A bright light was shining down on me, and I wondered if it was the sun. It felt warm and it seemed to come inside of me and make me feel good on the inside. It was like nothing I'd ever felt before. I blinked and sat up.

Where am I? I thought to myself. I looked around, but I didn't see anything familiar. I was in some sort of white room, the walls shining faintly, but the walls seemed to go on forever.

A loud piercing noise went off inside my head and I flinched.

Then a voice said behind me, "Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you."

I snapped my head around and stood up quickly.

In front of me stood a man, somewhat handsome, wearing a suit and trench coat. His hair was dark and windblown. His eyes were blue and his gaze gentle. A glowy aura seemed to shine out from him, and mirrored on the wall behind him were long, feathery, black wings. I blinked and they disappeared leading me to believe I'd imagined them. His hands were held out in front of him in placating gesture.

"Who are you?" I asked, instinctively shifting into a fighting stance.

"Castiel." He said.

"What are we doing here? Are we both dead?" I questioned.

Castiel shook his head. "No, you're dead. For now. I am an Angel of the Lord. I was sent for you."

I stared at him, my brow furrowed, completely at a loss. So maybe the wings were real after all. "You're an angel?" I asked.

"Yes."

I opened my mouth and then shut it again, still stunned. "So you're saying there is a God?" I asked finally. I mean, I had always believed that if there was bad and chaos out there then there had to be some good also. I don't think my brothers had ever really believed in God, but I suppose I always kinda had.

"Yes." The angel answered.

"And why were you sent for me?" A burst of panic set in. He was sent for me. "Oh, no. No, no, no. I can't go anywhere. I've got to stay with my brothers. I have to go back and make sure they're all right." I took a few steps backwards.

Castiel's face softened. "I was sent to take you back to your brothers. They need you. Heaven has work for you to do."

I furrowed my brow disbelievingly. "You're saying I'm gonna be alive when I go back?"

Castiel nodded and I gaped. All of a sudden, thunder seemed to shake the room or whatever it was we were in. Castiel looked up. "We need to go." He said hurriedly.

"Wait, what—" But I was cut off when he grabbed my arm and I suddenly found myself standing in the hallway of a hospital.

Castiel still had a firm grip on my arm as he looked around.

"What is it?" I asked louder than I meant to and I got several funny looks from passing nurses and patients proving that I was no longer a ghost. That I was no longer dead. I took a deep breath now that I could breathe again. I looked down at my body making sure everything looked the same.

"Can they not see you?" I asked Castiel as a doctor walked right past him without a glance.

"No, I'm only allowing you to, for now." He explained.

I nodded. Turning around I caught a glimpse of two familiar faces behind me. Inside I saw Dean and Sam talking. Dean was in a hospital bed and Sam was standing beside him. Both of them looked pretty beat up, but they were alive. That was all that mattered.

I moved to go toward them but Castiel's grip on my arm stopped me short.

"Wait. You can't just walk in and expect everything to seem normal. They will think something's wrong." Castiel explained and I turned a desperate look on him. His eyes were full of understanding lights and I relaxed under them.

"Ok. I guess you're right." I sighed. "But then how do you expect me to reveal myself to them?"

Castiel glanced into the room. "I haven't exactly worked that out yet." He said hesitantly. "But you can't tell them about me. Not just yet."

I rolled my eyes. Angel or no he was starting to be a bit frustrating. I pulled my arm from his loosened grip and barged into the room.

Probably not my smartest move.

"Sammy. Dean." I practically yelled as I ran up to Sam.

Both boys immediately turned their widened eyes in my direction. "Kenzie?" I heard Dean say quietly.

Then faster that I could blink Sam had pulled his gun. I stopped short, my eyes wide. I held up my hands in yielding gesture.

"Sammy, it's me. It's your sister, MacK. Kenzie." I said in a pleading tone.

"No, you're not her. She's dead." He grated out still not lowering the pistol.

"Test me then. Shoot me if you want. I'm not possessed. I'm not a shapeshifter. I'm alive." I said in a persuading tone.

"Sam, don't do it." I heard Dean say from the bed.

Sam spared him a glance and then shot me a dirty look. "But it can't be her. We saw her die, Dean. With our own eyes."

I held my head as an aching pain shot through it. Flashes of the exorcism flashed through my mind as I remembered the unbearable pain. I barely noticed as I fell to my knees on the floor, gasping for air.

I expected somebody to ask if I was all right but neither of my brothers said a thing. The again, would I have done anything if I were in their position? Of course not. I would have thought it were trick.

I swallowed hard and stood up again on shaking legs. When my vision cleared I noticed Sam had lowered his gun slightly.

I took a deep breath swallowing down the nausea that threatened to overwhelm me. I looked up and Sam and Dean as I blinked back tears of frustration and pain.

"I am your sister." I said quietly.

Silence and tension hung so thick in the room that you probably could have cut it with a knife.

Finally Dean said, "Sam get out the holy water and silver."

Sam stared at Dean. "You actually believe her. You actually believe she's not lying to us."

"I'm saying test her, Sammy. Maybe she's telling the truth. Maybe, I don't know, one of those miracles you keep talking about happened." Dean snapped.

Sam glared at him for moment and then huffed and did as Dean said. "Hold out your wrist." He ordered. I did so and he poured the holy water onto my hand. Nothing happened. Then he took out a silver dagger and sliced it over the palm of my hand. I winced, but nothing more. While he finished up the rest of the tests I wrapped a handkerchief over my hand and tied it tight.

When he was finished poking and prodding he came around and stood in front of me.

"I don't believe it." He said quietly.

I grinned and leaped into his arms. He hesitated less than a moment before wrapping his arms around me so tightly I could scarce breathe. He buried his face in my hair and I did the same taking in his familiar scents. Cheap shampoo, deodorant, and sweat. Not the most wonderful thing in the world but it felt like it to me.

When we finally let go tears glinted in both of our eyes, but we quickly dashed them away. "What about me?" I heard Dean exclaim.

I grinned at him and pounced into his open arms not letting go for several minutes.

"How are you back?" Dean asked me when I pulled away.

I opened my mouth to answer when suddenly I caught the look from a man standing in the doorway. Castiel, I thought. I must've looked funny because both of my brothers' heads whipped to the door.

"What is it?" Sam asked. "What do you see?"

I shook my head. "Nothing. Just a bit jittery, that's all." I tried for a smile.

Sam nodded, unconvinced. "So?"

I jerked my head back. "So, what?"

"So, how are you back? I mean, we watched you die. We basically," Sam stopped as his voice broke a bit. "I mean, we basically killed you ourselves."

I furrowed my brow and shook my head. "You didn't kill me." I said firmly. "That demon killed me, not you. It's not you twos fault so quit blaming yourselves."

"But—" they both started in and I cut them off.

"No buts. I don't blame you and you shouldn't blame yourselves either." Everyone was quiet for a few minutes until I broke the silence somewhat shyly. "I know what you two went through when I died. I-I was a ghost. I'd somehow attached onto my cross necklace and I ended up following you two around everywhere you went."

Sam and Dean stared at me. Finally Dean said, "So you're saying that you latched onto that necklace and you followed us everywhere."

I nodded and Sam looked a bit uncomfortable. "You mean like everywhere. Like in the bathroom—"

I cut him off immediately even though I knew they were just trying to relieve some tension. "No! Gross! I mean, like, when you rescued Dad, and the whole mess with the yellow-eyed demon, and then I ended up here in the hospital, and then, well, I just showed up and I was alive." I said remembering what Castiel had told me about not telling my brothers about him yet.

Both of my brothers gave me a funny look as if they didn't entirely believe me. I quickly changed the subject. "But ya know, after the car wreck it was like I just blacked out, or something. How long was I out? I mean, what all did I miss?"

Sam and Dean shared a glance. "The wreck was a week ago." Sam answered.

My eyes widened. "Hmm, strange."

Sam shifted. "Yeah. It is. And you said you just woke up here? And you were alive."

I deadpanned, not sure what to say. Luckily though I didn't have to answer more of their questions because Dad picked that moment to walk in.

We all turned at the knock on the door. Dad was looking at Dean but suddenly he stopped short. He gaped at me for a few minutes until finally I smiled and jumped into his arms.

He hugged me tight for several minutes. Then he pulled back, "How?"

I shrugged. "I don't know." I said my voice going up an octave when I lied. Castiel rolled his eyes from the doorway and I was tempted to stick my tongue out though somehow I don't think it would have seemed appropriate given that no one else could see the angel besides me.

Dad hugged me again and when he pulled back something didn't seem right. There was strange glimmer in his eyes. A pain deeper than I had ever seen before shone there.

He moved closer to Dean's bed his arm still wrapped around my shoulders. "How you feeling, dude?"

Dean shrugged. "Fine, I guess. I'm alive." He looked at me and smiled and I returned it.

"That's what matters." Dad said softly.

We were all silent for a moment when suddenly Sam exploded angrily. "Where were you last night?"

Dad turned toward him and I sucked deep breath. Please, oh please, don't let them start an argument. Not here, not now.

"I had some things to take care of." Dad answered calmly.

"Well, that's specific." Sam retorted.

"Come on, Sam." Dean said exasperatingly.

"Did you go after the demon?" Sam asked ignoring Dean's pleas and my 'please just shut up' look.

"No."

"You know, why don't I believe you right now?" Sam snapped.

"Sammy." I pleaded quietly.

Dad tightened his grip on my shoulders. "Can we not fight? You know, half the time we're fighting, I don't know what we're fighting about. We're just butting heads. Sammy, I, I've made some mistakes. But I've always done the best I could. I just don't want to fight anymore, okay?" He was pleading.

I glanced up at him and then exchanged a look with Dean. We all looked back at Sam.

Sam looked a little taken aback. "Dad, are you all right?" He asked.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm just a little tired." Dad said distractedly. "Hey, son, would you, uh, would you mind getting me a cup of caffeine? And why don't you get your sister something to eat. I'm sure she's pretty hungry."

Now that I thought about it I was fair starving. I suppose I would be given I hadn't eaten for a while now, and I wasn't a ghost anymore.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." Sam said. Dad gave me one last squeeze and then let me follow after Sam.

I caught Castiel's empathetic look on my way out, but I couldn't ask him what was wrong right now.

I trotted after my brother to the hospital's cafeteria. We didn't speak on the way. I mean, what did you really talk about after you just came back from the dead? I wasn't sure. I wondered if things would ever seem normal again. Maybe now that we were all a family again it could be like it was before Sam left for Stanford. All of us, hunting down the demon that killed my brothers' mom. As long as we were a family, I didn't care what happened.

Sam promised to take me to get a real meal later rather than making me eat nasty hospital food for which I was grateful. Instead I bought a cream cheese pastry and nibbled on it on the way back to Dean's room.

I'd managed to eat the whole thing by the time we got back and I was about to enter Dean's room when I heard a thud and I felt something wet and scalding splash the back of my legs. I turned in time to see Sam dash into a room and I heard him screaming for help.

I hurried to him to see what was wrong, and saw Dad sprawled on the floor.

Me and my brothers stood in the doorway watching in horror as the doctors tried to revive our Dad.

I barely heard anyone speaking. I couldn't tear my eyes from my father's lifeless face. I felt the tears on my cheeks that I didn't even bother holding in check.

"Okay, that's it everybody." I heard the doctor say. I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach. "I'll call it. Time of death: 10:41 am."

I sat slumped in my chair staring at a watercolor painting of a lake, sunset, and swans. Sam was getting the car and Dean was checking out.

I sighed. Why couldn't my life be as simple and cheery as the couple picnicking on the banks of the lake in the painting?

"I couldn't have helped your father." I heard a rough, familiar voice say beside me.

I jumped and looked to my right where Castiel was sitting his head bowed, fingers intertwined in his lap.

I looked around and seeing no one in the waiting area with me I said, "Don't speak to me." My voice was rough from crying.

"MacKenzie, I'm sorry about your father. But I could not have done anything. I couldn't interfere with something I have not been given permission for." I jumped again at the hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged it off. "Leave me alone, Cass. And it's MacK." I said hollowly.

I felt Castiel sympathetic eyes on my bowed head. "If you need me, just ask for me."

I didn't look up but I knew he'd gone. He still hadn't explained what he needed me to do and right now I wasn't pushing.

"Hey. You ready?" I heard Sam say from the doorway.

I looked up and saw Dean shouldering his duffel. I took a deep breath and nodded.

We burned Dad's body that night deep in the woods.

Sam cried silently the entire time and I caught Dean blinking his eyes rapidly during most of the proceedings. I let out a couple involuntary sobs, but other than that, all was quiet.

We spent over a week at Bobby's. I did my best to keep busy. I did research on different places the demon might be. I looked for jobs to do. I cooked for Bobby and my brothers, and I cleaned Bobby's entire house at least three times. I knew my brothers were worried about me. I mean, I never did house work. Ever.

But they didn't bother me. They had their own stages of grief and I had mine. I was worried about Dean though. He was the closest to Dad with me being second. Sam was of course upset, but not as much as me and Dean.

Weeks went by. We went on hunts, did plenty of our "normal" things, especially when Dean got his car fixed back up.

Plenty of unnatural supernatural things happened. It was expected with our cursed lives. Meeting Jo was fun. She was a lot like me. More my type of person.

Then with our cursed luck, Dean got arrested. Leading to both mine and Sam's as well.