The gang sat in a crowded bar, Sam was flipping the pages of his father's journal. Kat and Dean stood at the bar ordering another round. Sam picked up a newspaper that laid on a nearby table - "Couple's Throats Slashed in Own Home" Kat and Dean arrived back at the table.
"All right, so, I think I got somethin'" Sam thanked Kat for his drink and passed her the paper.
"What do you got there Sammy?" Only she could get away with calling him that.
"Mark and Anne Telesca of New Paltz, New York were both found dead in their home just a few days ago" She read aloud to Dean.
"Mmhmm" He took a sip of his drink.
"Throats were slit, there were no prints, no murder weapons. No prints, no murder weapons, all doors and windows were locked from the inside ... sounds like something to me" Kat placed the paper on the table and turned to Dean.
"Could just be a garden-variety murder, you know, not our department" Kat sighed at his comment.
"No, Dad says different" Sam announced, Kat rolled her; now John was involved Dean would agree to check it out.
"What do you mean?" Dean asked eagerly, Kat scoffed – he was so predictable.
"Look" He turned the journal towards them. " Dad noted three murders in the same area of upstate New York" He pointed to some notes on the page. "First one, right here, 1912, the second one in 1945, and the third in 1970. The same M.O. as the Telescas—the throats were slit, the houses were locked from the inside. Now, so much time passed between the murders that nobody checked the pattern, except for Dad. He always kept his eyes peeled for another one"
" And now we got one" Kat took a huge gulp of her drink and placed the glass on the table.
"Exactly" Sam smiled at her.
" All right, I'm with ya. It's worth checkin' out" Sam and Kat exchanged a glance sort of to indicate to one another that even if Dean would have said no they still would have checked it out together.
Dean sat asleep in the passenger seat of the Impala, parked outside the Telesca Residence. Sam and Kat came out of the house and headed towards the car. Kat grins devilishly at Sam and leaned into the open window; she honked the horn Dean jumped up. Sam and Kat burst into a fit of laughter.
"That is so not cool babe" She stuck her tongue out at him as they both got into the car.
"So we just swept the Telesca house with the EMF. It's clean" Kat started the engine.
" I took the history of the house last night. No hauntings, no violent crimes, nothing strange about the Telescas themselves either" Sam added buckling his seat belt.
"All right, so if it's not the people and it's not the house, then, uh….maybe it's the contents—a cursed object or somethin'" Sam shuck his head.
"Sweetie at risk of sounding like a horror movie cliché the house is clean" Kat told Dean.
" Yeah, I know, you said that" He raised an eyebrow.
" No sweetie, I mean, it's empty. No furniture, nothing"
" Where's all their stuff?" Dean asked her.
Kat sat in the car while the boys attempted to blend in with the high class crowd that had gathered in the auction house where the dead couples stuff had been taken too. She told them it would never work. Sam maybe but Kat and Dean; her all in black with converse and him with his tattered leather jacket and biker boots – no way. The boys appeared at the door along with escorts. They got into the car, a look of defeat on Dean's face, he took out his wallet and handed Kat $20.
"Told ya" She winked and drove off. "But to be fair you lasted longer than I thought you would"
They entered their motel room. It had a seventies theme; I covered in disco-patterned wallpaper and chrome furniture.
"Huh" Was the brother's reaction.
"Wow this is awesome!" Kat bounced up and down on the spot. Dean laughed and shook his head; only Kat he thought.
"What was it, the providence?" Dean asked Sam as they all scattered around the room unpacking their stuff.
"Does he mean a provenance Sammy?" Kat shouted from the bathroom, followed by a giggle. Dean mouthed the word attempting to pronounce it.
" It's a certificate of origin, like a biography, you know? We can use 'em to check the history of the pieces, see if anything's got a freaky past" Sam told him as he folded his clothes and placed them in a draw next to his bed.
"Huh. Well, we're not gettin' anything out of Chuckles, but, uh, Sarah?" He smirked at Sam. Kat appeared at the bathroom door.
"Sarah?" She raised her eye at Sam with a huge smile on her face.
"Yeah. Maybe you can get her to write it all down on a cocktail napkin" Dean chuckled; Kat felt a wave of jealousy.
"Not Dean" She spoke without thinking – a habit of hers; she often told Dean that her mouth was not connected to her brain. Dean nodded in agreement.
" Oh, no, no, no, no. Pickups are your thing, Dean" He had that look on his face ; his 'there's no way I am going to do that' look.
" It wasn't my butt she was checkin' out" Dean told him with a raised eyebrow complete with a smirk.
"In other words, you want me to use her to get information" Sam sighed.
"Sometimes, you gotta take one for the team" He held out his cell phone to Sam. "Call her"
Kat and Dean sat alone in their room; Sam had gone on his date leaving them to obsess like crazed parents.
"I'm so nervous" Kat told Dean from her seat on Sam's bed.
"It's not your date babe" He was on his and Kat's bed.
"I know but ... isn't it his first date since Jess?" She frowned. Dean sighed.
"I can't remember the last time I had a date" Kat stared at the ceiling.
"Really?" Dean was shocked, a beautiful woman like Kat men should be lining up.
"Well when you're a hunter you don't stay in the same place for more than a few days and I'm not exactly into one night stands" He knew this was coming after Sam had opened his big mouth.
"Err about before what Sam said – pickups being my thing, it – I"
"It's non of my business" As much as she would like it to be her business.
"But-" He frowned. He wish he could tell her but it was too dangerous, he didn't want Kat meeting the same fate and Mary and Jess.
"What you do with random ... women" She really wanted to say whores but she figured that may indicate the fact that she was insanely jealous just a little too much. "On your own time is your business not mine" She got up and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
"I haven't done that since I meet you" He whispered to himself.
Kat lay in the bath attempting to calm down; she had always had a short fuse. She heard Sam enter their room and muffle talking between the boys. She ignored it, closing her eyes. A knock came at the door.
"Kat?" It was Dean, calling her Kat – that was rare. She frowned this was her fault, she overreacted.
"Yes sweetie?" She stood up and wrapped a towel around her dripping body. She opened the door.
"Err ..." His mind went blank. Kat, wet in nothing but a towel. "I ... me and Sam" He looked up at the door frame. "Were goin to check out a painting at the action house, I say check out I mean burn but yeah" He began to babble as his gaze returned to her; he watched a droplet of water fall from her neck all the way down to the valley between her bre-.
"Dean! You coming or what?" Sam shouted from the hallway.
"Yeah so we'll be back late is that ok?" She smiled at him.
"Of course and I know the drill - any problems call you and you'll be back as quickly as possible" He smiled back at her, he leaned in and kissed her forehead.
"That's my girl" He tapped her nose and turned walking out of the door.
"if only I was" She sighed and continued her bath. When she had finally had enough she threw on a pair of black shorts and a Guns and Roses top that Dean had kindly donated to her months ago.
"I swear I'm rapidly losing clothes – this is wrong I'm a woman is should be gaining them by the bucket load" Kat was rummaging through her duffle bag in the rundown motel her and Dean had checked into about ten minutes previous.
"What you looking for babe?" He was sat on the single bed in the centre of the room.
"Something to wear in bed!" She was throwing her clothes all over the floor.
"you could always wear nothing" He told her quietly.
"I heard that" She flipped him off and continued her rummage.
"I swear you have the hearing of a bat" He laughed to himself. "Here" She turned and watched as he slid the top he was wearing over his head and threw it at her. She enjoyed the view very, very much.
"Thanks" She caught it.
"You're welcome, now stop staring at me, I am not a piece of meat!" He winked at her and laughed.
She loved that shirt, it was warm and for a few nights smelt exactly like Dean. She got in to bed and picked up her phone, she hadn't called Danny for a few weeks. No answer, again no answer. "Huh" She left an answer phone message for him to call her a.s.a.p. she figured he was on a hunt. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep.
" We've got a problem, I can't find my wallet" Deans voice woke her.
"How is that my problem?" Sam responded. Kat sat up.
"What's going on?" She rubbed her stormy eyes.
" I lost my wallet and it's a problem 'cause I think I dropped it in the warehouse last night" Kat and Sam exchanged looks of confusion.
" You're kidding, right?" Kat stretched and got up heading to the mini fridge.
"Yeah, it's got my prints, my ID"
"Your fake ID" Kat added as she pulled out a bottle of water.
"We've gotta get it before somebody else finds it, come on" Dean gestured for them to follow.
"Can I at least get dressed first?" Her and Sam exchanged glances, I-really-can't-be-bothered-to-go glance.
Kat sat in the Impala staring at her phone, still no answer from her uncle. Dean strolled out of the building and got into the passenger side.
"Find your wallet?" She placed her phone into the pocket of her skinny jeans, black of course. He produced his wallet from his jacket pocket. "What have you done?" She sighed.
"Told Sarah that we were sticking around for another few days" He smirked.
"Ohh that's devious, I like it" Kat smiled.
"Come on let's leave the kids to it, breakfast on me"
"Sounds like a plan"
Kat and Dean stood outside the motel door.
"Shall we knock or -" Kat shrugged at Dean's question.
"We can't just walk in Dean they might be ... you know" She raised her eyebrow at him.
"Might be what?" He teased her.
"Having sex, you happy now?" She folder her arms.
"Yep, I don't hear any noises do you?" Kat laughed.
"Noises? ... Come on just knock" Before they could reach the door Sam pulled it open.
"What are you guys doing?" He asked like they were up to no good. Which this time they weren't. For a change.
"Nothing" They said in unison.
"Well we got a problem" He moved aside and gestured for them to come inside.
"What was your performance not up to scratch?" Kat giggled. Dean burst into laughs at her comment.
"Sarah sold the painting last night at a charity auction" He ignored her jest.
"What?" Kat looked over at Dean.
"We burned that damn thing" He told her.
"Thanks captain obvious" Kat rolled her eyes. "It's ok all we gotta do is think of another way to get rid of it" She sat on the bed.
"Any ideas?" Sam asked her.
"Well lore would suggest that when dealing with haunted paintings it always the subject of the painting that haunts them" Sam always wondered why and how she knew all of this stuff.
"Yeah? All right, so, we need to figure out everything there is to know about that creepy-ass family in that creepy-ass painting?" Dean sighed.
"Yep, I feel a trip to the library is in order" Kat stood up pulling the keys from her pocket.
"I was afraid you were gonna say that" Dean followed her out of the door.
"Guys check this out" Kat gestured to Sam and Dean. "It seems this guy Isaiah slit his kids' throats, then his wife, then himself with a straight razor" She pushed her thick rimmed glasses up her nose.
"Why'd he do it?" Sam put down the book he was currently reading.
"Uh - "people who knew him described Isaiah as having a stern and harsh temperament and controlled his family with an iron fist." - Wife, two sons, adopted daughter—yeah, yeah—there were whispers that the wife was gonna take the kids and leave so instead, Old Man Isaiah well you know" She shut the book.
"Does it say what happened to the bodies?" Dean was sat doing nothing as usual.
"It just says they were all cremated" Sam picked up the book and began to flick through the pages.
He opened the book at the page with the image that depicted the painting and turned it towards them. "The painting at the auction house the Dad's looking down, here the Dad's looking out. The painting has changed" He looked over at Dean for confirmation.
"All right, so, you think Daddy Dearest is trapped in the painting? He's handin' out Columbian neckties like he did with his family?" Dean took the book out of his hand.
"Yeah, it seems like it. But if his bones are already dusted, then how are we gonna stop him?" Sam looked from Kat to Dean.
"All right, well, if Isaiah's position changed, maybe some other things in the painting changed as well. It could give us some clues" Dean dropped the book on the table.
"What, like a DaVinci Code deal?" Kat smiled.
"I don't know, I'm still waitin' for the movie on that one. Anyway, we gotta get back in and see that painting" He turned to Sam. "Which is a good thing because you can get some more time to crush on your girlfriend"
" Dude, enough already" Sam snapped.
" What?" Dean frowned.
""What?" Ever since we got here, you've been tryin' to pimp me out to Sarah. Just back off, all right?" Kat took the book and walked off to put it back where she had found it.
"Well, you like her, don't you?" Sam shuck his head in annoyance. He then leaned in closer.
"What like you like Kat?" Dean shot a glance in the direction she had gone. There was no sign of her.
"Shut up! ... you like her, she likes you, you're both consenting adults" Sam sighed.
"What's the point, Dean? We'll just leave. We always leave ... you're lucky she's always here" He rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"It's not that simple ok" Dean's tone held a hint of anger.
"Why isn't it? ... you love her, she loves you so why?" He couldn't understand; they had it made and yet they chose to complicate things.
"Leave it alone" Dean told him straight. Sam stood up and retrieved his phone from his pocket with the intention of calling Sarah.
Dean stood up and looked around, he saw Kat browsing the fiction section. He walked over to the other side of the library.
"Babe, what's wrong?" He could tell there was something bothering her, for a start all days she's been twisting her ring and gripping her pentacle.
"Its Danny ... I've been calling for the last few days and there's no answer" She pulled out a book and glanced at the blurb.
"I'm sure he's fine, probably out on a job" He smiled.
"Yeah ... I hope your right" She turned to face him. She took a deep breath.
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He frowned.
"I didn't want to bother you" She slid the book back in its place. He took her hands and pulled her closer to him. She avoided his gaze. He gently tilted her chin.
"Listen, you can tell me anything, you know that right?" He stared into her eyes. They were beautiful, deep grey just like the ocean in a storm. He could look into them for hours.
"I ... err, after this case if I still haven't heard from him then I'm going to have to ..." She knew what she was about to say would just enforce his fears of abandonment but he was her Uncle.
"Leave" He couldn't believe it ... or maybe he could; this was what he feared but at the same time he saw an opportunity to save her. He turned and began to walk away. She followed him outside. She knew this was going to get heated and a library wasn't exactly a good place for shouting.
"Don't you dare Dean Winchester!" She shouted at him gaining Sam's attention. He shut his phone and turned to them.
"Excuse me?" His plan was working, she was getting frustrated.
"You're telling me that if you had no answer from John you wouldn't drop everything and go to see if he's ok?" Silence followed. "Yeah that's what I thought" She rubbed her forehead, tears welled in her eyes. "I gave up my search for the man that murdered my family to help you and your father, so don't you dare accuse me of leaving you high and dry!" She clenched her fists.
"Just go Kat ... I always knew you would" He was sure that would push her over the edge.
"I knew this was coming that's why I didn't want to tell you" She wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You knew?" He didn't understand what she meant by that, Knew what?
"When that shapeshifter took me, he was you, not just your appearance he had your memories, your feelings, your fears" He knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "He told me, he told me why you wouldn't tell me that you loved me" His jaw dropped. This was going to complicate things even more.
"You've known all this time?" He remembered the panic he'd felt while she had been taken. The pure agony not knowing her fate brought to him.
"Yeah, I'm going to check on my uncle that's all" She pleaded with him; he'd have to try harder.
"And what if you don't come back?" He shrugged.
"Come with me" She asked. He would but that would defeat the object of this fight.
"I can't I-" He knew that would be the final straw, she'd never forgive him for that. That's exactly what he wanted.
"Got to find John right?... fine. Sam can I have my bag please?" She gestured to the trunk of the Impala.
"Kat" Dean watched as Sam handed her, her duffle bag. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sam's cheek.
"Look after him" She smiled, teary eyed.
"Kat I'll come, I'll help you" Sam grabbed her arm. Dean shuck his head behind her.
"No he needs you more than I do" Tears jerked from her eyes, Sam handed her a tissue from his pocket.
"I don't want you to go Kat, I-" A tear slide down his face. Dean stood frozen watching as the love of his life was about to leave and it was because he loved her that he was going to let her go.
"I know, I know I'm gonna miss you too Sammy" She slung her bag on her back and wiped away Sam's tear with her thumb.
"Are you gonna come back?" She didn't know the answer. She wanted to but she wasn't sure she could stand the resentment that would taint her and Dean's relationship.
"... I" She looked over to Dean "I don't think your brother would-"
"I don't care!" He turned to Dean. "You love her, she needs our help its simple!" He pointed at Kat. She stared at Dean; cold, hard.
"Dad needs are help Sammy" Anger filled Kat. Dean knew that would upset her even more.
"Such a daddies boy, you need to grow a back bone and start living your own life Dean" Hate filled her tone, it was more directed towards John than Dean.
"He's the only family we got left"
"And Danny's the only family I have left" He had Sam.
"Nothing ... just let her go Sam" He turned away from them both.
"Fine" She turned to Sam. "I'll call you ok? Good luck with the case, I hope you find your father" She turned away from them.
"Kat please" Sam begged her.
"See you around Sam" She began to walk in the direction of the motel, she could hear remnants of the Sam shouting at Dean. She wiped the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket.
She returned to the motel; she began packing. She removed all of the clothes she had borrowed from Dean; his shirts, jackets, anything that he had given her. She laid them on the bed they had shared the previous night. She had been restless, thinking of ways to tell Dean she was leaving. He had chose John over her and that hurt. She packed her remaining belongings into her bag. She placed her hand in her pocket and pulled out the spare key to the Impala. It had a little key ring of a brown teddy with a heart in its hands. He had brought her that from a random gas station he said it was cute and that it reminded him of her. She placed that on top of the clothes she piled on the bed. She opened the door and locked it behind her. She slid the key under the door and made her way to the car park. Her phone began to ring and ring and ring. She ignored it expecting it to be Sam. Finally after ten minutes she took it out of her pocket; unknown number.
"Hello ... yes I'm Katie Elkins ... what?" Her face dropped "... how? ... yes, yes I'll be there as soon as I can ... thank you" That was the reason there had been no answer, no message, he was dead. Her last living relative gone.
Sam threw open the door, half expecting to find her sitting on the bed in full sulk mode. Dean knew better, he knew he'd hurt her. They had taken care of the painting, it was in fact the little girl who had committed the murders and her father had been trying to warn people through the painting.
"She's gone" Sam had been telling him what an idiot he had been for the past four hours. "She's left all your stuff and the spare key" Sam picked up the motel room key off of the floor.
"Ok what do you want me to say? Huh! I know, I should have told her that I love her, I should have dropped everything and went with her but I can't ok! Dad needs us Sam and Kat ... doesn't" He sighed.
"What? Your unbelievable" Sam still wasn't sure he understood Dean's motives.
"If she stays with us, with me she's ... I, I don't want her to end up like Jess ok?" Dean slammed down into the bed amongst all his belongings. "I'm sure you wouldn't either"
"So what, that fight, what you did that on purpose? Just to get her to leave?" Sam sort of understood his logic but he wasn't a hundred percent convinced.
"Yeah it was ... that may have been the hardest thing I've ever had to do Sammy" He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Sam sat next to him.
"And you think sending her away from us with no protection is better?" Sam questioned.
"I don't know anymore but I believe that she has a better chance with her uncle than she does with us" He rested his head in his hands.
"I ... get it sort of, I still think you're stupid but I get it" Sam knew the pain of losing the woman he loved. "Maybe your right maybe we are dangerous to be around but I think if any woman could have handle it, it would have been Kat"
"... I know ... but it's a chance I'm not willing to take"