Sam was more than a little confused.

He'd never seen Ellie this excited about hunting. Dean? Sure. Dean would follow their father to hell and back. While Dean was selflessly devoted to their father, and Sam was hardcore set against their father, Ellie had always straddled the middle. She was usually obedient, but had her own moments where she did what she wanted, damn the consequences. Sam was particularly proud of the night Ellie had snuck out to the talent show. He'd wanted to go with her, be there in the audience to support her, but Ellie wouldn't hear of it. I'm doing this, Sam. Not you. John had sent Sam and Dean out of the room before punishing Ellie for leaving, and it nearly broke Sam's heart to come back to find her still sniffling and crying, but he would never forget the pride he felt when Ellie finally told him about the show two days later.

But now, it seemed that Sam's worst fear was coming true. Just like Ellie had her secret about hating their mother, Sam's was that he was afraid of losing his sister to hunting. That she would join the rest of the family in what Sam saw as an unwinnable fight. And, Sam's worst fear of all, that his only ally in pursuing a life that didn't involve hunting was now gone.

The fight that was brewing in the living room brought all of Sam's thoughts to a standstill. An indignant Ellie was on her feet after John's latest proclamation.

"What do you mean I'm off the case?"

"You heard me." John said. Sam couldn't believe what he heard in his father's voice. Was John actually sorry?

"So let me get this straight. You don't believe me what I told you in the car on the way here, but I'm off the case anyway?"

"Yes."

"What sense does that make?"

"It doesn't matter if it makes sense or not. You're off the case." John said. "Go wash up for dinner."

"No, sir."

Ellie's clear but polite refusal immediately silenced everyone in the room.

"What did you say?" John asked, nearly silently.

"I said no sir. I'm not getting off the case."

Sam, despite his doubts of earlier, was slack jawed in amazement. Ellie rarely stood up to their father, but when she did, it was a sight to see. He waited with baited breath to see what John's response would be. John didn't get the chance to respond before Ellie spoke again.

"I found her. Or, more accurately, she found me. But for some reason, she only wants to talk to me. So if you want to find her body, or find out what happened to her, you're gonna have to use me."

Ellie fought, very hard, to keep her voice as level and respectful as she could. She knew that she'd crossed the line already by refusing to do as her father said. She also knew that if she played her cards correctly, John would see that she was being logical and realize that she was their best chance of figuring out this hunt. There was a tense few seconds as everyone waited to see what John had to say next.

"I just want you to be safe."

Ellie softened a little, but she was too invested now. She had to do this. "I know. I do know that. But I need to do this. I need to prove to you…" Ellie stopped, shifting uncomfortably.

"Prove what?"

"Nothing. Just…I need to stay on, okay? Don't take me off."

"Sam. Dean. Bobby. Excuse us."

"Dad, come on. Don't do this." Sam protested.

"Don't do what, Sam?" John asked impatiently. "I just need to talk to your sister. That's it."

"You never just want to talk…"

"Sammy." Ellie said, holding up a hand. "It's fine. I'll meet you outside, Daddy."

Ellie turned and left the house, and John saw her out the window leaning against the Impala. A still fuming Sam went to follow her outside, only to be stopped by Dean.

"Sam, I swear. I'm just going to talk to her." John said. "We've got some things to settle."

"Fine."

The fine grated John's nerves, and Sam knew it, and John knew that Sam knew it. But he buried the impulse to lecture Sam about his attitude and walked outside with Ellie. She was the important one right now.

What he found out there nearly knocked him flat on the ground. Ellie was trying to scowl, but instead was wiping away tears. She was standing next to the Impala, staring down at the ground, suddenly finding her shoes very interesting. John walked over and couldn't help but notice Ellie's barely detectable flinch when he got close.

"I want to know what you think you have to prove to me."

Ellie knew that her father wasn't making a request, and she knew that after her refusal in the house she was treading on dangerous ground if she refused to answer his question.

"Ellison, answer me."

"I have to prove to you I can do it."

"Why do you think you have to prove that to me?" John asked. "I already know you can do it. You don't have to prove anything."

"Yes. I do have to prove it. If I don't you'll ship me off again."

There it was. The truth, as he'd requested it, in all its ugly glory. He'd thought, naively perhaps, that Ellie had realized by now that he'd never send her away again. That he'd acted on impulse in a desperate bid to get her to understand that she needed to follow all his orders to the letter, not just the ones that he gave when they were on hunts. Maybe that made him an uncompromising bastard, but he couldn't give any inch in keeping her safe. Ellie sniffed beside him, and John cautiously took her hand.

He was briefly haunted by the image of a three-year-old Ellie, who reached out for her father's hand all the time. The three-year-old Ellie at that moment looked up and smiled at John, filling his heart with the closest thing he'd felt to fatherly pride in thirteen years. She was ridiculously adorable-tight blond curls, eyes the same color as her mother's, and missing one tooth in the front.

The thirteen-year-old Evy moved away from him, shattering that pride to pieces and filling him with a shame that seemed to encompass him and drown him.

All the things that John wanted to tell her were lost. I love you. I love you so much it hurts. The mere thought of losing you makes me want to burn the world to the ground. But he said none of that. He knew he should. He knew he should swallow his damn pride and take Mary's advice. She just needs her daddy to love her right now. But again, it was all stuck. All he could say was exactly what Ellie expected him to say.

"You're right. About the case. You made contact with the ghost…"

"Lily." Ellie said.

"Lily, and you should stay on it. Maybe this is a good hunt for you to get your feet wet. I'm trusting you to finish it. We'll go talk to Principal Adams in the morning."

Ellie smiled a bit, not daring to hope that it was true. "You mean that?"

"Yes. I do. But I want to make one thing very clear. When I give you an order, I expect it to be followed. You don't tell me no like you did inside earlier. You do, and you and I will be having that kind of talk I told your brother we weren't having. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you Daddy."

"Go inside and get ready for dinner."

"Yes sir."

John didn't know why it hurt so badly when Ellie walked away from him without giving him a hug. He saw her hesitating before she walked, and wondered if she thought he wouldn't accept it. He heard Sammy laugh at something inside, and shook his head. He'd have to fix this once the hunt was over. Right now, that was what was most important.