Raising Katie

by amycoe37

This is a sequel to Saving Katie. Same warnings, same characters but new adventures. trigger warnings for discipline of minors and talk of abuse. (two separate entities)

36. chapter 36

"Get in the house." Dean said.

Kate ran up the steps and into the house as quickly as she could.

Bobby snapped his fingers to tell her to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

Kate sat in the chair and fidgeted nervously. Her heart was beating so hard she could barely hear.

Dean walked in behind her and leaned against the shelf.

John spoke briefly to Bobby before letting him go to talk to Kate.

"Anything you want to tell us?" Bobby asked.

Kate shook her head. "No sir."

"Really? You red carded me outside." Dean said.

Kate looked at him with wide eyes. "You looked and sounded pissed and I panicked."

"So you do have something to tell us." Dean responded.

Kate stared at Dean and swallowed again. "I don't know what you mean."

Dean put his hands on either side of the back of her chair. "Do not lie."

Kate sunk in the chair. "I'm not. I don't know why you are mad. I didn't do anything."

"Have you been using abilities?" Bobby asked.

Kate's face went white. She chewed her fingers. "Yes but I thought it was okay."

Dean growled under his breath. "When has it ever been okay? You can't just do crap like that. How many times have Bobby and I both told you not to."

Kate fought back the tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't think it would be an issue."

Bobby sighed. "Go upstairs."

Kate hung her head and skirted around Dean. She ran up the stairs and fell onto her bed. She was trying to follow rules and had done really well. Her heart was broken. She made a decision that she thought was an okay one and they were more angry at her than they had ever been.

Dean paced back and forth in Bobby's office. "How bad was the nurse hurt?"

Bobby messaged John. "Your dad is checking on that."

"Bobby, what am I doing wrong? Why can't she get it through her head?" Dean asked.

Bobby shook his head. "I don't know. You aren't doing anything wrong. I don't even know what to do."

Kate curled into herself and tried to calm herself down. She was scared although she knew she was safe. She hated disappointing them and had messed up yet again.

John got ahold of someone at the hospital and learned that Craig had caused the nurse to hit her head. She had a concussion and a broken arm.

Dean felt sick to his stomach. He hated being right sometimes. "I'm going to go talk to her."

"You sure you are calm enough for that?" Bobby asked.

"It has been a half hour. I'm as calm as I'm going to get." Dean said, sadly.

Kate heard the door open and started crying lightly.

Dean told her to sit up.

Kate sat up and looked at him.

Dean sighed. "I don't even know what to say to you."

Kate let the tears fall. "I'm sorry."

"If you were sorry you wouldn't do the same thing over and over again." Dean said.

Kate hiccupped. "I thought it was okay."

"Kate, someone got hurt. A nurse was attacked and has a concussion and broken arm." Dean told her.

Kate stared at him, blankly.

"No comment?" Dean pushed.

Kate licked her lips. "What are you talking about?"

Dean felt his temper flaring. "Your little stunt had consequences and someone got hurt because of it."

Kate moved back to the top of the bed. "I didn't hurt anyone."

"You caused Craig to." Dean said and pulled her back beside him.

"I couldn't have hurt anyone." Kate reasoned.

Dean stood her up in front of him. "Kate, I'm losing my patience."

Kate started to panic. "I used my red card, please let me explain."

"Explain, either way you are in for it." Dean warned.

Kate sniffled. "I was having bad dreams and I just use my ability to dream walk. All I did was direct what I wanted to dream about. I don't know how someone got hurt. I'm sorry."

Dean looked at her. "That isn't what this is about. This is about you planting a horror movie in Craig's head and it causing him to snap and attack the staff."

Kate gasped. "Dean, I didn't do that." She tried to pull away from him.

"Kate, lying to me is a really bad idea right now." Dean said and pulled her back to him.

Kate shook her head. "I'm not lying. I promise. Dean, please."

"You admitted to planting the first memory and you expect me to believe that you didn't have anything to do with this mental breakdown?" Dean said.

Kate nodded. "I didn't. Maybe he just went crazy."

Dean took her elbow and escorted her back to Bobby's office. He grabbed the page of notes. "Is this your handwriting?"

Kate's mouth got dry. "Yes."

"Is this your drawing?" Dean asked.

Kate looked at the drawing of the demon's face. "Yes."

"And you are still going to lie to my face and say you had nothing to do with this? Kate, what he was seeing matches up with your notes and drawings." Dean said, forcefully.

Kate stared at the page. "I didn't do anything."

Dean gave Bobby an exasperated look. "Who did it then? You are the only one with that agility."

Kate was beginning to get hurt that they didn't believe her before she connected the dots. "I did it! I planted the stuff in his head."

Dean and Bobby both looked at her.

"Just like that? How many times did I ask you?" Dean said.

Kate nodded. "I did it. I'm sorry."

Dean studied her. "Unless you didn't."

Kate wrung her hands. "I did."

Dean shot Bobby a look. "Kate, are you the only one with that ability?"

Kate blinked rapidly. "Yes."

Dean sat down in the chair and pulled her back to stand in front of him. "Katie, I've lied to protect Sam a few too many times to not know what that looks like."

Kate hung her head. "I think I'm the only one who can do that."

"Where is Taylor?" Dean asked.

Kate shook her head. "Dean, I did it. Okay?"

Dean tilted her chin up. "I don't think you did. I did until I saw that lightbulb come on in your head."

Kate started crying again. "Dean, please."

"Why did you say you had used your abilities when you didn't?" Dean asked, gently.

"I have. I altered my dreams." Kate said. "When you confronted me, I thought that is what you were mad about."

Dean hugged her to him. "I scared you. Even if you had been responsible for Craig, I don't want to scare you like that. Keep your red card."

Kate melted into the hug. "I'm sorry."

Dean brushed hair from her face. "Altering your dreams like that is okay. You didn't do anything wrong."

Bobby rocked back in his chair. "That does make this a whole lot more complicated."

Kate looked over at Bobby. "Craig thought Taylor was a shapeshifter. Maybe he just went crazy."

Bobby gave her a sad smile. "We will need to ask Taylor about that."

Kate shook her head. "Please don't."

"Kate, if he is the one doing this, we need to know. You know that things escalate." Dean said.

Kate gave him the saddest puppy dog eyes. "He has been through a lot. He didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. You know how Craig is."

Dean squeezed her. "You have been through a lot too and we wouldn't be okay with you doing something like this."

Kate slumped her shoulders. "It is different."

Dean rested his chin on her head. "I want you to tell me where he is so I can talk to him."

Kate frowned. "Please?"

Dean poked her side. "I'll find him either way."

Kate sighed. "He was outside by the wrecked cars."

Dean patted her thigh. "Hop up."

Kate didn't move.

Dean pushed her to stand up. "Stay in here. Do not intervene. If my ears ring I'm coming back in here."

Kate rolled her eyes. "You don't trust me."

Dean smiled at her. "I do trust you. I know you though."

Kate stepped out of his way.

Dean went outside to look for Taylor.

"You doing okay?" Bobby asked.

Kate sighed and sat down in the chair. "That was an emotional rollercoaster."

"I apologize. I thought you were to blame too." Bobby said.

Kate shrugged. "I can see why. I didn't but I understand why you thought I did. No hard feelings but I'll be using this to my advantage when I need it."

Bobby chuckled. "I'm sure Dean will fall for that."

Dean found Taylor out by the cars. "Hey, Taylor."

Taylor sat on the bed of a truck. "Hey."

Dean tried to make small talk but it wasn't his strong suit. "I have news about your dad."

Taylor tensed up and dug his knife into the plastic lining of the truck bed.

"He has been moved to another facility." Dean said.

Taylor looked at him. "Why?"

"Well, he had a mental break and attacked some of the staff." He watched to see Taylor's reaction.

Taylor looked back down at his knife. "Why did he do that?"

Dean cleared his throat. "He has been hallucinating lately. Seems to be that he thought the staff were demons and could see their true face."

Taylor held his breath. "Are the staff okay?"

"A nurse hit her head and has a broken arm." Dean said.

Taylor froze.

"Now, I know that Kate can plant memories and we figured out that the stuff that your dad was hallucinating just so happened to line up with what Kate was studying." Dean added.

Taylor dug his knife deeper into the plastic. "It does?"

"Would you happen to know anything about that?" Dean asked.

Taylor didn't answer.

"I talked to Kate since she is the only one who can do something like that, right?" Dean pressed.

Taylor swallowed although his mouth was dry. "What did she say?"

"She said she did it." Dean said.

Taylor snapped his head up. "She what?"

"Yep, confessed to the whole thing." Dean said.

Taylor's mouth dropped open. "Why would she do that?"

"I don't know, Taylor. Why would she do that?" Dean said, knowing that he had hit the mark.

"She didn't. She had nothing to do with it." Taylor stammered.

"All evidence points to her. She admitted to it. She is the only one who has that ability, unless someone else does and we just don't know about it." Dean added.

Taylor sighed. "I'm assuming you figured all of that out."

"We did. She just about got her ass handed to her and the only way I knew it wasn't her doing was how quickly she went from denying it to swearing it was her." Dean said.

Taylor put his head in his hands. "Kate didn't know. Why would she lie about that?"

Dean chuckled. "Same reason I told my dad that I was the one who broke the TV when Sam hit it with a wooden sword. Oh, or the time that he threw a rock through my dad's truck window and Kate tried to take credit for it."

Taylor grimaced. "Your dad has a reputation."

Dean nodded. "Who do you think helped piece together the sudden hallucinations?"

Taylor felt his hands get clammy. "I didn't know what I was doing at first. I guess I really didn't know it was working. I would never hurt someone on purpose. Is that nurse okay?"

Dean shrugged. "Aside from the broken bone and scrambled brain, I'm sure she is going to be a bit more cautious with patients."

Taylor groaned. "I messed up."

"Yeah, you did." Dean said.

Taylor slid off the bed of the truck. "I'll pack my stuff."

Dean stopped him. "You aren't packing."

Taylor stopped walking and looked at Dean.

"Why did you do it?"

"I was angry. All I feel is anger." Taylor said.

"Payback is a bitch. I want to know when you realized you had the ability and why you hid it." Dean said.

Taylor looked down at the gravel. "A few days after Kate showed me how to do stuff. I didn't know what it was at first. I didn't say anything because, by the time I realized what I was doing, I had already messed with him."

Dean nodded. "That is why you were asked not to hide things and not to use abilities without help. Kate is a fantastic example of how badly those things can go."

Taylor sighed. "I'm sorry. I felt like I had power over him and misused it."

"That is half the problem." Dean said. "The other half is what Kate struggles with. It is also why I assumed she was the one responsible."

Taylor felt like crap. "It wasn't my intention to hide it. I shouldn't have but I can't go back and change that."

"I was going to have both of you tag along with me on a few trips once Sam is away at Stanford. I can't do that if I can't trust either of you." Dean said.

They had been nothing but nice to him and he had ruined it. Maybe his dad was right about him. He was quiet and in his head. No amount of apologizing was going to fix the fact that he had gotten someone hurt. To add insult to injury, he had gotten Kate caught in the crosshairs.

Dean watched Taylor think. He had to do some thinking as well. He had deemed Kate as complicated but Brian handed her over. They had a history and their ways of handling things overlapped nicely. Taylor was a different case. "Let's head inside."

Taylor walked with Dean but didn't speak. He was afraid that anything he said would make the situation worse.

Kate jumped up when the door opened and ran to hug Taylor.

Dean let her hug him and then told her to let him go. "Bobby, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Bobby nodded and told the kids to go to the kitchen.

Kate drug Taylor to the kitchen and asked if he was okay.

Taylor just shrugged. He was far from okay.

Dean made sure that Kate was fully in the kitchen and not lingering in the hallway.

"What is the verdict?" Bobby asked.

Dean sighed. "He does have the ability and was the one driving Craig insane."

Bobby swore under his breath. "Kate has no hard feelings but will be holding this over your head when it suits her."

Dean chuckled. "That seems fair." He sat down across from Bobby's desk and took a long, slow, breath. "What do we do?"

Bobby leaned back in his own chair. "You've got me stumped."

Dean felt more tired than he had before the exchange. "You can't call up his parents and turn him in. I'd say that would be the solution but Craig can't know what happened and I doubt Misty will have a useful reaction."

"No, I'd say not." Bobby said, thoughtfully.

"His reaction was to apologize and start packing." Dean added.

"He did say that he has gotten kicked out of his house a few times." Bobby replied.

"I don't think he needs to do that. This is a first time sort of thing." Dean said.

"How about you call John up and talk to him. This is more of his specialty than mine." Bobby said.

Dean smirked. "I see you are bowing out again."

Bobby clicked his tongue. "I know when I'm out of my depth."

"I'm out of my depth." Dean said.

"So call your dad. See what he says." Bobby said with a small smile.

Dean sighed. "I'll call Sam too. He should probably take Kate out."

Bobby resituated his ballcap. "That is going to go over like a lead balloon."

Dean grimaced. "She seems pretty set on not being in trouble so I think she will go willingly."

Bobby shrugged. "You go talk to John, I'll talk to her."

Dean nodded and went outside.

Bobby made his way to the kitchen and his heart ached a little. Taylor was sitting at the table with his head resting on the cool wood. Kate was sitting beside him doing her best to cheer him up.

Kate looked over when Bobby walked in.

"Katie, come in here." Bobby said and motioned toward the office.

Kate reluctantly followed him. "What?"

Bobby chose his words carefully. "Sam is going to come back from town and pick you up."

Kate gasped. "Why?"

"We need to figure out this Craig mess and it is best that you not be here." Bobby answered, honestly.

Kate frowned. "I want to be here. Taylor needs me. Bobby, please don't make him move back to his house."

Bobby put his hand up. "I didn't say I was making him move back. I said we need to talk about things. I know you mean well but I don't want you getting worked up. It may make it easier for him to talk if you aren't present. You know how guys are."

Kate saw the sincerity in Bobby's face and dropped her defense. "I don't want to leave but I will if I'm told to."

Bobby wrapped his arm around her. "You could probably talk Sam into just about anything. I can give you a bit of spending money to take with you."

Kate smiled a little. "You're going all out on this distraction thing."

Bobby smiled. "Honestly, you have been good lately. We thought for sure that you had done that to Craig and this is my way of apologizing."

Kate's face turned red.

Bobby eyed her. "What is it?"

Kate stammered. "I over heard Dean say he would take me hunting and I was trying to be really good so he would trust me."

Bobby chuckled. "We can keep that between us as long as you continue to behave yourself."

Kate grinned. "Do I still get spending money?"

Bobby pulled some bills from his wallet and gave them to her. "Spend wisely."

Kate scoffed. "Where is the fun in that?"

They walked back to the kitchen and Bobby offered them both some lemonade.

Kate accepted but Taylor shook his head.

The clock ticked in the silence and no one spoke.

Dean finished his conversation with John and walked up on the porch.

Kate heard him and excused herself. "Dean." She whispered and blocked him from going inside.

Dean blinked slowly. He wasn't up for arguing with her.

Kate gently pushed him back and lightly shut the door.

"Katie, now isn't the time." Dean warned.

"Will you listen before getting grumpy?" She asked.

Dean stepped back. "What?"

Kate shifted from one foot to the other a few times. "Bobby told me that Sam was going to pick me up."

Dean nodded.

"I'll go, although I don't want to. I understand that Taylor needs to talk and is probably embarrassed around me." Kate said.

Dean furrowed his brows. He hadn't expected her to be compliant.

"Okay, so the thing is, I don't want him to think I am happily abandoning him. I am following the order because I saw the look on your face earlier and I happen to have some self preservation skills still active. I'm not going to argue but could you have my back on that?" Kate asked.

Dean hugged her. "You want me to be the bad guy."

Kate looked up at him. "No, not the bad guy. Just don't want him to think I am ... the bad guy."

Dean ruffled her hair. He pushed her back toward the door and ushered her inside. "Go get your stuff. Sam will be here in ten minutes." He winked at her.

Kate whined. "I don't want to. Please."

Dean snapped his fingers. "If you aren't ready in ten minutes..."

Kate took off running up the stairs and grabbed her stuff.

Dean walked into the kitchen and met eyes with Bobby. He gave Bobby a smirk and a half eye roll.

Bobby thought he understood and didn't push.

Taylor sat up in his chair but still didn't say anything. He didn't look at anyone or move anymore.

Dean felt bad for Taylor. He looked like he was being interrogated. He could tell Taylor to relax but didn't think it would have much of an impact. He was still mulling over John's words and wanted to speak to Bobby. They had done enough whispering behind Taylor's back and another aside would just make him feel more excluded.

Kate got ready and went back down to the kitchen.

Dean checked his watch. "Kate is going with Sam for a little while." He said to Taylor.

Taylor looked over at Kate.

Kate grumbled. "I want to stay here."

Dean gave her a stern look. "You are going, end of story."

Kate huffed and gave Taylor a sympathetic look.

Taylor nodded his head that it was okay.

Kate sighed but gave Dean a small smile when Taylor turned his head.

Bobby concluded that his original thought had been correct and she had talked Dean into letting Taylor know that Kate wasn't leaving him by choice.

Dean walked her outside when Sam arrived. "Make sure she doesn't try any mind tricks. I'll let you know when it is clear."

Sam told Kate she could ride shot gun. "I'll keep her busy."

Kate waved at Dean. "I trust you."

Dean waved back. "Thanks, kid." He went back in the house after a brief pause at the door. One day he hoped he was as self assured as John was because at that time he felt anything but.

Taylor was losing his ability to keep it together. His brain was frying under the pressure.

Dean stepped into the kitchen. "I spoke to my dad."

Bobby nodded. "What did he have to say?"

Taylor looked at Dean too.

"A lot, surprisingly." Dean said and sat down across from Taylor. "Tell Bobby your thought process behind this."

Taylor cleared his throat. "I was angry. After Kate showed me how to do some stuff, a few days later, I tried the memory thing. I didn't think it had worked at first. I thought I was just dreaming. When I realized it was working, I had already messed with my dad a good bit. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to make anyone angry. I went overboard."

Bobby sighed. "Overboard is a word for it. Can you do anything else?"

Taylor sighed and held his hand in front of the salt shaker." The shaker moved a few inches.

Dean tapped the table. "Why hide that one?"

"I thought that it would give away the other ability." Taylor answered.

Dean felt a familiar frustration. "Did Kate know?"

Taylor quickly shook his head. "No, I haven't told her anything about any of it."

Dean looked intently at Taylor. "I know I have given the 'do not hide things' speech and explained why."

"You have. I'm sorry. I knew I needed to tell someone but I let my anger control my choices." Taylor said.

"When I talked to you and Kate about that, that was my main point. Abilities can be good but Kate is emotional. She lets those emotions sweep her along. Anger can turn you into something you don't want to be." Dean said.

Taylor looked back down at the table. "I know that. I knew that. I am sorry."

Dean looked over at Bobby before he spoke again. "So what do we do about it? If we sent you home, what would your mom's response be?"

Taylor's heart broke. "She would be mad that I messed with him and probably kick me out."

"Where do you go when you get kicked out?" Dean asked.

"My friend's house." He said.

"My dad didn't think alerting your dad was a good idea." Dean said.

Taylor let out a breath. "He would not have a good reaction."

"No, I'd imagine he would be angry and wouldn't handle that anger very well." Dean said.

Taylor nodded.

"I picked my dad's brain about the situation and I think he made some good points." Dean said.

Taylor looked at him. "I can get my stuff."

Dean shook his head. "Not unless you decide to."

Taylor tilted his head in confusion.

Dean groaned. "With Kate, things are different. She has pulled this kind of thing several times. It is a near constant issue with her. However, you haven't done anything like this. You have been kind and helpful. I could let you off with a warning." Dean said and waited for Taylor to catch up.

Taylor relaxed his shoulders but saw the look on Dean's face. "But?"

"But, as he pointed out, you are a lot like me at that age. You are going to beat yourself up over it and not move on. You are going to assume that the least thing will send you packing." Dean said.

Taylor nodded. That did sound like him.

"Dad, Bobby and I are on the same page with not requiring you to go home. You are welcome here and I don't see a need for you to be banned from the place."

Taylor was happy that he wouldn't have to leave but didn't know what any of it meant.

"Sam didn't get kicked out when he ran off to Flagstaff and Kate didn't get kicked out when she compelled us. Sam is my brother and Kate is legally my sister, even without the papers she is a sister to me." Dean said.

Taylor nodded again.

"If you want to stick around and act as part of the family, I'm going to treat you exactly how I have treated Sam and Kate." Dean said.

Taylor nodded a bit more slowly.

"So there lies the option. You can decide to head home and see how your mom handles the situation or you can deal with it here." Dean added.

Taylor stopped nodding and blinked his eyes. He swallowed hard. "How?"

Dean sighed. "When I screwed up, I got my ass busted. Same for Sam and Same for Kate."

Taylor's eyes got big. "Oh."

"I'm not giving you an ultimatum. You can stay either way. However, if you are truly like me, that guilt is going to eat at you. It is up to you."

Taylor looked at Bobby and then back to Dean. He didn't know what to do with a choice like that.

Dean tilted his head toward the stairs. "Go on up and think about it."

Taylor pushed his chair back and slowly made his way up the stairs. His dad was heavy handed to say the least and had beaten him for breathing the wrong way. He'd happily take the lashes if it meant he could stay but he had been given a choice. Why was he given a choice? He screwed up. He knew that. Dean was right about the guilt but guilt always plagued him.

Dean took a drink from Bobby. "You have to stop skirting this kind of stuff, old man."

Bobby clapped him on the back. "They imprinted on you, not me."

Dean sighed.

"You got through it with Sam and Kate." Bobby said.

"Well Kate is something different. She is the bratty little sister that pushes buttons every chance she gets." Dean said.

Bobby grabbed an apple and peeled it. "He isn't much different than Sam."

"I am four years older than Sam and didn't think about it as much. When I kicked his ass, I was usually trying to prevent a harder ass kicking from dad." Dean said.

Bobby chuckled. "You got through a 12 year old Sam, you can get through this one too."

Dean grumbled. "Doesn't mean it was easy. At least Sam had the attitude and mood going so that I was annoyed enough not to feel bad."

Bobby nodded. "I'll give you that one. You said Taylor is like you."

Dean looked up at the ceiling. "Seems to be." He downed the drink at sat the glass down. "I should go talk to him before he works himself up."

Bobby took the glass. "I'll be down here."

Dean knocked on the door to the room he shared with Taylor. He heard a faint response and opened it.

Taylor was sitting on his bed, bouncing his leg and picking at a tear in his jeans.

"Did you give it any thought?" Dean asked.

Taylor shuttered. "I have. Can I speak kind of openly here?"

Dean nodded. "I'd hope so."

"I'm confused." Taylor admitted.

Dean hummed. "About what?"

"Why are you giving me a choice?" Taylor asked, bluntly.

Dean furrowed his brows. "I think you need the choice. I'm not going to grab people and start swinging without some form of understanding. I think that your dad made you afraid to have your own opinion and it is important for you to accept something because you accept it and not because it is being forced on you."

Taylor looked back at his jeans. "Why not just send me home?"

Dean rubbed his face. "What good would that do you? You'd wrestle with the guilt but I assume you'd get bitter and feel like we abandoned you too. Bitterness turns to anger, as you know, and there is a chance that you'd take it out on your family."

Taylor blew air through his nose. "Kate hates when you do that."

Dean nodded. "I know. Who needs powers when you can read minds like I do?"

Taylor gave him a small smile. He looked back down and then steeled himself. "Okay, I'll take the licks."

Dean nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I messed up. If you let me slide, Kate will hold it against you and I think she has plans for world domination at some point."

Dean laughed. "That is a point I hadn't considered." He reminded himself that Taylor was the Sam as same at 12. He could do this. He knew what he was doing.

Taylor stood up and reached for his belt buckle.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked.

Taylor paused. "I... I was going to give you my belt."

Dean shook his head. "No. Not here. Whipping a kid with his own belt is a low blow."

Taylor moved his hands. "Oh." He noted that and moved his arm from his shirt.

Dean eyed Taylor. "Taylor, when you said you have gotten 'whooped' before, what exactly did you mean?"

Taylor stared at Dean. "What do you mean?"

"Walk me through it." Dean said.

Taylor's face got red. "Do I have to?"

"I want you to know what is going to happen before you make an official decision." Dean said.

"It is the same as everyone else." Taylor said.

Dean sighed. "Now it is different depending on age and what you did to land yourself in the hot seat but for us, with my dad, if I really screwed up he'd bend me over something and use his belt on my butt and about halfway down my thighs if he needed to."

Taylor furrowed his brows.

"Why do you look like you were about to take your shirt off?" Dean asked.

Taylor put his arm back through the sleeve.

"Did your dad hit you across the back?" Dean asked.

Taylor nodded. "I mean, he did when he was drunk but if he was sober and I did something wrong, if it was pretty bad he'd cover anything from my neck to my knees."

Dean sat down on his own bed. "Let me be very clear. I don't care what you do, I will never do that. My dad was harsh at times but would never do that. Is that what you thought I was going to do?"

Taylor blushed but nodded. "Someone got hurt because of me."

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm not even going to use my belt. I think your dad gave you too much of a stigma about that. I was going to paddle you."

Taylor's mind raced. "Oh."

"I'm not going to lie. The thing stings like hell and I avoided it like the plague as a kid. It gets the point across." Dean said.

Taylor sifted through his thoughts. "Oh."

Dean grabbed it from the top of the closet. He held it out for Taylor to see. "The goal isn't to inflict pain. The goal is for you to feel like you have a clean slate and motivation to not mess up again."

Taylor noted that his dad had a different philosophy.

"I didn't give you this option as a way to make myself feel better. Honestly, I hate it. I didn't like when I had to do it with Sam and I sure as hell don't enjoy busting Kate's butt." Dean said.

Taylor looked at the paddle and then back at Dean. "I didn't know."

Dean nodded. "I know that now. If you accept the paddling, it is going to sting. It sucks but once it is over, you are back to square one. We don't hold grudges. You will have to prove that you learned the lesson but this is it. I'll have you write a thoughtful apology to the nurse but we wont send it to her. You will burn it and let go of the guilt."

Taylor swallowed. "Okay."

Dean moved a stack of books from the desk. "What is it going to be?"

Taylor shifted awkwardly. "That."

Dean nodded. "Over the desk then. I want to get this over with so I can stop dreading it too."

Taylor followed the order.

"Keep your hands in front of you. Just trust me." Dean said.

Taylor wasn't sure what to expect. He had never been given so much time before to think.

"When my dad was the one doing this he'd go by our age. I think half should do it. This is a first time thing and I don't think the extra six will make a difference." Dean said. He felt the dread in his own stomach. "Why are you here?"

Taylor didn't respond right away. It took him a second to realize he was supposed to answer. "I hid the ability and used it on my dad. Someone got injured because of it."

Dean nodded and bit the inside of his cheek.

Taylor felt the air leave his lungs. He wasn't expecting it to sting like that. He squeaked but made no further noise.

Dean noted the reaction and figured he had judged the swing strength well. "You are part of the team, that means no lying." He landed a second swat below the first.

Taylor tucked his hands under his chest.

"I get that you are pissed at your dad but using an ability with the intention of harming someone is a slippery slope." He landed two over the previous two.

Taylor bit his lip. He had gotten laid into by his dad and this was different. He couldn't shut it out because he wasn't in fight or flight mode. He felt the transgression with each layer of fire added. "I'm sorry."

Dean bit back the pity. "I know. I know you didn't mean for the nurse to get hurt. What are you going to do from now on?"

Taylor cringed. "Tell you guys if I have a new ability?"

"Yep. There are too many people in this house for you to think that hiding things is okay. That goes for what is going on in your head that isn't ability related." Dean said.

Taylor nodded. He was tense because he knew Dean wasn't done.

Dean tapped him. "Shift up, yeah like that."

Taylor did but wasn't sure why.

Dean wondered when he had turned into his dad. "Since you are only getting six, they need to make a lasting impression."

Taylor started to ask what he meant before blood rushed to his head and he shoved himself away from the desk. He caught his breath and realized he moved. "Sorry, sorry."

Dean put a hand on his shoulder. "Back over. You have one more. I'm not going to add on an extra. That is called the sit spot, which I think is a stupid name but you'll get why later. Stings like a son of a bitch."

Taylor stared at him like he had three heads.

"I can tan your hide and sympathize at the same time." Dean said and nodded toward the desk.

Taylor grimaced but put himself back over the desk. The last swat was harder than the others and directly on top of the one before it. His eyes got watery and his breath hitched.

Dean put a hand on his back before putting the paddle back in the closet. "You can stand up."

Taylor hissed. "I don't think I want to."

Dean chuckled. "Ah, I've been there." He tapped Taylor's back. "Sam was always a bitch at this point but Kate wants me to hug her after. I'm fine either way."

Taylor stiffly straightened himself. "Hug?"

Dean shrugged. "It makes her feel forgiven." He held an arm out and pulled Taylor's head to his chest.

Taylor was stiff at first but relaxed a little.

Dean patted his back. "If you do something like this, you get the full age. Got it?"

Taylor nodded. "Got it."

Dean let Taylor go. "I'll give you some time to yourself. Feel free to come down stairs when you want."

Taylor tried to make sense of everything in his head. He had agreed to the punishment when he thought it would be the kind he was used to. He didn't want Dean to continue to be angry. He wasn't prepared for an explanation, forgiveness and a hug. He laced his fingers on top of his head and paced a little. He was more shocked than when he had found out about creatures existing. He started wondering if it had been real at all. Maybe he was having a vision. He sighed and went to plop down on the bed. He jumped up with a hiss and rubbed the sting away. He groaned to himself. "Sit spots, aptly named."