CHAPTER 5
Sam watches from the car as Dean knocks on the front door of a house. Kate answers.
"Dean, what a surprise. Hope you don't take this the wrong way but your very forward."
Dean throws Kate another one of his classic smiles.
"Yer sorry it's just that I missed you in the park after all the commotion and I wondered if I could stop by for that coffee. Maybe finish off our chat?"
"Sure, come in."
As Dean enters the house he looks back and flashes Sam a thumbs up sign.
"Always a charmer when it comes to the ladies." Sam leans back in his seat as he prepares himself for a long wait.
"You want a coffee or a beer?" Says Kate as she heads towards the kitchen.
"Err beer is fine if you've got it."
"Trust me I've always got beer in the fridge."
Dean walks through the living room and gives it a quick glance over as he follows Kate. Taking a seat at the Breakfast bar Dean sees nothing out of the ordinary and watches Kate as she bends over to get some drinks out of the fridge.
"This is a pretty nice place you've got here. You must have one hell of a job to pay for it?"
Shutting the fridge door with her hip, Kate opens the 2 bottles of beer and passes one to Dean as she takes a seat opposite him.
"Actually it's my parents place."
"Oh right. Sorry I just didn't get the impression that you still lived with your parents."
Kate takes a big sip of her beer and then looks back at Dean.
"I don't, they passed away a year ago. The house was left to me, my brothers and sister, so we decided to stay."
"Sorry to hear that. How old are your brother's and sister?"
"Well Billy is 17, Megan will be 8 next month and Bailey will be 2 in about 5 months. That's why we stayed, plenty of rooms in this house to choose from if you ever need a break."
Kate smiles.
"And you look after all of them?"
"Yes, well I mean after mum and dad died I knew I had to. There was no way I was gonna let them get split up into foster care and so I quit college and came back here. Probably sounds silly but I'd do anything for them. Kind of a big sister protective instinct if you know what I mean?"
"Actually I do."
"Don't get me wrong I still have other family around. My grandmother lives about 20 minutes away and she helps out whenever I need it. Right now though I need to prove that I can handle this on my own."
"Why's that?"
"Well I'm in the middle of a legal battle to keep the family together. Social Services want to place Megan and Bailey in a foster home, somewhere where they will be 'more looked after' apparently. We were going to get the final verdict a little while ago but the judge who was taking the case unfortunately died."
"Judge Matthews?"
Kate looks up in surprise.
"Yes, did you know him?"
Dean realises that he has slipped up.
"Ah no, I just remember reading about a local judge dying a little while ago. Don't know why but the name stuck in my head."
"Oh right, well we are now waiting for another judge to review our case and then hopefully he or she will give us an answer. In a way it's kind of a blessing about Judge Matthews, he didn't exactly get on with our family."
"Why's that?"
"He and my Dad were in High School together, they always had this running feud about who was better than the other. Maybe it's some macho guy thing but I never really understood what it was all about. Anyway I don't think the verdict he would have given would have been the answer I wanted to hear."
"You think he would have done that? Just because of some high school feud with your Dad?"
"He wasn't exactly a nice man Judge Matthews. If you crossed paths with him you sure did now about it. He would have placed Megan and Bailey away just so he was one up on my father."
"Where's Bailey now?"
"He's upstairs asleep. He hasn't been sleeping too well at night lately so I'm trying to get him to have a nap whenever I can."
"Oh right. Is he having nightmares or something?" Dean tries to hide his curious look away as he takes a sip from his beer.
"Well something's up with him. I just hope it's something he grows out of."
Dean gives Kate and unnerving grin.
"Don't we all."
The room goes quiet for a minute while Dean and Kate take a sip from their beers. Dean looks around and notices a photo of Kate's parents.
"How did your parents die? If you don't mind me asking?"
"They died in a fire."
Dean looks up stunned.
"Looking around now you wouldn't even think anything had happened. It was a year last week, so scary how quickly things like that come along." Kate says as she looks at the same picture Dean was admiring a moment ago.
"Can I borrow your bathroom?"
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As Dean walks up the stairs he is greeted by a long hallway that bends round a corner to the right. Three doors stand in front of him and he spots Baileys room by all the nursery stickers on the door. Pulling out his trusty bottle of holy water Dean slowly opens the nursery door and enters. The room is a lovely shade of baby blue and two bookcases stand either end full of books and teddy bears. Baileys crib stands in the middle of the room and a rocking chair sits in the corner. On the wall next to one of the bookshelves is a picture of Kate's mum and dad holding Bailey. As he reaches the crib Dean looks over to see Bailey fast asleep. It's hard to believe that this kid could be any possibly threat but Dean knows he cannot take any chances when black eyes are involved.
Opening up his bottle of Holy water Dean holds it above Bailey's chest.
"Sorry kid."
Dean pours some water on to Bailey's chest and then watches as Bailey twitches slightly from the cold water but nothing else happens.
"Thank god for that. Well if you're not being possessed I guess we have another problem to deal with" Dean smiles as he puts the holy water back in his jacket.
"What are you doing?"
Dean spins around to see Kate in the doorway.
"I err….I was just checking on Bailey, thought I heard him cry."
Kate enters the room and looks over the crib.
"What is that? What have you done?" Kate notices the water stain on Baileys chest and turns to look at Dean in disguise. She quickly pushes him away from the crib and starts to march him out of the nursery door while holding on to his arm.
"Kate will you let me explain?" Dean pleas as Kate begins to shove him down the stairs.
"I can't believe I let some stranger into my house. I don't know who you are buddy or what you did up their but you're sick."
Dean starts to get impatient and just as Kate goes to open the front door he shrugs his arm free from her grip and holds on to her arms.
"Will you let me explain?"
Kate stands still, frozen with fear.
"I now that this all looks pretty bad but I am doing it for you and your family."
Kate remains speechless as Dean continues to hold her.
"The fire that killed your parents, did it start in the nursery?"
Kate's expression turns from fear to confusion.
"How…how did you know that?"
"I need you to tell me what happened just before the fire started. What did you see?"
Kate goes to speak but she is too dumbfounded and nothing comes out of her mouth. Realising that he is scaring Kate, Dean lets go of his grip and she takes a step back placing her hand on the door knob ready to escape.
"I'm sorry, let me start over. My brother and I are here to help you."
"Help me? Your brother?"
"I think your brother Bailey is in danger. You need to come with us, we can protect you both."
"Your brother is just a kid he……" Kate finally realises that Dean lied about the boy in the park. "That wasn't your brother in the park today was it?"
Dean doesn't have to say anything, Kate knows she is right.
"I bet you didn't even know him. And what are you talking about Bailey being in danger?"
"Please you have to come with me. I can explain all of this better back at the motel where I'm staying."
Kate stands up straight as she finds some courage in herself to stand up to Dean.
"I want you out of my house or I start screaming. My neighbours are very nosey and it won't take them long to be round her with the police in tow."
Kate demands as she opens the front door. Dean stands still for a minute and then heads outside.
"I'm staying at the Lake Side Motel room 312."
Kate goes to shut the door but it is stopped by Dean's foot.
"Before I go ask yourself this. Has anything strange happened lately when Bailey was around?"
Kate again tries to shut the door but it remains blocked by Dean.
"Kate I'm not lying, your brother is in serious danger and he needs help."
Kate pauses for a moment almost convincing Dean that he has won her over until she kicks him in the shin. Moving his leg back in pain Dean tries to reach for the door again but he is too late as Kate slams it shut in his face.
"ARGH DAM IT!"
Dean says as he hobbles on one leg just as Sam runs up behind him.
"What happened?"
"Well Sam you'll never guess what but things didn't quite happen to plan in there."
Dean continues to limp as he and Sam walk back towards the car. Kate quickly shuts the blinds as Dean makes eye contact with her through the window.
"Did you at least see the kid?" Says Sam as he and Dean get in the car.
"Yer and good news, he's not being possessed."
"He isn't?"
"Nope, I poured some holy water over him and nothing. But I think we have a bigger problem than that."
"What?"
"Kate and Baileys parents died in a house fire last year. A fire that started in Bailey's nursery."
"The yellow eyed Demon? But he can't be coming back for Bailey Dean, we killed him."
"Don't you think I now that. Besides this still doesn't answer the question of why Bailey had black eyes in that photo. Maybe we're dealing with something completely different."
"What do you mean?"
"The Demon left you with visions Sam, maybe he left Bailey with something and he's already tapping in to it?"
"You think Bailey is causing all of these deaths and near misses? But he's just a kid."
"Kid or not it's the only possible way any of this can be happening."
"But I didn't start getting my visions till I was 21. Bailey doesn't even look two yet, how can that be?"
"I don't know for sure, we need to do some research back at the motel and figure out what to do before he or whoever hurts anyone else."