Dean whistled from the porch.
Taylor looked up and made eye contact with him. He walked out of the shop. "Did you need me?"
Dean met him halfway. "What did you just do?"
Taylor's eyes got big.
Dean rubbed his neck. "When you were standing there what did you do?"
Taylor swallowed. "I poked my finger with the tip of my knife."
Dean took a deep breath. "Did my whole spiel go over your head?"
"No. I didn't see it like that. It was a tiny spot like if you were checking your blood sugar. I shouldn't have done it." Taylor said.
Dean sighed. "Do not injure yourself. Do not make yourself a lab rat."
Taylor stammered. "Yes sir, of course. Stupid choice."
Dean put a hand on his shoulder. "Go run the loop and make better choices."
Taylor waited for Dean to back away and took off on the ordered run. He mentally kicked himself for testing out the ability when Dean had just warned him about it. He had to think more clearly. He made it back to Bobby's house and the heat was starting to get to him. He was dripping sweat and sought out water.
Dean tossed him a water bottle and nodded his approval.
"Ew." Kate said and dodged him. "Why are you sweaty?"
Taylor gulped the water. "Stupid games win stupid prizes."
Kate tilted her head.
"I talked to him after I talked to you. He cut his finger and I made him run." Dean answered.
Kate rolled her eyes. "You can't do that. Did it heal? Dean, seriously."
Taylor shook his head. "It is okay."
Kate put her hands on her hips. "No it isn't. He can't just boss everyone around. It is called being a control freak."
Dean cleared his throat. "You can run laps too."
Kate stepped back. "Oh I can't have an opinion?"
Taylor could feel the last thread start to unravel. "Katie. Stop. I made a dumb choice and he called me on it. I ran one lap. I could cut my entire hand off and my family wouldn't care so if I run laps here for smaller things, I'm going to be okay."
Kate's face got red. She hadn't thought of it like that. "How bad did you cut it?"
Taylor shrugged. "Doesn't matter. I'm fine. Everything is fine."
Dean looked at Kate. "Get your shoes on, two laps and then we can sit down and talk over some of this mystery crap."
Kate wanted to argue but could see the pleading in Taylor's eyes. "Yes, Dean." She said and got her shoes.
Taylor waited until she left. "Sorry about that."
Dean eyed him. "Why?"
Taylor cracked his knuckles. "I spoke out of turn. I was just trying to help."
Dean smiled. "Kid, chill. You did help. I may make you run laps for hurting yourself but if you diffuse her I'm not going to complain."
Taylor relaxed. "Oh, okay. Thanks."
Dean liked that Taylor had a good head on his shoulders but he reminded him of himself with the overbearing weight of expectation. "I'm not trying to over step here but would it help to have ground rules? No, that isn't the word. Things here are different than at your house in some ways. You stay tense trying not to step on toes."
Taylor nodded. "Yeah, I don't want to make anyone mad."
Dean found Bobby. "Hey, Taylor here needs a run down of the rules."
Bobby put his book down. "Ours?"
Dean nodded. "He is so afraid of making one of us mad that every little thing makes him nervous."
Bobby had seen that in Taylor. "Alright, the weapons rules are the same as your dad's. There are the obvious things like don't put yourself in danger, do what you are told and don't lie. Those are things I'd expect out of anyone who walked through that door. Dean here swears like a sailor so I'm not concerned about that as long as it isn't at anyone." Bobby pointed out a few more simple things like not taking anything from his office.
Taylor found the rules reasonable and he wasn't as worried about being, what his dad would consider, disrespectful. "Yes sir. That makes sense."
Dean popped the back of his head. "Make good choices."
Taylor rubbed his head. "Yes sir."
Dean lightly popped him again. "Stop calling me sir."
Taylor started to say it again. "Yes, uh, you got it."
Dean shoved his shoulder and snorted. "Come help me. There is a crawl space that needs clearing and I think you might be small enough to fit."
Taylor followed him. "What kind of crawl space?"
"The kind that I don't want to go in." Dean said with a chuckle. He flipped the light on in the basement. "I think the last time this thing was messed with, I was Kate's age or a bit younger."
Taylor crouched down. "Is it used for storage?"
Dean shrugged. "I don't know. I never went farther than that box."
Taylor turned to him. "Why?"
Dean's eyes shifted. "Do you not see all those webs?"
Taylor laughed. "Really? All the stuff you fight and you are scared of spiders?"
Dean shined the light into the small space. "Shut up or you are running laps for the rest of the day."
Taylor reached for the light. "None of these are lethal. I don't mind spiders."
Dean pulled back a metal cabinet. "I'll keep that in mind."
Taylor got onto his stomach. "How deep does it go?"
Dean didn't know.
"Can you tie a rope to my shoe if I get up to my feet?" Taylor asked.
Dean cocked his head to the side. "Are you afraid of getting sucked in?"
Taylor laughed. "No, I aim to have you pull me out so I don't have to scoot backwards."
Dean palmed his forehead. "That would have been a good idea." He told Taylor about when he had tried it and his dad made him crawl out because he thought the spider thing was overdramatic.
Taylor noted that Dean did have a lot in common with John but he was kinder. He scooted forward and army crawled into the space. "Why are we clearing this out?"
"Bobby wanted it cleared out. It has been a long time and I guess he wants to know what is in there." Dean answered.
Taylor grabbed a box and pushed it beside himself until Dean could grab it. "One down.. many to go."
Dean took the boxes as Taylor pushed them out. They were covered in dust. "Do you need something for your face?"
Taylor was thinking about that. "If you didn't mind."
Dean got him a handkerchief. "No telling how old that dust is."
Taylor found it easier to work when his lungs also worked. He tried to read the words on the boxes but they were too dusty. "How did boxes get put in here anyway?"
"I'm not really sure. This house may be older than Bobby." Dean said.
Taylor jumped when something moved under his hand.
"You okay?" Dean asked.
Taylor laughed. "Yeah. Had a wuss moment. Incoming." He said and rolled the item back toward Dean.
Dean stopped it with his foot. His heart skipped a beat. "No way."
"What is it?" Taylor asked.
"Hold on, I'm going to get Sam."
"Dude, don't leave me in here." Taylor said.
Dean chuckled. "Right, I'll message him."
Taylor made it to a piece of ply wood. "Is this the end or is something behind this board?"
Sam walked down the stairs. "Why did you message me? You are in the same building."
Dean tugged on the rope around Taylor's foot.
Sam laughed. "I wasn't sure what you were going to pull out of there."
Dean held the item up so Sam could see it.
"Is that?" Sam asked.
Dean nodded.
Taylor waited for an explanation.
"This was my favorite car. I let Sam borrow it one day because he wouldn't stop bitching about it. He couldn't have been... what?... six? He swore that he had it and it disappeared. He thought a ghost had taken it or it teleported. Of course I didn't believe him. Turns out it must have rolled into that crawl space and gotten pushed back with each new box." He pulled the car back and was thrilled that it still worked. For a moment he was ten again and enamored with the speed of the toy car.
"You made me brush my teeth with toilet water for that." Sam said.
Dean chuckled. "Sorry about that but come on. You were always taking my stuff. Of course I didn't believe you."
Sam sent the car back. "The mystery has been solved."
Taylor was happy that he found a small part of Dean's childhood.
Dean looked over at Taylor. "You look like the chimney sweep from Mary Poppins."
Taylor looked at his hands. "Ah it'll wash off."
Kate walked down the stairs. "What are you guys doing down here?"
Dean glanced at her. "Did you run the laps?"
Kate nodded. "Yes."
Taylor tried to wipe his hands off. "We are clearing out the crawl space."
Kate got on her knees and looked into the opening. "What was in there?"
Dean tapped the stack of boxes. "This stuff and an old car I thought that Sam had stolen."
Kate looked at the boxes. "I wonder if anything cool is in these."
"Wait to ask Bobby." Dean said. He put his hand on Taylor's back. "You need a shower and fresh clothes."
Taylor took the makeshift mask off and sneezed. "I wouldn't be opposed to that."
Dean sent him up to shower and went to talk to Bobby. "Do you still have boxes of clothes that Sam outgrew?"
Bobby rubbed his chin. "If I do they'll be in the attic. I need to get rid of that stuff."
"Being a pack rat is useful at times. I sent Taylor into that old crawl space and the clothes he has on could use a wash." Dean explained.
Bobby waved him away and mumbled pack rat under his breath.
Dean went upstairs and pulled the attic ladder down. He tested the strength of the boards and climbed into the dark room. "How much dust is in this place?" He said to himself. He found what he assumed was a box of clothes and pulled it down. He wasn't sure what size Taylor wore but found a few things that could fit Kate. He went back up for another box and dumped both out. He found a few shirts and pants that he remembered he had worn but Sam said they weren't his style. At the time Dean had been annoyed because their dad had a policy of not being picky but Sam would have rather worn the same pair of jeans every day than a pair he didn't like. Dean smiled to himself, Sam always had a mind of his own.
Sam ran up the stairs. "Did you find anything?"
Dean held up a polo shirt and made a face.
Sam smiled. "You gave me hell that."
Dean laughed. "Yeah it says mathlete on it, Geek boy."
Sam grabbed it. "What else did you find?"
Dean pointed to a pile of clothes on Sam's bed. "Maybe some of those."
Sam sorted through them and took some shorts and a t shirt to the bathroom. He knocked on the door and sat the on the counter. He went back into the bedroom to talk to Dean. "We are finding memories all over the place today."
Dean held a t shirt to his face and soaked in the smell. "I forget how much of our lives are wrapped up in this place."
Taylor finished his shower and put on the gifted clothes. "These fit." He said and pulled the t shirt over his head.
"You can have what ever you want." Sam said and tossed him a stack of clothes. "Kate will like these." Sam said and folded another stack of band t shirts.
"Speaking of Kate.." Dean said and went down the stairs. He didn't see her in the kitchen or living room so he went to the basement. "Kate?"
Kate scooted back out of the crawl space. "In here."
Dean sat on the floor. "Why?"
Kate looked at him. "To see what was behind the board."
Dean sighed. "Why try it alone?"
Kate wiped her face. "Everyone went up stairs. I didn't think you would mind."
Dean nodded. "I didn't tell you to wait. It is just these small things. Did you find anything?"
Kate stretched. "Nope."
Dean put a hand on her head. "Head up and get cleaned up. I found some of my old t shirts and stuff that could fit you."
Kate took his hand and pulled herself up. "What kind of t shirts?"
Dean smiled. "What other kind do I wear?"
Kate darted up the stairs. "Sweet! Oh are these pants too?" She held the jeans up. "Now Alex doesn't need to send clothes."
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Don't you want some girly stuff too? You can't go around dressed like mini Dean all the time."
Kate bounced on her toes. "Non sense."
Taylor unrolled a t shirt and something fell out. "What is this?"
Dean took it from him. "A bullet. Huh, I found it one day and put it in my pocket because I wasn't sure what kind it was."
"We can ask Bobby." Sam said.
Dean turned it over in his hand. "Better late than never I guess."
Kate put her hand me downs in the washer and went to see what Bobby thought of the bullet.
Bobby pushed his chair back and pulled out a book. "Hey, I know what these are. Boy had you given me this when you found it, it could have saved us a whole lot of time."
Dean read over Bobby's shoulder. "Witches?"
Bobby nodded. "Witch killing bullets."
Dean rubbed his face. "You are telling me that thing kills witches?"
"Sure does. I haven't been able to recreate it because the ingredient list is a little harder to translate. Maybe this one is the real deal." Bobby said.
"Imagine what else we could find in this mess." Kate said.
Bobby shot her a look. "You go right on ahead."
Kate covered her mouth. "I mean this beautiful assortment of memories."
Bobby chuckled. "That is what I thought."
Sam looked at the book. "I can help sort these ingredients out."
"Do you want to look through those boxes downstairs?" Dean asked.
Bobby shook his head. "Not right now. I'm going to work on these."
Dean nodded. "You two come with me."
Kate and Taylor followed him onto the porch.
"We need to come to an understanding." Dean said.
Kate eyed him. "About?"
Dean sighed. "I'm not good at this kind of thing. This is all over my pay grade. You two have something going on that I know nothing about and that scares the shit out of me. When it was just visions I could wrap my head around it. I could handle Sam's tendency to run and his migraines. I could handle you compelling me. I have no idea what is going to happen so I need you two to level with me."
"Is this about the healing thing?" Kate asked.
Dean shrugged. "I guess in a way. Of all those books in Bobby's office, not one has any advice on how to help two preteens with super powers make it into adulthood without nuking the house."
Kate smirked. "If there was a book you wouldn't actually read it."
Dean chuckled. "No, but Bobby would give me the run down."
"What do you want from us?" Taylor asked.
Dean tapped his fingers. "Honesty. Some team work. Everything that you'd expect from me."
"Why drag Taylor into it? I'm the one that causes you issues." Kate asked.
Dean rolled his eyes. "You don't cause me.. well you.. if I get gray hair early I'm blaming you but you aren't a problem. We know that something is going to happen. We know that you, Kate, are going to probably get your true powers are whatever in the next few years. If I can't trust you to make the right decisions on small stuff, I worry about when it comes to the big stuff."
"I have proven that I can think stuff through." Kate countered.
"Yeah but I'm just leveling with you here." Dean said.
"What does that even mean?" Kate asked.
Dean ran his fingers through his hair. "Just focus. Don't hide anything. Don't try anything stupid. We will figure this out together. Taylor, if you say yes sir I'm going to strangle you."
Taylor closed his mouth and gave Dean a thumbs up.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "So, either of you figure out how to fly yet?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "We can't fly."
Taylor shrugged. "Teleport? Laser eyes?"
Kate shoved him. "Don't encourage Dean."
Dean smirked. "Alright, so we don't know what all kind of mojo you have but if you get the urge to try something, you need to run it by one of us and make sure that you have someone with you should something go wrong."
"Doesn't that put you in the line of fire?" Kate said.
Dean sighed. "Maybe but we will work it out. What I don't want is for you to do what you did earlier and test out a healing ability without telling anyone. I'm glad you did heal but Kate, you have a long rap sheet of using abilities without letting people know. How many times has that backfired?"
"Uh, pretty much every time." Kate answered.
"Just be prepared to run a whole lot of laps and get your brain rattled if you do anything reckless." Dean said lightly.
Kate shuffled her feet along the boards of the porch. "If you do something reckless can I smack your head?"
Dean laughed. "Sure, have at it."
Kate pumped her fist. "Deal."
Dean shook his head. "Everyone just stay in one piece and we will be doing good."
Taylor was on board with everything that Dean said but Kate had a part of her that didn't like being restricted. She was bull headed and had a knee jerk reaction to fight against any type of bonds.
Kate went inside and Dean stopped Taylor. "She is going to fight me tooth and nail on that."
Taylor blinked a few times. "How do you know?"
"Body language and a few years of knowing her. Keep me in the loop. She is more likely to confide in you and you have that mojo thing that lets you know when she is about to snap." Dean said.
Taylor promised that he would do just that.
Kate pushed the defiance down and settled herself. Dean had a point. He was right. She knew that but had to fight against the desire to use her abilities. She wanted to dream walk or explore what the numbers meant. She felt like she was being asked to cut an apple with a toothpick when she had a perfectly good knife beside her.
Sam and Bobby carved the same sigils the original bullet had into several more. They figured out two of the unknown ingredients and felt confident that they had replicated the recipe.
"Aren't some witches good?" Kate asked from the door way.
"Some are. Most aren't. These are meant for those that aren't." Bobby said.
Kate frowned.
"What is on your mind?" Sam asked.
Kate stepped into Bobby's office. "Are you going to find psychic bullets too?"
Bobby walked around his desk. "Why would you ask that?"
Kate shrugged. "There are bad psychics out there."
"A few but we know plenty of good ones. Missouri being an excellent example." Bobby said.
Kate ran her fingers along the books. "Bracelet plan no longer works as far as we know. Missouri isn't me. She has control of herself and we don't know what is going to happen to me."
Bobby grabbed both of Kate's shoulders. "You better not be going where I think you are going."
Kate winced. "I'd feel better if you had a solution if it comes down to it."
Dean and Taylor walked in.
Bobby turned Kate toward Dean. "She has lost her damn mind."
Dean gave her an exasperated look. "Did we not just talk?"
Bobby cleared his throat. "Go on, tell him what your plan is."
Kate tried to side step. "It isn't a plan. I was just thinking."
Sam stepped around them and steered Taylor out the door.
Kate felt the body shield leaving the room. "Bobby, come on."
He pushed her to sit in one of the chairs. "Talk."
Kate groaned. "When you talked to us outside, I agreed with everything but there is a part of me that hates being boxed in. You even said that we don't know is going to happen. It would be a good idea to have a back up plan to the back up plan."
"What do bullets have to do with that plan, Kate?" Bobby pushed.
Kate's mouth was dry. "Okay, let's all just stay cool. I.. I just meant that if I did somehow lose control or something I'd rather you shoot me than me hurt someone."
Dean felt his blood pressure rising. "No one is going to shoot you. What the hell?"
Kate shrugged. "I hurt both you and Sam when I took the two demons, what is to say it wont happen again?"
"This isn't demon power." Dean said. "You are not a monster."
Kate stood up. "Just keep it in mind."
Dean took her arm. "You are so focused on turning bad. I don't want you to create a self fulfilling prophecy."
"Steal that one from Sam?" Kate quipped.
Dean swatted her. "Take this seriously. We are not going to let you go down that path and I am getting real tired of you trying to go down it."
Kate tried to pull her arm away. "Okay, okay."
Dean pulled her to him in a hug. "You are a good kid. My speech out there wasn't to make you feel like you had no control. I'm trying to get you to understand that you do."
Kate didn't fight the hug. "Promise me if I slip you will do what needs to be done."
Dean squeezed her. "I will kick your ass or lock you up until we find a way to fix things. I am not shooting you."
Kate cringed. "Not even in the foot? Ow! Hey, Bobby made the same joke."
Dean sighed. "I'm not responsible for Bobby and it was my foot he was talking about."
"I wouldn't shoot you in the foot either." Bobby said. "Although I'm on board for the other two solutions."
Kate needed to back peddle. "I'm not assuming I'll turn bad. I just worry about hurting someone."
"You aren't going to. So stop worrying." Dean said and let her go.
Kate hoped he was right. "Okay. Now what?"
"Now we work together and figure this crap out." Bobby said.
Dean tapped the window twice to let Sam know they could come back in.
Taylor was fidgety and looked at Kate.
Kate rolled her eyes. "All good in here."
Taylor relaxed but could tell there was still some tension.
Bobby wouldn't say it to Dean's face but he and Kate both had a tendency to sacrifice themselves for others. He figured that was why Dean reacted so strongly to Kate. He could see ahead a few steps because he knew what he would do in that position. She was her own person but also just enough like both Sam and Dean to make her a special kind of complicated.
Taylor felt a ball grow under his ribs. He looked at Kate but couldn't see distress on her face. He sat down on the couch and gripped his stomach.
Kate sat down beside him. "What is it?"
"Just that feeling. It would be nice if it didn't come on like this. I would appreciate a clearer sign." Taylor said.
Dean looked outside expecting to see writing on the trees. He turned back around.
"Don't look at me. I'm not doing this." Kate said.
"I like the healing one better than this one." Taylor said.
"What are your spidey senses telling you?" Dean asked.
Taylor laid his head back. "I don't have control over it like that."
Dean shrugged. "Try uh.. focusing it."
Kate took Taylor's hand. "My visions didn't make sense at first and I learned to control them. Maybe you can do that."
Taylor had tried before. He closed his eyes and tried to mentally sort through what the feeling meant. He opened his eyes. "I think I have an idea."
Sam and Dean followed him outside.
Taylor paced. "I have a hunch."
Kate was told to stay with Bobby while the brothers went with Taylor. She was not happy about it. She didn't want to be left out and was curious about the feeling.
Taylor held his head in his hands as they got closer to town. "Turn here."
Dean jerked the steering wheel. "Use your words, kid."
Taylor sat forward. "Here. Stop here."
Dean shut the car off. "What am I looking at?"
Taylor felt sick to his stomach. "I don't know for sure. Can you check it out?"
Dean got out of the car. They were parked in front of a house. He had no idea what he was looking for. He checked his gun in the back of his pants and flicked his knife open. The front door was ajar. He smelled the sulfur before he even reached the door. He ran back out to the car and grabbed Sam and demon gear. "Stay here." He said to Taylor and ran back to the house.
Sam followed him through the door. They cleared the bottom level of the house and Sam heard voices. He motioned for Dean to follow him.
Dean saw a fairy sign on a closed door and bit back a groan. There were kids involved. He poured salt outside the door and Sam did the same for the other doors. Dean cracked the door. He saw movement and opened it a little more. He pulled at his gun. "What is going on in here?"
There were two girls huddled on the bed with a man standing beside a woman. His head whipped around. "How kind of you to join us!"
Dean stepped into the room with his gun raised. "Leave them alone."
The man's eyes turned black. "Take a seat."
Dean flew back and hit a chair.
The demon turned back to the woman kneeling beside him.
Sam shot him with rock salt and jumped in front of the girls.
Dean splashed the demon with holy water and started the exorcism.
Sam continued the words but kept his body between the girls and what was going on in the room.
Within moments the demon was dispatched and left the host laying on the floor.
Sam helped the woman usher the two girls out of the room.
Dean stayed with the man and sat him up. "You good?"
The man was disoriented and confused.
Taylor was waiting in the car but the pit in his stomach left.
Dean got the man down stairs and talked to the woman. "What happened?"
The woman was shaken. "He came home and was angry. He is never angry. He has never even raised his voice to us."
"Did he hurt you?" Dean asked.
She shook her head. "No, he grabbed me and pulled me into my daughter's room but you two showed up before he.. where did you come from? Who are you?"
Sam spoke briefly to the man. "Did anything happen before this block of time went missing?"
The man said he heard a strange noise and then woke up on the floor at his house.
Dean took over. "We heard yelling and the door was open. We were just in the neighborhood. Looks like you hit your head pretty hard at some point. If you feel calm and have your wits I'd probably sleep it off. You don't look like you have a concussion."
The man and woman didn't ask too many more questions but thanked Sam and Dean for checking in.
The boys walked back out to the car and got in.
Taylor was wide eyed.
Dean cleared his throat. "Guy was possessed by a demon and had his wife and little girls in a room. We got there before shit hit the fan."
Taylor sat back. "The feeling went away."
Dean stopped by the diner and got Taylor a milkshake. "Good work."
Taylor was quiet on the drive back to Bobby's. He waited until they pulled into Bobby's driveway to speak. "I have a theory."
"Hit us." Dean said.
Taylor looked out the window. "The first time I got that feeling, Kate had absorbed those two demons. I got it again but we never really knew why. I got it again today and it was related to demons."
"Yeah it has proven useful." Dean said.
Taylor took a deep breath. "So I am not sensing Kate. I am sensing demons."
Dean turned around. "You have had it a few times that were not bad and it has been about Kate."
Taylor looked from Dean to Sam. "I'm going to say something and I'd like to keep my head if it comes across the wrong way."
Dean shrugged. "No beheading. Go for it."
"So, Kate's mom and your mom both died the same way. This yellow eyed demon killed them. You and Kate are both connected to him and he has showed up a few times. We think he did something that jump started the whole psychic thing." Taylor searched for words.
"Go on." Dean said.
"What if I am reacting to what ever trace of demon was left on her?" Taylor asked.
Dean turned forward and looked toward the house. "Hold on. Trace of demon? She still has that demon stuff in her?"
Taylor couldn't be sure. "I think it has been there. I don't know how."
"Do I have it?" Sam asked.
Taylor looked at him with tired eyes. "It is so faint that I can't be sure. I'm grasping at straws here. I didn't mean anything offensively."
"No, kid. It is a solid theory. I can't say having a demon radar is a bad thing." Dean said.
Taylor couldn't see Kate being even a sliver of a demon. "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I was just reacting to fear or something."
"We can run it by Bobby." Dean said and got out of the car. The theory scared him. If Taylor was right, Sam and Kate could both have some of demon power in them. "So was that mess the other day from demons?"
Taylor shrugged. "I don't think so but what do I know? I could feel the power but not like I did with the house."
Dean chuckled. "When Kate first started hanging out with you, we were worried you were some kind of creature because of how athletic you were. That was a simpler time."
"I guess your instincts were right." Taylor said.
"A creature that can sniff out demons like a drug dog. I, for one, am down with that." Dean said and clapped Taylor on the back. "You aren't a creature. Just a kid."
Taylor smiled. "I guess drug dog is better than werewolf."
