A/N: First fanfic ever; sort of excited mostly terrified. I am in no way shape or form a proper writer. This idea just came to me one night and I felt like sharing it. This is mostly my original characters with hints of Sam and Dean just a warning. Feedback is always appreciated. Enjoy!

The lone passenger walks off the bus. Toxic exhaust fumes float past the girl as the driver closes the door and speeds off. He is eager to return to the dispatching center. Mai Winchester looks down at the tattered bench that serves as her bus stop for school. Her actual house is a quarter of a mile up the highway, at the end of a hidden driveway, and tucked back in the woods. A sigh escapes her mouth. She pulls the backpack in her hand up over her shoulder and embarks on the walk home.

The over cast sky above her is spot on for mid-October in rural Pennsylvania. It threatens to rain over the rolling hills, but never follows through. A cold breeze cuts through Mai's sweater as she walks up the winding highway aligned with the side of the mountain. The trees above her rustle their branches and fallen leaves dance around on the ground like they are children playing a game of tag. The girl notes the bold colors of the leaves; gold, red, brown, green, bright yellow and rusty orange. Fall is her second favorite season, passed up by spring. Pieces of ash blonde hair fly into her face. She adjusts her thick sweater, pulling the sleeves over her hands, and continues onward at a slightly quicker pace. She can just about see the dead pine that stands beside the entrance to her property.

Mai shuffles her feet towards the mailbox and gathers the day's heap; bills, circulars, a catalog for "Rustic Men" clothing company, a letter from Dean. Mai stashes the mail in her backpack and jogs up the lengthy gravel driveway. Thick woods surround her on both sides until she reaches the end which holds the clearing that her house was built in. The teenager hurries up the steps of the porch. She removes her key from her skirt pocket and unlocks both deadbolts and the handle of her front door. The house is old; an 1895 white farmhouse with a large covered porch that wraps around the north and east sides. Its faded blue shutters are nearly falling off, the banisters are gone in some places, the attic window is cracked down the center, thick weeds and overgrown bushes landscape the front bed, but it is home.

Mai slips off her boots upon entering the house. It is a rule, a strict rule that she herself enforces. It's easier to abide by it when the boys are gone and she has the house to herself. She did frequently have the house to herself for long periods of time, just like now. She places her boots in the coat closet under the staircase and walks into kitchen. The white kitchen is surprisingly fresh compared to the shabby exterior. A large window faces out the front of the house with the sink underneath it. A braided rug adorns the rich chestnut floors, while a white farm table and four miss-matched white chairs sit atop it. Mai places her backpack on the floor and slides into a chair. Her face is expressionless and dry as she retrieves the mail from her bag. Sorting it out, bills in one pile, junk in another, she reaches Dean's letter.

Her uncle doesn't normally send her mail; she tears off the end uneasily and removes the letter. It reads as so:

"Mai,

Sammy and I will be back in town soon, probably be there in two, three days tops. We're heading over to Bobby's place now. Here's some money. I hope you're doing okay.

We switched our phones again, so don't try calling yet.

We both miss you a lot.

-Dean"

Mai closes the letter. Dean is rarely the one to touch base with her, Sam usually sends her money and keeps her up to date on where they are.

It has been two weeks since she's talked to either of her uncles. Commonly used to being on the out of their hunting trips she didn't fret. She understands that they can't always contact her, and that they do the best they can. The rule was that if the boys were not heard from in a month she's supposed to call Bobby to pick her up. Sam has always done a good job of keeping her informed on their whereabouts, especially when they leave for extended periods of time. Their current trip was an easy in and out case; a shifter outside of Norfolk, Nebraska. She had no reason to be fearful about not hearing from them, but she's always grateful to know they are okay.

The sixteen year old folds the letter again and places it back in the envelope. She slouches in her chair, stretching her legs out. Starring off into space she picks at a chip in the table's paint. She isn't really thinking about anything in particular, just feeling tired. The fridge kicks on; its hum fills the previously dead kitchen. Mai shifts in her seat, pulling her legs back underneath her chair and pushing her face into the soft hands that rest on the table. She's hungry; she hadn't eaten breakfast this morning. She is also lazy and can't rally enough interest in food to encourage her to leave her spot. They only have a slice of bread, half a dozen eggs, and some strawberries on the verge of rotting the refrigerator anyway. She needs to go to the store tonight so that there will be food when her uncles return. For right now, she just rests her eyes. The table top isn't the most comfortable spot but she slowly begins to slip into an unconscious state.

Sticky drool drips down the girls face. Groggy but refreshed Mai lifts her head and looks at her watch. 4:45; It's only been an hour. She stretches upwardly and makes her way out of the seat, a bit stiff from napping on wood. A beam of warm sunshine falls over where her body had laid. The weather outside had cleared up while she slept. The sun came out; the wind died down, over all it looks more inviting as she gazes out the window. Which is a good thing, she needs to head over to the store before dark. Mai takes little time to gather her things before she locks the two deadbolts and door, shaking it to double check its security.

There is a grocery store a couple miles from here in the shopping plaza outside of town, but Mai doesn't have a car. Even if she did she only has her permit. She'll walk a mile and a half to the Speedy Hut gas station and general store, where she usually shops. A grateful little smile spreads across her lips as the sun touches her freckled cheeks and nose. The weather is far kinder to her this evening than it had been on her journey home from the bus. It's a blessing; someone up there must be looking out for her. She dredges onward dragging her feet a little, not all of her body is fully awake yet. It will be soon.

Twenty-five minutes pass by the time she steps foot in the green roofed building. Sunny as it is, it's still October and her fingers had begun to feel tingly shortly after leaving the driveway. Mai walks over to the space heater near the cash register, catching the attention of the previously boarded looking attendant. The boy, who is about Mai's age smiles as he watches her rub her hands in front of the heating unit. He is average height and thin, with a mop of auburn hair.

"Hi Winchester." He says to her. Mai's fingers regain proper blood flow; she walks over to the register and picks up a shopping basket.

"Hello Walter." Her eyes survey the small store. A wet floor sign is set up next to a mop and bucket in aisle three; boxes of merchandise are stacked ready to be stocked onto the shelves towards the front of the store. No other humans are in sight. "Just you tonight?" She finally asks. Walter presses his lips together, nodding his head.

"Yep, well my manager is in the back but I'm pretty sure he's on 'break'" the boy makes air quote with his fingers, insinuating that his boss is most likely asleep on the job, as usual.

"It's not that bad though, it hasn't been busy. No one's really come in until you." Walter gives a bit of a coy smile. His crush on Mai has been going on since ninth grade; the moment she sat down next to him at lunch on their first day.

Walter is Mai's only friend. He knows practically nothing about her. She keeps quite about her family and home life, only once did she mention that she lives with her uncles. Walt of course remembered this. He also remembered that her favorite color is lavender. She doesn't like dogs or hamsters. She prefers waffle over pancake, Coke over Pepsi, and doesn't like olives on her pizza. None of these things she had outright declared to him. He simply observed them over the years. The only thing he solidly knows about her, is that she is the kindest, gentlest soul he's ever encountered.

"I apologize for interrupting your musical meditation and critical reading," She gestures to the headphones draped around his neck and the comic book in his hand. She smiles at her friend, "I'll be out of your hair soon, I just need to pick up some things. You wouldn't happen to have flour would you?"

"Aisle 5" He motions to the left with his head. Mai taps the counter rhythmically with her palms.

"Thanks Walt." She slides her hands into her skirt pockets and heads towards the baking section. Pie is on her mind; apple pie for Dean. It's a small gesture on her part. Mai grabs a small bag of flour off the shelf.

Better pick up some sugar while I'm here.

About twenty minutes later her basket is full and she's standing in front of the dairy case trying to decide on whether or not to get milk. They need milk, especially if the boys are coming home, but her basket is already filled to the brim and heavy. She peers out the front window to see the sun beginning to fade and dusk setting in. The teenager nervously bites her cheek, still staring out the window.

"You know, I can give you a ride if you need one Mai." Walter says from behind her. She turns around and watches him replenish the shelves with the contest of the stacked cardboard boxes.

"No, it's okay, you're working. I'll just get milk later this week." Her eyes never leave his hands as they move back and forth from box to shelf, box to shelf, box to shelf. He stops and wipes them on his green polo work shirt.

"It's fine Mai; I'm scheduled for break in a minute anyway."

"…No, I don't want to bother you, I'm just going to pay and walk home." She starts toward the register. Walt stops her. He opens the dairy case and grabs a gallon of milk and hands it to her.

"Before you try and tell me that you don't have enough money, I know that's crap. But I'm paying for your milk anyway and driving you home. It's not safe for you to be walking out there."

If only you knew how right you are… She thinks to herself.

He rings up the milk and pays for it, then begins to check the items in her basket. Mai hands the boy some cash. She assists him with bagging and as they finish he yells out to his boss that he's going on break. Grumbling can be heard from the office, sleepy grumbling. Mai laughs to herself. Walt removes his green polo to revile his black Lord of the Rings tee shirt. He grabs most of the bags out of her hands and takes them out to his car parked in the side lot. Mai puts her few bags in the trunk and slides in the newer looking silver Chevy. The car can't be more than ten years old and the inside smells like cinnamon.

She doesn't usually catch rides with people or let Walt take her home, but it's getting dark and she knows he is set on driving her. Walt is stubborn, but a good friend, she's glad to have him. She's also hopelessly clueless about his crush... Mai is far from a naïve girl, but romance isn't her forte.

Walter slides into the driver's side and turns on the engine. She didn't need to tell him where she lived. He had dropped her off once before and remembered where her driveway was. He has never been to her house; he had never even been invited to her house.

The seatbelt buckles click in unison as both teens strap in. Walter turns on the car and begins driving in the direction of her place. The ride is silent other than the Foreigner CD he has playing. Mai's thoughts are concerned about cleaning up at home. There isn't much to be done, but her pie needs baking, some laundry can be finished up, and the emergency supply in the basement should be double checked. The letter said two or three days till they arrived, given that it took a day for the letter to reach her, they could show up tomorrow if the drive is quick. She hopes that they stay at Bobby's for the night at least when they get there; if they hadn't stopped by and left already. She could call Bobby when she gets home, to see if they were there, but that runs the risk of being forced to talk to Dean, which doesn't excite her.

The car flies past her bus stop, and rolls up the hill. Trees whoosh by in a green haze. Through the window Mai spies the pine. Walter begins to slow down the car as they approach and parks it on the side of the road. The house is barely visible through the thick set of trees; he can only see a sliver of white at the end of the driveway as he exits the car. Mai slips out and makes her way to the back of the vehicle to see the trunk pop open. Walt starts gathering the bags but Mai touches him on the shoulder.

"I've got this from here. Thank you for the ride though." She smiles at her friend. Walt tries to shake off his disappointment. Deep down he knew that she wouldn't invite him in when they arrived here. He would have very much liked to meet this mystery family of hers; to see her real life, outside of school and her visits to Speedy Hut. Even just to walk up that driveway in front of him would have been enough.

Mai's private world is (in his mind) this beautiful, secret thing that added to his infatuation with her. She is a charming, kind person, with an exclusive story to her that only a handful of people get to read. To be invited to hear that story may very well be that greatest honor he'd ever receive. He does not receive that honor. Not that it's even any honor. Her life is far from the romantic ideals he has. In reality, it is terrifying and complicated and a story no one needed to know about.

"Are you sure? It's a lot of bags…"

Mai shrugs her shoulders.

"The driveway's not as long as it seems." She reassures him. "You should be getting back to work anyway."

Walter wishes she would let him assist her more, but he doesn't push it. He hands her the bags plus the gallon of milk and closes the trunk with a soft "clank".

"I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow then…" the boy says from the other side of the car.

"Yep, I'll see you tomorrow, Walt." Mai adds a warm but internally fake smile to her goodbye. She is tired, and just wants to go inside, alone. Walter drops himself into the car and drives off. Mai waits until he is out of sight and finally makes her way up to the house.