Where The Wild Things Are

by MarionLuth

When Sam & Dean investigate a young singer, who shares their Winchester name & face, their lives collide. And...she's hiding a dangerous secret. A Supernatural dramedy deeply developed & richly written, with strong canon characters. Angels, demons, the earth's only Nephilim, Lucifer, Crowley, Jody Mills, Claire, Alex, the boys & a teen girl with the heart of an angel. Spanking.

33. Welcome to Where Time Stands Still

A/N: We're so excited as this story is progressing.

So, Amber has left the bunker in desperate frustration over her brothers' determination that Kelly's nephilim child has to die because it's father is Lucifer...never considering this nephilim child is also Kelly's.

What will happen now?

Read on and all will be revealed.

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We appreciate you all so much! Your reviews and PM have become so treasured between us. We've developed new friendships among our readers and fellow writers on this site...so even more connections out into the world.

Very cool, this.

Domestically, MarionLuth has been juggling even more with her wee one sprinting through some amazing growth spurts...growing 1" in two days!

Can you believe this!

LauWhisperer, while still amazing in her own way, soldiers on holding down the fort and getting it done. That's how teamwork goes.

Without further delay, here is the next episode in our Supernatural story, WTWTA.

Enjoy and please...leave us a review. ¸.•´¸.•*¸.•*´¨`*•.

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Chapter 33

Welcome to Where Time Stands Still

Title credit: Lyric of the song Welcome Home (Sanitarium), by Metallica (Album: Master of Puppets, 1986)

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It looked exactly like it did months ago. Same bedspread. Same stack of school books. Same trash on the floor...or at least it looked that way. Cautiously peering around her, Amber was looking for Tyler. Not home. Sighing, she sat down on the edge of his bed and started scrolling through her contacts.

When she heard his voice on the other end of the line, Amber couldn't help the big smile that on her face, her heart feeling lighter.

"Dude…your room's a mess… Yeah, Ty. It's me, Amber."

Tyler, excited to hear Amber's voice, wasn't letting her get a word in.

"Dude, it's great to hear from you. God, I've missed you so much." Then, reflecting upon the circumstances of their adventure in Denver and the tone of their last phone call, he wondered if anything had changed for her. "Hey, are you allowed to call me? You safe?"

Then her words registered. "My room? ARE YOU HERE?!"

"Why don't you come home, Ty?" She answered carefully, avoiding confirming anything. She hadn't warded the space yet and she needed Ty to get there to turn off the GPS functions and ensure nobody could spot her at his place. Magic wasn't the only way she could be found and she knew that all too well.

Letting out a laugh at the sudden ending of their call, she knew Ty got the message. Throwing her backpack onto his bed, and removing her shoes to avoid making any noise, Amber went to his desk and started rummaging for a permanent marker. She needed to get warding up.

Waiting for Ty to arrive, Amber sifted through the French book on high magic. She had several potential spells she could use...and she'd copied down two powerful sigils from her research. One was angel warding, which worked. Kept Cas out of her room well enough. And the other was the equivalent for demons. Keeping them out...well, this was imperative. Combining them for a compounded effect, Amber was considering this. She focused her attention to draw them perfectly to their last detail and allowed herself to get lost in this process of drawing the intricate symbols and whispering the latin chants from the book. It took her all of fifteen minutes but she was pleased with the result. She knew they'd only work for less powerful angels and demons, but it was the best she could do. They'd have to suffice.

Hearing a car pulling up, Amber walked close to the window, remaining close to the wall. She watched Ty park his car, feeling a tug of love and longing as she saw him hastily getting out and heading into the house.

Doors opening and closing, the sounds of approaching feet and the bedroom door was opening. There he was, Tyler stood in the doorway, a look of happiness clouded with something else.

Not stopping to ask, Ty reached out and Amber walked into his embrace, squeezing the stuffing out of him.

"Augh! Easy, dude."

"God, it's so good to see you," Amber said quietly, not easing up the strength of her hug in the slightest. Ty was everything she longed for. Familiarity, trust, love, security. He was not a hunter, nor had he any special powers, yet his presence alone was everything she needed. All she cared about in that moment.

Ty, as happy as he was to see her, was concerned for her safety. Her brothers had been very clear about the separation being for Amber's safety. Amber herself, in that one call, had repeated this, too. And more than that, he could sense she was not alright. He knew her looks, her tones, actually he knew better than he knew himself and Amber was not okay.

"So...still happy to see you, but are you safe? What are you doing here?"

Easing up on her embrace, Amber looked up at Ty so she could speak to him. He'd grown a few inches since she'd seen him last.

"Well, that's what I want to talk to you about. I'm kind of looking for a place to hide out for a while."

Brow furrowing, Ty considered her words. "For a while? You know you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to, but what about your brothers? Amber, are you safe here?"

Looking off to the side, Amber was considering her answer. Tyler saw this and understood it must be complicated. Still, his concern for her needed reassurance that she'd be safe at his place. He couldn't be a part of anything that put her at risk.

"Ty, I won't lie to you...I'm not safe anywhere at this point. I can't be home, though. Not right now. Not sure if I'll ever go back there. I've secured your room, though. I wouldn't want you to be in danger because of me. You work your tech magic to make my phone untraceable and we'll be even safer. Please Ty... "

Tyler's face fell, his brow creased with concern.

"Did they hurt you? Was your mom right in warning you to stay away from them?" Ty asked, earnestly trying to figure out what was going on but also reading her reluctance to open up completely.

"They didn't hurt me no. Not in the way you're thinking anyways. They're just… Not who I thought they were. They made some questionable decisions I want no part of, let's put it like that," Amber tried to explain as best as she could. And how could she explain anything more to Ty? He knew the bare minimum about her world. Josh had filled him in when he'd last visited Reno. Amber knew as much. But he still had no idea about her situation. Or did he? Amber realized her web of lies was getting too tangled and she'd have to open up to Ty sooner or later. But right now she didn't think she was able to.

"Josh got hold of me when he was in Reno last. Said he'd run into you and your dad and uncle. Is Dean your dad? I thought they were your brothers..."

"First off, Ty can you stop anyone tracking me using my phone?"

Tyler sighed and extended his palm. "Give it here and I'll make sure it's untrackable. Then I'll get you something to eat and drink. You look like shit. We can talk later about everything."

With a grateful smile, Amber handed her phone over to him.

"God, I love you, Ty. Thanks…I mean it."

Tyler simply focused on the task at hand, scrolling and tapping on the small device with expert dexterity. Turning away to focus on the phone's settings and app downloads, Ty happen to notice a weird drawing on his door. It was in blue marker.

Pausing long enough to look back at Amber he asked, "What the hell is that?"

Amber considered her response. Deciding he'd know soon enough anyway, she simply told him the truth.

"It's angel warding. It keeps angels out. And that one…." she continued, pointing to the second drawing near the window, "...is the equivalent, but for demons. They can't get past this. I know Josh has filled you in on the basics of our world, right?"

Tyler nodded.

"He did. And a blonde guy… I think you sent him, or that's what he told me, He also mentioned a few things."

Jaw clenching, Amber remembered she had indeed sent Kyle to make sure Josh and Ty were both safe. When she'd found out about all the demon activity in Reno, it has been one of the things she could get Kyle to do. It was then that Ty was first informed about the supernatural world and hunters. This world Amber was now a part of.

"Yeah, I sent him," Amber replied, feeling even angrier with herself for trusting Kyle with keeping her friends safe. "Look, I promise I'll tell you everything in detail, I know you must have a million questions. And I need you to tell me what Kyle told you when he was here. But please, finish with my phone first. We really need to hide my location right now."

Getting back to work on her phone, Ty finished working his magic in less than three minutes, before handing it back to her.

"You're all set. I'd keep it turned off just in case if I were you."

Nodding, Amber followed his advice and turned it off before pocketing it.

"Pizza and beer?" Ty asked.

"Aren't your parents home?" Amber asked back.

"Nope. Business trip. We're set till the day after tomorrow."

"I'm down for pizza. But beer… If I ever needed something stronger it's now. And I'm pretty sure you'll need something stronger too, once we've talked about everything."

Smiling a devilish grin, Tyler was all down for the hard stuff..and he knew where to find it.

`"Let's go downstairs. We haven't raided my mother's liquor cabinet in ages!"

Watching her grabbing the blue marker before following him, he hoisted a hand up.

"Whoa! What do you think you're doing with that?" He asked in a worried tone.

"I kinda need to ward the whole place," Amber said apologetically.

"Dude…if my mother sees anything on her walls, demons and angels are gonna be the least of our problems!"

"I'll do it behind paintings and stuff… I promise she won't notice, Ty, but I really can't be in any space that's not warded."

Tyler looked uneasy.

"Josh painted this weird thing under the front door rug, isn't that enough?"

"Josh doesn't know how to ward shit, Ty. I'm guessing he's drawn a demon trap. Not particularly smart. If a demon walks over it, it'll keep him inside that drawing. Won't keep out shit. What I want to do will keep them from entering in the first place, which is kind of the point, don't you think? This will keep your entire house from being seen by them in the first place."

Sighing Tyler finally nodded. "Fine. But you make damn sure they're hidden and discreet okay?"

"You let me worry about that. Order our food, find the booze, and I'll be done before you know it. And you and your family will be even safer from intruders after I leave."

"But will we be safer from my mom…" Ty trailed off, grumbling as he went in search of his parents' booze.

Amber worked her way around the house, drawing wardings on every surface she could discreetly hide a sigil on. She was duplicating her work, one of each sigil on every wall. Then it struck her, how about combining these two sigils into one. Would this even work?

With so many sigils already up, Amber decided to try this combination up in Ty's room. At the very least, the rest of the house would protect Tyler's room if it didn't work. At the very most, Ty's room would be a fortress.

Heading up stairs, Amber proceeded to superimpose both sigils onto each other using what she'd already drawn. It looked quite artistic...in an arcane way.

Coming up the stairs, Ty had a bottle of Lagavulin. Apparently, his parents liked their Scotch Whiskey. Bringing up two water glasses and the bottle, Ty was feeling a Déjà vu. This felt like old times...striking memories of the many times he and Amber celebrated or drowned their sadness together. He'd really missed her.

Amber, kicking off her boots plopped herself onto his king-sized bed, scooting up to rest against the headboard. The familiarity of the space, her friend's presence, and their modus operandi in regards to booze, whenever his parents were out of town, felt so soothing to Amber. In the whirlwind of the last couple of hours she hadn't had the time to register anything other than the fact that she needed this.

"So…" Ty began. "How long have you known about all this demon stuff?"

Looking up at Tyler as he was pouring them each a drink, Amber was considering how to answer this. She wasn't' going to hide anything from him. Knowing was better than not knowing.

"Since I turned thirteen. That's when I ran away from my foster family, when I learned about everything. And about who and what I am," Amber replied.

"What you are?" Ty repeated her words uneasily.

"So… You know there are angels and demons… When an angel has an offspring with a human, this offspring is called a Nephilim. A human-angel hybrid basically," Amber told him, watching his face and body language for freak-out ques. She saw none so far.

"Okay… How does that connect to you?" Ty asked perplexed.

"When I was thirteen, this is when I learned about my mom and dad." Stopping here to decide how to sum it all up. "My dad was John Winchester, Sam and Dean's dad. His wife had died around the same time Sam was born. Apparently, he had a relationship with an angel a few years later...an angel who was using a woman's body as a vessel. I wasn't planned, obviously."

"So…you're telling me you're some sort of human-angel hybrid?" Ty asked, his tone betraying his awe. "Woah, dude! That's freaking awesome!"

Chuckling Amber shook her head. "I wish it was. We're not popular in my world, Ty. Everybody wants a piece of me."

"What do you mean, 'everybody wants a piece of you'?"

"Everybody wants me dead. Everybody considers nephilims dangerous abominations. Bringers of death and destruction. A nephilim heart is used in high magic, so guess who has to keep running away from that shit? Like I said, EVERYONE. Hunters like Josh and my brothers, angels, witches, demons… You name it."

"Josh? What has Josh got to do with this ? He can't possibly want you dead. You two, were like, dating."

"Yeah. Sort of. You know his deal. A chick in every port. Out of sight, out of mind...that kind of thing. But for hunters like him and his dad, they kill nephilim like me. No questions asked. He didn't know what I was when we were dating."

"Does he know now?"

"No."

"You think he could really turn against you? Just because of what you are?"

Amber considered this.

"No. Honestly, I don't think he would. But he wouldn't blink at the idea of killing another nephilim he had no past or history with. Just like my brothers. They're willing to sacrifice others for me, but when they got whiff of a new nephilim being on the way they immediately jumped into planning his death."

"You know, Josh was real talkative about meeting up with you. Kinda mentioned how tough you had it with your 'dad and uncle'."

Ty was watching Amber's face as she listened to him...and her expressions changed in unexpected ways. Clearly she wasn't so happy with Josh telling him, and probably lots of others, about meeting her...and her 'dad and uncle.'

"To protect my identity we devised this ruse with my brothers… Telling everyone I was Dean's daughter. So that nobody would suspect what I am. There were some rumors back in the day about John and an angel and we didn't want to risk anybody doing the math, you know, guessing my age and figuring it out," Amber explained.

"When we happened upon Josh on a hunt… We played it that way. He still thinks Dean's my dad and Sam's my uncle."

"So… Is that why you left them? Your brothers? Because of what you told me about this new nephilim?" Josh was jumping around with his questions, but he was trying to figure everything out. It was a lot.

"Yeah."

Stopping to think about everything, Amber took a big gulp of whiskey. Ty watched her lapse into silence and wondered how bad it was and what had happened.

"So… They still want to keep you safe?"

"At the price of two other lives, Ty. One of which is an innocent baby's. And the other is his even-more-innocent mother who hadn't even planned for any of this to happen," Amber answered curtly.

"And I asked them not to. I begged, and I fought, and I busted my ass to offer them alternatives but they still wouldn't listen. They just planned to manipulate me into agreeing to find this pregnant woman for them, so they can kill her."

"I thought hunters didn't kill humans… Josh said it's some sort of unwritten law."

"Well, in theory at least. Doesn't seem to apply when actual innocent people have shit happen to them. Or when the right incentive is presented."

"Incentive?"

"Angels are the number one nephilim enemy. They're bound to kill any nephilim mother and their offspring that comes into existence. My parents had managed to bind my powers when I was born, hiding me from angels. But a witch released them, you know my powers, a couple months back and now they know I exist. The angels planned to kill me after they were done with their newly conceived target. But… the new nephilim has a powerful father and is a really high value target. So, the angels bargained with my brothers to let me live and stop hunting me if they in turn helped kill this new nephilim and the mother," Amber explained.

"I can't believe angels are real. Or such asses. Geez...this is so surreal... that I'm talking to you about angels and nephilims and demons and stuff."

"It is surreal. Sometimes I have a hard time believing I'm living in this fucked up world, too. And I'm sorry I couldn't tell you about all this earlier, Ty. I thought you'd be safer if you didn't know. But as soon as shit got real and I heard about demons looking for me here in Reno… I couldn't risk not having someone fill you in, prepare you."

"No, I get it. You've lied before about your past and it was important for your safety. I know you wouldn't lie if it wasn't. I'm not mad at you or anything, dude."

"I still can't believe how well you're coping with all this. I mean… I just wish the whole world was just like you, Ty. I really really do."

"Years and years of graphic novels and comics, dude. Opens up one's mind."

Just then the doorbell rang and it startled them out of their conversation.

"Must be the pizza. I'll get it," Tyler said as he headed towards the door.

Amber felt the presence of someone she knew… She rushed out of the room and to the staircase, but before she could stop Ty from opening the front door, Josh was already standing there, at the front door threshold. Ty stopped in his tracks, shocked.

"Hey, Ty."

Tyler's face went pale at the coincidence and timing of this guy's appearance. He was getting seriously freaked out. He knew Josh had stuck around the area for weeks now, due to the demon presence, but the two of them hadn't met in quite a while.

"What are you doing here?" Ty was off his game and sounded clumsy.

"Kinda got a tip off from a mutual friend."

"A mutual friend?"

"You remember that guy, Kyle? He said he thought Amber might appear in Reno today. That she's in danger. He asked me to check it out."

"Why didn't he call me himself?"

"Because he and I are both hunters and he thought I was more able to protect her, I guess."

Amber was listening in from the stairs and rolled her eyes at Josh's smugness. Of course he'd try to play the alfa. Taking the few steps down to make herself visible, she shook her head at her old flame.

"Cut the crap, Josh. Nobody in his right mind would think you're capable of protecting me."

"There you are," Josh sighed in relief. He genuinely looked relieved to see her.

Amber's heart felt that flutter Josh could still evoke in her. Made no sense at all. Damn him and his disappearing acts. Still, he'd been such a jealous jerkwad last time she saw him.

Ty saw the antagonism between these two...and it was different than it had been before. Amber was more sure of herself...and of Josh, apparently.

"Get in or get lost. Don't keep the damn door open. And don't you dare go getting back to Kyle about me. He's compromised, " Amber instructed before turning to go back upstairs to her drink.

Seeing Josh was unexpected, but she didn't mind it. She had some time to fill Ty in and that's what was important. In a way, Josh's presence was yet another familiar touchstone. Despite their on again, off again relationships, it felt nice having him there. And he was an extra hunter. Some extra safety. Sure he was nowhere near Sam's or Dean's levels, but he still could be of help if anything happened.

She, Ty and Josh had spent many nights together at the Woodpecker, at Amber's… it made her heart warm to know they were both here. Even if this was her last night seeing either of them ever again, she'd savor every single second.

Looking uneasily at each other, Ty and Josh exchanged a look, and Josh came in. Heading up the stairs, Tyler led Josh up to his room, just like in the old days.

Sitting on the bed, Amber was relaxing, glass in hand, looking somehow more sophisticated than Josh remembered from a few months back. It was unnerving to him. She was rapidly growing beyond his reach and influence.

"So, you ok?" Josh's question had Tyler looking perplexed, and Amber uncomfortable.

Deciding she wasn't in the mood to go down this path, she deflected. "Fine. How has your hunting been going, Josh? Any demon activity around Reno? It was pretty hot a couple weeks back."

Thrown off a bit, but not opposed to talk hunting, Josh started spilling all the details of the hunts he had been on, especially his solo acts, news he'd heard locally, and general hunter gossip.

Smiling at how easy it was to direct him when leading him by his ego, Amber listened to the usual stuff. She was actually enjoying listening to his stories. It felt familiar and Josh could get very animated and funny as he told his tales.

Ty was hearing his stories and listening through a new perspective...how Amber was a part of this supernatural world. How she was the 'hunted creature' hunters like Josh tracked...and killed. Ty kept his mouth shut and listened just like he always did when Josh 'held court'.

"So...Yeah. Lots of demon activity around here. How'd you know? About the peak we had a few weeks back?" Josh, having enjoyed his spotlight time, remembered Amber's initial spate on question. How did she know that?

And he remembered...the revelation that Amber was Dean Winchester's daughter. He still had trouble thinking about her under this new light and circumstance. Eyes narrowing in suspicion, Josh was thinking to himself about how she had played him back when they'd first met. Amber, seeing the images and feeling pouring off of Josh, knew what he was thinking.

Looking down at the floor and back up at him, sheepishly smiling, Amber was sharing the truth with him that she wasn't sure he'd believe.

"Just kind of a professional hunch. I've been hearing about demon sightings around Reno. You know, hunter intel and stuff. I have my own contacts now."

Looking at Josh, shifting to a look of sincerity, Amber went on.

"I wasn't lying, Josh."

Josh's face tightened up. He still felt stung by what he assumed had been her playing him. Watching this interaction, Ty knew part of this story was true. Clearly there was more to this conversation. Amber was seeing the images from both guys and the feelings coming off of them. This ability to read images and see feelings was very useful.

"I really didn't know about the Winchesters when I met you. I learned a lot about them from you and this was helpful when I did meet them. And like, I definitely didn't know Dean was my dad. Would that have made a difference?"

This last part was added coyly, knowing full well it would have made all the difference.

Knowing this last part was a jab at his disappearing without a word, Josh knew he'd never mess around with Dean Winchester's daughter. The man was an animal regarding family. Everyone knew this.

Tyler listened and met Amber's eyes. She returned his gaze, a knowing understanding between them. Small smile on his face, Ty understood he'd get more from her in private. In the meantime, Ty got another glass and poured a stiff one for Josh. Feeling loose and free, they started reminiscing about the past. It was fun.

The pizza came, and the three of them were enjoying this small party. Amber was already feeling better. Able to push all her burning issues to the darkest corner of her brain, Amber was simply enjoying these precious moments while they lasted. Squeezing the last tasty drop out of them was more accurate.

About an hour later, Amber retreated to Ty's bathroom for some privacy. She switched on her phone and felt the compulsion to check it. Sure enough, there were numerous missed calls and texts from her brothers and Claire. In yet another déjà vu, Sam's text was full of worry for her.

"Where are you? You're not safe. Come back to the bunker. Please, Amber!"

She knew his concern was real...and she felt bad she had to leave the way she did, but they gave her no choice. She couldn't be around them. They had fundamentally different views and Kelly's baby had revealed so much. Too much, really.

Scrolling down through the many texts from Sam, Dean, Claire and even Jody, Amber came across one from Kyle.

"Amber, please call me. I'm sorry!"

Still so mixed up about Kyle, and feeling the effects of three large shots of whiskey, Amber didn't hesitate when an incoming call from him came through on her phone.

Picking up, she was full of angst, longing, feelings of betrayal. The booze had left bare this opened wound she'd run away from earlier that day.

"What do you want?"

Letting out a gush of air, Kyle was relieved that she'd picked up.

"Are you safe?"

"Kyle, what do you want?"

Amber was slurring her words….and didn't know it. Without a plan, she'd picked up. Her heart breaking at the sound of his voice...and she was remembering his confession. He'd originally been one of the demons out to abduct her and hand her over to Lucifer. And here's where her stream of consciousness and the conversion bled into each other...rather badly.

"I just want to know you're somewhere safe and protected."

"Said the demon to his prey." Amber wasn't even filtering herself and was louder than she realized.

"Where are you? I can't find you and you're scaring me."

"Oh, the demon warding is working. Good to know."

"What? Oh, ok. Can't say that's a bad idea. But still, you need to be with your brothers. I called Jody. They know you're gone."

"Of course you let them know. Kyle…" and here Amber started to cry. She was drunk and she was grieving the sense of connection she'd felt with him. Grieving who she thought he was….which wasn't exactly human, but wasn't supposed to be a demon, either.

This jerking back and forth between what she felt, her being drawn to him the way she was, and the stark contrast of his true nature...and the fact that he was supposed to be evil, Not trusted, Not safe to be around. This irony, this parallel to Kelly's son's supposedly evil nature, none of this wasn't lost on her. Her brothers' perspectives on that situation were now becoming more understandable. More relatable. But still not OK…

And here her brain was not working. It was too much. Too overwhelming and draining. It was easy reading him, telling him off, running away, and judging him for the very same thing she was now finding herself doing. And she simply couldn't cope with this thought. Not now.

"Amber… Tell me where you're at, lock me in a demon trap, stab the hell out of me if it's gonna make you feel any better… Just let me come to you. Let me protect you until you're ready to go back home, please! Please, Ace…"

Her eyes were closed as they spoke, but they snapped open at the sound of his usual term of endearment for her. Amber shook her head.

"No. You don't get to call me that. You don't get to be around me. You sure as hell don't get to claim that you want to protect me. Fuck off, Kyle. We're done."

Ending the call and snapping her phone shut, she stumbled to the basin and turned on the faucet. Splashing handfuls of cold water on her heated face she started feeling a bit more stable and alert. Conveniently using the towel hanging on the hook, she dried her face. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Amber saw how empty she looked. And felt. Yet again she had no home.

When she stepped out of the bathroom, which was right across from Ty's room, it took her all of a split second to understand the shocked look on the face of her friends, who were both standing in the hallway...right outside the door. They'd heard every word she'd said during her phone call. And they'd certainly heard her tears. It struck her in that moment, that neither of them had ever seen her crying before. She was so different when the three of them were together on a daily basis. So much had changed since then. Inside and out.

Ty was looking at her, his pained expression reading her sadness, worry in his eyes at the state of his best friend. Josh's face was tense. Jaw clenched and eyes displeased. He and Amber hadn't been together in a while, but knowing there had been someone else wasn't going down easily for him.

More drama! She didn't need more drama to deal with. Bursting into tears, hands covering her face, Amber crumbled in upon herself. Tyler was by her side instantly, comforting her, arms around her. Completely thrown off by this entirely new side of his friend. The Amber he knew was strong as hell. And she was never openly vulnerable. Not like this. They'd gotten each other through breakups together...this was the same, yet so much more.

Josh, was angry at her, and also at himself, that he wasn't the first one to step up and comfort her. Ty had been quicker and, by contrast, Josh looked like a schmuck. Amber had probably been with another guy. And even if Amber had made it clear during their last meeting that they wouldn't be together like that again, Josh still felt like she had cheated on him.

And he'd met this Kyle guy. He was blond and good looking...and cool. Everything Josh felt he wasn't, Kyle was...and Amber had slept with him. He just knew it. Josh was jealous and mentally flailing in every direction.

In the tiny recesses of his mind, he understood he hadn't been there for Amber, and he had no claim on her. Yet, his alpha instinct kicked in, unreasonably so. It was overriding his logic...which he didn't give a shit about just then.

"You were with Kyle!" Josh's furious accusation was not helpful. Tyler and Amber both looked at him, watching him taking a step closer to Amber. Amber started crying harder, even though her tears had little to do with Josh and his shit.

"Dude, shut up. She doesn't need this right now," Ty snapped.

"You slept with him, didn't you?" Josh barked at her. "Is that why you turned me down last time we met? Because of that asshole?"

Amber couldn't cope with any of this. Not anymore. Her powers were kicking in, in the unpredictable way they used to during the early stages of her training. She felt it building up, in her chest and her eyes and the marks on her wrist starting to glow…only managing to control it at the last possible second.

She harnessed it all and redirected it into her eyes, which now glowed gold.

Josh stopped in his tracks and looked frightened. His anger completely dissipated as his focus turned to fear and self preservation. He didn't know what he was seeing.

Ty, not seeing her eyes, but watching Josh's reaction, looked up at Amber and saw the golden glow...beautiful and frightening.

The energy of the entire room downshifted, breaking Josh's forward assault towards a fight.

Ty was stunned. Amber was his friend, but this...this was scary.

Seeing the images and feelings flooding out of these guys, and into her own awareness, Amber got hold of herself and pulled in her energy Seeing their images and feelings, she couldn't do this to Ty. The energy and power in the room diminished even as her eyes were still glowing gold albeit at a lower amperage. She wasn't so upset about scaring Josh.

Ty, putting it together, was seeing proof of what Amber had revealed. Her being a nephilim was real. This was beyond his ability to absorb all at once.

"Amber… What the hell?" Josh was gaping at her, completely thrown off, not understanding what he was seeing, what he was experiencing. Was all this energy and power emitting from her? From his Amber? How could this never have happened before? What did it mean?

"Alright…I guess you need to hear this.

Amber was coming to grips with the fact she needed to level with Josh. Her eyes dimmed down to their regular Winchester-green color and she felt her body heavy and tired. All this exertion, all the tension, her long-ass teleports had left her drained. And now she had to go through another hard discussion, which she had no idea how it would end.

Glancing at Ty, her friend was shocked, but Amber could see that she had backup from him.

Looking back at Ty's room, Amber started walking across the hall, going back into his room. Turning to see if she was being followed, Amber's look back at Ty and Josh implied, 'Aren't you coming?' As if in a delayed effect, slowly the two guys filed in behind her.

Once inside, Amber sat down on the bed and hung her head, hands clasped together, gathering her thoughts. Looking up, she met guarded yet expectant faces.

"Josh, first off, I need to clear up my relation to Dean and Sam." Glancing towards Ty, she saw his steadiness and this gave her the courage to continue.

"Dean and Sam are my brothers." Her hand raised, palms up as if to calm him down, she persisted. "I know, I know…"

Amber saw the protest on Josh's face and knew he had every right to be upset and confused by their ruse.

"It was necessary for us to keep my relationship to the Winchesters a secret and you'll understand why in a second. Josh, remember when I first met you and your dad, I kept asking you about the Winchesters?"

Josh nodded and this was enough.

"I'd only recently learned that they were my family. I hadn't met them. Hell, Ty only helped me find out if they were still alive a few months back, right around the time I left Reno. The FBI seemed to think they were dead."

Here Amber trailed off, casting her eyes away from the huddled group…"Like my dad." For a moment, Amber grew quiet. She had so much emotion roiling inside of her..she needed this moment.

"So… Your dad was John-freaking-Winchester?" Josh asked, completely shocked by this.

"Yeah."

Amber's answer was low and sad.

Clearing her throat she continued.

"Of course by the time I learned about this John was already dead. And I was advised by my mom, through a letter of sorts, to stay away from my family. Which I did, for nearly three years…"

"But… Why? Why wouldn't your mom want you to be with them? Why would she want you to grow up in the system?" Josh asked, confusion and disbelief mixed in his tone.

"Because it wouldn't be safe for people to learn about me existing and being their blood," Amber answered. She was trying to explain this as smoothly as she could.

"You see, Josh, it wouldn't be safe for me if people and creatures learned I exist and I'm John's daughter."

"Why?" He asked impatiently.

"Because John had me with an angel," Amber finally dropped the bomb.

"My mom… Was an angel in the vessel of a normal woman," she let that sink in for a minute, watching Josh's expression shifting from disbelief, to shock, to realization.

"Holy fuck!" was his whispered response.

"I know... "

"It can't be… They would have killed you before... "

"Being born? Yeah, that's their usual way about us nephilims. But John and my mom managed to figure this out. Hid my mom while she was pregnant and managed to bind my powers the second I was born. There was some powerful magic involved, but neither Heaven or Hell learned about my existence. I was nothing but a rumor. Yet another rumor about legendary John Winchester."

"And this is why my brothers and I had to pretend to have the relationship we did...to throw off anyone who knew of this rumor...and its implications."

"Dean and I look a lot alike, so this worked."

"It worked. I really thought Dean was your dad. He's such a hard ass...I really thought you and he…" and here Josh trailed off….remembering the last time he'd seen Amber and the Winchesters together.

"Yeah…" was all Amber could respond. That had been a difficult and embarrassing situation. Ty looked on, not understanding what they were referencing, but not willing to interrupt this reveal with his questions. Something bigger was happening.

"So you're a nephilim? A goddamn nephilim? Aren't you supposed to destroy the world as we know it or something?"

"What angels claim nephilims are supposed to do and what we really are…we're entirely different, Josh. You've known me. For years. I only got my powers a few months back… Trust me. All I care about is surviving this fucked up situation and living my life. I couldn't care less about destroying anything. Let alone the whole world."

"Wait, wait, wait… So, if you're real…this rumor about another one like you? Is that true as well?"

Amber regarded him thoughtfully. What did he know? How much did he know?

"Yes. There is another nephilim that has been conceived. It's father is an archangel and it's mother is human."

"And what they say…that it's Lucifer's?"

Hearing this, Ty, sputtered out his gulp of bourbon, coughing. Amber and Josh turn to look at him.

"He didn't know about that bit," Amber explained, looking at Ty apologetically. Turning back to Josh she only nodded, "It's true. It's his."

"Holy shit," Josh mumbled as he tried to absorb everything he'd learned so far. He looked at Amber's face and he felt torn between a new sense of disengagement from her and his usual feelings of caring and protectiveness.

Ty remained listening, his mind almost splitting into two, listening to these earth-shaking revelations coming from his friend. From Amber.

"So… That's all you didn't know. I've laid all my cards open to you, Josh. To both of you," she added, glancing at a still-coughing Ty.

"And I know that this intel compromises me completely, but I trust you. Frankly, you're the only two people I can trust right now. Can I trust you with this, Josh? Can I be sure you won't tell anyone? That you won't try to kill me or have someone else do it for you?"

Both guys were quiet. They were digesting this landmine whole…their understanding of the world in tatters. Ty and Amber's eyes were eventually resting on Josh and he felt cornered by this.

"I don't see you asking Ty," Josh commented. He felt insulted by her insinuation.

"He's not a hunter. And I already had this discussion with him before you got here. I don't hear you answering me."

"I'd never do anything that would put you in danger, Amber. You know this. Your secret's safe with me. You're safe with me."

Amber's small smile at these words was the acknowledgement he needed.. She could feel their sincerity despite how naive Josh was being, thinking she was safe with him. She wasn't safe with anyone. Still, she didn't want to spoil this for him.

"What I don't get… Is why you're here. I mean, alone. Where are your brothers? If you devised that story they're obviously okay with what you are. And I know they're pretty badass hunters. Wouldn't you be safer with them rather than in a random house in goddamn Reno?"

This was a pretty accurate deduction on Josh's part. He was getting sharper.

"They want this new nephilim dead," Amber answered laconically. "I can't get behind that plan. I simply can't. I tried to change their minds…"

"Why?" Josh cut her off now, even more confused.

Looking at Josh as if he was slow...Amber was gathering further energy for this explanatory part. This guy could be dense.

"Why don't I want a baby killed, Josh?"

"A baby? It's Lucifer's spawn, Amber!"

Shaking her head Amber took in a deep breath. "I'm not discussing this anymore. It's just another innocent creature doomed to be killed because of what others expect its nature to be. Guess what… That's what my nature was supposed to be, too. Yet here we are. Haven't destroyed the world yet...haven't even plotted it."

Josh knew this tone. Nephilim or not, this was still Amber. And this was her tone when she was certain she was right. To his experience there was little that could be done to change her mind on whatever she was fixed upon. Knowing this he redirected their conversation in another direction.

"Okay… Okay. Got ya. But, is it really worth it compromising yourself like this if they're planning on doing this anyway? I mean, you can still be safe, there, with them and not be a part of it."

Amber mulled his words over, not entirely sure how she could answer him.

"This is not about me washing my hands of their actions, Josh. They… They decided to play me in a way. They promised they wouldn't kill the mother, that they'd figure out a solution and then I heard them plotting to do exactly that. They lied. And they tried to use me to find her. I can't just let that go and pretend nothing's wrong. They broke my trust."

"Oh.." was the only word Ty said...Josh not saying anything. This was an entirely different matter altogether and the two guys knew this. Yet it was entirely clear to both of them that Amber wasn't safe here. And that none of this had been carefully planned out. This whole situation was obviously reactionary. They both knew her well enough to understand that.

Amber saw their thoughts and feelings…and she was concerned that they were independently coming to the same conclusion, she was safer with her brothers.

"So you talked to them about it before leaving your place?" Josh asked.

Rolling her eyes, this felt like she was talking in circles with her brothers. Amber was becoming frustrated at the alarming similarity of their argument to Sam and Dean's. It wasn't the same for Josh and Ty...but they both saw Amber getting short tempered, her patience wearing thin.

"Yeah, Josh… 'Cause informing them I plan to run away from two overprotective Winchesters would have gone down nice and smooth…No. They don't know where I am or what I plan to do," Amber replied.

"And what do you plan to do?" Ty asked, not having spoken for a while now.

And here Amber remained silent. She had zero plans. Nada. She had no idea where Kelly was, she had no idea how she could find her. She had nowhere to go, she had everyone on her tail, and no idea what she'd do come morning.

"I've warded your house and I'm safe here."

Looking at each other, Ty and Josh understood how inadequate this plan was.

"Stop looking at me like that! Both of you! That's the plan so far. If you're so concerned, help me figure out something better. That's all I got. And you two...you're all I got."

"Amber, you know that for your safety, this isn't enough. You know this, right?" Tyler was looking at her in an almost apologetic manner, but his tone was firm even as it was concerned.

"An expert of the supernatural world all of a sudden, Ty?"

"Amb, c'mon! It doesn't take an expert to figure this out. How long do you think it'll take for angels or demons to learn you're AWOL? How hard will it be for them to think of Reno? And just how many of them do you think your wardings or... whatever….will keep them out of here? Maybe the first couple that will try getting you… Sure. But what about the big guns?"

Josh understood this, and Ty was becoming alarmed listening to Josh's description..and Amber was not contradicting him. This was freaking him out. Seems Josh was right...and his meaning was increasingly terrifying. This was so beyond him.

"So what do you propose, Josh?"

"To take the night off. You're here. We're here. Sleep on this and come morning, go back. I'm sure you've already scared them shitless. To the point they'll probably agree to anything just to get you back."

"And then go back to their promise? Killing Kelly? And the nephilim?"

"Look… I don't know them beyond our time together during that rugaru case. And I'm getting why you're pissed at them. But so far, they seem to have done a pretty good job keeping you alive. And you seemed excited and happy a few weeks back. With their training and your lives."

"Yeah…" Amber scoffed. "Being locked up in a fucking apocalypse hole so that nobody sniffs me out. My life has been so much fun…"

"And yet you didn't leave with me that day. You could've. You chose to return to them. Despite the situation," he added this last part with uneasiness. Amber was uncomfortable with what he was implying because, well, it seemed he understood what went down later on.

Seeing Amber's discomfort and embarrassment, Josh added, "I stayed with my dad and you know how bad that got at times." Amber did know how bad it got between him and his dad. Josh had his ass handed to him several times when she'd been living with them.

But this was different...in so many ways.

"Yes, 'cause they're family. And I care about them. And in their own twisted way they care about me. But this…this is still too much."

Seeing they weren't getting anywhere, Ty scooted closer to Amber and threw a hand over her shoulder.

"Screw this for now… Let's finish this bottle, let's sleep, and we'll figure this out tomorrow after some greasy breakfast from Al's."

"Can't leave the house Ty."

Looking sheepish in his momentary forgetfulness, Ty reconfigured his persuasion.

"Ok, pancakes with Nutella. I know you'll eat that."

"You cooking?" Amber wasn't a cook.

Smiling a lopsided grin, Ty affirmed, "You know I'm good at pancakes."

Josh was seeing the closeness these two had...the give and take of their friendship and he felt diminished by his own history with Amber. His leaving her high-and-dry...abandoning her for other hunts and other girls.

Looking at the bad situation she was in, Josh knew this was his moment to change this.

Passing the bottle around, they spent the rest of their night up in Ty's room, drinking and talking, laughing and crying about the past. At one point Doritos were brought up and a can of Cheese Whiz shared around like a bottle of whiskey. Amber was enjoying this bad food and the good company. It was like their last night on earth.

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She knew this area...she'd been here many times before..and it was comforting. There was a vagueness about this place, but it held a piece and familiarity that Amber had learned to draw comfort from in all the dreams when she'd visited here.. Soft colors and textures, a few scattered pieces of furniture, and the light from large, luminous windows washing every detail out with their brilliant stream of photons. And then that voice...Amber knew that voice as it called her name. Turning her head slowly she found herself staring at this luminous, brilliant presence that was now standing in front of her, smiling. Love was visible as if radiating from the corona of the sun, this luminous being was beyond her understanding. She was simply love embodied. And she was beautiful and a translucent light seeming to stream outwards from within.

"Amber, my dear child," the presence smiled. Amber couldn't see every detail of her face, but she felt this smile. It warmed her heart and head. "You've grown up so much," the voice continued in her ethereal voice. "You are not safe."

Responding, Amber was crying as she looked upon the face of her mother, seeing her more clearly with each second she stared at her face. Hearing her voice, this was the voice that sang along with her that day in the bunker. Amber's grief, love and longing for her mom was tearing her up with a pain that was almost sweet. It wasn't the first time she'd dreamt of her mother. But only a handful of times had she seen her like this. In this space. This was more than a dream. Her mom was actually there. Amber knew this to her core.

"Mom...please help me. I'm all alone. I'm all alone, again, mom," Amber's words were desperate.

Her mother closed in on her, a soft hand that felt like a breeze of air and the softest caress wiping at her tears.

"You're not, my love. You have your brothers now. I am so glad you have them by your side. It was a mistake keeping you away from them."

Amber shook her head, more tears rolling down her cheeks.

"No… I should have listened to you. Stayed away. Sam and Dean won't listen to me. I tried talking to them...and they won't listen. They want him dead, mom."

"They are scared they cannot protect you. There is no way to defeat Lucifer. And they know this."

Amber heard this, bursting into tears as it confirmed her deepest fear. Her mom's brilliant presence grew larger and spread her arms, engulfing Amber in her embrace of light.

"Fear not. His defeat is not needed. A way to send Lucifer beyond will open up as Jack is born. He is a light and a way...just as you are a light for this world. His time will come and you will be part of it. Another watches this unfold and remains undecided. You may be aided by yet another."

"How? Mom...how!"

Amber was seeing her mom's image start to thin and dematerialize….literally dissolving around her as she held her, like a morning mist at dawn, diffusing into the light.

"Mom...mom!"

Amber began crying hard. She'd lost her mother again. She didn't know what her mother meant. There is a way? What way?

Sitting up, Amber was crying, tears running down her face….completely disoriented as she found herself in Ty's room on the bed, Josh and Ty on either side of her, sitting up and looking at her with concern.

Ty had his hand on Amber's shoulder, trying to wake her and reassure her.

"Wake up. Amber...wake up! It was just a bad dream," he managed to slur through his interrupted sleep. Amber's bad dream had bled into his own dreaming and he'd woken up in alarm hearing crying in his dream.

Amber brought her hands to her face, wiping away the flowing tears, trying to get her breathing under control. She didn't bother correcting him. She knew there wasn't much of a point anyway.

Josh's hand found her other shoulder, and he simply squeezed it reassuringly. He wasn't big on words. Especially not when he had to offer comfort. But he'd be there in any way he could.

Closing her eyes, Amber let her body collapse back onto the mattress, feeling her friends lay back down next to her. She felt their gazes on her even through her closed eyes.

She was processing her dream. It was real...her mother had been there with her. That had been real...and she'd heard her mother's voice again. Her voice was truly angelic, with the light, tinkling tones halfway between spoken words and musical notes. Her mom had been with her before….in the bunker. When she'd lapsed into that trance. And her mother knew she was in danger.

This knowledge, that somehow her mother's essence was still there, still looking out of her, it made her heart swell with a sense of safety she hadn't felt before. Her head was heavy and she was drifting back to sleep before she even knew it, with this sense of safety and love surrounding her. She'd remember every single detail of this dream come morning. And so she let herself drift.

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Phone to her ear...completely illegal...Jody was talking fast, high on caffeine and adrenaline. Her work had her well trained. Going a couple of days at a time without sleep, although this type of a gauntlet hadn't been necessary in a while.

"I wanted to let you know. It looks like I'm going to be gone longer than I'd expected. Yes, uh huh...I know, that's right. Really? Oh...ok, that sounds good. Why don't you do that. He could use the hours. Yeah, call him. And you can always call me if he doesn't respond. I'll keep my phone on. Dwight, you are doing me such a huge favor, I'll cover for you on 4th of July. Ok. I got to go."

Snapping her phone shut, she kept her eyes on the road. They weren't yet at the burning stage, but they'd get there.

Hwy 80 East was a good stretch of road, well maintained, long and absolutely full of big rigs taking the northern route with their haul. She'd also been driving for eleven hours now and nowhere near to her destination.

Her phone ringing, she reached to answer it, quickly glancing at the ID.

"Hey, Alex… Yes, honey, you don't need to call every single hour. I've done this so many times, remember?... I'm awake, I'm safe, I'll let you know when I'm close, alright?... Have you gotten any sleep at all?... Well, you should... And I'm guessing no sight of Amber around town? Thought as much. Alright. Can't keep the line tied up and you really need to rest. You have your hospital shift to get to later, so try to get some sleep... Love you too. I'll text you as soon as I'm there."

Hanging up the phone she felt a pang of guilt over how stressed Alex was getting with all of this. The girl had insisted on coming with her so that she could drive part of the route, but Jody wouldn't have it. She didn't know what she was going to face when she reached Reno and she sure as hell didn't want Alex to halt her life and risk her position at the hospital over Amber's thoughtless actions.

Grabbing her Red Bull, she gulped down another big does of 'full attention' and wondered where Amber was. She really hoped she was Ok. God, she hoped she was Ok.

Her mind drifted to the last time she'd seen her and how strong she's been through everything. That girl was so resilient, especially given her life story...and now...this thing with Lucifer?

Earlier, she'd been on the phone with Sam for the better part of an hour and she was trying hard to figure out why Amber had reacted so intensely. Grabbing a bag and fleeing, no plan, no precautions, no care in the world for those she left behind, that wasn't Amber. And the discovery that Amber was a nephilim for Christ's sake. God, the irony was cosmic.

Suddenly her phone rang, breaking her out of her hypotonic driving, which was just as well. It was Kyle.

"Have any news?"

"Not yet, but I wanted to check on you, let you know I spoke with her, but I couldn't get her location out of her. Her GPS is off, but she's safe. I couldn't keep her on the phone long. I called a hunter who knows Amber and who's in Reno right now. Asked him to keep an eye peeled for her in case she heads there."

Kyle heard Jody let out a sigh of relief. That's good news. That's something. Good work.

"At least we know she's safe. Don't worry, I've already pinpointed a couple of places to look for her. Though I'm pretty sure I know where she is. I'll let you know when I find her."

"Where is she?"

"Kyle, it's obvious some drama going on with the two of you. I'm not gonna risk her changing locations again just to avoid you. I'll let you know, after I've found her. You keep an eye out in Sioux Falls. And call me if you two talk again."

Kyle didn't deny it. His silence confirmed her own suspicion squarely. Good police work paid off so many times.

"Ok Jody. Will do."

"And Kyle, I think you're a fine young man and you and Amber would be a good couple. Just so you know."

Grinning on his end, Kyle was touched...and felt an odd sensation in his heart...that he'd deceived the sheriff. She had no idea who she was talking to and yet, she still was in his corner.

"Do me a favor and tell her that," was his laconic response.

"I will when I find her. Call me if you hear from her," and Jody hung up.

Nephilim or not, Amber was a young woman of good character and she and Kyle were a good match. She really didn't know what the Winchesters, or to be precise, what 'Dean Winchester', had against him. Musing over this, it was still such a surprise to find out Dean was Amber's brother. He acted like a pain-in-the-ass dad. It was a good disguise.

But maybe she still didn't have the whole story. Her gut was telling her Kyle and Amber were good for each other. Yet, her professional experience couldn't ignore the fact that Amber made a stop at Kyle's before vanishing for good. She wondered what had happened between them and how much harder it had made things for Amber.

Mulling all these over, she felt sad that she now doubted the intel from the brothers. Did they give her the full story? Geez...she hated this doubt that had been cast over their relationship.

Her phone rang. Glancing at the screen before letting out a sigh. Good. She needed to call them. Getting it out and opening it by the third ring, Jody was dexterously juggling driving on a six-lane highway and answering an incoming call. Multi-tasking being a natural skill, Jody didn't notice any of this.

"Hey, Dean. Any news on your end? I was just about to call you," She tried her best to sound calm and reassuring. Amber had been missing for over 24 hours at this point and the boys were freaking out beyond measure. Having worked with numerous families of missing children over the years she understood this pit of helplessness and did her best to be the anchoring calm and hope they needed.

"Call me about what? Got anything?" Dean's hoarse voice was to be expected. This was the sleepless, ground-down physicality of a family searching for missing loved ones.

"Kyle got hold of me just a minute ago. Said he spoke to her briefly, but she wouldn't tell him where she was. So we at least know she's alive."

"Alive, Jody. We know she's alive. She isn't safe," Dean countered, but his tone was the slightest bit relieved. "Why doesn't she call us though? Why'd she contact him?"

"Kyle called her. She just happened to have her phone on and answered, Dean. It was a timing thing. I'm sure if she happened upon you guys calling she'd have picked up as well. Anyways, that's something, alright? Focus on what's important right now. She's okay. And I'm waiting on some new intel that might lead us to her. I'll know in about an hour."

"Intel from whom?"

"Don't worry about that. Throwing names at you won't help right now. Just sit tight. I'll call as soon as I know, alright? And hang in there, Dean. I'm sure that you'll have her safe and sound in your arms sooner or later."

"God, I hope so."

"Any news on Kelly yet? Has Cas found her?" Jody tried to divert his attention.

"Not yet. But he's working with another angel. We're hoping they'll find her soon."

"Good to know he has backup. Alright, I'm hanging up now, I'm at the wheel. Will call you soon. Bye."

Hanging up on him, Jody felt her stomach tighten with sadness. She wasn't used to a helpless, desperate Dean Winchester. It was scary. She remembered all of the times she'd been in his shoes, waiting for him to bring Claire home safe, when she wasn't even sure if she had survived her latest misadventure. She only hoped she'd be able to find Amber, safe and sound, and bring that relief to him.

It was nine hours and 45 minutes later that she slowed the police cruiser down and pulled off to the side of the road. She had just entered Reno, NV. Plugging her phone into the car charger, she then activated her GPS app. Checking her old-school notepad for Tyler's address, she plugged this in. A blue line of navigation appeared on the app.

Twenty minutes later she found herself in front of a beautiful two-story house with a garden of succulents, grasses and cacti. She parked the car, turned off the engine and scanned the windows. The first floor was completely dark, and light came through a single window on the first floor. Pocketing her phone, taking out her flashlight, and making sure her gun was in its holster, Jody got out of the car, closing the door quietly, before walking up to the house's front door. Scanning the house at her approach, she was looking for movement inside the windows, any reaction to her presence.

Reaching out she rang the doorbell twice, eyes vigilant. She focused on the sounds from inside the house, but couldn't catch much.

Upstairs Tyler, Amber and Josh went stiff. They weren't expecting anyone. Josh had gone out and brought food back from Al's, and Tyler hadn't invited anyone over.

Listening from outside, Jody was keenly alert to any sound of steps on the stairs, the backdoor opening up, the crunching of gravel underfoot from anyone coming round from the backyard.

A shift in the light behind the beveled glass panes in the door told her someone was approaching. A second later it opened slightly, a dark-haired young man looked at her in a measuring manner.

"Yes?"

"Tyler, I'm Sheriff Jody Mills of the Sioux Falls police department and I'm looking for Amber Winchester. We think she's in the area and we're wondering if you have seen her or heard from her."

Josh didn't correct the woman. He kept looking at her while scanning the space around her, keeping the door as closed as possible with one hand while in his other he had his gun behind his back.

"I don't think I can help you, officer. There's no Amber Winchester living here."

"I see… May I speak to your parents?" Jody asked, her head tilting to look through the narrow opening.

"Not home," Josh answered laconically.

Amber and Tyler quietly descended the stairs looking at Josh's back. Their second night of drinking had left Amber disoriented and she couldn't for the life of her read the energy of their visitor, despite feeling like she knew them.

"When will they be home?"

It was then that Amber recognized Jody's voice, her eyes zeroing in on Josh holding his gun. And having taken the safety off, this made her yell without even thinking about it.

"Josh, don't!"

Jody's eyebrow raised and she used her hand to force the door open wider, eyes scanning the inside of the house. Josh, cursing quietly, stepped away from the door, allowing the woman to enter. He figured she wasn't a demon or angel, or she wouldn't be able to approach the house. Or at least that's what Amber had told them what those "warding sigils" were for.

Standing at the base of the stair was Amber. Scanning the surroundings, Jody was making sure of what she was walking into, any situation Amber may be in.

Seeing Amber and another young man standing next to her, whom Amber seemed to be reassuring, Jody felt this was not a hostage situation. It was then that the names clicked. Amber had called the guy at the door Josh. She remembered a talk with Sam and Dean about an ex boyfriend named Josh. A hunter...which would make the other boy Tyler.

As Josh closed the door behind the woman, eyes scanning the outside of the house for any movement, Jody took a step closer to the stairs.

"Amber, you Ok?"

Jody needed to hear a reply from the girl directly, assess her body language and the two boys around her. Watching the physical reaction to her question, she saw Amber's shoulders drop a bit and the two guys seemed to remain on standby, no tight eye movements, no moves to reach for concealed weapons, they only watched Amber...taking their cues from her.

"I'm good, Jody," Amber answered quietly. Turning to Josh, she addressed him first, "Put that away, she's alright. We're safe."

Letting out a relieved sigh, Jody walked to the girl and enveloped her in a strong hug, her right palm clasping the back of Amber's head, her chin resting against her temple.

"I've been so worried about you! Your brothers are beside themselves. Kyle is too."

At the mention of Kyle, Josh bristled and Jody saw his reaction. Yep, he had to be her ex.

Amber didn't comment on anything. She let herself be held by this woman, soaking in the comfort of her hug, her smell. Amber's brain was foggy. She wasn't sure what she could say or ask. She didn't know if there was a point.

Not getting much of a response from her, Jody loosened her embrace, holding the girl at arms length to get a good look at her state of mind. She could tell she was drunk. Not wasted, but definitely tipsy. She felt frail in her arms. Amber felt the scrutiny and became nervous.

"Jody, I'm fine. You shouldn't be here. How did you even get here?"

"I drove 20 hours straight to get here, that's how," Jody replied, some frustration making its way into her tone. Taking in a breath to calm herself she then added, "Can we talk please? Just talk, the two of us. Somewhere alone?"

Looking around at the boys, and watching Amber's nervous face and those of the two guys, Amber inclined her head towards another room.

"Tyler, it ok that Jody and I talk alone in your family room?"

Ty saw that this was more of an informal interrogation, and Amber seemed ok with it. He had no issue here.

"Go ahead. I'll make coffee. You want some?"

Jody, getting a sense of the genuineness of this young man, smiled appreciatively at him.

"That would be great. Thanks."

Looking at Amber, Jody saw the nervousness begin to lower her voice a bit. This was familiar and Jody wasn't here to abduct her back into her brothers' custody.

Jody placed a gentle hand on Amber's shoulder, reassuring herself that Amber was indeed safe. The two of them were walking, Amber leading the way and moving towards the family room. Amber turned on the light, and watched as Jody was taking in the space around them. There was an empty pizza box and some glasses still on the table. An empty bottle of expensive-looking scotch was still on the table. Yep...the usual. Beyond that, nothing out of place. Looked like a low-key party...if there had even been a party.

"They seem like good boys. You know them long?"

"Yeah...both of them. Longer than most people in my life. And they are good friends."

Sitting down on the sofa, Jody indicated Amber should take a seat beside her. She was trying to make this as conversational as possible. The more Amber was relaxed and felt safe, the better this would go.

"You know we've all been worried sick about you."

Jody watched how her words affected Amber. She seemed to grow smaller when Jody spoke about her brothers being worried. Or was it when she said 'we' were all worried.

When she didn't answer, Jody continued with the first thing she needed to settle.

"Amber, I need to call Sam and Dean. Let them know I'm with you. That you're safe."

"No, I don't want them to know you've found me. Or where I am."

"Why not? They're worried about you."

What in the world had gone on between these three?

"I don't care. They can't know where I am, Jody. I swear if you call them I'll just zap out of here," Amber insisted.

"And why is this?"

Leveling the sheriff with a look of profound determination, Amber stated it succinctly,

"We have fundamentally different views of how to keep me safe."

Well said for a teen on the run. This was not what Jody had expected, but it led her farther down the rabbit hole of inquiry. Sam had mentioned how upset Amber was over the prospect of Lucifer's nephilim's death and Jody wondered if this was where the root of the problem lay.

"Do you mean about Lucifer's nephilim?"

So she knew. Amber's heart tightened. So, she probably knew about her brother's plan to kill this nephilim..and even kill Kelly.

"And his mother. Or did they neglect to tell you that bit of the plan?" she replied curtly.

"Nobody plans to harm Kelly Kline, Amber," Jody answered.

"Yes, they do. I heard them and Cas talking about it, figuring out their plan's details…And they lied to me."

"You heard, as in, you were part of the conversation? Or did you overhear part of theirs?" Jody asked patiently, making more sense of this with each word out of Amber's mouth.

Amber opened her mouth to reply, only to close it again, uncertain of how to answer that.

"Why does that even matter?"

"Because, Amber, at some point you need to realize that overhearing conversations rarely gets you valid intel. Sam, Dean, and Cas did devise a plan to get Kelly, but not to kill her."

Amber scoffed at that, looking away from the woman. Crossing her arms over her chest, Amber was clearly defensive and upset.

"That's what they want you to know. Angels offered a deal…"

"Your life for Kelly's and her son's," Jody cut her off evenly. She let a few seconds of silence pass, watching Amber's expression turn to one of surprise that she knew this.

"I told you, Amber. If you actually waited and allowed them to include you in that conversation, you'd know they don't plan to honor that deal. Not the part of killing Kelly, anyways."

Jody knew this last sentence would still evoke resistance from Amber, but it was important not to hide anything or lie to her right now. Not if she wanted to get her home willingly. And she knew perfectly well, that was the only way she could take her home.

"And what about Jack?" This statement took Amber by surprise as much as Jody, but for different reasons.

"Who's Jack?" Jody was confused and suspicious she hadn't been given complete information from the Winchesters. "Amber, who's Jack?"

It had come rushing out, completely unconsciously, yet there it was. And then all of the dream, every detail of it, came flooding back into her brain. She remembered her mother's words, her voice, how she'd given her the nephilim's name. She had told her her brothers were worried and feeling helpless in protecting her. She had reassured her that Jack would be born.

"I had a dream. The nephilim's name is Jack," Amber replied to Jody in a distant voice, her brain still reliving the sequence of her dream.

"Huh." Jody was looking at this girl with cautious marvel. This girl was really something.

"Ok, Jack. It's good we have his name. Talking about him will make more sense," Jody continued, her voice relaxing into the tone of a concerned mother. "You okay, honey?" Amber remained silent and her eyes unfocused. Sitting closer to her, Jody put her arm around Amer's shoulders, giving her a hug, jostling her a bit with a reassuring squeeze.

"They told you this?" Amber asked, suddenly feeling very uncertain about everything she thought was absolute truth until a minute ago. "Sam and Dean… Did they tell you that they won't take that deal?"

"They told me they planned on sparing Kelly and finding a way to offer something in return to the angels, so that they'd keep their promise to spare you," Jody replied cautiously.

"So they still plan to kill Jack?" Amber clarified, her brow creasing in confusion. If that was the case why had her mother told her he'd be born? Would they fail?

"I think they're still considering this, yes, Amber. But, honey, they are so shaken up by your disappearance… Maybe they'll be willing to reconsider now that they realised how strongly you're feeling about this."

Amber remained thoughtful. Her brothers weren't people that reconsidered anything. Not easily.

Yet, Jody wasn't wrong. Maybe this had managed to jolt them, to shake them up enough. And her mom had mentioned she'd receive the help of another, and someone being undecided. For some reason her mind immediately went to Cas. Maybe she should be focusing on changing his mind and then Sam and Dean would follow. Right as she made this thought, she doubted it. Even if they did ensure Kelly survived, they wouldn't risk Lucifer's son being born. That was just who they were. Wasn't it?

"I don't think you know them as well as you think you do," Amber finally commented.

"Why do you say this?" Jody had to keep Amber talking. This gave her more to work with. And frankly, she was a bit alarmed to hear Amber say this. Teenage exaggeration running rampant in her own home had taught her to dig deeper.

Jody saw Amber considering her words as she appeared to get ready to say something. What was Amber mentally editing for her benefit?

"Jody, consider that with their reasoning I should be dead by their hand."

That was dramatic...and Jody was wondering how this was the 'considered and measured' version of whatever Amber was going to say.

"What do you mean?" Serious expression, Jody's eyes narrowed as she probed deeper..

Taking a moment, Amber knew once she dove into this, she was going deep and not stopping til she'd placed everything on the table. Leaving had not been an impulsive decision that she arrived at in one day. She needed to set her entire choice of action into context.

"Dean and Sam do not believe a nephilim should be allowed to live because of the threat they pose by being what they are. And yes, Jack is Lucifer's nephilim, but he is also Kelly's son...and is a part of Kelly, too. This child has as much a right to life as any nephilim, as much as I do. This is where we disagree...and they feel prevention is preferable to free will and opportunity to grow towards love. And because I'm their sister, they consider me different. But if I wasn't, well…" and here Amber tailed off allowing Jody to fill in her own logical conclusion.

Jody listened carefully to every word that left Amber's mouth. Gathering all the elements that were so fundamentally wrong. Especially in her core argument.

"Amber… Answer me this, please. If your brothers do not believe a nephilim should be allowed to live, then why are you alive? If they think you pose a threat, a serious threat, by just being what you are, why are you still alive? Why did they bother to save you, more than once might I add, retrieve you all the times you tried to escape? Why did they hide you? Compromise their own safety by posing as your father and uncle just to ensure you'd stay safe and alive? Why did they arrange for you to come visit us?"

"Already told you. I'm a Winchester, I get a free pass," Amber shrugged.

"Uh huh. You don't get off that easily. Tell me...why would they do all of this if they didn't value your life, value your existence? If that was the case… If all they cared about was not killing you because you were family, why would they even consider finding a way to buy your freedom from Heaven? To end Lucifer so that he doesn't cause a threat? They could lock you up in the bunker, forever. Yet since they found you they've been busting their butts to find a way for you to actually have a life. Not just keep you alive. This doesn't sound to me like two people believing you're some 'creature of destruction' they had the misfortune of being related to."

Amber was mentally reviewing all the times they had come to get her, track her down and take her back to the bunker...as well as protect her, include her, take her out to get some air...arrange for her to spend time at Jody's. They'd been on the go as long as she'd known them. And the last part of Jody's speech, that part she had never considered. Not in this way. They were trying to buy her freedom. To give her the chance of a life. Even through they were compromising their very own values by considering the killing an innocent woman. Jody's argument was starting to sound convincing. Especially under the light of her mother's message in her dream.

Not able to comment on anything Jody had said, she simply asked her, "Then why don't they want to consider all this about Jack?"

"Because, that little detail about his father, is not just a no-nothing detail, Amber. I can understand what you're saying… One hundred percent. We can't be sure Jack is going to be evil. But can you logically, not intuitively, but logically tell me you're completely sure he won't be? Can we really know that?"

"But I know, intuitively! I know with all of my being, Jody! He's good, I can feel it."

"But intuition, this is subjective. And it's part of your magical being, not theirs. They're human, Amber. Hunters. Who've seen and lived through hell. Literally. Both of them! Hard facts. Reliability. This is what they are stacking against your life. They are not willing to leave your life to chance and that's their only fault here. Don't you see this?"

Amber was starting to see this. Jody had this way of making things clear concerning her brothers. God, once again she wished Jody had adopted her when she was little.

The relief Amber felt….this burden on her heart lifted...and she leaned forward, hugging Jody, crying on her shoulder.

Jody felt her own heart break at what Amber was going through. She knew she had managed to get through to her. Thank goodness! But she couldn't help but feel for her and the emotional hell she'd dragged herself through to reach this moment of realization.

"Amber, let me take you back to the bunker."

There was the ask. Amber hadn't stiffened when she asked this, so that was something.

"I'll be there with you. With all of you. We'll figure this out. You can't expect anything to be solved by running away. That doesn't solve problems, honey. It only creates more. You're not safe here, you know this. Is a misunderstanding worth your life?"

"I can't let him die, Jody. I can't," Amber said through her tears.

"Then don't. Let's go back and you'll fight this tooth and nail. But you can't protect him by running away, can you? You can barely protect yourself Amber, let alone Jack. And Sam and Dean… You see this now. I know you do. They only want what's best for you. They let that cloud their judgement sometimes, yes. But they love you more than anything."

Amber knew every word Jody said was true. She felt it to her core. Her mom's words replayed in her brain once again, even the conversations with Josh and Ty. She knew what she had to do, even as it was hard. Running away again, leaving everything behind, living the rest of her life on the run trying to forget everything that haunted her, that would be the hard way masquerading as the easy way out. Going back, facing her demons, facing her brothers, and actually fighting for Jack, even risking failure, that was the difficult path...yet easier overall.

"You're really staying in the bunker with us?"

Was Jody really going to remain with her in the bunker while this played out? How could she? She had duties, work, Alex.

"Yes, I said I would. I'll call in some favors and stay. I just want you safe. Give your brothers a chance."

Jody figured Dwight was going to get Labor Day weekend off, too.

Looking down at the carpeting, Amber was considering this and it was pretty clear she was going back.

"Okay," she said quietly, wiping at her face.

"Okay…" Jody's confirmation was thick with relief. "You'd better say your goodbyes and get your things then. We got a lot of driving ahead of us."

"Driving? Jody, I can zap us back in a second… You could send someone for the car, right?"

"Not a chance," Jody immediately shot down. You've teleported twice, very long distances just over 24 hours ago. And in between then and now you and your friends have had quite a lot to drink. You're in no state to teleport both of us to Kansas. And I'm not leaving my cruiser."

Amber gaped at the woman. How did she know about the drinking?

"Give me some credit, Amber. And do tell Ty to air out the house before his parents return. It reeks of scotch."

"Oh," was the only thing Amber could say.

"You want to go say goodbye to your friends, while I call your brothers?"

Amber nodded and hugged Jody again, so relieved to have talked with her.

Jody was so amazing!

Heading back into the kitchen, Amber found Tyler and Josh. They looked rather sad...especially Tyler. She figured they had been eavesdropping and knew she was leaving.

"Awww….I guess I'm going back. Gonna try and talk sense to my brothers. Figure this shit out."

Josh's eyes were upset, anger mixed with something else. Tyler, he was just sad.

"You sure about this?" Josh asked, his tone hopeful. "You know you can always come with us, me and my dad," he offered, despite knowing this was selfish and in no way her safest option.

"I'm sure, Josh. You know how this thing goes. They're family. I got to give this a chance, right?"

"They didn't look too happy when you just left for a ride with me a few weeks back. You gonna be ok? I mean, you like, ran away this time."

Sighing, this was inevitable. She had run away...and there were higher stakes.

"I'll figure this out Josh. No need to worry," was all she could answer.

"You're doing the right thing, dude," Ty told her with a sad smile. "I miss you like hell, but knowing you're safe, that's what matters the most."

"God, I'm going to miss you Ty!"

Amber went over to her friend and hugged him, his arms twining around her as tightly as her own. He was such a good friend. They hugged a long time. Neither knew when they'd see each other next.

Getting out of their embrace, Amber smiled at him as broadly as she could, wiping a tear away. Tyler was tearing up, too. She loved this about Ty. He didn't censure his feelings. Seeing this, she hugged him again. Josh was getting increasingly uncomfortable watching this.

Finally, they let loose and Josh sighed in relief.

"Thank you for being here for me. And who knows… If we kill off all the supernatural fuckers that are after me we might meet again soon."

Her attempt at levity wasn't particularly successful, but it brought a small smile to Ty's face, to his sad smile.

Turning to Josh, Amber simply walked up to him and hugged him, placing a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"You take care of yourself. And this guy," motioning with her head towards Ty.

"I will. You too, babe. Will you call me?"

Not minding him calling her that at this moment, she only smiled. And would she call him?

"I will call you with the same regularity that you've called me in the past."

She had to get this jab in...and it made her answer easier not to commit one way or the other.

Josh was still jealous of this Kyle dude...and Ty's long, long hug.

"And guys, you both stay away from Kyle. Like I said yesterday, he's compromised. Just avoid him as best as you can if he appears in the area, alright? And don't tell him anything about me being here."

Jody, who'd just walked in from the family room, heard this last bit and wondered what Amber meant by that? Now not being the time to address this, she decided they'd have more than enough during their long drive back to the bunker.

Clearing her throat, Jody called Amber.

"Honey, if you're done here, I got the boys on the phone. They just wanna hear your voice real quick before we hit the road." She handed her the phone as she turned to Ty. "Do you happen to have a travel mug you can spare for that coffee, Tyler?"

Bringing the phone to her ear, she was nervous and hastily walked back to the family room for some added privacy.

"Hello?" Amber's voice was low, unsure. How were Sam and Dean going to react?

"Amber?"

When Dean's voice came over the phone, it left her speechless. He had just said her name, but he sounded broken. She could tell immediately he had been crying and it brought her to the verge of tears, too.

"Amber, is that you?" Sam's voice was thin and tight. He'd clearly been upset, as well.

"Yeah…Guys, I'm alright. I guess I, uh...I guess I'm coming back," Amber managed to say, her own voice shaky. Tears started to flow and she didn't know why. Rubbing at her eyes, she was trying to stop the sound of her sobs. She had truly believed she'd lost them for good. And now, knowing that despite everything blowing up the way they did she still had them, she still had a home to go back to… She could hardly believe it. She was so glad to hear their voices...nothing had changed, yet everything had changed.

"Amber, get your stupid ass back to the bunker! Do you know how much trouble you've caused?" Claire's snark was undeniable. It was what passed as affection. The family on speakerphone caught Amber between a cry and a laugh, resulting in a weird sound as she kept crying. "And be careful. Don't die."

"Claire, enough. She gets it," was Dean's voice in the background with that haunting, broken undertone that shook Amber to her core. Amber heard the sound of the phone changing hands and Claire's "Goddammit Dean, I wasn't done!"

Smiling softly at the familiar sounds of family, Amber cleared her throat and she repeated herself through her tears.

"Guys, I'm still angry with you, but I'm coming home."

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꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂

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So, Amber ran away from the bunker...and from Kyle.

- What did you think of the WTWTA story so far?

- How could this story be more entertaining?

- Did you hate this episode? Enjoy this episode?

- What was your favorite part? Why?

- What did you think of Ty and Josh as Amber's friends? Did they seem realistic to you?

- Jody's 20 hour drive to Reno...have you ever driven this hard over a long-haul trip? What was that like in comparison?

- Coffee or Red Bull on long drives?

- Have you ever had Lagavulin? Your thoughts?

- Where do you think this is going next?

- Amber's mother has predicted that Jack lives. How do you think this will come to pass?

- Again, a huge uptick in readers in the UK, Australia, and Germany. Thanks everyone.

So, until next month, please review our work and let us know what you think of the direction of WTWTA.

Thank you all.

~MarionLuth and LauWhisperer