So we are officially past the halfway point! Hope y'all are liking the story so far. (:

Chapter Six

Rubbing Salt in The Wounds

The funeral had been a miserable, heart-breaking affair. Apparently, Sophie had been a very popular teenager, considering how the cemetery was flooded with people and well-wishers. Danielle had been exhausted all during the event, trying her best to smile and accept everyone's condolences. Anybody could see how taxing the funeral was, especially considering the fact that she had to take care of everything by herself. She didn't even have her family there to help her.

Sam, Dean, and Bobby tried their damndest to help; they kept her busy, whether it was research, cleaning around the house, packing salt into bullets, etc. The life insurance check was eventually delivered, seeing as how Danielle was the only viable recipient, with enough 0's to make the boys feel rich as kings.

Danielle was gracious enough to offer to split the money among the boys – she didn't want any of it – but they denied her, finally convincing her to keep it. She could spend it on them whenever she wanted.

Now, almost a week later, Danielle found herself in a very troubling situation: she had nothing to do. She stood in the middle of the spotless living room, glancing around in vain to find some trivial task to keep her busy. The boys were scattered around the house; Sam was closest, sitting in the kitchen and drinking the coffee Danielle had made earlier that morning.

Danielle's eyes fell on the laptop resting on Bobby's desk. They'd heard nothing from Castiel, and Dean had failed to find anything on the video that hinted to the family or Lilith's location. She went over to the computer, opening the lid and easing down on the couch.

She turned off the volume, opening the video and chewing nervously on her nail. She just wanted to see her sister again, alive and breathing, not a still corpse lying in a coffin.

Before the video even started, an email notification popped up in the corner. Danielle's brow furrowed as she opened the email.

'Hi, Danny. I think you remember me... I'm the guy from the video! Now, sh, I know you wanna run to Mickey and Minnie, but it would be best if you kept this to yourself. At least hear my proposition.

You email this address with your visions, and we won't hurt your family. Hey, we might even let them go! Consider Sophie an attempt to break the ice. We aren't really as bad as your friends make us out to be.

Okay, kidding, we really are. You have thirty seconds to respond or we cut off Gabby's foot.

Hugs and kisses.'

Danielle froze in horror, her skin crawling. Terrified, she replied with a simple yes, chewing nervously on her lip as the response popped up.

'Fantastic! Glad to have you on Team Satan. Report back in three hours.'

"You really shouldn't watch that video," Sam stated, coming in from the kitchen.

Danielle jumped in surprise, quickly closing out of the browser. "I- Uh, I'm not. I'm just, uh, looking for other, um, clues."

Sam cocked an eyebrow, clearly dubious. She sighed, shutting the lid and handing it to Sam, who sat down next to her.

"See if you can find anything. You are the one who went to Stanford, after all."

Sam smiled a little. "Bobby told you, huh?"

"No, I saw it in a dream," she returned just as Bobby and Dean came into the room.

"You okay?" Dean questioned like he always did whenever he saw her.

She nodded, giving him a faint smile. Dean was starting to believe her; the color was starting to come back in her cheeks, and her lips didn't seem quite so heavy. She still had dark circles under her eyes, but he was sure those would go away as soon as she got back on a normal sleeping schedule.

"So, what do we do now?" Sam asked blatanly, looking around at the current house inhabitants.

"We look for anything on that computer that can tell us where the demons went," Dean answered before glancing at Danielle. "Or for you to have a vision. Whichever comes faster."

Joy, Danielle thought, her heart sinking in fear.

Danielle woke up in a cold sweat, trembling and frozen with fear. When the stark terror that always followed her prophesies – even the good ones – passed, she found herself face-to-face with the horrible burden of getting up.

This was when she felt Sophie's loss the most. In the tranquil silence of the early morning, her mind always tricked her into thinking that Sophie was still alive. She always woke up expecting to go downstairs and see her younger sister. Sophie would look up and flash her older sister her heart-breakingly beautiful smile, the one that seemed to send boys into a trance and could always get her out of trouble.

But then the truth would hit Danielle as she became more aware, feeling like a crushing weight on her chest. It took her breath away; her sister was dead, and it was all her fault. She would never see the beautiful girl again. Her promising future was terminated, snatched away without a second thought. She would never get married or have kids of her own. She would never go to prom or graduate high school.

It wasn't falling asleep that made Danielle dread sleep; it was waking up.

She laid there for nearly an hour before finally heading downstairs. She glanced at Bobby, who was sitting at the kitchen table, poring over a newspaper.

"You okay?" Bobby grunted. She was more forlorn than usual, and she avoided Bobby's gaze.

"I had a vision," Danielle admitted with a frown, sipping from a Dr. Pepper. She stood in the kitchen, trying to remember her last dosage of painkillers. Was it safe enough to take some more, or had she already taken enough?

"What'd you see?" he asked.

Danielle's dark eyes slowly rose to meet his gaze. "I know who's killing angels," she whispered.

"Someone's killing angels?" Bobby demanded in surprise, setting aside his newspaper and sitting up.

"Yes."

Danielle jumped and shrieked, splashing her soda all over her shirt as the angel appeared in the doorway. She closed her eyes, slowing her heartbeat before grabbing a towel from a drawer.

Castiel turned his stony gaze on her. "Who is it?"

"I ... I can't tell you," she responded, carefully avoiding looking at him. "The way it goes now ... It's good. I don't want to mess it up."

Castiel's brow furrowed jut slightly, and Danielle went on. "You find him and kill him. If I tell you who it is, the future changes!"

"Who is it, Danielle?"

Danielle just shook her head, finally looking at him. Her puppy-dog eyes were morose as she stared apologetically at the angel. "I'm sorry, Cas," she muttered. The way she said it hinted at a much deeper, more foreboding reason than her withholding a name.

Castiel looked confused before suddenly disappearing again.

Danielle sighed, rubbing her temples and leaning against the counter. "Dean gets hurt," she whispered.

"What?" Bobby demanded, rising to his feet.

"He'll be okay; he just gets pretty beat up." Danielle chewed on her lip, nervously fingering her can. "So does Cas. What are we supposed to do? If we warn them, the future changes. They could die."

Bobby messed with his hat before finally just shaking his head. "I guess we just haveta wait."

"Uriel."

Danielle screamed, the freshly washed clothes flying out of her arms as she whirled around. Castiel was sitting in the creaky chair across Bobby's bedroom (where Danielle had been keeping residence for months now), his hands clasped tightly together.

"You knew it was Uriel." He raised his penetrating gaze up to Danielle's.

She frowned, nodding and sitting on the edge of her bed. "Are you... okay?" she asked awkwardly, not sure what else to say.

His brow furrowed, and he looked down at his hands. "I do not know."

"I'm really sorry," Danielle said. "Do you ... wanna talk about it?" Danielle always felt so awkward with situations like these; she never had any idea of what to say, other than 'God's got a plan' and etc. But she knew the angel already had a pretty good grasp on that.

He glanced up, his face blank of any expression other than confusion. "Why would I want to do that?"

Danielle blinked. "Um ... Oh, it's a human thing, I guess." He didn't respond, dropping his gaze back down to his hands.

"How's Dean?" she asked, trying to change the subject. What was he still doing here? Normally he only ever came back if he needed something. It's not like they were friends... Could he even have friends?

"He's recovering," Castiel answered shortly.

"Oh," Danielle returned simply. An awkward silence stretched by, during which Danny inwardly pleaded with God to free her from this situation.

Finally, Cas stood up, trench coat swishing around his body. "I understand your decision not to tell about Uriel," he stated.

Danielle, completely lost about what to say, just nodded. "Uh, okay? Thanks?"

He paused for a moment, obviously thinking hard about something. "I'm sorry about your sister," he eventually said.

Danielle blinked in surprise, not expecting the sudden condolences. Especially not from Cas; the angel didn't even seem like he could be sorry. She still hadn't figured out how to respond before he inclined his head just slightly and blinked away.

Sam and Dean showed up a few days later, sporting bandages and frowns. Danielle spoke to each of them separately (it was the least she could do, considering how they'd helped her while she was grieving), assuring Dean that it wasn't his fault the apocalypse started, and promising Sam he wasn't a monster. It was hard to get her point across the stubborn boys, but she didn't give up until she was sure they at least took her words into consideration.

Not much later, Dean got a call from a boy claiming to be John Winchester's son. Needless to say, they packed everything up and hit the road, reluctantly bringing Danielle with them.

Windom, Minnesota

They checked into the skeevy motel, and Dean couldn't help but smirk at the disdainful glances Danielle was sending everywhere.

"Something wrong, princess?" he teased.

"Is that a- I just saw a cockroach," Danielle muttered, her lips pressed together as if she was fighting back the urge to gag. "What's so bad with a nice Hampton Inn? Holiday Express?"

Dean chuckled. "You're gonna have to forget all about that if you wanna roll with us."

"I don't wanna roll with you," she retorted as they reached their rooms. Hers was right next to theirs, and she couldn't even manage to get the door open. "Dean!" she whined, stepping back and giving him a pitiful look.

"You just gotta," Dean started, pushing the door. When it wouldn't budge, he wedged his shoulder and gave it one big shove. It burst open, dust showering down from the frame. "Put your shoulder into it," he finished, grinning at Danielle's disgusted face.

She suddenly sneezed, groaning. "I'm allergic to dirt!"

"I thought you were from the South!" Sam called through the wall.

"I am!" Danny shot back as Dean opened the door connecting their rooms. "I just don't like dirt and roaches in my bed, no matter where I'm from!"

Sam chuckled, shaking his head.

"So where is this brother of y'all's at?" Danielle asked when they finally got settled in.

"He's gonna meet us at a diner in about two hours," Dean responded, surfing through the TV channels.

"Thanks for coming," Sam added from his table where he was studying. "I mean, it can't be easy dropping all your family stuff to come help with ours."

Danielle frowned, crossing her arms and leaning in the doorframe. "It's the least I can do," she answered in a small voice. "Plus, this keeps me busy. Keeps me from thinking."

"Well if you two are done having a moment," Dean interrupted, "We're leaving in thirty minutes."

"An hour and a half early?" Danielle demanded. Dean just nodded, and Sam smirked at her exasperated glance. She shook her head, walking into her room and mumbling, "You're just like my dad."

"What are you planning to do, accidentally stab him?" Danielle questioned.

"I'll just give him the silverware," Dean retorted, handing the utensils to Danielle, who set them up next to her.

"Oh," Danny sighed, sitting back in her corner. "So what was wrong with an Applebee's or something? I mean, even a McDonald's woulda been better."

Sam laughed, and Dean just shook his head. "Never had McDonald's, never will."

"Never?!" Danielle gasped. "What kind of childhood did you have?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Dean asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Sam was distracted by something behind Danny. He furrowed his brow, sharing a glance with Dean. "Adam?"

Danielle turned and followed their gazes to a - very attractive - confused young man. He looked to them and headed over.

Danny's face flushed scarlet, and she quickly hid her face, trying to get herself under control. Not for the first time, she inwardly kicked herself for being so awkward around cute boys. Sam and Dean were no exception, of course, but because of her dreams long before meeting them, she had gotten somewhat used to them.

"Sam and Dean?"

The brothers nodded, and Danielle scooted closer to the wall to allow Adam some room.

"Um, so how did you know my dad?" Adam asked.

"We worked together," Sam answered.

Adam casted a nervous glance around the table, and Danielle did her best to ease his concern by shooting him a small smile. She listened and watched as they interrogated Adam, and he passed all the supernatural tests with flying colors. They went back to Adam's house, examining the crime scene.

Danielle knelt down next to the bed, staring underneath the mattress where Adam's mother had disappeared. She crossed her arms, propping her chin on her hands as she tried to find any clue as to where the woman had gone.

Dean kicked Danielle's foot, and she jerked up, ramming her head against the bed frame. She hissed in pain, rolling onto her back and glaring at Dean for a second before laughing with him. "I hate you," she pointed out, turning back over onto her stomach.

"Watch out for the dust bunnies, princess," Dean warned, chuckling. "They bite."

"So do I," she retorted, shooting him a smile over his shoulder. She went back to staring, noticing a small piece of fuzz. She furrowed her brow at it, squeezing more under the bed. The fuzz drifted up and down and in lazy circles, never once touching the ground. Almost as if there was a ...

"Guys, there's a draft," Danielle stated, sidling out from under the bed and standing up. She pushed against the bed, making it slide a foot or so. Sam came over and helped pull it aside, revealing a small air vent in the floor. Cool air rose up from the hole, accompanied by the smell of wet moss.

"If anyone here likes enclosed, dark spaces, now would be the time to speak up," Dean said, glancing around at their crew. "Danny?"

She snorted, shaking her head. "Never in my life."

"Wait, you aren't actually gonna go down there?!" Adam demanded, his eyes wide.

"See that?" Sam asked, pointing to a dark spot on the wood. "That's blood."

"So you think ... My mom's down there?!"

Sam and Dean did rock, paper, scissors, which Dean lost - not surprising, according to Sam. Danielle stood quietly until Dean came back, quietly announcing he'd found evidence of his mom. They called the police and bailed before they could show.

They were only at their motel room for an hour or so before Adam showed up, demanding answers. Despite Dean's protests, Sam gave his half-brother all the information he wanted.

When Dean stormed out of the room, Danielle followed, figuring she could help with damage control.

"Dean!" she called. The man kept going, ignoring her. "Dean, slow down!" She jogged to catch up to him.

He finally whirled around. "What?" he snapped.

She flinched at his sharp tone, grimacing. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "How about the fact that this kid pops in out of the blue, claiming to be our brother? You see, Sam- He has no problem believing whatever that kid says. It's a trap! No one just trusts that easily!"

"I do," Danielle answered, squinting in the setting sun's harsh light. The sun made her hair turn russet, and her eyes glowed auburn.

"Yeah- Well- You're ... you!" Dean shot back, clearly at a loss of what to say. "Things are different with you!"

"Yeah," Danielle agreed, sitting on the hood of their car. "Everything about Adam checks out, though."

Dean gritted his teeth. Her annoyingly sweet, patient voice of reason was driving him up a wall. He just shook his head, opening the door. "Get in the car."

Uh oh... Danny's getting blackmailed... Do y'all agree with anything she's doing? Or do y'all think she's just struggling? XD

Thanks for all the favorites and follows! A special thanks for all the reviews; those are the best *HINT HINT* (;

EmilyRose475: Thank you! (:

Swanny29: Omg thank you so much (': I didn't even feel like I wrote it that well, but I guess I did good enough XD Hahaha thank you!