After many long-awaited months, it's finally here! Apologies for the wait; writer's block got the better of me. And a huge thank you to ShelbySPN_Morningstar on AO3 for betaing this fic. Don't worry, I won't let the other chapters take as long.
April 30th, 2010 - Lansing, Michigan
Summer was quickly approaching. Amy had spent the past few months with Sam, met the Campbells, and got to know them well.
She still hadn't heard from Dean in all that time and had eventually given up. But she knew she'd still see him, eventually. She wasn't sure exactly when, but she knew that he'd get a fist to the face when she did.
The Campbells were easy to get along with once they warmed up to her. Then, with Sam's help, Amy told them everything she could about her life before meeting Sam and Dean. Everything she could say to them, anyway.
Amy told them about the orphanage, her parents, the other Earth where she grew up, and, most importantly, her powers. A few months after she joined the hunters, she had finally settled in, feeling at home once again.
Until the day it all came crashing down.
"Amy, wake up."
Amy groaned as she opened her eyes to see Sam standing in her bedroom doorway. Casting a quick glance at the clock told her the time was just after 4 am.
"The hell do you want?" she snapped.
"We might have found something," Sam stated bluntly. "Come on, you need to see this."
"Now?" Amy asked, but Sam was already gone.
Mentally kicking herself for agreeing to join Sam and the Campbells in the first place, Amy groggily slid out of bed and headed into the living room, where Sam and three of the Campbells were standing around the couch.
"The sun isn't even up yet," Amy stated matter-of-factly, pointing out the window as she entered the living room. "New York better be on fire for you to have gotten me up this early."
"We think we found something," Gwen told her. "Some Djinn were spotted in Cicero."
"Cicero, Indiana…" Amy trailed off. "Wait, isn't that where Dean is?"
At Gwen's nod, Amy added, "You think they're going after him?"
"We think so," Sam confirmed. "We're gonna head out there if you wanna go pack up."
Amy nodded. "Okay, yeah. Just give me a few minutes." She took off towards her bedroom, quickly stuffing the few things she had taken out of her duffle bag back inside. Then, slinging the strap over her shoulder, she headed back to Sam and the rest of the Campbells.
"Alright, we ready?" Christian asked. "I know a place we can stay when we get there. Amy, you ride with Sam. The rest of us will follow behind you."
"Sounds good to me," Amy agreed. "We'll see you guys in Cicero."
"Here, take this." Christian tossed her a syringe filled with some sort of white liquid. "Djinn antidote. Better to be safe than sorry."
Amy caught the syringe, nodding her thanks to Christian, before following Sam out the door.
The ride to Cicero was eerily silent. Amy had tried talking to Sam, but for reasons she was unsure of, he would either give her a one-word response or say nothing at all.
Eventually, she gave up, deciding to get some more sleep after being woken up as early as she had been.
Cicero, Indiana
Amy woke up to the sound of the driver's door being slammed closed. Groggily opening her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that Sam was already out of the car.
'Really?' she thought. 'Didn't even wake me or anything?' Grabbing the syringe, she hopped out of the car and ran after the older hunter.
She followed Sam around the corner and into the garage, running in just in time to see him jab the syringe he had into Dean's chest. Dean let out a gasp before collapsing to the ground.
"What the hell happened?" Amy asked. She briefly looked at Dean's unconscious body before turning to Sam. He was staring down at Dean, face almost expressionless.
Amy sighed. She didn't have time to deal with Sam at the moment. "Come on," she motioned towards Dean, "we should get him in the truck before he comes."
Sam finally seemed to come to his senses. "I'll get him," he told her, tossing the keys over. "Go start the truck up, would you? We need to move fast before anyone sees."
Amy nodded, wondering why Sam was worried about being seen at two in the morning, let alone at all, and quickly ran out to the truck. Pulling herself into the driver's seat, she turned the key into the ignition as Sam walked out of the garage with Dean thrown over his shoulder.
She quickly slid to the passenger side as Sam laid Dean down across the back seat. He climbed into the driver's seat, and they headed down the dark road toward the abandoned house.
Amy kept looking back at Dean as they drove. The drive back seemed longer than before, and, for some reason, it made her anxious. What if Dean woke up before they got there? But, at the same time, she wanted to punch him in the face for abandoning and ignoring her the entire time.
"Can you stop that?" Sam asked.
"Huh?" Amy started to ask what he was talking about before realizing she had been tapping the back of one hand against the palm of her other. It sounded like she had been clapping as they drove, and she hadn't even realized. "Oh, yeah, sorry." She quickly stopped and began twirling the ends of her hair.
The rest of the drive was quiet. When they finally reached the abandoned house, Amy hurried to open the door while Sam got Dean out of the truck. He placed Dean on the cot and sat on the couch across from him. Amy began pacing around the room, unable to keep still as they waited.
Thankfully, it didn't take much longer for Dean to regain consciousness. He slowly looked around before his eyes finally landed on Sam. A look of realization flashed across his face as he quickly sat up.
Amy quickly hurried over to Sam. "Dean?"
Sam sat up straighter, his hands clasped together, and gave Dean a small smile. "Hey, Dean."
Dean looked confused, and Sam chuckled. "I was expecting, uh," he slowly stood up and walked towards Dean, "I don't know, a hug, some holy water in the face…something."
Dean's voice caught in his throat before he finally spoke. "So I'm dead?"
"If you're dead, then I must be too, and that's news to me," Amy half-joked.
Sam chuckled.
"This is Heaven?" Dean continued. "Yellow Eyes killed me, and now-"
Sam cut Dean off. "Yellow Eyes? That's what you saw?"
"Saw?" Dean repeated.
"You were hallucinating, Dean," Amy explained.
"You were poisoned," Sam clarified. "So whatever kind of crazy crap you think you've been seeing, it's not real."
Dean hesitated a moment. "So, then, are you...real?" He finally asked. "Or you," he pointed to Amy, "Or… or am I still-" he trailed off.
"We're real, Dean," Amy assured the hunter.
Sam took out his pocket knife and held it up for Dean to see. "Here, let me save you the trouble." He cut his arm with the blade. A few drops of blood escaped the cut as he rolled down his sleeve.
As Sam walked over to the old table, Amy moved out of the way. He used the knife to open a salt round and handed it to her. She rolled up her sleeve and made a small cut on her arm as Sam put the salt into a jug of water and drank it.
"All me," Sam said with a strained voice as he downed the water and set the jug back down. He groaned. "That's nasty."
Amy handed Sam his knife back and took a quick drink of the salt water. The bitter taste made her gag, and she instinctively coughed, placing the jug on the table.
Dean slowly stood up, eyes fixed on Sam. "Sammy?"
"Yeah." Sam nodded. "It's me."
Dean slowly made his way over to his brother. After a beat, he pulled Sam into a tight hug.
Amy rocked on her feet awkwardly, not wanting to ruin the moment. Dean hadn't said anything to her yet, and she wasn't even sure if he wanted to see her.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute." Dean stopped hugging Sam and backed away, pointing a finger at him. "You - you - you were - you were gone, man," he stuttered. "I mean, that - that was it. How the hell are you-"
Sam shrugged. "I don't know."
"He didn't tell me either," Amy mentioned.
Dean looked back and forth between her and Sam, finally seeming to acknowledge that she was there. "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"I mean, no idea," Sam said with another shrug. "I-I'm just back."
"Well, was it God or - or Cas?" Dean stumbled over his words. "I mean, does Cas know anything about it?"
"I haven't heard from Cas in months," Amy said.
"I've been calling," Sam added. "Cas hasn't answered my prayers. I don't even know where he is. I mean, I was... down there, and the next minute, it's raining, and I'm lying in that field, alone."
Dean tilted his head in confusion as he listened to Sam go on. Amy leaned against the table, waiting for her chance to say anything.
"It's kind of hard to go looking for whatever saved you when you got no leads," Sam continued. "But I looked. I mean, believe me, I looked... for weeks." He turned away, putting his hands on his hips.
Realization crossed Dean's face. "Wait, weeks? How long you been back?" He asked, voice shaking. "How long you been back, Sam?"
"About a year," Sam admitted after a beat.
"About a year?" Dean repeated in disbelief.
"Dean-" Sam started.
"You been back practically this whole time?" Dean snapped loudly. "What, did you lose the ability to send a friggin' text message?!"
Amy's expression hardened. "Excuse me?" she asked menacingly. "You would have known if you had answered your damn phone once in a while! Check your voicemails, read your texts," she rambled, "or, I don't know, not ignore me for an entire goddamn year!"
Dean stared at her for a moment. "What are you talking about?"
"You told him?" Sam asked at the same time.
"I mean," Amy snapped, pulling out her phone, "that I've been calling and texting you all year and never once heard anything back from you." She turned to Sam. "And I did, or tried to, tell Dean that you were back. Because guess what? You don't get to come back after eight months and tell me what to do. You're not my goddamn parent, Sam!"
Amy took a deep breath and turned back to Dean, a little calmer than before. "I found out Sam was back about four months ago. He told me not to tell you, but I tried calling you as soon as he left to let you know. But just like the rest of the year before, you didn't pick up, so I left a voicemail." She showed him the countless texts on her phone from the past year to him, all of which had been unanswered. "I gave up on trying to get a hold of you after a while," she admitted, putting her phone away.
Dean stared at her with a mix of disbelief and hurt on his face. "Ames… I never got a single text or call from you," he said quietly.
Amy scoffed. "I get that you were with Ben and Lisa, and I know I said I didn't want to stay with you all, but that didn't mean I wanted you out of my life forever." Her voice started to shake slightly. "If you didn't want to talk to me again, you could have just said so, but you don't need to make excuses."
Dean got down so he was at eye level with her. "Ames, I'm telling you," he said softly, "I never got any messages from you." He pulled out his own phone to show her. True to his word, there were no texts or missed calls from her over the past year.
Amy now felt confused more than anything. "I don't get it," she whispered. "Did you change your number?"
Dean shook his head. "Same as always."
"Then why-" Amy trailed off.
"I don't know," Dean cut her off. He stood back up and turned to face Sam. "What I don't know," his voice began to rise, "is why my own brother not only told you not to say anything but also didn't tell me himself!"
Sam put his hands on his hips. "You wanted a family. You have for a long time, maybe the whole time. I know you."
Amy scoffed at Sam's words, folding her arms across her chest.
"You only gave it up because of how we lived," Sam continued. "But you had something, and you were building something. Had I shown up, Dean, you would have just run off. I'm sorry. But it felt like, after everything, you deserve some regular life."
"And what, I didn't?" Amy asked disbelievingly. "You almost didn't give me a choice! Just saved me from that demon and said we had to leave right then and there. Almost made me leave all my stuff at my grandparents' behind. And, for the record, I only joined you because they told me I should. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't even be here right now.
"I'm sorry, demon?" Dean repeated. "You've been hunting alone?"
"I was fine, Dean," Amy insisted.
"You could have died!"
"It's not like you were there!" Amy snapped. "I still have my powers. I was fine. I didn't need you or Bobby, who, by the way, also knows Sam's back." She glared at Sam. "It doesn't seem like he was gonna bother telling you that either."
A hint of a glare seeped through the cold, distant expression Amy had gotten used to from Sam.
"Oh, and, by the way," Amy continued, "he's known longer than I have."
Dean huffed in annoyance. "So, what have you two been doing?"
"Hunting," Sam said bluntly. He sat back down on the couch.
"You left me alone, and it was just the two of you?" Dean asked.
"Not exactly," Amy corrected, rocking on her feet.
"What?"
"We hooked up with some other people," Sam explained.
"You?" Dean asked disbelievingly. "Working with strangers?"
"They were strangers to me," Amy cut in.
"They're more like family," Sam corrected. "And they're here." He stood up and walked to the double doors on the other side of the room.
Opening the doors, Sam led Dean into the next room. Amy trailed behind as they walked to a table in the center of the room where Gwen, Christian, and Mark were studying a map and cleaning their guns.
Gwen quickly glanced at Christian and turned to Dean as he approached. "Hey," she greeted.
Dean looked Gwen up and down in confusion. "Hi,"
Gwen scoffed, staring at Dean's face. "My God, you have delicate features for a hunter."
"Excuse me?" Dean asked as Amy stifled a laugh.
"Dean," Sam smiled, "Gwen Campbell."
"Good to finally meet you," Gwen said. "Sam's gone on and on."
"And this is Christian," Sam pointed at the man leaning against the table, who did a two-finger wave at Dean. "And Mark," Sam finished, pointing to the man cleaning his gun with his feet on the table, "Campbell."
Christian extended a hand to Dean.
Dean shook Christian's hand. "Hi." He looked around. "Cam- Campbell?" he repeated. "Like…"
"Like your mom," Christian finished.
"Third cousin," Sam said, pointing to Gwen and Christian. "Third cousin." He waved a hand towards Mark. "Something, something twice removed. They grew up in the life, like Mom and us," he explained.
"I met them a few months ago," Amy spoke up, "back when I first learned Sam was back."
Dean turned to Sam. "I thought all Mom's relatives were gone," he said quietly. He turned back to the Campbells, speaking louder. "And I'm sorry. It's just, you know, why didn't we know about any of you?"
"'Cause they didn't know about you," a voice said from next to Dean.
Amy could practically see Dean's voice catch in his throat as their grandfather, Samuel Campbell, entered the room.
Samuel nodded toward the others and made his way over to Dean. "Not until I brought you all together."
"Samuel?" Dean asked in a shaky voice. He let Samuel pull him into a hug. Then, a couple of moments later, they stopped hugging.
Dean stared at Samuel wide-eyed until the hunter nodded in understanding and turned to the others.
"Guys, give me a second with my grandsons and Amy here, please."
The other Campbells nodded and left the room.
Amy leaned on the table next to Sam.
Dean hadn't stopped staring at Samuel, who nodded in understanding. "Lot of resurrections in your face today," he said. "It's all right. Take a minute."
"It's gonna take a little more than a minute," Dean's voice shook. "I mean, what the hell? H-how did this happen?"
"We're guessing whatever pulled Sam up pulled me down."
Sam nodded. "So, whatever this is, we're both a part of it."
"But you don't know what that is," Dean guessed.
Amy nodded. "Exactly."
"Bingo," Samuel said at the same time.
Dean nodded. "And you have no leads? Nothing?"
Samuel shook his head.
Dean let out an exasperated sigh and turned around, taking a few steps away. "Well, this - this is, uh…" he trailed off.
Amy exchanged a glance with Sam and Samuel as Dean turned back around.
"No more doornails coming out of that door, is there?" Dean asked.
Sam sat on top of the table. "As far as we know, it's Samuel, and its me."
"We've spent the past few months trying to come up with something to explain this," Amy said, "but so far, we haven't got anything."
Dean nodded slowly. "Okay, am I the only one here who thinks this can't be just fine?" He asked.
Samuel shook his head. "Believe me, you're not." There was a long pause as Samuel took a breath. "I wanted to come to get you, of course," he said. "Sam was adamant about leaving you out, so we did. Until this."
"I actually tried calling him when Sam came to get me a few months back," Amy admitted. "Before I decided to come."
"You did?" Samuel asked.
Amy nodded. "But apparently, none of my texts and calls were getting through, so it didn't matter."
Dean nodded. "So, then you ended up in my garage, how?"
"I got hit before you did a few days ago," Sam said. "Dosed up with poison."
"By?"
"Couple of Djinn."
"Djinn?" Dean asked, shocked. "I thought those were - were cave-dwelling hermit-type. That's pretty exotic."
"They were," Amy corrected.
"These ones look like regular people," Sam added. "They can blend in. And all they got to do to kill you is touch you. Their toxins get in your system, all of a sudden you're hallucinating your worst nightmares, and pretty soon you O.D."
"Well, then, how are you breathing air?" Dean asked in an almost accusatory tone.
"Samuel had a cure."
Dean cast a glance over to Samuel. "You got a cure for djinn poison?"
"Oh, I know a few things," Samuel bragged. "Stick around. I'll show you tricks your daddy never even dreamed of."
Dean let out a long sigh. "Uh... Okay, why are these things after us?"
"Well, you did stake one a while back," Sam said a little too loudly. He lowered his voice. "After they came after me, we were pretty certain that they were gonna go gunning for you next."
Realization crossed Dean's face. "Lisa and Ben," he said frantically, "they're at the house right now. If that thing comes back,"
"It's all right," Samuel assured him. "I already sent someone over there to watch 'em."
Dean jabbed a finger at Sam. "You got to take me home right now," he snapped before quickly leaving the room.
Amy quickly ran after Dean. She could hear Sam behind her as they reached the front door and headed outside.
Dean began frantically looking around at all the cars. Amy quickly pointed to Sam's Dodge Charger parked off to the side.
"It's this one." She quickly led him to the car as Sam hurried out of the house behind them.
"Move it, Sammy!" Dean yelled back to his brother.
Amy climbed into the backseat, right behind Dean, as Sam got into the driver's seat. They sped down the road back toward Lisa's house.
Dean frantically muttered something under his breath the entire drive. Then, finally, he jumped out of the car before Sam had stopped entirely in the driveway and ran inside. "Lisa!" He shouted in a panic as he ran inside. "Lisa?! Ben?"
Amy hurried out of the car. The hunter they had sent, Johnny Campbell, his car was parked outside. And inside was the pale, lifeless form of Johnny himself.
"Shit," she whispered, turning to run after Dean. Sam stood by the car for a moment, a stone-like expression on his face.
Inside the house, Dean was standing in the living room. He turned as Amy ran in, a solemn expression on his face. His expression quickly hardened as he shook his head at her and Sam.
"Crap crap crap," Amy muttered as Dean ran into the kitchen to grab the phone. Instead, he stood in front of a bulletin board on the wall. Pictures such as a smiling Ben in the driver's seat of the Impala with Dean next to him, a picture of Lisa and Dean that Amy guessed was taken by Ben, and various others of the three of them covered the board.
Amy paced the kitchen, watching Dean grow more frustrated as the line continued to ring. She couldn't remember this season very well and hoped Ben and Lisa were alright.
"Come on, come on!" Dean said. He slammed his fist against the cabinet in frustration.
The back door opened behind Dean, and Lisa and Ben entered, seemingly in the middle of a conversation.
"Hey!" Lisa greeted, seeing Dean, "There you are."
"Where the hell have you been?" Dean asked, quickly pulling Lisa into a hug.
"W-we were at the movies, you knew that," Lisa said quickly as Dean pulled Ben into the hug.
"Dean, ow!" Lisa said as he hugged her tighter.
Amy leaned against the counter, waiting for Ben or Lisa to either notice or for Dean to introduce her.
Dean stopped hugging Lisa and Ben. His breath shuddered as he looked at them in relief.
"What happened?" Ben asked.
"Go upstairs and pack a bag," Dean instructed.
"Where are we going?" Ben asked.
Dean pat Ben on the shoulder. "I'm taking us to a friend's house. Go."
Lisa smiled as she turned to Ben. "It's okay," she said. "Go on up. I'll be there in a sec."
Ben shrugged as he turned to walk away, only halting in his tracks when he saw Sam enter the room and Amy leaning against the counter next to the door.
"Um…" Ben shouted, getting the attention of Dean and Lisa.
Lisa's face fell when she saw Sam. "Oh, my God," she said softly.
Dean sighed softly. "Lisa, Ben, I don't know if you remember-"
Lisa cut him off. "Sam."
Dean nodded. "Yeah," he said almost in a whisper. "And I don't know if you've met our sister over here, Amy."
Amy couldn't tell if it was confusion, shock, or a mix of both that crossed Lisa's face.
"I didn't know you guys had a sister."
Amy stood up. "Not by blood," she explained. "I'm more like their unofficially adopted sister." She nodded her head towards Dean. "Guessing Dean didn't mention me during the past year?"
Lisa shook her head. "Once or twice, but never enough to get to know you."
Ben cleared his throat. "Uh, can I-"
Dean nodded quickly. "Yeah, go on." He pointed up the stairs. "And hurry."
"You wanna tell me what's going on?" Lisa asked Dean.
"I'll tell you on the way," Dean promised. "Okay?"
There was a brief pause before Lisa nodded. "Okay." She turned away and followed Ben up the stairs. "Nice meeting you, Amy," she said as she walked out of the kitchen.
Amy nodded. "Likewise."
Lisa headed upstairs, and Amy turned to Dean. "Bobby's place, right?"
Dean nodded. "Safest place there is right now."
"The guy we sent was dead in his car," Sam stated matter-of-factly.
Amy and Dean exchanged a weirded-out glance.
"Yeah, we both saw him out there," Amy said. "But even then, I think we both had that figured out."
Sam shrugged. "Ready when you all are." With that, he turned and left the room. A moment later, Amy heard the front door open and close as he left the house.
"Does Sammy seem off to you?" Dean asked.
"I don't know what's going on with him," Amy half-lied, "he's been like that since I found out he was back." She looked away, trying to hide her face. Sam had no soul; she knew that. But, like everything else, she didn't wanna ruin anything by trying to get it back too early. Sam would get his soul back soon enough, that much she knew. But, until then, she'd have to deal with the cold, distant Winchester brother and act like everything was fine.
Dean grunted in response. "Hey, uh, about that…" he trailed off.
Amy looked up at the hunter. "What's up?"
"I should have tried to reach out," Dean said. "Called, driven out to see you, something."
Amy shrugged. "It's okay," she muttered, gazing down at the ground.
"Did you, uh," Dean trailed off again, "I dunno..."
"Think you didn't want anything to do with me anymore?"
Dean nodded so slightly that Amy barely noticed.
Amy sighed. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "It's kinda just something I came to expect growing up. Getting close enough to call someone family and then getting tossed out when something happened." She kicked her toes with her heel. "I know it's stupid to think that, though. Especially with you and Sam."
"I get it," Dean said softly, "but you know we'd never even think to do that to you, right?"
Amy nodded. "I know. But old habits die hard."
"So you've been hunting?" Dean asked, changing the subject.
Amy nodded. "It was mostly my grandparents' idea. They thought it might be a good idea or something."
Footsteps on the stairs gained the hunters' attention. A moment later, Ben and Lisa reentered the kitchen, each carrying a bag.
"Ready to go?" Dean asked.
Lisa nodded. "Sam outside?"
"He walked out not too long ago," Amy explained. "Probably in the car waiting for us."
"Come on," Dean said, clearly trying to rush everyone out, "let's go."
May 1st, 2010 - Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Dean and Amy told Lisa and Ben about the Djinn going after Dean as they drove.
Once everything was explained, Ben and Lisa tried to get some rest, but even Amy knew it was next to impossible to sleep after hearing something like that.
Everyone climbed out of Sam's car when they arrived at Bobby's the following day. Amy helped Ben and Lisa with their bags and headed to the porch.
Dean knocked on the front door, and a moment later, it swung open.
Bobby stood at the door. His gaze fell onto Dean, and he let out a long sigh. "Damn it," he muttered.
Dean nodded. "It's good to see you, too, Bobby. It's been a while."
Amy gave a small wave. "Hey, Bobby."
Bobby shook his head. "If you're here, something's wrong."
Dean turned slightly to the side. "Bobby, this is Lisa and Ben," he introduced.
"Hi," Lisa said with a nod.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you two. Mi casa es su casa." Bobby led the group into his house. "Maybe you want to just go upstairs. TV's broken, but there's plenty of Reader's Digest. Just don't touch the decor, okay? Assume it's all loaded."
Amy and Dean hung back as Ben and Lisa headed upstairs.
"So you knew that Sam was back," Dean began angrily.
Bobby let out a disgruntled sigh. "Dean…"
"How long?"
"All year."
Dean moved his gaze to Sam, who averted his eyes away. He shook his head in disbelief and turned around. "Oh, you got to be kidding me."
Amy leaned against the counter. "Longer than I knew," she muttered.
Nobody seemed to hear her. "And I'd do it again," Bobby admitted.
Dean spun back around. "Why?!"
"Because you got out, Dean!" Bobby snapped. "You walked away from the life. And I was so damn grateful; you got no idea."
Dean got in Bobby's face. "Do you have any clue what walking away meant for me?"
"Yeah," Bobby nodded, "a woman and a kid and not getting your guts ripped out at age thirty. So that's what it meant."
"That woman and that kid-" Dean jabbed a finger at Sam. "-I went to them because you asked me to."
"Good."
Dean snapped his head back to Bobby. "Good for who?" he asked angrily. "I showed up on their doorstep half out of my head with grief. God knows why they even let me in. I drank too much. I had nightmares."
A brief silence filled the room as nobody looked at Dean.
"I looked everywhere," Dean continued. "I collected hundreds of books, trying to find anything to bust you out."
"You promised you'd leave it alone," Sam spoke.
"Of course, I didn't leave it alone!" Dean snapped. "Sue me!" He turned back to Bobby. "A damn year? You couldn't put me out of my misery?"
"Look, I get it wasn't easy." Bobby's voice started to shake. "But that's life! And it's as close to happiness as I've ever seen a hunter get." His voice got softer. "It ain't like I wanted to lie to you, son. But you were out, Dean."
Dean scoffed. "Do I look out to you?"
Bobby looked down, unable to find anything to say in response.
"Dean-" Amy began.
Dean held up a hand, cutting her off. "I'm gonna go talk to Lisa."
With that, he left the room. Amy let out a loud sigh. "Great," she muttered. "So, now what?"
"Come up with a plan," Sam said. "Figure out how to get rid of that Djinn once and for all."
"You three staying here?" Bobby asked.
"I think we have to get back to the Campbells." Amy turned to Sam. "Right? Or are they meeting us here?"
"We gotta get back," Sam stated bluntly.
"And Lisa and Ben?"
"They'll stay here until this is over."
Amy nodded before turning back to Bobby. "You cool with that?"
Bobby grunted. "As I said before, mi casa es su casa."
Amy nodded as Dean came back into the room. "How'd it go?" she asked.
Dean let out a sigh before replying. "I'm in," he said, almost reluctantly. "For good."
"Dean, are you sure?" Amy asked. "What about Ben and Lisa?"
"Just…keep them safe. I don't want anything to happen to either of them, you hear?" Dean asked.
Amy nodded. "Of course, Dean," she assured the hunter. "They'll be okay, I promise."
Dean nodded in acknowledgment. "Let's go hunt us some Djinn, then."
"We shouldn't take too long getting back," Sam spoke. "The Campbells will be waiting for us."
Amy shrugged, straightening up. "Alright, then." She turned to Bobby. "Guess we're off, then. You take care, alright, Bobby?"
"I always do."
Amy followed Sam and Dean out of the house and climbed into the back of Sam's car.
Samuel was sitting on the edge of the table, loading a shotgun, while Gwen and Christian cleaned their weapons as the hunters entered the room.
"What's the plan?" Dean asked.
"Well, right now, we stock up and get set," Samuel said, setting down the gun.
Dean scoffed. "So you're saying there is no plan."
Samuel chuckled. "We'll find 'em. Just got to be patient."
"Yeah, okay. Oh, here's an alt. Why don't we kill the sons of bitches that broke into my home?" Dean asked, frustration lingering on his voice.
"Relax, Dean," Christian spoke. "We got it handled. Djinn are hard to draw out. Now, you've been out of the game for a while. Leave it to the professionals."
"They are professionals," Amy said irritably. "Out for a while or not, this isn't something you just forget how to do."
"What she said," Dean agreed. "And, uh, tiny suggestion. You see, djinn are easier to draw out when you got bait. They want Sam, Amy, and me. They know where I live. Now, I haven't been hunting in a while, but I'm gonna stick my neck out and guess that's a pretty good place for us to go." He glanced at Christian. "See? It's almost like I'm a professional."
"I'm with Dean on this one," Amy said. "I trust you guys enough 'cause you're Sam and Dean's family, but on the other hand, I've known Sam and Dean longer, and I happen to know Dean's plan will work."
Samuel frowned at her for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. "Alright, then. What have you got in mind, Dean?"
"We'll head back to Lisa and my house. Set up a trap, and lure them in. They're clearly after me, Sam, and Amy. We just gotta make them think they can get us."
"They're smart, though," Amy pointed out. "There's only a few of them, but more of us. They'll know they're outnumbered."
"Kid's got a point," Samuel said.
"Okay." Dean nodded. "You three hide somewhere they can't see you but where you can get to us quickly if something goes wrong." He turned to Amy. "You still got your, uh…."
"Powers?" At Dean's nod, she added. "Don't worry, they all know about them. Why are you wondering if I still have them, though? Why would I not?"
Dean shrugged. "It's been a while since I saw you. I just thought…."
Amy smirked, making her knife spin sharp-point down in the air without even looking at it. "Don't worry, Dean. Nothing like that's ever gonna happen."
"I will never get used to that," Gwen muttered.
A short while later, Amy found herself back in the backseat of Sam's car, with Dean in the passenger seat. The Campbells had already agreed to go ahead to the house to find a stakeout spot close by.
"You really think this'll work?" Dean asked.
"It's your plan," Amy pointed out. "What do you think?"
"I just hope I don't screw this up."
Upon arriving at Lisa's, Sam parked his car in the street,
Sam was standing by a closet door, spinning a golf club in his hand. "Golf?" he asked disbelievingly. "Really?"
"It's a - it's a sport," Dean dismissed quickly.
Amy snickered a little before following Dean into the kitchen.
"You okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm good." Dean turned the faucet on and began splashing water on his face.
"Yeah, sure looks that way," Amy mumbled.
"Nice house."
Dean turned off the water and turned around. Samuel had entered through the backdoor, approaching the dining room table.
"Oh, yeah. Go ahead, say it," Dean muttered, "call me a soccer mom. Whatever."
"Soccer mom," Samuel repeated, "huh? Well, I'll have to look that up on the 'intranet.'" He sat on the edge of the table. "You know, believe it or not, I...I get it, Dean. You wanted a normal life. Your mom wanted a normal life, too. You remind me of her, actually."
Amy caught a glimmer of pride on Dean's face at Samuel's words.
"The attitude, for one thing," Samuel quickly added, and Dean's face fell. "Your brother or Amy tell you what we been dealing with the past few months?"
"Haven't really gotten a chance to," Amy answered.
"Sam hasn't said anything."
Samuel shook his head. "I've never seen anything quite like it. Been working 'round the clock."
"So, what's going on?" Dean asked.
"You name it," Amy said, walking over to sit at the table. "Werewolves out on a half-moon, vampires out in the sun. There've even been some new monsters."
"This goes way past a couple of djinns," Samuel added. "We don't - we don't even know what they are. I'm knee-deep in half-eaten human hearts and exsanguinated ten-year-olds, and it's all making me… uneasy."
"So what's your theory?"
Samuel shrugged. "You tell me. All we really know is it's all hands on deck. We're counting on each other right now. That's how it is with Campbells. We need you, Dean."
Dean signed. "Look, I hear you, but…."
Samuel stood up, walking around the table. "You don't know what you're part of, Dean. You know you had ancestors hacking the heads off vamps on the Mayflower."
Amy saw a flicker of shock in Dean's eyes.
Samuel nodded subtly. "What I'm saying is that we're your blood. And we're out there dying, trying to get in front of whatever this is. Maybe not the best time for golf."
Something outside caught Amy's eye. "Hey, I hate to break up this family moment," she said, pointing out the window. "But I think we got company."
Samuel and Dean followed her gaze. Three djinns could be seen in a clearing across the street.
"Alright," Dean said. "Time for you to clear out."
Samuel nodded, clearly still uneasy about leaving them alone. "All right, we're not far. You call when they come, you hear?"
"We'll be okay," Amy said, unsure if she believed it herself.
The sun had set by the time Samuel drove away from the house. The hunters watched him drive away before heading back into the kitchen.
Amy sat at the table, flicking her knife open and closed as Dean paced around the room.
"You okay?" Sam asked. He had been looking at the pictures on the bulletin board, only stopping when he noticed Dean by the window.
Dean let out a laugh. "Oh, yeah," he said sarcastically. "Yeah, no, this is, this is crazy. I mean, you, Grandpa. Whoever brought you back…."
Sam scoffed, leaning against the counter. "They don't want to be found."
"Yeah, I get that. But who are they, and what do they. What do they want? Why?"
"That's a good question."
"Do you remember it?" Dean asked after a pause.
Sam looked taken aback. "What?"
"The Cage."
Sam nodded slightly. "Yeah."
"You want to-"
Sam chuckled, cutting Dean off. "No."
"Well, if anybody can relate…."
"Dean, I don't want to talk about it," Sam repeated. "I'm back. I get to breathe fresh air, have a beer, hunt with my family, and see you and Amy again. So why exactly would I want to think about Hell?"
"And you really think…." Dean stopped as his gaze landed out the window next to him.
Seeing Dean's face fall, Amy hurried over to see Dean's next-door neighbors getting attacked in their home. "Shit," she muttered.
Dean quickly grabbed two syringes from his duffle bag.
Sam grabbed Dean's shoulder, turning him around. "Dean, they're already dead, and you know it."
"This is happening because of me!" Dean yelled. He ran outside Amy close behind.
"Dean!" Sam shouted after them.
Amy followed Dean to his neighbor's house. They hopped over the fence and ran inside as quickly as they could.
Inside, Dean's neighbors were flat on the ground, eyes glazed over. Dean put two fingers on the woman's neck, checking for a pulse, but anyone could tell it was too late.
Amy hurried over to the other body, turning him over to see the same glazed-over eyes the woman had.
"Here," Dean tossed one of the syringes to Amy, "they could still be here."
"Thanks," Amy caught the syringe, taking her eyes off the corpse in time to see a djinn sneak up behind Dean. "Dean, look out!"
The djinn grabbed Dean from behind, locking his arms in place as another grabbed Amy the same way.
A third djinn walked into the room, crushing the syringe Dean had dropped under her shoe.
"You made it through that last trip, so how about a big, fat double dose?" The djinn taunted, grabbing Dean's face.
Amy quickly used her powers to shove both djinns away from Dean and herself. Then, she spun around, a nearby metal bat flying across the room, hitting one of the djinns in the head before reaching her hand.
"Ames, you okay?" Dean asked.
"I'm fine, Dean," Amy said quickly. "Don't worry about me."
Looking around, Dean quickly spotted a golf club, grabbing it as the three djinns stood back up.
"Three against two," Amy muttered. "We got this, right?"
"We got this." Dean swung the golf club at one of the djinn's heads as Amy swung her bat at another. She dodged out of the way as the third djinn tried to grab her arm, using her powers to stagger it back.
Dean hit a djinn on the head, causing it to go down, blood pooling underneath it. One down, two to go. Amy took a final swing with her bat at the djinn she had been fighting, causing it the same fate as the other.
The final djinn stood up, staring down at the bodies of the others. He put his hands up in surrender, backing away from the two hunters.
Amy took a quick look at Dean, wondering what he was going to do. Surprisingly, he dropped the golf club, accepting the surrender. Amy did the same with her bat but kept herself ready in case the djinn tricked them.
The door swung open without warning, and Sam ran in, brandishing a golf club. The djinn spun around, getting into a fighting stance as Sam started swinging the club at his head.
Sam dodged a punch from the Djinn and gave the golf club another swing, striking the djinn in the head. He didn't stop there, though. Sam kept swinging the golf club on the already unconscious, possibly dead Djinn even after blood started pooling around it.
Amy couldn't believe her eyes. Soulless Sam had been different, sure, but this? This scared her. She found herself hiding behind Dean like a child, before the oldest hunter gingerly stepped forward, taking the golf club from Sam's hand.
May 2nd, 2010
The sun was just beginning to peek above the horizon when the hunters returned to Lisa's house.
"So, Samuel and the cuzzes?" Dean asked, leading Sam and Amy through the house. He picked up a fallen photo of Lisa, standing it back on the bookshelf.
Sam shrugged. "Don't know. They left in a hurry." Dean stopped by the stairs, turning to face Sam as he continued. "I'm meeting them back at their place. You, uh, you coming with me?"
Dean hesitated for a moment. "No," he finally said. "No, I'm going back for Lisa and Ben."
Sam frowned. "I thought you said-"
"I did," Dean said quickly. "I changed my mind."
Amy rubbed her arm. This felt like how it did a year ago all over again.
Sam sighed. "Look, I practically shoved you at them."
Dean frowned. "That's a funny way to put it, but all right."
"I'm just saying I really wanted that for you. And when I told you to go, I-I thought... you could have it, you know?" Sam asked. "But now I'm not so sure. I mean, you have to consider that you'll be putting them in danger if you go back."
"So, what, it's better to leave them alone, unprotected, and then they're not in danger?" Dean snapped. "I did this to them. I made them vulnerable the moment I knocked on their door, and I can't undo that. But what I can do is go with the best option."
Sam nodded, frowning a bit at Dean's words. "I hear you. I guess I just wish you were coming, that's all." He chuckled a bit as he walked towards the front door.
"Why?"
Sam chuckled again, turning back to face Dean. "Don't be stupid."
"No, I mean it. I mean, you know plenty of good hunters. I'm rusty. I did something seriously stupid going out there. I almost got the three of us killed." He pointed a thumb back at Amy. "Hell, I probably would have been Djinn poisoned if Amy wasn't there."
Sam shrugged, a small smile crossing his face. "And that's exactly why I want you."
Dean frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"You just went," Sam said. "You didn't hesitate. Because you care, and that's who you are. Me?" He scoffed. "I wouldn't even think to try."
"Yes, you would."
"No, he's right," Amy spoke up, walking closer to the Winchesters. "Sam, he's..different."
"Different, how?"
"Dean, I'm telling you, it's just better with you around." Sam interrupted. "That's all."
"Listen…" Dean trailed off, holding the keys to the Impala. "She should be hunting. Take her."
Sam seemed to hesitate for a moment. "Thanks. Really. But I already got my car set up how I like it. I should hit the road."
Dean nodded, putting the keys back in his pocket. "I'll walk you out."
Amy followed Sam and Dean outside. "Keep in touch, you hear?" she heard Dean ask.
"'Course." They stopped in front of Sam's car. "It was really good to see you again, Dean."
Sam got into his car, but Amy found herself hesitating.
"Amy?" Sam asked. "You coming?"
Amy didn't know why, but she'd never felt at home with the Campbells, unlike how she did with Sam and Dean. And Sam? He'd been different this past year. Cold, distant, almost emotionless.
"I can't," she found herself saying before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry, Sam, but you haven't been the same these past few months. You feel like a completely different person, and I just don't… I can't go back with you. I'm sorry."
Sam stared at her for a moment before shrugging. "Okay, then." Without another word, he got in his car and drove away.
Amy watched Sam's car drive off in shock. "What the hell?" she asked. "I thought he would try to argue about it with me, not just drive off like that!"
"Wait, just-" Dean held up a hand, "-just hold one a second. What do you mean Sam hasn't been acting like himself?"
Amy let out a heavy sigh. She was done. Done with being too scared to tell Sam and Dean something because she didn't want to fuck anything up. Done with bad things she could have prevented happening just because she stood there and watched when she knew what was going on.
"Dean, I can't do this anymore. There's something you need to know about Sam, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I'm done standing around and not telling you guys something I know because I don't wanna mess the show up."
Dean folded his arms. "Okay," he said with a nod, "and what would that be?"
"Sam's soul is still in the cage with Michael and Lucifer."
Dean's eyes got wide with shock. "What did you say?"
"In the show, you find out several episodes from now," Amy continued, "but when whoever brought Sam back did so, his soul was left down there."
"Is that even Sammy anymore?" Dean asked.
"Yes? No? Both?" Amy shrugged. "All I know is he hasn't been sleeping, and he's been practically empty inside. Maybe we can get it back sooner than you did in the show, but I don't remember how that was done."
"I can call Cas," Dean said. "See what he thinks."
Amy nodded, unsure of what to say next.
"Do you have anywhere to go?"
Amy shook her head. "I didn't really think that far ahead."
Dean paused for a moment. "I know you didn't take me up on it last time," he finally said. "But how about you stay with me and Lisa this time around?"
Amy was silent for a long time. Maybe she would be better off with Dean this time. "I'd like that," she finally said, flashing Dean a small smile.