-September 18, 2008…..

-4 Months After Dean Went To Hell….

Katie scanned the books that were stacked in Bobby's office and looked over her shoulder. "You said monster, right, Uncle Bobby?"

He smiled from his spot at the phone. "Yes, Katie." The 12-year-old girl had taken to calling him 'Uncle Bobby' since he had told her that at one time he was like a brother to her grandfather.

She pulled the book from the pile and walked into the kitchen. She handed it to him. It'd been 4 months since Grace had left for Pontiac and besides the daily phone call, Katie hadn't seen her since. She was updating her on everything that was going on though with the hunt for her Uncle Sam.

She was currently back in Pontiac since she got word that Sam was seen there. Katie at this point had little doubt that the younger man would want anything to do with her, but Grace was insisting. So, here she was, 4 months of living with Bobby and she was actually having fun. She was going to a regular school. However, long that would be. Quickly discovering that she's actually at an 8th grader intellect, so they put her in eighth grade, the end of middle school and she was only 12.

She actually liked living with Bobby. They seem to be getting used to each other and she helped him help other hunters investigate the monsters that they're dealing with. She had gotten used to this as her life, but she couldn't help but wonder what living with her dad would have been like.

However, because he wanted to have his Uncle around, she'd never know that.

-Pontiac, IL….

Dean Winchester came to inside of his coffin, coughing, gasping and gagging and totally unsure of how in the hell he got here. And where was here? He patted around for where he usually kept his lighter and almost smirked. It was definitely his body, but why? The usual thing to do for a hunter was to burn their bodies so that they couldn't be possessed later. So, why hadn't he been burned?

He pulled the lighter out and clicked the flame to life. He moved the light around and realized he was in a coffin. He started to panic when he realized he didn't have a way out. He tried to call out, but his voice was all raspy and his throat felt dry. He coughed softly to clear it. After a few more calls out for help, he started beating on the lid of the box and dirt started falling down on him. Finding the edge of the lid he started pulling on the lid until it collapsed and the dirt with it, all on top of him.

Finding the strength from somewhere, he pulled himself from the pile of dirt that fell on him and then up through the ground. It was actually kinda painful. Pulling himself through tons of dirt and grass felt like being locked in a vice. Once he was out and standing, he looked around. The trees laid down like a stack of dominoes all around his grave site. Having no clue as to where he was, he took his flannel off and tied it around his waist. He then started walking, looking for the nearest store or pay phone, something.

After a few hours, he came upon what looked like an abandoned gas station. He knocked a couple of times, but no answer. So, he used his shirt and busted the window open to unlock the door. He then opened the door and went for the coolers first for some water. He downed the first bottle, then started pulling out a bunch more. It was a long walk or drive, he'd need provisions.

He looked around and seen the newsstand. He walked to it and picked up the paper. September 18, 2008. "September…." he muttered. He walked into the bathroom and put his shirt down on the sink beside him as he cleaned himself up a little. After rinsing his face, he checked out his chest, remembering it was like ribbons when he died. He pulled up his shirt sleeve and hissed, but stared at the burnt on handprint on his arm.

He walked out of the bathroom and started stocking up. As he walked around the counter to the register, he opened it and took out the money, when the television came to life. He turned it off. Then, the radio came on, static with the slight melodic sound coming from it. He stepped forward to turn the radio off, then the TV popped back on again.

Quickly shoving the rest of the money into his pocket, he found some salt and put it on the window sills. A very high pitched hissing sound started filling the room, making his ears hurt. He covered one with one hand. But the sound got to be too much and he stopped, covering both ears. However, the frequency started breaking the windows in the place. Dean took cover, waiting it out.

After the strange occurrence happened, Dean found a pay phone and dialed a number. No luck. He tried another. This time it was Bobby. "Yeah?"

"Bobby?" Dean said.

"Yeah?"

"It's me."

"Who's "me"?"

"Dean."

The only response he got was a dial tone on Bobby's end. He hung up his own receiver and dialed again.

"Who is this?"

"Bobby, listen to me."

"This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill ya."

He gets the dial tone again. Dean hangs up, turns. He sees an old beat up white car parked outside the station and hotwire it and prove to Bobby he's alive.

-Sioux Falls, South Dakota…..

Dean walked up the stairs of Bobby's home and banged on the front door. Bobby opened it and Dean smirks. "Surprise," he says.

Bobby's too shocked to do anything but stutter. "I, I don't..."

"Yeah, me neither." Bobby stepped back and Dean walked in. "But here I am."

Behind his back, Bobby picked up a silver knife. As Dean approached him, he lunged forward and slashes at him. He grabbed his arm and twists it around; Bobby breaks the grip and backhands him in the face. Dean stumbles back into the living room.

"Bobby! It's me!"

"My ass!"

Dean shoved a chair between him and Bobby, holding a hand out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father. Bobby. It's me."

During the commotion, Katie came downstairs trying to figure out what in the hell was going on when she saw him. Her eyes popped wide and she gasped in surprised. "Bobby…"

Dean's green eyes went to the young girl that was standing in the kitchen. "What the hell? Bobby, you're a babysitter now?"

Bobby put his arm behind him, "Katie, stay back." He lowered the knife, kicked the chair out of the way and slowly stepped toward Dean and touched his shoulder. He suddenly slashed at him again, Dean quickly disarmed him. "I am not a shapeshifter!"

The girl named Katie, yelped as she watched the scene. Bobby fought him. "Then you're a Revenant!"

He shoved him away. He holds the knife now and holds it in front of him. "Alright. If I was either, could I do this – with a silver knife?" Dean pushed up his sleeve and sliced at his arm, grunting slightly with the pain. Blood appears and begins spilling out slowly out of his arm.

Katie's eyes popped wide again as she watched the blood spilling from her father's arm. Bobby realized in that moment he was telling the truth. "Dean?"

Relieved and emotional, Dean said, "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

Bobby broke emotionally, beginning to cry he pulled Dean in for a hug. Dean returned the hug with the same amount of emotion and then they pulled apart.

"It's... It's good to see you, boy."

"Yeah, you too."

"But... how did you bust out?"

"I don't know. I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine box..."

All Katie could do was stare at them both, but mostly her eyes wouldn't leave the green-eyed man. This man, standing in front of her was…was her father. She…she couldn't…believe it. He was here….he was here!

Out of nowhere, Bobby splashed water in Dean's face. He spit some out. "I'm not a demon either, you know."

"Sorry. Can't be too careful."

They walked further into the house, as Dean's wiping himself off and told him what had happened. Katie finally followed, as Bobby looked at him extremely confused. "But... that don't make a lick of sense."

"Yeah. Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir." Dean slid his eyes to the young girl. There was something familiar about her. And why was she staring at him like that?

"Dean. Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit—"

"I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject," he joked.

"What do you remember?"

"Not much. I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... lights out. Then I come to six feet under, that was it." He looked at Katie again as she walked toward Bobby. Where in the hell did he know her from? And why did she keep staring at him like that?

Bobby sat as Dean walked around the Desk. "Sam's number's not working. He's, uh... he's not..."

"Oh, he's alive. As far as I know."

"Good... Wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?"

"I haven't talked to him for months."

"You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?"

"He was dead set on it."

"Bobby, you should've been looking after him."

"I tried. These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For him or me. We had to bury you."

Dean's brow furrowed a little. "Why did you bury me, anyway?"

"I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill. But... Sam wouldn't have it."

"Well, I'm glad he won that one."

"He said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said."

Dean's voice dropped suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. Wouldn't return my calls. I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found."

The young girl spoke this time, "Aunt Grace, has been looking for him and she's gotten close, but she said that was basically staying in the area wherever it was that you were buried."

Realizing what that meant and remembering what all he saw around him when he came up, he swore, "Oh, damn it, Sammy."

"What?"

"Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo."

"What makes you so sure?"

"You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off. And then there was this... this force, this presence, I don't know, but it, it blew past me at a fill-up joint. And then this." He stripped off his button-down and then pulled up his t-shirt sleeve to reveal the hand branding on his arm.

Bobby stood coming to him. "What in the hell?"

"It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out."

"But why?"

"To hold up their end of the bargain."

"You think Sam made a deal." It wasn't a question.

"It's what I would have done." He looked at the young girl.

"Aunt Grace?" Dean asked, the smile on his lips going to his eyes. She was really cute.

She nodded. "She was my mom's best friend. Grace Hamilton? She said she knew you and Sam from way back. Even she and my mom helped you find your dad."

Dean froze when she said that. "Your mom?" He turned to the young girl. "Your mom wouldn't by any chance be Elizabeth Manning would she?"

She nodded. "Yeah." She slid her eyes quickly to Bobby.

Bobby looked at Dean. "Son, sit down."

"Bobby-"

"Sit down," he ordered. Dean sat and Bobby looked at him. "What I'm about to tell you will be hard to believe but you gotta trust me it's true."

He nodded slowly, looking from Bobby to Katie, then back again. "Okay…"

Bobby took a breath. "Dean, Katie's your daughter."

Dean's entire body froze with that proclamation. He shot up an eyebrow at the older man. "My…my…what?"

Bobby looked at the young girl with the brown hair and green eyes-Dean's jaw fell open….his eyes-and Bobby nodded to the girl. She looked at Dean. "I don't know why you're making me do this. He probably doesn't even remember. My name's Katherine Elizabeth Winchester. I was born July fourth nineteen-ninety-six." She reached behind her into her back pocket and pulled out a photograph. She held it out to him. "I've had this picture since I was four."

Dean took the photo from her and looked down at it. It was a picture of Elizabeth and himself. He didn't recognize anything in the background, but he remembered that day. He turned his eyes back up to Katie.

She took another breath and continued, "Mom gave me that photo telling me that the man in the photo was my father. Aunt Grace backed her up." She tucked the corner of her bottom lip into her mouth and began chewing as she wrung her hands nervously. This was the moment she was dreading 5 months ago, because there was no guarantees that he'd believe her and she'd wind up in the same place she was now. Missing a father whom she didn't even know would have wanted her to begin with.

Bobby leaned down, opened a drawer and pulled out a manila folder. He handed it to Dean. "Inside that folder is Katie's birth certificate." He looked into Dean's eyes. "Now, Elizabeth may be a lot of things, especially now, but you know she's not a liar, Dean. Not about something like this."

Dean took the folder and opened it. He studied the birth certificate and then went to father's name and sitting there in bold lettering was his full name. He looked at her birthday again and then up at Katie. "Oh…my…God…Reno," he muttered.

"What?" Katie said, confused. "What about Reno?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it." He looked up and smiled as he watched her gnaw on her bottom lip. Elizabeth did that when she was really nervous. "Your mom did that."

"What?" she asked.

"Chewed her bottom lip when she was nervous," Dean answered.

He couldn't believe this…he was a dad! He was a dad! He actually lived long enough to have child. How in the hell had that happened? And why did she know anything about this? "Can I ask you something?"

She nodded slowly. "Absolutely."

"How do you know about all this? This life?"

She took a deep breath and released it. "Mom."

"But she knew how I felt about raising-"

"She didn't care," Katie said simply. "Mom never did when it came to you. I don't know how things ended with you two but that was the reason why she never told you. She didn't care if I had a father or not. To her you were basically an overgrown frat boy with a sex God complex." She shrugged. "Whatever that means."

He was stunned. It's amazing what children will admit that adults won't. "She said that?"

She nodded. "Word for word. I have no idea what it means and quite frankly, Dean, I don't want to know." She sighed and chewed her bottom lip again. She wanted to ask him a question but she didn't know how or even if it was appropriate.

Dean didn't like that she called him by his first name. It felt strange. He may not have ever thought of himself as becoming a father or being a father but he had always wanted to be one and he had hoped that his kids would call him by 'dad'. "Huh…it's amazing what you learn from the mouth of your own child."

Her heart literally skipped a beat. "So….you believe me?"

He nodded. "Of course I do. Bobby's right. Your mom may be a lot of things but she'd never lie about something like this. Not to mention, that this birth certificate is pretty legit."

She squealed happily and without thinking, launched herself at Dean, hugging him around the neck. "EEE! Thank you!" Realizing what she had done, she jumped back. "Sorry."

Bobby smirked. "She's a hugger when she gets excited."

He nodded. "I noticed."

An awkward silence fell between them. Not exactly sure what else to say, Dean looked at Katie and asked, "Shall we locate your Uncle?"

She nodded. "The last time I talked to Aunt Grace she was in Indiana or something. She was on his trail." Then a thought occurred to her. "What's the name of the cell phone company he uses?"

Dean smirked. "How'd you know about that?"

She shrugged. "The night mom died-long story tell you later-Aunt Grace and I used the GPS on her phone to find her. I bet we could do that with Sam's."

After Dean finds Sam by the GPS on his phone, they figure out he's in Pontiac, Illinois. Hopping into one of Bobby's many cars they head for Illinois.

-Pontiac, IL….

4 months later and she finally tracked him down to one place. She walked into the Astoria hotel and asked for his room number. She glared at the man at the desk and said, "Look, dude, that man's my husband and I have it on good authority he's upstairs right now banging some girl he works with. So, give me his room number or I'll make-"

"All right," he said. He gave her the number and she went up to the room. She knocked and pretty brunette with dark eyes answered. "Is Sam here?"

"Sam…." she called.

Sam walked into view and stopped when he saw Grace at the door. "Grace?"

Without as much as a hi, she stormed into the room, pulled back her fist and punched Sam hard. He stumbled back. "Fuck!" he exclaimed. "What the hell was that for?!"

"For making me come looking for you!" she screamed. She looked at the girl. "You can close the door."

"Okay, now that you found me, what the hell do you want?"

Bobby, Dean and Katie, walked to the door and Katie heard the muffled argument. She stopped her dad. "Dean, wait. Listen."

He really didn't like her using his first name like everyone else did.

"So, instead of calling ME, you turn to who? A bar slut? Geez, Sam if you needed a roll in the sheets I could've helped. God knows, what you could catch from her."

They heard the muffled sounds of Sam asking something, but couldn't make it out, but they heard, Grace say, "I'm here because your niece needs you, You Stupid Jackass."

Then he hears, "My what?"

Katie smiled. "Ooh, let me knock, please? This will definitely be a lot more fun than telling you."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

She knocked. A hot dark haired young woman answered, "So where is it?"

Dean looked at Bobby confused, then looked at the woman. "Where's what?"

"The pizza... that takes two guys and a little girl to deliver?"

"I think we got the wrong room."

They see Sam step out and say, "Hey, is..." but stops when he sees Dean. He swallowed hard, shocked. His eyes flicking between Dean and Bobby.

Dean smiled, his eyes brighten. "Hiya, Sammy."

Sam is totally silent. Dean stepped into the room, ushering his daughter in before him, ignoring the brunette as she let them in. As Dean got close, Sam pulled a knife and lunged at him, pushing Katie to the floor. The brunette screamed. Dean blocked Sam's attack and Bobby pulls Sam off, gripping him around the shoulders. Sam struggled to get free.

Dean walked over to Katie and helped her to her feet. "You okay, Sweetheart?"

She nodded. "Does this happen a lot?"

He chuckled."No."

Sam shouted, "Who are you?!"

"Like you didn't do this?!"

"Do what?!"

Bobby kept his grip on Sam. "It's him. It's him. I've been through this already, it's really him."

Sam stared at Dean, the struggling slowly leaving his body as confusion sets in. "What...?"

Dean walked to him cautiously. "I know. I look fantastic, huh?"

Bobby let go of him, who looks like he's on the verge of tears as he steps forward and pulls Dean into a desperate hug. They embrace for several seconds, hanging on. Bobby watched his boys being reunited and he couldn't help the emotion that sprang to his eyes with the tears. Sam pushed Dean back at arm's length.

The brunette looked between the 2 brothers. "So are you two like... together?"

Both Dean and Sam looked at her surprised that she'd ask that. "What? No. No. He's my brother."

"Uh... got it. I... I guess. Look, I should probably go."

Sam says it's probably a good idea and after she gets dressed he walks her out, using the wrong name and then shuts the door in her face. Sam pulled on his shoes. Katie looked at her uncle and said, "Just a thought, Sam, if you're gonna sleep with a girl you may want to get her name first and make sure you commit it to memory."

He couldn't help it, he laughed. "Yeah, thanks."

"So tell me, what'd it cost?"

Sam smiled. "The girl? I don't pay, Dean."

"That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?"

"You think I made a deal?"

"That's exactly what we think."

"Well, I didn't."

Dean looked at him, the authority coming into his voice. "Don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

Not believing him, Dean walked to him. "So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this."

Dean pushed himself up from the bed, angrily. "Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?"

Dean reached out and grabbed the front of his shirt. "There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!"

Sam broke Dean's grip. "I tried everything. That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

Dean relented. He knew the kid better than anyone. "It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologize, I believe you."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question."

"If he didn't pull me out, then what did?"

"The more pressing question is, who's the small fry and why did Grace say I have a niece?" He looked at his brother. "You don't have kids, Dean."

"Actually, I do," he said. He went to Katie. "Sam, meet my daughter, your niece, Katie Winchester. Katie, your Uncle Sam."

Sam's eyes bulge in surprise. "Your daughter? With who?"

Grace answered this time, "Elle."

Sam is shocked. Looks between all 3 of them. "Elizabeth was pregnant?" He looked at Grace. "And you never said anything?"

She shoved at his shoulder. "What was I supposed to say?! She was my best friend. You're my family, but it wasn't my place, Sammy. I've told her several times to tell him, but she never did. So...we're here. Elizabeth's dead."

"Cuz she was stupid and wouldn't wait for back up."

"Kate-"

"It's true! If she had waited she would still be alive."

"So...wait. Lizzy died because.…"

Grace sighed. "Cause she wouldn't wait for me to go with her. I was fixing a wound Katie got and-"

Dean turned immediately to his daughter. "You were hurt?"

Katie sighed. "Long story." She seen the look in her father's eyes and said, "I promise to tell you, but not right now."

He nodded. "I'm just confused. Why wouldn't she tell me?"

"She believed you weren't ready to be a father." She looked at Dean, in the eyes. "You were seventeen. Elle wasn't even ready, Dean."

Katie watched as a sad look went into his eyes.

"How would she know if I was never given the chance to find out?"

"I know. I tried telling her that, but she kept saying because I didn't get naked with you I had no reason to think I knew you better than her."

"Well, it sounds like that despite our history she didn't know me either."

"So, you do want me?" Katie asked, hopeful.

Dean looked from Grace to Bobby to Sam, then back to Katie. He knelt down in front of her. "I'm going to be totally honest with you, okay?"

She nodded. She wasn't exactly sure she was going to like where this was headed.

"Look, Katie, in this life, having a child isn't exactly ideal, because what we do could kill us and that's the last thing I would have ever wanted was to leave you or any other children I have alone in the world. I never thought I'd live long enough to be a father. I never pictured myself a father. I thought the closest I'd ever come to being a dad was raising your Uncle Sam." He gently pushed her hair out of her eyes. "But I'm ecstatic you're here. I want to get to know you and I hope someday you'll let me be your dad."

Katie smiled and hugged him, sincerely. This wasn't a hug that was provoked by just happiness, this was a hug that combined being happy and because she wanted one. She felt like she was in heaven when she felt his arms go around her and hugged her tight. She turned her face into his neck. "I've always wanted to meet you. To get to know you. To finally say I have a dad."

He had never thought he'd hear that and his heart knew it. It thudded softly against his chest, happy and excited for whatever was going to happen. He tilted his head to her ear. "Now, you got one, okay?"

She nodded and hugged him tighter. She stepped back and Grace stepped forward. She lunged into Dean's arms and held on. "God, I missed you!" she exclaimed.

"Missed you too, Gracie."

Dean kept her in the hug just for a few more minutes and then looked into her blue eyes. "So, tell me…you gonna stick around?"

Grace looked up into his eyes. "If you want me to. I know how you felt about 'groupies' as you called them."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I need your help learning about my daughter."

She smiled. It was his subtle way of telling her that he wanted her there. "Okay. I'll stay. Until you get tired of me that is."

"Sam?" Katie interjected.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Um…do you have something for a non-twenty-one year old to drink? I'm thirsty."

He nodded. "I got water. Is that okay?"

She shrugged. "Yeah."

He nodded and grabbed her a water and the others beers. He handed her a bottled water, then passed out the beers. He took a swig of his own, while Katie took a drink of her water. "Can I ask you something, Katie?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"How old are you?"

"Um…I turned twelve two months ago." She seen the looks on both Winchester men's faces and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Mom never celebrated my birthday. I don't ever remember having a gift or anything for my birthday, except this," she held out her wrist and on it hung a charm bracelet, "which is from aunt Grace." She looked at her father. "Like Grace said, mom wasn't ready and it showed. Trust me."

"So, two months ago, would be July, right?"

She nodded. "July fourth," she answered.

"So what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?"

"Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback."

"All by yourself," Bobby said accusatory. "Who do you think you are, your old man?"

Dean sees something across the room and walks towards it.

Feeling guilty Sam said, "Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called. I was pretty messed up."

Dean straightened and holds up a pink lace bra. "Oh yeah. I really feel your pain."

"Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here."

"When?"

"Yesterday morning."

"When I busted out."

"You think these demons are here 'cause of you?" Bobby asked.

"But why?"

"They can't be that angry that you got out to come all the way up here, can they?" Katie asked.

"Well, I don't know – some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow."

"How you feelin', anyway?"

"I'm a little hungry."

"Me too," Katie added.

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?"

"Or demonic? Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

"Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well, I feel fine."

"Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning," Sam said. "We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help."

"I know a psychic. A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking," Bobby inquired.

"Hell yeah, it's worth a shot."

"I'll be right back." Bobby leaves.

Dean stands up as to exit the room, when Sam stops him.

"Hey, wait." He stood. "You probably want this back."

Sam takes off the necklace that he got off Dean. It's Dean's amulet. He places it into Dean's hand. He looked at it, touched. "Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it."

Dean puts the amulet on as Katie asks, "What is it?"

"It's a, uh…it's a necklace that your uncle Sam got me when I was about your age."

"Oh, that's cool," she said smiling. She looked at Sam. "May I use your bathroom?"

He smiled. "Yeah. Go ahead."

She started jogging toward the room and Sam stopped her. He smiled. "Katie, for future reference you don't have to ask."

She smiled. "Thanks."

Sam smiled. "She looks like Elle."

He nodded. "I know."

"But she's got your eyes and personality."

Grace smiled. "I was hoping you'd notice that," she said. "Elle kept arguing with me that her daughter doesn't act anything like you." She sighed. "Trust me when I tell you this. She deserved a better mom than the one she got. And you deserved to know you were a father." She looked at Dean. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Don't be. It's okay. I get to now and that's all that matters. Besides, it's not your fault that my ex became a bitch after she broke up with me."

The room fell silent and to break it, Sam asked, "Hey Dean, what was it like?"

"What, Hell? I don't know, I, I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing."

Sam nodded. "Well, thank God for that."

"Yeah."

Katie walked out of the bathroom and Dean walked in.

They leave the motel not long after Dean got out of the bathroom. Sam tossed Dean the keys and he looked at the car like a man in love. Katie laughed. "Oh, my God! Mom was right."

"About what?" he asked, touching the black satin of the car's body.

"That you love this car as if she's a girl."

Sam snickered. Dean smiled. "It was your grandfather's car, you know?"

"Really?"

He nodded. "He took care of her and so do I."

She nodded. "Okay." She looked over the roof of the car and smiled at Grace. "Note to self, don't get upset when I discover that he loves the car more than me."

Grace laughed softly. Dean stopped and looked at his daughter, halting her entrance into the car. "Katie."

"Yes?" she asked looking at him sideways.

"I know it's gonna take you awhile to believe me, but I can tell you right now if it was your life or this car that would be a no-brainer for me."

She smiled and tapped his arm. "Sure, Dean. Let's go talk to this psychic." She slid into the car.

Grace sighed and looked at Dean. "Don't worry. She'll believe you sooner than you think. She's spent eight years trying to decipher my stories of you and her mother's. Once she figures out that I'm right she'll let you in. I promise."

He got into the car and drove off.

They went to a psychic friend of Bobby's named Pamela. She sets up and prepares for the seance and then looks for something that the mystery guy touched. Dean reveals the handprint on his arm and Pamela touches it and started the seance.

At the end of it, they got a name and Pamela ended up in the hospital with her eyes burned out. By Bobby's orders, Sam, Dean, Grace and Katie leave. They get into the car and start driving. Katie sighed. "Dean."

"Dean?" Sam asked. "I thought you said she was your daughter?"

"She is," he countered.

Grace chuckled. "Sammy, she's gone twelve years without a dad. It's gonna take a little getting used to. She'll get used to having Dean around and you won't get her to stop using it."

Dean looked through the rear-view mirror at her. "What's up, Kit-Kat?"

She smiled. She actually liked that her dad gave her a nickname. Grace gave her the nickname of Katie. While her mom always called her 'Katherine'. Which might be why she hated her full name. "I'm hungry. Do you think we can get something to eat?"

He nodded. "Absolutely."

They found a diner about a mile out of town and Dean pulled in, just as Grace's phone rang. She stepped out of the car and flipped it open. "Grace Hamilton." She listened. "Hey, Mike. What's up?"

They all walked into the diner and they found a booth, while Sam went to call Bobby to check on Pamela. Katie flipped through the menu. She knew what she wanted, but…

"Order anything, Kiddo."

"Anything?"

He nodded.

"Okay. Can I have a bacon double cheeseburger, fries and a large chocolate shake?"

He laughed. "Oh, you are so my daughter!" he exclaimed happily. "You can absolutely have that."

"With a slice of apple pie?" she added.

He smiled. "Absolutely."

Grace hung up the phone and sighed. "Kate, how much would you hate me if I told you I had to leave for awhile?"

"Why this time?"

"Because Mike Davern needs my help in Vermont."

"You mean that guy that mom hooked up with for like two weeks while we were there?"

She nodded. "Is that okay?"

She shrugged. "Whatever."

"Kate-"

"What am I going to say, Aunt Grace? You're an adult and if Mike really needs your help then you need to go. You don't need my permission to do it." She looked over at her dad. "Unless for some reason Dean doesn't want me around."

He scoffed. "You kidding? Now that I got you do you really think you're going anywhere?"

She smiled. She looked at her Godmother. "Go."

She nodded. "Okay. I'm gonna put your homeschooling homework in your bag. I got lessons planned out for a month and I'll talk to Uncle Sam and see if he can help you when you need it, okay?"

She nodded. "Be careful."

"I promise, Beautiful." She stood and walked out. Stopping to talk to Sam.

Dean and Katie ordered food. Katie ordered a piece of apple pie with vanilla ice cream while Dean ordered for himself and Sam.

Sam walked to the table and slid in.

"What'd Bobby say?"

"How's Pamela?" Katie asked.

"Pam's stable. And out of I.C.U."

"And blind, because of us."

Katie exhaled. "Guys, com on. This wasn't our fault."

"Katie's right. And we still have no clue who we're dealing with.

"That's not entirely true."

"No?"

"We got a name. Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us."

"You're crazy. Absolutely not."

"We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?"

"Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face to face?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. I followed some demons to town, right?"

"Okay."

"What's that got to do with this?"

"So, we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something."

"Yeah, but what if we're not dealing with a demon?" Katie asked.

As uncomfortable as it made Dean to have her here and helping them, he had to ask. "What do you mean, Sweetheart?"

"Well, from what I've read of Aunt Grace's books and of mom's, demons don't do that. Not unless they're high-tiered demons. And as much as Uncle Sam loves you." She paused. And me already. "I don't think you're that important to anyone down there."

The waitress dropped their plates down in front of them and then took a seat. Dean looked at her, while Grace lifted a brow in surprise. "You angling for a tip?" Dean asked.

"I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us." She closed and opened her eyes and they were demon-black.

Without realizing it, Katie grabbed for Dean's arm. A man in a uniform and a cook behind the counter also have black eyes. The uniformed man goes and locks the door, standing guard in front of it.

The waitresses eyes go back to normal. "Dean. To hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck."

"That's me."

"So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?"

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples. I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out." He felt Katie's grip get tighter and he curled his arm subtlety.

"Right. You don't," the demon said snidely.

"No. I don't."

"Lying's a sin, you know."

"I'm not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo…"

"Mind your tone with me, boy. I'll drag you back to hell myself."

Sam shifted in his chair as if to attack her, but Dean stopped him. He settled back into his seat. "No, you won't," Dean told her.

Katie's grip tightened.

"No?"

"No. Because if you were you would have done it already. Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers. Well, maybe it was some turbo-charged spirit. Or, uh, Godzilla. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade that they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you. So go ahead. Send me back. But don't come crawling to me when they show up on your front doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose."

"I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your lungs."

Dean leaned forward, challenge in his eyes. He gently took his arm back and slapped demon, once and then again. All she did was glare at them. "That's what I thought. Let's go, Sam," Dean sneered.

Dean took Katie's hand. "Come on, Sweetheart. We'll get you something to eat a drive thru." He threw down money on the table. "For the pie."

They went back to Sam's motel and they discussed sleeping arrangements. Dean took the pull-out bed and Sam kept his bed. While Katie took the recliner that was in the room. However, her and Dean were sitting on the pull-out couch reading several books laid out in front of them and her mom's journal, when they both fell asleep. She dropped her head to his torso and curled up.

Katie stirred slightly when she heard the high-pitched ringing sound, then the TV flipped on and the static was really loud. She groaned and murmured, "Dad, make it stop."

As she said that, the radio started tuning. She moaned again and Dean started to stir. He touched her head gently. "Kitty?"

"Make it stop," she murmured curling into him more.

He rubbed his eyes and looked around, realizing what was going on. He gently tapped Katie. "Sweetheart, sit up, please."

She moaned and sat up. "What?" She gasped softly as her dad reached around her for the shotgun.

He hopped over the bed. "Come here, Sweetheart."

She moved off the bed and stood behind her dad as he looked around the room. She looked where Sam would have been sleeping and looked at her dad. "Where's Sam?"

He looked at the bed and noticed the lack of a body. "I don't know."

The ringing got louder and Katie quickly covered her ears. As it got louder and louder and the mirrors started to shatter, Katie fell to her knees. Dean soon followed and pulled her into him, protecting her as the windows and mirrors began to shatter.

Bobby rushed in and saw Dean curled around Katie, bleeding from his ears. The ringing stopped once Bobby got their attention. Katie groaned and sat up, fiddling with her ears. Dean looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked in a normal voice.

"WHAT?" she screamed over the ringing in her own ears.

He looked her over and only saw a small cut on her arm from the glass. He looked at Bobby. "Get me a washcloth, please?"

He walked into the bathroom and came back out with a damp washcloth. Dean looked at his daughter. "Sweetheart, I'm gonna clean you up, okay?"

"WHAT?!"

He smiled. He showed her where she was bleeding. He then looked into her eyes as he said, "I'm going to clean you up, okay?"

She nodded. About 10 minutes later, they were on the road with Bobby driving and Dean cleaning out his ears of the blood. On the way to finding the thing that was doing all this, Dean called Sam to check in. After lying to him, they were off.

Inside the warehouse, where Dean and Bobby waited for Castiel to show, Katie turned to her father. "I can't hear anything!"

He smiled. "Give it a little more time, Kiddo. I promise."

She wiggled her ear trying to get the ringing to stop. "This is so weird!"

As they waited, Katie got her hearing back. The wind picked up violently and the shingles on the roof started to rattle and thud. The light bulbs started to burst all around them and Katie squeaked in fright. They ducked slightly. The door came open and the light sockets began to spark. Through the dramatic entrance they saw a guy in a trenchcoat walk in.

"Most things that I know that appear in a trenchcoat are never good!" Katie yelled over the commotion.

Dean looked at her. "Keep close and stay behind me."

Bobby and Dean attempt to shoot him, but it's like they bounce off him. Dean picked up the demon knife of Ruby's and circled with the man. "Who are you?"

"I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

"Yeah. Thanks for that," he said sarcastically. He stabbed the man in the chest, but it didn't do anything. Katie looked from the strange man to her dad. "I think you made it mad."

The man gripped the knife and pulled it off his chest, dropping it to the floor. Bobby attempted to hit him with a crowbar, but the trenchcoat guy caught the bar and touched Bobby's head and the older man fell to the floor. Katie gasped and put her hand into Dean's. He turned to Dean. "We need to talk, Dean. Alone."

He started going for Katie when Dean moved her more behind him. "Touch her and so help me…"

The man looked at him and knew that he better not. "All right."

Dean walked over to Bobby and felt for a pulse. The man flipped through the book that was sitting on the table and said, "Your friend is alive."

Dean glared up at him. "Who are you?"

"Castiel."

"What do you want?" Katie said softly.

"Yeah, I figured that much, I mean what are you?"

"I'm an Angel of the Lord."

Dean slowly stood. "Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing."

"This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith."

Katie opened her mouth to say something when the sound of thunder crashing and lightning lit the room. She block the light and saw the shadow of the man's wings. "Oh, my…God. Dean."

"I see it, Sweetheart."

Dean looked at Castiel. "Some angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes."

"I warned her not to spy on my true form. It can be... overwhelming to humans, and so can my real voice. But you already knew that."

His lips fell into a frown. "You mean the gas station and the motel. That was you talking?"

Castiel nodded.

Dean's brow furrowed slightly. "Buddy, next time, lower the volume."

"That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them. I was wrong."

"And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?"

Katie giggled behind her father.

"This? This is... a vessel."

"You're possessing some poor bastard?"

"He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this."

"Well, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?"

Castiel frowned, disappointed. "I told you."

He still couldn't believe it. "Right. And why would an angel rescue me from Hell?"

Castiel stepped toward him and the Sassy one stepped up next to him. "Good things do happen, Dean."

"Not in my experience," he all but muttered.

Castiel's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved?"

"Why'd you do it?"

"Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you."