NEW 6/10/14

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you! I really did update this story! I'm not entirely happy with the first half-ish, because it's mostly expository yaking, but it was necessary. The latter half is more plot driven and emotional, so I hope you guys like it! As far as from chapter 6 on, I've edited quite a bit, so you might want to go back, especially if you like reading the sex bits.

The Day Before You: Rascal Flatts

Dean's grip on Isabel tightened considerably. Like the other two of their little triad, he'd assumed that being half angel afforded her some of the angel durability. To find out that she could be so easily taken away from him made his stomach clench violently.

Veronica smiled, despite the overall horrified expression on her listener's faces, "Don't looked so worried. Isabel, darling, you're going to be much stronger and faster than any human, you'll heal faster too, and with powers humans can only imagine, you should be fairly safe. Jesse said you've already healed his friend Will. I'm very pleased to hear that. Will has a great destiny ahead of him. Daniel will show you some of the other things you can do once you all are on the road."

"On the road?" Isabel asked, trying to process everything her mother was throwing at her.

Veronica nodded, "You can't stay here. In an hour, this house won't even exist anymore. You brought the Winchesters here, it's no longer a safe place."

"A safe place for who?" Sam questioned.

"Us."

Sam and Dean stared at the two boys standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Isabel smiled, moving towards them, "Hey, guys. Long time no see!"

Jesse approached cautiously, sliding his arms around Isabel's waist, "Hi, Izzy. I missed you."

Isabel kissed the top of his head, dismayed to find that she didn't have to bend down quite so far to reach him anymore. He'd grown since she'd seen him last, "I missed you too, Jess. Mom been treating you alright?"

Jesse nodded, pressing his face into the center of her chest, his eyes closed tightly, "I don't want you to die."

Isabel shot a glare to her mother, smoothing Jesse's dark hair, "Jess, don't you worry about me. I'll be okay. I've got Sam and Dean watching out for me now."

"Really?" Jesse asked, still inhaling as much of her scent as he could.

Isabel nodded, kissing the top of his head again, "Yeah, Jesse. They're going to keep me safe."

"Good." Jesse mumbled, holding her even tighter. Isabel regretted not seeing him sooner. Since she had picked him up in Kansas, they hadn't been apart for so long before. He looked up at her, "I love you, Izzy."

Isabel laughed, "I love you too, Peanut." She glanced back at the brothers and saw the horrified expressions on their faces, "Guys, what's wrong?"

"Him." Sam mumbled.

Isabel followed his gaze to where Adam was standing at the bottom of the stairs, looking like he wanted to be sick. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable. Isabel held a hand out to him, "Adam? Come here."

Adam ran at her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders and burying his face in the crook of her neck. She was used to getting hugged by both of them at the same time, but she wasn't used to Dean grabbing the back of Adam's shirt and jerking him off of her. "Don't touch her."

"Dean!" Isabel yelled, putting Jesse behind her.

Her mother sighed, "Dean, let your brother go."

"Brother?" Isabel echoed, feeling sorely out of sync.

"Half-brother." Sam clarified, staring at Adam, "How are you alive?"

Veronica looked bored, "I brought him back. Insurance of sorts." She smiled at Adam, straightening his shirt, "He's been a great help with Jesse too."

Adam smirked, saying softly, "She just likes it when I make dinner."

Veronica laughed, "What can I say, your baby brother makes one of the best meatloaves I've ever had."

Dean jerked Adam back to him, but this time, he embraced him tightly. "You little shit, letting us think you were dead. I could beat you." Even as he threatened the teenager though, he had his eyes pinched closed, his forehead up against Adam's. Sam looped his arm back around Isabel's waist, and there was a warmth in his touch that told Isabel all she needed to know. Loosing Adam was far harder on Dean than he would ever admit, and this big a display of genuine emotion was more than anything Sam had seen him do in a long time.

Adam laughed, "Sorry, Dean." He looked over at his other brother, "Hey, Sam."

Sam hugged his brother too, saying, "Hey, buddy."

Veronica sidled up to Isabel, "I'm not certain when, but I might need the boys to stay with you for a bit. I'm sure there's not much difference in caring for Sam and Dean."

Isabel nodded, "Sure, whenever you need me to watch them, just let me know."

Veronica laughed, "Precious, when I need you to watch them, they'll just be there. Jesse is a rather extraordinary young boy." She looked to the Winchesters, "Don't fret boys, I've taught Jesse a lot. No more de-brainment based on fairy tales. Jesse has control of his reality distortion, and I've placed my own limits to keep him from tugging on the loose threads of the universe too hard."

Jesse stuck his lower lip out, "I didn't mean to."

Everyone but Adam and Veronica looked confused. Veronica pat Jesse on the cheek, "Not your fault, love. One apocalypse in your childhood is nothing to worry about. It happens to the best of us."

"You?" Isabel said in shock.

Veronica shrugged, "What can I say, Our beloved Heavenly Lord and Master made me a creature a bit stronger than he'd intended. He didn't mind once I'd matured, but my childhood is the reason that most of the prehistoric creatures went extinct."

Dean's jaw dropped, "You were a meteor?"

She laughed, "I was curious, but my impact was more than the planet could handle, sadly. I was chastised greatly and spent two hundred years in my room as penance while He played around with his creation Adam."

Daniel laughed at her from his post at the door, "Classic you, Mom, really. And you always wondered why Izzy was such a rebellious terror as a teenager. I have to say, she leveled out much faster than you did."

Sam was staring at his brother, "You actually payed that much attention in class?"

Dean hauled off a punch, "Bitch!"

Isabel laughed, relieved that they could play fight and it not set off that new odd part in her brain that seemed to be the full form of the submission she'd offered to Sam. She felt her mother slide a hand into hers. "I'm leaving now, Isabel."

"What?" Isabel said, jerking her eyes from her boys to her mother's face.

Veronica smiled maternally, "I'm leaving you with the Winchesters and Daniel. You'll be fine." Veronica dropped her voice, leaning close to Isabel so her words couldn't be heard by the playfully bickering boys, "I know your father said something about your blood changing to Dean, and he's right. Soon, Isabel, your blood is going to change and supernatural creatures will be able to tell exactly what you are when they lay eyes on you, until you learn to hide it at least. It's a normal last step in becoming a full grown nephilim, but unlike the others, your blood itself will change. There's a virus designed to decimate the human race. When your blood changes, you'll be immune to it, but your blood will also be able to cure those infected. Creatures will start coming after you." Veronica kissed Isabel's temple, "Be safe, Isabel, and stay with those boys. They are your only chance at surviving."

"Gee, thanks, Mom. Aren't you cheery." Isabel groused, trying to make herself calm down from her mother's words.

Veronica pulled her close, "I love you, Isabel, and if I could spare you of your future, I would. To do so though, would end the world, and I can't do that. So long as you're very careful, Isabel, I promise that you'll make it through all of this."

"I love you too, Mom." Isabel said softly, her emotional mask slipping.

Her mother smiled, and kissed her one more time on the forehead before looking to her older brother, "Daniel, spend the next few weeks with them, okay?"

The angel shrugged, "Fine with me. I've missed Iz." He pulled his angel blade out of thin air, grinning at her, "Hopefully you've remembered how to fight, baby sister, because you are so in trouble for letting your dog pee on my motorcycle."

"What?" Isabel asked, looking around for Ion. He was outside, and had his leg lifted, peeing on a bright red motorcycle. She stifled a laugh, "Sorry, Danny."

He sighed, letting the blade drop out of existence, "It's okay. Only pity is I can't hurt the mutt."

Anger flashed in Isabel's eyes, "You'd better not try to hurt my dog."

Veronica made a disapproving noise, "You two, cut out the glaring. Isabel, Ion is not a normal dog. You should have figured that out by now, he's nearly twenty three years old."

Dean sputtered, spraying Sam with beer, "A twenty year old Labrador? That's impossible!"

Veronica rolled her eyes at him, "Yes, Dean, for a human pet, it is, but Ion is Isabel's pet, and she is decidedly not completely human. As such, he's a bit more exciting than your average canine. Think of him as the heavenly answer to Hellhounds. Isabel scraped her knee riding her bike with her father when she was four, and Ion licked up her blood. It changed him. I'd hazard to guess that it would take a nuclear bomb to kill the hairy thing. He's physically strong enough to take on a werewolf, resistant to magic, and he's fiercely protective of Isabel. I wouldn't just leave my daughter with just any old dog, but Ion is of her own creation." She shrugged, "Daniel will teach you more about that." She glared at her son, "Be nice to your sister, Daniel, she is the key to this apocalypse after all."

Sam stepped closer to Veronica, "Excuse me, did you say 'this apocalypse'?

Veronica arched an eyebrow at him, "Have you not realized how many you've already gone through? You boys are the best defense this planet has. Isabel's just the tool you need to stop this one." She narrowed her eyes at him, "She's not a toy though. Take care of her, she's an extension of the both of you. Part of a whole. If all goes well, Isabel will stay with you two past this hurtle, and you'll both be better for having her."

"Save the cheerleader, save the world? Really?" Dean quipped.

Veronica smiled, "Exactly. Although Isabel was never athletic enough to be a cheerleader. She would rather read books and help others."

"I always thought cheerleading was a waste of time." Isabel offered in her defense, letting Ion into the house.

"Oh, it is." Veronica said quickly, "But there are some great benefits for overall health." She clapped her hands together. "I really must be going. I've been terribly chatty."

Isabel rolled her eyes, "When are you not chatty?"

Veronica laughed softly, "True. When you're locked up alone for as long as I was you get a little excited when there's company." She kissed Daniel on the cheek, "Be wise, my son."

He chuckled, "Always. I am the angel of wise judgement."

"And you're cocky." Veronica chirped back, "I keep saying you need to get laid, but you just won't listen to me."

Dean frowned at Isabel, "Is your mother secretly a vicarious nympho?"

Isabel shrugged, "I don't know. She's my mother, that's almost all I know most days." She felt a sudden wave of dizziness and leaned into Dean.

"Woah, baby girl, you okay?" He asked, gripping her elbows.

"It's from healing that boy." Daniel said, looking pissed, "She shouldn't have done that. She's too young and he was too sick. She'll need to sleep it off. Like a hangover really. A greasy breakfast in the morning and she'll be fine."

They all looked up when Bobby said, "Balls."

"What?" Sam asked an instant before he realized that Adam, Jesse and Veronica were gone, and the house around them was fading away.

"Relax you ninnies, Mother's always been a drama queen." Daniel said scathingly. "I on the other hand am going to say my goodbyes face to face. So, goodbye."

"Wait, weren't you supposed to teach Isabel about all this angel stuff?" Sam protested.

Daniel rolled his eyes, "I've taught it all to her once before, I won't do it again. Mother thinks too highly of me. She'll remember what she needs all on her own. Besides, there's things near here that you lot need to deal with."

"Like?"

"Vampire nest in Nebraska, loads of demons crawling everywhere. Just your general stuff right now, but you two have been out of the game for long enough. The world needs you." Daniel told them, adding, "I know she can be a pain, but please try to keep my sister safe."

"Bye, Dani." Isabel slurred like she was drunk.

Daniel gave her a soft smile, "Bye, Iz, be good. Call if you need me." He vanished a second later, one swift wingbeat blowing against them.

The three hunters stared at one another before Dean finally hoisted Isabel off her feet, "Come on, let's go find some signs." Isabel mumbled incoherently against his chest and he shook his head, "Yeah, yeah, baby girl. Just don't drool in my car. If you have to, drool on that mutt of yours."

Sam laughed while he held the door open, letting the dog get in first, to Dean's chagrin, "Hey, are you going to be the one to tell the supernatural dog that he can't ride with his human?"

"Good point." Dean said, buckling Isabel into her seat while she continued to mumble like she was high rather than drunk.

They had been driving for about half an hour, on their way back to Bobby's when she finally nodded off, falling sideways onto the dog, who licked her hand a few times before closing his own eyes, "Hey, Dean." Sam began nervously, "Are we seriously going to bring her on a hunt with us?"

Dean shrugged, "Her crazy ass family seemed certain she'd hold her own. We let her help with the research and then she and Fido can hang out in the car. I'm gonna train her myself before she so much as lays eyes on a creepy crawly."

"Sounds good to me." Sam said, and the rest of the ride was silent apart from Isabel and Ion's soft snores. Dean didn't want to drown those sounds out with music.

Sam woke to Isabel laying on top of him. She looked like crap, skin sickly pale in the light coming through the window. She gave him a small smile, moving slightly, "I feel like I got hit by a train."

He laughed, "You look it too."

Isabel rolled off him, purposefully elbowing him as she did so, "Not nice. Dean said Bobby went to some joint in town to get us all breakfast."

"I could have made something." Sam protested slightly, sitting up.

"You were sleeping really deep, Dean figured he'd let you sleep. I get it. It's an older sibling thing. Embrace it. I know I do." She said, stretching before collapsing into a pile next to him, "I feel like I drank a bar."

"No beer, just angel voodoo." Sam explained, pushing some of her hair out of her face.

Dean strode in, "No better cure for a hangover than beer!"

Isabel stared at the beer now in her hands, "Pretty sure adding beer will only make me feel worse."

"Nah, you'll feel better, trust me. Maybe even get some color in your cheeks." Dean urged.

Sam pulled himself from the bed, "You two enjoy your beer, I'm going to get some coffee, like a normal person."

Dean scoffed after Sam left, sitting next to her, "Can you believe that guy?"

Isabel raised the beer in a mock salute, "Cheers." She tipped back a good portion of the alcohol, gasping slightly and making a face, "I really hope that makes me feel better."

"Well, I've got something else that should make you feel better." Dean said, handing her a book. Isabel ran her fingers over the leather jacket, noting the look on Dean's face. He looked like if she didn't appreciate his gift he'd cry, something she was pretty sure wouldn't happen because there was only one journal that could possibly be that important to him.

"Your dad's journal?" She guessed softly, more than certain of her assumption.

Dean nodded, face somber, "Yeah, figured if you're going hunting with us the best place for you to learn everything is from where we learned it." A tiny smile flittered across his face, "That and I know how much you like to read."

Isabel kissed him, trying to put all her emotions into it. Lips just over his she whispered, "Thank you, Dean." He tried to shrug it off like it wasn't a big deal, but she knew it was.

When Sam returned, showered, caffeinated, and dressed, Isabel was curled against Dean's chest, asking Dean a question about demons. She looked better, less sick, comfortable in Dean's arms, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and Dean... he was the glowing one. Sam had never seen his brother look that way, so 'in the moment'. A part of him wondered if he'd ever seen Dean look so relaxed, and it made his chest ache.

Isabel noticed him darkening the doorway, "Hey, Sammy. Is Bobby back? I'm starving."

Sam nodded numbly, "Yeah, I think he just drove up."

Isabel stood carefully, extricating herself from Dean's grasp, "Come on, boys, lets get grub."

She smiled at Sam as she passed him, trailing a hand along his chest as she did so, Dean following closely behind. Sam marveled at the bond they'd already formed. They'd known each other for less than a week, but now it felt like Dean and Isabel were inseparable. Sam couldn't decide if that made him happy or sad. A thick knot of jealousy settled into his gut, one that refused to leave no matter how hard he tried to push it away.

Hope you enjoyed it! Promise the next chapter won't be so long in coming, I've already got it outlined and the chapter after it is mostly written already!

Please review!

-Jenn