A/N: And here it is, the first official chapter of my new story. I hope you like it!
If anyone asked Sam Winchester where he would be a year after witnessing his brother disappear in an explosion of black goo, he probably would've said it wouldn't be sitting at his kitchen table in his apartment, watching his girlfriend burn their eggs. But this was what he needed.
"Sam, what the hell, I thought she was supposed to stay in the hospital?" Adam asked walking over to his brother after Katie walked upstairs.
"She was, but when she woke up—" Sam shook his head. "It's like she wasn't even sure what was going on around her"
"Well she woke up in a hospital" Elizabeth said. "The last thing she remembers is Dean—"
"Has she said anything about it?" Adam asked looking over to Sam.
"She asked me if he was gone" Sam replied with a sigh. "I didn't have the heart to say it to her, but she knows" The room fell silent. Sam looked around the room and noticed some missing faces. "Where's Jason and Derrick"
"Oh, once they found out that Katie was in stable condition they had to leave, some sort of family emergency" Adam replied. "They didn't say what though. He told me to call him when she wakes up, I should probably go fill him in" Sam nodded as he watched his brother turn and walk into Gibbs' kitchen. Sam looked over to the two angel's in the room.
"Any word on Kevin?" Sam asked.
"No" Urim replied. "Where ever Crowley has him, he's hiding him very well"
"How bad is this?" Sam asked.
"Well a prophet is the source of immense information" Balthazar replied. "Information that can be detrimental if it gets into the wrong hands"
"So what you're saying is we're screwed?" Sam asked and the angel only nodded. "What about Katie?" they looked at Sam confused. "She should be able to find him right, her weird connection to anything that has to deal with your dad?" he noticed the look between Urim and Balthazar. "What?"
"Katie is totally and completely human now" Urim said. "Lux is great and powerful entity that was not meant to be used by a human"
"What are you saying?" Elizabeth asked looking over to the angel and Urim sighed. Everything that she was made to believe was slowly going out the window.
"Lux is still inside of Katie, but if she attempts to use the powers of the light she could die" Urim said her voice showing cracking.
"So she doesn't have her powers, and she, for all intensive purposes doesn't have the light either" Sam says. "She's just—" he sighed. "A normal human being?"
"More or less, yes" Urim replied. She had no idea what this meant for the future. Katie was supposed to always be there, the person who would handle the troubles that threatened the world, and now all of her great power was just gone. "Look, we have to go"
"Go?" Sam asked angrily. "What that's it, she's no longer your chosen one and you just leave!"
"We need to know what this all means!" Balthazar snapped back. "For all we know this could all be a part of the grand plan, or Dick Roman could've just signed the world's death sentence, so let us just figure this out and when we do, we will be back" And with that they were gone. Sam and Elizabeth stood in the living room, both thinking of the implications of what the angels had said.
"No" Elizabeth said shaking her head. Sam looked over to her. "This is not how her story goes"
"Yes it is" A voice says from the stairs and they both look up to see Katie coming down, holding her daughter firmly against her chest. "I have been fighting these bastards my entire life, I've saved so many lives and I've stopped so much evil" she looked down to her daughter. "Me and Dean planned this, after this fight, it would all be over" she looked over to Sam. "We were going to talk to you and Adam, but we were finally going to be out, we were just going to be a family" Adam walked into the room and Katie's eyes went to his. "C'mon guys, we've been doing this, fighting the good fight, and right now we deserve to live the lives in front of us"
"What about Dean?" Adam asked. "Do we not even try to find him, do we just give up on him?" Katie turned her eyes away from his.
"Dean is gone" Katie says. Those words now becoming too familiar. "And we have no idea where we would even start to look for him"
"So that's it, you can easily give up on him?" Adam asked. The Katie he knows would fight tooth and nail to find Dean.
"Dean wanted us to have a life" Katie replied looking down to her daughter. "Dean wanted us safe" she looked back over to Adam. "I've been fighting every day of my life and the only thing I have left is her, so yes that's it, this is what's happening" she looked over to Sam. "Life is short, and we deserve to live every bit of it" she turned and walked back upstairs passed Gibbs.
"They're just eggs!" Sam's girlfriend yelled snapping him out of his thoughts. "But they're kicking my ass" Sam only laughed before standing to his feet and wrapping his arms around her waist pressing a kiss to her cheek. "I can be domesticated"
"No you can't" Sam laughed. "That's why you're you, Annalace Carlson" Lacey turned in his arms and smiled. One day he just showed up outside of her apartment and now here they were. One whole year of just them.
"Don't call me that" she replied leaning forward bringing her lips to his. Sam wrapped his arms around her waist when they felt something move past their legs. Both looked down to see their Australian shepherd staring up to them, tongue hanging and tail wagging. Lacey smiled and bent down to scratch the dog behind the ears, something she knew he liked very much. "Aw, someone's feeling left out"
"I think Riot's trying to steal you from me" Sam said and Lacey looked up to him and laughed. "Don't give me that look" Lacey rolled her eyes as she stood to her feet. "You have work?"
"Yep" the woman replied before walking back to their bedroom to get her shoes. "And before you even try, don't"
"Don't what?" Sam asked leaning against the door frame as Lacey slipped on her shoes. She looked over to him and glared.
"Don't play blonde with me Sam Winchester" Lacey said after putting on her heels giving her a couple of more inches on Sam. He still towered over her but at least the distance between them wasn't that much. "You get that look in your eyes and I'm losing clients" Sam's hands slipped to Lacey's waist as his lips go to her neck brushing aside her now long blonde locks. "No!" she pulls herself away and nearly runs to the door.
"But you're the boss, you can be a little late" Sam says a big smile on his face. "Ok, I'm sorry, I promise to keep it in my pants, just a goodbye kiss" Lacey placed her hands on her hips.
"Oh, no you don't" Lacey replied backing up toward the door. "I will not fall for that one again" Sam was still moving toward her and when he was close enough brought his hands to her waist. "I so hate you right now" Sam smiled before slamming his lips to hers. She was definitely going to be late.
About an hour later Lacey was running off to work cursing her boyfriend as she ran out the door. Sam smiled. He would make it up to her later. He collapsed on the couch and as soon as he did Riot jumped onto the couch lying his head on his master's lap. Sam ran a hand over the dog's head before hearing the sound of his phone ringing. He looked down to the caller ID and didn't recognize the number.
"Yeah" Sam answered.
"Sammy" A rough tired voice said. A voice Sam hadn't heard in a year. "Sammy, you there"
"Dean?"
"The one and only" Dean replied.
Sam stood to his feet and Riot just down as well. The man began pacing his living room, his dog following behind him.
"Look Sam I know this is hard to believe—"
"Actually it's not" Sam replied. "I mean of all the things that could've happened you disappearing and reappearing a year later, not that hard to believe."
"Ok" Dean replied. "Well yeah, I'm at Rufus' cabin, it's the only place I could think to go"
"Yeah" Sam said running his fingers through his hair.
"So, you coming or what?" Dean asked.
Sam raised his head and looked over to the picture of him and Lacey hanging on the wall. They'd taken it on his birthday. She'd made him a surprise picnic, and him, the guy who doesn't do birthdays was actually happy about it.
"Sam" Dean replied.
"Yeah, right, of course I'll see you soon" Sam hung up the phone and slipped it back in his pocket. Dean was back and needed him, and he had to go. He looked down to their dog. Their dog. It was still hard to believe, that he was able to do this. Live the life he never thought was even possible and now he had to leave it behind. Dean was his brother. It's what Sam told himself as he went to their room and began packing his things. Dean was his brother. It's what Sam had to tell himself as he tried to write a note that could explain to her why he had to do this. But nothing felt like something she deserved. So he scribbled the only thing he knew to write and left it on the kitchen table before giving Riot a pat on the head. "Take care of her ok, boy" the dog simply continued to wag his tail as Sam turned and left.
Dean paced back and forth through the old cabin. It had been two days since he called Sam and only fifteen minutes since he called and said he was only five minutes away. Dean was anxious. He'd been back for a week and the only thing we wanted was his family. His wife and his daughter who had to be a little older than one year old. He'd missed so much and he didn't want to miss anymore. Dean stops when the door to the cabin swings open and someone takes a few steps in. Without thinking Dean tackles whoever it is.
"What the—" Sam says struggling under Dean's grasp. "I'm not a demon" Dean needs more proof and pours some borax over Sam, but nothing happens. "Or a leviathan" Dean stands back and grabs Sam's arm and cuts him with his knife.
"Or a shifter" Dean says watching as Sam grabs his arm. "Good" He holds the bottle toward Sam. "My turn, come on let's go"
"I don't need to" Sam says looking down to the bottle. "I know it's you" Dean shakes his head.
"Damnit Sammy!" Dean snaps before splashing the holy water and borax over himself. He holds the knife out to Sam. "C'mon!" Sam shakes his head.
"No! Dean, can I just say hello?" Dean scoffs before rolling up his sleeve and cutting his own arm.
"Alright" Dean says with a smile as Sam looks over to him confused. "Well" Dean looks back over to his brother. "Let's do this"
"I don't know whether to give you a hug or take a shower" Sam says and Dean smiles.
"Come here" Dean says before bringing his brother into a hug. It's good to see a familiar face.
Even if it's not the one he's been dying to see this entire time.
"Dude, you're freaking alive" Sam says as they pull away. He looks over to his brother still trying to wrap his head around this. "I mean, what the hell happened?"
"Well, I guess standing too close to exploding Dick sends your ass straight to Purgatory." Dean says and notices his brother's change of expression. "What?"
"No, it's just—" Sam shook his head. "Katie said that may have happened" Sam noticed his brother perk up a bit at the sound of Katie's name. "Wait, you didn't call her did you?"
"No" Dean says not sure how to feel about that question. She was his wife, if he did call her he had every right to. "She has a different number, and so does Adam, you're the only one who hasn't changed one of your numbers, I almost gave up"
"Oh" Sam says. "So you were in purgatory, for a whole year?" Dean looked over to his brother. Sam knew there was only one thing he wanted to know about and he was purposely avoiding the subject.
"Yeah, time flies when you're running for your life." Dean says. "About Katie—"
"How did you get out?" Sam asked and Dan sighed at his brother's interruption.
"I don't know" Dean said closing his eyes and running a hand over his face.
"Dean!" a voice called out to him so clear than anything he'd heard since he was in this place. And then someone grabs his hand and he's waking up in the middle of the woods.
"I guess whoever built that box didn't want me in there any more than I did." Dean says looking back over to his brother.
"What does that mean?" Sam asks and Dean sighs I frustration.
"I'm here, ok" Dean replies with frustration. "Back to more important things, where's my—"
"What about Cas?" Sam asks and that was certainly a sore subject. "Was he there?" Dean turns his back to his brother.
"Yeah, Cas didn't make it." Dean says and Sam looks over to him expecting more, but Dean doesn't say anything.
"What exactly does that mean?" Sam asks.
"Something happened to him down there." Dean says turning back to Sam. "Things got pretty hairy towards the end, and he... just let go."
"So Cas is dead?" Sam asks. "You saw him die?"
"I saw enough." Dean replied coldly as memories he tried avoiding came flooding back.
"So, then what, you're not sure?" Sam asked and the questions were finally getting to Dean. He didn't want to answer questions. He wanted his wife, he needed her.
"I said I saw enough, Sam!" Dean snapped. "Now stop avoiding what you already know I want to know" Sam didn't say anything. "What hell is going on, why can't I get in contact with my wife, or Adam or barely even you?" Dean shook his head. "I mean it felt like I was leaving messages in the wind."
"Yeah, I—" Sam cleared his throat. "I didn't get your message"
"How come?" Dean asked and Sam shrugged.
"Probably because I ditched the phones." Sam replied. "We all did, Katie Adam"
"Because...?" Dean asked.
"Dean, you were gone and Katie wanted out, she said it was your plan and she was going to follow through" Sam replied. He noticed Dean close his eyes and sighed. "She wanted to live Dean, with her daughter, actually have a life and I guess me and Adam wanted to do the same"
"So you just quit?" Dean asked.
"Yeah" Sam replied. "I mean you—you were gone, Bobby was dead, Katie was out and Adam wasn't leaving her and Hope alone" Sam shook his head. "Crowley shipped Kevin and Meg to parts unknown"
"So you just turned tail on the family business." Dean says and Sam can't help but shake his head.
"That's kind of hypocritical don't you think?" Sam asked and Dean looking over to him confused. "Katie told us your plans, that after Dick, you, her and Hope were going to actually live, like a normal family" Sam shrugged. "I thought you would at least want the same for me"
"I wanted you to fight those bastards like you were taught!" Dean snapped.
"Well my brother was dead, and my other brother and sister in law gave up the fight, so I did too" Sam snapped back to his brother. He can't believe Dean of all people is arguing with him about this.
"I wasn't dead." Dean says walking over to his brother. "In fact, I was knee-deep in God's armpit killing monsters, which, I thought, is what we actually do."
"Dean, look I get it, but I was alone" Sam replied. "I couldn't stay with Katie and Adam and watch—" Sam shook his head.
"What?" Dean asked. There was something Sam wasn't telling him. "Watch what—"
"Dean, Katie she—" Sam didn't know how to explain his wife told transformation over the past year.
"She what, Sam!" Dean snapped. Sam opened his mouth to speak but his phone rang interrupting him. He assumed it was Lacey again. She'd been calling him nonstop making the guilt of leaving her without even saying goodbye that much worse. Sam looked down to his phone and then over to Dean. "What?"
"It's Adam" Sam said before bringing the phone to his ear. "Hey"
"We have a problem" Adam said not even bothering with a greeting.
"What kind of problem?" Sam asked noticing Dean move in a little closer.
"Katie's missing" Adam replies. "And I have no idea where she is"
"Hope?"
"She's here with me" Adam replied. "Look at first I thought I was overreacting, but it's been days now Sam, and she's not answering her phone"
That's when Sam knew something was wrong. Katie always answered her phone, especially when she wasn't around Hope.
"Ok, we're on our way" Sam replied.
"Wait, we?" Adam asked. "You're bringing Lacey?"
"No" Sam said looking over to Dean. "Look I'll explain when I get there" Sam hung up his phone and looked over to his obviously anxious brother.
"What the hell is going on?" Dean asked.
"Katie's missing" Sam replied and saw his brother's eyes darken. "Look it might be nothing"
"Sam, I'm back with no explanation and now she's gone" Dean says looking over to Sam.
"No" Sam said shaking his head. "She wouldn't—" Dean looked to him confused. "I mean she would, she did, but not this time"
"What the hell are you talking about Sam?" Dean asked.
"Look, I'll try to explain" Sam said. "But we should go"
"Go, where?" Dean asked as he grabbed his jacket.
"Arlington" Sam replied before turning and heading for the door leaving his brother even more confused.
Sam and Dean had been on the road for a couple of hours. Dean behind the wheel naturally. He was glad that his car was in the same shape as he left, except for the smell Dean could only describe as dog.
"So start from the beginning" Dean said and Sam looked over to him. "With Katie, what the hell happened?"
"Well Adam's plan worked" Sam replied and Dean looked over to him remembering his younger brother kidnapping his daughter. "She pulled our Katie back and she went to confront Dick, with the full intent of killing him, but—"
"But" Dean said looking over to his brother.
"When she relinquished her powers she became human" Sam said looking over to Dean. "And apparently the light wasn't meant to be inside of her without the powers, which is why she didn't do anything" Dean turned back to the road.
"Then?"
"Then you killed Dick and the three of you disappeared" Sam replied. "And then Crowley showed up and took Kevin and Meg" Sam turned to look out the window. "That left me and Balthazar of all people to get Katie to the hospital"
"Hospital?" Dean asked and Sam turned back to his brother.
"She hit her head pretty bad" Sam said. "According to the doctors she was actually dead there for a couple of minutes" Dean looked over to his brother with wide eyes. "But they were able to get her back" Sam added even if it was unnecessary at this point. "She woke up eighteen hours later, more or less like herself"
"What does that mean?" Dean asked and Sam shrugged.
"I'm still not sure" Sam replied. "She just seemed different" Sam looked over to Dean who was watching his closely. "I don't know, she just didn't seem like herself, I figured it had to do with—" Sam cut himself off.
"Me, leaving again" Dean finished shaking his head. He turned back to the road. He figured it must have been hard for her, especially this time. This time she had the responsibility taking care of their daughter.
"Dean—"
"Tell me about Hope" Dean interrupted. He didn't want to turn this into a moment. He looked over to Sam who smiled. "What?"
"Dean, that girl is definitely your daughter" Sam said and Dean couldn't help the smile. "She's one and always finds herself in something" Sam reaches into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone. "Here" Dean looked over to see a picture of a little girl smiling, her face covered in cake. "This is from her first birthday" Before Sam knew what was happening, Dean was pulling the impala over to the side of the road and taking the phone from his hand. "I didn't think I could have so much fun at a one year olds birthday party, but this—" Sam looked over to Dean and realized he was being a bit insensitive. Here he was talking about Hope's birthday, when Dean wasn't even able to be there. He missed his daughter's first birthday. "I'm sorry man"
"She's so big" Dean says unable to take his eyes off of the picture. Her hair was dark and long like Katie's and her eyes were just as green as his. She had a few small teeth already in as cake covered her face. "She's beautiful" he looked over to Sam. "I missed so much"
"Look, you still have time Dean" Sam replied. "she still has a lot of life ahead of her, a lot of life you can be a part of" Dean nodded before turning and getting back on road.
Two days later Dean pulled up in front of a decent looking apartment building. He hoped that by now they'd have a house, a big back yard.
"This is it" Sam said as he and Sam stepped out of the car. He looked over to Dean who looked a bit nervous. "You ready for this?" Dean looked over to his brother and nodded before following him inside of the building.
"Sam, my man long time no see" a short man behind the front desk said waving over to the tallest Winchester.
"Hey Mike" Sam greeted before he and Dean got onto the elevator.
"Mike?" Dean asked once the doors slid closed.
"What?" Sam asked. "He's Mike, the front desk guy, he's alright"
"Yeah, whatever" Dean replied before looking up to the numbers that seemed to increased, until they stopped on the fifth floor. The doors slid open and Sam was the first to walk off. He looked back to Dean who seemed a bit hesitant, but walked off as well.
"You sure you're ok?" Sam asked looking over to his brother.
"Yeah" Dean said before clearing his throat. "Just go" Sam nodded before leading his brother down a long hallway before stopping in front of a door. Sam glanced over his shoulder to his brother before turning and lifting his hand to knock on the door. His fist only knocked once before the door swung open.
"Dude, did you stop, take a nap, before you got here!" Adam snapped. "She's been missing for a week Sam, no word whatsoever"
"Calm down Adam" Sam said. "I got here as fast as I could, plus there's this—" Sam moved aside giving Adam a good look at the brother neither one of them had seen in a year. Adam quickly reached behind him and pulled out his knife. Dean couldn't help but smile at his brother's stern look. His youngest brother was definitely not the kid he'd last saw. He was bigger, definitely been working out, his hair was a little shaggier, which Dean figured was Sam's influence. But his kid brother was actually a man. Dean was snapped out of his thoughts by the stinging in his arms. Dean looked down to see the cut along his arm and then looked back up to Adam. "It's him Adam"
"Don't" Dean interrupted. "At least he's smart enough to make sure" Adam reached into his back pocket and pulled out a flask. He unscrewed it and slashed the contents on Dean. When nothing happened Adam released a sigh a relief.
"It really is you, isn't it?" Adam asked looking at his brother. It had been a year and Adam always wondered what this moment would be like if he ever returned. "I'm sorry" he said quickly. He always expected Dean to hate him for taking Hope without telling him. "I took her, but I was sure—"
"Adam stop" Dean interrupted before bringing his arms around him in a tight hug. "You did good little brother" Adam couldn't help but smile as he gave Dean a pat on the back. Dean looked up when the sound of little feet pattering caught his attention. Dean pulled out of the hug before moving past Adam into the apartment, just in time to see a little girl run past him out of the room and disappearing into another. Without waiting for 'come on in' Dean just walked all the way in, following after the girl. He walked into a room, with so many colors, but his eyes were on the girl who was jumping up and down on her little bed in a fit of laughter. Dean smiled. He didn't know how much his missed the little girl until this very moment and she was just mere inches away from him. He looked her over unable to stop the feeling of regret of not being able to see his baby grow into this beautiful little girl. Hope's eyes went to the man standing in her doorway and she suddenly stopped jumping and laughing. Dean noticed the girl looking right at him and he noticed the fear in her eyes. "Hey, there pumpkin, do you remember me?" Dean took a step toward her, but the little girl slipped off the bed and ran out of the room past him.
"ADD-EEEEEE!" Hope screamed in search of Adam. She found him and grabbed his leg for dear life. Adam looked down to her before looking over to Dean, who looked heart broken. Adam reached down and picked the girl up into his arms as she held onto him tightly.
"It's ok, monkey" Adam said rubbing the girl's back.
"She's scared of me" Dean said unable to stop seeing that look of fear in his daughter's eyes as she looked at him. "My daughter is scared of me"
"She just doesn't know you, yet" Sam said walking over to his brother. "You just gotta give her some time" Dean looked over to his daughter who was holding onto Adam.
"It's her nap time, anyway" Adam said. "C'mon monkey time for a nap"
"Noooo!" she whined as Adam carried her back to her room. Dean was able to get another look to his daughter before she was gone.
"Dean—" Sam started but Dean just held up a hand before noticing the pictures that hung on the wall. Dean walked over and was able to see all the memories he wasn't able to be a part of. There were more picture of Hope, at the park or in a swimming pool and then Dean came across a picture of Katie. Her hair shorter than before. It was now shaped her face, as it stopped on her shoulders. She was holding Hope in a swimming pool, both smiling. Dean moves in closer to the picture able to see from the picture that something was indeed different about his wife. It was in her eyes, a sadness she seemed to be trying to suppress.
"Hey" Adam said coming back into the room. Dean looked over to him. "I'm sorry about—"
"Don't" Dean said. It wasn't his fault his daughter was now terrified of him. "Right, now we need to find Katie" Adam opened his mouth to speak when his phone rang. They all shared a look before the young man almost ran to answer to phone.
"Hello" Adam said. "Katie?" Dean and Sam moved in closer. "Nick?"
"Nick?" Dean asked looking over to Sam, who only shook his head.
"Wait, is she ok?" Adam asked and once again he was silent for a moment. "Alright, thanks" Adam hung up his phone. "She's in the hospital, Nick found her last night at the store"
"Wait, who's Nick?" Dean asked and both Adam and Sam looked over to him. "What?" the looks on their faces was answers enough. "Please don't tell me—" The last thing Dean needed to hear was that his wife had a boy— he couldn't even think it.
"No" Sam replied. "He's just her friend" Sam saw his brother release a breath or relief.
"Who's like completely in love with her" Adam added gaining a glare from Sam. "What, it's not like she likes him too" Adam turned back to Dean. "She's totally oblivious" Sam just nudged Adam in the side. "Ow"
"What hospital?" Dean asked.
"VHC" Adam answered and before he could say anything Dean was already halfway to the door. He stopped and turned back to Adam.
"Wait, Hope?" Dean said.
"Go, I'll watch her" Adam said. "Just call me when you know more" Dean nodded before he and Sam left.
"So" Dean said as they drove to the hospital. "Nick?" Sam sighed and looked over to his brother. He knew the whole Nick thing wasn't over.
"Dean, please don't do this" Sam replied. "Nick's just a guy who works at a book store down the street from their apartment"
"Seems like more than that" Dean said looking back to the road. "If the guys in love with my wife" Sam only shook his head. He figured there were some parts of Dean that would never change. "Anything ever happen between them?"
"Dean" Sam almost whined. "What are you even asking me?"
"I just want to know what I'm walking into here Sam" Dean said shaking his head. "I mean if she's really with someone else, with a different life—" The thought seemed to kill him.
"She's not and she doesn't" Sam answered. "Nick's just a friend to her"
"So she hasn't been dating?" Dean asked and Sam shook his head before looking out his window. "C'mon Sammy, I want to know"
"Dean, you've been gone for a year, so if she did go on one date—"
"So she did go on a date?" Dean asked interrupting his brother. Sam was happy to see the hospital up ahead. The moment they parked Sam jumped out of the car trying to avoid any further questions from his brother.
"Excuse me" Sam said getting the attention of nurse behind the front desk. "I'm looking for my sister in law who was brought in"
"Are you the patient's next of kin?" the nurse asked and Sam shook his head. "I'm sorry we can only—"
"I'm her husband" Dean snapped coming from behind Sam. The nurse looked over to him.
"Well do you have some identification with you?" she asked and Dean's patience was wearing thin with the woman.
"No" Dean snapped. "Listen you—"
"Sam!" a voice said and both brother turned.
"Nick" Sam said walking over to the man. Dean looked the man over. He was pretty tall, lanky kind of guy. He could totally take him. "Is she alright?"
"The doctor is in with her now" Nick says his eyes going to the man who walked up next to Sam. "They won't tell me much since I'm not family" Nick turns to Sam. "Who's your friend?"
"Oh, this—" Sam looks to Dean. "This is Dean, my brother" Nick's eyes turn to Dean with a looks that could only be described as shock.
"You're—" Nick seems to trip over his words a bit. "You're Kit's—"
"Kit?" Dean asks looking over to Sam who only shakes his head. "I'm Katie's husband" The man seems to plaster on an obviously put on smile and nods.
"Uh, It's nice to meet you" Nick hold out a hand and Dean simply looks down to it. He can't explain the undeniable urge to punch this guy in the face. Nick must senses he's not getting that handshake and drops his hand to his side. "I'm sorry if I seem a little shock I just thought you were, dead"
"Is that what Katie said?" Dean asked.
"Well, no" Nick replied shaking his head. "She never really talked about you to me, and we really talked sometimes—"
"Nick, what happened?" Sam interrupted the man before his brother blew a gasket.
"She was supposed to close up last night, but I forgot the keys to my apartment behind the desk" Nick said.
"Wait, Katie works at this bookstore or whatever?" Dean asked and both Sam and Nick look over to him.
"Yeah, she usually works nights" Nick replied. "So when I showed up and the place wasn't locked I got a little worried, I mean we've had trouble in the neighborhood and I was afraid something may have happened to her, but I found her in the box—"
"What the hell is the box?" Dean asked once again interrupting. Nick turned to him.
"Oh, it's like a locked room we keep some of the more rare books" Nick said. "She was lying on the floor surrounded by candles with a book written in latin" Sam and Dean shared a look. "What?"
"How did she look?" Sam asked.
"Dead" Nick answered honestly. "I was freaking out, because she was laying there so pale. I checked for a pulse and was shocked that there was one. I called an for an ambulance and they said that she was so close—" Nick shook his head.
"Where is her room?" Dean asked.
"Uh, down the hall" Nick said pointing behind him. "22" without needing anything else Dean was off to find his wife. "So that's Kit's husband?" Nick turned back to Sam.
"Yeah, that's Dean" Sam replied and noticed the changed expression on Nick's face. Nick was a nice guy, and he seemed to really care about Katie. But he knew somehow someway Dean and Katie would find their way back to each other. They always did. "So, hey are the books she was looking at still in the box?"
"Uh, yeah" Nick replied. "I didn't really have a chance to clean up, why?"
"I just want to take a look, if you don't mind?" Sam asked.
"Right, sure" Nick said. He turned back down the hall to see Dean standing outside Katie's door.
"She's alright" Sam said noticing the look in his eyes. "Dean will make sure of it"
"Right" Nick said with a nod before walking past Sam. Sam looked over to his brother as well who seemed hesitant to go into her room. Sam only sighed before turning and following after Nick. Dean finally got the nerve to go inside when the door opened and out walked a doctor.
"Can I help you?" the doctor asked. Dean glanced down to the man's badge that read 'Dr. Patrick Baker'
"I'm Katie's husband" Dean said and the doctor nodded. "Is she ok?"
"Well that's what I'm still trying to figure out" Dr. Baker replied. "From what I can tell so far she's suffered from a major case of organ failure" Dean felt his chest tightened at the doctors words. "Which is confusing since all of organs seemed to be in working order" Dean looked to the doctor confused. "In all reality this makes no sense"
"So, what do we do now?" Dean asked glancing over to Katie's door.
"Well right now she was given a sedative for the pain, but we're still running tests" the doctor replied. "Anything we do now could be a waste if we can't figure out the cause"
"So you're going to do nothing?" Dean asked angrily.
"Sir we're going to do everything in our power to figure out" the doctor said. "Actually I was going to ask your permission to use your wife's predicament as a case study" Dean glared at the doctor. "It's just this is something like this doesn't happen every day—"
"No" Dean snapped. "Figure out what's going on with my wife and you fix her" Dean moved passed the doctor into his wife's room. He stepped inside the bright room, hit with the sounds of beeping. He looked over to his wife who lay in the bed tubes and wires coming from her, keeping her here. Dean walked over grabbing her hand in his. "Hey, there princess" he leaned forward pressing a kiss to her forehead. He looks over her face and it's the face that got him through life stuck in purgatory. "Long time no see, huh?" She would have a witty reply, he knows it, but now all he hears are beeps. "You know when I imagined coming back, I didn't expect this" Dean pulled up a chair never letting go of her hand. "You're not supposed be like this, you were going to just look at me and smile that smile that always made me want to just grab you and—" Dean closed his eyes and brought Katie's hands to his lips. "What did you do princess?"
"She reached inside of purgatory and pulled you out" Dean jumped to his feet at the voice and turned to see Death standing in front of Katie's bed, cane in hand.
"What?" Dean asked. He turned back to Katie. "How—"
"She's always been the key to a door that wasn't supposed to be opened" Death says looking over to Katie. "So she found a way to crack open the door and pull you out"
"The voice" Dean says. He remembers the voice that whispered his name moments before he was back on earth. He shakes his head and turns back to Death. "How do we save her?"
"You don't" Death replies and Dean looks to him confused. "She's on the list"
"The list?" Dean asks. "List, what—" it suddenly hits him and he feels everything inside of him churn. "No, no" Dean shakes his head. "She does not die saving me"
"Of course she does" Death replied with an eye roll. "At least that's what she thinks, that an honorable death comes from save her family"
"But there's got to be something" Dean says looking down to his wife. "Wait" Dean turns back to Death. "Where is He?" Dean knows there's someone who can fix this.
"He?" Death asks.
"Don't play dumb with me!" Dean snaps walking around the bed to stand in front of Death. "He wants to take an extended vacation while everything goes to hell down here, than fine, but he will not let her die, not when she's been fighting, being hunted because of him"
"You're demanding the impossible Dean" Death replies. "As always" Death looks over to Katie and for a moment Dean thinks he sees some unknown emotion. "But she knew the consequences of using the light and she did it anyway"
"You can't tell me after everything that she's been through, that's she done for everyone that she doesn't get a pass?" Dean asks.
"Dean, don't you see she has gotten pass after pass" Death replies. "And now it is time for her to pay the piper"
"How much time does she have?" Dean asks and Death sighs. "How much!"
"Three Hours" Death replies before disappearing. The words once hour echo in Dean's head as he turns to look back at his wife.
"This can't be happening" Dean mutters to himself.
Sam follows Nick up the stairs of the bookstore where he finds the room littered with books. Sam also sees the circle of candles.
"What do you think she was doing in here?" Nick asks looking over to Sam.
"Uh—" Sam shrugs trying to think of a lie. "I'm not sure, maybe she was just messing around" Nick turned back to the room.
"I don't know, maybe" he replied running a hand over his face. "Hey, I'm going to get some coffee before I pass out, you want anything?"
"No thanks" Sam replies. Nick only nods before leaving Sam to search the room. Sam goes straight to the circle where an open book lays nearby. "Slipping through the veil" Sam reads with a quirked eyebrow. "Did you really bring Dean back?"
"So what do you guys think?" Katie asked, Hope on her hip as the walk into the apartment. "This is nice right?" She turns back to Sam and Adam who are still looking around.
"You mean to like live?" Adam asks.
"No, to convert into a crack house" Katie says sarcastically. "Of course to live, that's usually what people do in apartments"
"So you're really just quitting everything?" Sam asked and Katie looked over to Dean. "You're gonna give on everything, on Dean?" Katie sighed.
"Sam I could spend the rest of my life searching in books and in dark corners trying to find Dean" Katie said before looking down to Hope who was pulling on her shirt. "I have a daughter to raise" she looks back over to Sam. "I don't have time to search for the impossible, Dean's gone" She looks over to Adam. "Dean is gone, we have to accept it and move on" Katie turns around. "Let's go see your room sweetie" And with that she's walking away into one of the other rooms.
"Ok, so I'm worried" Adam says and looks over to Sam. "Something's not right"
"Yeah, that's pretty much an understatement" Sam replies.
Sam sits there confused. He and Adam always assumed that she was moving on and that meant giving up on finding Dean. They both thought it was weird, especially for her, but they accepted it. Now he realizes that maybe moving on was a good idea in theory, but not very easy to do. Sam picks up the book just as a slip of paper falls out. He grabs it and flips it open.
To whoever finds this letter,
Please do not read this letter if you're not Sam. Or Adam, but this letter was really meant for Sam. If you're reading this letter than you probably know the truth. I tried my hardest to be strong and to not dwell of the things I couldn't change, but I would look into my little girl's eyes and my heart would ache for him. The truth is I can live for this little girl, I can fight for her and I can make sure nothing happens to her, but doing it without him, without Dean. My Dean—my husband, the man who makes me smile simply by saying my name. It seemed to be killing me every day. Maybe this was selfish, or reckless or just added to the Winchester never ending cycle of sacrificing ourselves for the people that we love. To me it's me trying my hardest to bring back the man I love. So if you're reading this and Lux's warning of the dangers of using the light without my powers came true, then I'm sorry. Not for bringing him back, I'd never be sorry for that, but for leaving without telling you guys just how I truly felt every day since he was gone. Upside, maybe in death I can finally find God and ask him why the hell did he leave us high and dry. Yes, I can make jokes now. Oh, and tell Hope that she's the best part of me and that I know she'll be great and that her mother loved her more than-. I don't even think I can explain in words how much I love her, so tell her that.
PS (If this is Adam)- Thank you for always being there for us. You're one hell of a hunter and an even better man. You're destined to be something great. Never forget that.
PS2(If this is Sam)- I love you my unusually tall brother in law. Always follow your heart, and you better take care of my sister or I will find a way to come back and kick your ass. And no matter what anyone says I like your hippie hair.
PS3(If this is Dean)- It worked. You're back and I'm not. Learn from me, just end this stupid cycle now. I love you more than I ever thought possible and I know without a doubt that you're meant to be here. Always know that I cherish every moment with you and I will always be your princess.
Love,
Katie
Sam looked up from the letter and swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't believe she wrote a letter in case she didn't make it. He couldn't believe the past year had been an act.
"Hey" a voice said from behind him. Sam stood to his feet tucking the letter into his pocket before turning to see Nick standing with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah" Sam replied with a nod. "Hey, uh when did you hire Katie?"
"It's been like eight months I guess" Nick replied with a smile. "It was crazy because I wasn't even looking to hire anyone, but she walked in and—" Nick cleared his throat and looked down to his cup.
"Hey, man she's gonna be ok" Sam said and Nick looked over to him.
"Yeah" Nick said with a nod. "So what's going on, why did you want to know when she started here?" Sam just shook his head.
"I was just curious" Sam replied when his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket to see a familiar number. It was Lacey again but he couldn't answer it. Not yet, not when he didn't know how to explain himself, not when he wasn't sure if he should tell people about Katie. Sam slipped the phone back into his pocket. "Did Katie hang up here often?"
"I guess" Nick replied. "I could tell she was really into books and she really liked these old ones" Nick chuckled. "You know it was always weird that someone like her was a closet book geek like me" Sam lightly chuckled.
"Yeah, well she's always been a bit of a contradiction" Sam said and Nick nodded. "I think I'm gonna go check on Adam and Hope"
"Right" Nick said. "Hey, Sam, do you think you could keep me updated on what's happening with Kit?"
"Of course" Sam said with a nod. "Thanks for letting me look around"
"Sure, I should probably get this place cleaned up anyway" Nick replied before walking into the room and beginning to pick up some of the books.
"Well I'll see you later man" Sam said before turning and leaving.
Dean was pacing back and forth in front of Katie's unconscious body trying to think of anything or any way he could save her. He'd only been back for a couple of days and already thrown back into his life.
"It's no use" a voice said startling Dean. He stopped and looked over to see the face of a familiar little girl sitting on the window seal. "She's going to die"
"Lux" Dean said walking over to her. "There has to be something you can do, right?"
"You think if there was, I wouldn't have already done it by now?" Lux asked. She looked over to Katie. "I warned her that using me while she's completely human would have dire consequences"
"So what you're just going to give up on her?" Dean asked and the girl cut her eyes to him.
"No, I'm still here, I've always been here, can you say the same?" Lux snapped. She hopped from the window and walked over to Katie. "I've been there feeling what she's feeling, that sadness and the loneliness all because she missed you" Lux turned to Dean. "She wanted to give up one you, you know, to pretend that you were dead and that there was nothing that she could do, but one night she saw you"
"What do you mean she saw me?" Dean asked.
"In purgatory" Lux clarified. "And you were fighting and running and at first she thought it was all just a dream but she would have the same dream except you were fighting or running from something different each time"
"How is that possible?" Dean asked and Lux looked over to Katie.
"I've been asking myself that question since it started" Lux replied. "Creating a window between realities, isn't a part of my abilities and since she has no powers it's not within her either"
"There were times when I was down there and I was alone and I would swear she was there" Dean said looking over to his wife. "I always assumed that I was going nuts because she couldn't possibly—" Dean turned to Lux. "Wait, so you're saying after Katie had these dreams she believed that I was still out there and so she what decided to bring me back"
"Well no, there was more to it than that" Lux said. "She got that job at that bookstore because it was the closest place that had a decent ancient section, and so she spent her nights up there looking into purgatory and if there was any way to get you out"
"And she did?" Dean asked and Lux brow furrowed as she nodded.
"Yes" Lux replied. "There was a book, a book that after all the months she'd been in that box, she'd never saw. Until one night it appeared in back of the bookcase"
"Where the book come from?" Dean asked and Lux looked over to him.
"I don't know and neither does she, but when she opened it, there it was" Lux said. She noticed Dean's confusion. "The spell, Slipping through the Veil"
"Slipping through the Veil?" Dean asked. "You mean like—"
"Sneaking into places, realms, without being noticed" Lux said. "Of all my years I've never known of any spell to exist, but it did and it found its way to Katie when she needed it most" Lux looked over to Dean who seemed to be in deep thought. "What are you thinking?"
"Nah, it's just seemed kind of mysterious right?" Dean asked and Lux looked over to him confused. "And I only know one person who seemed to work in mysterious ways" Lux's eyes went wide before she turned back to Katie. Dean followed her eyes and then noticed the smile that came across the girl's face. "What?"
"You're not an idiot" Lux said laughing. She turned to a confused Dean. "You're right, this—" she turned to Katie. "There is more to this"
"What do you mean there's more to this?" Dean asked and Lux turned to him.
"I mean I wouldn't say any goodbyes just yet" Lux replied and then she was gone.
"What does that mean?" Dean nearly yelled.
"Sir" a voice said starlting him. He turned to see a nurse looking at him like he was insane. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah" Dean said clearing his throat. "I was just—" Dean turned back to Katie. "I heard that talking can help" the nurse only nodded.
"Ok" the nurse said. "The doctor just wanted me to come and check your wife's bruises"
"Bruises?" Dean asked.
"You didn't know?" The nurse asked and Dean only shook his head. "Your wife came in with multiple bruises along her body"
"Like someone hit her?" Dean asked and the nurse shrugged.
"Whoever did that, did more than hit her, she suffered a pretty bad beating" the nurse walked over to Katie's side. "But only to her body, not her face" Dean looked at his wife and he could feel the anger building up inside of him. There was still part of this story that he didn't know, but someone hurt his wife and he was going to figure out who. Dean watched as the nurse lifted the sheet and then lifted Katie's hospital gown when suddenly her expression changed.
"What?" Dean asked and the nurse turned to look at him.
"I think—" the woman stammered. She dropped the sheet and began moving to the door. "I'm going to get the doctor" the nurse was gone before Dean could as any questions. Once she was gone Dean rushes to his wife's side and lifts up the sheet to find nothing. His eyes wide as he sees her perfect, skin, no bruises in sight.
"It's time to go Chachi" a voice said and Dean looks up to see Lux again.
"What?" Dean asks.
"It's time for you to grab your wife and get the hell out of here" Lux snapped. "Apparently she is still needed" Dean heard commotion getting closer and closer to the room. Without thinking Dean reached his hands underneath Katie's neck and her knees and hoisted her into his arms. He stood there for a moment.
"How do I get out of here?" Dean asked looking over to Lux who only smiled and stood to her feet.
Suddenly the door to Katie's room pushed open by Dr. Baker, his eyes going wide at what he saw.
"Sir" the nurse said pushing passed him into the room. "I'm telling you, she was completely healed, it doesn't make any—" the nurse looked over to Katie's bed. "Where are they?"
"Good question" Dr. Baker said before turning to the nurse. "Get security, now!"
A/N: Umm... So what did you think?