Brian bounced his knee anxiously as they passed the Sioux Falls welcome sign. He was ready to see Kate and get their year off started. Bobby had dealt with her running off, which honestly helped Brian out. He didn't want to have to punish her right before he told her that in a year, he would be going to hell. He dreaded the conversation and wanted to wait until a few months before time. However, seeing how badly she was spiraling, he knew he needed to get it out of the way.
John reached into a small cooler and pulled out a beer. "Here, might as well take the edge off."
Brian took the drink and calmed his nerves. He and Kate were going to stick around Bobby's for a few days. He was still limping from his scuffle with the demon and Dean had thought Kate might need a few days to get her head wrapped around the news. He hadn't expected how attached the kids had gotten to each other.
######
Sam and Kate stayed upstairs and chatted for a while. Kate had calmed down and was very subdued. Sam grabbed a warm cloth and brought it to Kate to wipe her face. He pushed her bag over for her to get new clothes and then stepped out of the room while she changed. Once she said it was clear, he stepped back in and brushed a few stray curls out of her eyes. He didn't want the first thing Brian to see was Kate looking like she had been through war. He also wanted her to be as calm as possible and confident as well.
Kate smiled when Sam brushed her hair back. He was sweet and thoughtful. He felt bad for her, even though she had deserved what she got. She frowned slightly, knowing she would miss him. She would miss Bobby and Dean too but Sam understood her in a way that no one else did.
Car doors slamming outside Bobby's house alerted them that Brian and John had arrived. Kate looked out the window and took a shuttered breath.
Sam put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. "You've got this."
Kate darted down the stairs and swung the front door open. She ran up to Brian and awkwardly hugged him.
Brian laughed. "It's okay, the ribs aren't that bad off." He said, hugging her tighter.
Kate hugged him back and nuzzled into his chest. "I missed you."
"I missed you two, bug." Brian said, turning her so they could walk inside.
Sam stepped around the two and walked up to John who was leaning against the front of his truck.
John nudged the spot beside him.
They didn't talk at first. Neither knew how to talk to the other. Finally Sam cleared his throat. "Thanks for getting him back here, safely."
John furrowed his brows. "I hear you did the same thing for Kate."
Sam blushed. "I guess I did."
John smacked his back. "You did good. I'm proud of you son." He said before heading toward the house.
Sam stayed at his place in front of the truck for a moment and grinned to himself.
Kate stepped on the porch with hands on her hips. "Sam! Get in here." She hissed.
"Oh, right, ally, coming." He said as he walked quickly to the steps.
The house buzzed with greetings and chatter. Kate was slightly overwhelmed but Sam's hand on her back kept her from retreating. She helped Bobby set the table and found a place between Sam and Dean to sit. She wasn't sure why she chose the spot but she felt safe. She wasn't scared of her dad but the unknown conversation that they were avoiding scared her a little. As dinner was cleared and the daylight hours waned, Kate became increasingly anxious. She wanted to know if her dad would tell her what was going on that night or if he would wait. Conversation had moved from the kitchen to the living room and her stomach twisted.
Dean sat down beside her and gently grabbed her hand, pulling it away from her mouth. He sat the jellybeans between them and tilted his head toward them. "You are going to hit bone soon if you don't stop."
She looked at her fingers and grimaced. She had to stop chewing them. She accepted the jellybeans and sat with her feet under her and listened to the hum of conversation.
Sam sat on the other side of her and grabbed some of the jellybeans.
John looked over and hid a smile. Bobby had said they were attached at the hip but it appeared they may actually be. He knew the boys were trying to keep her calm and offer some form of protection. They didn't know the specifics of the deal but knew enough to want to protect her from it. He turned the tv on and laid his head back, hoping to unwind for a bit.
Brian and Bobby stepped out of the house to talk in private and the living room became quiet.
Dean excused himself and went to the kitchen for drinks. He needed a minute away from the tension.
Kate watched the clock on the wall and was feeling herself becoming bored. She scooted to the other side of the couch and looked at John. His eyes were closed and his hands were laced behind his head.
He barely opened one eye and looked at her.
She jumped and sat back. She waited a minute and then tapped his leg.
He sat forward and put his elbows on his knees. The two talked in hushed tones for a few moments and then Kate sat back down beside Sam and grabbed a handful of candy.
Dean poured Sam and Kate a glass of lemonade and a third glass with whiskey for his dad. He leaned back against the counter and thought about the coming weeks. He was itching to get back to hunting and knew Kate would benefit from the off year with her dad, even if she was worried about the outcome. He flipped his keys around in his hand and eyed John's drink on the table. He walked over to it and held it up under his nose.
"Dean Eric, get your ass in here." John's voice boomed from the other room
Dean put the drink down and high tailed it to the living room. He hadn't heard that tone of voice in years. He nearly clipped the door facing sliding in to the room.
Kate turned around and saw a wide eyed, thoroughly panicked Dean.
"What? Uh sir?" Dean stammered, looking at John.
John smiled and winked at Kate.
Sam laughed on the look at Dean's face.
"What?" Dean looked around like they had lost their minds.
John leaned his head back and closed his eyes again. "She wanted to see your face, said you were too full of yourself."
Dean let go of the breath he had been holding. His dad's voice still sent a chill down his spine and the little brat had talked him into scaring the hell out of him for the fun of it. "Let me get this straight. You talked him into yelling at me to scare me?"
Kate nodded her head. "You should have seen your face."
"And you helped her? With no questions?" He said in John's direction.
John smiled. "I figured it was payback for something you did at some point."
Dean chuckled, stepping closer to Kate. "Just remember you started this."
Kate squeaked and jumped backwards off the couch. "No! We are even now." She said in panicked laughter.
"Not even close." Dean said walking around the side of the couch.
"Help!" Kate shouted.
John opened his eyes and shook his head. "Nope, already did my part."
Kate tried to make a run for it but Dean stepped around the other side of he couch. He matched each of her moves, preventing her from getting past the couch. He made a lunge for her and stumbled over Sam's foot that had been placed in the way.
Kate took her chance and darted out of the room and up the stairs. Dean caught her before she reached the top and carried her back down to the kitchen. He grabbed ice cubes from her drink and put them down the back of her shirt. Kate screeched and danced around in order to get the ice away from her skin. She threw a piece at Dean and he caught it, putting it back in her shirt.
"Truce!" Kate shouted, laughing hysterically.
Dean picked the stray pieces of ice up and tossed them in the sink. "Truce." He said with a grin. "That was a low blow, by the way."
Kate smiled sweetly. "I didn't know you were still scared of him."
Dean grabbed her in a head lock. "Everyone is scared of him."
Kate wiggled out of the headlock and grinned. "Not me!" She said, skipping back to the living room.
Dean shook his head. He still wasn't convinced she wasn't some type of witch.
#############
Bobby rubbed the knots out of his neck. The conversation that they had all been dreading was drawing near and there was no good way to go about it. The squeals and laughter from inside made him remember how young Kate still was. She was still innocent and full of life. She was still a child. The hand that she had been dealt in life was not a fair hand but he couldn't do anything to change it. "How do you want to do this?"
Brian had decided it would be better to tell her sooner rather than later or she would continue to fret. Knowing would be hard too but she could work with knowing. He could comfort her through knowing. He had intended to have the conversation in private but watching the shadows dance around the living room made him second guess himself. She wasn't going to let either of those boys out of her site and he knew that. He wasn't good with explanations and knew she would have a thousand questions. He figured he could use the back up. She was in good spirits by the sounds of her laughter and he didn't want to ruin it. "As a group."
Bobby nodded, understanding Brian's intentions in so little words. He had likely had the same train of thought. He put a hand on Brian's shoulder. "She's going to be okay."
Brian nodded grimly. "I keep telling myself that."
The screen door squeaked before the front door opened, causing Kate to put her jellybeans back in the jar. Dean had distracted her for a few minutes and she was suddenly afraid again.
Sam flinched as her nails dug into his arm. He patted her hand, letting her know it was okay.
Brian's heart twisted, seeing her fear filled eyes. He should have told her sooner.
Dean cleared his throat and went to stand up but Kate dug into his arm with her other hand.
"You two can stay." Brian said, looking at Sam and Dean.
Dean sat back down, gently prying her nails from his arm. Half of him wanted to be far away but the other part wanted to be there for when she needed him.
Brian scooted the coffee table back and sat down on the edge, a few feet from where Kate was sitting. He had put this off for nine years and he would give anything to put it off for another nine. "Katie, I'm sorry I was gone so long and left you in the dark."
Kate sat up a little but didn't say anything.
"I meant what I said, I'm going to take time away from hunting. I'm going to take a whole year, just you and me." He said slowly.
Sam squeezed Kate's hand.
"But?" Kate asked quietly.
Brian cleared his throat. "The demon John and I were after. We got him. He can't hurt anyone. So, I can just take time off."
Kate sat forward and put her hand on his leg. "Dad, I know. Tell me what ever it is that you are trying to work around."
Brian smiled weakly. Of course Kate would be the one with a backbone. "When you were a baby, you got sick. It was after your mother died. You had meningitis and you were dying." He blinked back tears. "I was desperate, I had already lost your mom. I couldn't lose you too."
Kate felt Dean's arm around her shoulders. "Dad, what did you do?"
Brian summoned the last shred of courage and strength he had. "I-I made a deal."
"A deal?"
"I summoned a crossroads demon and I made a deal for you to get better." He said, watching her reaction.
"A crossroads demon?" Kate searched her memory for what she had read. Her heart sank into her stomach.
"Yeah, sweetie. We made a deal, a trade so that you wouldn't die." He dreaded this part the most.
"What did you trade, dad?" Kate said, her voice raising an octave.
Brian put his head in his hands and tried to steady his breathing. "My soul."
"What do you mean you traded your soul? How is that even possible?" Kate blurted out.
Dean hugged her a little tighter to him.
Brian couldn't find the words.
John scooted a little closer, clearing his throat.
Brian made brief eye contact with him, giving him all he needed to continue.
"The way deals work is you ask for the thing you want most and then you get a contract. With that contract comes a time frame and when the time frame is up." He bit the inside of his cheek. Just rip the band aid off Winchester. "When it is up, the demon collects on their end of the bargain."
Kate's eyes filled with tears. "What do you mean collect?"
John grimaced. "There are differences in lore but essentially one's soul is collected and taken to hell."
Dean glared at his father. He knew John was a blunt individual but Kate was fragile.
John caught Dean's glare and glared back.
"You are going to hell?" Kate asked, letting the tears fall.
Brian reached out and grabbed her hand. "That was part of the deal."
Kate jerked her hand back. "You should have let me die." She said angrily.
Brian snapped his head up. "Why would you say that? There was no question, my soul means nothing compared to your life."
Kate brought her knees to her chest and buried her head. "How much time do you have?"
Brian didn't speak. He couldn't find the strength.
"A year." Dean said gently.
"You knew?" Kate said, drawing back from him.
"That is why we wanted you to wait for him to tell you." Dean said, hating himself a little.
"Dad, is it true?" Kate asked, searching for any sign that this was just a bad dream.
Brian nodded his head. "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. How could I?"
Kate jumped into his arms and hugged his neck. "I don't want you to go to hell."
Brian hissed from the pain in his ribs. "Katie, baby, it's going to be okay. Everything is going to be okay."
"How could this be okay?" Kate said, gritting her teeth.
Brian didn't know how to answer that. "I have made my peace with it. It was a small price for having you alive."
"Can't you break the deal? You have a year, we can figure out how to fix this." Kate said hopefully.
Brian shook his head. "We haven't found a way. I have tried everything and I just have to accept it."
Kate cried in his arms and dug into his shirt. The truth was so much worse than anything she had imagined.
John clicked his tongue and tilted his head toward the door, signaling for Sam and Dean to follow him outside.
Dean begrudgingly left the couch and drug Sam behind him.
Kate gave them a pleading look to stay but Dean shrugged his shoulders, looking over at his dad.
With the door shut, Bobby went and grabbed her drink from the table. He handed it to her along with a cloth to dry her face with.
"Dad. If you are gone what happens to me?" Kate asked, sadly.
Brian's voice cracked around the lump that had formed in his throat. "You can come back here."
Kate looked at Bobby and then hung her head. Bobby had been nice to her but she had been a source of aggravation and stress and she didn't want to do that to Bobby. "I can't, Dad."
Bobby sat down in front of her. "Why is that?"
She swallowed hard and looked at him pitifully. "I get in the way, I don't follow rules. You hunt and I will mess it up."
Bobby frowned. "You don't get in the way." He hated that she felt that way.
"I always mess up. I ran and made you worry. I can go to a foster family and I'll be okay." Kate said decidedly.
"Katie, yeah, you ran earlier. You got yourself into some trouble but that is all over now." Bobby said gently. "You are always welcome here. You are family and I wouldn't rest at night if you were off with some random family."
"We already talked about it, Kate." Brian said, rubbing the back of her head.
"Did you know when you dropped me off?" She asked, searching his eyes for questions. "Is that why you left me here?"
Brian shook his head. "I knew that my time was going to come up but that isn't why I left you here. The demon we trapped, Alrek, he was after me and would have went after you. I wanted to have this next year with you and I couldn't do that with him on my tail. He needed to be dealt with, and where he is, he wont hurt you or me or anyone else."
Kate looked at the floor, deep in thought. She was numb and struggling to process the magnitude of what her dad had done. She was angry that he had traded his soul and was going to leave her but he had done so for her. She wouldn't be alive had he not made the deal. Her heart was shattered and she wanted to turn back time and not know about her dad's fate. Sam tried to warn her that it was bad but she could not have fathomed just how bad it was. She had so many questions but just melted into Brian's chest, squeezing her eyes shut, willing the pain to go away.
#######
Dean paced back and forth in front of the impala.
"Son, running a hole into the ground isn't going to fix anything." John said, putting his foot out to stop Dean.
Dean threw his hands up. "I know it is not going to fix anything. I just can't sit out here and do nothing. She is a kid. A helpless kid and we promised we would stay with her."
John gave him a pointed glance. "She is in there with her dad and Bobby. She needs some time."
"She has had time." Dean said, looking at the watch on his wrist.
"Dean, drop it." John said in a gruff voice.
Sam watched the power play between his dad and brother. Sam was usually the one who butted heads with John but he was choosing to remain quiet.
"Dad, you don't know her as well as we do." Dean said, glancing back at the house.
"Dean, stand down." He said with a bit more bite.
Dean stepped back and rested against the impala. He didn't agree with John but he wasn't about to argue with him.
"I talked to Brian a lot on our hunt. I know you care about her and yeah, you do know her better. Brian requested some time and we are going to give him that." John said, softer.
Dean sighed and looked at Bobby's house. His dad was right.
John clapped Dean on the back. "Just give it a minute, son."
########
With Kate calm, Brian asked if she wanted Sam and Dean back in the room. She nodded her head into his chest and mumbled.
Bobby sent John a message and two sets of boots hit the porch in record time. The door swung open and Kate jumped off Brian's lap in search of the hugs she had grown accustomed to.
John stepped inside the door and sidled around the trio. He met Brian's eyes and smirked. He wondered how well they'd be able to hunt with their mind on how she was doing.
The conversation turned toward the logistical side of the coming year. Sam and Dean would be on the road part of the time with John, giving Bobby a chance to do his own thing. Kate and Brian would hole up in the hunters' cabin. She would have an opportunity to go to school, which she was excited about. They would have an entire year of normalcy.
Kate tried to push away the end of the year and focus on the longest amount of time that she would spend with her dad interrupted. "Can we do fun stuff?" She asked, figuring she might as well take advantage of the situation.
"Like what?" Brian asked, smirking.
"I don't know. Things I have never done. Like a carnival or water park?" She said sweetly.
Brian thought about it, the request wasn't unreasonable.
"Sam and Dean can come for safety if that's an issue." She added.
Brian shook his head. She was quick.
"Just tell me when and I'll send them." John said winking at Kate.
Kate took a deep breath and hugged her dad again.
Brian sighed and rested his chin on her head. She was a tough kid and he was relieved that she was focusing on the up side.
Kate hid the worried look on her face and touched the crystal around her neck. She had a year to spend with her dad, which meant she had a year to figure out how to break the deal. She just had to play it cool until then.