Author's Note: I apologize. I meant to get this update out sooner, but my Hunger Games addiction is almost as strong as my shoe addiction.

"This is it?" Meredith asked, almost disappointed as she stared at the three boxes in the middle of Jude's living room. The place was barely packed up and the stuff he was sending home had been stuff he hadn't used in years.

"Well, yeah. I'm coming back late June, for the research internship I got at U Penn, Mom," Jude reminded. "And besides, I'll need all this stuff for school next year anways. I'm keeping the apartment, you know."

"Yeah, I do," Meredith sighed. "It just feels like after college, you'd have more to bring home, but I keep forgetting that you're staying in Pennsylvania. Wow, it's unreal. You and John will both be here next year. You better keep an eye on him. Make sure he doesn't do anything too stupid."

Jude chuckled, "You know I'll keep an eye on that trouble maker."

"Hey, you were a trouble maker once, too," Meredith replied.

"Don't remind me," Jude groaned.

"I remember, quite fondly actually, you and your buddies sneaking out when you were still in high school. Boy, did I get mad the first time I caught you," she reminisced.

"And of course, you knew about it long before you even caught me," Jude added.

"Yeah… Let's just say, even though your father and I were retired hunters didn't mean that we were still rusty," Meredith replied. "We knew how to set it up just perfectly."

"You set me up!" Jude exclaimed.

"Aww, honey, you didn't know?" Meredith asked, sweetly.

"I always suspected," Jude said, shaking his head. He laughed it off and then straightened up.

"We really couldn't complain though. You really were everything we ever asked for. You were actually just like your father when he was a kid," Meredith said, with a heartfelt sigh.

"I was?" Jude asked.

"Yeah," Meredith answered, smiling. "You were so mischievous like him, but whenever you knew we needed help, you were there. And you were smart. Still are! You got that one from me."

Jude laughed.

"Kidding. Your dad's a lot smarter than he acts."

"Yeah, he really is," Jude agreed with a chuckle. "God, that one night you caught me sneaking out… Dad was one step ahead of me every step of the way."

"Mhm," Meredith sounded, satisfied.

"I'll have to use that one day with my kids…" Jude trailed off.

"We've taught you well," Meredith chuckled, patting her son on the back. "Alright, why don't we mail these off back home?"

"Sounds good to me," Jude answered.

"Cool," Meredith said, picking up one of the boxes while Jude picked up the other too and the headed to Jude's car.

Meredith and Jude had just shipped off his packages to Sioux Falls and they were now back in his apartment.

"So, I guess we just get ready to go home," Meredith said.

"Uh huh," Jude said.

Meredith held her tongue. She already felt guilty enough about Jude hunting again, so she knew she could take care of it herself. But she didn't want to. She always believed that if you want to go fast, you go alone, but if you want to go far, you go with family.

"Mom, what's going on?"

"Huh?"

"You've been antsy and deep in thought ever since dad left. My only assumption is now that he's not here to remind you to get out of your head every second of the day, you've got something big on your mind. Why are you really here to help me pack up? It's not like I had much to do," Jude asked, calling his mom out.

"What? A mother can't help out her soon after he graduates?" Meredith asked, innocently. Jude shot her a look that said, 'really?' and Meredith sighed. "Okay, so there's a hunt. Look, I can take care of it on my own and it's really not a hunt but it's something."

"Where is it?" Jude asked. He knew she was up to something!

"Chicago," Meredith answered, nervously.

"That's about twelve and a half hours from here," Jude thought over.

"I know. Look, your dad doesn't really know about this. I thought I'd do it on my own because I don't want to get his hopes up about it. You don't have to come with me if you don't want to," Meredith said.

"I have a choice?" Jude asked.

"Of course! In fact, we don't even have to go at all. There'll be other chances. It's fine. Let's just go home," Meredith answered. She didn't want to pressure him into the hunt and so she just decided to call it quits.

"Really?" Jude asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Why so shocked?"

"No reason," Jude replied.

"Okay," Meredith replied, slightly disappointed. She wasn't quite sure when she'd get another opportunity like this but she'd find a way. Her kids were her priority. Suddenly, she heard the jingle of keys, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Come on," Jude said, holding up his keys.

"Jude, you don't have to," Meredith started.

"No, no, it's okay. I can tell that this is something important. You always get that look… you know," Jude said, imitating his mother's facial expressions, "when something's important. Come on. Let's go."

"Are you sure?" Meredith asked, her eyes lighting up.

"I'm positive. But you're filling me in on the car ride there," Jude replied.

He and Meredith got their hunting stuff together and then loaded up Jude's car. Jude drove and they were off to Chicago.

Meredith put a CD that she had brought into the CD player of Jude's car. The sounds of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin played out through the speakers and Jude smiled.

"You just knew I'd come on this hunt with you, huh?"

"I hope you would," Meredith replied.

"You brought our favorite," he chuckled, listening to the beginnings of his favorite Led Zeppelin record. "So you just knew that I'd come on this hunt with you, huh?"

"No," Meredith said. "I just hoped you would."

"So you gonna tell me what's in Chicago?" Jude asked, looking over at his mom.

"Death," Meredith said, giving him a straight answer.

"Isn't there death every where?" Jude asked, chuckling.

"No. Literally. Death," Meredith repeated.

"What?" Jude exclaimed, practically slamming on the breaks. He looked around, grateful that there was no one behind him and began to start driving again.

"It's okay. We've come across Death a couple of times during our active hunting years. Before we went up against the devil, your father tried to get Death's help. Death brought your Uncle Sam's soul back as well. We're… I guess you could say old friends. I have a favor to ask of him this time. I want to see if we could borrow scythe, just for when we go up against the First," Meredith replied.

"You think that'll kill it?" Jude asked.

Meredith shrugged, "It's worth a shot. I'm just afraid the Colt won't be enough."

"Why?" Jude asked, curiously.

"There are a few things the colt can't kill. I'm just afraid the first will be one of them," Meredith answered.

"And since the scythe is Death's, it makes sense that it could kill the first. It's Death!" Jude completed.

"Exactly," Meredith said.

"How do you know he'll be there?" Jude asked.

"He'll be there," Meredith answered, a slight smirk on her face. Jude noticed this and chuckled. His parents really were quite a mystery. There was another silence between them before Meredith spoke up again. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jude asked.

"For doing this to you… your dad and I never wanted you guys to grow up hunters – especially not the way your father did. We wanted to give you a normal life for as long as possible but turns out that didn't work out so well," Meredith replied, guiltily.

"Mom, you didn't drag me into this," Jude said.

"But it feels like we did," she said back.

"No. I chose this, Mom. I chose to start hunting again when this came up and I certainly chose to hunt back in high school," Jude countered.

Meredith sighed, "But if we hadn't told you about it… I mean, your first words were bad demons! If we had been like the Gallaghers-."

"Pft. The Gallaghers? They're idiots for keeping the secret from their kids. You protected us, Mom. Contrary to popular belief, ignorance is not bliss," Jude replied. "I mean, think about what would've happened if these demons and croats started attacking me, and I had no idea what the hell was going on or how to help myself. Mom, this is not your fault. It's the damn prophecy and the fact that there are horrible… things out there. Don't blame yourself."

Then, there was just a silence. But it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, just a silence. Jude couldn't help but think about the conversation they were having. Most mother-son conversations had nothing to do with hunting down Death and demons.

He thought about how long he had been playing 'normal'. Even in high school, he was never 'normal' – unless you counted student by day, and hunter by nights and weekends normal. His parents had almost dreaded letting him go out on his first when but he had insisted. He had told them that it was what they were training him for anyways and he might as well get practice in. He then had pointed out that his parents had started hunting way younger than he was at that time. He had wanted to hunt. And then he started college and gave it all up; resumed the normal life he always thought he wanted.

But what if it wasn't what he wanted? What if he needed the balance – the kind of balance his parents had with hunting. He wanted to help people and maybe in more ways than medicine. He knew that it wasn't just his loyalty to family that made him hunt. It was his choice. He thought back to how unusual it was for him as child to want to hunt.

~Flashback~

"Good. Why don't you and I clean up here and head back to the house. Your mom will start worrying," Dean started.

"Did you see it, Dad? I made the bull's eye three times!" Jude bragged proudly to his father. He looked up at his father with such admiration. That was what he wanted to be when he grew up. He wanted to be a super hero, just like his dad.

"Yeah, you did. Right here, kiddo!" Dean congratulated, giving his son a fist bump. Jude chuckled, earning the affection that he craved from his dad. It was getting so busy in the house with the twins, John, and him. It was nice to have one on one time with his dad.

"Can we come back tomorrow?" Jude asked, eagerly.

"Sure," Dean replied, hesitantly. He left a small silence before bring up something. "You know, I'd much rather be teaching you had to play catch or something normal like that."

"But I already know how to play catch," Jude said, blinking up at his dad. A smile spread through his face. "I want to protect people like you."

Dean smiled a little, staring down at his son. Dean thought about how young he was when he first held a gun. Was this really right? He didn't have an answer to the question, but he curse himself for the fact that Jude already thought that it was his responsibility to protect people. The kid was only eight!

"Hey, you're only eight, here. Let's not jump the gun yet, okay?" Dean asked, chuckling at his pun.

"Okay, Dad," Jude replied, as the two made it back to the Impala.

~End Flashback~

The two Winchesters arrived in Chicago exactly 12 hours and 30 minutes later. Meredith and Jude had taken turns driving so that one or the other could sleep when needed. The two were exhausted but knew that this was important and would just have to suck it up until they could drive back home.

"A pizzeria?" Jude asked, as the two got out of the car. He raised an eyebrow, shooting his mom a funny look.

"Yeah, Death is a fan of Chicago's pizza," Meredith replied. She noticed the look on her son's face and laughed. "I know. Don't ask. I've tried, for many years, to make sense of it and finally called it quits when I realized that there wasn't much to make sense of."

"Death really is a mystery," Jude chuckled.

"Yeah…" Meredith trailed off. She pulled open the door to the pizzeria to see a blow out light and another one flickering. People all over the place were dead and Jude was shocked at the sight.

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Mom? We didn't bring any weapons," Jude asked, uneasily.

She nodded hesitantly, "Yeah. We can't kill Death anyways." Jude and Meredith exchanged glances before cautiously making their way towards the only man alive in the pizzeria. He sat there, eating at the back of the room at a table. He looked up as he saw the two.

"I thought I smelled Winchester," he said. Suddenly, two chairs at the table had been pushed out. "Sit." They knew it wasn't a question, but a demand. Jude and Meredith sat down, nervously. "Don't worry. I know what you've come here for."

"So… can we have it?" Jude asked. If he knew what they had come for, he wasn't about to waste time beating around the bush.

"Patients, Jude Winchester," Death said, taking another bite of his deep dish pizza. He finished chewing. "This is about the only that keeps Chicago from falling to bits and pieces."

"Death, we need your scythe to kill the First," Meredith blurted out. She didn't care that Death already knew. She was going to ask it anyways.

"And why? Why should I give it to you?" Death asked, irked with Meredith's impatience. Meredith and Jude exchanged glances, searching for words and half expecting the other to say something.

"Well… what if the First binds you to him… like Lucifer did?" Meredith stammered.

"You're uncertainty isn't very convincing, Meredith," Death said, patronizingly.

"But if he does," Meredith spoke up, bolder now. "He'll make you his weapon. Then the first, the demons, and all the croats will take us all out. You'll have no souls to reap if you're their weapon. That means you're out of a job." Meredith crossed her arms over her chest, beginning to gain the upper hand now. "And how do we know that he already hasn't? How exactly are they bringing back those lost souls? I mean, it's easy to see how their demonizing them, but bringing them back? That doesn't sound like something they'd be able to do on their own."

"The First was truly Lucifer's first demon – not Lillith – but he was imperfect so he lay and watched Lucifer. He learned everything from him. Chances are, he bound you to him long before you even knew about the uprising," Jude taunted.

Death glowered in defeat.

"That's why you made it so easy to find you!" Meredith said, a light bulb going off in her mind.

"Alright, yes, I need your help, but who says that the scythe is the answer?" Death asked.

"Look, we just need something else. The Colt probably won't work and-," Meredith started.

"The prophecy," Jude interjected, causing Death to lean in. "The prophecy said that there would be two brothers that, together, would either save or destroy the world. It has to be fulfilled. The prophecy also included something about weapons from the saviors or destroyers, just the way that we would be saviors or destroyers. The scythe isthe answer."

Meredith smiled at her son proudly.

Death sighed, "Fine. But I can't give it to you now."

"Wh-," Meredith started.

"But-," Jude protested.

"It'll come when the time is right," Death said.

Jude and Meredith exchanged glances, in shock that they had pulled it off.

"How will we know… when the time is right?" Meredith asked, worriedly.

"You'll know," Death replied. "Now go before I change my mind."

"Okay," Jude said, hurrying he and his mother out of the pizzeria.

"You were great in there, you know?" Meredith started.

"You too, Mom. It's always mind boggling to see you and Dad on hunts. You're just… well, kind of bad ass," Jude said.

She chuckled, "Well, thanks, sweetie… I think."

"Come on, Mom. Let's go home," Jude smiled. And at the moment, he couldn't wait to get home and be with his family. The war was on and Jude was going to fight to the end for the family that he loved more than anything.

When they were finally home, Jude went up to his room and crashed. He knew he'd probably sleep all day tomorrow as well. Meredith however, crept into her bedroom, hoping not to wake Dean.

"Baby, what took you so long?" Dean mumbled, sleepily, as he turned over onto his back. He flicked on the bed table light as he smiled at his wife.

"Oh no! I didn't want to wake you up!" she whispered.

"It's okay. I'm already up," he shrugged.

"We went to see an old friend," Meredith replied. Dean shot her a puzzled look as she stood at the foot of their bed. "Oh, and I got something for you." Meredith then pulled a plastic scythe from a plastic Target bag she had been holding and held it up for Dean to see.

Dean raised his eyebrows, whistling, "Baby, I didn't know you liked it like that."

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes playfully and dropping the plastic scythe to the floor.

"Come here, you," he said, endearingly. Meredith climbed into bed with Dean, curling up to him. "So tell me. Tell me all about how you took our son to see Death."

Meredith groaned, "I know, I know."

"You should've told me," Dean started.

"I wanted to, but I didn't want to get your hopes up, just in case we didn't get it, you know?" she asked.

"Where is it?" Dean asked.

"Death said that it'd come when the time was right," Meredith answered.

"Who has two thumbs and doesn't trust that one bit?" Dean asked.

"You?" Meredith asked, playfully.

"Yes, baby. Me," Dean chuckled.

"I'm just glad to be home," Meredith said, pressing her face into her husband's chest. Dean stroked her hair gently and kissed the top of her head.

"We're going to be alright, Mer. I know we will. I can feel it," Dean comforted.