Catching Up
Chapter 25 – Salvation

"After Sam has a vision of a family being attacked, the brothers and their father head to Salvation, Iowa to save the family in Sam's dream," Cas read out as the show began with a new title sequence, recapping the story and all the major points before opening in Blue Earth, Minnesota and Meg entering a church.

"Pastor Jim," Dean breathed.

"God I can't watch this," Sam shut his eyes and turned his head though he could still hear everything. Meg attacked the pastor, demanding information on the Winchesters. Pastor Jim stood his ground and Meg slit his throat.

"Great start," Dean slammed a fist against the chair. "I hope Meg -"

"Dean," Sam said warningly.

"I am sorry but she did atone somewhat -" Cas began but Sam cut him off.

"Cas buddy, let's not talk about Meg right now," Sam asked and Cas bobbed his head in understanding. You better tell him. "I will."

Meanwhile, John was explaining to the boys how he had managed to track down the demon including tracking the pattern of it attacking children on their sixth month birthday and the precursor changes in the weather patterns. "That must've taken forever to put together," Mary murmured.

"Dad had the time and the drive," Dean said by way of explanation.

John revealed he'd tracked the next set of signs to Salvation, Iowa and they were en-route when John found out that Pastor Jim had been murdered. The elder Winchester ordered his sons to search all available hospital records for infants that were going to be six months old that week. They split up to canvas the area, each Winchester taking a different medical centre.

"Dean tell me you did not halt or delay your mission to have intercourse with that woman," Cas gave his friend a hard look.

"No, ye of little faith," Dean denied.

"Are you sure?" Sam checked.

"Does no one in this family trust me to keep it in my pants?" Dean questioned.

"Well there was that virgin case," Sam reminded him.

"That doesn't count," Dean insisted.

"Boys something's happening," Mary got their attention. Onscreen, TV!Sam had a vision of a mother in a nursery and he goes off to try and find it.

"Saved us a lot of time there Jennifer Love."

"Glad to be of service," Sam sassed.

The sound of a train led TV!Sam to a neighbourhood where the vision continues with more details. He spots the house and the mother, Monica and learns her daughter Rosie turned six months that day. TV!Sam tries to warn her but can't work up the nerve. The vision starts up again and TV!Sam sees the whole attack including Monica dying just like Mary did.

"It's oddly cold at first," Mary recalled. "Like stone, cool and numb but your brain goes into overdrive and then the fire but it doesn't burn. It's just pain."

"I'm just glad we could do something this time," Sam sighed.

In the show, the brothers discuss the visions with John and John insists that they should have called him. "That's opulent," Cas snorted.

"You mean rich buddy," Dean corrected him.

"It was so weird to see go toe to toe with dad," Sam said in awe. "I thought the world had turned upside down."

Mary chewed the inside of her cheek, "He gets confronted with the fact that he never showed up when his son was dying and all he can say is 'you're right' and comment about your tone. Goddammit John Winchester, you're making it harder and easier to hate myself when you behave like a prick."

"Now the world is turning upside down," Dean pointed at her.

Just then, Meg called TV!Sam and demanded to speak to John. She told him that she murdered Pastor Jim and didn't hesitate to kill their friend Caleb when John pretended not to have the Colt. She threatened to hunt down more of their allies if John didn't hand over the gun.

"And Meg was a friend?" Mary clarified.

"She was more Cas's friend," Dean said uncomfortably. "We had a mutually beneficial alliance."

"I still consider her a friend and so should you," Cas added. "She's changed Mary though I must admit I do now understand Sam and Dean's apprehension when working with her."

Sweet Jesus, can you just tell him already?! "We will." Sam promised. Onscreen, John had no choice but to give in although he planned to give Meg a fake gun so TV!Sam and TV!Dean could use the real one to kill the demon that was coming that night. John finally broke down and admitted he just wanted things to stop. Wanting to stop losing love ones, wanting Sam in school, wanting Dean to have a home.

I want Mary alive.

"I want you alive," Mary whispered fervently.

No one said anything and simply watched as the Winchesters made their preparations. TV!Dean procured a dummy Colt for John and John gave the boys the real one, urging them to finish the job. At the warehouse where he was supposed to meet Meg, John arrived early and scouted the area while TV!Sam and TV!Dean staked out Monica's place. "Longest wait of our lives," Dean noted.

"Well maybe yours," Sam disagreed. "You and Amara took that one for me."

"I'm with Sam," Cas concurred.

Back at the warehouse, John had located the water tank just as Meg arrived. He snuck up to it and used a rosary to bless it thus turning it into holy water. "Oh well played," Mary applauded.

"That is pretty awesome," Dean grinned.

In their car, TV!Sam and TV!Dean are still waiting and TV!Sam tries to say goodbye but his brother shuts him down. At same time, Meg and John meet. Meg has brought back up, forcing John to give her the fake gun. Her accomplice shoots Meg to test it and John manages to put some distance between himself and the two demons. He led them down a passageway where he opened a water main now spewing holy water which allows him to make his escape. That was effin' awesome. "That was impressive," Sam nodded.

"Pops was good," Dean praised. The show switched back to Salvation, "Looks like it's our turn now."

The boys were still camped outside Monica's place and they couldn't reach John but activity started to spike giving them the signal to go. At the warehouse, John made it outside but found his tires slashed and he has to regroup. Cut back to TV!Sam and TV!Dean breaking into the house. Monica's husband believes they are intruders and tells his wife to get their baby which leads the woman to enter the nursery where the demon is. Luckily, TV!Sam is there to stop it before it kills Monica and TV!Dean gets the baby before the crib bursts into flames. Another cut takes them back to the warehouse where John is captured by Meg's cohort but the show goes back to Monica's house as burns down. TV!Sam spots the demon still inside but TV!Dean stops his brother from rushing back in and they have to let it get away.

"Geez that was a roller coaster," Dean blew out.

"And it's not over yet," Sam raked his hair. Back at their motel, the brothers argue about finishing the demon and TV!Dean admits killing it is not worth losing his family. They try calling for John and Meg picks up instead, informing that they would never see their father again before the show faded to black with a 'to be continued'.

"They are just going to end it there?!" Mary damn near yelled.

"Start the next episode," Dean mouthed to Cas. "NOW!"