AN: So much angst!
The sound of John's truck caught Kate's attention and sent her running out the front door. She bounced on her toes and waited for the truck to stop before swinging open the door. She recoiled when she saw Dean.
"None of it is our blood." Dean said quickly.
She stepped back and gave him space to exit the truck. "What the heck happened to you?"
"Sometimes hunting gets messy." He said, acting like he was going to hug her.
"Ew. Don't touch me. You need a shower." She said. She saw Sam and noted that he wasn't nearly as covered as Dean was.
Sam told her about the close call and his heroic act of beheading the vampire before it bit into Dean's neck. He was on a hunter's high and didn't think to leave details out of the story.
Dean whirled around when he felt something small sting his shoulder blade. "Did you just throw a rock at me?"
"You were supposed to be careful!" Kate shouted.
"Hey, I was careful. I didn't plan on being face to face with count Dracula. It just happened." He said amusedly.
"It isn't funny. You need to be MORE careful." She said, dodging the headlock he attempted. "Nope, that is disgusting."
Dean looked down at his arms. "I didn't know you were squeamish."
"I'm not, that is just gross."
Dean shrugged his shoulders and stepped up on the porch. He took his boots off and left them at the front door. He headed straight for the shower. He peeled his drenched clothing off of his body and threw them in an empty hamper. Kate was right, it was gross.
Somehow John was the least splattered of the three and took a seat on Bobby's porch.
Sam's skin was irritated from the drying flakes and he knew Dean would take forever in the shower. "Bobby, can I use the laundry sink to wash this off?"
"Yeah, just don't track it through the house." Bobby said.
Kate followed Sam inside and ran upstairs to get him some clean clothes. She grabbed the hamper and drug it back down the stairs. She put them in the washer and left the top open for Sam's things. Blood was gross but it didn't bother her.. She had gotten used to scrubbing it from Brian's clothes after he returned from hunts.
Sam scrubbed his hands and arms until they returned to their normal color. He washed his face but there was no mirror to look into. He felt strands of his hair sticking together and wished Dean would hurry in the shower.
"Here." Kate said, running a cloth under the warm water. She wiped his face and neck and smiled as he began to look more like her Sam. She put shampoo on her hands and rubbed them together.
"I can wash my own hair." Sam said, pulling his head away.
"Uh huh, and you can cooperate." Kate said, reaching for his head. She tiptoed and barely managed to work the suds into his hair.
He put his head under the faucet and rinsed the soap away.
She put more shampoo on her hands and took her time massaging it into his scalp to make sure that no trace of blood remained. She saw a bright flash of light and pulled her hands back.
"What happened?" Sam said, hearing her gasp.
"I saw Dean." She said. "He was standing against a beam and a guy with black hair was in his face."
Sam rinsed his hair again and grabbed a towel. "That was at the nest. How did you see that?"
"I think when I touched your head, I just got a glimpse of it." Kate was equally as surprised as Sam.
"I'm sorry you saw that." Sam grimaced slightly.
Kate gave him a half smile. "That was more of a close call than you made it out to be. I'm glad you saved him."
"Me too." Sam said. "It was kind of cool though."
Kate smiled and pushed the button to turn the water on in the washer. "Yeah, like super cool."
John walked into the house and followed the sound of voices. He was contemplating kicking Dean out of the shower.
Kate saw John and tilted her head. "Shirt please, so I can wash all of them at once."
He smirked and pulled the shirt over his head and tossed it in the washer. "Sam could be the one doing that."
She cringed at the deep scars that covered John's back and chest. She wondered what type of monsters had given him such scars. She touched one that ran diagonal across his flank. "I'm making myself useful."
John noticed the look on her face and grabbed a clean shirt to put on.
Kate shut the lid on the washer and chewed on her fingers. Her dad had plenty of scars and scars just meant that you survived something. John's scars made her feel a little light headed. How many times had he been so close to death and made it out alive? John was a legend but he wasn't unbreakable. He was human, and that worried her.
"Are you okay?" Sam asked as John left the room.
Kate nodded her head and walked outside to tend to their boots.
"I can take care of the boots, Kate." Sam said, stopping her.
Kate relented and sat on the railing of the porch.
Dean walked up behind her and leaned his elbows on the railing.
She looked at his neck and huffed. "What is that?"
He touched his neck where the vampire had broken the skin with his claw. "Just a scratch."
"I should have used a bigger rock." Kate said, looking at the long scratch.
"How about just do not throw rocks at me?" He said with a grin.
Kate rolled her eyes but smiled. "I'm glad you are okay."
"Me too, kiddo." Dean said, remembering how close the vampire had gotten to him.
Brian would be far away from hunting for a while but she would still worry about the others. She resigned herself to the fact that she would always worry.
Dean could see the wheels turning in her head and wondered what she was thinking. He knew that she was still processing everything she had learned the day before but a voice in the back of his head told him that she was processing it a bit too well. He didn't doubt that her talk with Bobby had made an impact but he didn't think for a second that she wouldn't go off the rails, given a proper chance. "Do you want to help me with the truck?"
"Sure." She said, mindlessly, and hopped down from the railing.
The two made quick work of scrubbing the floorboard and seat of John's truck. They left the windows down for the breeze to dry the fabric. Dean let the tailgate down and sat down.
Kate followed suit and laid back, letting the sun hit her face. She could have fallen asleep like that but Sam joined them and jumped over the side of the truck, causing it to shake.
"You could have warned me." Kate grumbled.
The three sat in silence and relaxed. Kate let her mind wander.
Bobby whistled to let them know food was ready.
Sam jumped off the truck and held his hand out to help Kate sit up. He felt a bolt of electricity go through his body and jerked his hand away.
Dean caught the movement out of the corner of his eye.
Kate hit the ground and quickly made her way inside.
"What was that?" Dean asked.
Sam didn't look at him. "I don't know." He said and left Dean sitting on the tailgate.
Dean sighed deeply and rubbed the tension from his temples. He had seen the look on Kate's face when Sam's eyes met hers. He had seen the look of panic on Sam's face. He didn't need to be a mind reader to know Sam had seen something. He made his way to the kitchen and quietly watched Sam and Kate. They traded quick glances but avoided each other for the most part. Dean had a sinking feeling and planned to figure out what was going on.
John had taught Dean everything he knew and the shift in behavior wasn't lost on him. He saw the way his older son looked at the younger two and how they both made a point of avoiding him. He would give them time to work it out amongst themselves but made a mental note to keep an eye on the situation.
Both Sam and Kate ate quickly and excused themselves from the table. Sam washed their dishes and headed in the opposite direction that Kate had.
Dean stayed at the table a few minutes longer before he lost his patience and took off after Sam.
His departure from the table seemed natural and didn't seem odd to Brian or Bobby. However, John knew his boys and could feel the trouble brewing.
Sam's shoulders tensed when he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't need to look in order to know that Dean was approaching.
"What was that?" Dean asked.
"What do you mean?" Sam turned to face his brother.
"You know damn well what I mean." Dean replied, taking another step into Sam's personal space.
"Get out of my face. I don't know what your issue is." Sam said, pushing Dean a few steps back.
"When you grabbed Kate's hand, something happened."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Nothing happened. What are you talking about?"
Dean shoved Sam's shoulder and hissed. "I'm your brother. Don't lie to me, man. Did you see something? You don't just run off and act like you've seen a ghost over nothing."
Sam tried to step around Dean but froze. "Shit." He grumbled and leaned back against a tree.
Dean whipped around and saw John standing a few feet away.
"Am I interrupting something?" John asked evenly.
"I'm just talking to Sammy." Dean replied.
"I see. Well, continue. I'm not stopping you." John said.
Dean grimaced and looked at Sam. He hadn't planned on involving John unless he had to. "Sam, what happened when you grabbed her hand?"
Sam looked from John to Dean and down at his feet. He wasn't sure exactly what he saw. "I just had a brief glimpse of something. It was nothing. It just looked like a photo and disappeared."
John shifted but let Dean talk.
"Sam, what was it?"
"I don't know." Sam answered weakly.
John stepped beside Dean and looked at his younger son. "I know you aren't stupid enough to lie about something important."
Sam felt the anger building in his chest. John got under his skin quicker than anyone else. "I think I saw part of her thoughts but like I said, I don't know what it was." He said through gritted teeth.
John studied him for a moment and without looking away, told Dean to get Kate.
Dean made a zipper motion across his mouth, telling Sam to keep his mouth shut. He needed two minutes to find Kate but knew his brother could dig himself a hole in that time frame.
Sam sat on the ground in front of the tree and bit his tongue.
John pulled a stump over and sat down as well. He quietly watched Sam until he heard voices approaching.
"Let go of me." Kate spat angrily at Dean.
"Stop. I told you, we are going to talk." Dean said, almost pleadingly.
Kate tried to jerk her arm away but froze when she saw John. She blinked rapidly and stopped fighting. Dean hadn't told her John would be privy to the talk and her instinct to run was rearing it's head.
Dean grabbed both of her shoulders and took a deep breath, signaling for her to do the same. "We are just going to talk."
Kate calmed slightly and followed Dean to where Sam was sitting.
John smirked at the way she stayed behind Dean's leg.
Dean cleared his throat. "I was just asking Sam what happened out at the truck."
Kate flicked her eyes to the ground and mumbled. "What?"
"When he grabbed your hand and you both took off. You know, the reason that neither of you will look at each other." He said calmly.
Kate shrugged her shoulders. John's presence made her nervous.
"Sam thinks he saw your thoughts." Dean added.
Kate shot a furious glare at Sam. "Yeah, that happens sometimes. It happened when I helped him with his hair. I saw you almost get bit by a vampire but you aren't flipping out about that time."
Dean rubbed his head. "I didn't know about that time. I only saw what happened at the truck, and with all that is going on, I am worried."
"You are worried about nothing. Sam just got freaked out because ya know it can be really freaky to see someone's thoughts." Kate said, stepping back toward the house.
"Sit." John said.
His voice cut through her and she immediately sat on the ground.
"I agree with Dean. I think the two of you know more than you are letting on and I would like to know what that is." John said, without looking up.
Neither spoke. Sam wasn't sure how to put what he saw into words and Kate was willing him to keep his mouth shut. She knew what he had seen and didn't want him to ruin her plans.
Dean felt the tension building and held his breath. He had intended to get the truth out of them and then talk it over with the other adults. He wasn't prepared for John to step in. "Guys, just talk. If it was just a thought, how bad could it be?"
Kate dug her toes into the dirt. "Can't even have thoughts now." Kate mumbled.
"Say that a bit louder." John said, glancing over at her.
Kate scooted back closer to one of the trees and shook her head.
Sam saw his dad's patience draining and spoke up. "When I grabbed her hand, I saw a room. I don't think anything was special about the room except some stuff on the floor."
"Sam." Kate hissed.
He looked at her apologetically and continued. "There were some books and I'm honestly not sure what else."
"And?" John asked.
"I don't know how to explain. I felt fear but there was something else."
Dean nudged Kate's foot. "Care to fill in the gaps?"
She shook her head and used a small stick to stab the dirt at her side.
"Kate." Dean said, urging her to talk.
She flinched when John stood up but relaxed when he sat back down. She rested her head on her knee and chewed her nails. She wanted to go back in the house, away from the eyes that seared the top of her head.
"Dad." Sam said in a hoarse whisper.
John didn't respond but the look on his face was enough to get Sam to be quiet.
"So, we know that Sam saw part of a thought. We know that what ever it was that you were thinking must be something you know that your dad wouldn't approve of." John said in a cool, calm voice.
Dean squeezed Kate's foot. "Katie. What are you not wanting to say?"
She scrunched her eyebrows and pulled her foot away. "Me not saying is the whole point of-" She snapped her mouth closed when she looked over to John. He was using his pocket knife to strip a switch he had cut from the tree above Sam's head. She shot Dean a panicked look.
"Talk, please." He would be equally as panicked if he was in her shoes.
She stared at John's hands and shook her head. "What is that for?"
"Motivation." John said.
"If-if I tell you, will you put it down." She was worried that if she told them what was on her mind, he would use it on her anyway.
"Just start talking." John replied.
She swallowed hard and moved closer to Dean. She couldn't find her voice.
Dean wrapped his arm around her shoulder and helped her breathe. "Now would be a really good time for honesty."
She looked to Sam for help. He looked just as panicked and she realized that if she didn't talk, she would likely drag Sam down with her. John was nice to her and they had an interesting relationship. She didn't fear him like Sam and Dean did. However, in that moment she understood how he could put the fear of god into someone. "I don't want to get in trouble." She said, lamely. She was frustrated that Dean had made a big deal of the exchange and that John was involved.
John simply looked at her. He didn't need to speak to get his point across.
"I was trying to think of ways to break my dad's deal." She blurted out.
John scratched his scruffy chin. "What did you come up with?"
She squeaked and bit her tongue.
"Sam, go get Brian." John said, not breaking his eye contact with Kate.
Kate shook her head and grabbed Sam's leg. "No, don't. I am talking. Please?"
"Now, Sam."
Sam pulled his leg away and walked slowly to find Brian.
"Today, Samuel." John said with his back to Sam.
Sam swore the man had eyes in the back of his head.
"It isn't that serious. I promise." She pleaded.
Dean hugged her to him. "What is so bad that you are this worried to say out loud?"
Kate's eyes teared up as she glanced between John's face and the switch in his hand. She whispered in Dean's ear and braced herself.
Dean blinked in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
Kate scooted away from Dean's side. "I told you. You can't be mad now."
"Like hell, I can't Kate!"
John put his hand out to stop Dean. "What did she say?"
"She said she was going to summon the god damn thing!" Dean said, eyeing the girl, daring her to take off.
John stood up and grabbed Kate's arm, pulling her to stand in front of him. "You were going to summon a demon?"
She tried to pull her arm away. "I thought about it but it was just a thought and I wasn't going to actually do it. I just can't let my dad go to hell. I knew you all would get mad and so I didn't want to tell you but it was just a thought." She blurted out in one breath.
"What is going on?" Brian said as he rounded the house.
"Daddy. Nothing. It isn't a big deal." Kate whined.
"Sam, what kind of stuff was on the floor?" John asked him .
Sam shifted his weight from foot to foot. He couldn't be absolutely sure but had recognized the purpose of the items. "Uh, a bowl and some... stuff."
"Stuff to summon a demon with?" John asked, still holding Kate's arm.
Sam turned white. "I guess, yeah."
"And did you know that from the beginning?"
Sam quickly shook his head. "No, sir. I knew it was something but couldn't quite place it. I had planned on talking to her about it before Dean jumped me." He honestly hadn't intended to hide anything. He had felt her emotions and that was enough to throw him off.
"I swear to god, son. If you are lying to me I am going to skin you." John said in a low tone.
Sam held up his hands and backed away. "I promise, Dad."
Kate groaned and twisted her arm. "He is telling the truth. I realized he could read what I was thinking and kinda... pushed him out."
Sam wasn't sure if she was trying to clear him or if she had actually kicked him out of her head.
"It was just a thought."
Brian stepped closer to Kate and looked her in the eye. "How developed was this 'thought' of yours?"
"Not very, I don't even know how to actually summon a demon." She said, not liking the amount of eyes on her.
Dean wanted to pull her away from the proverbial bear trap she was in but his gut told him that the thought wasn't as innocent as she said it was. "Can I borrow her for a minute?" He asked.
Brian furrowed his brows but nodded.
John released Kate's arm and let her run to Dean. He wasn't sure what his son was doing but trusted him.
Dean stepped out of earshot of his father and Brian and whispered in Kate's ear.
"Dean!" She said in a shrill voice.
He knelt to be at her level and talked to her in a hushed tone. "I am asking again, what kind of stuff did Sam see on the floor?"
Kate avoided looking at him and stomped her foot against the ground. "Please drop it Dean."
"How do you know how to summon a demon?"
"I don't!" She shouted and quickly covered her mouth. "Please, Dean."
"Summoning a demon is incredibly dangerous. Even considering such a thing is bad. However, if you are actually planning to do it, in an effort to save your dad, I need to know. I get it, I want to save him too. However, you are a kid. I wouldn't even try to summon one by myself. So many things can go wrong. I know how to summon one. I know all of the ingredients and the words to say. Now, I want to know how you know." His tone was firm but not unkind.
Kate let tears flow from her eyes. "Why'd you have to make a big deal of it? No matter what I do, I am going to be in so much trouble."
"I knew something was off and trust me, you would rather face this than what could happen if you summoned an actual demon."
She glanced back at John and her dad and bit her lip. "I don't know, this seems pretty bad."
Dean didn't disagree with her. "I suggest you start being honest."
"I saw it." She mumbled.
"You saw it? Did you see it in a book?"
She shook her head. "Can I leave it at that? I saw it and I know how to summon a demon for real. I don't know everything about it though."
Dean searched her eyes. "Where did you see it, Kate?"
She glanced back over her shoulder and buried her face in Dean's flannel shirt.
Her answer was barely audible. He soaked in her words and understood her apprehension. "How long have you been able to do that?"
"I can with Sam. I didn't know I could with other people. That was the only time." She said pitifully.
"Holy shit, kid." He said and looked toward Brian and his dad. "Shit."
"Please don't tell him, Dean." She pleaded.
"And get myself in hot water for helping you lie?" He said with a smirk.
She punched his arm and sniffled. "You are an adult. I'm the one in trouble no matter what I say or do."
He joked around but didn't think his dad would care that he was a legal adult.
"I will do the talking. I'll tell them what you told me." He offered.
She followed him back to where her dad stood but stayed behind him. She held onto the back of his shirt and tried to remain calm.
"She was honest with me and I was able to find out how much she knew." Dean stated.
"Well, we don't have all day, son." John said, urging Dean to spit it out.
Dean felt Kate's nails digging into his side and flinched. "She doesn't know every ingredient to summon a demon but knows most of them."
Brian stepped to the side to make eye contact with his daughter. "How does she know that?"
Dean took a deep breath. "She saw mention of it in the book she opened. She didn't see enough to know ingredients or anything of that sort."
"So, how does she know so much now? Did you steal another of Bobby's books, Katelyn?" Brian demanded.
"Kid, stop digging your nails into my back." Dean said, prying her hand away from his skin. "She read you." He said, ripping the band aid off and letting the statement hang in the air.
"She read me?" Brian asked.
"No, sir." Dean answered, looking into his own father's eyes.
John stiffened. "How much information did she get from me?"
"Enough." Dean answered. "She said she was trying to think of how to break the deal and when she touched you, she read you."
"When?" John asked.
Dean nudged Kate.
Kate whispered just loud enough for Dean to hear.
"When you went into the laundry room to clean up." Dean repeated.
Brian's head was about to burst.
"Kate, how long after reading me did you jump to planning to summon a demon?" John asked.
Dean gritted his teeth and pulled her hand away from his back. He held her hand in his and squeezed.
"Not long." She mumbled.
"Speak up, Katelyn." Brian demanded.
"Not long. I saw the ritual and realized I could maybe use it one day. So, I started thinking about it. That is when Sam grabbed my hand." She answered reluctantly. "It was just a thought."
John was still processing how he felt about Kate reading him. "Kate. Did you know you could read me?"
Kate panicked and took a few steps back. Dean pulled her back and stood her in front of him. "Kid, running is going to make this so much worse. Did you know you could read him like you did with Sam?"
She turned and looked up at Dean. "Please."
"Did you know?" He asked, gently. He hoped that it had been an accident. The look in her eyes told him that it wasn't.
"I was helping Sam wash his hair and when I touched his head, I saw the vampire."
"Go on."
"I tried it with your dad but I didn't know I was going to see the summoning ritual."
Dean gently grabbed her face and searched her eyes. "Were you hoping to see something?"
Kate tried to look away but she couldn't.
Dean hugged her against him and nodded his head toward his dad.
John's jaw jumped from the pressure he was putting on it. Had it been an accident, he would have been annoyed that she kept it a secret. Knowing that she intended to read him made him more than annoyed. She wasn't his kid. She was Brian's and he would respect that. It didn't change the fact that every bone in his body wanted to wear her out. She took information for him and loosely planned on using it to do something that could get herself killed.
Brian stared blankly at Kate. He was so angry that he couldn't think straight. How was he going to have a year of normal with her when she was so hell bent on getting herself mixed up in the mess he made?
John saw the anger written on Brian's face and cleared his throat. He said something to him under his breath and then told Dean to take Kate inside. He shot Sam a look that had the kid hitting the door before Dean did. Once the yard was empty he turned to Brian and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I think you need a drink."