Author's note: Hey all, don't forget reviews because I'm blindly going about this without feedback. I am still sick so I haven't written as much as I would like. Here is an extra long chapter to end the year with. Merry Christmas!
(December 12, 2022)
Caleb groaned as he got out of bed. He had taken two weeks off of work to be with Lauren and the rest of his small family. He didn't want to go back to work but he'd eventually need a paycheck to keep the roof over their heads. Two weeks had flown by. He couldn't comprehend just how quickly it had passed. Lauren was two weeks old. She had been on earth an entire two weeks.
April sat up in bed. She gave Caleb a small smile. "You can't take her with you."
Caleb stepped away from the basinet where Lauren was still peacefully sleeping. "I would but she kind of needs you to eat."
"You wouldn't get any work done." April said. She stood up to kiss Caleb and followed him into the hallway.
"You can sleep. I'm just going to get ready." Caleb said, softly.
"I can make your coffee." April nudged him so that he would keep walking. With three little ones in the house, alone time was harder to find.
Caleb got dressed and stepped outside to start his truck. The bitter cold made him second guess going to work. He had gotten used to staying home. He went back inside and kissed April as he grabbed his coffee. "Karen will be over a little bit later in the morning. Dean will be by to get Andy too."
"I think I can manage for a few hours." April said. She watched his truck pull away and sighed deeply. She enjoyed having him home. She enjoyed watching him bond with Lauren. She heard a soft cry and hurried back up the stairs. She scooped Lauren into her arms and sat down on the bed to feed her. She hoped that Lauren would stay as mild as she was the first two weeks. She rarely cried unless she was hungry. She was content just being held. She was much different than the boys were as newborns.
Lauren was still tiny. Newborn outfits were too big for her small frame. She was gaining weight and growing though. She liked to be swaddled. That was another difference from the boys. Andy was smitten and always wanted to hold her. Ian was curious but didn't understand why he couldn't rock the swing with his full strength. She would be tough with two older brothers around.
(Bobby's house)
Taylor slowly opened his eyes. "What do you want?"
Kate scoffed. "Nothing."
"Stop staring at me. It is creepy." Taylor said.
Kate rolled her eyes. The room was dark. "I was looking at the window, dumbass."
Taylor sat up. "Why? Are you thinking of doing something?"
Kate sat up too. "No. I have stepped through that window plenty of times and it never ended well. I was thinking about the rift."
Taylor fell back and let his head hit the pillow. "You mean the one that showed up because you blew a hole in space?"
"You know, you used to be good to talk to. Now you are just annoying." Kate said.
"That is because I upgraded from friend to brother." Taylor said.
Kate got out of bed. "I call that a downgrade."
Taylor felt her pillow hit his legs and snorted. "Tell me about the rift."
Kate opened the door. "No. You don't get to know about my rift thoughts. I'm going to go talk to Dean because he loves me."
Taylor grinned although she couldn't see him. "I'm going to sleep more."
Kate shut the door and tip toed down the stairs. She shuffled into the kitchen and gave Dean a sheepish grin.
"You are up early." Dean said.
Kate hugged him over the back of his chair. "You always want me to talk. So, I'm here to talk."
Dean scooted a chair from under the table and told her to sit down. "What kind of talk?"
"I had visions. Then, I was just thinking about the rift." Kate said.
Dean sipped his coffee. "I'm listening."
"I was looking at the window. I just remembered how the rift felt and was drawn to it." Kate said.
"Is it coming back?" Dean asked.
"I don't think so. I think my eyes just settled on the window when I woke up. The visions are hard to explain because I can't control them. It is just a stream of images that hit me." Kate said. She wracked her brain for a way to convey what she was feeling. "I'm supposed to be figuring something out but I don't know what it is."
"Could you just be bored?" Dean asked.
"Maybe." Kate said. She rested her head on the table. "Can I go to the lab?"
Dean rocked back in his chair. "To do what?"
Kate slowly raised her head and looked at him. "Nothing illegal."
Dean smiled. "Nothing freak related. If you want to work on something with Marty, I think that would be okay."
"I'm freak related." Kate said with a frown.
Dean finished off his second cup of coffee. "You are not. Just figure out what you want to look into and Marty can approve it."
Kate yawned. She had not gotten enough rest thanks to the visions.
Dean studied her for a moment. "Why don't you go back to bed. I can wake you up before I go get Andy and Ian."
Kate shrugged. "I'm stealing your bed."
Dean lightly flicked her ear. "As long as Millie doesn't join you."
Kate smirked as she turned around. She got to the top of the stairs and waited for Millie to follow her. She jumped on Dean's bed and rolled herself in his blanket. She wouldn't have to worry about Taylor's thoughts waking her up.
Dean went upstairs five minutes later and snorted softly. She was already asleep. He was hopeful that she would actually sleep instead of having visions. The dark bags under her eyes had gotten worse and he was keeping an eye on that. She didn't crash after Thanksgiving. He was a little worried about Christmas or at least the new year.
Two hours later, Taylor got ready for the day. He had planned to get ready for school but Karen told him they were out that day. That suited him. He could handle a snow day or two.
Dean rubbed his hands together and gave Taylor a lopsided grin. "I think today is a great day to take the boys snow sledding."
Taylor was suspicious due to the look on Dean's face. "Why do you look like that?"
Dean flared his nose. "You can handle getting them back up the hill. I'll stay at the bottom."
"You mean you want me to do all the work." Taylor said. He paused for a moment. "Snow ramp."
Dean's eyes widened.
Karen shook her head. "If you build a ramp, one of those boys will get hurt."
"Kate can heal them." Dean said. "Besides, no one said anything about them using the ramp."
Bobby placed a gentle hand on Karen's shoulder. "You learn to let them do the stupid stuff. I'd hate to see what Dean looks like on x rays."
"I haven't broken that many bones." Dean said.
Bobby raised an eyebrow. He counted on his fingers. "You've broken plenty since I've known you."
"I have never broken a bone snow sledding." Dean said.
"You just skinned half your face." Bobby said.
Karen wanted to know the story. "How did you do that?"
"I was doing what any big brother should do. I was saving Sam and happened to stop the sled with my face." Dean said.
Karen smiled. "When was that?"
Dean shot Bobby a look. "Many many years ago."
Bobby poured his own cup of coffee. "You were older than Taylor."
Dean shrugged. "Forgive me for not being on top of my game. We had gotten back from a hunt. I was blowing off steam."
"Well, you should do that more often." Karen said, "Blow off steam, not stop sleds with your face."
Taylor got an idea. "Do you think Caleb would be mad at Andy if we made a catapult for snowballs?"
Dean instantly caught onto Taylor's train of thought. "It would be an adult sanctioned activity."
Bobby gave Karen a slight smile. He had known Dean for most of his life. He had watched the kid grow up too fast. He had seen him struggle with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Seeing glimpses of a younger Dean, before the world wore him down, made Bobby hopeful that there was still a bit of that kid left behind.
Mid-morning, Dean checked on Kate. She was still asleep. She looked peaceful so he didn't think she was in a vision. He couldn't be sure though. He sat down on his bed and placed a hand on the side of her face. He made eye contact with Millie and narrowed his eyes. "Is she okay?"
Millie just yawned and curled up next to Kate.
"You just come find me if things change. I know you can understand me." Dean said.
Millie squinted her eyes at Dean for a moment and then closed them, set on taking a nap with Kate.
Dean didn't think Millie could actually understand him but he had his reservations. She was weird. Cats were weird. Of course, Kate's cat would be extra weird.
(April)
April brought Lauren to the kitchen once the boys woke up. She liked having her close enough to check on.
Ian tugged on the end of Lauren's blanket. "Baby."
April crouched down for a moment. "She is sleeping."
Ian frowned.
"Sorry, bubba, she can't play yet." April said.
Ian had tried to play catch with her a few days ago and was confused why his parents got upset. He was sharing his toys.
April placed Lauren in her swing and started to prepare breakfast for the boys. She kept an eye on Ian but was pleased that he didn't hate the new addition.
Andy wrestled Ian into the living room and delegated two of his chores to Ian. It wasn't effective but he wasn't going to work by himself.
April cracked up when Andy growled out of exasperation and demanded that Ian put the clothes in the basket, and not in the floor. Perhaps she had had that conversation with Andy a few dozen times before. A minute later she heard giggles and the basket sliding across the floor. She cringed when it hit a wall but relaxed when the giggles continued.
Riot joined the boys but made the basket a little too heavy for Andy to slide. He opted to tug on a towel instead.
Andy barely got the basket to the laundry room and left it for April to sort. He slid to a stop by Lauren's swing. "Mama, she's awake."
April nodded. "She is."
"Aren't you gonna pick her up?" Andy asked.
"She isn't crying. It is okay for her to stay in her swing." April said.
Andy was uncomfortable. "She is awake though."
"She is happy." April said.
Andy touched Lauren's foot. He wanted to hold her but figured his mom would say no.
"After I feed her, you can hold her." April said.
Andy smiled. "Okay."
(Bobby's house)
Kate finally woke up due to her phone vibrating. She sat up and put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
"Um, hi." Hannah said.
Kate stretched. "We don't have school today."
"Right. I know. Do you think you could come over?" Hannah asked.
"Probably." Kate said. She pulled Dean's blanket over her head and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"Okay. I just had something to talk about." Hannah said.
Kate heard something in her friend's voice. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, totally." Hannah said.
Kate went down stairs to find Dean.
Dean gave her an odd look. "Thanks for dragging my blanket across the floor."
Kate smiled. "You can wash it." She pointed to her phone. "Hannah called. Can I go to her house today?"
Dean asked her to let Hannah know that she would call her back. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "What isn't being said?"
Kate shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not doing anything if that is what you mean."
"You are always doing something." Dean said.
Kate chewed her cheek. "She said she wanted to talk about something. I don't know what it is. I can't read her anymore because you won't let me."
"I just do not want you getting swept up in something." Dean said.
"How about I get her to talk and then I let you know if it is anything more than complaining about how stupid guys are?" Kate said.
Dean smirked and pulled the edge of the blanket down over her eyes. "Can I trust you to do that?"
"I care not for my own life but don't want her getting caught in the crossfire." Kate said.
Dean slowly blinked. "You know what, I'll accept that as an answer. Ask her what time you should be there. Also, make sure that she okays it with her parents."
Kate dialed Hannah's number. She really did want to keep her friend out of trouble.
Taylor whistled so that Dean would walk outside. "Watch this!"
Dean watched Taylor's hands radiate heat. He saw the snow around Taylor shift and settle.
"Now step on it." Taylor said.
Dean pressed on the snow with his boot. The top layer was hardened and like a thin layer of ice.
Taylor moved his hand like it was a sled going down a hill. "Maximum speed."
"Did you melt it?" Dean asked.
"Kind of." Taylor said.
Dean stomped the hardened snow. The top layer cracked and allowed his foot to continue through the thick layers of fluff. "How do you plan on stopping before you hit something?"
"That isn't my problem. That is yours because you said you'd be the one at the bottom of the hill." Taylor countered.
"I did say that." Dean said. He scratched the side of his chin.
Taylor's eyes widened. "Slide."
"Slide?" Dean asked.
"I can dig out a slide going down so that the boys don't go straight down the hill." Taylor said.
"That would take you all day." Dean said.
Taylor ran around the side of the house and looked at the hill in question. He looked down at his feet and allowed his eyes to trace a path up the hill.
Dean smacked his shoulder. "When did you learn to do that?"
Taylor looked at the impression in the snow. "Just now."
"The sudden growth spurt, the new ability, please tell me this isn't you changing." Dean said.
"Change is good." Taylor said.
"Not when it comes with a shitty attitude." Dean said.
Taylor laughed. "Some of us can go through puberty without being an asshat."
Dean snorted loudly. "Good luck."
Taylor retraced his path a few times and funneled snow to the bottom of the hill to make a small wall to prevent anyone from hitting the house. He grabbed a circular sled and tested out the zig-zagging slide. He reached the bottom and gave Dean a thumbs up. "No children should be injured."
"You just did that with your eyes?" Dean asked.
"Hey, I don't know the science behind it." Taylor said. "I just put pressure on the snow. The same thing happens if you walk a certain path a few times."
"Can you do anything else?" Dean asked.
Taylor waved his hand and grinned when the snow on the roof started to fall.
Dean dove out of the way and smacked the back of Taylor's head.
Taylor rubbed his head. "Not a new trick but hilarious."
Dean walked out to his car to clear snow from the windows. He called John while he brushed the snow away. "Hey, we might have a problem."
John listened to Dean's concerns and jotted down a few notes. The adults had been discussing the possibility of Taylor picking up abilities the way that Kate was. He was also on the same page as Dean with being a bit worried about Hannah and Kate spending time together.
Dean cranked his car. "I'd also like to point out that you skipped town when the snow hit."
John switched his phone onto speaker. "You are in South Dakota, Dean."
"Yeah but school wasn't out before. You did two Saturday's of hanging out with Andy and left me to wade through snow to do it." Dean said.
"Son, it is Monday." John said.
"Caleb went back to work today." Dean replied.
"So it was your decision to take the boys today." John said, amused.
"I could be hunting. I've been demoted to babysitter." Dean said. Truthfully, he really didn't mind. He did want to hunt but he also wanted to help Caleb out.
"I will have you meet me after I'm done with this hunt." John said. "I could use an extra set of hands."
Dean schooled his features. "Just tell me when and where."
Kate stepped outside without shoes on. "Hannah said I could come over this morning."
"What did her mom say?" Dean asked.
"That I could come over this morning." Kate said. "Do you want verbal confirmation? I can finger print her if you would like."
Dean pelted her with a snowball. "That attitude is going to bite you in the ass. Hey, get back inside or put some shoes on."
Kate looked down at her feet. "Oh."
Dean steered her through the door. "You'll lose toes that way. Can you not feel the cold?"
Kate shook her head. "They feel fine now." She left Dean to grab her bag. She looked at her journal for a moment and decided to pack it as well. She packed her notebook and drawing supplies.
"Ready?" Dean asked.
"Yep. I even have shoes on." Kate said.
Dean backed out of the drive way, careful not to let baby's wheels run into a snow bank. "Whatever you and Hannah talk about, I want to know. I don't care if it is not dad approved. I don't want you to do anything but if something comes up, I want to know."
Kate pulled her notebook out and wrote a note for her older self. "There, if I am hiding anything, older me will return and warn you."
"Older you is a product of now you and you could just not show up." Dean said.
Kate rolled her eyes and called Taylor. "Can you make a mental note to time travel back to today to rat me out if I do something Dean wouldn't approve of but my older self doesn't want to rat myself out over?"
Taylor stopped messing with the snow. "Yes?"
Kate looked at Dean. "Happy?"
"I thought Sam was weird." Dean said, shaking his head. "I am the only kid who isn't."
Kate gave him a small smile and batted her eyelashes. "It comes with the last name. We are all a little weird."
Dean reached over and ruffled her hair. "I haven't gotten excited about getting to look through a creature brain."
"No but you do get excited if you are invited to hunt said creature down and kill them." Kate said.
Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "Alright, you got me there."
(April)
Karen stopped by April's house to help get the boys dressed. She washed the morning's dishes and held Lauren so that April could shower. She spoke softly to her and ran her hand over her hair. She reminded her so much of her sister.
Andy heard Dean's car and ran to the window.
Karen handed him his bag and let Dean help them down the steps.
Dean picked Ian up and turned him upside down. He hauled him to the car and put him into the back seat.
Ian giggled and crawled over to his seat so that he could be buckled in.
Andy was excited. He had gotten the extra attention that John promised him. It was cool. He got to track a deer with John one day and he learned some knife skills the next week. John was on a hunt though. "What are we going to do?"
Dean looked back at Andy. "Taylor and I are going to push you down that big hill behind Bobby's house and see how far you slide.
Andy grinned. "Awesome!"
Kate got out of the car once they got to Hannah's house. "Try not to break the children. I won't be home to mend them."
Dean waved her off. "Ian has enough padding on that he won't feel anything and Andy is tough, right?"
Andy nodded. "I broke my arm before and it wasn't that bad."
Kate gave him a smile and shut her door. She knocked on Hannah's door and stepped inside once Mandy invited her in.
Dean drove the boys back to Bobby's house and let them out of the car. Ian was much slower with the layers of clothes and his snow suit. That was fine with Dean.
Andy ran behind the house and squeaked with excitement. There was a curvy path carved out of the snow. He ran up the hill and asked Taylor to help him get settled on the sled. He sat down and held onto the sides. He squealed when he hit the turns and laughed when he fell off at the bottom and rolled to the bank of snow.
"Hey, it works." Dean said.
"Well, duh." Taylor said. "Here, toss me Ian."
Dean picked Ian up by one hand and one foot and acted like he was going to toss him.
Ian was disappointed when he didn't really get tossed.
Taylor met Dean half way and brought Ian to the top of the hill. He sat Ian on a sled and gently pushed him to get him started.
Ian giggled the entire time and tried to run back up the hill as soon as the sled stopped.
Dean extracted him from the snow where he had fallen forward and faceplanted. "We need a chair lift."
Taylor got an idea. He ran down to the shop and brought back a rope and a few other items. He looped the rope around a tree and ran it through a pulley system. He tied the end to a wooden sled and sent it down the hill to Dean. He walked down with the opposite end of the rope and handed it to Dean. "Make yourself useful."
Dean sat Ian down on the sled and pulled the rope so that he would go up the hill. "How do we get it back down?"
Taylor helped Ian off of it before tossing it back down to Dean.
Dean jumped to the side. "Without killing someone."
Taylor put Ian on the other sled and let him go back down the hill. "That is your problem, not mine."
Bobby looked outside after a half hour. He started lunch and milk for hot chocolate. They all had red noses and Dean looked like he was frozen. He opened the back door and yelled up the hill. "Five minutes and you all need to come inside for a bit."
Dean let Andy and Ian ride one more time before he brought them inside. "You can do it again later."
Ian frowned and pointed back to the snow.
"Later." Dean said. He peeled off Ian's layers and made sure that his bracelet didn't budge.
Bobby handed him a warm cup of coffee. "You might ought to bundle up when you go back out."
Dean let the steam warm his face. "I'll just send Taylor out with them."
Taylor helped Andy remove his gloves. He saw the red and white splotches that told him that Andy's hands were too cold. He held his hands on either side of Andy's and let a little heat dissipate from his palms.
Andy grinned. "That is cool." He sat down and pulled off his boots so Taylor could warm those up too.
Ian climbed up on a chair and patted the table.
Bobby gave him a plate of food. It wasn't anything fancy but it was warm. "I have a job you might want to take."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"An old friend of mine noticed an odd trend. I figured you could help her out." Bobby said. He saw Dean's face. "A friend, ya idjit."
Dean smirked and grabbed his own plate. "What has she noticed."
"Just some girls missing. Things just don't follow a typical pattern. She is a professor and specializes in medieval lore." Bobby explained. "I will give you the details later."
(Hannah's house)
Kate sat down on Hannah's bed. "What is going on?"
Hannah paced a little. She shoved her hands into her pockets and tiptoed before dropping back down onto her heels. "My angel showed me some stuff."
Kate sat forward. "Hannah."
Hannah whined and pulled her hands from her pockets. "I kinda forgot about it."
Kate nodded. She knew that it was quite possible that the angel had altered Hannah's memory. "How did they show you?"
Hannah looked down at her feet. "I realize I shouldn't have done it but I did and I know things and I don't want people to be mad at me."
Kate let out a slow breath. "You let it back in?"
Hannah frowned. "Just for a minute. I told it that I wasn't supposed to but it seemed urgent."
Kate patted the bed so that Hannah would sit down. "What did you see?"
"Something bad is coming." Hannah said.
Kate rubbed her face. "I have to let Dean know."
"No!" Hannah said. She lowered her voice, "They will be mad."
"I'll talk to him. He is genuinely understanding and will listen." Kate said.
Hannah pulled her knees up to her chin. "Maybe you could read me."
Kate sighed. "I'll ask. I'm trying to weasel my way back into the lab so I don't want to piss my dad off." She messaged Dean instead of calling him. "If you felt pressured into letting the angel in but you told them they couldn't stay, I think that is somewhat okay. I don't think anyone will be angry. If they get angry, I'll say I compelled you."
Hannah gasped. "No. You would get into so much trouble."
"Yeah, but that is nothing new for me." Kate said with a slight smile. "I think everyone knows something is coming." Dean responded letting Kate know that he was on the same page but expected details. "Here, lay beside me. I'll walk with you."
Hannah grabbed Kate's hand and fell back onto the bed. "You can't just read me?"
"No. I think I'd miss something." Kate said. She closed her eyes and pulled Hannah with her.
(Vision)
Kate opened her eyes and saw Hannah's street. She looked to her side and saw Hannah as well. "Is this where is started?"
Hannah looked around. "No, it was flashes."
Kate looked down the street in both directions. She walked out into the middle of the road and saw the dull, red glow of Hannah's family's porch light.
Hannah looked where Kate as looking. "That isn't like it is in real life."
"Maybe that is a sign." Kate said. She took Hannah's hand again. "Show me where the flashes started."
Hannah focused. She had been given the images without context.
Kate watched the street fade away and give way to a room. It was small and simple. It had a bed, a wardrobe, curtains and a lamp that sat on a small table. She opened the wardrobe and tilted her head to the side.
Hannah approached the wardrobe as well. There was one set of clothes with each piece on an individual hanger. "Nuns?"
Kate closed the wardrobe and looked out the window. The courtyard was dreary but well kept. She heard voices in the hallway and cracked the door. Two nuns walked down the hallway chatting quietly. They didn't seem to be in a hurry or to be concerned. She tapped on the door but they didn't turn around. She told Hannah to follow her. "I don't think they can see us."
Hannah didn't remember the building from the flashes but she didn't remember much of anything. It all happened too fast. "Are we in a church?"
"Seems like it." Kate said. She saw a door at the end of the long hallway and made her way over to it. "Stairs." She and Hannah walked down the wooden stairs and found themselves in what looked like a room for overflow decorations and other junk. She stepped over a manger with a doll in it. "Don't fall on baby Jesus."
Hannah rolled her eyes. She did watch her step though.
Kate saw a shelf with rows of jars. They were glowing. She had seen that glow before. "Souls."
"Why are they here?" Hannah asked.
"Heck if I know." Kate said. She wanted to pick one up but figured that observation was safer than exploration.
They heard steps as someone walked down the staircase. Three women were discussing a string of peculiar deaths in town. "I've known Ms. Havens since she was a child herself. She was the sweetest little girl. She loved her children and her husband."
The second woman spoke up. "She may have loved them but clearly, she is responsible for their deaths."
"Perhaps it was a case of the blues from the newest baby." The first woman offered.
The third woman's voice struck a chord with Kate. "Everyone has something evil hidden within themselves. Some people just choose not to act on it."
The two other women seemed taken aback but didn't say anything.
Kate saw something pooling around her feet. She touched it with her hand. She mouthed 'blood' to Hannah.
Hannah picked her own hand up from the floor where she was sitting. She could feel the sticky warmth covering her hand. It felt so real.
Kate grabbed Hannah and left as soon as the women left. She stopped at the doorway. "Think of something else. What else did they show you?"
Hannah let the current pull her to another day and time. She was relieved to see that her hands were now clean.
Kate recognized the city they were in. She had been there before. She couldn't think of the name or the state. She just knew she had visited at some point. She helped Hannah wade through what the angel had given them. She knew they had been in the vision for a long time and wanted to end it so that Dean didn't worry. She started to wake Hannah and herself up but froze as the scent of sulfur hit her. She spun around and looked up at a window in the building behind them. She met eyes with a woman standing at the window.
Hannah touched her arm. "Kate, can she see you?"
Kate's eyes flashed a brilliant blue.
The woman winked at Kate and stepped back from the window as a sand storm washed over the city.
(Hannah's room)
Hannah sat up and gasped for breath "Who was that?"
Kate was seething. Her eyes were still glowing and her hands burned from the pulses of energy trying to escape her body. "Abaddon."
Hannah took both of Kate's hands and squeezed them, pulling her friend back down to earth. "Calm. Deep breaths."
Kate took a few deep breaths and felt the energy leaving her palms. Her eyes faded and she made eye contact with Hannah. She was angry.
"I'm sorry, Katie." Hannah said.
"I'm not angry at you. She just pisses me off." Kate said.
"Should I have showed you?" Hannah asked, worriedly.
Kate felt pieces of her resolve start to break away. "Yes. I'll just explain it to Dean."
Hannah fidgeted while Kate made the call. She was worried about herself but also Kate.
"Dean, it is a demon." Kate said.
Dean picked Ian up by the front of his jacket and softly threw him into a pile of snow. "Just a demon or a certain demon" He snorted because Ian had sunk a few inches and couldn't get out. He held out his hand and helped Ian stand up again.
"Abaddon. The bitch who helped Hellen." Kate spat.
Dean groaned. Angry Kate was an issue. "Can you give me more information?"
"Hannah's angel showed her all of this. That means it could be a real threat." Kate said.
"I understand. I can't help you if you don't explain." Dean said, tossing Ian back into the pile of snow.
"She was at a convent or church. She was talking to some nuns and something dark was going on. I can't explain the feeling I had. Blood pulled around us but we woke up clean. We got dropped off in some city and it was like that time we met Death. She was in one of the buildings and looked right at me and winked." Kate said.
Dean had Taylor keep an eye on the boys. He stepped inside and removed his hat so that he could hear better. "Vision demon looked at you or demon who knew you were in a vision looked at you?"
"I don't know. I didn't engage." Kate said. "I know something is coming. I know Abaddon is responsible. She's got reason to fight back. I got rid of Hellen and had hellhounds run her out of Sioux Falls."
"Stay inside. I'll make a few calls to let people know to be on high alert. I'll be by to pick you up in a bit." Dean said.
Kate huffed. "I wasn't planning on coming back until later."
"If the extra powerful demon is looking for you, it would be best that you be here and not in town." Dean said.
"I could snap her like a twig." Kate said.
"I am sure you could but she is ancient. She knows you are powerful. She probably has a plan in place." Dean said. "We don't work off of assumptions. We talk as a family and figure things out."
Kate bit her tongue. Those talks took weeks and they rarely wanted to go along with what she thought was the best plan of action.
Hannah started to sniffle as Kate finished her conversation with Dean. She didn't want Kate to do something dangerous. She felt dumb for allowing the angel to use her but how would it have warned her without simply showing her? She wasn't afraid of her parents and she never would be but she didn't like to disappoint them. She didn't like the new found consequences of messing with supernatural stuff but that was probably the point. She most certainly didn't want Dean or John to be mad at Kate.
Kate hung up the phone. "What's wrong?"
Hannah let a tear fall. "I messed up."
"You didn't." Kate said. She hugged Hannah and patted her back. "I'm sorry I got angry. Her face just makes me sick."
Hannah swallowed her worry and sat up straight. "What do we do?"
"Well, I can't track her down and vaporize her." Kate said. She let her eyes drift. "I could totally do that."
"Please, Katie." Hannah said. "If you go off on your own, they will be mad at both of us."
"I'm only keeping myself reigned in because I feel bad for you." Kate said with a smirk.
Hannah blew air through her nose. "We have to come up with a plan before you do any of that." It was a bit of a dark joke considering that Hannah was the one that helped her plan how to fool a hellhound. "I don't want you to get taken out by the devil's lap dogs."
Kate grinned. "I like that term." She popped her back and fell back onto the bed. "They like me now."
Hannah felt her stomach twist. "They aren't nice dogs."
"No but I've seen them around. They just watch me and show up when hunters try to kill me." Kate said.
"Maybe it depends on which demon they belong to." Hannah said.
"Crowley has good control over his pack. I don't know if different demons have different packs." She snapped her fingers and whirled around. "I need to talk to Crowley."
(April's house)
Karen pampered April as much as she would let her. She made sure all of the clothes were folded and put away and made a few snacks so that April could just focus on Lauren. She sat down across from April and smiled softly.
"Thank you." April said. She shifted Lauren to give her back a break. "This time around is so different."
"You have support. I know you didn't with Ian." Karen said.
April sat forward to give Lauren to Karen. She wanted to hold her daughter all day but Karen wanted to as well. She wondered if the boys were independent because they had to be. Would Lauren be clingy? "She looks like Elizabeth."
Karen nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. She has your eyes though."
"I think she looks a bit more like Caleb than when she was born." April commented.
"She is the perfect mixture of the two of you." Karen said. Her heart ached for the children she wasn't able to have but being around April's kids let her heal a bit more each day. She and Bobby were beyond the years in which they would have kids of their own. Returning from Heaven hurt at first because so many years had gone by. Bobby thought of John's kids as his own and that warmed Karen's heart. She knew he would never be like his father. "I am so happy that you found a home here."
"Devine intervention." April said. She furrowed her eyebrows. "Or demonic. I'm really not sure anymore."
Karen chuckled. "I prefer to think of it as divine."
April got up to get a new outfit for Lauren so that she would stay warm when they left the house. She handed clothes to Karen and asked her to change Lauren while she got dressed in something besides pajamas.
As Karen was slipping the shirt over Lauren's head she saw a mark on the inside of Lauren's upper arm, right above her elbow. She rubbed her finger over the mark and furrowed her eyebrows. "April, has Lauren had this mark on her arm since birth?"
April knew she hadn't. "She has a birthmark on the back of her head."
"This is on her arm." Karen said. She carried Lauren to April to show her.
At first, April thought Lauren may have been pinched. She studied the shape of the mark and slowly met eyes with Karen. "Elizabeth had the same mark in the same place."
Karen nodded. "She was born with it." She had no way of knowing if the mark was truly the same. She remembered a mark but it could have been a different size or shape. It could be that Lauren just had a mark in the same general area that her aunt did. She slipped Lauren's arm into the sleeve of her shirt and fastened the buttons at the bottom. "It is like Lauren came back to us."
April found a pair of tiny socks and slipped them on baby Lauren's feet. "It helps the pain."
Karen agreed. She remembered her own baby Lauren as a newborn. She dressed her in hand made dresses and pushed her around in a doll carriage. She knew her face like the back of her hand due to the hours and hours she spent looking into her eyes. She had been thrilled to have a baby sister after so many brothers. She cherished her and had been broken completely when she had disappeared. April said that she seemed happy and healthy until she had Andy. Was it difficult for Lauren to move onto another family? Had she cried and missed their mother? April couldn't answer those questions as she was born after Lauren had been with them for a while. She knew Lauren as Elizabeth, her older sister. Not knowing hurt Karen's heart. She wanted closure.
April also wanted closure. She new bits and pieces of why Elizabeth had to leave Andy. She knew she died. She knew her soul had crossed over. Why did the demon target her though?
Karen carried Lauren in her car seat out to her car. She buckled the seat and placed a blanket over Lauren's legs. She looked comfortable and warm.
April locked the door and placed a towel on the front seat so that Riot could sit on it. She wanted to be in the back with Lauren. Riot was gentle but he was still a puppy with big paws.
Andy ran out to the car once they parked in front of Bobby's house. "Hi, mom."
April smiled. "You look like you are frozen."
Andy shook his head. "I've been running a lot." He took her hand and pulled her toward the hill. "Taylor made a squiggly slide."
Dean saw April and feigned exhaustion. "They may not sleep tonight but I will."
Ian got knocked down by Riot as Riot ran by him. He giggled and tried to sit up but the snow was deep and his snowsuit was thick.
Dean righted him and sent him up the hill to Taylor.
Taylor didn't have a sled at the top of the hill so he just sat Ian down on the hardened snow. The sleds had beaten down the path so it was slick.
April gasped as Ian slid down the hill, nearly falling sideways as he made the sharp turns. "Oh, be careful."
"If he wipes out, that snowsuit will protect him." Dean said.
April brushed snow from Ian's face and made sure that his gloves hadn't gotten wet. "I'm going inside where it is warm."
Dean grumbled but told Taylor he was on his own again. He wanted to let Kate know that he was going to pick her up.
Kate was frustrated. She wanted information in an instant. She had a way to get information in an instant but she was bound by rules. She and Hannah had a bit of a plan and wrote it down on a slip of paper. She could explain it to the others without them fussing about her keeping things a secret. She begrudgingly got into Dean's car once he got to the house.
Dean sighed. "I'm waiting on a call from dad."
Kate opened her notebook. "We have some ideas."
Dean tensed.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Ideas, Dean."
Dean saw Crowley's name and gave Kate a hard look.
"What is the point in being open and honest if you are going to do the bitch face thing?" Kate asked.
Dean blinked slowly. There was the angst he had expected after Thanksgiving. "Forgive me for not being part of the Crowley fan club."
"He would know more about Abaddon and have reason to want her gone. I didn't summon him. I didn't go into another vision. I just wrote it down." Kate said.
Dean was uncomfortable as he saw where this was all headed. "I'll keep comments to myself until after your presentation."
Kate smirked. "I should make a poster with drawings."
Dean flicked her. "Just talk me through it."
"Abaddon is powerful. She isn't a normal demon. I know she is going to attack. We have seen the signs. I want to know her weakness. I want to know where she came from." Kate said.
"Maybe this isn't a psychological battle. Maybe this is something that dad and I take care of." Dean said.
Kate's eyes flashed.
"Cool it." Dean said.
Kate glared at him. "What happened to keeping comments to yourself?"
Dean tapped the breaks of the car. "I am willing to listen to your side of things but I will not put up with you taking your frustration out on me."
"Then just listen." Kate said.
Dean counted to ten in his head. There would be no road side attitude adjustment solely because it was too cold outside. "One."
Kate scoffed but went back to her explanation. "Everything is tied together. She is tied to the freaks. If she is gone, the web starts to unravel."
"One thing at a time. Visions don't always mean what you think they mean." Dean said.
Kate bit the side of her cheek. She had a retort to that but had already snapped at him too many times. "Which is why I wrote things down. Hannah helped me brainstorm but only after you said it was okay."
Dean narrowed his eyes but stayed quiet.
"We could have used the computer to find information but that was iffy. So, we just chatted." Kate said. "If we are assuming Abaddon knows that I am powerful, we have to catch her off guard."
"We don't know that she hasn't found a way to kill you." Dean countered.
"So, what if she has? I can't do anything about that. You are at a higher risk than me." Kate said. "We summon a demon and grill them for information. They go back to hell. We have an advantage."
"Unless the demon lies and goes back to tell Abaddon that we are onto her." Dean said.
"Crowley." Kate said.
"You are not summoning him. He is powerful too and has hellhounds." Dean said.
"The bunker has a demon proof room. Hellhounds can't get in. I have seen plenty and they act docile." Kate replied.
Dean stopped the car next to the shop. "Are you still seeing them?"
"Every now and then." Kate said.
"Why haven't you told me?" Dean asked.
"Nothing has changed. They just sit there." Kate said.
"Until they get the order to tear into you." Dean said in a low tone.
"Survived it once already." Kate said.
"This happens every time, Kate. You get triggered and angry. You charge in without thinking and get hurt in the process." Dean said, almost pleadingly.
Kate got out of the car and stalked up to the house. She kicked her boots off beside the door and went to her bedroom. She was annoyed a few minutes later when Dean walked in without knocking.
Dean sat down on her bed. "Do we need to do this the hard way?"
Kate scowled at him. "No. I'm right. Something big and bad and dark and scary is headed straight for us. It has been for a long time. It is closer now than ever before and people are going to get hurt. A lot of people are going to get hurt."
"I know about the signs. I'm not saying she isn't a massive threat. I'm asking you to calm down so that we can talk without you biting my head off. Sure, she had something to do with Hellen. She didn't really show up until she and Hellen showed up in the yard."
"No, she has always been on the sidelines, watching, waiting." Kate said. She got up to pace. "It is all connected. Azazel, Abaddon, our moms dying. They pulled strings and put things into place to force destiny's hand. Our family has been surrounded by this for decades if not before that."
Dean knew things were connected but it was possible that someone, somewhere had pissed off more than one demon.
"Your mom had abilities." Kate said.
"We think she had one or two. Not like you though." Dean said.
"Maybe she would have had her dad not been a major douche bag." Kate said.
Dean grimaced. "We saw some drawings. We do not know if that was the case."
Kate spun around. "I know."
"I know you feel connected to her because of the drawings." Dean said. "I know Azazel had a direct link to her. There is too much missing information for us to dive head first into this."
Kate was dumbfounded. How could he not see it. "She had visions when she was little. They didn't go away. She just got brainwashed into ignoring them. Her dad wouldn't have been comfortable with her having a supernatural ability. As she got older, the drawings stopped. She ignored signs that could have helped her. She knew this was coming."
"Or she outgrew it." Dean said.
Kate stared at him. "She knew."
Dean took a deep breath. "She knew about demons."
Kate roughly ran her hands through her hair and growled. "I'm going to Bobby's office to get something." She stomped down the stairs and removed the folder from Bobby's cabinet without asking him. She had a point to prove. She dumped the papers onto Taylor's bed and rifled through them. She picked up one and shoved it into Dean's face, two inches from his eyes. "She knew."
Dean pulled his head back. "Calm your ass down before I calm you down."
Kate stepped back but shook the paper. "A sandstorm with red sand."
Dean blinked. "That is a thing in places where they have red sand."
Kate scrubbed her face. "It is the last part of the vision I had with Hannah."
Dean took the paper. "I'm following."
Kate traced her finger along black lines that ran up the paper. "Buildings of a city I have been in before. The city from the vision."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe we should table this until dad gets back or calls."
Kate froze.
"You are upset and on edge. I'll listen but this deep stuff isn't' something I can make a decision about alone." Dean said.
"Make a decision? You can't make a decision? I'm showing you proof that I'm right. How hard is that?" Kate asked.
"Katelyn, cool it. This isn't something we can go out and do today. We need a plan." Dean said.
"Crowley." Kate said.
"Well, we sure as hell aren't summoning him now. That can be done under stable conditions. Dad can get him to talk." Dean said.
"I guess it is a family thing." Kate said.
Dean's nose flared. "What does that mean?"
"Mary's dad pushed away her visions and ideas…." Kate was interrupted by Dean.
"Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't. I can't go back and change that. What we have is right now." Dean said.
"It is happening again." Kate said. She flipped through her own notebook. "The storm is coming." She roughly pointed to a page of red lines.
"I know. I know, Kate. I am trying to work with you. You cannot think straight when you are on edge." Dean said.
Kate neatly stacked Mary's drawings and placed them in the folder. She placed the folder and her notebook on the table and motioned for Dean to get up.
Dean leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "Katelyn."
"I'm tabling it." Kate said.
Dean stood up but didn't leave the room. "You aren't mentally."
Kate had her back to Dean and placed her hands on her desk to steady herself. "They are all dead." She turned to face Dean. "They were warned and now they are dead. Everyone is Dead. None of have grandparents or aunts or uncles. We don't have mothers. I don't have a father. Why? Because demons took them out."
"We don't.." Dean started to say know because they didn't know that all of the deaths were demon related.
"We do. We will table this and play it safe. I will stay here and not intervene. I won't use my abilities. I won't put myself in harms way. I'll let you guys handle it. Then, when you don't come back, I'll be left wondering if you had survived or were being held captive. Everyone is dead. Mary tried to warn them about the storm. They didn't listen. I am stronger and more capable. My visions are clear." Kate said robotically.
"We will heed the warning." Dean said. "I have told you that much."
"If you go out and die, you don't get to come back." Kate said. "If I die, I do come back."
"With less of your soul." Dean said.
"Losing bits of my soul will not be what turns me into a monster. Losing you will be." Kate said.
"You aren't going to lose me." Dean said.
Kate looked away from him. "Why not? I've lost everyone else. Isn't that the Winchester legacy? Death by way of demon."
Dean sat down and pulled her to stand in front of him. "We are wiser now. I have an anti-possession tattoo. We know the demon signs. We have Castiel on our side."
"I need some time to calm down." Kate said.
Dean tilted her chin so that she would look at him. "I don't think you should be alone right now."
"If I do something, you'll shut me down. I can't risk your lives by flying off the handle." Kate said.
Dean hugged her and kissed the top of her head. "I am going to leave but I'm going to check on you in five minutes."
"Okay." Kate said.
Dean closed the door but sat at the top of the stairs. He wasn't a fool. He knew the storm was coming. He just didn't want her at the center of it.
Kate looked at Mary's drawings again. She found one that always caught her eye. It was a stick person at the center of blue lines, radiating from the person as if they were a beacon of light. When she touched it for the first time, her vision filled with white light. That happened each time she touched it. She thought that it was dark and her mind had blocked her from seeing the true nature of the crude drawing. She held the drawing to her chest and let the light flood her vision. Her ears were ringing but she could see rays of light instead of a solid white screen. Shades of blue rippled around her and an uncomfortable warmth spread through her chest. She snapped out of it and understood the meaning. That was how it had to end. That is how her dad's death ended. That would be the end of the next horrible chapter of her life. She would burst into a ball of light and then it would end. She folded the paper in half and then in half again. She held it in her right hand and felt her palm start to sting. She accepted the sting as part of the process and watched the paper crumble, first into bits and then into powder. She watched each individual atom go its separate way as a draft swept the remnants away.
Dean opened the door after a courtesy knock. "How are you feeling?"
Kate looked at him and blinked twice. "Level headed."
Dean had an uneasy feeling but encouraged her to join the others down stairs.
Kate rubbed her palm on her jeans as it still stung. She had not been able to do that before. She had disintegrated a hellhound. The pieces were visible although tattered and torn. This was different. This was molecular. She shoved the thought to the side and sat down at the table with April. Baby Lauren was cute and brightened Kate's mood.
April let Kate hold her. "Hasn't she grown?"
"She has." Kate said. "It is crazy how fast they grow."
Karen dried the dish in her hand and placed it in the cabinet. "All of you started out small. With your brothers being giants, that seems hard to believe."
Kate let Lauren hold her finger. She sent the smallest pulses through Lauren's hand to boost her immune system or anything that she was working on at two weeks old.
April thought that Kate was a natural. "They give you baby fever when they are that little."
Kate didn't look at her but spoke up. "I can't have kids."
April frowned. "Oh, honey. I'm sorry."
"I'm not." Kate said.
Dean cleared his throat.
"I would make a good aunt." Kate said.
"I didn't know." April said. "When did you find this out?"
"A while back. I have a book written by my future self. Taylor and I are unable to reproduce." Kate said.
Taylor sprayed off another plate and handed it to Karen. "It isn't the end of the world. I don't have to worry about pregnancy scares."
"You shouldn't worry about that anyway. You are 14." Karen said.
"In the future." Taylor said.
April didn't mean to open that can of worms.
"Yeah, we could basically sleep around with whomever we want." Kate said.
Dean cleared his throat again.
"What? Isn't that what you do?" Kate asked.
"Yeah, I did. That doesn't make it right." Dean said.
Kate handed Lauren back to April and sat back down, rocking her chair onto the back legs. "We can enjoy your kids. We just won't have of our own. No half human kids running around."
Dean saw the look on April's face and turned Kate's chair around. "Watch what you are saying."
Kate shrugged. "Not half reaper or half demon. Not half nephilian. I thought you'd be happy."
"Ian." Dean said through gritted teeth.
Kate apologized to April. "I didn't mean it like that."
"Maybe you should go back to your room." Dean said.
Kate eyed him. "I thought I was supposed to be down here."
"Clearly, you weren't ready for it." Dean said.
Kate stood up but stopped by April. "I am sorry about the half demon comment. I don't see Ian like that and didn't mean to hurt you."
April patted her hand. "I'm guessing you were trying to hurt him since you mentioned the reaper too."
Kate looked down at her feet.
"He is trying to help you sweetie. Give him a break." April said, softly.
Kate frowned. She wasn't meaning to take it out on Dean. She just had no good way to blow off steam. She could open another portal and they would get mad. She could take out a grove of trees and they would get mad. They would get big mad. Lashing out at Dean made him mad but small mad in comparison to what she could do.
Dean tilted his head toward the stairs. "Head up."
Kate spun on her heel but went up to her room. She groaned when Dean walked through the door behind her.
"You are frustrated and stressed. Okay. I have warned you about taking it out on me. I don't deserve that." Dean said. "Talk about heeding a warning."
Kate flopped down onto her bed. "I am sorry. I have no way to cope. It just comes out this way."
"I am trying, Kate. I am trying to let you have your moment. I am acknowledging that what you saw is real. It is dangerous and a threat. You do not think clearly when you are like this. You latch onto an idea and refuse to see any other point of view. Abaddon will get taken down. I promise you." He looked down at his phone and held his breath for a moment. He answered it and closed his eyes. "Hey, dad."
Kate didn't react.
John wanted the run down about Hannah's information up until that very moment. "Is she compliant?"
Dean looked at Kate. "No."
"Maybe she should be off of this case as well." John said. His ears started to buzz and it disoriented him. "Katelyn Amelia." He ground out.
Kate stopped making his ears rattle.
Dean handed the phone to her.
"This shows me that I do have reason to take you off of this case." John said.
"I won't be taken off of it." Kate said. "You can kick me off the freak case but not this. This is mine. You know nothing without me."
"Drop it." John said.
Kate narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. She was quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time. "No."
Dean recoiled and gave her a wild look. "Are you crazy?"
Kate wasn't crazy. She was determined. She knew what was coming and couldn't let everyone around her die the way that the others had.
"Katelyn." John said, evenly.
"Perhaps I am too wrapped up in this to talk about it right now." Kate said. She handed the phone to Dean upon John's order.
Dean took it and glared at Kate.
"Take her down to the panic room." John said.
Dean cringed.
"You try to coddle her and talk her down. That hasn't worked." John said.
Dean wanted to argue. He wanted to tell John more about why Kate was upset. He was torn. He saw his Kate struggling with what she knew about Abaddon. He also saw Kate's other side that caused her to go off the rails in a big way. He put his phone back in his pocket and looked at Kate. "Come on."
Kate didn't move.
"Don't make this difficult." Dean said.
Kate stood up and followed him. She was aware of where they were going. Once she was inside the panic room, she laid down on a cot and curled into a ball.
"I'm not going to leave you down here alone." Dean said. He put a hand on her shoulder and lightly shook her. "I'm going to get food and come back down. You can be an absolute brat and throw a fit but I'm not up for letting you do this alone."
Kate softened slightly. "Stop being nice to me."
Dean smirked. "Why?"
"Because I am angry at the world and angry at you but I can't snap at you when you are being nice." Kate said with a pout.
"Why do you think I didn't bust your ass earlier? You would use it as fuel to continue being pissed off." Dean said.
Kate rolled over and looked at him. "So, the meaner I am, the bigger the chance I have of not getting my butt kicked?"
"No. Your luck ran out, kid. You are going to walk out here with a better attitude. I don't care if it is because you calmed yourself down or if it is because I have to smack it out of you." Dean said.
Kate rolled back onto her side. "We all handle stress differently."
Dean knew it was a dig at his choice of stress relief. "We talked about that."
"It is either that or becoming an alcoholic." Kate said.
Dean shook his head. "Save that for when you are at least 21. You try to kill yourself enough now and you are sober."
Kate stiffened.
"Your luck is out. Sass me again and I'll wear you out." Dean said.
Kate bit her lip and sat up to look at Dean. "I'm not sassing you. I am asking an honest question."
Dean knew she was about to say something that only Kate would say.
"You aren't in the best mood either. If I try to kill myself, Tessa shows up. That is a win-win for both of us." Kate said.
Dean crouched down to her height. "You blew right past that warning."
Kate whined and gave him puppy eyes.
"When I go get food, I'll have Bobby break off a switch from one of those trees.." Dean said.
Kate's eyes widened. "Why would you make Bobby go out when it is so cold?"
Dean knew she was being her normal sarcastic self and not being as disrespectful as she sounded. He reached his arm behind her and pulled her to stand up, causing her to be tucked against his hip. He gave her three hard swats and sat her back down. "Still want to mouth off?"
Kate sighed. "I guess I found your limit."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that dad will have something to say about your conversation on the phone.
Kate frowned. "I'm very stressed."
"So, snap out of it so that he doesn't have to double up on anything." Dean said.
"That doesn't make me feel less stressed." Kate whined.
"You may not give a damn about your life but you do about your hide." Dean said.
Kate crossed her arms.
"Can you hold it together until I get back?" Dean asked.
Kate shrugged. "I guess we will see."
Dean snorted but left her alone while he grabbed food.
Bobby asked how she was doing.
"She is being a smart ass so I think she is getting back to her normal self." Dean said.
Bobby watched what Dean was doing. "You are going to go sit with her?"
Dean shoved a bite of food in his mouth. "Yeah."
"Does your dad know that?" Bobby asked.
Dean swallowed the food. "No. He didn't say if I should stay or go. With him, she ripped a hole in the veil. I'm trying to avoid that."
"It wouldn't have anything to do with you feeling bad for her?" Bobby asked.
"She saw a lot today." Dean said.
"You are a good man, Dean." Bobby said.
Dean sighed. "Yet she tests me every single day." He looked over April's shoulder at Lauren. "You have to stay this calm. Your dad will go gray by if you don't."
April laughed. "Have you been finding gray hairs?"
Dean rubbed his head. "No but I can feel them forming."