Three knocks on the door. Bobby put down his equipment, glancing over at Rae before standing up. She didn't look around, just kept staring at her hands, still able to imagine the soot that had covered them. After checking who was at the door, Bobby slid back the slots, nodding in greeting.
"John."
"Bobby." John nodded back.
"It's good to see you, especially with what the kid is going through," Bobby continued, shutting the door behind the dark haired man and his two boys, one a rather gangly teenager, the other a now rather strapping young man, "She hasn't moved since she sat down and hasn't said anything other than to explain what happened."
"We're certain she isn't still possessed?"
"You really think I'd be dumb enough to let a demon waltz through my front door?" Bobby growled, "After she phoned me I set everything up before she arrived. If she still had one of the bastards in her, she wouldn't have gotten in." John nodded.
"Just making sure."
"I know. Now go over there and actually do something. I don't know what I'm meant to do with the kid." He pointed to the main room, John silently heading in, Bobby holding the boys back for a couple of moments, telling them it might be a good idea to just let their dad talk to Rae on his own. John took the seat opposite her, causing Rae to look up in silence.
"Hey, kid," He smiled warmly, "Remember me?" Rae thought for a moment, her piercing, almost unnaturally blue eyes seeming to look right into his soul.
"Sorry," She shook her head, "But no."
"I didn't really expect you to. Last we met you were maybe 4," John explained, "I'm John Winchester. I used to hunt with your parents."
"In that case, I'm sorry for your loss."
"It's a bigger loss for you than it is for me." He paused, looking around as the door behind him opened, his boys standing there behind Bobby, who was watching to see if they were allowed in. Rae smiled.
"I'm OK, Bobby. It's safe enough for you to let more than one person in a room with me."
"Just thought you might want things a bit quieter for a bit." Bobby muttered, rather gruffly.
"Thank you. But I'm fine." The smile didn't leave Rae's face.
"These are my boys," John introduced, "Dean and Sam. You met them when you were a kid, too."
"Sorry that I don't recognize any of you." She said as both the boys took a seat either side of their father, Bobby sitting back down at his desk and returning to cleaning his arsenal.
"I can only vaguely remember you," Dean, the older (and shorter) of the two replied, "I'm pretty damn sure Sammy here doesn't remember you, either." Sam shook his head. Rae turned back to John, some of her dark brown hair escaping from its ponytail and falling in her eyes in loose ringlets.
"You going to ask me about the demon?" She asked. John nodded.
"We want to track the bastard and send it back to hell, where it belongs."
"It wasn't like any other demon I've encountered, and I've never heard either of my parents talking about anything like it," The smile was gone from her face, "Before it was inside me, it was inside my uncle. And... He... this is going to sound insane."
"We're Hunters, we deal with the insane on a daily basis."
"Shut up, Dean." Sam hissed.
"Go on." John encouraged. Rae sighed, feeling everyone – including Bobby – looking at her.
"He had yellow eyes." She saw both John and Bobby tense, even if it was almost imperceptibly, but neither Dean nor Sam seemed to notice.
"Demons don't have yellow eyes," Dean told her, "You sure you aren't just imagining things?"
"Dean." John warned. Rae shook her head.
"It's alright."
"I don't mean anything by it, it's just... couldn't it just have been a trick of the light?" Rae nodded.
"You're right. It could have been. Because black eyes can definitely look yellow in strange light. So can smoky grey. So chances are it was a trick of the light. And if it wasn't that then it might have been my imagination. After all, I have just been through quite the ordeal."
"Boys, can we have a moment?" John asked, leaning back in his seat and regarding Rae closely.
"What?" Dean looked at his father incredulously.
"Dad, didn't you say that – "
"Enough!" John snapped. Rae frowned slightly.
"I think you should probably do what he says..."
"So you're taking his side?" Dean turned on her, receiving a cold look from those exceedingly blue eyes.
"There are some things that he might not want you to know yet. Trust me. I had the same problems with my parents."
"So why are you siding with him?"
"Look at him. Pretty sure that will give you all the answer you'll need." Dean looked at his dad and sighed.
"Come on, Sammy." He stood up, Sam just watching for a moment before following. Once John was certain the boys were gone he leaned forward again, hands clasped in front of him. For a moment he just looked at Rae.
"You actually believe me, don't you?" She asked after a moment. John nodded.
"Is there anything that you managed to get from the demon?" He demanded, "Anything at all?"
"Only what he wanted me to have."
"Like?"
"What it felt like."
"What what felt like?" Bobby asked, frowning slightly.
"Every single person he killed. He put all their deaths," She tapped her head, "In here," She shrugged, "It's just a matter of sorting it all out in my head." Bobby and John looked at each other.
"How did you get it out?"
"Ah... luck. I guess. Is it important?"
"Are you sure your parents never said anything about the yellow-eyed demon?"
"I'm sure I don't remember them saying anything."
"Anything you can remember your mum saying about the demon," John was really starting to push her now, "There has to be something."
"There isn't, dammit! I can't remember her ever mention the bloody yellow-eyed demon!" Rae snapped, then caught herself, forcing herself to pretend to be calm once more, "What's so important about this demon? Why are you so interested? And why don't your sons know?" John didn't reply, just turned to Bobby.
"She doesn't know anything," He said, standing up, "We'll keep looking, but for know we have a werewolf hunt lined up in a small town in Indiana. We'll keep you in the loop."
"So now you're just going to ignore me?" Rae asked, raising an eyebrow, "My parents are dead. My kid brother is dead. My uncle is dead. My home got burned down. Everything I had of them is gone. My aunt is taking her time to adjust to the thought that her sister is gone before I can move in with her. I was possessed by a demon. I want some answers, and one of the questions I want an answer to... is what the hell is so important about this demon?" Bobby and John shared looks, then John sighed, half turning to face Rae.
"We don't know."
"Don't bullshit me."
"Raegan, this is nothing personal. It's just business. It's us doing our job as hunters."
"You're wrong," Rae shook her head, "This became personal when that bastard hijacked my body and made me kill my parents and Ian. And by the way you're acting this is more than just some job for you, too."
"I told you she's smart." Bobby told John.
"She was trained by Sandra," He replied, "It's not exactly a surprise."
"You going to stop talking about me like I'm not in the room?"
"This demon has been going around for years, doing what... we don't know. Why it showed up at your house and destroyed your home, we don't know. All we know is that it's planning something."
"Don't know much, do you..." Rae muttered, shaking the hair out of her eyes, "I want in."
"What?" Bobby asked.
"I want to help find this demon." Bobby just looked at her incredulously, taken back by this. He knew she had never wanted to be a Hunter. It was the destiny she had always fought. And now she was wanting to go out and hunt?
"Balls." He muttered.
"Are you sure?" John asked, "You head down this road, there's no knowing what it will end with, and there is no going back."
"My family is dead. My brother, who I swore to always protect, is dead. Does it seem like I have anything to lose?" John regarded her closely, "Yes, I'm sure this is what I want."
"Revenge won't bring them back."
"It won't bring back who you lost, either." John thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You got a phone?" He asked. Rae nodded.
"After a knife and a gun, it was one of the first things I replaced. A Hunter without a way to contact others is gonna die within days." He held out his hand and Rae gave him her phone, watching as he added his number to her measly list of contacts.
"If you ever need anything, give me a call. And if you hear anything about the yellow-eyed demon, let me know."
"So long as you let me know anything you hear."
"Deal," John smiled, "I'll be in touch." He headed to the door, Bobby following him, closing the door behind them. When they were outside he turned to John, clearly not impressed.
"It's what she wants, Bobby."
"She's in mourning, the kid doesn't know what she wants."
"She's old enough to make her own choices."
"She's sixteen!"
"She's a Hunter's kid. She always acted older than she is. She wants this, then that's her choice."
"Balls, John. That's a load of bull, and you know it."
"Everything OK?" Dean asked as he and Sam walked over. The had been leaning against the car but when they'd spotted Bobby and John having such a heated discussion they had decided to walk over, see what was going on.
"Everything's fine, boys," John told them, looking pointedly at Bobby, silencing him, "Come on. We got a werewolf to hunt." Rae opened the door and stood in the doorway, leaving Bobby wondering how long she had been listening for. For a moment the boys just looked at her, she just watched them back, then she smiled.
"Good luck," She told them, "Have fun, all that sort of thing." Dean turned around and looked at John, who was just getting into the car.
"What did he want to talk to you about?" He asked. Rae glanced at Bobby, who had a rather sour expression on his face.
"Just checking how sure I am about the demon. A demon with yellow eyes isn't exactly an everyday thing and who knows what kind of implications it could have if I'm right and it did have yellow eyes."
"Makes sense."
"I'm sorry if he pushed you and made you a little uncomfortable or anything." Sam actually did look genuinely apologetic. Rae shook her head.
"Don't worry, he didn't," She looked past them at John, "You might want to get a move on. He's looking impatient." She was right. Dean just watched her a moment longer, not sure whether to believe her about anything she had just said or not. Then he started to head off, leaving Sam to just be slightly confused about what was going on. He could tell there was something else, something that he and Dean weren't being told. He'd have to talk to his dad about it later, or maybe discuss it with Dean.
"Not wanting to go hunt a werewolf?" Rae asked, "Sure, you can stick around if you like, I'm sure Bobby wouldn't mind, but from what I can tell, your dad isn't exactly the kind of person who takes being disobeyed or gone against very easily."
"Ah... he isn't," Sam smiled, "You look after yourself, OK? I can't imagine being possessed by a demon is something that easy to get over." Rae shrugged.
"I'm a tough kid. I'll manage," John pressed on the horn of the black impala and Rae scoffed, "You should really go. Before you get shit for it."
"If you ever need anything – "
"Sammy!" John called, Sam rolling his eyes.
"Go. I have Bobby. Don't even think about me while you're out there," She took him by the shoulder and turned him around, pushing him gently towards the car, "Now get outta here." He walked over to the car, climbing in the back and waving as they drove away. Bobby turned his disapproving glare on Rae, who just shrugged.
"What?"
"You really think this is what your parents wanted for ya, ya egit?"
"My mom always wanted me to be a Hunter," She turned and headed back inside, "Only thing she'd be upset about is the part where Ian and Dad had to die to make it happen. Wouldn't even care about her own life being taken so I'd turn Hunter."
"Give her more credit than that."
"I almost failed grade 8 because she kept pulling me out for one hunt or another. I wanted to finish school. Have a life. But no, she wanted me to be a Hunter first and foremost. Excuse me if I don't give her a little more credit." Bobby sighed. That girl and those Winchesters had more in common than he liked. Stubborn. Not the best past. And, currently, a rather poor view on people.

"Dad," Sam asked when they were stopped in a small hotel for the night, "Do you think that girl will be OK?"
"Yes," John told him, "She's a Guidry. That lot are tough bastards. Her dad, Owen, was a good man. Became a Hunter when serving over seas as a doctor in the army. And her mom, Sandra, was one of the best Hunters out there. Her family had a tradition. First born of each generation had to become a Hunter."
"So even if Raegan hadn't wanted to become a Hunter..."
"She didn't have a choice." Sam turned his concentration on the pile of weapons he was cleaning. He knew how that felt. Being forced to be a Hunter when all he wanted was to be normal. Not that she would ever really have been seen as normal, would she? Not looking the way she did, not with eyes so blue they almost seemed to glow.
"Do you think she's right?"
"What?"
"About the yellow-eyed demon." John frowned.
"I don't know," He said, "But I don't think it's a possibility we can take lightly." Sam was about to ask something else, John hadn't seemed overly convincing, when Dean entered, chucking the keys on the table and holding up a couple of plastic bags.
"I got pie!" He grinned.

Rae sat on her bed, wearing just her pyjama bottoms and a singlet, slowly unwrapping the bandage on her right forearm, grimacing slightly. The cut ran from the inside of her elbow to about the wrist and wasn't exactly the safest of injuries. It had gotten mildly infected, probably because the knife she had used to cut herself hadn't exactly been the cleanest. But she'd had to do it. She just hadn't wanted John or Bobby to know. It was the only way she had managed to get the demon out. Give herself an opening to push it out through, a moment of lucidity. A small groan of pain escaped as she pressed the wound gently, then clasped her hand into a fist. She was getting to be way too obvious. And if Bobby or her aunt found out about this cut... she sighed, then stood up and peered out into the hall before making her way to the bathroom, retrieving the antibiotic cream she'd been given to put on the cut. She could hear the TV on downstairs. With any luck Bobby would be asleep in front of it. A hiss escaped her as she applied the cream, biting her lower lip as the stinging sensation steadily got worse. But in a weird way pain was good. It meant she was alive. It meant she could feel pain. That was when she felt it. A sensation she couldn't quite explain. Slowly she looked around, heading over to the window. There, standing in the vaguely yellow glow cast from the light shining through the window, stood a young man, dark skin, hair, and eyes. A sly grin slipped onto his face when he spotted her and his eyes flicked to black. Rae lifted her chin a little, looking down at him defiantly. Then, without taking her eyes off him, she reached out and grabbed a water gun, opening the window just a crack and shooting him with it. She smirked as a cry of pain escaped him.
"Holy water, you son of a bitch," She muttered, then slammed the window shut, making her way downstairs and hitting Bobby awake. Under any other circumstance she would have grinned at the snort that escaped him as he awoke, but a demon at the door? Not a laughing matter.
"We have company." She said.
"What kind?"
"Not the nice kind. Demon. Might be more than one, but I haven't seen any."
"Downstairs." Bobby ordered. Rae frowned.
"What?"
"Get into the basement!" He almost yelled. Rae looked for a moment like she was about to argue, but the glare she got from Bobby silenced her. That didn't mean she couldn't show her disapproval, scowling as she turned and obeyed. Bobby followed a few steps behind, watching to make sure she went inside.
"Happy?" Rae demanded, turning to glare at him from the centre of the room, alarm appearing on her face as Bobby heaved the iron door. She ran forward, leaning heavily on the door, struggling to open it.
"Bobby! Open this door!" She yelled, only getting the sound of the door locking in answer. Then a panel slipped open, Bobby looking in. Rae glared at him.
"Open. The. Door." She ordered through clenched teeth.
"I can't do that, Rae," Bobby told her, "It's my job to keep you safe."
"I'm sixteen, I'm old enough to look after myself!"
"You're a kid. You got your whole life ahead of you."
"Robert Singer, let me out. If there are multiple demons out there then either you let me help you or you get your ass in here right now."
"And let the bastards do what they like? I'm not letting you out, Rae." Then he closed the panel, leaving Rae shouting abuse at him through the door.