I know... it has been forever since I updated this one...things got busy. but enjoy.

The day before Max's birthday was doing nothing all day. Except for getting new clothes, of course. But it was her usual stuff. Red, black, grey and the occasional blue t shirts and tank tops. New combat boots, jeans and flannel. Nothing changed from that at least. Also, her appetite was back. Everything that was on her plate was gone, she even asked for seconds. Savoring every bite she took from her father's cooking, the only thing she craved most was a bacon cheeseburger.

Max was happy to be back in clothes that fit her, instead of baggy sweat pants and shirts that she was practically swimming in. Her pale skin slowly changed to her natural color. Her hair was trimmed and fixed up but none other than Dean. Happy to be outside, breathing in fresh, free air. Smelling everything around her, listening to the insects. Feeling the heat of the sun on her skin, and staying up later than everyone else to watch the star for a bit. Everything she missed in all the time that she lost. Everything Dean, Sam and Bobby looked at the teenager, it was almost like she never went to Hell.

The next day, she went with Dean to town again, getting a few things and a cake for her birthday. It was odd getting a cake, they never usually get cake, only pie because cake wasn't the same. It was Max's birthday, and she was turning fourteen.

"I don't see why we need a cake. Didn't we always get pie," Max asked, following Dean to a small bakery in Sioux Falls.

Dean smiled, opening that door for Max and allowing her to go in first. "Yeah, but a simple pie won't be enough."

"Enough for what?" The smell of baked goods filled Max's nose, making her stomach growl. The smell of sweet sugar filled her nose, and her mouth salivating.

"I thought I told you, Ellen and Jo are coming."

Max stopped to think, her mind was all over the place for the last couple days. "This morning?"

"Yeah. You still don't listen," he said, rolling his eyes. He glanced down at her, looking at her glaring eyes and saw the darkness around them. "Didn't you get any sleep last night?"

"I… got a few hours," Max faked smiled up to her father. He gave her that look again, the 'We are going to talk' look. Oh, how she hated that look, even hated it more over the last couple days since her return. She looked away from him right away and walked over to the cookies on display. Listening for Dean to order for whatever kind of cake, she didn't care. Monster cookies caught her eyes, they were her favorite. Remembering when her mother used to make her those cookies all the time in the winter months. She always told Max that monster cookies were a good type of snack for the winter and they went well with hot chocolate.

"Max?" Ripped away from her thoughts, she found Dean waiting for her at the door with a large cake.

"That was fast," Max mumbled as she walked over to the door. They walked back to the impala together. "Did you order the cake yesterday?"

"Yep."

"What kind?"

"Chocolate with whipped vanilla frosting," Dean answered with so much pride in his voice. "And strawberry toppings."

"So, when are Ellen and Jo coming?"

"I don't know. Sometime today. They might even be there now," Dean answereds. "So, why aren't you sleeping?" Max got in the Impala, grabbing the cake from Dean, setting it on the backseat while deciding what to say. "And don't lie to me either."

"I can't sleep, that's all."

"Didn't I just say don't lie to me?" Her head dropped, her nervous habit kicked in. Hating how her father can tell if she was lying or not. She tried her hardest not to look at her father, but she could feel his eyes staring her down. After a minute for so, he started the car and headed back to Bobby's.

"I'm still waiting," he announced after five minutes.

Max brought her hair over her right shoulder and began to twist and knot it around her fingers. Looking out the window, watching the trees and houses go by and feeling the warm summer air blow in her face. Words, she had to think of the right words to say, but none came to mind. She could just not say anything and lead it into another big argument, but she was too exhausted. A few hours of sleep a night for the last few days wasn't doing her any good and she didn't want another fight.

Dean saw as she held her wrist with the bandage still wrapped around it. It would take longer to heal, since it was a deep cut. "Remember what I told you?" Max looked away from the window and up to her father. Her face was calm, but her eyes showed everything she was feeling that she didn't want the world to see. "Don't carry it all by yourself, Max."

"Can we talk about it some other time, Dad," nervously asking. Teenagers, putting everything off, hoping that one day their parents would forget, but they never really do. Especially Dean, he never forgets and he always remembers. "Dammit, you're not going to give up are you," she chuckled quietly.

"Nope and I can tell you're too tired to even put up a good fight," Dean smiled.

"Damn you."

"I win," he announced proudly. But that smile quickly went away when he saw his daughter wipe away a few tears. "Max_"

"Nightmares. Every night, every time I close my eyes, even just for a minute… I see faces, twisted, dark, evil faces. I try to push them away and sleep, but they come back."

Nothing more was said between the two. Dean said nothing after Max spoke. That was hard enough for her to say, just those few words was enough description for him. It was quiet the rest of the drive to Bobby's. Max rubbed the tears off her face, hoping to achieve that nothing showed that she cried. He wanted to ask more, but decided not to push any further. His daughter needed time, and he was going to give it to her, however long she needed it.

"Look," Dean said before pulling into Bobby's driveway. Max looked towards the front, disturbing her from her thoughts again. She smiled almost instantly. "Ellen and Jo are here." Max saw their car and couldn't wait to get out. She was about ready to open the door before they came to a complete stop, but looked back to the cake instead. "Go ahead, I'll get it," her father said, parking the car.

The front door opened before Max even reached the porch. Ellen came marching out with the meanest look anyone can give. She stopped in her tracks and backed away, fearful. Slowly walking backwards towards her father, trying to get him to be a shield. Behind Ellen, Jo came out, not even bothering to help out the fourteen year old.

"You. Get your ass over here right now, girl," Ellen stomped of the porch and waited. She considered running away and hiding, for the rest of her life if she had too. She seen Ellen get mad before, mainly at Dean and Sam. It was then she understood never to piss her off. Now, it was Max's turn to face the wrath.

"Better do as she says," Dean placed a hand on her shoulders, looking down at his daughter. Her eyes showed it all, terror, pure terror. She looked like a six year old again, trying to hide behind her dad to get away from the monster. "Come on, Maxie. Get it over with."

"What the hell were you thinking, Girl," Ellen suddenly shouted, causing Max and Dean to jump. "What was going through your head?!"

"I'm sorry," Max mumbled. She slowly made her way to Ellen, fearful of what may happen. This was even worse that Dean, probably.

"Sorry, ain't gonna cut it. You listen to me, don't ever do anything like that again! You don't know what you put everyone through. Especially what you put your dad through."

"I know. I know. I put him through the worst kind of Hell."

"You got that right. What gave you the idea that it would be better for all of us if you were gone?" Max stayed silent, drying Ellen's patients. "You better tell me, girl? Or I swear, I will smack you all the way to next year."

All the yelling Ellen did, it wasn't helping Max. So much emotion built up inside the girl, it was too much. It reminded her of the place. All the shouting and screaming. The crying and the wailing. The faces, of the tortured souls, and the Demons. Everything poured into her head, all the years that past down there, but only months on Earth. The pain. Feeling every ounce of it as she stood there taking the scolding with closed eyes.

Dean saw that Max was shaking, trembling. He was going to tell Ellen to push off and speak to her about it later. But Max spoke up before him…

"I was only in the way. I would never become a good enough hunter like all of you. I thought I was holding all of you back, because I was only a kid who needed a babysitter all the time. And I knew I wasn't going to become the best like dad or Sammy or any of you guys. I was stupid. It was stupid and I know that now. Without me, the world would be better and in safer hands if I was gone. I can thought handle what I went through, but it was completely…I can't talk about it…not yet. I wish I couldn't remember a damn thing about that place…"

"Wait, you remember," Jo asked. "You remember all of it?"

The young girl nodded. Letting tears drip from her face, and seeping into the dirt. Her face showed the truth, this is something she wouldn't lie about. "Every damn second. And I'm trying to forget. So, go ahead. Smack me into next year. Dad already beat you to it, he smacked me twice. It will be nothing compared to what they did to me down there. Everything I felt down there, is still up here. In my head, seared there permanently. And nothing you or anybody else will do to me will never compare."

It was quiet amongst the four standing outside. Bobby and Sam were looking out the window, watching Ellen yelling at Max. For once, it wasn't them getting yelled at. Ellen moved towards Max, no longer angry, but sad. Because Max was right, nothing can ever compare to what she went through. Not a smack, a broken bone or a cut up arm can compare to her Hell. The little girl they all knew, spoke like a person who has seen war and survived it. She wasn't a little girl, not anymore.

Max didn't move when Ellen approached her, though the fear inside her grew, she stayed. Looking up at the grown woman in front of her, she twitched when Ellen laid her hands on her shoulders. Soon, it turned into a hug that ended up in tears. Jo joined them, and Dean walked up to the house, Max's words seared into his mind. It was then, he knew he can never imagine what his little girl went through. Finally, Ellen and Jo let go of Max to let her breathe.

"You listen, do not ever do anything like that again. Do you understand? IF you even think about it, I will beat you until you bruise easily as a banana. Got it?" Ellen ordered. Jo laughed at her cheese reference and moved away from the two. Making her way over to Dean.

"Yes, Ma'am," Max smiled and wiped away the tears.

"Good. Let's go inside and start cooking."

It was quiet at first, between them all. Max went into the bathroom and washed away the tear marks on her face. Then changing her shirt into a more comfortable black t-shirt before joining the other in the kitchen. Dean had already gone out in the back to heat up the grill. Max sat at the table and listen to everyone talk around her. All moving around, grabbing beers and talking about previous jobs they had just finished. Ellen and Jo had just returned from Colorado, where wolf was attacking late night wanderers. Before Max was back, Dean and Sam had just finished a vamp hunt in Minnesota. Which ended up with them scraping up the car and nearly getting themselves killed. Max rolled her eyes and wondered how they even survived without her saving their asses. She wondered how everything was without her.

The young teenager's mind wandered to every thought that appeared in her head as the others were talking, laughing, cooking. Every time they spoke to her, she would jump out of her thoughts and be completely lost on what they were talking about. Max fake smiled and fake laughed her way through most of the day. Of course, she barely spoke during supper.

All that was on the girl's mind was the Bacon Cheeseburger she's been craving. Her stomach growled while Dean first placed them on the grill then lasted until it was finally time to eat. One burger wasn't going to cut it for the girl, she ate two and more homemade fries. Then the cake. It was weird to have a cake at this birthday. Max was always used to pie and Dean eating most of it. But, it was still good. Nice and sweet, and baked to perfection.

No presents were given, but the now fourteen year old was okay with it. Being alive and back with her family was the best gift to be given. She got a second chance. But Max still wondered why her? Why was she saved? Surely there are souls down in Hell that were there longer than she. So then why her? Was there a job the God needed her to do? At first, she didn't believe in God. Or that Angels existed. If Angels are real, then why didn't they help them? Save her from the Hellhounds? Save Sam from getting stabbed in the back, or John getting killed by demons? Where were the Angels when Karen died?

Max's faith wasn't as strong as others in the world. In her mind, somewhere deep, the feeling that she's a monster still lingered. Why would the Angels save her, if there was even a small amount of monster inside her? If they had known what she was about to do, to get it all to stop, would they have rescued her then?

Questions. Just so many questions stirred and brewed in Max's over-crowded head. The questions that flooded her mind, led to her daydreaming. Blocking out all the noise and people around her. Her daydreams turned into something dark, that filled the room and ate everything in sight. Was it- was it her cage again? The air she breathed was stale and the odor of rotten flesh filled her nose. Her breathing became unsteady, and strange voices stirred her mind. Sounds of banging and rattling chains. The pounding and scraping metal, all the screaming. The faces… the blood….

It all became too much for the over thinking girl, she blocked out all the talking going on around her and had forgotten where she was. Completely forgotten that there was still a little bit of cake left in front of her. She couldn't hear her name be called out to her. And the glass cup she was hold was being gripped to tight, that it shattered in her hand. That was when she finally woke up from her hurricane of thoughts.

She looked down at her hand and saw the few shards of glassed in her palm, along with the blood dripping onto her cake. Seeing her blood made her completely freeze. Her mind was racing so fast, when Max blinked, and she saw an iron rusted shackle with a rusted chain around her bloody wrist. It all became real to her when she tried to pull her hand away from something that was holding her. It wasn't the rusted shackle, but Dean's hand wrapped around her wrist, trying to wake her up. But in the girl's mind, she was back in Hell, and not in Bobby's home with her family.

"Max, snapped out of it," Dean pleaded. But the girl fought against the grip around her arm. Max looked up to her father and saw his eyes. They were now entirely black, he was smiling and his face was twisted. A demon. It was only a hallucination, but in Max's mind it was all too real.

Finally, with a struggling scream, Max freed herself from his grip, jumped out of her chair and ran. Dodging all the arms and hands that tried to stop her, even pushing Sam out of her only exit in front of her and out the door. Nothing ahead of her but a maze of junk, she ran again. Her mid turned the junk into blood stained walls and cages. Max saw hands reach out, trying to grab her as she ran passed them. It was a car part she tripped on. But, Max's mind made her see a hand coming out of the ground, tightly gripping her leg, it hurt. The girl screamed, kicking the car part away from her.

Dean finally caught up to her, watching her kick the spare part. He walked slowly to the traumatized girl, hoping she didn't see him yet. Sneaking up to the girl didn't work though, her terrified gaze caught him. She backed away, slowly, not taking her eyes off of him. Max didn't see her father, she saw a demon. A demon who was in charge of her cage.

"Max. It's me. It' dad," Dean said slowly. "Just calm d_"

"Get away from me," she panted. "Or I'll kill you."

The threat didn't stop Dean. He continued towards her, his hands were out in front of him. Trying to tell her everything was alright. But it didn't convince the girl. Her eyes quickly moved down towards the spare part. To stop Dean from getting closer, she kicked the part as hard as she can. It went flying up to Dean and almost hit him. He quickly brought his arms up to his face, bracing for impact. But it never hit him. It wasn't much, but it was enough time for Max to start running again.

Dean looked up, and saw that Max was far ahead of him again. "Max!"

Running as fast as her legs carried. Her mind was still showing the dark halls in Hell. And her name being called and the running stomps behind her were the demons that chased her. It wasn't long before the hunters gave up, they knew they could never keep up with the girl. They ran back as fast as they could to their vehicles. Bobby, Jo and Ellen got in their cars and drove on the main road towards the direction where Max went. Dean and Sam hopped on separate dirt bikes and drove them through the field. But there was no trace of Max. The field was empty and Max was so far gone, they had to split up to search. But the sky grew dark and it was only harder for them.

The noise faded, and Max still ran. She didn't know where to, but she ran until her legs burned and cried out in pain and protest to her. That was when she finally stopped. She didn't know where she ended up or how long she ran for. Nobody chased her anymore, the sky darkened. The girl fell to her knees and cried when her mind finally pushed away the hallucination and the traumatizing memories. They had finally stopped, and everything replayed over in her head, the glass shattering in her hand. Kicking the car part to her father, and where she thought he was a demon.

Max looked at her wrist and saw no shackles that bound her. Only saw the little blood that dripped from her hand. There wasn't much blood, but that little bit caused her mind to go crazy. Blood was the trigger, but what else will be a trigger as well? Oh God, they'll probably put her in a home and dub her crazy from this point on. Honestly, running away would seem like the perfect choice for the girl. But she was too tired to even stand up again.

What can I do to make it all go away, she thought. She wasn't expecting an answer, but a strange voice behind her gave her one.

"There is nothing you can do, but learn to move forward," A raspy voice spoke from behind. Max jumped back onto her feet at the strange voice. She quickly turned around, at first expecting a black eyed demon but instead a man in a trench coat. "They're all looking for you, Maxine. You should return to them."

"Its just Max and who the hell are you," Max demanded. Her voice was strong, but there was still a bit of shakiness to it.

She looked at the strange man, wearing a trench coat, black suit and a backwards neck tie? It was definitely backwards. Blue eyes and short black hair. Or was it brown? She couldn't tell, it was already dark out. He looked like a dork, dressed like a dork and his name…

"I am Castiel. I am an Angel of the_"

"Bullshit," Max cut him off. Castiel sent her a confused and strange look. "Angels aren't real." She turned around to walk away from the man. Without knowing, Max walked into the Angel and stumbled back after she saw what she hit. "Son of a bitch… Ah! Let go," she demanded when Castiel grabbed her injured hand and placed into his. It stung when his hands sandwiched her then, the pain disappeared and her hand was healed.

Max looked over her newly healed hand. Not even a scar on her hand. The blood was gone, and so was the glass. She cast her now believing eyes on the Angel, and more questions arose. Hopefully the dork Angel with the weird name can answer a few of them.

"How did you know what I was thinking," Max questioned.

Castiel answered. "I told you, I'm an Angel. I can read your mind, and I was the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition."

"You got me out? So you left the hand print on my back?" Max only received a single nod. "Why me?"

"You were given a second chance, for the noble sacrifice you made to save your father."

"Noble? It wasn't noble, it was stupid. There were other souls down there that deserved a second chance more than_"

"You fought. You denied them every time. All those years down there, you lasted longer than any soul that was trapped," Castiel's raspy voice cut her off. "Even at your weakest you resisted. Even when your m_"

"Okay, stop! Shut up," Max shouted. Tears welled up in her eyes and she did her very best to fight them off. "I-I know who was there. I remember it all and I don't need it retold to me. You said, there was nothing I can do to erase it all. What can I do to make it go away? Why do I remember it all?"

Castiel let out a small sigh. His blue eye met her deep green eyes, seeing all of the girl's thoughts, all the emotion she felt. Every pain that coursed through her body. Then, he dove deeper into her thoughts, and saw a figure of a girl. Broken, beat and half dead sitting in the darkest corner of her own mind.

"There is nothing that can be done to remove the memories. I am sorry," he said in a quiet tone. "Each day down there was real. So were the passing years. All the pain you felt, went through, fought against. You will always remember, you just have to learn how to control them. Put them away. Learn how to be a human again."

Max processed each word, one at a time. Nothing. Can. Be. Done. Her head dropped and buried her face in her hands. Learning how to control them, it wasn't going to be easy, especially to a fourteen year old girl. All the girl wanted to do was sleep again. Now to know that the painful memories will stay, Max wondered if she can ever go back to the way she was.

"Talking about it helps," Castiel added in. He watched as the girl still had her face buried in her hands and shake it from side to side.

She pushed her hair back when she stood up straight again. "I can't...talk about it, to anyone. I just want it to go away. I want to sleep."

"It will take time."

"You don't know how to get rid of it, do you? Am I the first soul you dragged out of that pit?" Castiel stood in silence, his mask was finally ripped off. The young Winchester was right. She was smarted than she thought. He nodded slowly. Max scoffed, "Of course, I have to get the broken, dorkiest angel out of all of them. Too bad you didn't come with an instruction manual or something." Max's legs were tired of standing and let her fall to the ground in a clumsy way. She brought her legs up to her chest and hugged them tightly.

Soon, the sound of motorbikes grew. They were close. Castiel heard them too, and was expecting the girl to run. Instead, he saw Max look at the stars. It looked like she found comfort when looking at the small lights that sparkled in the dark sky. He even saw her give a small smile, like she had forgotten all that had happened to her. Stars and the night sky was her peace.

"I haven't looked at the stars like this since that night," Max said quietly. "I missed them. I almost forgotten what they look like. My sky down there was always black."

"They are beautiful," Castiel looked at them as well. Soon, they only starred at them in silence and enjoyed every second of it, until the sound of two engines were right behind them. Castiel turned to look at the approaching Winchesters, but Max continued staring up, not bothering to look behind her.

"So, nothing can be done," Max repeated again. "I may be out, but I feel like I'm still down there. Still chained in my cage. Waiting for them to start again. Will things ever go back to normal, Castiel?"

"I don't know," he told her. Looking down at the girl you sat in the dirt and saw a single tear roll down her face. But then, he saw a smile, small though. But it was enough to assure him that she was going to be okay for a bit. "They are almost here."

"Yeah," Max said simply.

"I will be checking up on you. It's going to be hard, but I know you can gain enough strength to leave it all behind."

The teenager chuckled at bit at his small speech. "You are a weirdo. And that was a cheesy speech. That your name, Castiel. Can I shorten it?" Max looked up to the Angel and received a nod of approval. Max smiled, "How about Cas? Is that alright?" Another nod from the Angel, and the sound of engines right behind them stopped Max from smiling again.

"Max," Dean shouted. She and Castiel turned at the shouting voice and saw two lights shine in their faces. She slowly made herself stand back up on her unsteady, tired legs and only waited for the yelling and scolding she knew she was going to get.

Both he and Sam turned off their engines, kicked the stand out and hopped off the bikes. They both saw the strange Angel standing next Max. Sam already aimed his gun at him, but Dean knew who he was and smacked his brother's arm down. "Sam, no! That's the Angel I told you about," Dean explained. His young brother stared at him with unbelieving eyes at first, then over Castiel who stood his ground. "Put the gun away and tell everyone we found her," he ordered.

Sam did as he was told, and clicked his gun back on safety. He followed Dean over to the younger Winchester, and he too had expected him to shout at her. But instead, he gave her a long, comforting hug, which was very surprising to the both of them.

"Are you okay," Dean asked, looking over his daughter and grabbed the hand she injured. He saw that there was no more shards of broken glass in it. Healed, like it never happened.

Max saw that Dean was confused and didn't wait or him to ask how. "Cas healed it. And no, I'm not okay. And I'm sorry I ran off like that and making you worry. I-I couldn't_" Max was cut off but another sudden hug from her father. He nearly suffocated her.

"No, I'm sorry. I should've known it would have been too much for you," Dean said as he released her from his second hug. He looked down at her, moving a few strands of hair out of her face, sending sad smile. "Don't scare me like that again."

The girl nodded, "I promise. Hey, Sammy." Max moved away from her father and was embraced by another concerned hug. "Sammy…can't…breathe…" Sam quickly released her. She turned her attention to the Angel that stood and watched the humans. She smiled at him, and he gave her a soft smile before disappearing before her eyes.

"Ready to head back," Sam asked.

Max's smile disappeared and wondered what everyone would say to her when she got back. "No," she answered.

"Well, it's late, Max. Come on, we can't stay out here all night. Besides everyone is waiting," Dean climbed onto his bike and waited.

Max hesitated for a moment, looking at the stars again before climbing on the same bike as Dean. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hung on tightly. The bikes started and they were off. Driving on a rough gravel round and the warm summer wind blowing pass them. Max's hair was starting to tangle, but she didn't care. She only cared about what everyone will say to her when they got back to Bobby's.

It wasn't like Max thought it was going to be when they got back. Everyone hugged her, worried about her, and hugged her more. Especially Ellen, who saw the girl as a granddaughter. No one said a word about what happened earlier. There was always someone to check on Max, or had to be in the same room as her. Trying to be careful and hoped not to trigger anymore dark flashbacks.

Jo and Ellen stayed to help clean a before deciding to leave and get back on the road. They said their good-byes and gave Max one last hug before they left. Then it was quiet, just the elder Winchesters and Bobby sitting in the kitchen while the young one sat on the couch in her gym shorts and tank top, staring off in the distance. Waiting for sleep to take her, but she was too after to close her eyes and drift off. What if she had another hallucination where she hurt Sam, Dean or Bobby? That was her biggest concern, hurting her loved ones. She's done that too many times already. Oh God, how was she ever going to get sleep?

"Max," Dean's voice snapped her back to reality. Max found him standing next to her with a glass of water in one hand, and something else in the other. "Here, take these."

Max held out her hand and saw two green capsules drop into her hand. "What are these," she questioned suspiciously.

"Sleeping pills. Strong ones. Should knock you right out here in a bit," he explained, handing her the glass of water.

"Dad_"

"Max, please. You need sleep. Living on a few hours of sleep a week isn't healthy," he pressed on.

"Says the one who eats a tons of grease for breakfast, lunch and dinner," she weakly smiled.

"Hey, I eat what I want, so don't even try to go there. Take'em," he ordered once more. Dean stood and watched, to make sure his daughter took the pills. She sighed and dumped the capsules into her mouth, then drowned them with the water. Chugging it down, hoping neither of the pills got stuck in her throat. She coughed a bit, before handing the glass to back to her father. He was satisfied.

"Alright, come on," he turned towards the kitchen and placed the glass in the sink. Max followed, wondering where she was going. Dean made sure she followed before heading down to the basement. Max groaned, because she knew where this whole thing was leading.

Coming off the last step, Max found Sam standing inside the all-around ironed walled room, with the pillow and blankets she's been using for the past few days. She groaned, "Do I really have to sleep in here?"

"Yeah," Dean answered as the approached the room.

"Why," she asked.

"It's just for tonight, Max. After everything that's happened, we thought it was best for you. And so you don't run off again," Sam explained.

"I said I was sorry," the girl leaned on her father for support. The pills were already taking effect on her, and her vision slowly started to blur.

"We know, it's just for tonight, though. I promise," Dean assured, as they watched Sam place the pillow and blanket on the cot for her. "Come on," Dean moved forward with his arm on Max's back, leading her to the bed.

Though Max wanted to fight, she couldn't. She was already too tired and weak. She told her body not lay down, but it ignored her once again and her head dropped to the pillow. Already dozing off, Dean pulled the blanket over her and stayed by her side. Max felt a hand placed on her forehead and saw her uncle softly smile down at her. Wishing her goodnight, he left the iron room and headed up the stairs. Dean was about to leave too, until a small voice called out to him.

"Dad… please stay," Max said quietly.

Without a second of hesitating, Dean grabbed a chair, and sat by his daughter. Her hand rested on the pillow, and she was already nodding off. Softy smiling at his daughter, he grabbed her hand and held it tight within his. Max knew she was safe now. She was back with her father, with her family.

Not done yet! There's more!