Author's note: Taylor won't be getting into trouble any time soon. He is busy maturing and enjoying high school.
(Bobby's house)
Charlie flipped through one of the files while her computer booted up. She didn't know exactly what she was looking for as far as paper was concerned. The files felt heavy, in a hinky, voodoo type of way. Knowing what the doctor did, told her that it all began long before the freaks were created. She was no stranger to the evils of the world but had been privileged not to witness too much.
John wanted to approach the information in a specific way, knowing that Kate could spiral at the drop of a hat. He spoke to her outside. "You can help sort this. Any step you take outside of the lines will be met with consequences."
Kate knew that much. "I will keep myself calm. These are just files."
John sighed and squeezed her shoulder. "If you are having issues, please let one of us know before we have to solve them for you."
Kate furrowed her eyebrows. "How is that comforting and a threat at the same time?"
"I am serious." John said.
Kate swallowed. "I will follow all guidelines."
Dean had been put on Kate duty. When was he ever not on Kate duty? Kate was the one thing that John would admit that Dean could handle better than he could. "Here, look at this file."
Kate scanned the file. "Charlie, let's start a spreadsheet."
Taylor had already looked through the files. Well, he looked through some of them. He pulled a few that may be triggering for Kate, so that they could each read it and ease her into the information. One that he actively sought out and gave to John was Kate's own file. He didn't read it. He wanted John to read it first, feeling like it would be a breach of Kate's privacy.
John sat down with Kate's file. It was thick. It started with her initial admission to the hospital. It documented all of the tests that the team had done up until the night that she suddenly recovered. That told John exactly what day Brian sold his soul. He closed his eyes for a moment to remember Brian. The file continued after Kate got better. The team ran a ton of tests trying to figure out what happened. After Kate was released, the file continued with information gained from other offices. The doctor had gotten her records when she was in the ER for a broken arm or seen by a pediatrician for an ear infection. He had a few years of her records before the file suddenly ended. John looked back at the names along the tops of the papers. A few had names that had been in Kate's emergency folder. How could the doctor have those files if they were under a different name?
(Sam and Jess)
To Sam's knowledge, all of his Azazel-given abilities were gone. He no longer had visions, although he did dream about Jess's parents getting hurt. That may have just been his subconscious hoping that something would happen. Every so often, he'd get a feeling that something wasn't quite right. It was happening more often. It could be due to his training. Dean and John were known to have gut feelings. Hell, most hunters had them. Sam just couldn't place his.
Jess thought Sam was off too. She asked him about it. "You seem jumpy."
Sam chewed his cheek. "When I was walking home, I felt like I was being watched."
"Did you see anyone?" Jess asked.
"No, and I looked. I changed up my normal route. You should too." Sam said.
Milo slid a plastic cap across the floor, batting at it as it escaped his tiny paws. He was growing like a weed and his own hunting skills were becoming sharper. No bottle cap would dare to harm Jess or Sam.
Sam stepped on the cap and chuckled when Milo pounced on his foot. He gently moved his foot and let Milo play with his prized possession. Would Milo be sensitive to things like Millie and Liam were? Millie and Liam were able to withstand the power surges that Kate and Taylor put off. Was that an animal thing or were they extra special? Caleb had gotten a dog to alert them of danger, but would a cat do the same thing? He raised an eyebrow as Milo slid into the leg of the table and fell sideways. Milo probably wasn't going to be reliable; he was special in a different way.
Jess needed to go to her evening class. She checked the time and threw her books into her bag. "I'll be home after this class. Can you make dinner?"
Sam had a pit in his stomach. "I'll walk you there."
Jess would have argued about being able to take care of herself, but she had changed. Sam could be overprotective, but he wasn't controlling. If he had reservations about something, it was for a good reason. She shrugged and waited for him to get his shoes on. She placed Milo on his cat tree and kissed the top of his head. He would survive the hour and half that they'd be gone.
The weather was growing cooler each day as summer ended and fall began. Sam didn't mind cooler weather. He was always hot. Jess was always cold. They could never agree on what temperature the apartment needed to be kept at. Once Jess was inside the building, Sam decided to walk around to look for anything that was out of place. He didn't want to alert anyone at that point. He just had a hunch. Telling Dean or John that he had a hunch would bring one or both of them to his doorstep. He didn't feel like that was necessary and that would worry Jess. He got a cup of coffee and sat down on a bench in the courtyard. If he just looked as though he was studying, he could keep an eye on his surroundings without looking suspicious.
It was the beginning of October. The fraternities and sororities were highly active due to football and the approach of the holidays. That meant that alcohol use was high. Sam wasn't a stranger to alcohol by any means but he very rarely got drunk. Watching frat dudes stumble around reminded him why he chose not to get drunk. They were idiots. He was the same age as they were but more mature. He had more responsibilities. He planned on being with Jess forever, so he wasn't trying to sleep around with every sorority girl he ran into. That wasn't his thing anyway. The wind blew a plastic bag across the courtyard. It momentarily looked like a small ghost dancing lazily across the grass. Ghosts were a smaller part of his life than he had expected them to be since he found out that ghosts were real.
Jess finished her class and met Sam outside. "See anything?"
Sam felt the hair on his neck stand up and put his arm around Jess's shoulders. "I feel something."
Jess knew the protocol. If demons were around, she was supposed to stick right by Sam. If a code word was used, she was to find the nearest inclosed area to enter. There, she would place devils trap stickers at all available entrances. Then, she'd call for backup. She had issues with the plan. Namely, Sam would not be in a safe place. She did argue about that but, contrary to what Sam believed, he was just as stubborn as the rest of his family.
Sam called Kate. He couldn't see anything but wanted to make sure nothing was there. He would have prayed to Cas but Cas wasn't as tactful. He didn't understand humans well enough to not stick out like a sore thumb. "Hey, bug. Can you scry right now?"
Kate put her phone on speaker. "Sam wants me to scry."
"Why?" John asked.
"Just a feeling." Sam said.
John nodded for Kate to do her thing. Grounding or not, he'd allow her to make sure that Sam and Jess were safe.
Kate sat back on the couch and focused on Sam. Her abilities were still unreliable and she didn't always know how to control them. She pushed into Sam's head and got a blurry view of what he was looking at. At first, nothing stood out.
Taylor sat beside Kate and touched her arm. He could help boost her but he could also help with the scrying.
Kate blinked as the view came into focus.
Sam slowly scanned his surroundings, allowing Kate and Taylor to see what he was seeing.
"There." Taylor said.
Kate could see what he was pointing out. "You've got activity, 10 o'clock. 20 or so yards away."
Sam could see it in his peripheral but didn't look right at what they were talking about. "What kind of activity?"
"Demon." Taylor said.
Sam guided Jess down the sidewalk. He didn't know what type of demon activity there was. He couldn't ask too many questions, just incase the demon was listening. He walked a few yards away from the court yard and turned around, acting like he was looking for something that dropped. Was this a demon that knew him? Was it just a random demon that had nothing to do with him?
Taylor knew the scrying session was causing Kate pain. He tried to boost her a bit more. He'd pull her out if it got too bad. If Sam and Jess were not in possible trouble, he would have pulled her out earlier.
Dean sat on the other side of Kate. He held a tissue up to her nose, "Kiddo, you have to snap out of it."
Kate tried to shake her head, which was awkward due to Dean's hand being attached to her nose.
Sam picked up the pace with Jess. If they could get home quickly, they'd be safe from demons and be able to look into what was going on. Out in the open, they could not be possessed but any number of their classmates could. Walking slowly was putting too much pressure on Kate and he could hear by Dean's gentle tone that she was struggling.
As soon as they were inside the apartment, Taylor broke Kate's connection.
Kate pushed Dean's hand away. "I'm fine."
Dean handed her the tissue. "That nose bleed says you aren't."
Kate's head hurt. "Someone talk to Sam."
John took the phone. "Dean, get her up to her bed."
Kate groaned. "No. I'm fine. I can scry some more and help figure this out."
John shook his head. "You are going to go rest."
Kate tilted her head back. "I want to stay down here."
"You are going to lay down. I am not arguing with you. You used your last chance at the gala and I am in no mood to repeat myself." John said.
Dean pulled Kate to her feet. He supported most of her weight but let her walk. He got her to her bed and propped several pillows behind her. "You've got to stop arguing."
Kate squinted her eyes against the light. "If Sam is in danger, I can help."
"You did help. They are at their house now. If demons attack, they can't get inside and Sam has weapons." Dean said. "You are just taking a break while dad talks to him."
"What about the files?" Kate asked.
"I am begging you to not ask about those right now. There is no way in hell that he is going to let you look at them after scrying for that long. I spoke to him about the gala. It took a lot for him to step back. With the files, especially, he is not going to give you any chances." Dean warned.
"Everyone else can look at them." Kate said.
"We all have guidelines too. He gave Taylor the speech and he will be in just as much trouble if he doesn't follow those guidelines." Dean said.
"I didn't know he gave him the speech." Kate said.
"He isn't any easier on Taylor. You just typically hear what he tells you, and not what he tells Taylor." Dean said. "As harsh as dad can be, it is only because he wants all of us to survive to be as old and crotchety as he and Bobby are."
Kate giggled lightly. "Bobby wouldn't like that you said that."
"He knows, kid." Dean said. "That is the dream. We all want to grow old."
(Later)
Sam was glad they were home. Home meant safety. He wasn't afraid for himself, as he had faced down plenty of demons. He was afraid for Jess. The gut-wrenching fear that something would happen to her consumed him. He was starting to understand why John was the way that he was. Sam didn't know his mom, although he felt the loss. Watching Jess sitting in the floor, playing with Milo, make his heart jump into his throat. He pictured a future with her. He didn't exactly want twelve kids, but a few would be nice. John pictured the same thing with Mary, but she got ripped away far too soon. He decided to sit down beside her.
Jess rested her head on his shoulder. She dangled a string over Milo's head and smiled when he jumped to grab it. She knew Sam was worried. He was hard to read at times. "What is on your mind?"
"I just want things to be okay. You know, part of the reason I chose Stanford was to get far away from demons and hunting." Sam said.
"I know. I'm glad you did move here, even if the demons show up." Jess said.
Sam sighed. "I think I feel guilty for bringing you into it." He inhaled a sharp breath of air when she pinched his side. "Hey!"
Jess rolled her eyes. "You didn't bring me into it. I brought myself into it and you had better not say anything like that ever again."
Sam rubbed his side. "You could have had a life without ever knowing about demons."
"Yeah, but then my mom would still be alive, and I like it better this way." Jess said with a smile.
Sam wasn't sure how to feel about that. Jess didn't have a malicious bone in her body, and he knew she wouldn't wish death on anyone. However, Martha had done that to herself.
Jess felt her stomach growl. "I'm hungry."
Sam got up. "Right, I was supposed to make dinner."
(Kate)
Kate still had a headache. She was bored though. She couldn't go downstairs because Dean would immediately try to make sure she was back to her normal self. She wanted to avoid that because she wasn't quite back to normal, and she didn't think technicalities would fly. She drew for a bit but couldn't focus. She could almost hear something. It was so faint, or so high pitched that she didn't know if it was in her head or not. She thought it could have been a mosquito, but she didn't see anything moving around.
Millie scratched at the door, so Kate let her in. She ran to the window and pawed at the glass.
Kate approached the window and raised it, noting that the sound was more noticeable. She kept Millie from pushing the screen out of the window but sat on the windowsill beside her. Then, she saw it. There was a shimmering strip of light outside the window. It was hard to visually process. She gently removed the screen and climbed out onto the roof, keeping Millie back so that she didn't fall off. As she got closer, the strip expanded. She could feel a strange type of power and it was almost calling to her. She inched further down the roof and thought the strip may have moved closer to her. That wasn't weird at all. She reached out to touch it, but her hand phased through it. She scooted back and found a stray stick to poke it with. The stick phased through the strip of light but didn't come out the other side. Kate let go of it and watched it disappear.
She looked directly at the light and felt like her head was going to explode. She scrambled back as flashes of bright light hit her. She was climbing back through the window when Karen startled her.
"Dinner is ready." Karen said, knocking softly on Kate's door.
Kate pulled Millie back inside and replaced the screen. "Coming." She had no intention of keeping the strange light a secret, but the flashing had disoriented her. The conversation at the table was already centered around Sam and Jess and she got distracted with her concern for their safety.
Charlie didn't have much to say about the demons because she was surrounded by people that specialized in demons. She just liked to listen and learn.
Dean, in typical Dean fashion, was ready to kick some demon ass just because Sam was concerned. "We can drive out there and get rid of them."
"We don't know why they were there." Taylor said.
"Does it matter?" Dean asked. "They are demons."
"I didn't have the best view and my demon sensing abilities are not as sharp that far away. It could just be a random demon that doesn't realize Sam is there." Taylor said.
"Again, does it matter?"
John pinched the bridge of his nose. "They do not have classes tomorrow and plan to spend the day inside. That will give Sam time to get a better view of what is going on. Castiel can also be asked to assist."
"They shouldn't have to spend the day inside. Why would a demon want to mess with them anyway? The whole Martha thing was a failure. Sam doesn't have abilities anymore." Dean said.
John appreciated Dean's desire to protect his brother, but he felt as though he was holding back a pit bull sometimes. "One thing at a time. Even if we did decide to drive over, leaving tonight, it would be days before we got there."
"Not if I drive." Dean said.
Kate smirked. Dean had a point. The only faster way to get somewhere was teleportation.
"Dean, just eat. Sam is safe right now. You know that I would lay down my life to keep him and Jess safe. We do not have enough information right now." John said.
Taylor looked at Kate, pushing into her head. How are you feeling?
Kate glanced at him. Like offering to zap them there would be a bad move at the moment.
Taylor nodded slightly. That would indeed, be a bad move. He knew she was not up to speed. She had something going on, but the scrying session had taken a lot out of her.
Karen helped steer the conversation away from Sam and toward what was going on in Sioux Falls. She and Bobby were going to go to Taylor's next game and looked forward to that. She even managed to figure out Bobby's phone system and helped relay information so that Bobby didn't have to do it each time.
Midway through the meal, the phone rang. Karen got up to answer it. "Singer residence."
The man on the other end of the line paused. "I know whose residence this is. Who are you?"
Karen was taken aback.
Bobby saw her face and took the phone. "Who is this? Goddammit Rufus. No. Why don't you mind your own business? Why are you calling me?"
John couldn't completely hide his grin. Rufus was Bobby's longtime friend, although they'd both swear, they were enemies. Rufus was a unique individual but a damn good hunter.
Bobby hadn't seen Rufus in a few years and hadn't had the chance to tell him about the new additions to his family. He hung up the phone and took his cap off, angrily scrubbing his head. He stormed out of the house mumbling and grumbling about Rufus's bad timing.
Karen looked at John. "What was that?"
John snorted. "Rufus. If you kids think Bobby is an old grump, you haven't seen anything yet. They used to hunt together a lot." He scratched his chin. "Judging by how red Bobby's face was, I'm assuming you'll meet him in a few minutes."
Kate ran over to the window and looked outside. She saw a truck pulling into the driveway and met eyes with Bobby who snapped his fingers toward the house, telling her to get away from the window. She hurried back over to the table. "Finally, drama that I'm not involved in!"
The kids stayed quiet so they could hear the altercation going on outside.
"Karen? Your dead wife, Karen!" Rufus shouted.
Bobby fired back. "Yes. Now don't barge into my house passing judgement about things you know nothing about!"
"Bobby, you know how these things go. No one comes back from the dead without strings attached. When did she get back? Does she act human?" Rufus asked, worried that his old friend had lost his mind.
Bobby groaned. "Rufus, some stuff has happened. She has been back for months."
"You didn't think to tell me that!" Rufus yelled.
"No because I knew you'd be a fool idiot and act just like this." Bobby said.
"How'd she get back then? You didn't make a deal did you? Dammit Bobby if you made a deal.."
Bobby's voice raised. "I didn't make a damn demon deal." He paused. How was he going to explain how she returned to earth without explaining Kate and Taylor? "You know what, you ought to just come inside... without the weapons."
Rufus raised both eyebrows. "So, your zombie wife can eat my face off? I don't think so Bobby."
Bobby grumbled something under his breath and started walking back to the house.
Rufus followed, still chewing Bobby out as they walked.
Bobby took a deep breath before opening the door. "If you pull a weapon, I will shoot you."
Rufus grumbled. "Better than being eaten alive."
Kate couldn't wait to meet the man behind the voice. Sure, he was crotchety, but she was giddy with amusement.
Bobby entered the kitchen with Rufus behind him.
Rufus looked around the table. "Well, who the hell are they?"
Bobby let out a long slow breath. "You know John."
John tilted his head to acknowledge Rufus.
"Well, yeah I know John. That's Dean I suppose." He took a long hard look at Taylor.
"Not Sam. Sam is at Stanford." Taylor said.
Rufus narrowed his eyes. "Not Sam, then who are you?"
"And you get onto me about my manners." Kate said with a smirk. She gritted her teeth into a forced smile when Dean flicked her knuckles.
"That is Taylor. The smart Alec is Kate and the redhead is Charlie." Bobby took another breath and stood behind Karen, placing his hands on her shoulders. "This is Karen."
Rufus was dumbfounded. "And?"
"It is a long story." Bobby said. "Sit down. We will make you a plate."
Rufus wasn't going to pass up free food. He had driven all day and the lasagna looked appetizing.
"So, it has been a few years since you've been up here." Bobby said. "Things have a way of changing in a hurry."
Rufus shoved a fork full of lasagna in his mouth and nodded, motioning for Bobby to continue.
"Did you ever run into Brian O'Connor?"
Rufus swallowed. "I've heard the name."
"Uh, well, he had a daughter. That would be Kate over there. He passed a few years ago so she has been here." Bobby said.
Rufus didn't think Bobby was the type to keep a kid around, although he did enjoy helping raise John's two boys.
"My dad asked him." Kate motioned to John, finding it hard to call him by his first name. "To adopt me so here I am."
Rufus thought John was less likely to keep a kid around but didn't say anything.
"Taylor," Bobby furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't know if you met Craig or heard of him. He lost his head in a big way. He only hunted for a few weeks before things went south. Taylor is Bill Harvell's biological son, although we don't think Bill ever knew about him. Long story short, John adopted him too."
Rufus chugged half of his drink. "Long story short, huh?"
"Very long story." Kate said.
"Did you get adopted too?" Rufus asked, pointing his fork at Charlie.
Bobby spoke up. "No. She is our resident computer genius that is helping us with some stuff."
Rufus eyed Charlie. "Is that right?" He said, suspiciously.
"I worked with Ash a few times and he introduced me to them. I can hack into just about anything." Charlie said.
Rufus snorted. "I guess next thing you'll say is the rest of them have superpowers or something. She can't be old enough to barely know how to type."
Bobby squeezed Karen's shoulder. "Well, it is funny that you should say that..."
(Sam and Jess)
Cas showed up before night completely fell. He had other things going on that took up his time and the situation was not urgent, since Sam and Jess were safely inside their apartment. He found two demons lurking around outside the apartment and incapacitated them. Once he got their reasoning for being there, he exorcised them and let the humans go.
Sam was relieved when Cas returned. "Why were they here?"
"To keep an eye on you." Cas said, simply.
Jess grabbed Sam's arm, "Why?"
"They were given orders to check in." Cas said, emphasizing 'Check in' with finger quotes, the way that he had seen other humans emphasize words.
Sam furrowed his eyebrows. "Do you know why?"
"No. Neither did they. They are gone now and I have somewhere to be." Cas said.
Milo crab walked sideways with the hair on his back standing on end. Cas's departure spooked him.
Jess giggled. "Oh my, you big scary beast."
Sam smiled. If Milo was as big as he thought he was, he might actually be scary.
Jess sat down on the sofa. "What are we going to do?"
Sam sighed. "I don't know. Cas got rid of them. More could come. Why are they watching us?"
Jess reached her arms out for Sam, so he'd join her. "We aren't that interesting."
Sam chuckled softly. "They would not have had much to report." Sam chewed his cheek. "I made some calls."
Jess sat up straight. "Yeah?"
"With the increase in activity, one day, we might need to leave Stanford." Sam said.
"That is okay." Jess said.
Sam was searching for the words he wanted to say. "When I applied to Stanford, I just wanted to see if I could get in. I dreamed of going to a college like this. I wanted to be as far away from my dad as I could. My point of view changed so I want to reconsider why I am here."
"I'll go where you go, okay?" Jess asked.
"Of course." Sam groaned. "There is a law firm in Sioux Falls. The partners are older and well known. I was offered an internship over the summer." Sam said.
Jess grinned. "Let's do it!"
Sam kissed her forehead. "Hold on. Someone put in a good word for me, although they won't say who or why. I could finish up my degree here, and eventually move back, or."
Jess tried to shake him to make him hurry up but he was a solid rock so she wound up shaking herself instead. "Spit it out."
"There is a law program outside of Sioux Falls. They have good ratings. I mean, it isn't Stanford, but I may not have to rely on where I got my degree to get a job. Ruben, one of the partners, mentioned transferring there, then I would be able to continue my internship. If I do well, they'd be interested in having me work there." Sam said.
Jess hugged him. "That is amazing."
"There are cons too." Sam said. "I don't know if my financial aid will transfer. It sounds good but I don't want to just dive in."
"When would you transfer?" Jess asked.
"I'd finish this year here and transfer over the summer. It looks better that way and I won't be trying to find available classes in the middle of the year." Sam said.
Jess got up and grabbed the laptop. "What is the name?"
Sam raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
She laughed. "So I can see if they have classes for me too!"
(Back at Bobby's house)
Rufus got 'the talk' about Karen and the kids. A bottle of Johny Walker Blue helped sooth his frayed nerves. He, like most hunters, saw anything that wasn't natural to be a threat. However, he trusted Bobby. He sat his glass down. "Now for what I came over here for. I've got two bodies that I need you to take care of."
Bobby grumbled. "Why me?"
"You've got one of those digging machines and it is the Sabbath, I can't do work on the Sabbath." Rufus said.
Bobby shot his old friend a harsh look. "You aren't religious, Rufus."
"You don't know that. Besides, I'm getting old. Now are you going to help me or not?" Rufus asked.
Taylor cleared his throat. "I can help."
Bobby nodded. "You and Dean can unload whatever he has. Take them into the woods, far from the house. I don't want the police showing up." Bobby said.
Kate ran out the door behind Dean and Taylor, eager to see what kind of monster that Rufus had in his truck. She frowned. "What is it?"
"Arachne," Dean guessed. He tilted his head to the side. "What used to be Arachne."
Kate ran back to the house and got John. "I know that I am not allowed to do any research or work at the lab. Wouldn't it be a good idea to take samples from any creatures we find?"
John rubbed the back of his head. "What did you catch?"
Rufus snorted. "Two Arachne."
John groaned. "Yeah, I'll go take samples."
Kate saw Rufus's face and grinned. "We have a lab and are working on studying the supernatural."
John narrowed his eyes.
Kate sighed. "I'll let one of them tell you about it."
Rufus and Bobby joined the boys once they got the bodies moved. Rufus looked around. "I sure as hell ain't digging anything by hand."
Taylor placed his palm on the ground and closed his eyes, causing the dirt to shift.
Dean waited for him to turn around and grab one end of the monster to help him throw it into the dirt.
Rufus's eyes grew wide as the body sunk in the dirt. "What the hell."
"I sifted the dirt. It is loose right now." Taylor said. He got the other body in and sifted the dirt again, causing the bodies to sink further into the dirt. After they were gone, he grabbed a shovel and helped Dean pat the dirt down so that it was no longer soft.
Rufus was told that the kids had abilities but seeing something like that made him feel a certain way. He looked at Bobby. "How long have you known about this?"
Bobby groaned. "Months."
"You mean to tell me you've had this kid for months and I've been out there working my ass off to dig holes." Rufus said.
Bobby snorted. "You haven't dug any holes, you're too lazy for that."
Rufus smacked his own thigh. "Lazy my ass. You should have told me about these guys when you found out about them."
"You know good and well why I didn't do that." Bobby shot back.
Rufus pointed to the new grave. "Can you do that?"
Kate shrugged. "No, not all of our abilities are the same."
Rufus raised an eyebrow.
Kate touched his arm and pulled the aches and pains of aging, and hunting, out of his body.
Rufus took a deep breath and bounced slightly. "What did you do?"
"I just healed the aches." Kate said. "The arthritis in your knees should be better too."
Bobby hid a chuckle.
"Bobby, you're a goddamn son of a bitch. I've been out here struggling, and you've had them hidden away." Rufus said.
Bobby didn't honor Rufus with a reply. He just turned and stalked off to the house.
Rufus walked after him, grumbling the whole way.
Dean cracked up when they were further ahead. "Grumpier Old Men." he said, referencing a movie.
Bobby and Rufus turned around at the same time and told Dean what they thought of the reference.
Kate grinned. "That is going to be you and Caleb in a few years."
Dean stopped walking. "Thin ice, kid. Thin, ice."
Kate hugged him. "You said you wanted to grow old."
Dean ran his knuckles across the top of her head. "You are aging me."
Kate caught him off guard by wrapping her ankle behind his and pulling him off balance.
Dean stumbled.
Kate sprinted to the house.
Taylor grinned. "Hey, it wasn't me this time."
Dean handed him the second shovel. "Put this away. I'm going to go strangle her."
Taylor took the shovel. "Good luck."
Dean picked up his pace. He was going to need luck. He jumped out of his skin as he ran up onto the porch. He did not see Millie in the shadows, and she grabbed his leg as he ran up. There was no way that Kate didn't have control over the cat, or that Millie didn't have some higher level of thinking. He swore loudly and pried Millie's claws out of his jeans. He tucked her under his arm and went inside. "Come get your damn cat."
Kate slid into the hallway. "What did she do now?"
Dean snorted. "Grabbed me." He felt the vibrations from Millie's purring. He cringed and put her on the floor, dramatically wiping his arm off. "Go do that to someone else."
Kate scooped her up. "She likes you."
Dean raised an eyebrow and took a step towards Kate. He laughed when she ditched the cat in order to run up the steps. Dean headed to the kitchen for a beer. He paused at the stairs and yelled up to her room. "You can try to run but I know where you live!" He'd wait until she thought she was safe and put paint in her shampoo again.