Chapter Twenty-two: Could and Couldn't Have.

A few minutes later, Sam and Dean were in Bobby's room, the older hunter listening silently to the boys.

"So - they're holding a wake, and well – we should go," Sam spoke. "He was hunting when he –

"We can leave now and be there on time. I'll see where Cas is, and we'll -" Dean checked his watch. "Hey, Bobby –

Bobby stirred out of his reverie. "Yeah?"

"We should get ready to leave? Now?" Dean shook his hands in front of Bobby's eyes. "Hey – I get it, Asa was a good hunter."

"And a good man."

"Well, the world ain't suddenly gonna start cutting a break, is it," Dean mumbled and turned to leave the room. "Get packed. I'll –

"The kid," Bobby spoke.

"Oh. Yeah. What should we do? Do we take her with us, or...

"She knew it." Bobby interrupted Sam's thought. "She knew Asa was going to – pass." Bobby's face went ashen. "Did you –

"I told Jody. She said she would pass on the message to Asa. I think she told him." Sam quietly replied. "We -

The three hunters went into shock, each of them thinking the same thing. We knew, and we couldn't do anything.

"Didn't she say that – that the other hunter killed Asa?" Sam interrupted the internal dialogues in all their heads, thinking back to the conversation he'd had with Reina. "We need to ask her."

"I'll go get her." Dean walked out of the room.

Dean stood outside Reina's room and knocked on the door. "Reina?" Dean called out, a little loudly, and realized it, so he lowered his volume as he called again, "Reina? Wake up."

He heard footsteps at the door, and the door opened to reveal Reina at the door. "Dean?" Reina was surprised to see Dean at her door at this time of night. "Isn't it – what time is it?"

Dean was about to answer when someone else appeared behind Reina at the door. "Dean."

Dean was surprised – no, shocked, for a few seconds, to see Cas in Reina's room. "Cas. What are you doing in here?"

All three of them stared at each other in a stunning little silence before Dean decided that this was not the time. "Never mind. We need to go." He turned away from her door.

Reina observed Dean's flustered face, and she realized what he had been thinking, which made her blush.

"Hey – you were right." Dean broke into her thoughts abruptly,

"Ab-About what?" Reina couldn't understand. "Asa Fox."

"He's – He's gone?" Reina spoke, understanding why Dean was there. "Oh no." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Dean."

"I'm sorry too, Dean," Cas spoke. "Do Sam and Bobby –

"Yeah – Yeah, Sam got the call about half an hour ago. We're leaving soon. Come with me." The last part was directed toward Reina. She followed Dean to Bobby's room, along with Cas. The older hunter was dressed and ready to go.

"Bobby? I'm so sorry." Reina walked in. "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"It's – I just – we want to know what you know about it. You knew that Asa was going to –

"I wish – I wish I'd remembered more – like dates or something. I could have –

"Don't say you could have saved him. You couldn't have." Dean spoke quietly.

"Dean!" Cas admonished.

But before anyone could jump in, Reina turned towards Dean and held one of his hands in her hands. "I am sorry Dean." A tear spilled from her right eye as she spoke. "I didn't know Asa. But I do know he was a legendary hunter and a good man. So, I'm sorry. I know what you meant - when you - I understand, honestly. But I just wish, that for once, I'd be able to change the story. And I'm sorry too, that I'm here and it's weird. But you know – these people are there for you. Remember that."

Reina swiftly left the room, unable to hold her tears or keep her voice steady anymore. She wiped her face on her sleeve and took a large breath to steady herself a few steps away. She was on her way back to her room when she bumped into Sam.

"Sam? Listen, you need to know. Asa was killed by his hunter friend, Bucky. It was an accident, as far as I remember, but Bucky lied to everyone and blamed Jael, the demon. Asa exorcised him long ago - Jael, and he holds a grudge. I don't remember perfectly, but Asa was maybe hunting him when he died." She poured out the info she could remember to Sam in a single breath, hoping she hadn't missed much.

"When you reach the wake, Jael will come there, possessing hunters turn by turn to get Bucky to spill the truth. I just – he will possess Jody at one point. You have to avoid this, in any way. She doesn't die – you save her, but Jael will lock out Dean from the house, and Dean will make a deal with Billy. You have to avoid all this." Her voice had an edge of frantic now, and she tried to keep it level.

"Deal? What Deal?"

"Dean will owe her one. And she can collect anyway." Reina said, continuing on, "You need to keep the exorcism ready – all people there will be hunters, you can't use the knife or angel blades. You need to expose Bucky and be on the lookout for that demon. Maybe ward the place. Get everyone to wear an anti-possession sigil."

"Okay – but aren't you – you should be coming with us. I mean, we can't leave you here by yourself."

"I'll be fine. I – I can't come with you; it will just get awkward. I'm not a hunter, no one there knows me, and although I really want to see Jody – no, it's just not a good idea for me to come with you right now." Reina walked away, not waiting for Sam's reply.

"What's going on? Sam asked as he entered Bobby's room. All three men looked up at Sam together.

"Nothing," Dean answered gruffly and pushed past him to leave the room.

"Dean!" Sam shouted after his brother, but Dean didn't turn back.

"Let him go," Bobby said, turning around to put a few more things in his bag. "Did you see Reina?"

"Yeah, she – I met her in the corridor. She told me everything about Asa's case that she could remember. What did she tell you?"

"She didn't tell us anything," Bobby informed Sam, adding under his breath, "That boy's on rough edges and I've seen him like this before when things aren't straight and there's no plan."

Sam turned to ask Cas what had happened just then, but Cas moved towards the door. "I need to talk to Dean." Cas volunteered.

"You both meet us in the library. We need to move soon." Bobby said to Sam.

"Both?" Sam asked.

"You and Reina," Bobby replied.

"She isn't – she said she shouldn't come," Sam told Bobby about his and Reina's conversation about her staying back.

"She's probably scared of Dean. I don't think we should be leaving her here alone." Bobby said. "She'd be safe, but I just – I don't know."

"I'll talk to her," Sam assured Bobby.