She had known the boys for twenty-two years. Dean had been five, Sam one, and she was three.
"Dean it's Casey. Something-uh…something happened." She sobbed into the phone. "please, get here and I'll tell you everything."
Her step dad was close to Pastor Jim and he frequently brought Casey to play with the Winchester boys when they were visiting Jim.
"Where are we headed?" Sam asked as Dean tossed a duffel bag into the trunk
"Chicago." He slammed the hood down.
"What's in Chicago?" Sam slipped into the passenger seat.
"Casey."
She always managed to find the boys when they needed her most. She somehow could sense when they were in danger or hurting and called them; sometimes even appeared at their hotel door. She was there as a shoulder to cry on or get a hug from when the boys couldn't have each other.
"Figures she'd call now, doesn't it?" Sam risked a glance at Dean. "I mean, right after Dad and everything…"
Dean set his jaw and gripped the steering wheel tightly. "She needs us, Sammy. Dad's got nothing to do with it."
"You think that now."
Her real father had been killed while hunting an wendigo. Her mother told her and her sister's that he drove himself insane over nonsense and killed himself but Casey always had an interest in supernatural phenomenon. She rarely hunted but she loved researching.
Dean knocked softly on the door and it swung open to reveal a twenty-five year old woman with short brown hair and big chocolate eyes. The first thing he noticed was how well she had grown into her curves. The first thing Sam saw was the baby on her hip.
She set him down and he happily toddled away. "Dean." She pulled him into a hug and felt him tense. She stroked his back a few times and he relaxed. "I heard about your dad. I'm sorry." She pulled away reluctantly and he nodded as she moved to Sam.
"You've really grown up, Sammy." She pulled him into an embrace and Sam hugged her tightly. He trembled as she rubbed his hair soothingly. "It'll be ok." She squeezed his neck and pulled away as a young girl came in holding the infant's hand.
"They yours?" Dean asked, nodding to the children.
"That's why I wanted to talk to you." Leading them inside, she set a bowl of chips and two cups of coffee on the table.
"My sister, Erin," Casey began as the Winchesters seated themselves on the sofa.
"The one with five kids?" Dean asked, dipping a chip into salsa.
"Yes. She-uh…she passed away on Monday night." Dean stopped chewing and looked up and Sam leaned closer to Casey. "Her husband took the two oldest, the middle went to Bree, and she left these two for me to take care of. I can't be a mother, not yet!" her eyes filled with tears and Sam reached over and grasped her hand.
"What happened?" he asked gently.
"A fire." Casey picked the baby up from his playpen and hugged him tightly. "Their dad got the kids out safely. He said he saw Erin on the ceiling. He left without another word yesterday."