**Hey, just an FYI I did it like it was present day, so 2005 is what's happening currently! You'll see. Anyways I wanted to know if there was any specific flashbacks that people wanted to see in the coming chapters. I already have some ideas, but I'd love everyone's input! Thank you so much! And review with the age you want Mel to be or a memory that has already been mentioned that you want to see! Thanks again!**

Home

I was woken suddenly by sharp panting to my left and turned my head to see Sam sitting bolt upright in his bed, sweating slightly and breathing hard. I slipped out of Dean's arms and threw my legs over the bed, rising silently so as to not wake Dean. Without even having to ask, I crossed the room to grab my jacket and slipped it on over my tank top, throwing Sam's to him. Sam looked at me questioningly but didn't argue as he put on his jacket, and I fished the keys out of Dean's jeans, which were lying on the floor of the bathroom.

"I can drive," Sam offered as we approached the car, and I shot him a look.

"Nice try, Sammy," I slammed the driver's door shut behind me and relaxed in the leather seat. "I haven't driven in so long I may have actually forgotten how," Sam laughed beside me as he shut his door.

"You knew how to drive?" He sassed me, and I gave him another look, shoving him before putting the gear in reverse.

"Shut up, Sammy. Did you forget who taught you how to drive?" I pulled out, and we were on speeding down the road in seconds, looking for the nearest coffee shop.

"Yeah, Dad had your head for that," Sam remembered, laughing a bit still.

"Well I didn't expect you to crash into a tree!" I couldn't help but join in his laughter. A moment of silence followed as we were both caught up in the memory,

"Hey, there's a place," Sam pointed to Josh's Cafe on my right. I pulled in without a second's thought and parked the car right in front. We got in and sat down at a circular table, ordering three cups of coffee to go.

"You had another dream?" I questioned, knowing we had to have the conversation sooner or later and concerned for Sam. He sighed, looking down at his hands before meeting my eyes.

"Yeah," He shook his head in answer to my unasked question. "I don't remember much,"

"Did you try drawing what you do remember?" I asked, and his brown eyes gained a curious and thoughtful glint to them. He asked the waiter for a pen and began drawing on the napkin that was in front of him.

"Here," After about a minute he turned the paper over to show me the tree that he'd drawn. I frowned as there was a distant tug at the back of my brain; something about that tree looked familiar. "Recognize it?"

"I don't know. It seems familiar somehow," Before I could say anymore, our waiter came and handed us the coffee, and Sam paid him. We left the cafe, and I still refused to let Sam drive. I opened my mouth to tell him about my hearing and then closed it again. I glanced at Sam, who was studying his napkin intently, frowning in thought, before I looked back at the road. I pulled back into the parking lot and got out, holding Dean's cup as I drank from my own. We'd get a real breakfast on the way to whatever town the next hunt was in.

"Where'd you two go?" I tossed the keys to Dean, who was sitting on the chair by the table, before handing his coffee to him and giving him a quick kiss.

"Missed you two," I greeted him with a smile which he returned.

"All right," Dean took a sip of his coffee as I leaned over his shoulder to see the screen. "I've been cruising some websites. I think I found a few candidates for our next gig," I turned the laptop to face me, and Dean.

"Oh," I pointed to the third one. "Three people found vanished from a gas station. That could be our kind of thing," I glanced at Sam to see him sketching intensely on a notepad. Probably that same tree again. I frowned, trying to think back to why it looked so familiar.

"There's some cow mutilations in west texas," Dean tried to get his attention with no success. "Hey!" He finally snapped, causing Sam's head to snap up to look at us, his eyes wide like a deer caught in the headlights. "Are we boring you with this hunting evil stuff,"

"No," Sam shook his head, turning back to his drawing. "I'm listening. Keep going," Dean glanced back at me, and I shrugged.

"Hey, in Sacramento a man shot himself in the head. Three times," I tried, glancing back at Sam as Dean waved three fingers at him.

"Any of these things blowing up your skirt, pal?" All at once, it hit me so hard I actually staggered back. I crossed the room in two steps to snatch the sketch out of Sam's hands, ignoring his protests.

"I knew this looked familiar," I set it on the bed and rummaged through Dean's bag until I found what I was looking for. John's journal. I took it out and flipped it open, searching through the three photos he kept there for only half a moment before slipping out the old, crumpled picture that John always kept. It was him, Dean, Sam, and Mary all smiling at the camera standing in front of the house. Sam's tree was in the background. I felt Dean lean over beside me, slipping an easy arm around my waist as he studied the two trees side by side before looking up at Sam, who was on my other side.

"They're the same. That's where we have to go next," Sam realized, and my face fell as I realized what that would mean.

"What?"Dean questioned, uneasiness lining his voice as he took a step back warily.

"Back home. Back to Kansas," Dean scoffed in response to Sam's words.

"Okay, random. Where'd that come from?" Dean was trying to keep his cool. I sat down heavily on the bed, letting everything sink in.

"This photo was taken in front of our old house right?" Sam took the photograph that had been next to me off the bed and waved it around. "The house where mom died?"

"Yeah," Dean answered, taking the picture from Sam.

"It didn't burn down, right? I mean, not completely. They rebuilt it, right?" Sam grew breathless with excitement as he explained his theory quickly to Dean and I.

"I guess so, yeah," Dean's eyes flicked to me, but I couldn't help him, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Okay, look, this is gonna sound crazy," Sam told him, sitting on the bed opposite me, "But the people who live in our old house, I think they might be in danger,"

"Why would you think that?" Sam hesitated, his eyes finding mine uncertainly. Dean glanced from me to Sam, frowning.

"Uh, just, um. Look, just - you got to trust me on this, okay?" Sam got up and went over to the duffel bags, starting to pack without waiting for Dean or my approval.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa trust you?" Dean echoed incredulously, and I stood.

"Dean…" Dean glanced at me as the words died on my lips; I really didn't know what to say. I was torn between loyalty to Sam and loyalty to Dean.

"Come on, that's weak. You got to give me a little bit more than that," I threw my duffel bag onto the bed and opened the drawer, tossing my stuff in.

"Sam," I cut off whatever Sam was beginning to say. "He deserves to know,"

"What… what the hell is going on?" Dean snapped, growing irritated, and Sam sighed in defeat.

"I have these nightmares," Sam started before hesitating.

"I've noticed," Dean said, prompting him to continue.

"And sometimes they come true," Dean's mouth worked as he tried to process what he just heard.

"Come again?" Was what he finally settled on.

"Look, Dean… I dreamt about Jessica's death for days before it happened," Sam elaborated, and Dean shrugged, trying to look unconcerned but both I and Sam knew it was an act.

"Sane people have weird dreams. I'm sure it's just a coincidence," Dean sat on the bed across from mine.

"No, I dreamt about the blood dripping, her on the ceiling, the fire, everything, and I didn't do anything because I didn't believe it. And now I'm dreaming about that tree, about our house, and about some woman inside screaming for help. I mean, that's where it all started. This has to mean something, right?"

"I don't know," Dean spoke softly, and I could feel his eyes but I couldn't bring myself to meet them.

"What do you mean you don't know, Dean? This woman might be in danger. I mean, this might even be the thing that killed mom and Jessica. Tell him, Mel," Sam looked over at me when he spoke those last words.

"You knew about this?" I forced myself to meet his accusing eyes.

"Dean, I didn't-" I started, but my guilty voice might as well have been a confession.

"Perfect," He interrupted me, standing abruptly, and I stood as well.

"Dean-" Sam started.

"All right!" He snapped. "Just slow down, would you?" He turned away for a moment, running a hand through his hair roughly. "I mean," He turned back to us, and he looked so vulnerable and lost that my heart ached. "First you're telling me that my brother's got the shining…" My lips couldn't help but twitch at that, "and that my girlfriends knew all along…" I frowned at that, taking a step forward only to hesitate. "… and then you tell me that I've got to go back home, especially when…" He didn't finish, but I knew what he was thinking about.

"When what?" Dean had never told Sam; he'd only told me. It had been so long ago that I'd almost forgot.

"When I swore to myself that I would never go back there," Dean's voice was heavy with emotion, and he turned away from us again, leaning on the table.

"Dean," I spoke softly, "A woman's life could be at stake here. We have to check it out," He looked back at me, and I met his eyes determinedly.

"I know we do," He replied, his voice still slightly hoarse. Sam took his duffel bag and hoisted it over his shoulder before turning back to look at us from the door.

"I'll be at the car," He shut the door behind him, knowing we needed a moment.

"How could you not tell me?" Dean asked me the question with an anger hidden just above the surface.

"Sam didn't want me to," I protested, trying to make it sound like a viable excuse.

"My brother is getting visions! You didn't think I needed to know that?" He snapped, and I realized we were only a foot away from each other now.

"I told you it was his secret!" My voice rose, and I couldn't help it.

"You didn't tell me my brother was friggin' Professor X!" He snarled back.

"What? That doesn't even-" I vaguely realized we were yelling now.

"If something's wrong with-"

"Nothing's wrong-"

"-Sam I want to know!"

"I didn't want you to leave!" I shoved his chest with both my hands, making him stumble backwards a few steps.

"What?" His voice was soft and hurt, as if I'd smacked him.

"You almost left," I took a step away from him as he reached out for me. "When I first told you, you almost left. How do I know you won't leave this time?"

"I'm not going to leave you," Dean took a step towards me, and rested his hands on my neck, running his thumbs over my cheeks and meeting my eyes with intense determination burning in his. "I…" My breath hitched as he hesitated for a moment. He'd said it before, back in high school, and I knew he did, but neither of us had said it yet. "I'll always protect you, remember?" He lowered his lips, and I tilted my head up, meeting him halfway. The kiss was slow and sweet, and I tried to convey how much I needed him, how much I loved him, all with one kiss. I broke away, slowly opening my eyes and noticed him smiling down at me.

"What?" I asked the question breathlessly. He just laughed, equally breathless and shook his head. I gave him another quick kiss before going to my duffel and zipping it. When I looked back at Dean, he was packing his duffel bag quickly, his jaw tightening like it did whenever he was apprehensive or angry. Dean threw his duffel over his shoulder before taking mine, and I grabbed the keys to the room, going to check out while Dean put the stuff in the car. Check out took all of two minutes, and I was in the car with Sam and Dean in no time, heading towards the only place I'd ever called home.


Austin, Texas

2001

"Mel, cover the north exit. Dean, get the west. When I start the fire I'm going to run out the south way, so I'll get that. Remember, there's two of them, and they're tricky suckers. Anything moves, kill it," John finished, and Dean and I exited the Impala, going around the building quietly.

"Be careful," Dean whispered as we got to the exit he was supposed to be guarding.

"Yeah…" I agreed, trailing off briefly as I realized I'd be able to hear him. Maybe. "You too," I finished him, shaking my head to rid myself of those thoughts. I had to be one hundred percent focused on this hunt right now. I couldn't afford to be distracted.

"Hey, what's up with you lately?" My eyes snapped to Dean, and I froze.

"N-nothing," I stuttered before mentally berating myself and gathering my wits, "Nothing, I'm fine,"

"I've been patient, but there's something wrong and you have to tell me," Dean grabbed my arm and spun me to face him again.

"Dean, I need to go. John'll set the fire any moment," I tried a weak attempt to make him let me go.

"Mel, I gotta know," The sincere worry in his eyes felt like a knife was slicing my heart in two. I tore my eyes from his, and opened my mouth to reply when there was a crackle from inside.

"He started the fire," Dean released me, frowning in confusion, but I didn't stop to explain. Instead, I bolted towards my exit without pausing to look back at Dean and ignoring him hiss my name. I cocked the pistol that was loaded with silver bullets and readied myself, my adrenaline already kicking in from my run. I tried desperately to block out Dean and his worried eyes and his voice and… him. I blinked harshly, forcing myself to focus on the hunt. Werewolves. Two of them. Save lives.

There was an agonized screech from inside the warehouse, and I swallowed hard, holding the gun at the ready. There were footsteps, and then another scream, but nothing came my way. I waited silently as the seconds ticked by at a painful pace. That's when I heard it. To my right there was a gun shot, and then the sounds of a struggle. There was a clatter of a gun falling to the floor, and then an unmistakable cry of pain and a sickening ripping sound. Dean. Without thinking, I sprinted back the way I'd come.

"Dean?" My heart stopped when I saw him with a woman towering over him, her raised hands clawed. I didn't realized I'd raised my pistol until a loud gunshot sounded. She tensed for a split second before slumping forward onto the grass beside Dean, who was groaning in pain. I dropped to my knees by his side, and my heart froze again as I realized his the side of his shirt was ripped and soaked in blood. I pulled it up, sucking in a horrified breath as I surveyed the damage.

"That bad?" Dean turned his head to look at me, only half joking. I shook my head hurriedly.

"No, you're going to be fine," I looked around desperately for John, but he wasn't in sight. I heard a gunshot to my left, and my head whipped around to scan the trees. Nothing. I turned back to Dean and took out the knife from my back pocket. "Just hang on, okay? Look at me," I cut off the remainders of his shirt and balled them up. "This is going to hurt, Dean," I warned him, holding down his shoulder before pressing the cloth on his wound. He let out a yell, arching his back, and I forced him back down.

"God damn it!" Dean let out a string of swears, grabbing my hand and crushing it in his grip.

"Mel! Dean!" My head whipped around to see a furious John coming running towards us. "What the hell happened?" He barked, kneeling beside his injured son. "Are you all right?" He checked with me briefly, and I nodded hurriedly, not tearing my eyes from Dean. "We need to get him to the car," I pushed Dean's two jackets off his shoulders, wincing at every one of his pained cries. Once they were off I took the softer, non leather one and wrapped the sleeves around his wound, pressing his already soaking shirt against his wound like a makeshift bandage.

"Hang on, Dean," I practically begged him. "We have to get you to the car, okay?" Dean nodded in response, gritting his teeth. I grabbed one arm, and John grabbed the other. Together we managed to stagger the car, and I quickly opened the backseat as John held him upright.

"You stay in the back with him," He didn't need to tell me; I was already moving Dean's head onto my lap as I slid into the seat, slamming the door behind me. A moment later, the engine revved, and we sped away from the warehouse.


Lawrence, Kansas

2005

"You okay?" I took Dean's hand as he looked out the window at his old home. He cut off the engine before turning to face me.

"Let me get back to you on that," I let go of his hand and opened the door, sliding out of the car before slamming it behind me. The three of us walked up to the house, and Dean knocked on the door firmly.

"Yes?" A woman answered, only half opening the door, so we could only see her face. When she saw who it was, she opened it the rest of the way and came out.

"Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but we're with the Federal-" Dean started with the usual routine. "I'm Sam Winchester, this is my brother Dean, and his girlfriend, Mel. Um… we used to live here," Sam introduced us. "You know, we were just driving by, and we were wondering if we could come see the old place,"

"Winchester," The woman mused, "That is so funny. You know, I-I think I found some of your photos the other night," I frowned slightly, but quickly smiled as she looked at me.

"You did?" Dean asked in surprise, and she nodded confirmation.

"I'm Jenny," She told us before glancing into her house uncertainly. "Okay, come on in," I followed Sam into the house with Dean close behind me. Dean and I walked down a hallway that led to the kitchen where a little boy, who couldn't have been older than two was bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Juice, juice, juice!" He demanded over and over again, and I couldn't help smiling at how adorable he was.

"That's Richie. He's kind of a juice junkie," She introduced us to her kid, unlatching the fridge and getting his sippy cup, probably filled with juice, and handing it to him. "But, hey, at least he won't get scurvy," She turned to the young girl of about six who was sitting on the stool coloring in crayons. "Sari, this is Sam, Dean, and Mel. They used to live here,"

"Hi," She greeted, and I smiled at her warmly.

"Hey," I replied for all three of us, raising my hand in a half wave. "So," I turned my attention to the mother. "You three just moved in?"

"Uh, yeah, from Wichita," She informed us, cleaning the table.

"You got family here, or…?" Dean questioned her.

"No, I just, uh, um, needed a fresh start. That's all," She responded hesitantly. "So new town, new job - I mean, as soon as I find one - new house."

"So, how you liking it so far?" Sam asked, and I saw her shift uneasily.

"Well, uh, all due respect to your childhood home - I mean, I'm sure you have lots of happy memories here -" I glanced at Dean and then Sam. Far from it. "But this place has its issues,"

"Well, like what?" I inquired, glancing at Richie in the crib, and then at Sari.

"Well, it's just getting old, like, the wiring, you know?" My eyes snapped to her. The wiring. That was a sign of haunting. "We've got flickering lights almost hourly,"

"Oh, that's too bad," Dean spoke in a slightly strained voice. "What else?"

"Um… sink's backed up. There's rats in the basement," She vented, leaning on the counter and gesturing in annoyance and frustration with her dishcloth. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain,"

"No," Dean brushed it off like it was nothing, "Have you seen the rats or have you just heard the scratching?" He checked.

"Just the scratching, actually," Definitely a haunting. I turned to glance up at Dean's pained face before taking his hand without a word and lacing our fingers together before looking back at the mother. Dean's hand tightened around mine.

"Mom?" I detected the fear in Sari's voice as Jenny knelt beside her. "Ask them if it was here when they lived here,"

"What, Sari?" Dean prompted, giving her his understanding, doe eyes.

"The thing in my closet," Sari told us, glancing back at her mom.

"Oh, no, baby, there was nothing in their closets," Jenny comforted her child before turning to us, "Right?"

"Right, no. No, of course not," Sam responded dutifully.

"She had a nightmare the other night," She told us.

"I wasn't dreaming," The kid protested. "It came into my bedroom, and it was on fire," My eyes widened slightly as she spoke those words. On fire.

"We'd better be going," Sam excused us. "We can come by and pick up the pictures later,"

"Oh," Jenny said, somewhat startled, "Oh, okay," We exited the house, Dean practically dragging me out the door.

"You hear that? A figure on fire," Sam was talking the second we left house.

"And that woman, Jenny, was the woman in your dreams?" Dean double checked, pointing back at the house and looking more freaked out by the second.

"Yeah, and you hear about?" Sam asked us rhetorically; it was kinda hard to miss. "Scratching, flickering lights? Both signs of a malevolent spirit,"

"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out about your weirdo visions are coming true," Dean told him as we reached the car.

"Forget about that for a minute - the thing in the house. Do you think it's the thing that killed our moms and Jessica?" Sam raved at us in excitement at the prospect of being close to her killer finally.

"We don't know!" Dean snapped at him, but it barely dented Sam's spirit.

"Well, I mean, has it come back or has it been there the whole time?" I turned to face Sam, not being able to stand this any longer.

"You don't know, Sam! You don't know if it's the thing that killed our moms and Jessica. Okay? It could be something else!" I spoke the truth, but it didn't matter to him.

"Those people are in danger, guys. We have to get them out of that house," Sam was right, but something felt off about the house.

"We will," Dean promised, turning back to the car.

"No, I mean now," Sam insisted stubbornly.

"And how you gonna do that, huh?" Dean snapped, turning back to him. "You got a story that she's gonna believe?"

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Sam yelled, not caring if anyone heard him.

"You both have to calm down," I spoke carefully to them. "We need gas," I added, "So we'll stop there first and then figure out what to do next, all right?" They both nodded, and Dean angrily jerked open the driver's door and got in, slamming it behind him. I went around the hood to the front seat and slid in next to Dean, leaving Sam for the back.

The nearest gas station turned out to be a mere two minutes away. Dean stopped to gas up the car while I went in to get some food, for we hadn't stopped to eat on the way to Lawrence. I bought a couple bars for Dean and Sam and a muffin for me before heading back out to the car. "We just got to chill out, that's all," Dean was saying as I reached them. "You know, if this was any other kind of job, what would we do?"

"We would figure out what's haunting the place," I threw the food into the back of the car and turned to the boys.

"Right," Sam agreed, sighing, "We'd dig into the history of the house,"

"Exactly, except this time we already know what happened," Dean pointed out.

"Yeah, but how much do we know? How much do you two remember?" Sam questioned, and I felt Dean stiffen beside me and take my hand.

"About that night, you mean?" Dean questioned, hoping he was wrong.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed, glancing back and forth between us. His hand tightened in mine as he took a breath.

"Not much. I remember the fire… the heat. Then I carried you and pushed Mel out the front door," Sam looked at us in sharp surprise.

"You did?" He asked, his eyes flicking from Dean to me.

"Yeah, well, you never knew that?" Dean glanced at Sam, who shook his head slightly.

"No," He answered.

"Yeah, and, um, well, you know Dad's story as well as I do - mom was on the ceiling, and whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad found her," Dean swallowed thickly.

"And he never had a theory about what did it?" Sam asked the question that I'd been wondering for the past twenty-two years.

"If he did, he didn't share it," I informed Sam slightly bitter, turning to lean on the Impala with Dean. "God knows we asked him enough times,"

"Okay," Sam accepted it, "So, if we're gonna figure out what's going on now, we have to figure out what happened back then. See if it's the same thing," Sam's reasoning was perfectly logical, yet I found myself searching for a fault in it.

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "Talk to Dad's friends, neighbors, people who were there at the time,"

"Does this feel like any other job to you two?" Sam questioned, glancing at us from where he was leaning on the Impala next to us. Dean considered the question for a moment, and I could feel the distress and sadness coming off of him.

"I'll be right back. I got to go to the bathroom," He spoke in a hoarse voice pushing off the car and letting his hand slip from mine. Sam and I watched him walk away until he rounded the corner of the gas station and disappeared from sight.

"You think he'll be okay?" Sam asked me, and I kept my eyes on the corner that Dean had disappeared around.

"I don' t know," I answered truthfully. I was worried about him. Dean always carried so much pain, and he never let anyone see it. This was hurting him more than he was letting us see. "I'm going to go see if he's all right," I told Sam, walking past him and around the corner. Dean was facing away from me with his phone pressed against his ear. I didn't need to have great hearing to know who he was calling.

"Dad… " His voice broke, and he swallowed hard, "I know I've left you messages before. I don't even know if you get 'em, but I'm with Sam and Mel, and we're in Lawrence, and there's something in our old house," He glanced back briefly, but turned around fully when he saw me. "I…I don't know if it's the thing that killed Mom or not, but… I don't know what to do," He looked directly into my eyes as his voice cracked again. I hesitantly took a step forward, knowing that sometimes Dean needed space. He put his arm around me as I wrapped mine around his waist. "So, whatever you're doing, if you could get here…" He took a shaky breath, and I buried my face into his neck, feeling him press his lips to the top of my head for a moment before continuing, "Please. I need your help, Dad," I pulled back from him slightly, gently taking the phone from his frozen finger and snapping it shut. He pressed his forehead into my hair and took shaky breaths to calm himself.

"Do you think he'll even bother showing up?" Dean asked bitterly, raising his head.

"Yeah," I answered truthfully. "I do. He cares about you, Dean," Dean stepped back, brushing the tears off his cheeks and sent me a bravado smile. I reached up and kissed his cheek earning a real smile from him before we headed back to Sam.


"You and John Winchester, you, uh, you used to own this garage together?" Dean asked the mechanic, who led us to the garage. We had decided to treat this like any other case, and so our first step was looking into John's past life.

"Yeah, we used to. A long time ago," The mechanic told us nostalgically. "Matter of fact, must be 20 years since John disappeared. So, why are the cops interested all of a sudden?"

"Oh, we're reopening some of our unsolved cases, and the Winchester disappearance is one of them," Dean explained to the man.

"Uh-huh. Well, what do you want to know about John?" He decided to cooperate with a shrug.

"Whatever you can remember," I told him, smiling encouragingly.

"Well, he was a stubborn bastard. I remember that," I couldn't help but grin slightly at that. Definitely John. "And, uh… oh, whatever the game, he hated to loose, you know? It was that whole marine thing. But, uh… well, he sure loved Mary, and he doted on those three kids. Only two of them were his, boys I think. Then there was a girl who they took care of for Jimmy - John's friend from the marines," I stiffened slightly at the mention of my dad but forced myself to relax.

"But that was before the fire," Sam checked, glancing at Dean and I.

"That's right," The mechanic confirmed.

"He ever talk about that night?" Sam questioned, and the man looked down as if reliving a bad memory.

"No, not at first. I think he was in shock," He hesitated for a moment.

"But he did say something?" I prompted, and the man glanced at me for a moment before finally nodding.

"Oh, he wasn't thinking straight. He said, uh -" He laughed nervously, "He said something caused that fire and killed Mary. He said it was the same thing that started the fire that killed Jimmy's wife few years before,"

"Did he ever mention what he thought did it?" I asked, hoping to finally get some answers on what we'd been hunting for twenty-two years.

"Nothing did it," He answered, looking at me as though I was the crazy one. "It was an accident. An electrical short in the ceiling or walls or something. I begged him to get some help, but…" He trailed off and shook his head.

"But what?" Dean asked.

"Oh, it just got worse and worse," The guy answered vaguely.

"How?" I questioned, and his eyes flicked between Dean and I.

"That friend, Jimmy, started coming around more and more, and he started reading these strange, old books. Him and his buddy went to see this palm reader in town,"

"Palm reader?" Dean echoed curiously, glancing at me and raising his eyebrows. "You have a name?"

"No," The mechanic scoffed unhelpfully, and Dean shot him a slight glare.

"Well, thank you for talking to us. We'll get out of your way," I excused us as politely as I could, grabbing Dean's arm in one hand and Sam's in the other and steering them out of the garage. We drove to the nearest pay phone, and Sam got out, flipping through the phone book while Dean and I leaned against the Impala.

"So, there are a few psychics and palm readers in town," Sam informed us, scanning the page. "There's someone named El Divino. There's," Sam broke off with a laugh, "The mysterious Mr. Fortinsky," I laughed lightly as Sam turned to us, wiggling his eyebrows at the name. "Uh, Missouri Moseley, some dude-"

"Wait, wait, Missouri Moseley?" Dean repeated, pushing off the car.

"What?" Sam paused, glancing up at him.

"That's a psychic?" I frowned in thought for a moment, studying Dean's face and trying to figure out what he was thinking.

"Uh… yeah. Yeah, I guess so," Dean moved around me to the backdoor.

"Do you remember in Dad's journal…" He took the journal out of the back, and my eyes widened as I realized what he was getting at. "Come here. Look at this," He called to Sammy, who came over as Dean showed me the first sentence of the page before handing the book to Sam. "First sentence,"

"I went to Missouri…" Sam started to read before getting lost in thought. "And I learned the truth," He finished, glancing up at us.

"We always thought he meant the state," I muttered before turning back to Sam. "What's the address listed?" Sam tore out the page, and slid into the passenger's seat while I took the back. The ride to Missouri's only took two minutes even with the traffic as slow as it was. When we got there, I took a seat on the couch in between Sam and Dean as we waited for the psychic to be done with the older man. Dean's knee bounced restlessly as he flipped through magazine after magazine while Sam sat silently on my other side. I laid my hand gently on his knee, and it's bouncing froze. Next, I took the magazine from Dean's hands and tossed it back on the table with the others, taking his hand instead.

"All right, then," A soft voice came down the hallway. "Don't you worry about a thing. You're wife is crazy about you," The door opened and closed as the man walked out. "Whew," The psychic went on, turning to us as soon as the older man was out of earshot. "Poor bastard. His woman is cold banging the gardener," I laughed a bit in surprise as she walked past us, pausing for a moment.

"Why didn't you tell him?" Dean asked, chucking.

"People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news." She continued for a moment before turning again to look at us expectantly. "Well, Sam, Dean, and Melody, come on already. I ain't got all day," I grinned after her; I liked her already. We rose and followed her into a quaint back room. "Well, let me look at you," She laughed as Dean and I joined Sam in standing before her. "Oh, you boys grew up handsome, and you were one goofy-looking kid, too," She added, staring right at Dean. I laughed at those words, and Dean shot me an incredulous look. "And you," She turned to me. "You were beautiful from the start," She turned back to Dean for a moment, "You're a lucky man," I laughed again, and Dean tightened his hold on my hand slightly. "And, Sam," She took his hand, placing hers over it and suddenly frowning. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry about your girlfriend, and your father… he's missing?" Dean tensed at the mention of John.

"How'd you know all that?" Sam asked, completely miffed.

"Well, you were just thinking it, just now," She explained as if it should be obvious.

"Well, where is he?" Dean wanted to know.

"Is he okay?" I followed his question rapidly with one of my own.

"I don't know," She replied, frowning a bit.

"Don't know?" He glanced at me and then Sam. "You're supposed to be a psychic, right?"

"Boy, you see me sawing some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician?" Dean opened and closed his mouth, for once speechless, "I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air," I glanced up at Dean, who looked taken aback, and then at Sam, who was looking all too pleased. "Sit! Please," She practically ordered us, pointing to her couch. Sam sat down first, and I took a seat next to him, Dean sitting next to me. "Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table, I'm gonna whack you with a spoon," I bit back a laugh at Dean's startled face as Missouri pointed an accusing finger at him.

"I didn't do anything," Dean defended himself.

"Well, you were thinking about it," I glanced at Sam to see him laughing and looking at Missouri as if she was the greatest thing he'd ever seen.

"All right, John," I began, turning the attention back to more pressing matters, "When did you two first meet?"

"Your father was the one that first introduced us. He brought John in for a reading a few days after the fire. I just help explain to him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say I helped draw back the curtains for him,"

"What about the fire?" Dean asked eagerly, leaning forward. "Do you know about what killed our moms?"

"A little," I listened attentively as Missouri continued. "Your daddy took me to your house. He was hoping I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing,"

"And could you?" Sam questioned, and Missouri shook her head.

"I don't…"

"What happened?" I asked as gently as I could.

"I don't know," She confessed. "Oh, but it was evil," Even know she sounded terrified, and she shook her head again, glancing at us. "So, you think something's back in that house?" Sam nodded.

"Definitely," He spoke the word with conviction.

"I… I don't understand," She frowned in confusion.

"What?" I inquired.

"I haven't been back inside, but I've been keeping an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it acting up now?"

"I don't know, but Dad going missing and Jessica dying and now this house - all happening at once - it… it just feels like something's starting," Sam confided in her.

"That's a comforting thought," Dean spoke, sarcasm hiding the worry in his voice. I admired Missouri. Maybe I'd end up being like this someday with my hearing. I'd live in a nice, little house and lie to people who's wives are cheating on them. Probably not.

"No," The three of us glanced at Missouri as she spoke up after the moment of silence that had followed Dean's words. "You won't do this," She was looking right at me, and I couldn't help glancing at Sam nervously. Sam caught the glance and frowned at me.

"What?" I questioned innocently.

"Don't play dumb with me," She admonished me lightly, "Your powers," Her eyes flicked to Sam suddenly, widening slightly in realization.

"What?" Sam asked, eyes flicking between me, Dean, and Missouri. "What's she talking about?" I studied the floor, unable to meet his eyes. "Melody," He demanded, using my full first name which forced me to look up and meet his eyes. I hated lying to Sam. Even when we were kids I'd hated it. I thought I would have time to explain what had happened. I thought I could make him understand why I didn't tell him originally.

"I'll explain everything later, Sam, but right now we need to bring Missouri to the house," I collected myself and spoke calmly to him, but Sam folded his arms over his chest stubbornly, glaring. I glared right back, and we had a stare down before he finally relented.

"Fine," He stalked past me and out the door, and I sighed heavily.

"He was going to find out, Mels," Dean pointed out, sounding tired.

"The boy's right," Missouri agreed, grabbing her coat from the back of a chair. "He needed to know," She followed Sam out the door, and I felt frozen to the spot, watching her leave. Dean's arms wrapped around my waist, and I leaned backward into the comfort of his chest.

"He's going to hate me," I said dully, still staring at the closed door hopelessly.

"Sam couldn't hate you if he tried," Dean replied, kissing the top of my head. "Just give him some time," He kissed my forehead and then bent his neck to kiss my neck playfully. Despite everything, I giggled and turned my head towards his. The moment I did, he captured my lips with his, my hand automatically going to the back of his head to toy with his short hair. Warmth bubbled inside of me as our lips moved together. Suddenly, something hit Dean's shoulder, causing us both to jump and break the kiss. Dean's arms instinctively tightened around my waist as we both looked towards the door.

"Well, come on, we don't have all day," Missouri scolded before exiting again. I blinked down at the ground and then up at Dean in shock.

"Did she just throw a shoe at us?"

"Yeah, I think she did,"


Austin, Texas

2001

"Bitch snuck up on me," Dean groaned as John passed me the first-aid kit from the glove compartment. I'd insisted on keeping it there despite both boys protests about the lack of room.

"Don't worry, I got her," I reassured him, offering a shaky smile, and Dean grimaced, which might've been his attempt to return my smile.

"What about my jacket?" I let out a choked laugh at his question as I undid the jacket I'd tied around his wound, finding his shirt soaked in blood.

"Yeah, I got it," I told him, worry creeping into my voice as I glanced at his half closed eyes. "Dean? Hey, come on, stay awake, all right?" I opened a disinfecting spray and cleaned his wound, making Dean hiss in pain. He arched his back again as I sprayed more. "It's okay. It's okay," I repeated, grabbing his hand, forcing him to stay down.

"Mel…" I glanced at him to see him studying my face, his features twisted in pain. "If I die-"

"You're not going to die," I interrupted him before he could finish his sentence. "You can't," The words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them.

"But, if I do-" He insisted.

"You won't," I repeated firmly. My hands shook with fear as I wrapped the white bandages around his stomach tightly. "We'll be at the hospital in five minutes," I promised him, having no idea how long it would take us to get there.

"We're not going to the hospital, Mel," John spoke solemnly from the front, and my eyes snapped up to meet his in the rearview mirror.

"What do you mean? He needs a doctor!" John gave me a look, and I bit my tongue to stop the flow of protests. "John," I spoke with forced calm.

"We can't risk it," He told me decisively with a sadness in his eyes. "They'll find the body soon, and we can't be here when they do," John had that all too familiar fire in his eyes that he got when he hunted. The fire that said he would sacrifice anything to finish the hunt.

"It's okay, Mel," Dean's tired words cut my argument short, and I looked back down at him. "You can fix me in the motel," I knew he was just trying to stop the fighting, and that only made me angrier.

"Fine," I relented, glancing at the sloppily bandaged wound. If-when he was healed, it would definitely leave a nasty scar. "But you can't die, okay? Besides, what would Sammy say?" I played my last card, and Dean's eyes widened a bit at the mention of his brother. None of us had mentioned Sam since he'd decided to go off to college. I bit my lip at the memory of the choice I'd helped him make.

"Yeah, he'd laugh - say I got my ass kicked by a girl," I laughed softly, nodding. That did sound like Sam.

John POV

John watched the two from the rearview mirror as he drove twenty miles over the speed limit back to the motel they were staying at. He'd never seen Dean let down his guard with anybody like he did with Mel. They were good together. The ghost of a smile passed over John's lips as he thought about the two of them. Back when Dean was just born and Grace was eight months pregnant with Mel, him and Jimmy would joke about their kids getting married. Never thought it would actually happen, of course. Seeing them now, it was hard to imagine they wouldn't.

Mel would always be like a daughter to him, and Dean was his boy. They were two of the three people he cared about most in the world. Then, he heard Mel say Sam's name, and the familiar rush of rage and fear twisted his gut. His hands gripped the wheel tighter as he tried to control the anger and not snap at the two.

"Do you think it'll scar?" John grinned at Dean's slightly hopeful voice, and Mel laughed lightly.

"Yeah, it'll scar," Mel told him, earning a grin from Dean. John pulled up in front of their motel room, and quickly got out, going around the car to where Mel was sitting.

"Get him out," He ordered, and Mel took the room key from her back pocket before helping him get Dean out of the car. He supported his son as Mel rushed to open the door. He placed Dean carefully on the bed before heading back towards the door.

"Where are you going?" He turned back to face her, car keys already in his hand. He'd been telling her since the beginning that she could just call him dad, but she'd refused to comply. He knew why, too. His eyes fell on the shirtless Dean, who was looking at him with worried determination while at the same time seeming like he would pass out any moment.

"Hunt down the other bitch," She flinched a bit, knowing it was her fault the second one had escaped. "You shouldn't have left," He wasn't the type of guy to sugarcoat anything. She could've gotten everyone killed.

"But Dean-" She started, and he just held up a hand, shaking his head before turning and heading for the door.

Mel POV

I sighed as I watched John shut the door behind him before turning back to Dean, who was lying shirtless on the bed. I sat down next to him, redoing the bandages that I'd done badly in the car. When my eyes flicked back to his face, he was asleep, and I lightly kissed him on the cheek before flipping out my phone to make sure John was okay.


Lawrence, Kansas

2005

"Dean, Mel, Sam, what are you doing here?" Jenny asked when she'd opened the door to reveal herself carrying her son, Richie.

"Hey, Jenny. Um, this is our friend, Missouri," Sam greeted her.

"If it's not too much trouble we were hoping to show here the house," Dean told her, and Jenny looked at the four of us uncertainly for a moment, holding her baby tighter.

"You know, for old time's sake," I added helpfully, and her face grew even more nervous.

"No, you know, this isn't a good time. I'm kinda busy," There was something in her eyes that told me she was frightened.

"Listen, Jenny it's important-" I put a hand on Dean's arm to stop him from entering the house, and Missouri whacked him in the back of the head.

"Give the poor girl a break. Can't you see she's upset?" The psychic chided Dean, who glanced at me and then stared at her incredulously. "Forgive this boy. He means well," She continued to Jenny, who was bouncing Richie to keep him happy. "He's just not the sharpest tool in the shed, but at least he has his girlfriend to keep him in line," Dean and I raised my eyebrows at her in shock at her statement, but she didn't even glance at us. "But hear me out,"

"About what?" Jenny questioned. At least she was listening now.

"About this house," Missouri answered, glancing at the house.

"What are you talking about?" Jenny frowned at her but still listened.

"I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there's something in this house, something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?" Jenny swallowed nervously as Missouri talked and glanced around at each of us.

"Who are you?" Jenny avoided the question, narrowing her eyes.

"We're people who can help, who can stop this thing, but you're gonna have to trust us just a little," Jenny thought for a moment before letting us through the door. Sam walked in before me coldly, not glancing at me as he did so. The car ride had been spent in a tense silence with me riding in front with Dean and Sam in the back with Missouri. Any attempts at conversation Dean had made where quickly shot down by Sam's one word answers.

"If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it," Missouri told us as we walked into a random room of the house. "Why?" Sam asked, looking around,

"This used to be your nursery, Sam," Missouri answered him. Dean hadn't let go of my hand since we'd come into the house, and he tightened his grip now while I tensed. "This is where it all happened," I let out a startled cry as pain erupted in my head. I stepped backwards as I heard a terrified scream emit from the roof. Mary! The voice sounded much younger and more innocent than I remember, but it was definitely John. Abruptly, the noise cut off, and I blinked up at Dean, who was holding my face in his hands, looking worried.

"You can hear them, can't you?" My gaze slid passed Dean to rest on Missouri for a moment before I nodded. I snuck a glance at Sam to see him scrutinizing me with a frown, a betrayed look in his puppy brown eyes.

"The E.M.F," I focused on Dean again, who hesitated a moment, studying me before finally nodding and taking the gadget out of his pocket, pulling out the antenna.

"That an E.M.F?" Missouri questioned, beckoning me over with one hand while the other hovered over different objects.

"Yeah," Dean replied as I went to stand by her.

"Amateur," She grabbed my wrist and pulled my open hand over a binder and notebook. I frowned, trying to feel something but only getting a blank confusion. She sighed before turning back to the boys, "I don't know if you should be disappointed or relieved, but this ain't the thing that took your moms,"

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, glancing at me with another frown before looking back at Missouri, who nodded solemnly. "How do you know?"

"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's something different," She explained to us, glancing around the room.

"Well, what do you think it is?" I inquired, going to stand by Dean and Sam as she opened the closet.

"Not it," She told us, going into the walk-in closet. "Them. There's more than one spirit in this place,"

"What are they doing here?" Dean questioned.

"They're here because of what happened to your family," Missouri elaborated, walking towards us. "You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you," Sam clenched his jaw and glanced at us as Missouri spoke, staring right at him. "It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds, and sometimes wounds get infected,"

"I don't understand," Sam shook his head.

"This place is a magnet for paranormal energy," She glanced backwards at the desk and windows. "It's attracted a poltergeist - a nasty one - and it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead,"

"But there's more than one spirit in this place," I remembered, hoping the other one might be of help in some way.

"There is," She agreed, going back into the closet. "I just can't quite make out the second one," She was staring at me now, frowning in thought.

"Well, one thing's for damn sure - nobody's dying in this house ever again," Dean spoke with hard determination, facing us. "So, whatever is here, how do we stop it?"

"So, what is all this stuff anyway?" Dean asked Missouri as he and I put a bit of each ingredient into small black bags. Sam hadn't said one word since we'd found out that it wasn't the thing that killed our moms, and I was growing more worried by the second.

"Angelica root, van van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends," She listed, pointing to each material as she talked.

"What do we do with it after we're finished?" I questioned, and she glanced at me briefly.

"We're gonna put them inside the walls in the North, South, East, West corners on each floor of the house," She explained, taking a seat across from Dean and I.

"Punching holes in the drywall - Jenny's gonna love that," Dean quipped sarcastically, glancing at me.

"She'll live," Missouri pointed out.

"And this will destroy the spirits?" Sam finally spoke up.

"It should," Missouri nodded. "It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor, but we work fast," I glanced at Dean to see him licking some of the crossroad dirt, and I made a face, making him grin as he tried to get the taste off his tongue. "Once the spirits realize what we're up to, things are gonna get bad,"

Missouri took Jenny and her children outside, assuring them all the while that everything would be fine when they returned. We were each handed a hammer and assigned a floor to purify. I walked with Dean down the hallway that led to the stairs to the basement, and I could hear Sam as he reached the second floor.

"Be careful," I turned at Dean's words to peck him on the lips, smiling a bit.

"You too," I took a deep breath before descending the stairs and letting my hand slip out of Dean's. The East, West, and North sides went smoothly enough, and I walked into the room to put the last pouch into the wall. As gently as I could, I made a small hole in the wall for the bag. That's when it happened. A faint rustling a couple feet away caught my attention, and I whipped around to see a bat hovering in the air a few inches from my head. I ducked just in time, and the bat smashed into the wall. I shoved the pouch into the wall as I heard the thud of a knife hitting wood coming from the first floor.

Dean.

Panic made my blood pump faster, and adrenaline spiked my heartbeat. The bat reared back for another swing, and this time I was ready. Throwing my hands out in front of my face, I grabbed the bat mid swing. The force threw me to the floor, but I held on tightly, wrestling with the thing. An idea struck me, and it jerked me to my feet, trying to shake me off and slamming me into the door of a closet in the process. Miraculously, I managed to unlatch the door and used the bat's force to push it into the closet, quickly closing the door behind it and propping a chair against the handle, making it impossible to get out. I bolted up the stairs and ran smack into Dean, who was just throwing open the door to the basement.

"Dean!" I exclaimed in utter relief at his being okay. My relief froze when I heard the choking noise from upstairs.

"What? What is it?" He asked tensely as I looked at him with horror.

"Sam," The one word changed everything, and we bolted up the stairs to the second floor. "This way," I led him towards the choking sounds and saw Sam lying on the floor struggling with the electrical wire that was wrapped around his neck.

"Sam!" Dean knelt next to him, trying as best he could to force the cord to release Sam. My eyes scanned the room for anything that could help, and they fell on the small, black pouch that had been dropped near Sam's feet.

"Sam, hang on!" I snatched it up and Dean, seeing what I was doing, kicked a hole in the wall. I shoved it in, and Dean grabbed me tightly, pressing me against the wall and covering me with his body as we were shrouded in a blinding light. The light faded, and Dean and I scrambled over to Sam. I grabbed his jacket, pulling him into sitting position as Dean hurriedly took off the cord from around his neck. Sam gasped and wheezed, and Dean hugged him hard while I kissed the his forehead and wrapped my arms around his neck, weak with relief.

An hour later we were standing around the ruins of Jenny's kitchen, and I briefly wondered if she'd be angry at us for trashing her house. Not that it mattered anyway, we'd be long gone before she could do anything about it. A wave of trepidation came over me, making me grab the counter tightly until it passed.

"Are you sure this is over?" Sam checked, glancing at Missouri.

"I'm sure," Missouri said confidently. "Why? Why do you ask?"

"No, it's nothing, I guess," Sam sighed, turning away from her. I heard the engine outside, and I didn't even have to glance out the window to know it was Jenny. A moment later the door opened, and she walked in.

"Hey, we're home," She stopped short as she took in the mess that was her kitchen. "What happened?"

"Sorry," I offered her, "We'll pay for the damages," I added, earning me a sharp glance from Dean which I returned with a pointed look.

"Don't you worry," Missouri told her, "Dean's gonna clean up this mess," I bit my lip to hold in a laugh as Missouri turned to face Dean expectantly. "Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Get the mop," Dean turned his head so his lips were a couple inches from my ear.

"Son of a bitch," He muttered, so only I would be able to hear him.

"And don't cuss at me," Missouri added in annoyance, making me laugh a bit as Dean sullenly went to get a mop. "I'm going to help Jenny," Missouri excused herself, glancing to Sam before giving me a pointed look.

"What's happening?" Sam asked me, and I took a deep breath, meeting his eyes calmly.

"It all started a couple months after I turned twenty-two," I began, the memories flooding my mind. "I started… hearing things that I shouldn't have been able to hear," I struggled to find the words to explain what was happening.

"Like what?" Sam questioned, sounding intrigued and slightly angry at the same time.

"Like a fly buzzing a hundred yards away. Or someone whispering five houses down," I paused for a moment to let that sink in before continuing. "It usually works best if it's someone I have a connection to. Someone I know. Or, sometimes, on a hunt…"

"If it's a victim," Sam finished for me, and I nodded, remembering the screams that still haunted me.

"I can control it a bit better now, and it's not just hearing anymore. It's feelings too. I get… bad feelings when something's going to happen,"

"When were you planning on telling me?" Anger lined his voice as he asked me the question.

"I was going to tell you, Sam. I swear," I started truthfully, my eyes never leaving his.

"When?" His eyes held an unwavering determination to get an answer.

"I don't know," I admitted, breaking the hold his eyes had on mine.

"I told you, Mel," He spoke softly, and when I peeked at him, he was now glaring at me. "I told you about my nightmares, but you didn't tell me. I thought I was going crazy, and you knew! You knew I wasn't! Something was happening to you too, and you just let me think that I was insane!" His voice raised until he was yelling at me.

"I'm sorry, all right? I should've told you! I know that!" I shouted back at him.

"Well, thanks! That helps so much-" Sam cut me off heatedly.

"Hey!" I turned to see Dean standing there with a mop in his hand. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Sam replied, and before I could say a word, he stalked out the door.


Austin, Texas

2001

I tapped the phone against my closed lips in worry as John still hadn't come back, and he'd been gone for five hours already. Decidedly, I flipped up the phone, ready to dial, but shut it again. Damn John Winchester. He could be dying somewhere, and he probably wouldn't call. With a sigh, I set my cell down on the table and sat heavily in one of the chairs, watching Dean, who was still sleeping for a moment before standing again restlessly.

"Mel?" I turned to see Dean blinking groggily at me, and a relieved smile crossed my face as I went to the bed.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" I checked the bandages, making sure they were all right before I met his sleepy eyes.

"Like my stomach got hit by a bus," He answered, and I laughed lightly.

"Well, you shouldn't have let her sneak up on you," I mock admonished him, and he laughed softly. I focused my hearing on his heartbeat, relieved that it was still strong and steady.

"I was distracted," He admitted, his grin faltering for a moment as if he hadn't expected to say that.

"Yeah, by what? What could be so important that you let a werewolf get the better of you?" I raised an eyebrow at him, and he glanced away and then back, the smile gone.

"Sammy," His heart stumbled for a second, and fear shot through me. It regained it's rhythm, and I furrowed my brow in confusion on what just happened. It was probably just worry.

"Don't worry about him, Dean. He'll be fine. He has his own life now," I took his hand in both of mine, intertwining our fingers.

"Did you ever want to go to college?" His question so completely threw me that for a few long moments I had no answer.

"No," I answered finally, and I heard my own heart skip a beat. "So, what really distracted you?" I took a guess, and he didn't even seem surprised that I'd called him out on it. I could usually tell when Dean was lying. I mean, I'd known him for my whole life.

"You," He confessed earnestly, and my heart sped up. "What aren't you telling me, Mel?" He sat up, wincing slightly, and I was trapped in his smoldering green eyes.

"Dean…" The protest died on my lips as I realized I had to tell him. "The married couple in room 205 are arguing," He frowned in confusion as we were in room 200. "I can hear them," I added before he could say anything.

"What do you mean you can hear them?" He finally spoke.

"I mean I can hear them," I released his hand, tearing my eyes away from his green ones. "They're arguing about whether she is cheating on him. He thinks she is, but she's insisting she isn't," Dean was silent for a moment which seemed like an eternity to me.

"Dad knows about this?" He finally asked, sounding betrayed. I nodded but winced at his tone. "And you didn't tell me cause… what? You didn't trust me?" He was getting angrier by the second, and now he stood, pulling on his shirt that had been lying on the table.

"No! I just - I didn't know what was happening to me!" I protested, rising to my feet quickly. "I didn't want to worry you-"

"Worry me?" He turned on me with fire in his eyes. "Well great job on that!" He pulled on his jacket and yanked open the door.

"Dean, where are you going?" I followed him out the door, hurrying to get in front of him and place a hand on his chest, stopping him.

"How can I keep you safe, protect you, if you don't even tell me what the hell is going on?" He asked me, staring right into my eyes, our faces inches apart. I wanted to reach up and press my lips against his, to run my fingers through his hair, to rip off his grey shirt. His eyes flicked down to my lips, and I forced myself to take a step backwards. His eyes grew hard and cold, and he brushed past me. This time I let him.

All at once I was lifted off my feet and thrown into the air. I let out a surprised scream as I hit the concrete and rolled to a painful stop. I heard Dean shout my name. A million thoughts raced through my mind in the two seconds it took me to stand, but the clearest one was Dean was injured. He had kicked the woman to the ground and knocked her out, and was leaning against the railing, catching his breath.

"Are you okay?" He panted, forcing himself to straighten. I winced as I bent my elbow, realizing I was covered with scrapes and bruises, but I nodded anyway. We dragged her inside and tied her to the chair, using duct tape to cover her mouth. Dean called John, who came in about three minutes, having been at the library that was just down the road. We packed up all of our stuff and put it in the car, and she woke up just as we had finished.

"Go ahead," She snarled, baring her teeth at Dean, who cocked the gun. "There's more than just me, and they'll come after you," She promised, and her brutal, canine eyes flicked to me. "They'll kill you, and your girlfriend-" Whatever more she was going to say was ended with a gun shot.


Lawrence, Kansas

2005

"So, tell me again - what are we still doing here?" Dean questioned, glancing in the rearview at Sam. We were staked out in front of Jenny's house, and I rested my head on Dean's shoulder while he had his arm around my waist.

"I don't know, I-I just - I still have a bad feeling," Sam explained ambiguously.

"Why?" Dean questioned. "Missouri did her whole Zelda Rubenstein thing," I hit Dean's chest lightly at his bitter tone; he was just mad because she'd made him clean the kitchen. "The house should be clean. This should be over,"

"That's probably true, but it doesn't hurt to make sure," I replied on Sam's behalf. "Besides, I trust Sam's instincts," My eyes locked on his in the rearview. He was still mad. Sam wasn't like Dean in that way. It didn't matter if he loved you or not, Sam could hold a grudge forever.

"Yeah, I guess. Problem is we could be sleeping in a bed right now," Dean kissed my head before shifting into a more comfortable position.

"Guys!" Sam hit my shoulder, and I jerked up to look at the house as Sam opened his door. I scrambled out of the car after Dean, being on the driver's side already.

"You two grab the kids, I'll get Jenny," Dean shouted at us as we sprinted towards the house. We ran through the door, and Dean immediately took the stairs two at a time with Sam and me following.

"I'll get the girl," I barely glanced at Sam as I heard her screaming. Her scream was laced with another, older woman's. Mary Winchester. Oh, my god. I froze in the doorway of the girl's room when I saw the figure on fire standing there and the girl on the bed sobbing.

"Come here," I stayed close to the wall as I approached her bed, keeping my eyes on the figure while holding out my hand to Sari. She clutched my hand before grabbing my waist and pulling herself behind me. I guided her to the door of her room and hurried down the stairs towards the door where Sam was hesitating.

"Take them out side," He glanced around the house, frowning before he suddenly hit the floor. There was a deep, inhuman growl before Sam started sliding backwards.

"Sam!" I called after him desperately. "Sari, take your brother outside as fast as you can and don't look back," I told the girl quickly, pushing them towards the door before racing after Sam. He was bent over on the floor near the far wall, and I gently grabbed his face between my hands, studying it to make sure he was okay. I let out a short scream as I was ripped from him and flew back into the air to crash into something hard.

"Mel!" I groaned in response, managing to sit upright through the pain, and something pulled me backwards into a wall. Sam hit the wall beside me a moment later. I could vaguely hear the bashing of wood and Dean calling our names. The figure on fire came towards us slowly.

"Don't be scared, Sam," I was suddenly filled with calm. "I know who it is," I heard the scream again this time, but it was distant now.

"What?" Sam yelled like I was completely ludicrous.

"Come on, Sam. Think! You know who it is too," I groaned whatever force was keeping me against the wall pressed harder.

"Mel! Sam!" Dean walked into the room, standing in front of us and raising the gun.

"Dean don't!" Dean glanced at me uncertainly but didn't shoot.

"What? Why?" He kept the gun pointed at her.

"Because we know who it is," Sam realized, his face changing into an expression of sorrow and longing. "I can see her now," Slowly, the fire died, and the figure took it's true form. Mary.

"Mom," Dean's voice was hoarse as he lowered his weapon.

"Dean," She smiled, coming to stand before Dean, and then moving past him to come before Sam. "Sam," She smiled proudly at him as a tear slid down his cheek. "I'm sorry,"

"F-for what?" He managed, and I just stared at Mary, who had been my mother when I'd had none. She stood in front of me now, still smiling proudly.

"Melody," Two tears made their way down my face, "Take care of them," I offered her a shaky smile as she turned away from me. "You, get out of my house, and let go of my children," Mary went up in flames, glaring up at the ceiling. Sam and I were released, and I breathed shakily, taking in what just happened.

"Mom?" Dean whispered, and I went over, slipping my hand into his and pressing my lips to his shoulder as another tear rolled down my cheek. That was the last time I'd ever see Mary Winchester.

"Now it's over," Sam's voice was thick with emotion.


"Thanks for these," Dean thanked Jenny as we looked at the pictures. There was one of John and Mary beneath the tree. There was another one of a four-year-old Dean smiling widely while a younger me kissed him on the cheek.

"Don't thank me. They're yours," He threw them into the chest he'd taken them out of and closed it. I glanced at the porch were Missouri was standing and walking away, leaving Sam alone.

"I'm going to talk to him," I told Dean, pecking him on the cheek before taking a seat next to Sam. "Hey,"

"Hey," He replied. "I shouldn't have gotten so angry-" I nudged him to shut him up.

"I should've told you," I smiled, looking down at my hands. "I guess I just don't want people to worry about me," I admitted, glancing at him.

"Especially when Dean worries enough for both of us," Sam pointed out, making me laugh but nod. I loved him for it, but it was true.

"Look, Sam," I spoke seriously, "Whatever this is - whatever is happening to us - we're going to face it together, all right? I promise," I took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, earning a small smile from him before I stood and headed over to Dean, who was waiting by the car. Jenny hugged me, smiling before going to stand by Missouri while Sam got into the car.

"Do you know what's happening?" I hesitated before asking Missouri the question.

"I'm sorry," She told me, shaking her head. "I don't, but I know that whatever is happening, you'll get through it," She nodded at Dean and Sam, who were waiting for me in the car. "You have them," I smiled as Dean honked the car impatiently. "Now, get back to your boys," I slid into the backseat, waving to Jenny and Missouri.

"Don't you be strangers!" Missouri called, and I shot her a smile. Suddenly, I frowned hearing soft mumbling from her. I thought I heard the deep throated voice of John, but I shook my head and it was gone.

"We won't!" Dean promised her, revving the engine and pulling away. Not until I know the truth. John's whisper floated by me like a breeze as we left Lawrence, Kansas.