Alright, please don't kill me… I know, I'm the worst updater ever. Things have been crazy and I feel like being a Biology major doesn't really help things… On top of that, I'm trying not to wallow in self pity over trivial things…

Anyway…

I'm amazed and thankful to all of you who have reviewed, alerted, and even read this story. Over 1,000 views! Makes me smile : ) So thank you!

On with part 3! (Maybe Kate can do a better job than I can…)

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Supernatural, it's characters, or story-line. I don't make any money of this story. I wish I did, but hey. Wishing never got me anywhere before. Lol

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For some reason, gazing out the window into the darkness lurking outside gave Dean a small sense of security. The small moment of quiet allowed him some time to think, while he observed the outside and infinite lack of light, alert for any small sign of danger. The subject of his thoughts? A certain teenage girl currently exploring the rest of the house. He didn't know what to think. Sure, there were some facts backing up the story, but could he really believe that? She could just be another monster out to hurt him and his little brother, and he certainly couldn't have that. But then again, there's the fact that even Bobby admitted it was true. Maybe this was real…

Meanwhile, Sam was in agony. He watched silently as Molly paced the kitchen, reading and re-reading the love letters of a dead man and his wife. How could he let her go on like this, thinking there was hope? He knew the truth, they all did, except for her. It wasn't fair, wasn't right. He turned away, pacing by his older brother, who also seemed to be lost in thought. He made his decision.

"I think we should tell her about her husband." He said with a soft sigh.

"We can't." Came Dean's immediate and casual reply. Sam stood his ground, his frustration and guilt building.

"Dean, it's cruel, laying a pile for her like this." He said quietly, almost whispering. "I don't like keeping her in the dark." Dean turned back over his shoulder slightly.

"It's for her own good." He offered. Sam's silence was not reassuring, and he inwardly sighed. Dean knew his brother, knew exactly what he was thinking, but he couldn't let him do this. He stood slowly, quickly glancing to make sure Molly was none the wiser of the conversation taking place.

"Look man, I know you feel guilty, alright?" He started, trying to console his brother. "But let's just stick to the plan. Let's get her out of here and then we'll tell her."

"Tell me what?"

The brother's heads both snapped to the doorway, uncertainty and guilt clear in Sam's eyes, while Dean's were slightly annoyed. Seriously, why was this happening? Was a simple salt and burn just too much to ask? It had to always get so complicated?

"What aren't you telling me?" Molly said again, mistrust leaking through her voice. Both boys avoided her look, and anger filled her. "This is about David isn't it? You know what happened to him?"

"Molly-"

"Sam, don't." Dean warned, stern and clear. Sam glared at his older brother, frustrated and guilty. What was there to do now but tell her? It was the right thing to do, but all Dean could focus on was the hunt. (If only he knew…)

"What?" She snapped. "Don't tell me because I'll mess up your hunt? You don't care about me or my husband!"

"That's not true." Sam consoled gently.

"Really?" Molly asked on the verge of tears. "Then whatever it is, tell me. Please." She begged. Dean looked away, frustrated. Damn, she was good. Between the pleading voice cracking with unshed tears and the biggest doe eyes he'd seen since his brother, he could practically see the guilt rolling off Sam. It was only a matter of time before he cracked.

He almost sighed in relief when he heard the radio playing from the other room. Almost, if he hadn't suddenly remembered what that meant.

"He's coming." Molly ominously whispered. Sam immediately raised his light to look around, prepared in case Greely made a sudden appearance. Molly edged closer to them, fear clear as day all over. Dean stepped forward.

"Stay with her." He ordered. Sam nodded and immediately stepped to Molly, prepared to defend her if the need came. Dean moved slowly, walking to the kitchen where the radio was. The whole place was covered in dust and grime, just like the rest of the house, but the music grew louder underneath a white sheet spotted with dirt. He gently placed his gun on top of the radio, stooping down to investigate it. There seemed to be no power, but the music was definitely playing. On the floor, a distinctly frayed wire caught his eye, and he almost groaned in annoyance. Until he heard a noise from behind him.

Rising slowly, he picked up his gun and walked toward the door, taking gentle and cautious steps. The window of the door seemed to be caught in its own blizzard, as frost grew up the sides and covered it. His heart jolted at the words now evident.

She's mine.

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Meanwhile, Sam was watching vigilantly, prepared in case something suddenly went wrong. His mind was racing through his usual checklist. Gun? Check. Victim? Check. Dean? Check.

The last one almost made his heart stop. He knew Dean was ok, he'd just went into the other room not a minute ago, but then he remembered his sister.

Where was Kate?

A subtle panic overtook him as he glanced around, no sign of the girl anywhere. He remembered she'd been right there, she was exploring a little when he and Dean were arguing, where could she have gone?

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It was like some sort of bizarre dream to Kate. The building was, forgive the pun, hauntingly beautiful to her as she noted photos of the loving couple, and even some beautiful artwork, which seemed to be signed by Greely himself.

He painted these himself? She thought in surprise. It seemed a little odd to think of this dark ghost as having been a man once, just a man with his love and a life everyone would crave. The thought made her sigh and shake her head, trying to focus on the rest of the house that may lead to some sort of clue. This burn needed to get done, and she certainly didn't want to hang around.

She tried very hard to keep her focus on the case, but she couldn't think of anything else but her current predicament. To be fair, she kind of had a right. After all the crap she'd endured as a child, then as a teenager, was it really so hard to be amazed at the possibility of having a real family out there, just for her? Sam seemed to be set on accepting her, right from the start. The thought made her smile to herself, as she stepped softly on the rotting wood beneath her feet. It was nice to know that he was ready to open his arms to her, and be the kind of support she'd always wanted… But the thought scared her too.

What if Dean was right? Sure, she knew she wasn't a monster or anything supernatural, and she would never hurt the boys, but what if they were wrong about John? I mean, really, what were the odds that he was really her father, and consequently, these two her brothers? What would happen if they discovered that it wasn't true? Would they kill her for deceiving them? She hadn't meant to, it wasn't her fault really, how was she to know?

Then again, what if she really was their sister? What then? Would she continue traveling with them? They were still a ways off from Bobby's after they took this job. Maybe she had a little time to convince them she was worth keeping around, that she had skills and tricks to use to their benefit…

Her thought process was interrupted by the soft echo of music through the floorboards. Quick as a flash, she whipped her head around towards the door, listening softly for the slightest noise. So far all she could hear were boots on the creaking wooden floors beneath her, which she took to be her brothers investigating. She stepped lightly toward the doors, pistol in her hands, loaded and ready to defend however she could, her shoulders stiff and tense, senses on every alert.

Which is exactly why she was so surprised when she suddenly found herself flying through the air, coming to a screeching halt against the far wall with a resounding crash.

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The loud crash echoed through the entire house, startling the occupants below. Sam immediately shone his flashlight to the ceiling, looking for evidence of what could have caused it, when his mind finally caught up to him, filling him instantly with panic.

"KATE!" He cried, rushing to the stairs blindly, no other thoughts in his mind but to get to his sister. Sprinting up the stairs two at a time, he silently begged his legs to move ever faster, praying it wasn't too late.

Standing in the doorway, a cold sense of dread and fear in his gut, he took in the sight before him. Greely crouched menacingly on the far right side, over what looked to be a bundle of debris. Wood and dust were everywhere, forcing Sam to strain his eyes to see what he was looking so intently at. The sight made his blood run cold, as he realized what was happening.

"KATE!" He called again, catching the ghosts' attention. Greely looked up, smirking silently at him. He slowly turned back to Kate, stirring beneath him and pushing wood planks off her torso. The angry spirit reached down and, before anyone could react, had the youngest Winchester by the throat. She kicked and struggled, her eyes wide as she struggled to breathe. Immediately, Sam picked up his gun and aimed.

"Put her down you son of a bitch!" As Greely glanced over again, that same stupid smirk on his face, he rose, pulling the struggling teen with him. Sam remained still, finger on the trigger, waiting for his chance to take the shot. Before he could, the thunder of a gun and an explosion of rock salt went off at Greely's hand, causing the ghost to howl in pain, and dissipate in a puff of black mist.

Kate collapsed to her knees, hands massaging her now probably bruised throat as she sucked in oxygen greedily. The pistol in her hands was still warm from the shot that no doubt saved her life. As she silently thanked whoever was up there, she felt Sam rush over to her.

"Kate, hey, are you alright?" He asked hurriedly, quickly inspecting her for any more injuries. Kate smiled, nodding.

"Yeah." She gasped, finally catching her breath. "I'm fine, no damage." Sam seemed to almost melt in relief. Sensing this, Kate felt her heart warm in appreciation. It was foreign, someone panicking like that at the thought of her getting hurt. But she found that she kind of enjoyed it.

Jeez, the lack of air was clearly messing with the common sense in her brain.

Footsteps pounding up the stairs broke her out of her thoughts. The unmistakable sound of boots harshly crashing on the ancient floors brought her to her senses, as she realized who was coming. When Dean appeared in the doorway, she found she couldn't meet his eyes.

"Sam, you ok? Where's Greely?"

"It's ok, Dean." Sam assured the elder brother. "We're fine. He came after Kate, but she got him with the rock salt." Dean raised an eyebrow.

"That was you?" He asked incredulously. Kate winced and nodded, glancing up at the older man cautiously. His face was impossible to read.

Before anything else could be said, the harsh, loud sound of shattering glass and a woman screaming interrupted any possibility of further conversation. Dread, cold as ice, slid down Kate's insides.

"MOLLY!" She yelled, jumping to her feet. Quickly as she could, she shoved past the brothers and bound down the stairs, nearly falling as she approached the ground floor currently coated in shattered glass. The huge window just opposite the stairs was completely ruined, a gaping hole resting where it once was. It didn't take long to put two and two together.

"Guys, he's got Molly!" Without waiting for the boys to respond, Kate leaped out through the hole clearly left by Greely, and ran into the dark woods, looking for any evidence she could to find their missing companion.

"Kate, wait!" Sam called out, reaching to catch his sister's jacket before she jumped out to the mysterious forest before them. Cursing under his breath, he looked back at Dean, who nodded in response, and ran out after them, his big brother close behind.

Tearing down the winding dirt path, their hearts pounding and adrenaline rushing through their veins, the Winchesters desperately searched for the malevolent ghost and his captive. No one wanted to think about what was happening right then, their only aim to find and rescue the woman they promised to protect. As the pathway ended, however, the forest seemed to open up before them, darkness spreading and enveloping the area, making it seem as though it would never end. No matter how carefully they searched, the message was clear. This darkness went on and on, and Molly was lost amongst it.

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"This guy is persistent." Dean said, stalking into the house. Sam and Kate followed after, minds reeling.

"We've got to find Molly." Sam replied.

"We've got to find Greely's bones, and uh, no pressure or anything," He said sarcastically. "But we've got about two hours before sunrise." The large open window pouring in moonlight seemed to tell him exactly what time it was. Kate was sure he could read the sun's cycle by now, something she secretly envied. But now wasn't the time for that.

"Hey." Sam called, catching everyone's attention. Dean stepped back over, mumbling under his breath while Kate leaned forward silently to see what Sam held in his hand. The photo album was black, very classic looking and clearly of large sentimental value. Curious, Kate edged closer and peered at the photograph Sam seemed to be pointing at. Almost immediately, she regretted it as Dean loomed over her, making her want to shrink down and stay out of the way even more.

"February 6,1992." He read quietly, ignoring Kate altogether. "That's like, two weeks before the accident."

"Yeah…" Sam pointed out, his voice fading and thoughtful. His eyes scrunched together, and Kate could see the wheels turning.

"That place." She pointed to the photograph. "It almost looks like the hunting cabin…" As the three looked closer, Sam nodded.

"Yeah, but, I swear there's a tree right where they're standing…" Silence consumed them all once again, each consumed by their own thoughts and possible theories narrowing down in their minds. Dean and Kate were broken from theirs as Sam scoffed.

"I should have thought of it." He whispered. Dean rose a brow.

"What?"

"It's old country custom, Dean!" He declared as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Planting a tree as a grave marker!" Dean rolled his eyes at his brother in response.

"You're like a walking encyclopedia of weirdness." He stated. Kate giggled, quickly throwing her hand over her mouth and glancing at her brothers. She almost missed it, but managed to catch the small smirk on Dean's face at the sound as he strode to the door. Sam rolled his eyes, giving Kate a look that practically screamed "Come on, don't encourage him!"

"Yeah, I know." He stated gruffly. The two remaining hunters followed the eldest out the door.

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Creeping around the corner of the cabin, the horrid scream pierced Kate's ears. Her head snapped up at the sound, and she desperately tried to bury the cold dread and guilt sliding into her core. The sound of her crying only made it worse, and she wished she could just bock out the sound.

"Go get Molly." She heard Sam tell Dean. The words were like music to her ears. Dean nodded curtly and hurried to the door. He turned to Kate.

"Here, come help me dig him up." He told her. She nodded in return, taking the other shovel from his hand. The two began silently digging, praying they'd make it in time.

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menacing spirit. It was like music, hearing the snarl of the ghost, the explosion of the rifle, and the resounding hiss as it dissipated in the air. The recoil on the rifle felt so right, everything felt in place in that single second.

"Thank God!" Came the soft whimper from the distressed girl. Dean smirked, straightening.

"Call me 'Dean'." He replied, cocky as ever. Before he could congratulate himself on another witty comeback, she whimpered again. Now, obviously he knew this was a bad sign and it probably meant Greely was back and more than likely stalking behind him, but really? The Hell was a whimper supposed to tell him?

Any further thought was interrupted by the sound of Greely, chuckling menacingly behind him. Slowly turning to face him, Dean was only slightly taken aback by the invisible smack on his face, forcing his head to snap to the side. The sting on his face reminded him of being punched. Anger filled him rather quickly.

"This guy's really pissing me off." He hissed, clenching his teeth in frustration and fury. An all too familiar coldness overtook him suddenly, and before he knew it, the ghost had his hand up and the supernatural shove forced him into the back wall, his rifle just out of reach.

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Mid-rise of her shovel, Kate heard it. The distinctive SLAM of a body hitting a wall. Her head snapped up to see the danger as cold fear slid down her gut again, only one thought in her mind.

Dean!

She hurriedly jumped out of the small hole she and Sam had managed to break through, quickly picking up a small .45 off the ground and tearing through the yard to the house, ignoring Sam's frantic calls for her to come back. She couldn't come back, couldn't he see? Dean was clearly in trouble, she had to help. He could finish the salt and burn on his own, she needed to hold off Greely.

Bursting through the door, she immediately raised her gun and fired through the old man as he stood over Dean. With a cry of rage, he quickly disappeared. Molly gasped in surprise and relief, while Kate made her way over to her brother.

"Dean?" She asked quietly. "Hey, you ok?" Putting a hand to his head, she felt for any lumps or blood. The dazed look he gave was a little concerning, but she felt nothing. Finally, he seemed to get his wits about him, nodding and pushing himself off the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He replied stiffly. Kate rolled her eyes and turned back to Molly.

"Alright, did he hurt you?" She reached for the ties above her hands, picking at the knots as rapidly as she could. Molly shook her head.

"David! He said something about David!" She cried. "He killed him!" Kate winced and pulled at the knot, choosing silence as the best possible option.

Suddenly, she found herself in someone's grip. Crying out in surprise, she was not expecting to land so hard on the floor. Struggling to sit up, she was greeted with a boot to her neck. She grit her teeth in pain and frustration, pushing as hard as she could to alleviate any of the pressure on her neck. Her struggles were futile as the freak of the week simply pressed harder, effectively cutting off her air.

Dean frantically reached for his weapon, but was met with the voice of Greely instead.

"I wouldn't if I were you." He taunted. Before Dean could reply, he pushed a little harder on Kate's neck, causing the struggling teen to cry out and choke. He froze. His anger turned quickly to rage as he tried desperately to think of something to get them out of this mess.

"HURRY UP SAM!"

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OK, we're good! This isn't how I wanted to end the chapter, but I wanted to post something today more, so here it is. Now I can work on some homework, and then the next chapter. Thank you to anyone who has stuck with me, I'm so grateful! In fact, thank you the following reviewers/alerters:

Souless666

Caz21

Murphy9202

MistiquexDdelusions

Allyanna

Red K 5

SALIGIA – the seven deadly sins

Taylor Northman

Wolfshadows32

Missingmikey

Sweetdemon95

You guys are all amazing, and I hope you enjoy everything I have planned for you : )