "You know what to do if your ankle starts acting up, right?"

Frankie rolled her eyes, though the smile on her face never faltered. "Yes, Chris I know what do to." She chuckled, giving him one last squeeze before pulling away.

She then turned to her youngest brother, holding her arms out expectantly at the nineteen year old. He gave her a blank stare but ultimately cracked a smile and stepped into her arms. Luke had never been one for too much affection, but he couldn't resist his big sister. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, so I'm telling you this now." She spoke quietly into his ear, holding in a laugh when she felt him tense. "Tell Gavin how you feel."

Lucas jerked away, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly as she smirked. "I-i don't-" He stammered. She had said all she needed to say.

Manny gave her a quick hug as well, holding her by the shoulders as he spoke. "Don't let Dean boss you around." He tells her with a smirk, glancing at said man behind her. "And kick Sam's ass, since I never got to." He says, quietly this time, rubbing his hands along her upper arms.

He watches her eyes grow sad and a forced smile make its way onto her face. "Oh don't worry, I will."

The last to say goodbye was David, who for some reason was finding it difficult to let Frankie leave. She had gone on numerous hunts without it, some by herself and she'd always come back safely. With a few cuts and bruises sure, but always alive. He had already lost Angela, he couldn't lose his baby girl.

Their hug was the longest out of all of them. You'd think she was never coming home. But truthfully, no one knew how long it would take to find John, if they ever did.

"Be careful, Francesca." Was all he was able to say, pressing a kiss to the side of her head.

She wanted to crack a joke, say something like aren't I always?, though her ankle was enough evidence that she in fact wasn't. But Frankie could tell her father wasn't joking, he was genuinely worried that she wouldn't make it back home.

"I will." She promised. With a final wave to her family, Frankie exited the house, walking out to the familiar impala.

David's hand stopped Dean by the arm on his way out, looking intently into his eyes to make sure his seriousness was acknowledged.

"You take care of my girl, Dean." It was a warning in itself. If anything happened to Frankie, the Winchester's would have hell to pay. "And when you see your brother, tell him to get his head out of his ass."

Dean nodded his head understandingly. "Yes, sir."

"I feel like I already know the answer," Dean starts, just a few minutes after leaving Sioux Falls. "But has Sam talked to you, since our last hunt?"

Frankie attempts to pretend not to hear him. "You think we can stop for some food? I haven't eaten all day, I'm starving." She fails.

"Frankie."

She sighed. "What do you want me to say, Dean? Like you said, you know the answer."

Dean's grip tightened on the wheel. "Just want to know how hard I'll have to kick Sam's ass when we get there." He muttered, shaking his head disappointingly.

"Get in line." They both knew she wasn't serious, not entirely. Sam would not get off easy by any means, but Dean has no doubt that one look into his brothers puppy-like gaze would send Frankie melting into the floor, just as it had since they were kids.

Seeing the deep frown on Frankie's face, Dean opted to change the subject. "What are you craving? Pick wisely because this may be the last time I let you choose where we eat."

The drive to Palo Alto was twenty six hours. It was a very long twenty six hours, filled with classic rock, throwing of fast food wrappers and yelling at Frankie to get her feet off the dash. They did stop at a motel to rest for a few hours, only because Dean refused to allow Frankie to drive the car so he could get some shut eye. Eventually, however, they made it to Stanford University at around three in the morning.

Frankie sees the remnants of Halloween in every town they pass through. Some houses are still alive, neon lights and music with heavy bass bleeding into the early morning of November 1st.

She can also feel the anxiety becoming greater the closer they get to the apartment building Sam apparently lives in.

"You know you can stay in here?" Dean said, almost encouragingly.

Francesca rolled her eyes, silently
stepping out of the car. "He's not gonna want to come, you know that right?" She asks him as they cross the street.

She sees Dean shrug in her peripherals. "Maybe. But I'm sure I can guilt him into it. Besides, you're my secret weapon. He's never been able to say no to you."

As he walks ahead of her she mumbles, "I wouldn't be so sure."

Her and Dean make their way towards the building, per Dean's idea, stealthily climbing up the fire escape to Sam's apartment.

"You are aware that just knocking on the door would lessen the chances of getting the cops called on us for breaking and entering?"

Dean looked over his shoulder and down at her with a smirk. "Yeah but where's the fun in that?" He remarked.

Frankie's band just barely missed an old piece of gum stuck on the rail, and she held in a gag, grimacing. "How do you even know if this is his apartment? Or if he's even home?" Her voice came out in harsh whispers.

All she received was a "Shh." In response. Frankie huffed, glaring up at Dean before pulling herself through the window he had forced open.

The apartment is dark inside, as expected, the only light coming from the street lights outside of the building and one small lamp in what she assumes is their living room.

"Time to get his attention." Dean said, giving Frankie no other warning before knocking a vase over. Her jaw drops open as she stairs at Dean incredulously, but the blonde man only shrugs before strolling through more of the rooms. They pass one doorway that has strings of beads hanging to make a pattern and she cringes. How tacky.

Dean doesn't seem to notice, but Frankie could hear another set of footsteps. They were lighter and less frequent, as if the person stopped to listen for the intruders. It was then that Frankie was positive it was Sam.

As it turns out, she was correct. Because as soon as Dean stepped into a room, the door creaking slightly, another body came at him from behind. Frankie follows then quietly as their brawling takes them to another room, grunts and yelps coming from the both of them as they dodged each other's punches and kicks. It wasn't long before Dean was able to get ahold of his brothers arm, enabling him to punch Sam in the gut and pin him to the floor by his neck. "Whoa, easy, tiger!"

Both of their faces are illuminated by the window next to them. The two are breathing hard, mainly Sam whose staring at his brother in confusion.

"Dean?" He pants. The eldest Winchester only laughs. "You scared the crap out of me!"

"That's 'cause you're out of practice." Dean retorts back cockily.

In his moment of weakness Sam is able to throw his leg around Dean, easily bringing him down and reversing their positions. "Or not." He chuckles.

"Alright, boys, put your junk away." Frankie decides to make her presence known. She's surprised Sam didn't get whiplash with how fast his head turned.

Dean then shoved the taller boy off of him, not gaining a reaction as Sam was still staring at his former best friend in shock. The room was still dark, but Sam was still able to see her. She looked different, but then again it had been three years. Her hair was fuller, the baby fat in her face was nearly gone and she wasn't as stick thin as she had been when they were eighteen. Alongside those, however, were things that remained the same. Like the red nail polish she's worn since they were teens, and the scuffed doc martens she wore everyday. "Frankie?"

The smile on her face was visibly sarcastic. "Hiya, Sam."

Sam's face dropped at her tone but he knew he deserved it. He swallowed harshly, tearing his eyes away to his brother. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, I was looking for a beer." Dean joked, patting Sam's shoulder.

No one noticed the fourth figure until the light was turned on, followed by, "Sam?"

The three hunters turned their heads at once, staring at the girl in the doorway. Frankie could feel her heart drop into her stomach.

"Jess." Not only was Jess one of the prettiest girls Frankie had ever seen, she was also noticeably her opposite. Blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned skin contrasting with Frankie's dark hair, eyes, and fair complexion. "Hey. Dean, Frankie, this is my girlfriend, Jessica." Dean was the only one who noticed that Sam wouldn't look away from the floor as he introduced his girlfriend.

"Wait, your brother Dean?" Jessica grinned. She smiled politely at the brunette on the other side of the room, but everyone could tell she was confused as to who this girl was.

Frankie wouldn't be surprised if everyone in the room heard her heart shatter in her chest. Because not only had Sam ignored her for years, but he also apparently hadn't talked about her to his girlfriend. So much for favorite girl.

"Frankie." She tried not to sound disappointed. "Family friend."

There was an awkward pause that followed, that Dean was quick to break. Although, admittedly, his method didn't make the situation much better.

"I love the Smurfs." He gestured to her revealing pajamas cheekily. "You know, I gotta tell you. You are completely out of my brother's league."

Jessica looked at him uncomfortably. "Just let me put something on."

"No, no, no, I wouldn't dream of it. Seriously."

Frankie sees the blonde raise an eyebrow at her boyfriend and calls out dryly, "Dean."

He glances her, his smirk falling at the sight of her glare. She didn't have to say anything for him to get the message; quit being a perv. "Anyway, we gotta borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business." He backs up to where Sam was still standing. "But, uh, nice meeting you."

Sam pauses, "No." before going over to Jessica and putting an arm around her. "No, whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her."

Frankie and Dean share a glance and she gives him a half shrug.

"Okay." Dean accepts. "Um–Dad hasn't been home in a few days."

The younger Winchester doesn't seem phased. "So he's working overtime on a Miller Time shift. He'll stumble back in sooner or later."

Dean ducks his head and looks back up. "Dad's on a hunting trip. And he hasn't been home in a few days."

This time they can tell something got through to Sam. His face becomes stony and his jaw clenches shut.

"Jess, excuse us."

He's quiet as they make their way out of the apartment, through the front door this time, but at soon as the doors closed, he goes off.

"I mean, come on. You can't just break in, middle of the night, and expect me to hit the road with you." He scolded as they walked down the stairs.

"You're not hearing me, Sammy." Dean tries. "Dad's missing. I need you to help me find him. Why do you think Frankie's with me?"

Frankie rolls her eyes. They haven't seen each other for three years yet they're already arguing. Not that she's surprised.

"You remember the poltergeist in Amherst? Or the Devil's Gates in Clifton? He was missing then, too. He's always missing, and he's always fine." At some point she walked ahead of them, stopping a few feet away when they paused at the end of the stairs.

"Not for this long. Now are you gonna come with us or not?" Dean asked.

Sam glanced over at Frankie, who was watching them, leaned against the wall with her arms folded. "I'm not."

"Why not?"

"I swore I was done hunting. For good." Sam tells him.

Dean makes a face. "Come on. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't that bad." When they start down the hallway, Frankie continues to the door, holding it open as they stop again.

"Yeah? When I told Dad I was scared of the thing in my closet, he gave me a .45." The taller boy reminds his brother.

"Well, what was he supposed to do?" Dean asks, as if it was something every parent does.

"I was nine years old!" Sam cried. "He was supposed to say, don't be afraid of the dark."

"Don't be afraid of the dark?" Dean repeats in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid of the dark. You know what's out there."

Sam shook his head. "Yeah, I know, but still. The way we grew up, after Mom was killed, and Dad's obsession to find the thing that killed her." I should've waited in the car. "But we still haven't found the damn thing. So we kill everything we can find."

"We save a lot of people doing it, too."

Sam scoffed. "You think Mom would have wanted this for us?"

Dean rolls his eyes and Frankie takes that as her cue to make her way towards the impala outside. She stays silent throughout their argument. She knew better than to get in between Winchester's when they fought. They wouldn't listen to her anyway.

"The weapon training, and melting the silver into bullets? Man, Dean, we were raised like warriors." Sam goes on.

They stop at the trunk. "So what are you gonna do? You're just gonna live some normal, apple pie life? Is that it?" Dean asks, seriously doubting it.

"No. Not normal." Sam disagrees. "Safe." He counters.

"And that's why you ran away." Dean concludes.

Sam tucks his chin in an effort to look Dean in the eye. "I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go I should stay gone. And that's what I'm doing." He shrugs.

Both brothers flinch when the back door to the impala slams shut, realizing that Frankie had gotten inside.

Dean clenches his jaw as he looks back towards his brother. "What about her, huh? Did she tell you to stay gone?" Sam doesn't know what to say and he scoffs. "Yeah, well, Dad's in real trouble right now. If he's not dead already. I can feel it."

It was hard enough for Frankie just to look at Sam after all of these years. He'd clearly grown up from the eighteen year old that left her house that night. And to hear him talk like he had no choice but to separate from everyone he knew, from her, hurt like a bitch.

Their conversation is muffled from where she sits inside the car but she can hear bits and pieces and feel when the trunk is opened. She assumes that Dean's explaining Johns situation, he'd already briefed her on the way. John had been looking into a string of missing persons cases in Jericho. In the last twenty years, over ten cars belonging to men had been found without their owner.

There's always a chance that the cases they find may not be supernatural. But every hunter knows, usually from experience, that even the smallest cases are worth looking into.

Growing impatient, Frankie rolls down her window to at least hear what the brothers are talking about.

"You know, in almost two years I've never bothered you, never asked you for a thing." Dean says after shutting the trunk.

She hears Sam sigh. "All right. I'll go. I'll help you find him." Frankie gnaws on her lip, unsure how she's feels about Sam agreeing. "But I have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here."

"What's first thing Monday?" Dean calls.

Sam hesitates. "I have an interview."

"What, a job interview? Skip it." Dean shrugs.

"It's a law school interview," Sam remarked. "and it's my whole future on a plate."

"Law school?" His brother echos, a small smirk growing.

"So we got a deal or not?"

"So...how've you been?"

Frankie resists the urge to reach out and choke Sam for asking such a stupid question. Instead she takes a deep breath, willing herself to continue looking forward and not at Sam. The gas station they had stopped at was old and run down, with only one gas pump that the impala was currently occupying. Dean had gone inside to the small convenience store to buy snacks, leaving Frankie inside the car with Sam. It had been an awkward silence up until he spoke which was painful for them both. To think, they'd once been attached at the hip and now didn't even know what to say to each other.

"Oh, you know," She drawls. "The usual. Actually I broke my ankle a few weeks back on a hunt. Family's good too. Chris just got engaged to his girlfriend, Manny's last relationship lasted longer than a month. But you already knew that, right?" She finally looked over, tilting her head challengingly. Sam's mouth was open like he wanted to say something but didn't know what. "Oh. Right." She deadpanned.

"Hey!" Dean's voice calls from outside of the car. Saved by the metaphorical bell.

It snaps Sam out of his swarm of guilty thoughts and his hands go back to rummaging through Deans box of cassettes. He looks back at his bother.

"You want breakfast?" Dean asks, holding up a handful of candy and sodas.

Sam scrunches up his nose. "No, thanks."

Frankie pops her head out the window. "You get my gummies?" She watches Dean roll his eyes and eagerly takes the bag of gummy worms and bottle of Dr. Pepper from his hands.

"So how'd you pay for that stuff?" Sam asks as Frankie digs into her bag of Trolli.
"You and Dad still running credit card scams?"

"Yeah, well, hunting ain't exactly a pro ball career." Dean defends, removing the gas pump from his car. "Besides, all we do is apply. It's not our fault they send us the cards."

"Very true." Frankie agrees. She takes a sip of her drink, wincing at the carbonation going down her throat.

"Yeah? And what names did you write on the application this time?" Sam swings his legs back inside the car and closes the door.

Dean slides into the drivers seat. "Uh, Burt Aframian. And his son Hector." He grins, throwing the rest of the snack in between him and Sam. "Scored two cards out of the deal."

"That sounds about right." Sam nods. "I swear, man, you've gotta update your cassette tape collection."

Dean looked genuinely concerned and Frankie had to hold in her laugh. "Why?"

"Well, for one–they're cassette tapes. And two–" Sam starts pulling out different tapes. "Black Sabbath? Motorhead? Metallica?" Dean snatches the Metallica tape from him with a glare. "It's the greatest hits of mullet rock."

"House rules, Sammy–" Dean slides the cassette into the stereo. "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole." He throws the case back into the box.

"And what about me, Mr Winchester, what shall I do?" Frankie mocks, sticking her head between the two over the seats.

Dean looks over his shoulder and smirks. "Sweetheart, you can do whatever you want as long as you don't also criticize my music."

Frankie giggled, taking the opportunity to lay her body across the back seat in hopes of getting some rest.

"Nu-uh." Dean snaps his fingers, catching her movement in the rear view. Already knowing what he was gonna say, Frankie huffs, pulling her boots from her feet. "Thank you."

Sam sighs quietly at their easy exchange. "You know, Sammy is a chubby twelve-year-old." His voice is almost entirely drowned out by the loud guitar that starts to play. "It's Sam, okay?"

"Sorry, I can't hear you, the music's too loud." Dean laughed teasingly, driving out of the gas station.

The loud music doesn't bother Frankie after so many years and she can feel the fatigue start to settle in. Draping an arm over her eyes, she mumbles, "Wake me up when we get to Jericho."

She's unsure if either of them heard her, but by then the sound of Metallica is already fading as her body gives into its needs and she falls asleep within minutes.

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a/n: and there's the first chapter! what do you guys think? I'm really excited to write this story because I've fallen completely in love with supernatural during this quarantine and watched the whole show. let me know what you guys think!