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Lawerence, Kansas
July 14, 1991
It was 90 degrees outside, and the Winchester siblings were strewn across the couch in their living room, if you could call it that. After the family fled the home their beloved mother and wife died in, their father bought a motorhome for the remaining family to live in.
Dean was laying in the crevice of the couch wearing nothing but basketball shorts. On the other side of the couch, Sam was wearing a wife beater that was given to him by Dean as well as a pair of shorts that Dean had found shoved into the depths of Sam's dresser drawers. Louise, the middle child, was wearing a spaghetti strap that hadn't fit her in years, and of course, basketball shorts that she stole from her older brother.
"Lou, why are you on the floor?" Dean asks, always watching every little thing his siblings do.
"Because, the floor is just better," Louise responds, doodling on a blank piece of paper she found lying around the house.
"Whatever," Dean mutters under his breath, fixing his gaze back onto the TV.
As the summer day dragged on, the trio spent their entire day lounging on the couch, relieved that they didn't have to leave the comfort of their home to follow their dad on a hunt. But, as dusk fell, the eldest Winchester sibling started to worry. The siblings hadn't seen their dad in just over a week, and he promised he'd be back for Lou's 10th birthday, which was the following day. Dean was broken out of his trance when Sam started complaining.
"I'm hungry," Sam said, dragging out the last syllable.
"I want mac and cheese."
Dean rolled his eyes. Although they didn't have much to choose from in their very sparse pantry, they had had mac and cheese for dinner for the past three nights upon Sam's request.
"Well, tomorrow's Lou's birthday, so why don't we let her pick," Dean suggested. Dean knew that this was a fool-proof plan because the particular kind of mac and cheese their dad buys is the kind that Lou doesn't like.
"Mac and cheese is fine," Lou replies. Dean gives Lou a confused look while Sam cheers, throwing his hands in the air. Sam's attention is immediately taken back by the cartoon on TV. Dean sits down next to Lou on the floor.
"But, you hate that stuff," he whispers so Sam couldn't hear them.
"Yeah," Lou started, adding to her doodle from earlier.
"But, Sammy loves it, so I don't mind."
Dean felt a twist in his stomach when he heard Louise's response. Tomorrow was her birthday and all she could think about is what Sam would want. He wouldn't have any of that.
"Lou, you don't always have to agree with what Sammy wants just to make him happy. You know that, right?" Dean says.
"But, you do that all the time," she retorts, still doodling on the page.
Dean was taken aback. He wanted Lou to pick the option that she wanted, but she was right. Dean was always making decisions based on his siblings best interest, not his. In that moment, Dean's gaze lingered on Louise for a couple seconds longer than usual. How had he not realized how grown up she was already becoming? Not only is she noticing the decisions Dean is making, but she's really starting to be more independent in so many aspects of life. She dressed herself this morning, did her own hair, and even made Sam's breakfast for him, a task usually done by Dean himself.
"Mac and cheese it is," Dean mumbles as he stands up and walks toward the kitchen. It only takes about 10 minutes, and Dean is serving his brother and sister piping hot mac and cheese. When Dean sits down with his own bowl, he sees Lou giving Sam instructions.
"No, it's too hot! You gotta blow on it, watch me." Sam watches intently as Lou dramatically blows on her small spoonful of mac and cheese in an effort to cool it off. Then, Sam does the same, copying everything Lou did to a T.
—
That night, after Sam had fallen asleep on the couch, the two eldest Winchester siblings were watching late night cartoons. When suddenly, Lou breaks their focus with a question.
"Do you think Dad will be here for my birthday tomorrow?"
Lou never tears her eyes away from the TV screen, afraid that if she does, tears would start rolling down her cheeks without her realizing. Dean takes a quick glance at Lou, and upon realizing she is still staring at the television, keeps his eyes on the cartoon as well.
"I think so. I mean, he said he would, right? Who would want to miss you reaching double didgits?" Dean replied, trying to sound as hopeful as possible. Lou mumbles something incoherent that sort of sounds like a 'yeah,' but Dean can't quite place it.
"Even if he isn't, you and Sammy will still be here…" Lou trails off.
Dean takes another glance at Lou. She's expressionless, but she has her small hand wrapped around the heart locket that mom gave her when she was born. Although dad didn't allow her to actually wear it until she was 7, a rule that mom enforced, she hadn't taken it off since.
"Always, Lou," Dean says before they fall back into comfortable silence.
The next morning, Louise woke up to her two brothers wishing her a happy birthday and giving her the oddest shaped pancakes she had ever recieved. John Winchester was nowhere to be seen.