When the Cradle Falls

by Rheme

The hunting life was never easy, but it was for Dean. Never had he thought he'd get a slice of that white-picket fence, apple pie life. Not until a high school fling with Alice Mercer grew into something more than that: a family. Follows the Winchesters, with a few new additions, including Alice, and Alice and Dean's children, Cara and Noah. Currently in Season 3.

23. Blood of the Covenant

When the Cradle Falls

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Chapter Twenty-Three: Blood of the Covenant

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A Few Months Later

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It had already been months, but Sam often felt like he had just put Jess in the ground yesterday. He'd wake up covered in sweat in bed, in the Impala, anywhere where he would be tempted to doze off. Lately, that was a good majority of the time. He couldn't sleep face-up anymore, for all he could see behind the darkness of his eyelids were orange flames licking at the edges of her golden hair and satin nightgown. As a result, Sam felt eternally exhausted, but whenever he fell into a deep sleep, he would jolt awake by the nightmares that plagued him nearly every night.

And it was starting to show. He could feel himself slowly breaking down, body beginning to protest how far he pushed it. But he couldn't let himself give up. What would Jess think of him if he did?

However, after several taxing hunts, Dean had been the one to suggest taking a break.

Initially, Sam battled the idea. He wanted to find their damn father and that son of a bitch that killed Mom, and now Jess. He figured Dean thought he had been unstable—and it was true, he'd had a lot of anger building up for awhile. However, the older brother eventually admitted he was tired and also needed a break.

The last case had been confronting Bloody Mary, the woman that haunted mirrors and made people's eyes bleed. Those people whose eyes she bled held secrets, secrets of another's death in which they had been the cause of. Both brothers had taken hits. And Sam had finally revealed to Dean the nightmares he had prior to Jessica's death. Of course, Dean insisted it hadn't been Sam's fault, but Sam knew better.

And now they were driving away from Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they had confronted Bloody Mary. Sam noticed they were always driving away, always away, but in this instance, they weren't driving towards anything—at least, that's what he thought. Maybe they would just follow the asphalt road until Dean couldn't hold his head up anymore.

That was until he saw the iconic skyline, several hours later.

"Chicago?" Sam turned and asked Dean.

Hands tapping on the steering wheel, Dean shook his head slightly, shoulder cinched near his neck. "Not exactly. About an hour out."

"Why? What's out there? The best burger or apple pie in the state? Deep dish pizza?" Sam laughed at his brother, quickly noting how somber Dean was acting. Going out of the way for food was something Dean would do.

"Not exactly."

"What then, Dean? Why are you acting weird?" Sam wondered Dean had been acting weird the entire ride, but he hadn't exactly been paying attention until now.

Eyebrows animating into a caricature, Dean rolled his shoulders. "I don't know what you're talking about, I'm not acting weird."

"Really? Cause—"

"Leave it, bitch."

"Fine, jerk."

---

About an hour and a half later, the Impala pulled into the driveway of a gray brick two-story house with a black roof and black shutters. The French doors to the house held large panes of frosted glass. Sheer, white curtains hung in the rest of the windows. Some flowers in very particular colors of red, orange, and yellow were arranged along the walkway and front of the home.

Sam turned to Dean. "I thought you wanted to take a break. If there's a case here, you could've just said so." What was wrong with him? He was still acting guilty, Sam noticed. Ever since the strange conversation as they had driven past Chicago, he had been watching Dean closely.

Dean let the parked car run. He hesitantly turned to look at his brother. "There's a case, but there's more to it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I was gonna tell you so many times but there was never the right moment. And then you left for Stanford and Dad went missing and Jess…"

"Dean, what the hell are you talking about?" Sam was smiling but his eyebrows were turning down in worry. At the mention of Jess, he felt something trigger inside of him. It was still difficult to even hear her name after all this time.

Dean shrugged like he didn't know, either. "It'll just be easier to show you. Please don't get mad right away. Give me some time to explain."

"You want to show me but you want time to explain…" But Dean was already out of the Impala when Sam finished the thought to himself.

Even with Dean walking fast, it didn't take very long for Sam to catch up with his brother. "We need IDs or anything?" He asked as they walked up the driveway to the front door.

"No." Dean didn't say anything else, not looking at his brother.

"Weapons?"

"No weapons."

When they reached the front step, Dean was shifting as he rang the doorbell, not able to stand completely still. He kept adjusting the shoulder of his jacket, smoothing down his hair, messing it up, on and on and on. "Dude, relax," Sam urged, even though he felt strangely nervous too, not knowing what was going on.

About forty five seconds later, a figure appeared on the other side of the glass, and the door swung open, caught abruptly by the pale hand that opened it.

The figure behind the glass appeared completely and Sam got a good look at her. It was a little girl, probably about ten or eleven. She was wearing jeans, a lavender t-shirt. She was barefoot and had messy brown hair, just slightly longer than the shoulder. Surprisingly stylish wire frame glasses sat on her nose. Her face was carefully expressionless, except for her lips turning down into an exaggerated frown, yet the edges were turning up slightly. To Sam, it seemed like she was having a hard time keeping a straight face.

Trying to not act surprised, to Dean she said, "It's about time you stopped by again." She gave a cursory glance to Sam and nodded to Dean like she knew something Sam didn't, which apparently she did.

Dean seemed to deflate at that comment. "Is your mom home? She knew I was coming."

The girl didn't say anything, just jerked her head, indicating them to come in.

The pair followed her into the home, with vaulted ceilings in the foyer, and a charcoal rug which ran down the length of the hall into the kitchen area. Sam looked around the house, and noted the ease of which Dean seemed to navigate the area.

The girl grabbed a brand new book from the kitchen counter—Of Mice and Men—and opened the fridge idly. "Wait here. I'll go get her," she said without looking at them. Not finding anything she wanted to eat, the girl slammed the fridge shut and clutched her book tightly.

"Thanks Cara," Dean called, as the girl turned down the hall, who quietly glanced at Dean over her shoulder, watching him carefully.

Sam tried to ask who that girl was and how Dean knew her, but Dean just shut him down saying, "Just give me fifteen minutes."

"Fine. Fifteen minutes."

The two sat there awkwardly for a few minutes, until the sounds of someone coming down that stairs was accompanied by a figure emerging into the kitchen a few seconds later.

It seemed to be an almost grown copy of the girl. This woman had lighter hair than the girl, was shaped nicely, and had a pleasant, expectant expression. She seemed painfully similar to Sam, but for some reason, he couldn't place her.

Dean stood up and went over to hug the woman tightly, kissing her intimately on the mouth. "It's good to see you, Allie," he said, arms winding around her naturally. Sam almost didn't believe his eyes that Dean was so natural and accustomed to this woman in front of him. It was like he was hallucinating.

Allie. Sam suddenly had a flash and he was a middle schooler again, plucking up some angry courage to go over to the pretty upperclassman that tutored younger students. It was there Sam warned Alice Mercer about his brother.

"Alice Mercer?" Sam asked. He stood up slowly, staring at the woman intently.

She let go of Dean, almost surprised to see Sam there for a moment. Eventually a light bulb seemed to go off. "Sam? Sam Winchester? You grew up, kid! And you're so tall! Definitely not what I expected." She engulfed him in a hug. He slowly hugged her back.

Letting him go, Alice turned and looked at Dean. "So, he met Cara?"

Dean nodded silently.

"Who is she? Is that your daughter, Alice?" Sam inquired.

She nodded slowly, glancing at Dean. She moved to stand next to him "Yeah, Sam…Cara's my daughter."

"Well, she certainly looks like you." Sam was still trying to figure out why Dean had kept in contact with Alice Mercer all these years. Yeah, Sam knew Dean had it bad for the girl, but that had been over ten years ago. And Dean had obviously stopped by, familiar with Alice's daughter. There was obviously something going on between him and Alice as well. Sam wondered how well he actually knew his brother in that moment.

"I suppose she does…Sam, maybe you should sit down? Would you like something to drink, water? Coffee? I can make some tea?"

Sam sat. "No thank you, Alice."

"Okay, well, Dean, do you want me to tell him?"

Dean, who stood beside Alice moved forward, so his hands were placed on the edge of the counter. "I'll tell him. It's on me that I haven't for all these years."

"Tell me what, Dean?" Sam felt himself sitting up a little straighter. His hands gripped the edge of the counter.

Dean sighed and heaved forward minutely, like he was going to upchuck all over the kitchen. "You saw Cara, right?"

"Uh…yeah?" Sam responded, wondering why it wasn't obvious.

"Well, you know she's Alice's daughter."

"I gathered that, Dean."

There was a long pause.

"Well, Sammy…she's also mine."

Whoa, what?

"Your…daughter?" Sam tried the words out, choking on them. They sounded incredibly wrong.

Dean nodded, wincing, as if preparing for angry Sam. "Yes. Cara is my daughter."

"And she's…" Sam had a niece? For a moment he didn't even remember what that entailed. Did he even know what that entailed? He was an uncle?

Alice rubbed Dean's back and stepped up beside him. "Yes, Sam. I found out I was pregnant with her right before you guys left Broken Bow."

As if a vice wrapped itself around his brain, Sam was suddenly aware that he was telling a pregnant Alice—most likely aware she was pregnant—that Dean—potential father—was no good for her. The irrational part of Sam's brain wondered if he was the reason Alice broke up with Dean.

"…didn't tell him, of course. And my parents sent me to live with my aunt in Chicago once I started showing. I lived with her for a couple of years and then she helped me buy this house out here. It's been peaceful.

"It's so funny, as soon as Cara came to get me she said, 'Mom, I think Uncle Sam is here.' She's so smart."

"Yeah…I can see that." Sam's mind was whirling, he watched as Alice excused herself to use the restroom. Dean had told Cara about him? How long had Dean known about Cara? She obviously knew who Dean was well enough to pretend like she hadn't been excited to see him. "How long have you known about her?"

"Since she was seven months old," Dean replied. "She turned ten a couple months ago."

Sam quickly did that math. "That first hunt you went on by yourself in Nebraska wasn't actually a hunt. I still don't know how you convinced Dad to let you go solo at seventeen."

"There was actually a hunt, right near Broken Bow. It was a simple salt and burn. I'd caught Dad while he was smashed and actually in a good mood for once. I begged and bribed him until he said yes. You know I cleaned weapons for a total five months? Anyways, I went to Broken Bow to try and find Alice. She was already living in Chicago. That was when I called and told Dad I'd need a few more day's extension."

"He was mad, I remember." Sam got the brunt of that anger.

"Whatever. Three more months of extra weapon cleaning. It was worth it. Anyways, I eventually tracked down Alice, who was living with her aunt at the time. Dude, I had no idea about Cara until Alice showed me."

"All those times you disappeared for a few days, those 'solo' hunts?"

"Mostly to come here," Dean supplied. "It was easier when you went to Stanford—no offense—and Dad and I started hunting separately."

As Sam was about to ask why Dean never told him, the front door opened and slammed shut so hard, the entire house shook. Alice could be heard jumping into action and storming down the hall. "Muddy shoes in the coat room! You know the rules!"

Her words were hastily obeyed as a blurry figure bolted into the kitchen and latched onto Dean. Sam stood slowly and began to reach for the gun at the small of his back until the figure stopped vibrating enough for Sam to get a clear outline. His fingers immediately loosened when he determined there wasn't any threat. Actually quite the opposite. Alice reappeared in the entrance of the kitchen.

"Dad! I saw the car out front! I didn't know you were coming! You can stay for my football game, right?!" A young boy with a mop of black hair was jumping around in front of Dean, with an amazing amount of energy.

Sam watched in utter confusion and fascination at the completely content look on Dean's face. "I think I could swing that."

"Awesome!"

"Dean…" Sam began.

Sheepishly, Dean turned himself and the boy to look at Sam. The boy smiled and waved, much friendlier than Cara. "Sam, this is Noah, my son. He's eight."

"And three-quarters!" Noah held up three fingers, a gap-toothed grin.

"That's right. Noah, this is my brother, this is your Uncle Sam, the one I've been telling you about."

"Uncle Sammy?! I was wondering when I was finally gonna get to meet you! Dad always said you were four whole years younger than him but you're so tall!"

Alice chuckled. "Well, Noah, you may one day be taller than Cara."

"That would be SO AWESOME!"

Alice winced at picked at an eardrum. She lightly slapped him on the back of the shoulder. "Alright mister, go upstairs and take a shower; you smell." The boy started to complain. "I promise Dad will still be here when you get back. Right?"

"Right," said Dean.

Once Noah left and the three adults remained, Alice shifted around uncomfortably. "So...what do you guys want for dinner?"

Dean was too busy studying his younger brother's face. "Maybe we should talk outside, Sammy?"

"It's Sam," he corrected, with much more venom than usual, but was already wrenching open the back door.

They walked to the fence, which was white. A white picket fence life Dean swore he would never have. Sam just scoffed and shook his head.

"Okay man, let it rip." Dean held his arms out wide, waiting for Sam to berate him.

Sam just turned to look at him. "Did you plan Noah?"

"No. Why?"

"Oh! No reason! I'm just trying to figure out if you're incredibly stupid or incredibly ungrateful! I thought it was just stupid, but you know what? I think it's both! I mean I can understand accidentally having one kid. But two…" Sam pointed an irate finger at his brother.

"I'm sorry I never told you I—"

"Dean, I don't care that you never told me at all. What I care about is the fact you had this great thing in front of you, this family that you take for granted by showing up….what? Once a year?"

"I stop by every couple months—"

"Oh sorry. I mean, it's obviously not enough! I saw Cara's reaction when she opened that door!" Sam was seeing his brother in front of him, but it was like he was meeting his actual brother for the first time. There had been a whole chunk, a whole aspect, a whole facet of Dean's life Sam had no clue about. And Dean was a father. It made Sam reevaluate every word, action, and move Dean had ever made, every motivation he'd ever had.

"She's just very reserved—"

"Oh cut the crap and man up! How could you choose me and Dad over Alice and my niece and nephew?"

"Oh so know they're your niece and nephew?"

"Damn right they are Dean!" Sam licked his chapped lips.

"Sam, you were only thirteen when Noah was born—I couldn't exactly leave you alone with Dad. And besides, I wouldn't abandon my family."

Face contorting at the jab, Sam strode forward and grabbed Dean by the shirt. "I was going to college, I wasn't abandoning my two children and the mother of my children to fight monsters!"

"Shut up! You don't know Sam!" Dean shoved Sam away. "You think I like being on the road away from those kids and away from Alice? Because of this life I will never be able to be a normal father for them. This life follows you—you know that better than anyone. I don't want them dragged into this!"

When Dean stopped yelling, the brothers stood staring at each other, red faced, panting, hands curled into fists.

Sam took a deep breath and uncurled his hands. "Dean, I could've had what you have. I almost did. And I would give anything to have it all. But I understand that you can't run from this life. It's with you forever. Do they know about the hunting, or any of it?"

Dean shook his head.

"You know, Dean, a few months ago I never would've said this, but I think they should know. I mean, obviously not Cara and Noah right now, but I think Alice should know, so maybe she'll have a shot at protecting them if something were to happen."

Resigned, Dean hung his head and ran a finger through his hair. Ever since the Screaming Angels case which had thankfully ended well, and Dean had made up with Alice, there was a small sliver of his brain that wondered if things would be better if Alice knew. "Something has already happened."

Sam's stomach twisted at those words. "What happened?"

Telling the entire story, beginning with going to Chicago to discover he had a daughter, Dean mentioned how Cara and Noah were almost drowned by two boys later possessed by Sonja and her counterpart, and how the two were leaving trails of dead children, starting where Alice was born, all the way to where they currently lived. He explained Jan, and let Sam know she was someone he needed to meet. He told Sam everything.

While the two brothers talked along the back perimeter of the fence, Sam watched as his brother transformed before his eyes. Turning from a carefree womanizing hunter, he became a father doing the best he could do, who cared deeply for his children and their mother.

One particular thing was the discord created between Dean and their father. Sam knew Dean would defend the man until his last breath-something he had never been able to grasp his entire life. And Dean's refusal to accept John's infallibility seemed even more ridiculous now that Sam knew Dean was a father-an exceptionally better one than their own, it seemed.

That was one of the many things Sam wanted to ask Dean, but he figured as time went on, things would reveal themselves or new opportunities for questions would be presented.

Back in business mode, Dean was composed, more agreeable, a weight lifted off his shoulders. "That's not the only reason we came here. I actually did find a case, by chance. A town over, a family was slaughtered, parents and two sons. I did some digging and I found that they had a teenage daughter who killed herself in the house a year ago—almost exactly to the day."

"What are the cops saying?" Sam crossed his arms across his chest.

"Murder-suicide. Dad snapped under the pressure of life and the grief of his daughter, you know how it goes. But of course the dad, Martin Greenfield showed no signs of unusual behavior."

Sam shrugged. "I mean, his daughter did kill herself."

"Yeah, but get this, the Greenfield's oldest child, Nadine was away at college when they were murdered. She left for college a few weeks after Rachel offed herself. Nadine told the cops she swore she saw Rachel in the window of her bedroom was she was leaving for school. And again when Nadine came back to the house after the murders."

"Sounds like a vengeful spirit, maybe."

"Seems so," Dean said.

"Is Nadine back at school?" Sam inquired.

Dean scoffed. "Nah. She's staying at the house to get everything settled."

Sam nodded reluctantly. "Of course she is."

---

"So what do you think of him?"

"Huh?"

"What do you think of Uncle Sammy?" Cara asked again. Noah had been busy, head bent over in concentration as he practiced his cursive. He hated it-thought it was girly-but he knew he had to do it. He hadn't noticed his sister come into his room and shut the door.

"I think he's great," he responded, half paying attention.

Cara leaned over his shoulder. "Your 'b' looks like an 'l'."

Realizing she was hovering, Noah sat up straight, turning around to glare, which caused her to jump back. "It was fine until you messed me up."

"I didn't do anything," Cara shot back, defensively.

"You distracted me."

"Sorry. But you like Uncle Sammy?"

Focus completely gone, Noah shut his handwriting book, and turned so he was facing Cara. "Yeah. He seems really nice."

"Yeah, he does," Cara agreed silently, she looked down at the ground.

Eyes half closed, Noah glanced up at his sister. She was leaning against the wall, near his bed. Her glasses were falling down her nose-he was glad he hadn't needed them. But she didn't notice there were on the verge of falling off her face.

Eyes suddenly flicking up, Cara adjusted her glasses as she came out of her reverie. "Why do you think Dad never brought Uncle Sammy around until now?"

Noah shrugged. He didn't really think about that. Their dad's life was something that was a mystery to them, and he was okay with that. He was just grateful enough his dad had finally come back, after a year of his mom and sister thinking they'd never seem him again. Noah didn't want to rock the boat by asking. He was afraid the wrong question would drive Dad away, so he would take what he could get with a smile on his face. "Don't know."

That response frustrated Cara. "But why not? He has a whole nother life away from us-"

"Can't you just be happy he's here?" Noah snapped quietly.

"But what if he leaves again?"

"He's not gonna leave again. He promised!"

Irritated with her brother's seeming naivete, Cara stormed away from the door and pulled open his door in anger. "FYI, people can break promises, Noah."

And with a slam of the door, Cara was gone.

---

"Noah, would you grab the napkins? And Cara? Can you please get everyone a glass?" Alice asked as she set the pot of pasta on the trivet, atop the dining room table. "Dean, you wanna grab that bottle of wine? I just bought it," Alice said, as she reentered the kitchen.

"Sure thing."

Sam awkwardly watched everyone moving around the kitchen while he sat alone at the dining room table. He had tried to help them, but Alice-and even Dean-had insisted he sit and enjoy himself. He was a guest, according to them. Craning his head to see into the kitchen, Sam quickly readjusted himself when Dean emerged with the bottle of wine and three wine glasses. He awkwardly set one in front of Sam. "I know we usually have crappy beer but…"

"It's great. Thanks Dean," Sam responded woodenly, feeling like he needed to be extremely polite and formal.

After pouring Sam, himself, and Alice a glass, Dean set down the wine bottle and sighed. "Relax, Sammy, a ghost isn't about to pop out and attack you."

With a nervous chuckle, Sam took a sip of the wine. "That's how I feel, actually."

Dean smirked. "Felt the same exact way when I found out about all this." He clapped Sam on the shoulder and took a seat beside his brother.

A few minutes later, everyone was seated around the table and Alice asked everyone to grab hands so they could bless the food.

More baffled by the ease of which Dean bowed his head and grabbed hands with the people on either side of him, Sam quickly copied everyone, eyes shut tight as Alice said a quick prayer.

"Amen. Let's dig in."

A chorus of chirps erupted as as every began to ask for food out of reach, while passing the food to others and grabbing the nearby dishes for themselves.

Sam quietly watched the interaction from the corner he sat at. Directly across from him was Alice, with Cara beside her. Dean was to his right, and to Dean's left was Noah. Watching how the four talked to and regarded one another was fascinating. Seeing Dean step into the role of father was something Sam could hardly comprehend before they came here. Seeing Alice grown and fulfilled made Sam feel happy for her. And seeing two children that Dean had helped create-that were related to Sam-just function and live was the biggest miracle.

So this is what is feels like to have a family, Sam thought with bittersweetness. He took another sip of his wine and tried to pretend this wasn't all earth shattering to him. However, after a few minutes, he excused himself and quietly pushed in his chair, leaving through the front door.

There was a silence after Sam's abrupt departure. Dean knew it was a lot for his brother, and he gave a glance to Alice as he dropped his napkin.

"No, let me," Alice insisted as she pushed back her chair before Dean could even stand up. "I'll talk to him."

"You sure," Dean asked, unsure.

She smiled. "I got it." She reached across the table and gave Dean a kiss, full on the lips, much to the chagrin of both of their children.

"Oh be quiet," Alice responded lightly to Cara and Noah, as she moved towards the front door.

"Listen to your mother," Dean echoed as the two continued to complain, while he watched as Alice disappeared outside.

---

Shutting the front door behind her, Alice squinted around in the darkness, trying to adjust to the lack of light. After several attempts at scanning, she spotted Sam sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala, parked in the driveway.

Moving towards the iconic car, Alice felt nervous. She was meeting Sam for the first time in over ten years, and also, she had heard enough about that car that was enough to make her feel jealous t to the point of absurdity.

Reaching for the driver's handle and sliding into the car, Alice surprised Sam. Realizing who it was, he sat up straighter and looked forward. "Hi," he said stiffly.

"Hi Sam. I'm sure you were expecting your brother."

He shrugged. He hadn't really been expecting anybody. He was kind of hoping to be left alone so he could sort himself out. "You should go back inside and enjoy your dinner. Sorry I ruined it."

"Why would you think you ruined it?"

Sam sat there, contemplating for a moment. "I-"

"I know it's new. But Sam, you should've seen how Dean reacted to finding out he had a daughter. It's a lot, and you're just fine to take your time."

"Alice?"

"Yeah, Sam?"

"When I told you we were leaving…"

Alice turned her whole body towards Sam. "In Broken Bow?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah. Were you...pregnant? Did you know you were...pregnant when I told you?"

"Does it matter?" Alice asked quietly.

"It makes a difference to me," Sam responded.

She took a deep breath. "No. I didn't know. Not until after you guys left."

She hadn't known. No longer a middle schooler in a dusty library, Sam came back to the present, in which a weight lifted itself off his shoulders. If she hadn't known that meant Sam hadn't had a hand in the fact his niece and nephew had a father who came and went. He wasn't the reason they almost didn't have a father.

Shoulders slumping forward, Sam let out a breath he had been holding since they had knocked on the door of the gray brick house. Like when they had first pulled up, Sam sat in the passenger seat of the Impala, looking at a house he wasn't a part of, a place he didn't understand.

"I've been hoping Dean would tell you about us for a long time."

Sam shrugged. "I guess the timing was never right."

They were silent for a moment. "Sam, I'm sorry about your girlfriend."

"Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything."

"Still though."

"Thanks." Sam numbly accepted her condolences.

"Well, things may have been rough for awhile, but Sam, you have a family that would really like to meet you." Alice stared at the side of his face. His long hair covered most of his side profile so she couldn't really tell what he wa thinking. From what she remembered about Sam, he was always good at concealing how he really felt. Alice knew because she had done the same.

In the silence, Sam realized Alice was waiting for a response. She was waiting for him to get up and go back inside. However, if he did that, that meant an era of his life was over. It officially meant he was leaving Jess behind and moving on with his life. It was easy to pretend things were static when he and Dean went on hunt after hunt after hunt. It was predictable, redundant, and maybe a little underwhelming at times. But in those situations, he knew what to expect. They would stay in a place for about a week and then leave it in the dust. But if he went inside, he would be going into a place he would likely come back to again and again. If he went inside, he was an uncle, and Dean was a father.

If he went inside, Dean got everything Sam ever wanted and Sam became everything he thought Dean was. Although Sam didn't want the life anymore, if make his heart ache for Jess all the more. This should've been his and her life.

"Sam? Are you alright?" Alice asked quietly. They hadn't spoken for several minutes, space seeming to have spaced out.

It was obvious to Sam Alice had retained her compassion for others. It took a special kind of person-a teenager no less-to be willing to spend their free time tutoring petulant middle schoolers. Still, he didn't need her pity. He didn't need her to feel bad for him.

"Does Dean make you happy?"

"What?" Alice hadn't been expecting that. She thought this conversation was exclusively about how he was feeling. She felt an unsure pit in her stomach when Sam brought up his brother.

"Of course he does. He's a good father." Alice didn't think now was the time to tell Sam how many times Dean had broken her heart, how he had broken his children's hearts. She didn't know if it was an issue Sam needed to be made aware of. At least at this time, it wasn't necessary.

"You know, I never would've pictured him as a father."

Alice nodded. "I don't think he pictured himself as one either."

"And he's a good father?"

"Yes."

Sam didn't know to what ends he was asking Alice. He figured he was just checking up on the happiness and safety of a woman and her two kids. But it was more than that. He wanted to know about the mother of his brother's children. He wanted to know about Cara and Noah and what they were like.

He wanted a family, but he didn't want to leave Jess behind.

"Sam, I never want you to feel like an outsider or a stranger. This is your family too now."

"It'll take me some time."

She nodded. "I know. Why don't we go inside and-"

"I think I'll just-"

"Really, I don't think you're doing yourself any favors by sitting in the car."

Stunned by Alice's sudden brusqueness, Sam regarded her with wide eyes.

She held up her hands. "Sorry, but I've learned it's better to rip off the bandaid than slowly peel it off. Jump in head first...you know?"

It was strange to see Alice be anything but passive. Her assertiveness almost came off as aggressiveness, and Sam was so unused seeing her act like. To be fair, his marker for how he thought she should act was her as a shy high schooler. He hadn't seen her in over ten years. But to be fair, she hadn't either.

He wanted to tell her to leave him alone but grudgingly exited the car. He figured by himself sitting in the car, it was something Dean would confront him about and something Alice may hold onto for a long time.

It was easier for everyone if Sam stopped being a drama queen.

Pleased with herself, Alice followed Sam back into the house and the two sat down. Alice nodded minutely at Dean and the meal restarted as if nothing had ever happened.

---

The next day, while the kids were at school and Alice was at work, Sam and Dean dressed in their usual FBI garb and headed over to the Greenfield residence. At last night's dinner, Sam had gotten to know Cara and Noah a little better and got to catch up with Alice. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around the fact Dean was a father and he was now an uncle. But he woke up the next morning feeling more sure about everything. Maybe Alice was right when she said he needed a push.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, he and Dean slammed the doors of the Impala and walked up the steps of the red brick home. They knocked on the door, and a few moments later, a young woman pulled the door open. Her hair was unwashed, thrown into a haphazard bun. She wore an oversized flannel and had terribly baggy eyes. "Y-yes?"

"Nadine Greenfield?"

"Uh-huh?" She squinted her eyes at them, as if she couldn't make them out.

"We're with the FBI, I'm Agent Dennis Ehart, and this is my partner Agent Michael Ragsdale. Do you mind if we come in and ask you a few questions?" Dean and Sam held up the fake badges.

"Why does the FBI care that my dad killed my family?" She questioned with a frown, while seeming entirely unsure of herself.

"Possible cult activity, Miss Greenfield."

She blanched at the response. "My dad passed out communion every Sunday."

Nadine paused and scrutinized them again. "Does this have something to do with what I told the police? What they called 'trauma'?" Both brothers caught the skeptical, slightly sarcastic tone in which she spoke in.

Dean composed himself. "Partially, yes miss. We just like to cover all the bases. May we come in?"

She nodded and held the door open for them.

The house was a disaster. The floors were completely ripped up and the walls were all half painted. They passed a room that had a tarp on the ground, the walls were completely white. Nadine pointed. "The cops said that's where he did it. Lined them up on their knees, shot them one after the other. Started with my youngest brother, ended with my mom. Execution style." She pointed to the corner of the room. "That's where he slit his wrists. Cops said his body was still warm they found them." She paused and looked at them hardly. "But of course the FBI would already know that."

Sam and Dean nodded, but noted how detached the girl was trying to sound. She sniffled and turned on her foot into the living room, slowly lowering herself into a loveseat across from the couch she indicated for them.

Sam pulled out a notepad while Dean asked the questions. "So, you were away at college when it happened?"

"They called me that night and I saw it on the news the next morning."

"And to the best of your knowledge, was your dad acting strangely?"

"Well, like I said, I was away at school so I don't really know. When I talked to my mom and dad on the phone and everything sounded fine. But let me tell you one thing: after Rachel killed herself, my dad was the one that kept this family together. He started going to church more regularly, cut back on his hours at work just to spend time with us kids to make sure we were all okay."

"And how did Rachel kill herself?"

"She overdosed on sleeping pills. My mom found her."

"And did Rachel show any signs of depression or suicidal thoughts before?"

Nadine nodded. "When she was thirteen, she tried to commit suicide by slitting her wrists in the tub. That was the only other attempt. But she started to get better after that. Everyone thought she was fine. The cops think my dad slitting his wrists was some sort of sick tribute to Rachel."

"Now…" Sam shuffled through his notes. "There's a statement from you saying you thought you saw Rachel from your bedroom window as the car was pulling out of the driveway. This was of course as you were leaving for college. And then, you told the cops that you thought you saw Rachel walk from the room in which your family died to the kitchen the day you came back?"

"I retracted that statement," she said quickly. "I was hysterical. My family is dead. It was trauma, like they said." Clamping her mouth shut, Nadine straightened herself and crossed her arms. She completely changed her tune from earlier. It was evident the girl was afraid and confused.

Sam leaned forward slightly. "Nadine, please, tell us what you told the police."

"We promise we'll believe you," Dean added. "Please. It would help us out a lot."

Chewing on her tongue, Nadine seemed to dismiss the request, but then seemed to ponder it. She leaned forward, giving them a strong look. "You know, you two seem more trusting than the cops, so I'll tell you what I was smart enough not to tell them.

"Rachel was angry everyday of her life. She would yell at my mom, fight with my dad, threaten our little brothers. She liked to steal my things: money, clothes, boyfriends. I guess if she couldn't be happy, none of us could. And the night before she died, she got into this massive blow out fight with every single person in this household, after which, she shut herself up in the room we shared and I went to go sleep over at a friend's house, just to get away from the tension. And the next morning—similar to the call I got a week ago—well you know.

"And through all of this, I'd sooner believe that my dead sister made my father kill our family than him actually doing it. He was a good man. So you know what? You can go ahead and call me crazy. I've certainly been called worse."

Stilled, Sam shifted and looked at Nadine straight in the face. "We don't think you're crazy. But if you truly believe the spirit of your sister did that, why in the hell would you want to stay in this house?"

Nadine flopped back almost flippantly, a completely vacant expression in her eyes. "Because I have nothing left to lose."

---

"That girl should still get out while she can," Dean commented as they left.

Sam glanced at his brother. "Dean, her sister killed herself, and if that wasn't devastating enough, the rest of her family was brutally murdered. If that happened to Alice and Cara and Noah, would you want to go on?"

Dean stopped. "Don't bring them into this. But damn if that girl didn't hit the nail on the head with this one. Still, she's a sitting duck in that house."

"Well, I say we burn the body. We can head over to the cemetery tonight," Sam suggested.

---

Sam and Dean had just finished reburying Rachel, who was now a pile of ash. During that time frame, Dean's phone rang. He answered it, talked brusquely to the other person and hung up, clenching the phone to his forehead.

Noticing Dean's aggravation, Sam dropped the shovels into the trunk of the Impala. "What is it? Is it Alice?"

"No. It was Nadine. She just said Rachel's spirit attacked her."

"What? Just now?"

Dean nodded gruffly. "Yeah. The spirit must be connected to something in the house."

Sam shook his head. "Did Nadine at least get out of the house?"

"Yeah. She's staying at the Hewitt Co. Hotel. Told her we'd be there in fifteen. Come on."

---

Nadine quickly let the boys into her hotel room and locked the door shut behind them. They noted the scratches on the side of her face. "I can't go back to that house. I don't know why I did that in the first place."

Sam was quick to reassure her. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Just tell us what happened."

Nadine swallowed, and pulled a blanket around her shoulders. "I was getting myself a midnight snack and I turned around and Rachel was standing there behind me. She was so pale. Anyways, she clawed me across the face and shoved me. I landed against the oven and grabbed a frying pan that was sitting on the stove. It was the closest thing I could find. I swung it at her and she vanished. I got the hell out of the house after that and came here."

"That was the right thing to do, Nadine. Do you happen to know if the frying pan was made out of iron?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah. There was a whole set my parents got for their wedding. Why?"

"Because," Dean said. "Iron repels ghosts. So does salt."

Nadine appraised them. "Of course it does. Well, I'll take it you guys aren't FBI. But, that also means I'm not crazy and the ghost of my sister really did kill my family. And now she wants to kill me?"

Sam nodded. "You're right. I'm Sam, this is my brother, Dean. We hunt ghosts and monsters." She just continued to nod slowly, not really sure if she should be reassured by that or not.

Dean tried to be gentle with his words. "Listen, Nadine, the way to stop a vengeful spirit is to burn the bones."

Nadine's mind lingered on the word 'vengeful'. She stared at the two. "Are you asking permission to burn my sister's bones?"

The two exchanged sheepish glances. "Actually," Dean said, "We already kind of did. We were reburying her when you called to tell us what happened. That usually does the trick. But, it's also possible for a spirit to be attached to an object. Did Rachel have a prized possession, some object that was symbolic to her?"

Nadine was about to suggest something when the lights flickered.

Both brothers moved towards Nadine when they saw the apparition of a young girl with matted brown hair wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a stained white camisole. With a malevolent look on her face, Rachel grabbed Nadine around the neck and began to choke her, dragging her older sister backwards as she went.

Dean grabbed the iron crowbar from his duffle and swung at Rachel until she disappeared like a vapor.

Sam went over to Nadine and comforted the girl, making sure she was okay. "Did you bring anything of Rachel's with you here?"

Nadine shook her head.

"Okay, okay, come on." Sam pulled a chair from the middle of the room and sat Nadine down in it. He quickly drew a circle of salt around her. "Don't leave this circle."

"No problem," Nadine agreed in a hoarse voice. She rubbed her throat.

"And you're sure there's nothing of hers here, Nadine?" Dean demanded. He went and began to rifle through Nadine's stuff anyways. She didn't protest.

"There has to be something," Sam rationed. "Rachel was able to follow us to the hotel. Think Nadine, anything. A key chain, a sock, a piece of hair, hell, even a toenail that somehow got into your bag. Anything with Rachel's DNA or something that she considered her own."

"DNA?" Nadine asked without moving her mouth.

"Yeah. Why? What are you thinking?"

"Would blood count?"

Sam nodded. "Well, yeah. But just because the two of you are related and share blood, that still doesn't count."

"No, listen. It was right after Rachel tried to kill herself by slitting her wrists. I must have been fourteen at the time, but Rachel was home and she was depressed. She wouldn't eat. All she would do was lay in bed. She didn't even have any energy to argue, which was uncharacteristic of her. I was worried and didn't know what to do. So, I did what any big sister would do, and I made her a promise." Nadine wiped some tears from her eyes.

"What did you promise her, Nadine?" Dean almost growled. He shoved her bag aside, articles of clothing and possessions scattering across the bed and floor.

Nadine was the closest to tears the boys had ever seen her. She sniffled and tried to cover up the pain with ironic, unfunny laughs. "You probably think I would've promised to be there for her and talk to her and tell her everything would be okay.

"I didn't believe that everything would be okay. I knew she wouldn't ever be the same again. An important piece of her died the night she slit her wrists.

"Anyway, I didn't know how I would be okay if she killed herself. So I promised her, if she killed herself, I would join her in the way she meant to leave the world the first time so she wouldn't be alone. I thought I would be rebalancing nature or something like that.

"I know, I know, pretty dark stuff for a fourteen-year-old to promise a thirteen-year-old."

But she wasn't finished yet.

Nadine wiped her eyes again, determined not to cry. "Rachel didn't believe me, even when I swore on the Bible and our parent's graves. So, we made a blood pact. I took these little green scissors that were sitting on my desk and sliced my thumb open. She did the same and we pushed our thumbs together."

Nadine turned slightly to be able to see both boys.

"Is this why this is happening? Did my sister kill our family because of this unfulfilled promise?"

"Nadine, we can't know that for sure. All we know is that your sister's spirit is connected to you thanks to that nifty little ceremony you two did as tweens."

"Dean," Sam cautioned his brother at the biting tone.

"I know it was a stupid thing to do, but we do stupid things for our family," Nadine reasoned. She paused and glanced at the two. "Judging from the looks on your faces, I don't assume draining all my blood and somehow replacing it would work?" she asked with mostly sarcasm.

They shook their heads.

"So…what then?" Nadine asked slowly.

Dean cupped his face and slid the hand down. "You're not gonna like it."

"Well?" Nadine tried again, pointedly.

Dean and Sam exchanged a desperate look, wishing there was something else they could tell her.

Dean sighed. "If that blood pact is legitimate, that means Rachel is connected to you. She won't rest until you fulfill the promise you made her." Dean looked at the girl's socked feet inside the salt ring when he spoke.

Nadine nodded. "Well, then I'm a dead girl walking."

Sam stirred. "Nadine, don't say that." Though, he couldn't seem to believe what he was saying. The girl was right.

Processing what they were saying, Nadine slowly rose from the chair. "So either I wait until the angry ghost of my sister guts me, or I die on my own terms." She moved to step out of the salt circle, but Sam stopped her.

"Hold on, just sit down. We'll figure something out." The brothers turned and moved to the corner of the room.

"Sam, what are you doing?" Dean demanded.

"We can't just let that girl die!" he exclaimed.

Dean scoffed. "Funny how you changed your mind. Yesterday you were saying she didn't have anything to live for."

"But what are you gonna do, Dean? Hand her a knife so she can kill herself? Or maybe do it for her?"

Incensed, Dean shifted his weight, lowering his voice to a sharp whisper. "What else are we gonna do? Tell Nadine to carry an iron frying pan around with her for the rest of her life? Tell her to circle her bed with salt when she sleeps? That's no way to live. Sam, I hate it as much as you do, but Nadine's life is binding her sister's spirit here. Neither girl will know peace until they're both dead. And as long as Nadine is still alive, Rachel is not only be a threat to her, but everyone else Nadine comes in contact with."

Sam shook his head. "No, Dean. There's got to be some hoodoo or spell or something that'll—"

"Sam. Dean."

The brothers spun around.

Nadine was standing in the middle of the room, the circle of salt around her broken.

As both brothers lurched towards Nadine, Rachel appeared in front of her sister, as if to protect her. Rachel's arm shot out and flung both boys back against opposite walls. Dean was knocked out immediately and Sam hit his head on the way down.

Nadine looked at him mournfully as the ghost of her sister hovered in front of her. "I'm sorry. I have to do what I have to."

And then he was gone.

Sadly, Nadine took in her sister's appearance. Rachel was wearing the outfit she wore when she fought with her family members for the last time. The outfit she killed herself in.

Rachel's face shifted somewhere between angry and sad. She raised a hand to harm her sister.

"Rachel, wait."

Rachel hesitated, frowning at Nadine.

Nadine felt a silent sob ravage her body. "I'm sorry." Rachel frowned.

The living sister continued. "I'm sorry I broke my promise to you. I went on living and you were trapped here because of me. I want to make things right." Nadine walked over to the army green duffle bag Sam and Dean brought with them. She unsheathed a glistening knife and headed into the bathroom.

Nadine sat on the edge of the tub as the water filled up. She stared at the knife in her hands, and then at Rachel who hovered in the doorway.

"You know, I don't blame you for what happened to our family. It was horrible, but it wasn't your fault."

Reaching forward, Nadine turned off the water and fully-clothed, lowered herself into the tub. Water overflowed from the sides and sloshed onto the tile floor. Rachel fritzed out and reappeared, kneeling at the edge of the tub, translucent hands curled over the side. She stared at Nadine with an almost distrustful frown.

Peeling back soaking wet sleeves, Nadine made two vertical slices on each wrist and dropped the knife onto the floor. She submerged both arms underwater and leaned deeper into the tub. She took some deep breaths to steady her heart, and slowly felt her body becoming heavier and weaker.

Just before she lost the ability to keep her eyes open, Nadine turned her head fractionally to Rachel who was still there. "You'll be at peace, Rachel. Our whole family can be together forever." Nadine's eyes shut and she lost consciousness.

Rachel continued to stare at her sister, her spirit still connected to Nadine's waning life. Eventually, Nadine's head fell completely to the side.

Rachel's spirit pulsated a couple times, and then slowly faded into nothing, just as quietly and painlessly as her sister left this world.

---

Sam regained consciousness as quickly as someone blinking. He was up, gun in hand, yelling Nadine's name.

"Sam." Dean emerged from the bathroom and shook his head.

Sam pushed past his brother, and held himself in the door frame. There was Nadine, pale, in a tub of red, eyes closed, and head cradled against her shoulder. There was a knife with several red specks on the ground beside the tub.

"If everyone were half as brave as her…" He trailed off and walked back into the main room.

Dean stared for a moment then shut the door to the bathroom.

---

"It's just awful," Alice said as she picked up some dirty dishes from the table. "I just read this in the newspaper. Some family just a town over. Dead. It started with one of their daughter's killing herself. Then the father went crazy and slaughtered his wife and two youngest children. The oldest daughter came back home and killed herself out of grief. Just tragic. It's hard to believe something like that would happen here. Especially after everything involving those boys." Dean's jaw twitched at the mention of the Hanratty brothers.

"It could happen anywhere, to anyone." Dean offered gruffly, still thinking how unfair it was that everyone would forever think Nadine killed herself because she couldn't handle living anymore. But he knew Alice didn't need to be told it couldn't happen to anyone.

Alice studied Dean for a minute but decided whatever was eating at him was not a can worth opening. "Where's Sam?" she asked.

"Bar."

"Huh. Doesn't seem like much of a drinker."

Dean shrugged. "If the occasion calls for it."

Alice stared at him again and shook her head. There was a thud upstairs and she very quickly heard Noah muttering apologies to Cara. Cara told Noah to get out, and there was a door slam. Dean didn't seem to hear.

"There something you want to ask me?"

"What?" Alice was at the sink scraping off a casserole pan.

"You look like you have something you want to say."

"Nope."

Dean came up right beside her and dropped a plate into the sink belligerently. "I know you're smart, Alice. I know you probably have a million questions about where I go, what I do. Hell, you probably even have a few ideas."

Alice stepped away from the sink and glared at him. "What's gotten into you? Have you been drinking?"

"I wish, Allie cat." A look of despair suddenly crossed Dean's face.

"Why do you want me to ask, Dean?" Alice demanded. She moved further away from Dean and crossed her arms. "This arrangement we have has worked for over ten years."

Dean scoffed. "What? You mean the one where I show up every so often, stay for a couple days, and then leave and break my kids' hearts? Remember when I didn't stop by for over a year, or even call you? Damn Allie, it's no wonder Cara's been acting so cold and distant. She doesn't want to be hurt again. By her own father of all people. And Noah thinks every bad thing that happens between us is his fault."

Alice strode forward and poked Dean in the chest. "I didn't make you stay away. I told you to go, but I didn't tell you to never come back. You came and went on your own accord. I figured it was better Cara and Noah at least knew who their father was, even if only a couple times a year. But if you're saying you want to leave, then go ahead. I'll tell the kids I made you go." Tears began to prick her eyes. She didn't mean it. She didn't want to lose him again. But if he wanted it, she didn't want to hold him back, as much as it would hurt.

"Why do you do that? Why do you paint yourself as the villain and not hold anything against me?"

"I don't want them to resent their father any more than they have to," she said quietly, then raised her voice. "Because it's the only way I can stay sane! I can't hold grudges or drag myself down with negativity—it's too easy! Dean, you remember me in high school, always down about one thing or another? That was a miserable way to live! If I continually speculated where you went, I would spiral and drive myself crazy. I can't afford to do that with two kids."

Alice slumped against the counter in exhaustion. "What we have works, Dean, as well as anything in this world can work." He'd heard that mantra before.

Dean stood up and moved towards Alice, grabbing her hands. "There's a whole part of me you don't know about, Alice. That's actually part of the reason Sam went to the bar—because he thinks I'm a major hypocrite. And he's right."

Alice scoffed. "What? You think I'm a saint? Two kids by the time I was nineteen?"

"Yes," Dean said in all seriousness.

Eyes closed, she shook her head. "You're…rough around the edges Dean, I've always known that."

"Sweetheart, you have no idea."

"And that's okay with me. But I feel like you're gonna tell me anyway."

Dean nodded. "It's for your safety and the kid's. I know you're an excellent mother, but there are some things you don't know."

Alice narrowed her eyes but didn't say anything.

With clenched teeth, he looked down at the ground. "I'm going to tell you this, and then maybe someday, your or I, or the both of us will tell Cara and Noah."

Alice gave Dean a look like she were meeting a stranger for the first time.

She couldn't think of anything to say.

The two sat down on a couch in the family room and Dean told her everything.

He started with how his mother died by burning on the ceiling over Sam's crib—at six months old, that bit of information clarified some things—and how his father sort of lost it after that. Alice learned how Dean and his brother were raised, how they traveled and hunted things straight out of the nightmares of her children. Sam ran away when he was eighteen to go to college and be normal. There was no normal, according to Dean, not when you were immersed in this your whole life. Alice had known Sam left for college, and she had always wondered why Dean mentioned it like Sam was dead to the family. And then Dean reached out to Sam after years of not speaking to tell him their father was missing, assumedly hunting down the thing that killed their mother. And that thing—a demon—killed Sam's girlfriend. So now there was even more motivation to hunt the son of a bitch down.

One of the most shocking bits of news was finding out Alice's Aunt Jan was a hunter as well. Internally, Alice supposed that explained some of her aunt's oddities, but made her question everything about her family.

He could tell Alice wanted to cry when he began to mention the Hanratty boys and the Screaming Angels case, which led to radio silence for more than a year, a year he knew had almost destroyed his family.

Eyes glistening, Alice leaned forward and wrapped her arm around Dean's torso. She felt herself begin to shake. Every time he had left, it had been for a reason. And when he had left them for over a year, it was to keep them safe. "I was so horrible to you every time you left. And you had so much to deal with."

Feeling a balloon popping in his chest, Dean felt a strange mixture of relief and guilt. There was relief he no longer had to life to Alice anymore, but there was a sinking feeling that he had burdened her with something she shouldn't have ever had to deal with. "I never wanted you to be afraid, Allie. I never wanted you to worry about me."

Chin resting on his chest, Alice looked up at him. "You should've told me. I would've helped you carry the weight. That's what I'm here for."

All he ever wanted to do was protect her and the kids. "From now on," he promised.

Dean was patient as Alice absorbed and processed everything he was saying. It took her awhile, but finally, she managed to sit upright. "So even when you weren't around, I was still surrounded by all of this," Alice muttered numbly, thinking of the demons that had come after he children. They were in so much danger and she hadn't even known.

Dean nodded. "Guess so."

Alice's eyes flicked up. "There must be some other reason you came here, then. Especially with Sam."

Guiltily, Dean hesitated but spoke up when Alice continued to glare. " There was a case family that was massacred—they were killed by the spirit of the daughter who killed herself. The living sister killed herself to keep her dead sister's spirit at bay. And for Sam, he reached the end of his rope. We both needed a break. And it was time to tell him."

"Of course." Alice sounded skeptical, but Dean caught her flicking some tears out of her eyes. She looked at him. "So what do we do now?"

"Well, Allie, now you know what's out there. Salt, silver, and holy water will protect you against pretty much anything. Those are some good basics to have. Iron is also a must. Especially one of these." Dean thoughtfully dug into his pocket and produced the casing of an iron bullet.

"What, do you use guns?" She chuckled almost in disbelief.

Dean lifted up his shirt so Alice could see the pearl handle of his gun.

She nodded and looked away pretty quickly.

"That's a gun," she said.

Dean chuckled. "Yep. You're right. Can I ask you something?"

With pursed lips, Alice said, "With slightly pressed luck, go ahead."

Looking like a middle schooler on his first date, Dean's face flashed through several different emotions until he finally settled on absolute seriousness. Even though the situation was heavy and dark, Alice had to suppress a laugh.

Dean's face dampened even further into seriousness. "I want to teach you how to shoot a gun, Alice."

"Okay," she said, face splitting into a slight grin. She was surprised after this, she still retained that ability to feel so light. It pleased her.

He grimaced. "Why is that funny? That's serious. Now, have you ever shot a gun before?"

Alice shrugged like it was nothing. "Sure. My Uncle Don—Aunt Jan's husband—had a hunting cabin up in Wisconsin. I visited it a couple times. Not that I was any good, but yes, I have handled a shotgun before. Never told my parents though. They probably would've died of a heart attack. You know, after the two grandkids out of wedlock"

Impressed, Dean nodded. "Alright. I was thinking more of a handgun, which'll be easier to handle than a shotgun. Gotta say, It's kind of a turn on."

---

The house was quiet. The kids were at school and Sam and Dean were God knows where. Usually, she enjoyed the days when she was off and could enjoy some peace and quiet. Only now, there was no peace and the quiet was twice as deafening.

Jumping at the creak of the floorboards beneath her bare feet, Alice grabbed the kitchen phone to make a call.

The line rang several times before the phone was picked up on the other end. "Allie, you know this is my prime time to watch my shows."

Feeling herself smirk, Alice remembered the Spanish telenovelas Jan was obsessed with.

"I forgot. But I just wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah, I bet you did. I'd wanna talk to me to."

Alice bit her lip, thinking.

"What? I'm not funny anymore?" Jan paused for a moment. "What's wrong?"

The question triggered something in Alice and she felt herself let out a sob. Covering her mouth, Alice tried to steady herself before she attempted to talk into the phone. "Dean told me."

The older woman didn't even have to ask what about. "I've been waiting for this call for a long time."

"What? You knew he was gonna tell me?"

"I didn't say that. I just figured eventually he would. Thing would've been so much easier if you knew."

Alice thought about all the sacrifices Dean had to make to keep the secret. "Yeah. I agree. But he told me you're a hunter too?"

"Ish. I only really hunt when someone I know is directly in danger or someone asks for my help. I don't go looking for a fight anymore. This dog is too old for that."

"Thought you weren't old."

Jan laughed. "You almost got me there. I'm not that old."

"Of course not. But...can I ask you how you became a hunter?"

"Sure. I figured you'd be curious. It was college-"

"The beginning to every great story."

"Certainly a memorable one. I was probably a sophomore, so not even twenty yet and a girl in my sorority was brutally murdered."

"Oh my God," Alice murmured. "But there's more to it, isn't there."

"Yeah it was crazy. The whole thing seemed like an animal attack. The girl's heart was gone. And some guys-saying they were the FBI-came down and started asking all kinds of strange questions. The whole things was weird to me.

"So you know, being the rebel I was, I wanted to be helpful, try and figure out who the killer was. I thought if I could solve the whole thing by myself I could prove something.

"I don't know what I was trying to prove, but apparently I wasn't the only one who was thinking the same thing. A guy from our brother fraternity who had been close to the girl who had been murdered was also poking around, wondering the same things I was wondering. He thought the whole thing was weird, too.

"So, the two of us kind of began to work together to try to make sense of everything. And as you'd expect, we were some stupid college kids who thought we could save the world. It almost led to us being killed by a newly turned werewolf, who turned out to be in the same fraternity as the guy I was working with.

"Those 'FBI agents' ended up saving killer was some poor college kid that had no idea what the hell he was doing, but still, I watched those hunters put a silver bullet through his heart."

Alice tried to imagine that. At nineteen, she was already a mother, but in many ways, was still more naive than Jan had been at the same age. "That's wild," she commented quietly.

"Yeah. Although, I didn't really start hunting until my junior year. Never told my parents or Sherry. You know how they are."

"Yeah."

"But you know, as earth shattering as that was, something good came out of that."

"What?"

"That boy who I was playing Nancy Drew with? His name was Donald Sutton."

Alice felt herself laugh. "It was Uncle Don?"

"Yeah. Allie, he was so handsome. A handsome, stubborn idiot."

"He was a good man."

"He was the best man I've ever known. Look, I don't know if you're planning on hunting now or what-"

"I wasn't I just-"

"Listen, Allie, just be careful, whatever you're gonna do. Especially with kids."

"I don't know what to do about Cara and Noah."

"There's no easy decision, trust me."

"I didn't think there was. Aunt Jan?"

"Yeah sweetie?"

"How did Uncle Don die?"

"The way you'd expect. During a hunt. Look, Allie, I've really gotta go, but you should call me soon. Have Dean call me too if he's not too busy. I love you. Bye."

The line went dead and Alice was left listening to the dial tone.

Slowly moving the phone away from her ear, Alice laid her head down on the counter and wept.

---

Sam smiled awkwardly and slowly took a seat at the table. He tried to remind himself this was something he and Jess had always wanted, but he had realized: without her, he didn't want it anymore. So he really didn't know how he was supposed to act right now, the 'what could be' in front of him, now, the 'what never would be.'

Cara sat across the table from him. She was slouched forward so her chin rested on the table, making it look like she had a dismembered head. A dismembered head with an unwavering, accusatory gaze. A bowl of steaming mac and cheese was set off to the side.

"So…do you play sports?" Sam knew that Noah was in football. That kid could talk your ear off.

"No."

"No dance? Nothing?"

"No. And dance isn't a sport."

"Do you like school?" He knew she liked to read.

"No."

"Well…are you enjoying the weekend?!" He tried to pump some enthusiasm into his voice.

"Not particularly."

Perhaps with another kid, it would be easy to know how to interact with them. Noah was quite easy to entertain and talk to, since you really didn't have to do anything but listen. But Cara, she was another beast entirely.

Sam gave a nervous chuckle and pulled at the collar of his shirt. He stood up and stiffly ambled into the kitchen. Turning, he asked Cara where they kept the glasses.

She pointed to a cabinet near Sam's head.

Filling up the glass with tap water, Sam drank nearly all of it and turned back to the small girl. "Why don't you eat your mac and cheese?"

She shrugged. "I'm fine." Sam would soon learn that was Cara's signature response.

Cara continued to study her uncle and Sam turned around to admire the spice rack. He vigorously rubbed both palms against his eyes and wondered why he'd agreed to this. Dean had taken Alice shooting and Dean had asked Sam if he would be interested in watching Cara and Noah.

Of course Sam had initially said yes—who wouldn't want to get to know a niece and nephew they never knew they had? Only Noah very quickly—but somewhat regretfully—informed Sam that he would be going across the street to play football, as was customary every Saturday.

So that left Sam and Cara alone. Cara had looked quite uncomfortable for the first few minutes after her brother left. However, she let a storm rage inside her head; now she was content to silently critique her uncle. Sam had never quite cared about the judgements of a ten-year-old as much as right now.

"So I saw you like to read. Of Mice and Men was the one you were reading the other day. That's a classic."

Cara quickly stood up, picked up the bowl of macaroni and scraped the noodles it into the garbage disposal and ran it. She rinsed out the bowl and placed it in the other side of the sink. "I'm going for a walk." She brushed past Sam and moved into the coat room. He followed her, watching her sit down on a bench to carefully slip on a pair of white canvas sneakers.

Sam tried to remember being ten years old. Surely, he would want to be able to take a walk alone without an adult hovering over his shoulder. He had been about her age, slightly older, when they had been in Broken Bow. He tried to put himself in her shoes.

But, the difference between him and Cara was the fact Sam knew what was out there. And although she would probably be fine walking around the neighborhood, Sam remembered how paranoid Alice had been about her children ever since Dean told her about hunting. Alice sheepishly admitted she'd made a sign of the cross in holy water on her children's heads while they slept. The least Sam could do was make sure Alice didn't come home to Cara telling her Sam couldn't even keep an eye on one ten-year-old for a few hours.

"Do you mind if I come with you?" Sam was instantly glad he had asked, as opposed to telling her he was coming.

Cara watched him over the lenses of her glasses. "I guess so."

The two left and Cara subtly led the way, always a bit further ahead than Sam, which was a somewhat daunting task. He greatly slowed his pace and she was walking fast, almost power walking.

The subdivision was relatively new, maybe a few years old. The neighborhood was middle class and the families all seemed relatively young, a sort of place where a couple would buy their first real home. It was a vibrant, lively, safe place.

Sam was going to ask if Cara liked it here, but he knew she really didn't know anything else, so she might construe the question as ridiculous or stupid.

"You know," Cara said as they turned a corner, "I don't need a babysitter. I've stayed home alone by myself plenty of times. Even Noah has."

"Well—"

"Something changed."

Sam stopped for a brief second. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean it's normal for Dad to come around every couple of months, but he brought you this time. Why?"

Sam shrugged. "I don't know." He paused. "Can I tell you the truth?"

She nodded, seeming to appreciate the honesty.

"I didn't know you and Noah existed until I met you a couple days ago."

For one of the first times, Sam caught a glimpse at a wounded look on Cara's face. It was just a flash, covered up quickly by indifference once again. Maybe that wasn't the best thing to tell a child. He didn't know Cara had just thought Sam had never come to visit them. He didn't know she and Noah had no idea he didn't know who they were. They figured their dad had at least told Sam about them.

"Sam…Uncle Sam, can I ask you something?"

"You can call me whatever you want. And yeah, you can ask me anything."

Cara looked up at Sam, squinting. The lenses of her glasses were now tinted from the sun. "Why did Dad tell us about you, but didn't tell you about us? Does Grandpa Winchester know?"

That almost stopped him in his tracks. Grandpa Winchester. Sam shook his head, not able to picture Dad as a grandfather. "No. Grandpa Winchester doesn't know." And it was probably for the best.

Cara pondered that. "Before you and Uncle Bobby, the only other family member I met was my Great Aunt Janet. We lived with her when we were little. And she's kind of weird."

Sam blinked in surprise. Bobby knew?

Sam barely knew his mom but immediately knew she would've loved being a grandmother. "Well, even though your Grandma Winchester is dead, I know she would've loved to meet you."

Cara actually smiled at that. "My dad said you went to Stanford. That's a really good college, right?"

Sam smiled and nodded. "I was actually gonna go to law school."

"Why aren't you going anymore?"

He sighed. "My girlfriend, Jess…Jessica died and I just couldn't stand to be there anymore." That was the most simplistic version.

"Did you love her?"

Damn. It still hurt to talk about her. "Yeah. Still do."

Cara's brow furrowed for a moment but she didn't say anything. Sam supposed the girl had never truly lost anyone—unless she counted it every time Dean left, which case, the girl had her heart broken a couple times a year. From what Sam had seen of her niece, the thought she did maybe count it. He could never tell Dean that.

"Sam, can I ask you something else?"

"Of course, Cara."

"And can you not tell my mom or dad?"

He paused for a moment."Sure...no problem."

Cara stopped and theatrically turned so she stood in front of her uncle. She adjusted her glasses and huffed when she went to run a finger through her tangled hair. It got stuck and she pulled it out in annoyance.

"What does my dad do? I always ask Mom, but she tells me she doesn't know. But I know that in normal families, the Dad lives at home. We're not even a divorced family."

Sam hesitated. How was he supposed to answer that?

"I know you work with Dad. He told us that much. My mom has said so, too."

Sam's mind cycled through a couple different options, all keeping in mind how Dean and Alice would react. "I think that's something you should ask your parents."

Cara shook her head. "They'll never tell me."

And there was a good reason for that. "Cara," Sam began, "I will personally tell you…when you're older."

With a scoff, Cara spun around and kept walking. "That's a BS answer!" she called over her shoulder.

"Excuse me?" Sam demanded, a little miffed a ten year old had just called him out.

Cara turned and glared at her uncle. "I'm not a kid! I can handle anything you would tell me! And when you say you'll tell me when I'm older? That means you're never gonna tell me!"

Sam sighed and reached out a hand to grab Cara's shoulder. "Look, I know you only met me a couple days ago, but I do care about what happens to you as your uncle. And Cara, I can tell you from experience, you don't want to know. And you may not like it, but the reality is, you are too young to know. Kiddo, I know it's hard but it's the truth."

With a nod, Cara assumed an air much older than ten. "Thank you, Sam, I appreciate the honesty." She turned and continued to walk down the sidewalk, her posture noticeably better, head held a little higher. Cara definitely saw herself as someone older than ten, but that little girl had no idea. It was just something the adults in her life would try to shield her from.

---

"No, no, I really shouldn't."

"Come on, Allie, you just fired a gun about a hundred times."

"Okay, first of all you're over exaggerating."

"Live a little."

"We have two children, you jerk. I can't live a little" Alice smacked Dean on the arm.

Rolling his eyes, Dean leaned away from Alice and turned his head to the side. "I'll have two McDoubles with two large fries. A coke, and a diet coke please." He smirked at the side eye Alice was giving him.

Alice graciously took the food as the two sat, feeling like teenagers. Only this time, the third time was a charm—not like Alice would ever let anything like that happen again. And Dean didn't push. He obviously got satisfaction from somewhere else, and that was just fine with Alice. Don't ask, don't tell.

"What's your father like, Dean?"

Dean frowned, a French fry halfway to his face. He dropped it back into the paper bag. In the decade of on-and-off knowing her, that was something Alice never asked. She'd only heard flitting comments about John Winchester when they were in Broken Bow. Dean rarely ever mentioned his father around her, after that.

"He's a good man, Alice. He's a good man doing the best he can do."

"Will I ever get to meet him?"

Not knowing how to respond, Dean took a massive bite of the cheeseburger.

"Don't you think he'd want to meet his grandchildren?"

Dean wanted to laugh at the suggestion. He believed John Winchester was doing the best he could, but Dean couldn't believe John would be very pleased to know Dean spawned some kids with some girl. Of course, it was something John always suspected would happen, but was unjustly thankful that his son has never knocked up some poor girl. Let alone, twice.

"My father's a complicated man…"

Alice sipped her drink. "A simple no is fine. If you think it's better to keep our kids away from that, I won't demand to know why. You know the man better than I do. I was just wondering if at least one of their grandparents would be willing to meet them."

Dean took a sip from his drink. "Have you talked to your parents at all?"

Alice scoffed and popped a fry in her mouth. "Anything they have to say to me they tell Jan to pass the message onto me. But they actually sent me a Christmas card last year." She stopped talking and noticed Dean. "Sorry for bringing your dad up. Let's not talk about our parents, okay? Sore subject for all involved, I guess."

The conversation did make Dean think. How would John react to having grandchildren? The first thing he'd probably do was berate Dean for being so irresponsible. But what would he think of Alice? Of the kids? Surely John couldn't treat his grandchildren with the same gruffness he treated his own kids.

The car ride home was spent with Dean blaring his classic choice of music. When they were about ten minutes away from home, Alice reached forward and turned down the radio. "I have something to say and you're gonna disagree with me. You're gonna think I'm crazy for even thinking it."

Dean paused. "What?" He asked slowly.

"What if...what if I went on a hunt?"

Dean choked on the fry he was in the middle of swallowing. He coughed several times. He couldn't have heard her right. "What?"

"I know it's crazy but, what if you took me on a hunt?"

"No."

"Dean-"

"Absolutely not."

"Come on-"

"Alice, no. I mean it."

Feeling a bit of defiance in her, Alice crossed her arms. "Fine. Then maybe I'll ask Jan to take me on one."

Dean scoffed. "She's basically retired. And she wouldn't do that." But the more he thought about it, he wasn't so sure. Surely, Alice could convince Jan if she really tried.

"Wanna bet?" Alice sighed and backed off the belligerency. "Look Dean, I know I've only known about your world for a few days, but I really think a hunt would be beneficial. Sure, learning how to use a gun is helpful, but what good does it do me if I never actually use it under pressure in a situation that I'm actually practicing for?"

He couldn't take her. "Alice, you're right. It's a totally different thing. You're not ready for it. And hopefully you'll never be in a situation like that."

"I'm not gonna go looking for trouble...unless you leave me no other choice. Please, Dean? We can start small. With leprechauns or something like that."

Unable to help himself, he let out a snort.

Completely unaware, Alice asked what was wrong.

"Nothing." Dean tried to compose himself. He didn't want to give her any room to budge him. "It's just cute you think leprechauns are real."

Alice let herself smile for a moment. "But seriously, Dean. Shouldn't I know what it's like to actually be in a situation like that?"

"It's not safe."

"Doesn't sound like anything was ever safe. For our children, let me do this. Please, Dean."

Stopped at a red light, Dean shut his eyes tightly for a few seconds. He didn't want to think about Alice sneaking through a house in the middle of the night, a flashlight in one hand, gun in the other, hunting a monster, especially alone.

So what were his options? He could flat out tell her no and possibly drive her to do something stupid-which she would do if it was for her children-or try to enlist Jan's help. As much as Dean trusted and respected the older woman, he believed Alice was safest with him. So, taking her on a hunt was the safest, most logical choice-as much as he hated it.

He didn't want that to become his reality.

But it looked like it was going to be.

"Dean-"

"Allie."

"Dean-"

"Allie, listen."

Alice stopped. "What?"

"Okay."

Mouth dropping open, Alice quickly shut it before Dean noticed. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Don't thank me yet," Dean muttered. "We're not gonna go until I think you're ready. And if we do, we're going on the easiest salt and burn I can find."

Alice smirked. "You promise?"

"Yes, I promise."

"Alright, I'm holding you to that."

"Awesome," Dean muttered sarcastically.

Alice looked across at Dean and remarked with an undecipherable tone, "Looks like we're going hunting."

---

They had been at Alice's for almost a week when Sam began to feel like he was encroaching on their lives. It amazed him how easily Dean had slipped into the dual role of father and quasi-husband. And sure, he knew it would take time, but Sam wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to fit into this odd little family.

He and Alice had spent some time together, and he found himself resonating with her in which they were both the black sheep of their families. And eventually, they had both found their places in the world, the only difference being that Sam's little corner had been pulled right out from underneath him. In that sense, he was more jealous of Alice than he was of Dean, that she was able to leave her parents behind and create a good life for herself. Sam had almost been there but some extraneous circumstances had prevented him from apple pie happiness.

Cara seemed more eager to spend time with Sam than Dean, which was something both brothers noticed and individually tried to pretend wasn't actually happening. And although the little girl was a bit guarded when she first met Sam, like her mother, she reminded him a lot like himself. They were both quiet bookworms who seemed to have a knack for being irritated when they were treated like kids. It was evident Cara and Dean were cut from two very different cloths.

The same could be said for Sam and Noah. Literally bouncing off the walls, the boy was hardly ever anything but happy or positive, which was something that made him very easy to be around.

"How's it going?"

"Huh?" Sam looked up from his laptop where he sat at the kitchen counter. Alice stood in the entrance of the kitchen, keys in one hand, a pair of nursing scrubs on. Tendrils of frizzy hair had escaped from her bun and were framing her face.

"Just wondering how you were doing."

"Good. How was work?"

She shrugged. "It's called work for a reason, I guess." She stepped into the kitchen. "I like my job, don't get me wrong, but you know."

Sam felt himself chuckling. Did he like his job? He didn't really know. "Yeah. I get it."

"Where's everyone else?" Alice asked.

"Uhh...I think Dean took the kids somewhere. Maybe out to eat? Not really sure. Said he'd be back by four."

Alice nodded and went into the kitchen, pretending like she was looking for something to eat. She glanced at Sam's laptop and watched as his eyes quickly scanned across the screen, keys clicking at a rapid pace.

"Are you looking for a case?"

Sam stopped what he was doing and looked up. "Uhh…yeah."

Alice stepped closer to the counter. "So...how do you know when you have a case? Dean said you usually have to do research to find it out, but how do you know what's worth looking into and what's not?"

Sam shifted, bringing the laptop slightly closer to himself. "Uhh...we usually look through local news stories, keep our ear out for anything that's really odd. Occasionally another hunter will give us a tip. Our dad sends us coordinates to hunts. Kind of everything."

Alice nodded, pondering that. "You think you could show me?"

"I don't know if that's a good idea."

She smirked. "Afraid of your big brother?"

That caused Sam to scoff. "Please. But come on. Dont you think it's a little too soon. You literally found out about everything less than a week ago."

"But do we really have any time to lose, Sam?" She had meant it in the sense her children had already been put in a danger Alice didn't even know existed. Sam, in his head, thought how maybe if he had told Jess or heeded the visions of her death, he could've prevented it.

"If I do this, it's to prevent anything bad from happening. Right?"

She nodded vigorously. "Absolutely."

"Alright, so, I think this may be a potential case. Weird enough." Sam turned the laptop towards Alice.

She squinted her eyes at the article and tried to find anything that would indicative of something she should be looking for. Frustrated she couldn't find anything, Alice moved a piece of out hair out of her face and pulled the laptop closer. "We've got some work to do."

---

"Why are we here?" Cara asked. She and Noah looked up at Dean with wide eyes. He had taken them to a park and led them through some woods to a pond covered in green algae.

"Yeah, I thought we were going to Dairy Queen."

They knew what had happened there.

They remembered almost drowning.

Closing his eyes tightly, Dean turned from the pond and face his kids. He told them to come over to him and they reluctantly shuffled over. He squatted down so he was at their level. "You remember what happened here?" He asked in a soothing voice.

Both kids nodded. "They tried to drown us here," Cara remarked.

"They lied to us. And they were gonna hurt us," Noah echoed.

"Right. Something bad happened here. Something terrible."

"Dad, what are we doing here?" Noah asked. He kept glancing over Dean's shoulder towards the surface of the water. It was still, as smooth as glass.

"I took you here because I need you guys to understand something."

They stared at him blankly.

Dean continued, jaw threatening to lock as he spoke. "Something bad happened to you, but you guys can't be afraid of it anymore. It hurt you, but you're still here. Do you guys understand?"

They shook their heads. Cara had her arms crossed, with pursed lips, and Noah's brow was furrowed, fists unconsciously clenching and unclenching.

"Bad things happen in life. All the time. What happened to you was one of those bad things. But one thing you guys need to understand-Cara, Noah, pay attention-is that even worse things will happen. You guys need to be prepared for that. You need to be tough and strong and you can't be afraid of the bad things that have happened to you or things that will happen to you."

"So...you're telling us bad things are gonna happen to us but we're not allowed to be afraid of those things?" Cara asked.

Dean nodded. "Right. Being scared doesn't do anything for you. I need you guys to be brave and strong. Can you do that?"

They hesitantly gave a few nods.

"But...aren't you and Mom supposed to make sure nothing bad happens to us?" Noah asked.

The question-although not totally unexpected-was something that still had the potential to knock Dean clean off his feet. Knees protesting as he stood up, Dean turned back towards the pond and scrubbed a hand over his face. He took a deep breath.

He and Alice had talked about easing Cara and Noah into the world. They were both in reluctant agreeance that they had to prepare their kids for the things that could be out there, without actually telling them. However, they had not been able to agree on a way to do that. It was tough for Alice, because she wanted to nothing more than protect her children, which was something she would do to the end, but at the same time, realized they needed to be able to protect themselves as well.

He knew this wasn't the way Alice wanted to go about things, but Dean was too busy pulling a page from John Winchester's playbook.

"Yes, of course we want to make sure nothing bad happens to you. But Noah, Mom and I aren't always gonna be around to protect you. Sometimes, things will happen that are beyond our control. That's why you need to be able to depend on yourself and protect yourself. You can't count on anyone but yourself."

It was a tough lesson, but it needed to be learned.

Noah blinked and looked around. He had innately known parents were people you were always supposed to trust and could count on all the time. But here was his father telling him not to depend on them. He glanced over at his sister who had a vacant look in her eyes. It didn't seem like she completely understood either, or wanted to believe what their father was saying.

"I know it doesn't make sense, but someday, I promise it will."

Cara scoffed quietly. There it was. That someday. I'll tell you when you're older. Someday you'll understand. There was something dramatic that had happened in their lives, and she didn't know what it was. But she figured if Sam wasn't willing to tell her, then she sure as hell knew Dean wouldn't.

Perhaps it was something she'd have to figure out for herself.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Yeah I guess," Noah chimed in, following his sister's lead.

Dean clapped his hands together and tried to pretend like he hadn't just completely turned their realities upside down. "Truth is, at some point, someone is gonna let you down. I know I've let you guys down already."

That sobered both of them. Dean's year long absence was something they thought was scrubbed from existence, a phenomena they were allowed to talk about. But neither of them said anything now.

But that was something they understood.

Secretly hoping, but realistically knowing, Cara and Noah weren't going to tell him he hadn't let them down, Dean moved on. "There's one more thing."

The two exchanged glances and braced themselves for what he was going to say next. They could only imagine.

"You're gonna face your fears."

"Dad what-"

"Jump in the pond. Both of you."

That caught a laugh from both kids. "I'm serious you two. You both have taken swim lessons and know how to swim. Cara, this isn't the first time you've jumped in this pond. Hell, Noah, you even tried to."

"It was a stupid thing to do," Cara muttered quietly. The two had moved several steps back and were glancing at each other, as if silently communicating about what the hell they thought was going on.

There shook his head. There was only one way they would do this.

Turning around quickly, Dean sprinted with impressive speed towards the pond. When he reached the surface's edge, he used all his momentum and dove below the water, propelling forward like a torpedo.

Cara and Noah only seemed to register what was going on when the surface was broken and ripples radiated from the point where their father had impacted the water.

"Dad?"

"Daddy? Where'd he go?"

"Oh God oh God what are we gonna tell Mom?"

"He's lost his mind."

While the two were panicking about what to do, Dean's head reemerged and he coughed out water.

"Are you crazy?!" Cara asked angrily. She strode towards the edge of the water and began tapping her foot like she was a mother who had caught her teenager sneaking in in the middle of the night.

"It's fine, Care. See? I'm alive."

She shook her head. "I can't believe-"

But she never got to finish her sentence because Noah came up behind her and pushed her into the water. With a gleeful and fearful scream, he cannonballed into the water and made an impressive splash.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Cara screeched after resurfacing, furiously beginning to doggy paddle to her brother.

Attempting to keep her at bay, Noah began splashing large swaths of water at her, which only served to fuel her rage. But, the angrier she got, the harder Noah started laughing.

"You're not funny Noah!" She shrieked as a splash of water went down her nose and caused her to start choking.

"You're fine, Cara," Dean insisted as she angrily huffed, paddling in place after she expelled the water from her nasal cavity.

"You're so immature."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am-"

"Enough you two."

The two stopped bickering, seemingly more out of exhaustion than actually taking heed of his words. They silently waded on either side of their father, the only sound the water displaced as they kept themselves afloat.

"There's nothing to be scared of. It's just water. There's nothing can hurt you that you can't hurt back even worse." Immediately blanching at the terrible phrasing of his words, Dean tried to correct himself. "I don't mean if you two hurt each other's feelings. I'm talking about things out in the world that are bad that try hurt you. You two have the power to fight back. You don't just have to roll over and accept every terrible thing that happens."

He was met with two expressionless faces. Both kids blinked rapidly, tiny droplets springing from their eyelids as they tried to comprehend what he was saying.

"Maybe you guys are a little too young for this lesson."

"Not too young!" Cara blurted. She splashed some water at Dean's face by accident, and covered her mouth as she did. "Sorry I didn't mean to splash you."

Spitting the water out of his mouth, Dean's face changed from serious to playful in a split second as he responded by splashing her back. "Yeah, I think you did."

"Did not!" Cara yelled playfully. She sent another small wave of water at her father again.

The situation quickly escalated into a full out splash war, which Noah was quick to join. The tension Cara and Noah felt from their father's confusing life advice had evaporated, as well as Dean's worry of how they may have reacted to the advice.

The trio enjoyed themselves for several more minutes before the exhaustion of staying afloat began to take its toll. Dean paddled to the edge and crawled out first, before turning around and grabbing Cara and Noah's hands. Hoisting them up at the same time, he set them carefully on the grass.

Noah was quick to kick off his soaked gym shoes while Cara rung how her tangled hair. She sniffed it and cringed at the fishy smell. She didn't want to know how many washes it was gonna take to get the smell out.

"Mom's gonna be bad," Noah remarked as he sat down to pull off his socks. After the first incident with the pond, it had been a battle to get Alice to agree to him having swim lessons. Before that, he hadn't really had any interest in learning how to swim-he figured it was something he'd learn eventually.

Dean ruffled Noah's hair. "Don't worry about your mother. I'll deal with her. Come on. I've got some towels in the car."

The two shivering children followed their father through the forest to where the Impala was parked. Popping the trunk, he pulled out two heavy blankets and handed one to each of them.

With her teeth chattering, Cara pulled the blanket around herself. "You so owe us ice cream."

"Make it a double for me," Noah agreed.

"Sure thing. Let's go get you guys your Dairy Queen," Dean responded, as they all climbed into car.

The Impala pulled out of the park, not one set of eyes looking back.

---

Here it is! I've been so excited about this chapter since I first published this story! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I'd really appreciate some reviews to know what you guys think! Things really start to pick up steam after this chapter!

Stay tuned!