It isn't a sound or a voice that wakes her up. It's a feeling. It's her Spidy-Senses.

Lizzy did manage to catch a little sleep after Sam and Dean left her alone to run errands and get food, having easily drifted off in her completely emotionally burned out state. Also, the bed was comfortable and the house was quiet, which at this point in her life is an unusual luxury.

Now, however, instead of being peacefully asleep, her skin crawls with the feeling of someone nearby, very nearby. She doesn't move or open her eyes while she listens intently, her ears straining to hear anything at all. Attempting to devise a quick way out, she finds it too late when she feels the cold metal blade press against her neck.

"Who the hell are you?" the threatening and low voice demands a little too closely into her ear. Lizzy's eye fly open but it's dark in the room now, the heavy decorative curtains not helping in the dusk hours of the night. Peering towards the voice without turning her head, she can only make out the outline of a man hunched over the bed. He's a decent size, about Dean's height if he were to stand tall she guesses, and he has the same bulk to him. Lizzy takes a deep breath and prepares to get herself out of this one any way she can.

"Get that knife off of me," Lizzy calmly warns in her most foreboding tone she could muster.

"Tell me who the fuck you are and I'll be glad to… depending on your answer."

"Last time I'll ask you. Get that fucking blade off of my neck or you'll be damned sorry." Lizzy talks a big game, but much like her best friend always said, she had the balls and the strength to back it up. She was ready to make this guy regret ever coming after her.

"I don't have time for this game, sweetheart. Start talking," the harsh voice returns and Lizzy finds something familiar about it. His tone, his choice in words….

Oh well, she did give the man fair warning.

Grabbing ahold of the wrist attached to the knife in one swift, sharp movement, Lizzy pulls the intruder into her while she swings hard with her free hand. Landing her fist square in the center of the mystery man's face and feeling his nose shift under her knuckles, she then uses his loss of balance against him by shoving him back away from her by the shoulders. Once he takes a couple steps backwards with the assault, Lizzy launches off of the bed and stands opposite the intruder with a ready stance. Watching him shake off the hit, Lizzy prepares herself mentally. After the past few days she's had, maybe it'll be nice to kick some ass. She always felt better after beating a guy much bigger than her into the ground. She used to do it for fun and to let off steam. It was also one of the things Dean got extremely mad at her for when they first met so she hasn't had a lot of chances for this outlet since.

"You decided to fuck with the wrong chick, buddy," Lizzy comments while the two stare each other down. Catching a sliver of light from between the curtains, the man's eyes are lit up for a split second. Familiar yet very dark, his eyes make Lizzy feel almost comforted instead of alarmed for just a brief moment. The calm is only fleeting as the large man darts at her, knife still in hand.

The blade cuts through the air and Lizzy leans back deftly to avoid its reach before having to duck out of its return path in quick succession. She finds her opening after the last swipe and strikes fast, her fist forcefully crashing once more into the man's face, this time to his left cheek. He backs up with an annoyed grumble as Lizzy advances on him, swiping her foot through the air. Coming in contact with his hand hard, his grip loosens and the knife flies off into the shadows of the room.

"Fuck this," the stranger complains as he reaches behind himself and pulls out a gun. "Who the hell are you?" Lizzy hears the gun cock and her blood runs cold. A loaded gun on her twice in three days; once with the shifter in Vegas and now this guy. That's a new record for her.

"Alright," Lizzy gives in, knowing a handgun beats bare fists any day. Holding her hands up in defeat, she stands still. "You win. Let's talk."

"Name," the man sternly commands.

"Lizzy," she answers, her heart beating fast. Where the hell are Dean and Sam? Shouldn't they be back by now? "I had wrongly thought this house was empty. I'm leaving right now."

"Who are you with?"

"I'm alone," Lizzy lies of course. Giving up other hunters is a huge no-no.

"Bull. Who were the two men you were with today... and yesterday?"

"Yesterday?" It hits her hard. She knows exactly who she's talking to and being threatened by. He was the only one who paid them any attention the first morning they were outside that school. "Oh my God."

"Who were they!?" the man shouts, losing his patience as Lizzy stands quiet, trying to find the words.

"Listen, we're on the same team here," Lizzy tries to explain while taking a slow, very cautious step forward towards the intruder. "You're a hunter. So am I. So are the men I'm with, so put the gun down and we'll…"

"Where did you get that!?" he very angrily demands while cutting her off. It's then Lizzy realizes that when she stepped forward the new-to-her Winchester family heirloom on her wrist caught a beam of light from the window, reflecting off of its surface and calling attention to it.

"From one of the men I'm with," Lizzy slowly explains, knowing that now she was screwed. He knows this item and he knows it well. This may set him off once and for all. "I can explain if you'll let me."

"Who the hell are you!?" the man demands, ire toppling his composure with the sight of the jewelry.

"My name is Elizabeth Noonan," Lizzy says slowly, hoping to transfer her calming tone onto him. "And you're John Winchester."

"How did you know my name?" he demands quietly. "How did you know that? And why do you have my wife's bracelet?"

"Please put down the gun," Lizzy begs. "I'm not here to mess with you or hurt you, ok? It's a really long story but I would be more than happy to share it if you'll put the gun down and be willing to believe me."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Because," Lizzy breathes deeply before explaining. "You're John Winchester. You married Mary Campbell and had two sons, Dean and Sam, both named after Mary's parents. Mary died in 1983 in a house fire after a demon attacked her in Sam's room. Ever since you've been on the road with your kids looking for what killed her."

"How the fuck do you know all that?" John asks, his gun shaking a little with what the unknown to him girl says.

"Because, John, I'm… oh fuck it, I'm in love with Dean… um, the Dean of my time, not the kid of your time. I'm here from 2009." Lizzy pauses. "Yes, I am fully aware of how nuts this sounds. I think we just need to sit down and have a long talk," Lizzy suggests. "I only know this stuff because I know your sons very, very well. They're all I have left in my life."

John drops his gun and turns on the lamp by the bed. He looks her in the eye, really looks at her, and for some reason he relaxes a little.

"Dean gave me this," Lizzy holds up her wrist. "Because he told me that I should have it since I am the most important woman that's ever been in his life… only after Mary." She steps closer to him. "You know that with everything I just told you that I'm not lying."

"No, I don't think you're lying." John sighs. "Doesn't mean I understand."

"Trust me, I sometimes wonder if I get it all too," Lizzy comments. "Let's sit down, huh?"

"God damn," John sighs while sitting at the round kitchen table with what he now knows as his son's girlfriend from the future. After talking with her for just a little while, he found himself fully believing her and at complete ease in her presence. He washes a hand down his face with utter frustration and shock over the story of how they got there and the quick version of Lizzy's background. Watching his habitual movements Lizzy feels a little flash of familiarity in her heart. That's Dean's go to move when he gets overwhelmed also. "So you've been hanging around my boys for a while now?"

"This point, they're my family," she explains.

"Well, if you have the boys you must have me too then," John half assumes while looking at her for confirmations. With a pained voice, she lies.

"Yes. I've lost everyone else."

"Well, we know that story well so I'm sure they can relate," John returns.

"John, I feel I owe you so much," Lizzy begins. "They'll be back any minute so I have to get this out now. Your kids… they're amazing. They're my rocks. There is no way I'd be alive without them at this point. They're caring, and smart, and so good at what they do, just… there aren't words to explain what they both mean to me. Sam is like the brother I never had and I really don't know what I'd do without him. And Dean, God John, I love him more than anything, more than myself. He's my world. Thank you for him, honestly."

She reaches across the table and takes John's hand, looks him in the eye, and John smiles, nodding quietly instead of answer her. His heart fills with her words and his voice would come out unsteady if he tried to speak right now.

"And I know that what I am about to say is going to be way, way out of line," Lizzy swallows hard. She knows he could hate her for saying this but this opportunity will never come again. She has to go for it. "But I love your son way too much to not tell you this. The Dean I know, while strong and fearless in the face of practically anything, has no idea just how wonderful he is and I feel he never will."

Gaging his reaction, she sees not anger but confusion so she goes on.

"I know all about Sam, we all do," Lizzy tells him, John's face going pale as she does. "And I know why you made it a priority to look after him and make it Dean's job to ensure his safety, but over time, after always having Sam be both yours and his first and only priority, Dean lost his sense of self. He became your soldier, not your son."

"Now wait a minute," John interrupts her, taking his hand back. There's the anger she knew was coming. "I love my sons equally. Just because what happened to Sammy in the past is what it is, that doesn't mean I love him more or I think differently of the two."

"And I believe that completely," she reassures with all honesty. "But Dean doesn't. He idolizes you, John. When you meet him you'll see what I mean. His look, his music, his clothes, what he says, what he does… it's all you. But when he was little it appeared to him that you were so concerned with Sammy that he always fell by the wayside. I just want you to know how much he loves you and wants to make you happy and proud of him. Please, don't forget about him as a son. He's more than just Sammy's keeper. I want him to be able to know how great he is and not look at me like I'm a crazy person when I tell him just that. He's never understood why I see someone so admirable and wonderful in him because he doesn't see it."

A terrible silence grows between them and Lizzy itches with regret. She shouldn't have said anything. Shit, this was a bad idea. She opens her mouth to apologize but John beats her to it.

"You got balls on you, kid," John grumbles. "To say this all to me."

"It's my only chance to make Dean happier in life," Lizzy shrugs. "At the risk of you absolutely hating me, I had to try for his sake. I only want him to be happy."

"Yeah," John answers with a wrinkled forehead. "So I'm guessing you're pretty good for him."

"I try to be," Lizzy smiles, glad that the legendary hunter doesn't want to kill her. "Honestly, I don't know what I'd do without him at this point. I think about what happened to you, with Mary's death, and I seriously don't know how you got through that. Losing Dean…" she pauses. Better not tell him that she did lose Dean before and that he went to hell. Seems like it'd be a bad idea. "The thought of losing him, it terrifies me. Not sure I could get past that."

"You'd be surprised how strong you can be when you have to," John tells her, his words falling on experienced ears.

"You'd be surprised how much I understand that statement," she tells him. "Thank you for not wanting to kill me for being so forward."

"Why would I want to kill you for trying to help one of my kids?" he asks with a winkled expression.

The front door opens, interrupting their conversation, and they hear footsteps moving quickly through the house.

"L!" Dean shouts out, looking for her. "Where are you!?"

"Perfect timing," Lizzy comments quietly to John before letting them know where she is. "Kitchen!"

"Why's the Impala here!?" Sam asks as they both rush into the kitchen to find Lizzy sitting with their father at the table. They freeze, wide eyed and shocked. John stands with a smile, looking over the two full grown men standing in front of him. It's silent in the room for a few seconds as the reunited family just stares at one another. Even though Dean and Sam had observed him from afar, they were by no means ready to talk to their father.

"My boys," John greets them with a sentimental smile, making it a point to walk to Dean first after his and Lizzy's conversation and pull him in, hugging him tight. Dean looks over his father's shoulder to Lizzy, questioning her silently, but she just shrugs in response. What was there to say anyways? John pulls back, holding Dean by his shoulders for a moment as he looks him over.

"Hi… dad," Dean struggles out, still shell-shocked as he stares at the man he hasn't seen in nearly three years.

"Hi Dean," John says back, dropping his hand twice onto his son's cheek. He lets him go and moves onto Sam, the younger brother looking about ready to panic at the sight of his father. "Sammy," John smiles and hugs his other son the same. When he backs off after a minute he laughs a little to himself.

"Why are you laughing?" Sam softly asks.

"You're so," John starts and then laughs a bit again. "Shit, you're really tall."

"Yeah," Sam absentmindedly agrees with a small smile. "High school was good to me."

"Just never saw that coming," John tells him before taking in the sight of the two young men before him, proud of his kids and how they've grown. "You two look good. Really good."

"So do you," Dean returns without thinking. Quickly he points to his head. "Less grey."

"I guess that was bound to happen eventually," John huffs.

"Though you look like you… went a few rounds today," Sam says, referring to the swelling still forming on John's cheek and the smudge of red under his nose.

"Um, I think I have to take the blame on that one," Lizzy pipes up and grimaces as she holds her hand up guiltily. She turns to John. "Sorry about that, by the way. If I'd known…"

"L!" Dean loudly calls her, interrupting her apology. "You beat up my dad!? What the hell!"

"I didn't know it was him!" she returns, feeling bad enough as it was. "He broke in while I was sleeping. It was dark and he went after me!"

"Dean, get off her ass, huh?" John asks of his adult son before speaking strictly to Lizzy. "Liz, you did exactly what you should have. I may not know much about you, but I'm proud of the way you handled yourself. You're trained well and it was my fault for underestimating you."

"Yeah, most who underestimate this one end up looking like you or much, much worse," Sam tells his father with a proud smile.

"Oh, I've learned not to piss her off too much," Dean adds in.

"Damn straight," Lizzy returns with a finger pointing straight at him before sitting once more at the table. "And you can thank Bobby for my ass kicking abilities."

"Bobby Singer?" John asks with some surprise.

"The one and only," Lizzy brags. "He took me from pain in the ass college kid to monster-killer in no time."

"Eh, there's some natural ability in there too," Sam compliments with a sheepish grin. "He just built on what was already there."

"Would never have known it was there at all without the sensei," Lizzy admits. She still feels she owes her life many times over to the grouchy old man with a soft spot for her and Lou.

"So there isn't another me running around this town with grey hair, is there?" John asks the group as he also takes a seat, Sam and Dean doing the same. "I'd hate to find out how miserable I become a couple decades later."

Dean and Sam stay quiet. They don't want to answer him. Explaining to a person when and how they die can't possibly be good for the future, and Dean's already learned that no matter what you say or do nothing will change anyways.

"Nope. You weren't with us when we got sent on Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," Lizzy explains quickly on behalf of Sam and Dean. "We were working a case in Las Vegas without you."

"Sure sounds like something Dean would get into," John remarks.

"Sounds to me like you know just who your kids are already," Lizzy comments.

"I have a pretty good idea," John smiles while turning to his sons. "So what the fuck were you two getting into that shot you back in time?"

"My life," Lizzy explains quickly. "Honestly, this whole mess is all about me. This is my home town, I grew up here and that angel I told you about plopped us here to learn more about what makes me… me."

"Angels, shit," John complains while once more washing a hand down his face.

"That's what I said at first," Dean remarks, remembering how insane is all sounded the first time he'd heard it too.

"Ok, so why does an angel want you to understand your past?" John questions Lizzy, making her tense up a bit. She isn't too sure how much she should say.

"It's a pretty long story," Sam comments, saving her from having to rehash the whole ordeal when he recognizes her hesitance. "Ah, sort version, Lizzy has a kind of link to the angels and needs to find out how and why."

"Yeah, it's complicated," Dean answers looking over at her, grabbing her hand on the table top to give her the reassurance she needs. "But we're figuring it out. We've been told to follow her as a kid and get whatever info we can."

"Wait, this is the town you grew up in?" John questions over to Lizzy.

"Yes," she confirms. "We were checking out my elementary school yesterday morning, which is when you saw us." She turns to Sam and Dean. "By the way, dumb-dumbs, it's your fault your father almost killed me. He heard you bickering and use your names on the bench the other day outside the school. Made him more than a little suspicious. I can't imagine why." With her sarcasm John smiles.

"Sorry," they both apologize to her at the same time.

"I had a feeling something was up when I heard the names and then when I saw you casing the joint again today my interest was piqued to put it lightly," John admits. "Never thought it'd be my actual kids from the future though."

"I doubt most people would assume that," Sam says. "Even hunters."

"Ah, so I have to ask," John starts. "If you're all here to follow Lizzy, does anyone think it's kinda odd that I'd be in this town with you guys at the same time?"

"We think it's wicked odd considering I had thought I'd met the for the first time just a few years ago," Lizzy confirms. "And so far, we have no idea what the connection is."

"Can't be a coincidence though," Dean adds in.

"When is it ever?" John challenges before pausing while looking at Lizzy. "Ah, wait a minute. Lizzy? Weren't you the little girl today after school? The one who was with Dean's teacher?"

"Affirmative. That was my mother," Lizzy confirms.

"That's some messed up stuff," John says. "I met you as a kid this afternoon and then almost killed you tonight. That's one huge mind fuck right there."

"You're telling me," Dean smirks. "How do you think I feel? I just found out I was scamming on her mom like twenty years ago."

"And not only that, but I had to watch you hit on her," Lizzy adds, focusing only on John disapprovingly. "Talk about mind fuck."

John pauses and looks between the three younger hunters at the table. No one comes to his defense. It was useless to. They all saw it happen.

"She's good to my son," John admits quietly. "And, she's pretty." He smiles bashfully while on the inside dying with embarrassment.

"Yeah, pretty hot," Dean corrects his father, receiving a punch in the arm almost immediately. "She is! And be flattered, you're like her twin."

"Still my mom, dude," she warns with anger at both the men speaking of her mother in such a way.

"Well what can I do to help the future hunters of America?" John asks, looking for a new topic to get out of the one he's in. "I can't sit by and let you three run around in your pasts without helping out. Wouldn't be very fatherly of me."

"As of right now, there really isn't much you can do," Dean tells him. "We've discovered a few things already and we have one more thing to check out that you really can't help too much with."

"Speaking of, what time is it?" Lizzy asks the table.

"Little after six," John tells her while looking at his watch.

"Ah, I hate to break up the family reunion, but we have to run." Lizzy stands up from her chair, Dean doing the same to come along. "We have some people to follow."

"Yeah, and I should probably go check on… well, you two," John says with awkward hesitation. What an odd thing to say.

"Uh, before you go," Sam stops his father, remembering one severe disadvantage they are at in the moment. "We were kinda dropped off here with no weapons. Any way we could borrow some while we're around?"

"Come on out to the car," John wearily but happily says. "I'll give you whatever I can do without. Just don't take anything silver unless you have to. Gonna need that."

"What're you hunting?" Lizzy asks, concerned over his need for silver.

"Possible werewolf a town over," John explains while heading for the front door, the three hunters following. He keeps talking as they trek across the lawn to the Impala. "There was a body found last week, chest torn apart and heart missing. Sounded clear cut to me but now that I'm here, I can't find anything."

"No one else has died?" Dean asks.

"Nope," John answers. "So now I'm left scratching my damn head wondering where the hell it went to. I've already pulled the boys from three other schools this year alone. I'd like to stay put for a minute, not hit the road and track down a were' gone nomad if I can."

"I know I'd like that," Sam comments as John unlocks the trunk and shoots him a questioning look. "Um, sorry I gave you such a hard time about that as a kid. I didn't understand back then."

"Yeah, I know that, Sammy," John tells him. "I tried not to take it too personally, but it still hurt like a bitch every time. Clearly you've figure it all out though, huh?" He smiles to his son, glad to know that Sam eventually came around. Sam just sadly forces a smile back, not feeling it necessary to share just how strained their relationship becomes in the future or the fact that Sam really didn't figure it out… he tried his damnedest to get away every chance he had.

"What!?" Dean smiles out as he searches through the weapons in the trunk. His hand grips onto a familiar old piece and he lifts it out to look it over. "Get the fuck out of here. I forgot all about this beauty."

"Oh yeah," Sam grins. "I remember that one."

"The Fieldmaster," Dean proudly says aloud while checking it over. "Remington pump action riffle, sawed off. This thing can dole out some serious punishment! You used to leave this with me a lot back in the day when you'd be out for a while."

"I got an old double barrel with ya' right now," John explains. "Go ahead and take that one with you while you're here. I got some salt rounds you can take too."

"Thanks," Dean says as he reminisces a little. He slept with this gun propped next to his bed many a night while John was out on hunts and he and Sam were alone. He'd shot it only a few times, but that didn't mean he loved it any less. Most kids have a blanket or a stuffed animal for security. Dean had The Fieldmaster.

"Here," John says, nudging Dean aside so that he can gather some items for them. "Take a couple knives, I have an extra salt canister too. Do you know what you're up against?"

"Uh, angels mostly," Lizzy says, making a pained face. "And whatever else decides to join the party at any given moment. The second anything finds out about us being here, it could get ugly."

"Right," John says back oddly. "Can't say I know how to defend against angels."

"Unless you have an angel's blade, neither do we really," Sam answers back. "Have any flasks?"

John pulls one out of his back pocket, swishing around its contents with a grin. Dean huffs with a smirk. It's the same flask he keeps on him most of the time. He saved this one exclusively for booze, just like his dad always did.

"Not what I meant," Sam explains with a grin, not surprised by the answer he gets. "How about rosaries?"

"Yeah," John answers, rummaging through the his items before handing one over. "You need the blessing?"

"Nah. Everything we need is right up there," Lizzy grins while poking Sam in the temple a few times, making him wince and lean away from her finger. "He's a walking, talking reference book for the supernatural. The dude's awesome."

"That 'a boy," John compliments, proud to find that his son turns out to be the bright man he'd always thought he'd be.

"Lizzy and I need to go follow some people, try and figure out why the hell we're here," Dean shares. "Dad, you could probably use a second set of eyes, right? Maybe one of us can see something you might have missed."

"Yeah, that would be good," John admits.

"I mean, if you want, Sam could help you out."

Lizzy opens her eyes wide with glee as she looks over to Sam. In her mind it's a great idea. She knows Sam and John didn't part on good terms before John died. What a way to make up for ruined time.

"Yeah," Lizzy agrees. "You should do that. It'll probably be a mess through tonight and this way you can avoid emotional meltdown number three. We can meet up later tonight."

Sam looks over at John and John looks back. Both shrug and neither can find a good reason not to work together.

"If I can't trust my own son, who can I trust?" John tells him, tossing a handgun his way. "You in?"

Sam stares down at the gun in his hand and thinks it over. He would like to erase all those times he hassled his dad about hunting with him and he does miss the man terribly.

"Sure," Sam says. "I'm in."