Author's note: True to my usual style, I had to go and make things more complicated. My current apartment is not wheelchair friendly due to a questionable set of stairs outside. We might be moving to another one that is above ground so I'm packing and scrambling while also preparing for school to start while also going to appointments while also managing my leg... while also... you get what I mean. But hey, here is a new chapter. I write and try to catch typos, but I get blind to them. I publish and then try to listen to the chapter to catch other typos but that isn't fool proof. Forgive me. Also, I had more than one person ask more than once for Taylor drama. I did my best with the remaining brain cells I have on hand.

Kate had been anxiously waiting for the art show results. She hadn't gone with the group of students and the art teacher due to prior commitments of the supernatural variety.

John got a call Friday afternoon and picked Kate up from school instead of having her ride the bus home.

Kate wondered why he was picking her up, but the tone of his text didn't' seem threatening. Well, unless she read it wrong. Could she tell tone through text? The previous night was relaxing after she got over Dean's ultimate betrayal but maybe she did something she shouldn't have.

John drove to the high school and told Kate to hop out of the truck. "The art teacher wants to talk to you."

Kate squeaked and bailed out of the truck. "Did I win something?"

John shrugged.

Kate shook his arm. "Dad, tell me."

John pulled his away from her before putting it around her shoulders. "You'll have to wait."

Kate kept pace with him although his legs were far longer than her own. She waved to Hailey as she was leaving and left John behind as they got close to the art room. She opened the door and spoke up so that the teacher knew that she was there.

The art teacher looked up with a bright smile on her face. "Come in. Come in. I have something for you."

Kate slid into the room. "Did any of my stuff win?"

The teacher pulled a box from her desk and passed it to Kate.

Kate opened the box. She found a first-place ribbon. No, she found three. There was a certificate that took her a moment to read. "Overall?"

"The string box was picked to be the best piece overall." The teacher said.

Kate was dumfounded. "Why?"

"You are talented, and everyone agrees. I hope you don't mind. We won't be getting it back for a while as a dear friend of mine wanted to show it off." The teacher said.

Kate blushed. "To who?"

"Other art teachers and people who enjoy art. If you want it back, I can tell him." The teacher offered.

Kate looked at the ribbons and then to John. "No, he can have it. I just.. wow."

"A few people were sad that they wouldn't be meeting you, but they enjoyed your work."

Kate thanked the teacher. She swallowed a lump in her throat. Taylor had won a ton of trophies. This was a first for Kate. "Did they understand it?"

"Each person had a different point of view. That is what is so lovely about it. If your dad is okay with it, I would truly love to work with you if you choose to paint the front wall outside." The teacher said sweetly.

Kate got a subtle nod from John. "Yeah. I would like that."

John escorted Kate out of the school. "Are you happy?"

Kate's bottom lip wobbled.

John ruffled her hair. "It feels good, doesn't it?"

Kate nodded.

Taylor was already waiting at the truck. "What did you get?"

Kate tilted the flat box. "Everything."

Taylor scoffed. "Well, duh."

John took them to the diner to celebrate and studied Kate. She had trouble accepting when she won something or did something well. Taylor was more comfortable with it. Taylor had gotten to play sports. Kate hadn't. Taylor's previous 'parents' were evil. Brian wasn't. Both kids had wounds that needed to heal but likely never would completely.

Taylor was a little checked out and focused on his phone. He was happy for Kate, but she knew that.

"You could put the phone away long enough to eat." John said.

Taylor tensed and gritted his teeth. He shoved the phone into his pocket and looked up at John as if to say, 'are you happy now?'

John didn't miss the reaction but chose to ignore it. He made small talk with the kids, or more with Kate. Taylor was quiet. He either had something on his mind or the troublesome teen attitude was sinking in. He wasn't sure what would be worse.

Kate told him about teaming up with Hannah and winning a trivia game in class. They didn't have to take the test on Monday, and she didn't even cheat.

"I'd hope you didn't cheat." John said, sternly.

"I used my normal memory. Hannah answered a lot of the questions. I didn't use any abilities." Kate said, eyes wide.

"What will you do instead of take the test?" John asked.

Kate twirled her fork around with her fingers. "I'll probably read and not talk to Hannah in my head."

John raised an eyebrow.

Kate was looking down at her plate but smirked slightly.

John blew air through his nose. "I can request that you are put into a separate class."

Kate gave him a dramatic frown.

"Or I can talk to her dad about being concerned that you two are scheming." John added.

Kate sat back. "Lying isn't nice."

"Should I be concerned?" John asked with a hint of amusement.

Kate was up for his challenge. "I don't know. Use your abilities and figure it out."

John just gave her 'the look.'

Kate crossed her arms. "Don't challenge me and then get mad when I say something."

John relaxed, knowing that she wasn't being disrespectful. "Watch yourself."

Kate nudged Taylor. "You're just going to leave me hanging?"

Taylor rolled the nudge off his arm. "Leave me out of it."

Kate didn't hear any playfulness in the comment. She looked at him for a moment before scooting over to give him more space. Her mood fell slightly.

John paid for the food and got the kids back to the house. Bobby and Karen were due home sooner or later and he wasn't sure when Dean planned on coming back. He had encouraged him to take his time. Actually, he had made it an order knowing that Dean would make it a quick trip, sacrificing his own needs to get back so that John could leave. That wasn't what John wanted. He wanted his oldest to clear his head and be a 23-year-old for once.

(Dean)

Dean woke up very late the next morning. He rolled out of bed in search of food and spent a few hours padding his pockets at the expense of overconfident people. He checked out of his motel room and packed away his things into his car. He sat for a moment, relishing the night before. He groaned and decided to leave. He needed to pick up stuff for John and he was certain that the sorority sisters had driven back to wherever they were from. He checked the time and gave John a call to let him know that he was headed out of Vegas.

John spoke to him until Kate's insistent grumbling caused John to hand his phone over.

"You used me!" Kate said.

Dean furrowed his brows. "What?"

"Dad told me why you called me. Why were you with them, Dean? Why were there two of them? Why did you call me? I know why you called me, but you realize I'm so not the person to call. Do you understand just how damaged my mental health is now?" Kate scolded.

Dean was a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry. It just seemed to be too good to be true and I didn't want to walk into a trap."

Kate dramatically gagged. "Don't talk like that. My ears are delicate. I didn't need to know. I didn't want to know."

Dean thought she was being dramatic. "Fine. I won't call you next time and I'll just wind up a ritual sacrifice."

"Stop whoring yourself out and you won't have to worry about it." Kate said.

Dean scoffed. "I did not... I was not... you do not speak to me that way, young lady."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "I can speak to you that way when you made me scry. That is in my head now. You know how good my memory is."

"You have seen Lacy and Tessa and didn't throw a fit over them." Dean said.

Kate rubbed her eyes. "I will now. That is gross."

John took his phone back. "Kate, save it for when he gets home."

"Tell her to mind her mouth." Dean said.

John chuckled. "Kate, take it down a notch. Dean, don't involve Kate unless it is an emergency."

Dean's voice rose. "It was an emergency."

"I am proud of you for thinking for once." John said, teasingly.

Kate stomped her foot. "What about STDs. I bet you didn't think of those!"

John snapped his fingers. "Katelyn."

Kate was not as angry as she acted. She crossed her arms and smirked. "That is how you wind up with two kids, Dean."

John shook his head. "No, you are not going to beat her butt when you get home. She has two excellent points."

"I'm not stupid. I used protection." Dean said. "Don't encourage her. You wouldn't be laughing if she had that attitude aimed at you."

"She knows not to talk to me like that." John said. "I also haven't called her before a one-night stand."

Dean requested that the phone be given back to Kate. "Settle down before you blow a gasket. Be good. I'll bring you something back from the trip. It's going to be an ass kicking if you say anything sassy right now."

Kate whined. "Dean, I had so many comments."

"Yep. Keep them to yourself. You made your opinions known and I apologize. Now, let it go." Dean said.

Kate promised to let it go until she saw him in person where she claimed she owed him a slap on the head.

Dean cracked a smile when he hung up. She'd really be mad if she knew that one of the reasons both girls fell for him was that he had thought of Kate's honor when making the decision to put Ashley to bed. He wasn't going to tell Kate that. She was prickly enough.

(Jess and Sam)

Sam placed his keys on the hook by the front door. Jess's were already in their spot beside his. That meant she was home. He didn't hear her like he typically would. Milo greeted him by wrapping himself around Sam's leg. Sam bent and petted him for a moment. He checked the kitchen, but Jess wasn't there. The bedroom door was cracked. Jess was laying on the bed on her stomach. She had her laptop open, and her headphones were covering her ears.

Jess felt the bed sink and startled, slamming her computer shut and ripping the headphones from her head.

Sam gave her an odd look. "Uh, I'm home."

Jess rolled over. "Hi."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Did I interrupt something?"

Jess blushed intensely.

"I mean... if you were watching something, I'm okay with it." Sam said.

Jess sat up and pulled her computer to her chest. "I was but not what you were thinking."

"So why did you freak out?" Sam asked.

Jess bit her lip. "I don't want you to be mad at me."

Sam gently took her computer and opened it. He let his eyes scan the webpage and chewed his cheek. "Hunting?"

"No. Research." Jess said.

Sam sat her computer down. He took both of her hands. "I still don't understand why you got scared."

Jess clicked something and put the headphones up to Sam's ear.

Sam listened for a moment. "Is that an incantation?"

Jess nodded.

"If you're trying to figure out a love spell, I'm afraid it won't do any good. I am already smitten." Sam said.

Jess playfully shoved him. "No. It's a death spell."

Sam studied his girlfriend's face. "Okay, now you've got to tell me."

Jess sighed. "I was looking into one thing and found another thing and then another thing."

"You've got to be careful. I think you could be effected by something if the page creator used the audio function in a certain way." Sam said.

Jess hadn't considered that.

Sam nudged her. "Did you think I was going to get mad at you?"

Jess abandoned her computer for Sam's lap. She let him wrap his arms around her hand traced the lines on his palms. "I know you don't want me to hunt."

"You said you were researching." Sam said.

"I was. I just got lost along the way." Jess said. "When you came in, I looked like I was trying to learn how to kill people." Jess said.

Sam settled his chin on her shoulder, so his head was next to hers. "I'd be really confused if you were, but I wouldn't be angry at you. I'd ask you about it."

Jess could feel his breath dangerously close to her neck. She tilted her head back. "Curiosity killed the cat." She needed to ask him about something. "You are okay if I look into things?"

Sam took a moment. "Yes. Just be careful. It would be a good idea to run certain things by me, but you are very smart and very capable of knowing what is okay to look at."

Jess turned so that she could look at him. She kissed him before wrapping her arms around his neck. "You are the gentlest soul."

Sam rubbed her back. "Maybe not the gentlest."

Jess sat back. "You are."

"I've killed things." Sam said.

Jess scrunched her nose. "I saw you lift Milo up to the light last night so that he could catch bugs. I think your soft side outweighs the other side."

"You think that was soft. In reality, I was supporting more murder." Sam said.

Jess kissed his cheek. "Why do you even like me."

Sam tensed. "What?"

"I like you because you are kind and gentle with me. You are strong. You are brave and funny. You protect me and are there for me when I'm down." Jess said, softly.

Sam snorted. "Have you looked into a mirror? You are so far out of my league. You are also strong, brave and funny. You could have called it quits the day that Caleb and Cas showed up. I'm the lucky one here."

Jess steered away from seriousness and started pressing buttons that she knew would get him going. "I'm not out of your league. I look like your average California girl. Your hair is amazing." She picked up a few strands of her own.

Sam made her stand up and stood up as well, throwing her over his shoulder as he did so.

Jess laughed and held onto his shirt as he made his way to their bathroom.

Sam let her down but only far enough so that she was sitting on the sink. He turned her slightly and tapped the mirror. "Are you blind? All of those other girls don't hold a candle to you."

Jess's eyes twinkled. "Even that girl you proposed to in elementary school?"

Sam scoffed indignantly. "Oh, that is it." This was Jess's form of teasing him in hopes that he'd react.

Jess screeched when he picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. She fell back onto the bed when he dropped her and frowned when his phone rang.

Sam answered it quickly. "Oh, hi. Can I call you back? I'm busy? No, Kate. I'm... in the middle of something. No, I'm not mad at you." He worked on one of the buttons of his shirt. "I promise I'll call back. Yes, everything is fine." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'll tell you when you are older. Ugh, bye."

(Sioux Falls)

Kate stomped to the kitchen and found John. She put her phone down in front of him. "I don't want it back."

John put a bookmark in his book. "Why?"

Kate looked at it in disgust. "Every time I call someone, or they call me, they are 'in the middle of something' and I'm sick of it. I wanted to talk to Sam but no." She glared at John. "You raised them to be delinquents."

John knit his eyebrows. "I don't know if adults being adults makes them delinquents."

Kate spun on her heel but looked over her shoulder. "Let's just see if you think the same thing when I'm an adult."

John was going to point out that she was the one that called Sam, but she needed time to scrub information from her brain. She was wise beyond her years with many things but still held onto her innocents with other things. He was happy about that. She could stay annoyed and disgusted until she was well into her adult years.

Taylor was annoyed by Kate, and he was trying not to be. He knew her reactions weren't total serious, but they were annoying. He wanted to tell her to grow up, but he thought that may seem mean. No, that was mean. There was no 'seem' about it. Why was he so irritated? He slept okay. He was okay with his file for the most part. Sometimes, things came back to him but what did that have to do with Kate? He had fun with Hailey. Why did his brain have to ruin his day at times? There was a field trip that he wanted to go on because Hailey was going. He had the permission slip in his bag. He groaned and grabbed it so that John could sign it.

"This is over night." John said.

Taylor's face was blank. "I know."

John read the full slip of paper. "If you were to go, I would expect you to ward what you can."

Taylor kept his face blank. "Safety first, got it."

John could hear the edge in Taylor's tone. He sat the paper on the table. "I'll think about it."

"I have to turn that in Monday." Taylor said.

"So, I will let you know by then." John said.

"Okay." Taylor left the room and went up to his own bedroom. It was a simple trip. Most of the grade would go. It would be safe. No monster would attack that big of a group. If they did, his senses would catch the monster before it got close. If normal parents deemed it safe, John could.

(Caleb's bunch)

Andy couldn't wait until the next Monday so that his grounding would be over. It had been forever and a half.

April had the boys after school, but she felt run down and achy. She needed to talk to her doctor again since she was deemed high risk.

Caleb was working a job at a local church and was almost done. He told April to ask Kate if she could help watch the boys since Karen was out of town.

Kate said yes and April dropped her and the boys off at the church. She let them play on a playset outside of the church for a while before they all got thirsty.

Caleb heard Andy's voice as soon as they walked into the church. The kid couldn't whisper.

Kate had been slightly worried that the church would set itself on fire since she and Ian both had demon blood. Maybe that wasn't a real thing. It seemed like a real thing. She sat Ian down and opened a juice box for him.

Caleb was walking towards the boys when two candles suddenly extinguished and left a small trail of smoke. With all of the guys walking around, it was likely that someone opened a door or window that caused it. No big deal. However, as he got closer to the boys, he felt something was off.

The lights flickered softly, and he thought one of the crosses might have moved slightly. He asked Kate if she saw anything.

Kate acted confused. "Like what?"

When Ian walked by a bible, it fell off of the shelf. As he stepped toward it, it slid away from him.

Caleb was immediately freaked out. He had never taken either kid to a church so he didn't know if Ian would react to anything. His heart was in his throat until he started to think. He narrowed his eyes before smacking Kate's head. "I'm going to tell John to skin your little butt."

Kate snorted. "Why?"

Caleb picked up the bible and thumped her with it. "If he was causing this, you'd feel it."

Kate frowned. "I had you going for a minute."

Caleb picked Ian up. "I was worried for a minute."

"You should have seen your face though." Kate said.

"I don't know Ian, should I beat her up?" Caleb asked.

Ian clapped his hands and wiggled.

Kate held out some crackers. "I know where your loyalties lie."

Ian left Caleb once he was on the ground. His loyalties belonged to whoever had snacks.

"It was a little funny." Kate said.

Caleb shooed them back outside. "I'm turning you over to John."

"I'm providing free childcare." Kate said.

Caleb looked to be deep in thought. "I'll let it slide. It was a little funny but don't scare me like that."

Kate shrugged. "I won't do it again today."

"Brat." Caleb grumbled. He shut the door behind him. That was the type of joke that Dean would pull. The man had molded a younger version of himself with the sarcasm and wit. Then, he got mad when she did something he'd do. Caleb always found it funny when it wasn't directed at him.

(Saturday)

Karen and Bobby returned refreshed and relaxed.

Karen enjoyed getting out of the house since so much had changed since she had been gone. Cities were larger and technology was more complicated.

Bobby was happy to leave if Karen was leaving too but hadn't cared to do so before she came back.

Kate was still chipper and showed both of them her new awards. She was looking forward to the trip with John. She had been on the straight and narrow so that he would take her to the University of Tennessee with him. That gave her an idea. She skipped off to her room and grabbed a sheet of paper. She made a graph and jotted down points in time in relation to how long she had gone between messing up.

John could already tell Kate was up to mischief when she reentered the kitchen.

Kate placed the paper on the table. "I have a working theory."

John rested his elbows on the table. "What is this?"

"You can see here; these are the approximate dates between my major screw ups. Here are the dates that you gave me for things I wanted. Obviously, you can also see that my behavior is good for longer periods of time when you give me a goal instead of threatening my life." Kate said.

John's eyes twinkled. Sam may have tried a similar graph at a similar age. "You wrote down 'the gala'. What did you do at the gala?"

Kate scoffed. "That was a distraction."

"Giving you things may help your behavior but so does making it clear what will happen if the behavior turns bad. So, I'll continue to use both." John said.

Kate inched the chart closer to him. "I have scientific evidence though."

John inched it back. "You forgot to add in every minor reminder you needed between those."

Kate took her paper and held it to her chest. "I'll just show you."

John locked eyes with her. "That is what I've been asking you to do for years."

Kate narrowed her eyes. "Touche."

Bobby smiled when she retreated to her room. "Remind you of Sam?"

John chuckled. "Yes."

"What is wrong with Taylor?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know. I don't know if it is his file or him being fourteen." John said.

"I'm not deaf!" Taylor answered from the living room.

John wasn't happy with the way he said it. "Then come in here and explain why you are on edge."

Taylor rolled off the couch and entered the kitchen. "I'm not on edge. I'm just not skipping around like a five-year-old waving papers in your face."

"You don't have anything on your mind?" John asked, ignoring the dig at Kate.

"I want you to sign that slip." Taylor said.

John sighed. "We will talk about it later."

Taylor blinked slowly. "Okay, well I'm going back to reading."

Bobby grimaced when the teenage angst left the room with Taylor. He gave John a knowing look. "When does Dean get back?"

"I didn't give him a timeline." John said.

Bobby chuckled. "Soon, then."

"I gave him a direct order to take his time." John said.

Kate gathered up Millie and sat her in her lap. She scrunched her nose when Millie swished her tail across her face. She looked at her raggedy stuffed cat on her dresser. She hadn't needed her in a while. She mainly got her cat related cuddles from the Millie that was alive. The soft purrs always calmed her down. She curled up on her bed and closed her eyes. Weekends were for naps.

(Rod and Marie)

Rod got a call from Lee letting him know that he'd be picking Krissy up. The man sounded tired. Rod encouraged him to stay for a few days.

Charlie overheard the conversation and worried for Krissy. She liked having her around and being on the road was always scary.

Marie told Krissy and was relieved that she seemed excited.

Krissy jumped up and down on her bed. "My dad is gonna come get me?"

"Yes." Marie said.

Krissy squealed happily. She loved her dad and missed him a lot. She loved Rod and Marie too, but a dad is a dad. She started grabbing things to put in her suitcase, but Marie told her to slow down. She frowned. "He isn't coming today?"

Marie gently patted her hand. "No. He is on his way though."

Krissy sighed. "When will he get here?"

"Tomorrow, we think." Marie said.

Krissy looked at the clock. "When is tomorrow?"

Marie held her hand out. "Instead of fretting about time, let's go make him some cookies."

Desiree and James brought their kids over for lunch but also to keep Krissy busy. Desiree and the baby were healthy and the pregnancy was progressing nicely. She had stopped having nightmares and they had moved into a new house. Things were looking up.

James found a way to make money and still be home every evening.

The twins loved their school program and Ben loved playing with other kids.

At some point in the afternoon, the kids went out to play. Charlie didn't feel young enough to play nor old enough to join the adults for adult talk. She read for an hour before looking outside. She knew Krissy was with the older girls but didn't know where the older girls had gone. Most of the time, they were in the barn where a mama cat and kittens had nestled away as the days got colder. She stepped outside and shivered. She did that in the summer too but fall meant that she would be cold constantly. She checked the barn but no Krissy. She checked the shed but no Krissy. She called out for her and heard voices. She found the girls sitting in the treehouse. "Hey, do you mind if I come up?"

Caitlyn looked out the window. "Wait a minute."

Charlie heard something hit the floor of the treehouse and roll. She climbed the ladder and opened the door. "What are you- oh beans." She slowly entered the tree house and reached out for Krissy. "Go tell Rod that we have a hazmat situation."

Caitlyn gasped. "No! Don't!"

Charlie studied the liquid. "What is this?"

"Just water." Caitlyn said, reaching to wipe it up with her jacket.

Charlie stopped her. "Don't touch it. Did it come from this?" She motioned to a bottle that had cracked open.

Caroline's eyes started to water. "We didn't mean to."

Charlie took care to avoid the spilled liquid, having an uneasy feeling about what it could be. She told Krissy to just get Rod and not say what was wrong. She knew the little ones were panicked and she was not qualified to handle the situation. She dialed Kate's number right away.

Kate answered. "You better not be calling me to scry on some girl you want to hook up with."

Charlie's face went blank. "What the nuggets? No. Why... what... we have a spilled potion bottle and I'm not sure what was in it."

Kate rolled off of her bed. "Define potion bottle."

"It's a potion bottle." Charlie said.

"I mean is it from Halloween?" Kate asked.

"If I thought it was from Halloween, would I be calling you right now?" Charlie asked.

Caitlyn swallowed. "We found them in a box and this book says what they are. We thought it did, at least."

Kate cringed. "Did it do anything when it spilled?"

"Like what?" Charlie asked.

"I don't know, emit smoke, make someone grow an extra leg..." Kate stopped on the stairs.

"No." Caitlyn said.

"Who did it belong to?" Kate asked.

Charlie saw the girl's faces. "I think their parents."

Kate groaned. "Okay, don't panic. Everyone should get away from it. Ask your mom or dad what was in the bottle. It could be harmless."

Caitlyn shook her head. "They'd kill us."

Kate looked up at the ceiling. "Being killed by a parent is sometimes better than being killed by some type of poison." She looked forward and wasn't surprised that John was at the foot of the stairs. She put the phone to her chest and quietly told him what happened. She held her hand out when he reached for the phone. "They are already scared. If you spook them more, they may try to cover up the spill."

John stepped back. That was true.

Rod didn't have to climb far to see into the treehouse. He helped the twins down to the ground and then let Charlie get down. He told the three girls to sit on the porch because he didn't know what was in the bottle either.

Kate sat down on the steps. "If you can't figure it out, call us. Bobby is a whiz with these things. Good luck."

Charlie rubbed her hands together. "You don't want to pop over here and save the day?"

Kate looked at John for a split second. "I'm not really good at smoothing parents over anymore."

Charlie's eyes widened. She was so focused on what the liquid was that she forgot that people were going to get mad. "Frick on a stick." She let Kate go but would call if things got hairy. As far as she knew, no one had touched anything. She heard James's voice and felt a lump in her throat. He wasn't happy and unhappy adults made her anxious.

James went out to the tree house to collect the rest of what the girls took. He was relieved that the 'potion' that had been spilled was only dangerous if ingested. It was deadly though. He snapped his fingers and told both of his girls to go to their car.

That left Krissy, Rod and Charlie on the porch.

Krissy darted to Charlie and wrapped her arms and legs around her when she picked her up.

Charlie grunted because she was on the small side herself. "It's okay."

James spoke to Rod for a moment and got his wife and Ben to follow him back to the car.

Rod tried to get Krissy to let go of Charlie but only an octopus would have better grip.

"I've got her." Charlie said.

Rod sighed. "She and I need to talk."

Charlie shook her head. "She's just little."

Rod couldn't pull Krissy away without dragging Charlie with her. "That stuff can be deadly and would have been deadly had she gotten any in her mouth."

Charlie frowned and her eyes looked sad.

"It is no different than messing with matches and fuel." Rod said.

"I can talk to her." Charlie said.

"No, Charlie." He motioned for Charlie to let Krissy go. "You can work with Bobby and Kate on how to clean that up safely."

Charlie smoothed Krissy's hair down. She sat down on a chair. "I have to make sure no one gets hurt, okay? I promise I'll read you as many chapters as you want, from any book you want for bedtime, okay?"

Krissy sniffled.

Rod was able to get Krissy by the arm but both girls traded looks that reminded him of war movies or the look one gives there loved one before they pass away. He was fully aware that Krissy was younger than the twins. Charlie just had a heart of gold.

(Kate)

She got another call from Charlie and tried to cheer her friend up. "We totally need supernatural spill kits."

Charlie smiled slightly. "I'll need something. James said it would kill you if you drank it or get it in your mouth."

Kate chewed on her thumbnail. "I guess you can't just wash it out and down the tree because one of the dogs could get it." She brainstormed with Charlie and figured out a solution. They'd dry it up using gloves and towels and then wash it down several times, letting the water run into a bucket. That was Bobby and John approved as long as Rod was in charge of the operation. No one wanted Charlie to get hurt.

Kate found Taylor after the call ended. "We need to design a spill kit."

"You design it." Taylor said, not looking up from his book.

Kate held her hands up in surrender. "Damn, don't bite my head off. I just thought that you might have cool ideas."

Taylor looked up. "I don't."

Kate backed out of the living room. "Okay, sorry."

Karen heard the exchange and invited Kate into the kitchen to help with dinner.

Kate was sad. She was finally happy over a real win, and he had been grumpy. She let his tone roll off of her back and helped Karen. While she was waiting on food to cook, she remembered a program she had watched. "Oh, have you ever seen contortionists?"

Karen dried her hands. "I have seen one in a circus."

"I was watching a documentary and it is fascinating." Kate twisted to pop her back.

"If I tried any of those stunts, I'd be in the hospital." Karen said.

Kate had no idea if she was flexible. She stepped back so that her back was facing the wall. She leaned back and put her palms on the wall behind her, walking her hands down until they were touching the floor. She could do a back bend. She so needed to see how much she could do.

Karen told her that she once went to school with a boy that could do that and then walk. He did that to scare the girls.

Kate grinned and tried it. "I could do it to scare Dean."

John saw her. "If you did that, he may really kick you in the face."

Kate eased herself back into a standing position. "He'd see it was me."

"He doesn't have the reaction time that you do, and you looked possessed." John said.

"Have you ever seen a demon do that?" Kate asked.

John chuckled. "No, I haven't."

Kate batted her eyelashes at Bobby. "Can I look up contortion tricks on your computer?"

Bobby grumbled. "Go ahead but don't get anything weird downloaded on there."

Kate pulled a face. "Weirder than any of your other searches? If the FBI kicks down the door and looks at what we look up, contortion tricks is going to sound tame compared to werewolves eating hearts and if rosemary kills lamia."

Bobby motioned for her to go. "Just get out of here with your smartass comments."

Kate avoided Taylor but slipped into Bobby's office. She'd find something to freak Dean out in a way that didn't run her the risk of a boot to the face.

Taylor left the living room to go to his room. Kate was singing in her head, and he kept hearing it. She was so happy, and he was happy for her, but he also wanted to claw his eyes out.

Dinner was served and Kate had all sorts of new ideas. She just needed to try them out to see if her body had a natural tendency to mimic a pretzel. She was chatty throughout dinner and loved hearing about Bobby and Karen's trip.

"Caleb said that you made him think that Ian was causing upset at the church." John said.

Kate paused mid bite. "Well, yeah and it was hilarious."

"Oh, poor Ian." Karen said with a chuckle.

"He was oblivious. I just rattled some chains." Kate said.

Taylor finished eating quickly and tried to excuse himself.

"Wait." John said.

Taylor slowly sat down.

"Is there anything going on with you besides the trip?" John asked.

Taylor couldn't help the bite in his words. "I told you no already."

John bristled. "I am asking about school and sports, Taylor."

Taylor froze for a moment. "No. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Kate was trying to fill in gaps in conversation so that Taylor wasn't forced to talk. That just seemed to irritate him more.

"May I be excused?" Taylor asked.

"To go for a run, yes." John said, putting his plate in the sink.

Taylor's face changed. "Why?"

"You're tense. Running helps." John said.

Taylor threw up his hands. "Maybe I'm tense from a long week of school and practice. Maybe I'm tense because she never shuts up in her head."

John turned to face him. "I was suggesting you go for a run to clear your head but now it is an order."

Taylor spun around and grabbed his shoes. He was grumbling to himself as he walked back down the stairs and growled when John called him out on something he said.

John looked down the hallway. "You might as well run until the bad attitude is gone."

Taylor opened the door.

"I couldn't hear you." John said.

Taylor gritted his teeth. "Yes. Sir." He was in his own head and slammed the door behind him with considerable force.

Kate gasped and slid into the hallway. She grabbed John's hand. "Dad, wait."

John had already started walking after Taylor. "Kate, let go."

Kate had heard the splinters of wood even if the others hadn't.

John pulled the door, but it had been slammed hard enough to tear the hinges from the door facing.

Taylor was standing in the driveway with wide eyes.

John snapped his fingers. "Run!"

Kate stepped around John. She was thankful that he told Taylor to run because she was certain that if he talked to him too soon, he'd strangle him. "Can I help?"

Bobby looked at the damage. "Unless you've got a door fixing ability."

Kate shifted from foot to foot. "We can just get new screws.

Bobby pulled on a piece of door facing. "And screw them into what?"

Kate was nervous. "We can go get some stuff to fix it."

John put a firm hand on her shoulder. "Go back inside."

Kate stepped back around him and sought comfort from Karen.

Karen let the men handle the door. "Hey, don't cry."

Kate wiped her eyes. "When I finally decide to stop doing dumb stuff, everyone else falls to pieces."

Karen sat her down. "I'd say they'd do that anyway."

"How do I fix it?" Kate asked.

"You don't, sweetie. Taylor has something going on underneath that anger. Things will work themselves out." Karen said.

John took a deep breath. "Do not talk to Taylor in your head." He waited for a second. "No, I do not have abilities, I just know you."

Kate's mouth fell open. She looked at Karen and hissed. "Bull shi...crap he doesn't have abilities."

Karen rubbed Kate's back. "If you're that certain he can hear you, maybe you shouldn't be saying that at a time like this."

Kate covered her mouth. Being the golden child was difficult.