Part 4

Sam and Dean approached a house dressed in their FBI outfits. Sam commented "I don't know if this is our kind of case. It could just be some psycho with an axe."

Dean replied "Yeah but Cas thinks it's something. Might as well check it out." He knocked on the door and an older woman answered.

The woman asked "Can I help you?"

Sam and Dean flashed their badges as Dean said "We're looking for Angela, we'd like to ask her a few questions."

The woman looked annoyed as she asked "Can't this be done another time?"

Sam replied "No ma'am. If we're going to catch the murderer we need to speak with her now."

There is another woman further inside the house who said "Let them in Mom."

Sam and Dean entered the house and were led into the living room. They sat down across from the women as Sam said "Angela, I know this is a difficult time for you but we really need to hear what happened. Anything you can tell us about the murderer is a big help."

Angela nodded and pointed out "You'll think I'm crazy. The other cops did."

Dean stated "We're not regular cops. Just be honest."

Angela took a deep breath and nodded before she explained "Greg and I were taking a walk by the lake and this woman just appeared in front of us. You could tell just by looking at her, she was psychotic."

Sam asked "Could you describe her please?"

Angela replied "She had short, really messy hair and she was wearing a dark green dress that was ripped and burnt in places. She was carrying a staff that was about five feet long and..." Angela sighed before she added "I swear her eyes were red."

Angela's mother said "Don't be silly, dear. It must have been your eyes playing tricks on you."

Dean looked at the mother and stated "Actually, considering the contacts they make these days, that's quite possible. Were they a blood red?"

Angela shook her head and said "They looked like fire. Anyway, Greg asked her what she wanted and this chick said that she wanted his soul. She said she was Charoness and it was her job to take it"

Sam made a note and asked "What happened next?"

Angela explained "We tried to walk around her but she wouldn't let us pass. She tapped her staff on the ground and it glowed green before blades appeared on one end of it. It was shaped like an oar"

Angela's mother scoffed and stated "This sounds rediculous."

Dean stated "Ma'am many killers use any trick they can to make their victims scared before they're killed. Believe it or not your daughter isn't crazy. Please, Angela, what happened next?"

Angela explained "She held her hand out and it looked like a white light began coming out of Greg's mouth. Eventually the light just hovered in front of her and she tapped her staff on the ground again. The light slammed into the ground and disappeared and then she cut his head off." There were tears brimming in her eyes by the time she finished explaining.

Sam asked "Did she say anything while the light was coming out of Greg?"

Angela shook her head and said "No. After she had killed him she looked at me and said, your soul is too pure. Then she just disappeared."

Dean nodded and asked "After the light was pulled out of Greg, did he seem different at all?"

Angela nodded "Yes actually. After that he was calmer. It was like, suddenly he wasn't scared."

Sam asked "Are there any other details you noticed? Anything at all, no matter how small or strange."

Angela replied "She stunk like sulfur. I work in a lab so I know that smell."

Dean commented "That is weird."

Sam gave a nod and said "Well, thank you very much for your time. You've been very helpful."

They headed out and Sam said "OK, definitely our kind of case"

Dean nodded and said "Let's go check out the crime scene"

Sam and Dean were walking by the lake. Sam commented "Well, this is where the body was found."

Dean said "There's hardly even a blood splatter, how are we supposed to find anything useful?"

Sam replied "I don't know, look around, see if the cops missed anything"

They began to look around and soon Dean commented "Hey, I got sulfur on the water's edge over here."

Sam moved over and saw the scattering of sulfur, about a foot wide, several inches from the water's edge.

Then they heard an evil laugh and looked up to see Charoness, in her boat, moving towards them quickly.

Sam pulled out the demon blade and Dean pulled out an angel blade. They each move away from the water's edge as Charoness stated "Winchesters, you are making my job easy today."

The boys watched as she reached the shore and stepped off her boat before tapping it with her staff. The boat disappeared as Dean stated "I'm guessing you have twelve cats and love wine"

Charoness smirked and said "Your souls might be too pure to be useful but you're still going to die." She then tapped her staff on the ground and blades appeared on one end.

Dean said "Yeah not if we kill you first"

Charoness laughed at him and said "Without the others here? I don't think so little Winchester"

She began to fight Sam and Dean and soon managed to plant a powerful kick on Sam's chest. Sam went flying backwards where he landed with a thud.

Charoness then twirled her staff and knocked Dean's legs out from under him. She lifted her blade ready to swing it down into Dean's head when suddenly Sam tackled her and plunged the demon blade into her heart.

Charoness disappeared into the ground in a puff of green smoke. Sam jumped to his feet obviously surprised by what happened.

He helped Dean to his feet and questioned "What do you think she meant by that?"

Dean replied "No idea. We'll keep an ear out in case she shows up again"

Sam nodded and they began walking back to the car.

Several days later, in an abandoned building, there was a woman cuffed to a chair with her hands behind her back. She had shoulder length brown hair and matching eyes. She struggled against her bindings and growled out "You might as well kill me Red-gum. I won't go back"

Red-gum is tall, well built and has short, black hair. The irises in his eyes are also black. He scoffed at his captive and said "No need to go back my dear Tulip. The compound was destroyed, by what, I'm not entirely sure. You are going to tell me where the others are"

Tulip stated "I don't know where any one else is you freak. I don't even know if anyone else is alive"

Red-gum gave a sinister chuckle before he stated "You all took such pleasure in thinking you were better than me-"

"We were better than you. You couldn't even handle a bunyip without back up. You were nearly killed by drop bears!" Tulip stated "Even now, you only caught me 'cause I was injured"

Red-gum angrily punched her and said "Enough! You are beneath me, just like all the others. Oh what a pleasure it was to cleave Wattle's head from his shoulders."

Tulip looked away sombrely before she stated "Mustn't have been a fair fight. He could kick your ass with one hand tied behind his back"

Red-gum let out an angry growl and punched her several times before leaning in close. "You can stay here and rot for a few days. You will talk when I return or we'll see how long it takes you to break from demon blood a second time"

"No" She said fearfully. Red-gum was already walking away. "No!" She yelled.

She heard a car door before Red-gum drove away and she took a deep breath. She roared in pain as she pulled her arms outwards, managing to break the cuffs around her wrists.

She managed to free herself and stumbled out of the building with a wince of pain.

Several days later, Sam and Dean were in a hotel room changing out of their suits. Dean asked "So what is this thing again?"

Sam replied "An empusa, they're greek. It's basically a spirit that drinks the blood of men while they're sleeping. Allegedly they were originally sent by Hecate to guard roads and devour travellers."

Dean asked "What's a Hecate?"

Sam explained "She's the goddess of magic, crossroads and ghosts. She gave birth to the alpha empusa."

Dean then asked "OK, nerd, how do we kill it?"

Sam rolled his eyes and replied "Well, as far as weaknesses go, it's the same as a vengeful spirit. To actually kill it we need to stab it with iron that's been coated in the blood of a victim."

Dean questioned "How are we going to get blood from one of the victims?"

Sam explained "Empusas don't kill the men they drink from unless they have to. There's one vic who died of a heart attack."

Dean then commented "Well, let's go to the morgue and steal us some blood."

That night, Sam and Dean stood next to the impala. Dean carefully covered two iron bars in blood as he commented "This better work. We only just got enough blood to make these."

Sam replied "If I'm right and the thing is in this house, it'll work." They began walking and he added "It's the only place anywhere near here on a crossroads that interstate travellers pass."

Dean then commented "Looks like we've got help"

Sam looked where Dean was pointing and saw one of the clarion's cars. Sam chuckled when suddenly they heard two shotgun blasts from inside the house.

Dean said "Let's go give them a hand"

Sam and Dean entered the barely lit house and looked at each other. They each gave a nod and split up to cautiously explore the eerily quiet house.

Sam moved through the building, pausing to check rooms as he went. He soon walked into some sort of dining room and saw the empusa knock an iron bar out of Lily's hand. The empusa had pale skin and long, dark, messy hair.

Lily reached for the bar but the empusa flicked her wrist and pinned her to the wall. Lily was struggling to breathe while Sam crept closer. Lily spotted Sam and struggled harder to keep the empusa distracted. Sam got close enough to stab it and the spirit burned in a blue flame before it disappeared

Lily fell to her knees and took several deep breaths. Sam helped her stand and asked "You OK?"

She nodded and replied "Yeah, thank you. Come on, there's two more."

Sam nodded and the two of them continued searching the house.

Meanwhile, Dean found a room where there were three men tied up. He kept a firm grip on the iron bar and began to untie the man closest to him. Dean stated "Stay quiet." The men all nodded and Dean moved to untie the second man.

A second empusa materialised behind Dean and moved closer. It raised it's hand and extended it's claws. Dean noticed the other men reacting to it's presence and expertly swung the iron bar backwards, managing to kill it.

Dean untied the third man and asked "You guys OK?"

They all gave a nod as one of them fearfully asked "What the hell was that thing?"

Dean replied "You don't want to know. It's dead now, that's what matters"

Lily and Sam walked in and Sam asked "Did you kill one?"

Dean said "Yeah I killed it."

Sam pointed out "That leaves one more."

Dean asked "How many of these things are there?"

Lily replied "There were three of them. Lotus and Clover were chasing two of them last I saw. We should check on them"

Dean nodded and said "We need to get these guys out of here"

The group moved towards the door to leave when suddenly a deafening shriek is heard from the remaining empusa. The spirit waved her arm and the group is thrown backwards. The men all fell asleep and the empusa slammed Lily into a wall with her powers.

After hitting the wall Lily landed on the floor with a thud. As she pulled herself to her feet, the empusa shrieked again and began trying to slash Lily with her claws.

Lily dodged most of the attacks but got slashed across the cheek. Lotus then appeared in the doorway and yelled "Hey!"

The empusa angrily moved towards her quickly, allowing Clover to spring from his hiding place and stab it. Lily commented "Nice timing"

"Sorry" Clover stated "Bitch knocked us out"

They began waking up the others and Lily nudged Sam's leg with her boot. Sam groaned and slowly sat up. Lily teased "You always sleep on the job?"

Sam smirked and shrugged before he replied "I have been known to get knocked out on occasion"

Dean grumbled "Are those bitches dead? Is everyone OK?"

Lotus commented "Yeah, we're clear"

An hour later the Clarions and the Winchesters were standing by their cars. Clover walked over and said "The vics are all back home with their families"

Lotus questioned "Do we know if this had anything to do with the end of worlds everyone seems so worried about or is this just a random case of weird?"

Sam replied "We have absolutely no idea"

Dean sighed and commented "Sooner rather than later, I think we need to have a big, kind of, team meeting about this end of worlds crap. You guys should come and meet Mom and Bobby, I'd want them in on it"

Lily and Clover gave a shake of their heads. Lotus said "We've got a few leads to check out over the next few days to a week. After that you can bring those two to the manor"

Clover added "Doesn't matter how awesome you two are, we are not stepping foot in another men of letters building if we can avoid it"

Sam nodded and said "I don't blame you."

Lily smiled gratefully and said "We'll keep in touch and get you all over as soon as possible"

Krissy Jack and Michael were all still in hell. They approached the edge of a forest. The forest was dark and the trees appeared to be dead and moving. They stopped and looked around as Jack asked "What is this place?"

Michael replied "The forest of devine punishment. Another place I thought was a myth."

Krissy asked "What kind of devine punishment?"

Michael explained "The myth is that when an angel smites a human or a demon, they end up here. They turn into a tree and suffer for eternity. Constantly growing and getting chewed on by hellbound harpies."

Jack commented "I thought demons went to the empty when they died"

Michael replied "They do when they're killed. Judging by this place, smiting works differently. Angel's are devine beings. The myth was, if an angel decided to smite someone, it was said they deserved this."

Jack questioned "How is it such a large part of hell was thought to not exist?"

Michael shrugged and replied "Exploring an edge of hell wasn't exactly on anyone's to do list."

Krissy commented "I'm guessing we have to go through there."

Michael nodded and said "It would take years to go around and we need get as far away from those demons as possible."

The three of them moved forward cautiously and entered the forest.

The following week Dean and Sam were at an abandoned warehouse. They each had a pistol in hand and crept inside cautiously. Sam stated "I've got a bad feeling about this"

Dean nodded and replied "Yeah, this really doesn't seem like werewolves"

They saw what appeared to be a body in the middle of the warehouse. Dean pointed his gun towards it and whispered "This is a trap"

Sam nodded as they stopped walking and looked around. He questioned "Yeah but set by who?"

As they look around they don't see the body rise to it's feet. It is one of Virgil's warriors and it conjured a grappling hook before it launched the hook towards Sam.

Dean saw movement and pushed Sam out of the hook's path just in time. A second warrior appeared next to the first and they silently charged towards Sam and Dean.

Sam and Dean began to fight but struggled against the demons. It took all their efforts to dodge the grappling hooks. Sam called out "Dean, these are the things that took Krissy"

Dean replied "Yeah, they're fugly sons of bitches"

The fight lasted for several minutes before one got close enough to Sam to slash him across the chest with it's claws. The demon kicked him backwards into a wall where Sam was knocked unconscious.

"Sam!" Dean yelled. He stood between Sam and the demons and had his own bleeding claw marks on his side.

The demons readied their hooks to launch at Dean yet before they could a woman dropped from the rafters and landed between Dean and the demons. A woman with large, black, bat-like wings.

The wings disappeared and she began to fight the demons, armed with only a blade the size of a machete. Dean watched, a little fascinated, as she bounced between the two mouthless demons.

The fight went on for some time and she was receiving many injuries yet continued to fight hard. She managed to kill one of the demons but then the second kicked the blade from her hand.

She began to struggle and twice her wings reappeared and shoved the demon before the wings disappeared again. Dean moved over and grabbed her blade. The woman stumbled backwards when the demon used it's claws to slash her stomach. Dean lunged and managed stab the demon through it's chest.

The demon fell the ground with a thud and as he handed back her blade, Dean asked "Who are you?"

She moved the blade to her back, as though slipping it into a sheath and in a brief flash of light, the blade disappeared. "Most call me Tulip. I'm guessing you're a hunter" She stated as she caught her breath.

"Dean" Dean replied with a nod as he clutched at his bleeding side. He moved quickly over to Sam and checked his pulse as he said "This is Sam. Any chance you can help?"

Tulip moved over and asked "You're not going to kill me?"

Dean shook his head and stated "You saved us. Least I can do is not kill you and get you home"

Tulip laughed and said "I don't have a home. I get around alone, hunt and hope nothing bad catches up to me." She reached for his hand and there was a faint glow. Dean gasped and she added "Don't want you bleeding out either"

Dean checked his side and saw that his gashes were now minor wounds. "Thanks" he stated.

Tulip then glanced at Sam and said "I can help your boy but I'm pretty banged up myself. This is going to drain me and knock me out for a few hours. I can not go to a hospital, OK?"

Dean nodded and replied "Save Sam and I've got your back"

"Sounds good cowboy" She said before she reached for Sam and focused on healing him. Dean caught her when she passed out and lay her down carefully as Sam sat up with a groan.

"Dean?" Sam asked groggily

"Easy Sammy" Dean stated. "The demons are dead. You OK?"

Sam looked down and checked himself for injuries before he nodded and said "Yeah, I'm fine. Wait, Who's she? Where'd she come from?" Sam asked

"The roof" Dean stated "I think she's a clarion. She healed you till she passed out. You sure you're OK?"

Sam nodded and said "I'm fine Dean. What are we going to do with her?"

Dean stated "Take her with us. She's got no one and she just saved our asses."

Sam nodded and Dean picked Tulip up before they headed out to the car. They were driving for about twenty minutes when Sam's phone began to ring. He answered "Hey Lotus, you're on speaker, everything OK?"

"Not entirely sure" Lotus stated. She asked "Does Singer Salvage mean anything to you two?"

Dean and Sam shared a look and Sam replied "Yeah, our family friend lived there before he died. He was like a dad to us"

Dean asked "What's going on? Do you need us there? We're about an hour, hour and a half away"

Lotus sighed and replied "I just tracked and killed two of those wolf hybrids. They were trying to get into a shed on the property. I think you guys are going to want to see this. The house and most of the cars are just rubble but this building is-"

"We'll see you in an hour Lotus" Dean stated.

"OK. I'll see you soon" Lotus said before the call was ended.

Sam put his phone away and commented "I thought we checked the property for anything that wasn't destroyed"

"We did" Dean said. "Only stuff that wasn't destroyed is piles of cars."

Sam sighed and said "What was Bobby hiding that the wolf hybrids wanted?"

Dean replied "Not sure but we're about to find out"

Sam then questioned "You sure we trust this, Tulip?"

Dean sighed and said "I'm not saying she should move into the bunker but she saved us. I'm not gonna ditch her somewhere" He was quiet for a moment before he added "Haniel mentioned the clarions were controlled with shock collars. Tulip's got a scar that goes around her neck, like a burn. They went through hell and they've never even been there"

Sam commented "As long as you're not just trusting her because she's wearing an AC/DC shirt"

Dean smirked and said "Well, that does earn her bonus points."

Sam chuckled and said "Whatever jerk"

Dean chuckled and mumbled "Bitch"

Dean pulled to a stop inside Bobby's car yard. He and Sam got out and walked over to where Lotus was waiting for them. She stated "It's this way."

Sam and Dean followed her past a few piles of cars. They climbed over a few cars and walked around another pile of cars before a building came in to view. It was only half above ground and about the size of a double garage. There were cars on the roof to help keep it hidden.

Lotus commented "Whatever is in there must be important. It's warded insanely well and the door has a blood lock on it. Under your names"

Dean questioned "How... When did he even build this?"

Sam smiled fondly and said "Bobby did build a panic room when he had a weekend off."

Dean smiled and the two Winchesters stared for a moment, each lost in their memories.

Lotus pointed to the door and said "See here, that's like a master lock. Presumably that would have been so Bobby could get in. The only other way to get in is for each of you to put your finger in these two and holes and lose a drop of blood."

Sam and Dean shared a look and nod before they each stepped forward. They each winced as a needle pricked their finger and the locks in the thick door could then be heard unlocking.

They took a deep breath and cautiously walked inside and found several rows of shelving. Dean turned the light on and they looked around. Along one wall were shelves stacked with books and along the opposite wall were car parts. The row of shelves in the middle was covered with various objects including weapons, spell ingredients and scrolls.

At the end of one of the shelves, Dean spotted a framed photo. It was a picture of Sam, Dean and Bobby on a fishing trip. He chuckled and showed Sam the photo.

Sam smiled and said "That was before you went to hell."

Dean smiled fondly and asked "You remember the first time he took us fishing?"

Sam chuckled and said "Yeah, I was nine. We were supposed to be learning weapon maintenance."

Dean chuckled as well before he said "He handed me a rod and said, if you can kill something with it, it's a weapon and you're about to kill a fish with that so shut up and cast out, Boy."

Sam chuckled and questioned "Hey, why do you think he had all these car parts in here? Usually he kept them by the house."

Dean walked over to look and after a moment he smiled as he said "They're spare parts for the Impala."

Lotus was looking at the books as the boys smiled fondly and continued to look around. There was a desk in the back corner and Dean walked over and went through the drawers.

Dean found a piece of paper and pointed out "Hey Sammy, he kept your acceptance letter to Stanford."

"What?" Sam asked as he approached. He looked at it with a smile and said "I thought I lost that. Damn it Bobby."

Dean continued searching and found a few bottles of alcohol in the bottom drawer. He chuckled and said "Looks like he was hiding the good stuff from us." He pulled out the two glasses in the drawer and poured them each a small glass.

Sam held up his glass and said "To Bobby."

Dean gave a nod and they clinked their glasses together before drinking the whiskey. Sam then noticed a piece of paper in the bottom of the drawer. He picked it up and saw that it had 'Sam and Dean' written on it.

He showed Dean and shakily unfolded the note. Sam took a deep breath and read the note out loud.

Boys,

As I write this we're about to go up against the leviathan. If I'm still alive, get the hell out of my shed, idjits. If I'm not, then what's mine is now yours. I want you to know that even given the long, long list of stupid crap you two have done, I'm beyond proud of you boys. I'm real glad I got to be a part of your lives.

Love Bobby.

Sam finished reading and both he and Dean each had a tear in their eye. Dean poured himself a second small glass of whiskey as he asked "What's that bit at the bottom?"

Sam chuckled before he read out "P.S. Dean, that's priceless whiskey. It's for when you save the world not for when you're going through my stuff."

Dean looks at his now empty glass and chuckled before he put the lid back on the bottle. "Damn it Bobby" he said with a smile.

Sam put the letter on the table and they were quiet for moment before Lotus cleared her throat and pointed out "I can get Lily and Clover to bring the van if you need help moving this stuff"

Dean nodded and replied "Yeah that would be good. We're taking all of it."

Lotus nodded and pulled out her phone. After a moment she chuckled and stated "They won't be too long, they're actually in town. They detoured after their hunt to visit Donna. I think Clover has a thing for her"

Dean nodded and grabbed the letter from Bobby and put it in the inner pocket of his jacket. He walked over to the shelves and questioned "Do we have any idea what the hybrids were after?"

"Nothing really stands out" Lotus commented

Sam added "It would take a while to go through all these books and scrolls"

Before anyone else could say anything, several gun shots were heard in the distance. "One of you stay here and guard the stash" Dean said before running out quickly.

Dean ran out and found Tulip fighting a three normal werewolves. There were two dead ones lying on the ground and Tulip was keeping them away from the impala.

Dean pulled out his pistol and fired off several shots. He moved over quickly and asked "Hey are you OK?"

Tulip nodded and said "Yeah I woke up when they tried to get in the trunk"

Dean moved over and saw scratches on the boot. He pouted and shot an extra two bullets in to one of the dead werewolves.

Sam approached and said "I think it's dead Dean"

"Relax cowboy" Tulip said with a chuckle. She placed her hand over the scratches and there was a faint glow before she pulled her hand away.

Dean saw that the scratches were gone and his eyes went wide. Sam chuckled and said "That's a good way to get in his good books"

Dean looked at Tulip with a grin and said "You're awesome"

Tulip chuckled and said "I spotted the army man when I woke up. I know she's special." When they looked at her confused she shrugged and added "I read your books"

Sam stated "Yeah god wrote those. We're not fans"

Tulip smiled and replied "Well I liked them; you two are real heroes"

Sam stated "Says the chick who saved our asses. Thank you by the way"

"No problem" Tulip replied as they shook hands.

Dean said "Come on, we got a surprise for you"

They began walking back to Bobby's secret shed and Tulip joked "It's not a sex dungeon is it?"

"No that's back at the bunker" Sam stated before quickly adding "I mean it's a regular dungeon not a sex-"

"Stop talking Sam" Dean stated

Tulip chuckled and followed them in to the shed. Dean said "Ta da!"

"Tulip?" Lotus asked with wide eyes.

"Lotus!" Tulip said before moving over and hugging her with tears in her eyes.

Lotus returned the hug just as tight and mumbled "I thought you died. I heard your screams"

Tulip shook her head and explained "I didn't just get the go juice; I got demon blood first. The detox nearly killed me but then the go juice counteracted it somehow. Once the go juice took effect, they planned on using demon blood again so I escaped. I wasn't going to go through that again"

Lotus gasped and hugged her again. Sam commented "Smart move"

Tulip nodded and commented "Yeah, you know it"

Lotus asked "How did you get to America?"

Tulip replied "Stowed away on a few planes"

A car horn was heard in the distance and Sam said "I'll be back"

Sam headed out and returned a few moments later with Clover and Lily.

"Holy shit!" Clover stated when he saw Tulip. He laughed as he moved forward and gave her a hug.

Tulip had tears in her eyes as she hugged Clover and then Lily "It's so good to see you guys." she stated. Then she said "Wait, when he said others, he meant you guys"

"Who meant us?" Lily asked

Tulip replied "Red-gum wants us dead"

Lotus let out a scoff and said "He was never exactly a threat"

Tulip stated "He caught me a few days ago. Got the jump on me when I was injured after a vampire nest. He said he killed Wattle"

Clover questioned "That was him?"

Tulip nodded and Sam questioned "I'm guessing Red-gum is like you guys but bad"

Tulip nodded and explained "He never got go juice. All the experiments on him were done with demon blood"

Dean stated "You know what? No business until tomorrow. We'll get all this stuff loaded in the cars and head to the manor. Beers and pizza on me?"

"Sounds good" Tulip said with a smile.

Krissy, Jack and Michael were now deep in the forest of devine punishment. The trees surrounding them occasionally moved and their creaking limbs almost sounded like moans of pain.

Jack then questioned "Michael, what's that?"

Ahead of them was a large tree in the centre of a small clearing. There were three glowing red orbs on the side of the tree trunk and they appeared to be occasionally blinking. The tree itself is bigger than any other in the forest.

Michael replied "I don't know but we need to go past it so be careful."

They moved forward cautiously and both Michael and Jack readied their weapons. Nothing happened until they stood several feet away from the tree. The bark on the tree trunk suddenly morphed into a face with three red eyes.

The tree then spoke in a raspy voice "Ah, the archangel, the nephalim and the chosen one"

Krissy looked concerned as she asked "What are you talking about?"

The tree appeared to chuckle before it said "You don't even know! It's written there on that tablet. You might defeat the void, will be useless otherwise."

Michael asked "How do you know this?"

The tree replied "I see all. Have since you sent me here Michael. I was the first"

"Samael?" Michael questioned

The tree almost seemed pleased "Oh he remembers. Was so long ago, you've changed. Grown weak. Much different from when we battled"

"A temporary hindrance" Michael stated. He then asked "What do you know of Krissy?"

The tree then said "Krissy? Chosen one has a name, of course. Great power she can wield. End the void. If you can survive the harpies."

A sudden blood-curdling screech cut through the eerie silence and the tree began to chuckle evilly. Michael said "We need to get out of here, now."

Another screech was heard, this time closer. They ran away from the tree as it continued to chuckle maniacally.

They didn't make it very far before the three harpies chasing them became visible, gaining on them quickly. While they ran Krissy spotted what looked like a black angel blade on a small pillar.

She ran closer and picked it up before she turned, ready to fight. However the pillar exploded with a bright flash of blood-red light. Krissy dropped to the ground, now unconscious, yet still with a firm grip on both the word of god and the strange angel blade.

Jack saw her unconscious and yelled "Krissy!" He gripped his angel blade tightly and stood between Krissy and the harpies as the harpies landed nearby.

Over the next several minutes, Jack and Michael fought hard, eventually killing all three harpies. Jack questioned "Is that all of them?"

Michael nodded and replied "For now"

Jack quickly moved to Krissy's side and asked "Is she OK?"

Michael touched her forehead and was silent for a moment before he replied "She should wake up soon. She is physically and mentally fine and her soul is still there and intact."

Jack nodded and asked "Is it safe to wait or should we carry her?"

Michael was about to reply when they heard a thud behind them. They turned to see another of Virgil's warriors swinging it's hook in a circle. Michael let out an annoyed sound and said "We'll need to kill this first"

They began fighting the demon yet struggled as they had been injured while fighting the harpies. The warrior managed to kick Jack, sending him flying backwards. It then managed to slice Michael across the chest with it's hook.

He now had two gashes on his chest. They were glowing, as if they were done with an angel blade. He growled in pain but continued to fight until his feet were kicked out from under him.

The demon then began to spin it's hook, readying it to swing down and kill Michael. However before it could make it's move, Krissy plunged the black blade through it's chest.

The demon fell lifelessly to the ground and Krissy curled her wrist inward so the blade was parallel with her arm. There is a glow and the blade disappeared, leaving behind its image on her forearm, similar to a tattoo.

She then held that hand over Michael's chest and healed him. Michael stared wide eyed as she moved over and healed Jack's wounds as well. Jack smiled and they moved back over to Michael.

Michael looked down at himself and then back up with a surprised look on his face. He mumbled "You fixed me. How did you do that? Why did you do that?"

Jack held his hand out and helped Michael to stand as Krissy stated "This blade seems to work like an angel blade. I can heal stuff too. I don't know why or how but when I came to, I just knew how to use it"

Michael stared, his eyes glowing before he commented "You are still human but there is a new power within you. I've never seen anything like it. Those wounds should have been fatal. Krissy... Thank you"

Krissy smiled and gave a shrug before she answered "You're part of the family now Mike. No dying." She then hugged Jack and said "Same goes for you"

"And you" Jack stated as he returned the hug.

They began walking again and Krissy stated "I mean it, no dying. The Winchesters have done enough of that for all of us"

Michael couldn't help but chuckle "I'll do my best"

The Winchesters and clarions were all at the manor enjoying pizza and beers around a pair of pool tables. Dean headed to the bathroom and on his way back, spotted Tulip on the back porch.

He headed out and asked "How come you're out here all alone? You OK?"

Tulip sighed and said "I don't know"

Dean leaned on the railing, next to where she was leaning and said "You know they're all in there celebrating your arrival"

Tulip nodded and explained "It's a shock to the system; I've been alone for so long and it's hard not to feel like the odd one out. I love the others but they're all so pure. I'm the only tainted one"

Dean gave a nod and thought for a moment and said "You're not tainted, you're family. What those men of letters assholes did to you doesn't change the fact that you're awesome"

Tulip shrugged and replied "Easier said than believed"

Dean commented "You know, once when I was about seventeen I got squirted by a skunk. I couldn't get rid of the smell for like a month. Don't smell like a skunk now though, do I?"

"No" Tulip said with a shake of her head. "You kind of smell like bacon"

"Hey!" Dean pouted before smelling himself. He looked confused as he mumbled "Son of a bitch. Why do I smell like bacon?"

Tulip chuckled and said "Sam maybe?"

"Maybe" Dean said before adding "My point was you don't smell like sulfur no more. I was trying to be meaningful but, damn it, how long have I smelt like this?"

Tulip couldn't but laugh before they were silent for a moment. She sighed before she commented "You know, you're a hell of a lot smarter than you give yourself credit for"

Dean shrugged and mumbled "Sam talks a lot. I learn stuff sometimes"

Tulip chuckled. They were both quiet for a moment as they gazed up the stars. Eventually Tulip nudged him and said "Thanks"

Dean gave a small smile and said "Don't mention it." He soon added "How about a game of pool?"

Tulip smiled and said "Only if you're ready to lose"

They walked back inside as Dean commented "I don't think so. I was hustling pool when you were still in diapers"

Tulip laughed and said "We're the same age you dork"

An hour later Sam found Lily in the control room typing away on her laptop. Sam questioned "Didn't Dean say no business until tomorrow?"

Lily smirked and said "Does anybody listen when Dean tells them to do something?"

Sam chuckled and said "Not the point"

Lily stated "To be fair, it is just after midnight"

Sam said "OK then smart ass. What have you got?"

Lily replied "Well, the only thing I can find that fits is gorgons."

Sam asked "Gorgons? Medusa, greek mythology, gorgons?"

"Yep" Lily replied "It's not far from here either. You know, it's weird. I've noticed all the outer states are quiet lately. All the weird stuff and new monsters, even the old ones. Almost none of the activity has been far away"

Sam gave a nod and said "Yeah I've noticed that too. No idea what it means but it can't be good. Anyway, Dean and I will take this case. Give you guys a chance to catch up with Tulip"

"OK" Lily said with a smile. "We've got thermal goggles you can use. I don't know how else you would kill something that you can't look at"

"Good thinking" Sam commented

The next day, Dean was driving them to the town where the gorgons were thought to be. He turned the radio down and said "We're nearly there, what details have you got?"

Sam explained "Two teenagers were walking home with the rest of their basketball team when a snake like woman appeared and turned their friends into stone. It's possibly a gorgon"

Dean asked "What's a gorgon?"

Sam questioned "You've heard of Medusa, haven't you?"

Dean stated "Yeah, in movies. You saying she's real?"

Sam nodded and explained "According to the lore, there is Medusa and her two sisters. Anyone who looks at them will be turned to stone. Perseus took care of them thousands of years ago but he warned they would return when the end of the world approaches. A bit like an omen, I guess. "

Dean then asked "How do we hunt something we can't look at?"

Sam replied "Lily gave us some thermal goggles. If they don't work, we're screwed"

Dean teased "Of course she did"

Sam looked at him "What's that supposed to mean?"

Dean smirked and said "Nothing, you two nerds would be cute together"

Sam looked a little embarrassed and just said "Dude, focus on the case"

Dean chuckled and said "I am focused. How do we kill these things?"

Sam replied "We need to get close enough to either cut their heads off or pierce their hearts with pure silver."

Dean drove into the town and could see many statues of what must have been the townspeople. "Sam" Dean said

Sam nodded and replied "Yeah it's worse than we thought"

Dean parked the impala and commented "It looks like they got the whole town."

Sam said "Which means they could be anywhere."

They got out and readied their silver blades before they pulled on the thermal imaging goggles. They began walking through the town cautiously and Dean nearly knocked one of the stone people over.

Sam said "Dude, careful! The curse will be lifted when we kill these things"

Dean replied "Oh come on, I'm not going to kill anyone." He almost immediately ran into another statue and had to catch it before it fell. He then said "OK, I need to be more careful."

Sam shook his head and they continued on through the town. Before long they came across one of the gorgons. It had the torso of a woman and the back end of a snake.

They struggled fighting it with only thermal vision but eventually Sam managed to cut it's head off, causing it to turn to dust.

They continued searching and soon come across a young blonde girl. She was sitting on the ground, crying and clutching the leg of one of the stone people. Sam moved over and said "Hey, are you OK?"

The little girl jumped and asked "Who are you?"

Sam took off his goggles and said "My name is Sam and this is my brother Dean."

Dean said "How are you doing kid?"

The girl said "My name is Erin." She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes before she asked "Why didn't Medusa turn you two?"

Sam looked surprised as he replied "We have special goggles on"

Dean asked "How did you know it was Medusa?"

Erin explained "I like learning about different kinds of monsters. I heard snakes and people were screaming but then their screams just stopped. I guessed when my mom turned into a statue."

Dean commented "Well, we got one of them. Once we kill the other two your mom will be back to normal."

Erin said "Wait, there's three of them? That can't be good."

Sam curiously asked "What makes you say that?"

Erin explained "Well, three is an important number. It's in the bible heaps. It quite often has something to do with something either really good or really bad. The gorgons are from Greek mythology so I'm guessing this is bad."

Dean asked "How do you know all this? How old are you?"

Erin replied "Almost thirteen. I'm blind, that's why I'm not a statue. I spend most of my time listening to audio books."

Sam said "Listen Erin, we're going to go find and kill these things and get you your mom back OK?"

Erin quickly stated "No! Don't leave me alone, please. What if they get you too?"

Before either Winchester could answer Sam looked up in fear and yelled "Dean!" before he was turned into stone by the approaching gorgon.

Dean turned and began fighting the gorgon and eventually managed to cut it's head off. He walked back over and said "Damn it Sammy."

Erin seemed scared as she asked "What happened?"

Dean replied "One of them got Sam"

Erin said "Please don't leave me alone"

Dean sighed and paused for a moment before he said "Here, get up, give me your hand." She stood and held out her hand. Dean carefully handed her a silver blade and explained "This is a dagger coated in pure silver. To kill a gorgon you need to cut it's head off or pierce it's heart with silver. Come on." He then helped her hold a corner of his jacket.

As they began walking Erin asked "How do you know how to kill it?"

Dean replied "I'm a hunter, killing monsters is my job."

"Really?" Erin asked excitedly. "How many monsters are out there?"

Dean replied "More than I should tell you about"

Erin was obviously impressed and asked "How do you kill a werewolf? Or a vampire? Are wendigos real? What about shapeshifters?"

Dean then said "Whoah, whoah, whoah. Slow down there Buffy. Let's see, a werewolf you need to pierce it's heart with silver. Vampires need their heads cut off. Wendigos are real and you need to set them on fire. Shapeshifters are the same as werewolves."

They continued walking cautiously as Erin pointed out "That's so cool, you're like a real live superhero. Do you wear a cape? Do you get paid? That must be really dangerous. Do you ever get hurt and do your own stitches?"

Dean commented "You know I shouldn't be telling you any of this, right?"

Erin smiled as she replied "But you're going to"

Dean sighed and explained "We dress normally and we don't get paid. Sam and I have stitched each other up so many times it isn't funny. It's extremely dangerous kid, Sam and I have both died, more than once."

Erin only seemed even more impressed and asked "How the hell do you come back from the dead?"

Dean explained "Well, one time the archangel Michael wanted to possess me and fight Lucifer. Another time I came back as a demon."

Erin gasped before she asked "You're a demon?"

Dean replied "Not any more. That's a long story."

Erin then said "I can't believe angels and demons are really real. I've always wanted to meet an angel."

Dean stated "Most of them are idiots"

Erin asked "Can demons really get exorcised and go back to hell? Is it true they don't like salt? Is it true that-"

"Sshh" Dean cut her off. He quietly added "Yes and Yes. Just listen for a minute."

They stilled and stayed quiet, not immediately realising that the final gorgon was standing behind Dean. He swung his machete over Erin's head but the gorgon gripped his arm and stopped his swing.

The gorgon whipped Dean's goggles off and there was a faint green glow as Dean is turned into stone. Erin felt his jacket and shakily questioned "Dean?"

The gorgon slithered in front of her and hissed before it said "It's just you and me now. You might not turn to stone like people who can see but that doesn't mean you won't suffer child."

Erin shakily took a deep breath and lunged forward. She managed to stab the gorgon in the heart with the blade Dean had given her.

A green wave of light shot outwards from the gorgon and Dean returned to normal. Erin was nervously breathing heavily as she questioned "Dean?"

Dean took a deep breath and replied "Yeah, I'm OK. You did real good kid." He carefully took the blade from her hand and said "Come on, let's get you back to your mom."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and they began walking when suddenly Castiel appeared in front of them. Erin asked "What was that noise?"

Dean asked "Cas, what are you doing here?"

Castiel replied "The gorgons were back. That drew our attention"

Dean then asked "You couldn't have helped? I was turned into a damn statue"

Castiel replied "I apologise Dean but I was required in heaven. It is, for lack of a better description, being reprogrammed. Besides, Erin saved you. It won't be too much longer before I can join you again"

Erin asked "Dean, who is this?"

Dean answered "This is Castiel, he's an angel and a good friend"

Erin asked "So, he's not one of the idiot angels?"

Castiel sent a questioning look at Dean and said "I believe you've already spent too much time with Dean."

Dean said "Hey, I'm awesome. So if you're busy in heaven why are you here now?"

Castiel answered "I am here because a prophet of the lord just killed a gorgon and Haniel asked me to deliver her a reward"

Dean asked "She's a prophet?"

Castiel nodded and said "She's not only a prophet but this young woman will one day be one of the finest hunters the world has ever seen. If we survive the end of worlds that is."

Dean argued "You don't get to decide that"

Castiel raised an eyebrow and questioned "You think you'd be able to stop her?"

Dean looked down and Erin was smiling proudly. He looked at Castiel and asked "So what exactly are you going to do?"

Castiel replied "This," before touching two fingers to her forehead. He added "Take care of yourself little one," and then disappeared.

Dean asked "Are you OK?"

Erin appeared to be looking around as she said "I can see... I can see!" She looked up at Dean and then said "Wow. You sound way older than you look."

Dean replied "Hunting will do that to you."

Erin looked at him and thought for a moment before she simply said "Worth it."

Dean smirked and ruffled her hair as he stated "You're crazy kiddo"

They then heard Sam as he yelled "Dean!" Sam approached with a woman and asked "You guys OK?"

Dean nodded and said "Yeah, thanks to Erin"

Erin's mother asked "Sweetie are you OK? I'm so sorry, I could hear you crying but I just couldn't move."

Erin smiled and had tears in her eyes as she said "Mom. I can see."

Her Mom looked shocked as she asked "What?"

Sam looked at Dean and Dean simply said "Cas stopped by"

Erin and her mother both had tears in their eyes as they shared a hug. Sam pulled a card out of his pocket and said "Just in case you ever need to get in touch."

Erin smiled and nodded before giving Dean a hug and then Sam. She said "Thank you."

Dean smiled and said "Yeah, yeah. Just promise me you'll finish school before you go and do something stupid."

Erin chuckled and said "I promise."

Sam and Dean began walking away and Sam asked "What was that about?"

Dean replied "I'll tell you about it on the way home."