Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural and its characters, but Mary-Claire does belong to me.

After All This Time

Chapter 1

Jessica Winchester leaned against the wall of the intensive care waiting room and ran a shaking hand through her curly blonde hair as she shoved Sam's cell phone into her pocket. Wrapping her arms around herself, she leaned her head back against the wall and sucked in a deep breath. This all seemed so unreal. Just two days ago, she had been at the park with Sam. They had all been laughing as he had tossed their three-year-old daughter Mary-Claire into the air above his head. Next they'd played a pretty pitiful game of Frisbee.

Sam had run into the edge of the woods to retrieve the red disc. A flash of light from the woods had made Jess wince. When Sam returned, his face had a gray pallor to it and he had been trembling. Beads of sweat coated his brow. Jess trembled as she remembered the horror she felt watching him crumble to the ground in front of her.

Doctors could detect no reason for his collapse, subsequent coma, and the shutdown of his body's systems. His blood work was normal and no bite marks from a spider or snake marred his body. There was no sign of head trauma on the brain scan, but doctors concluded that he must have bumped his head when he went to get the Frisbee. It was the only explanation that made sense. No one could explain the flash of light she had seen.

Jess sighed and frowned as nausea curled in her belly. She needed to check on Sam, but her stomach had other plans. She clapped a hand over her mouth and ran to the restroom down the hall. Falling to her knees on the tiled floor, she vomited until only painful dry heaves were left. By the time she had finished, tears were streaming down her cheeks. What if her husband didn't survive this? What if he didn't live to see the baby she was carrying? Sobs wracked her body, but she managed to pull herself back together. Sam needed her. Mary-Claire needed her.

Jess pushed herself to her feet and made her way to the sink on wobbly legs after flushing the toilet. She washed her hands and then rinsed her mouth. Finally, she splashed cold water on her face and that helped to chase the last traces of nausea away. She patted her face dry with a paper towel and then dried her hands. It was time to get back to Sam.

Many miles away from the hospital, Dean clenched the steering wheel of the Impala so hard that his knuckles were white. His mind mulled over Jessica's words. There had been an accident of some sort. The doctors thought he should come; Sam, his baby brother, was dying. Dean's throat tightened at the thought, and he had to swallow hard. Even though he hadn't spoken to his brother in years, Dean had still kept tabs on him. He'd thought Sam was safe here as he finished his law degree and married the beautiful Jessica Moore.

Anger suddenly raged through the oldest Winchester brother. It couldn't end like this. Sam Winchester's life couldn't be snuffed out by some thoughtless accident, not after all of the supernatural things he had faced and defeated. Dean wouldn't let that happen. It COULDN'T happen. There was no way he could lose his little brother.

Dean pressed harder on the gas pedal as his mind continued to wander. It was hard to imagine his little brother with a wife. The last time he'd seen Sam, the youngest Winchester had been heading off to college ready to face the big unknown "normal" world on his own. He'd been a fresh-faced college student eager for knowledge. Now, Sam was in law school and married to a beautiful woman.

Worry niggled in Dean's insides. What if Sam didn't really want to see him? It was Jessica that had called, not his brother. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. He didn't guess it would matter since Sam was unconscious. What if he stayed unconscious? What if he never got to-? Dean cut that thought off and pressed even harder on the gas pedal. He should reach Palo Alto late tonight.

Jessica ran her hand through Sam's long hair as her lips curled in a thoughtful smile. Her husband insisted on keeping his hair long despite the suggestion from many at school and in the law community that he should get it cut. She loved his hair, especially the way it flopped in his face to cover his eyes when he ducked his head in embarrassment or as it tickled her cheek when he curled against her after they made love.

Her throat clogged with emotion at that thought and she bent over to press a kiss to his forehead. "We'll figure this out," she murmured softly so as not to disturb her three-year-old slumbering peacefully in a chair in the corner. "Our little family needs you so much, Sam."

Jessica watched her husband carefully, hoping for a response of some sort. Nothing. He didn't blink or twitch or show any other indication that he was trying to come out of this coma. Blinking back tears, Jess twined her fingers with the long slender digits on her husband's hand. "Mary-Claire was asking for you, Sam. She wants her daddy back. And Dean…" she trailed off to swallow back her tears. "Dean is on his way. I'm not sure how long it will take him to get here. Can you imagine getting to see your brother? You've talked about him so much that I can't wait to meet him. I told Mary-Claire that her uncle was coming. She's so excited, Sam."

Jess turned toward her daughter as the child shifted in her sleep. Carefully untangling her fingers from those of her husband, she placed his hand carefully on the bed and moved to her daughter's side. The blanket was drooping off of the chair, so Jess tucked it in carefully around her three-year-old as she gazed down at the perfect being she and Sam had created together. Mary-Claire's eyes were the same shape as Sam's, but green in color. Sam insisted they were the same color as Dean's. She had blonde hair and Sam's nose, but her mouth was shaped like Jessica's. She had her mother's laugh, but her father's compassion for others. Mary-Claire was the perfect combination of both of her parents and Jess couldn't love her more if she tried.

The thought of the little girl growing up without her father made Jess feel sick inside. Her hand slid down to press over her abdomen where their second child was growing. Panic twisted in her gut and she nearly moaned out loud in grief when a sound in the doorway startled her.

She turned to find a man standing there who looked to be a few years older and a few inches shorter than Sam. He had sandy brown hair and green eyes the same color as Mary-Claire's. "Dean," she breathed as she took in the expression of pain on his face as he looked at his younger brother lying unconscious in bed.

"Sammy," he choked out as he made his way to the side of the bed and stared down in horror at his pale, still brother. He was so focused on Sam that he never noticed Jessica and Mary-Claire in the corner of the small ICU room.

"Dean?" Jess called out quietly so as not to startle the older Winchester brother.

The hunter didn't look up from Sam's face. "How's he doing?" he asked gruffly.

Jess moved forward. "No change." She shoved her hand in front of him. "I'm Jess, Sam's wife."

Dean blinked and finally focused on the woman next to him. He shook her hand as if in a trance, his gaze straying back to his brother.

"The doctor usually makes his rounds in…." she looked at her watch, "…another hour or so. I hope you can stay so you can talk to him."

Dean nodded. "I'll be here."

Jess smiled and moved to her husband's bedside. Reaching out, she tenderly brushed his hair back from his forehead. "Sam talks about you all the time. From all of the stories he's told me, it sounds like you practically raised him."

Dean nodded. "Our dad worked a lot, so it was mostly just Sam and him when we were growing up."

"Mommy, who's that man?" a little voice called from the corner.

Dean started and turned to see a little girl with big, green eyes staring at him curiously.

"Mary-Claire, that's your Uncle Dean," Jess explained as she moved to pick up the child and carry her closer to the older Winchester brother.

"Uncle?" Dean queried as he studied the child more closely, noting the eyes and nose shaped just like his brother's.

"Dean, I'd like to introduce you to your niece, Mary-Claire Winchester. She's Sam's pride and joy," Jess smiled, her heart clenching at the thought of Sam missing out on this moment. She knew he'd often dreamed of having the chance to introduce his daughter to his big brother.

"Uncle Dee," Mary-Claire grinned shyly before burying her face in her mother's shoulder.

Dean looked shell-shocked and couldn't tear his eyes from the little girl in Jess' arms. "She's-she's Sam's?" he asked.

"Yes, she's ours," Jess smiled as she looked longingly down at her husband. "Sam was so happy when we found out I was pregnant. I was worried since we were both still in school, but he was beyond excited. He wanted to tell you so badly."

Dean swallowed around the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat. The little girl in Jess's arms was beautiful, and he could definitely see his brother in her.

"Her eyes are the same color as yours," Jess pointed out to him. "Sam is so proud of that."

Dean nodded as he tore his gaze away from Mary-Claire and looked down at his brother again. He brushed the back of his knuckles over Sam's cheek. "What happened to my brother?" he asked softly.

Jess sighed just as a nurse came in the door to check on Sam's vital signs. "Dean," she cut her eyes toward her daughter, "I can't-"

"Mrs. Winchester, can I take Mary-Claire with me for a popsicle? We just opened a new box, and I bet there's a grape one in there," the nurse, Molly, offered kindly.

Mary-Claire lifted her head from Jess' shoulder. "Can I have a grape popple-sicle, Mommy?"

Jess nodded and placed her daughter on the floor. The little girl reached for the nurse's hand and smiled shyly at Dean as she walked by him on the way out of the door.

Once they were alone, Jess walked to the side of Sam's bed that was opposite of Dean and took her husband's hand in her own. "I don't know what happened, really," she admitted to her brother-in-law. "We were having a family day at the park. The weather was beautiful. Mary-Claire was laughing and Sam was chasing her. Then we decided to teach her to teach her to play Frisbee."

Jess wiped at a tear with a trembling hand. "I threw the Frisbee. The wind caught it and took it into the woods. Sam ran after it. I saw a flash of light. When he came back to the tree line, he was staggering and pale. He passed out and never woke up. The doctors think he must have hit his head when he went to get the Frisbee even though there's no sign of a head injury. He doesn't have an infection; all of his blood work came back normal." Jess stifled a sob and squeezed Sam's hand.

She blinked when she suddenly realized that Dean had rounded the bed and now stood by her side. "Tell me about the flash of light," he told her earnestly, his green eyes so like her daughter's staring into her own.

Jess wiped at her eyes with her free hand. "Oh, um, I don't know. It was bright, like lightning, but it was sunny out. The police walked through the woods, but they didn't see anything."

Dean frowned and pressed for more information. "Did Sam say anything? Did he act any different before this happened?"

Jess took a step away from Dean and his probing questions. She was so worried and tired she could hardly think straight. "No, he was just, just Sam." Jess shrugged. "What are you thinking?"

Dean shook his head. "Nothing for you to worry about." He didn't know how much Sam had told his wife about the hunting life and the supernatural. Dean was determined not to ruin his brother's normal life. "I can sit with Sam a while if you want to take your daughter home and get some rest," he offered.

Jess looked torn. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth. She didn't want to leave Sam, but she had a feeling Dean probably wanted some time alone with his brother. "I might go home and get a shower," she finally conceded.

"You look exhausted," Dean told her softly. "Sam is going to need you once he wakes up; you need to take care of yourself. Why don't you stay home and get some rest? I'll call you if anything at all changes."

Jess wrapped her arms around herself and stared down at her husband. Fear clogged her throat at the thought that he may die without her at his side if she went home even for just a little bit.

"Mommy, look at my popple-sicle!" Mary-Claire announced happily as she bounded in the door of Sam's room.

Jess knelt and forced a smile for her daughter's sake. "Is it good?"

The little girl nodded enthusiastically.

"Thank you, Molly," Jess told the nurse gratefully.

"I bet Jess has barely left this room since Sam's been here; am I right?" Dean asked the nurse.

Jess sighed. "Molly, this is my husband's brother, Dean."

"Nice to meet you, Dean," Molly smiled. "Mrs. Winchester and Mary-Claire have been sleeping here in Sam's room or in the waiting room on the couches."

Dean frowned at Jess. "You need to go home and rest. I will be right here, and I won't leave his side. I promise."

"That sounds like a good idea, Mrs. Winchester," Molly prodded. "You need to take care of yourself."

Jess sighed. "Okay, I'll go home for a little while." She gave Dean a pointed glare. "You will call me if anything, and I mean anything, changes."

He nodded. "I will."

"Mary-Claire, tell Molly thank you for the popsicle and tell Uncle Dean goodbye," Jess instructed.

"Thank you for the popple-sicle, Miss Molly," Mary-Claire told the nurse sweetly.

Molly waved and said her goodbyes before leaving the room.

Then, Mary-Claire turned shyly to Dean. "Bye-bye, Uncle Dee," she nearly whispered as she pressed her face, smeared with grape popsicle, against her mom's pants leg.

Dean found he couldn't stop his grin. Mary-Claire had Sam's dimples. "Goodnight, Mary-Claire. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jess lifted the little girl onto her hip. "Let me hold your popsicle while you say goodbye to Daddy."

Mary-Claire leaned over and placed a sticky grape kiss on Sam's cheek when her mom lifted her up. "Night-night, Daddy," she called in a sing-song voice. "Ya hafta wake up tomorrow, 'kay?" She patted Sam's cheek with sticky fingers and then squirmed to get her popsicle back from her mom.

Jess placed her daughter back on the floor and whispered a quiet "I love you" into Sam's ear before pressing a tender kiss to his lips. Then she straightened back up and took her daughter's hand. "We'll see you bright and early in the morning. Remember, call me if any tiny thing changes."

"I will; I promise," Dean assured her. He watched Jessica and his niece leave, relieved to finally be alone with his brother.

To Be Continued…

*Special thanks to LadyWallace for reading this over for me. If you get a chance, check out her SPN fics. You'll be glad you did.