Chapter 231
Kate walked into the house and over to the couch where she took a seat. She was in a delicate position. They were irritated that she went to hell in the first place but lack of forethought was her recurring offense. Except, there was some forethought but that might make everything look worse. She was paranoid about working things out in her head for fear that something could see her thoughts.
Taylor wasn't reading Kate's thoughts but he could tell she was teetering on the edge.
John had gotten a drink and sat it down on the small table beside his chair. "Getting word from Bill was a nice surprise. I am sure it was an even bigger gift for Ellen and Jo."
"Me too." Taylor said.
"You too." John said. He was quiet as he thought through some things. If a demon told him he could go into hell and bring his friend back, would he? He wouldn't just jump at the idea but he had never been in that position. He wanted to know more about what happened before he passed judgement.
"How could I say no?" Kate asked.
No one really commented as it would be nearly impossible to say no.
"What is weighing on you?" John asked. She looked incredibly guilty and he knew it wasn't over a two second jump into hell. Although, that was a big thing. She could have gotten trapped.
Kate glanced at Taylor. How much should she say? She really didn't want the repercussions for a certain one of her decisions but she wasn't sure she should tell them the whole story. She thought back to when her dad died. She noticed things around them and kept secrets from the guys because one of them was possessed. No one was possessed this time. Something else was there, though. Maybe it was her trip to the time stream that made her paranoid. "Do you remember when we were getting ready to save my dad's soul from the hellhounds?"
"Yes." John said.
"Remember how I thought something was off and kept a few secrets to figure out what was off?" Kate asked.
John just nodded.
"I feel like something else is going on besides what I can see in front of me." Kate said. "There is stuff you are going to be angry about." She didn't want to outright say that she needed to talk to Taylor because that would clue everyone in, including whoever she thought was watching them. They wouldn't except breaks in the story. "Can I talk to Karen first?"
"Why?" Dean asked.
"She is a good neutral party that will probably listen to my story without trying to murder me with her eyes." Kate said. She sighed. "Things are really complicated. I need to sift through some things."
John wanted her to spit it out but allowed her to go with Karen to the kitchen.
Kate sat down across from Karen. "I don't know if I can say what I need to say and it stay in the house. I just feel like something has been watching us."
Karen looked around. "Is there somewhere safe?"
Kate groaned. "Here is okay. I may reach a point where I can't say something. I will say I can't say it though."
Karen told her that was okay.
"I'll do my best to explain. There are a few things I'll just tell you but I don't know if I should tell them. If you agree that it is better to keep to myself, do I have permission to wipe that out of your memory?" Kate asked.
Karen scooted closer to the table. "How about we cross that bridge when we get there?"
Kate wanted to go back and erase everything but that wouldn't be fair to anyone else. "The big things…. I think that things are a distraction. I think the angel death and the stuff with Cameron are a distraction. I don't think I can explain why. I also think we have someone helping us. Someone knew that serial killer had his eyes on Jess. It wasn't me. I also can't explain who I think is responsible. I have gained abilities although I think they are temporary." Kate reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of small bones.
Karen looked at them. "What are these?"
"Bones." Kate said. She dropped them on a napkin. "When I go to the time stream, I pick up faint memories. We may need these later."
Karen placed another napkin over top the bones so she didn't have to look at them.
"Crowley said he had something I would want. I went with him and we went through a door into hell. Hell isn't necessarily what you would expect. It has islands with fire underneath. The islands were different. Some were really rough where others were still hell but not traditional hell. One was an endless DMV line." Kate said.
Karen nearly chuckled.
"Bill and others were held in a large facility. That is where Crowley takes souls that he thinks are valuable. I could get back in there if I need to." Kate said.
Karen reached across the table to take one of Kate's hands. "No. You need to stay here on earth."
"I am just saying I know where to go." Kate said. "I didn't go to the really bad parts of hell for obvious reasons. I know that Craig and Gordon are somewhere in there. They have a control center of sorts. They can see where different demons are. I think it is just the ones sent on missions. I don't want to know what kind of missions."
Karen cringed. She tapped her fingers on the table. "You were gone for how long?"
"Top side a few seconds." Kate said.
Karen nodded. "What about in hell time?"
"Maybe an hour? I don't know." Kate said. "Apparently removing a soul from hell requires paperwork."
Karen was uncomfortable with how comfortable Kate was talking about hell as though it was another country. "Could you see all of this from that facility?"
Kate licked her lips. "This is where it gets sticky. I took a detour."
Karen sucked in a breath of air. "How?"
"I just walked away from the group for a moment." Kate said.
"That is so dangerous." Karen scolded.
"I know. This is the bit where I'll admit I made some bad choices." Kate said. "I think I slowed down time. Crowley didn't know I was gone."
"Sweetie, that is a massive new ability." Karen said.
"I don't think I could do it normally." Kate said. "I just had a lot of extra power."
"How?" Karen asked.
"I can absorb anger." Kate said. She chewed her thumbnail. "Which is probably why my dad hasn't taken a belt to me yet."
Karen let her eyes drift to the living room. "Oh, honey, you didn't."
"I did but I didn't compel them. He can't deal with me in anger anyway. He and Dean won't be happy but the only thing I took was anger." Kate said.
"That isn't all there is to it, is there?" Karen asked.
Kate shook her head. "There was a guard outside the facility. I took his anger. Demonic anger is something else. I had a huge rush of power and was able to do things I normally wouldn't be able to."
Karen just blinked.
"I shouldn't have done that. I had a bad reaction to absorbing demons a while back." Kate said. "I was able to slip away from Crowley, visit other islands, make note of vital information and make it back before Crowley noticed." She appreciated that Karen was letting her talk but arguing about it seemed easier. "I went into a building that had heavy security. I found writings and tablets that I think I can translate. In the center of the building was a door like a bank vault."
"Did you open it?" Karen asked.
"I couldn't." Kate said. She bounced her leg and bit into her lip. "I heard a voice call out to me."
Karen's heart dropped.
"I spoke to them and when I tried to leave, I couldn't open the outside door. I panicked and pulled energy from the demons and had enough power to zap back to Crowley and Bill." Kate said. She thought it all sounded dumb. She felt like she was making it up. In reality, she was sugar coating it.
"Katie, who did you talk to?" Karen asked.
Kate avoided her eyes.
"Katie." Karen said.
"In a minute." Kate whispered. "That bit is going to be the straw that breaks the camel's back."
Karen had an idea but didn't want to consider it. "Keep talking"
"There was this strange voice…" Kate trailed off.
"What did It say to you?" Karen asked.
"It taunted me about where I was. I think the lack of attention from being in the pit makes it overly talkative." Kate said.
Karen walked around the table to sit beside Kate. "This is serious. This isn't funny."
Kate swallowed. "I know. I'm trying to cope."
"You said you spoke to it." Karen said.
Kate couldn't look at her.
Karen gently took Kate's chin to make her focus. "Get it out."
"It sounds bad." Kate said.
"It all sounds bad. You didn't just go get Bill. You took an adventure." Karen said.
Kate frowned. She forgot Karen would be displeased too. "You know me, I can't keep my mouth shut either."
"Does your dad need to come in here?" Karen asked.
Kate shook her head. "Not yet." She looked down at her lap. "I heard his voice and didn't feel fear. I should have probably. He knew I wasn't fearful. I think it bothered him. He spoke about how I'm trusting the wrong people and how he was once an angel. He said all he wanted to do was protect humans and God cast him into hell for liking humans more than him. I didn't fall for any of it. I said that he would never get out of the pit. He was put there for eternity and he would stay there. He said that I was petulant. You know, stuff like that."
The transition from it to he didn't escape Karen's attention. It nearly confirmed what she was afraid of. Karen made her look up again. "Continue."
"He said that I was playing with fire and Crowley wasn't above locking a child away for eternity. He said he had power like nothing else I had encountered. He threatened me." She took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling. She winced. "I…." She licked her lips. "said that he should save his threats for someone else because one of us was leaving and it wouldn't be him." She whined. "I flipped him off and told him to burn in hell."
"Katelyn." Karen said in a tone that sounded too much like the other tones Kate had been hearing.
"I know it was a bad call. I didn't want to look scared. He's locked away." Kate said.
"He almost trapped you." Karen said.
"That did scare me." Kate admitted.
"I don't know what you expect me to soften for you. I cannot imagine telling your father not to be livid." Karen said.
"I need help with what to tell them. I think someone is playing with us. If someone is, they may not currently know that I know that they are doing it. If I tell everyone, that being could get information when you leave the house. I saw things that I know Crowley didn't mean for me to see. What if a demon attacks and tries to extract that information?" Kate asked.
Karen didn't like the position that she found herself in. "You will tell them about your conversation with Lucifer and how you got there."
"If I do that, I will have to tell them about taking anger." Kate said.
"As you should." Karen said.
"My dad not being angry only changes how I talk to him. It is the same outcome." Kate said.
Karen understood that. That one piece of information was something she could talk to them about.
Kate was starting to get sweaty. "There are other things that I cannot tell anyone. Things are dire." She touched Karen's hand to try to show her.
Karen nodded. "You can remove what you just showed me if you promise to tell them as soon as possible."
Kate looked into Karen's eyes. "You trust me?"
Karen gave her a sad smile. "I do, sweetie. If I go back in there with no memory of our conversation, you'll be worse off than you are now."
Kate blushed. She removed the bit she had just shown Karen and the bit about the control center.
"I'll talk to your dad before you have to go back." Karen said.
Kate thanked her.
Karen entered the living room. She had hidden her reaction from Kate but it was harder when around Bobby.
Bobby hugged her.
Karen melted into the hug and steadied herself. "She can pull emotion from people."
Dean furrowed his brows.
"I think it is just anger." Karen said.
Dean thought about what Bill said about her taking something from him. His eyes darkened.
"She said it is only the anger. She hasn't compelled you to drop the issue. She just made you calm enough to talk about it. Taking the anger gives her an ability boost." Karen said.
John noted that he had calmed down quickly when they were outside. He had the same train of thought but he was in the acceptance stage instead of the anger stage. "Kate, come in here."
Kate tiptoed into the living room.
"Yes, sir?" Kate asked.
"You had your chance to talk to Karen. I want to know what happened." John said.
Kate traded looks with Karen. "It sounds really bad."
"It is." Karen reminded her.
Kate frowned. "I took anger from you guys."
"Karen told us." John said. "You had to know we wouldn't approve of that."
"I know. It didn't change your thought process." Kate said.
"That bit of it is on the fence. I'll decide what to do with the information as we talk." John said.
Kate sat down. She stumbled through the same story that she told Karen. She did try to make it sound better but Karen corrected her a few times. If Karen was mad at her, she was doomed.
Dean stood up so quickly that he got dizzy. "Oh, the demons weren't enough. You had to go and sass Satan?"
Kate froze. She assumed that would be among the top three things that they'd disagree with.
John asked Dean to step outside with him. "Do you need to take a drive?"
Dean turned his back to him. "I get why she took the anger. I get why she grabbed Bill. How reckless does someone have to be to run through hell and taunt the devil?"
"She is reckless, but I also think she is forgetting the gravity of hell. She is looking at it as just another run in with a low-level demon." John said. "I don't think she acted in malice toward you."
Dean sighed. "I know she didn't. I was right there. I am powerless."
"I am going to have a talk with her." John said. "You need to continue to heal and step away from all of this."
Dean ran his hands down his face. He was glad not to be the one dealing with her. He decided to stay outside and pull Baby into the shop.
Taylor joined Dean after having a short conversation in his head with Kate. He grimaced.
Dean gave him a sad smile. "You two should drink more often. I can deal with that."
Taylor's eyes grew wide. "No drinking for me. I am desperately trying to keep myself out of the fire."
"At least one of you is." Dean said.
(John and Kate)
Kate found herself in her room, sitting on her bed. How could things seem so clear at the time and then so muddy afterwards.
John joined her. "Hell?"
Kate nodded.
"Do you understand how serious this is?" John asked.
"Yes, I could have gotten hurt." Kate said.
John shook his head. "You aren't scared of Satan?"
Kate shrugged. "I didn't feel scared at the time."
"Do you think that has something to do with the anger you've been pulling out of people?" John asked.
Kate picked at the skin on her fingers. "I guess it could."
"You told Crowley something similar." John said. "Here, I want you to feel what I felt when you were telling me about hell."
Kate took his hand and looked through his eyes during their conversation. Her eyes teared up. He was terrified. Why wasn't she? Her heart was in her throat and a blanket of guilt fell over her like a heavy shroud. "I'm sorry."
John pulled her to him. "It worries me that you are not seeing things for how serious they are. I'd come up with an example of something worse but you went to hell. I don't know what beats that."
"I got out." Kate said.
"You gambled big and got lucky." John said.
"I made bad choices, but it was a rare opportunity." Kate said.
"You are 12. How do you know that it wasn't Crowley's intention for you to get curious and check things out? How do you know he wasn't testing you for new abilities?" John asked.
Kate frowned.
"I'm grateful that you got Bill out." John said. "You did a good deed there. Had you just jumped and returned in a few seconds, I'd be irritated but might be able to understand your thought process."
"I figured I was already there." Kate said.
"Why would you take anger out of someone?" John asked.
Kate sighed. "It started with Dean. He was angry over the wendigo, and I took it to let him relax."
John nodded. "I can understand that but you should ask him first."
"Other times it has been so that I can explain things before one of you trying to kill me." Kate said.
"What about the demons?" John asked.
"I had to get away from Lucifer." Kate said.
"You didn't have to take the first one that let you leave Crowley." John said.
"You've got me there." Kate said.
"What would Dean have done if you didn't come back?" John asked.
Kate sniffled.
"Think about when you had those visions of Dean and I going to hell." John said.
Kate's heart sped up as the fear sunk in.
"Now think about it not being a vision and one of us actually going to hell." John said.
"Somehow, when it is me, I'm not afraid of it. I am if it is anyone else." Kate admitted.
"Does being able to grab the hellhounds make you feel like you are untouchable?" John asked.
Kate tilted her head. It did to an extent. It scared her when they were around other people but she didn't think they could hurt her again. They were no longer hellhounds to her. She was weary of them but to the degree that someone would be weary of a German Shepherd.
"Consider Crowley being a step ahead. He might be letting you have these wins so that you let your guard down." John said.
"I didn't think about that." Kate said.
"I think you do think about it and choose to play fast and loose with your life." John said.
Each day only gave her more proof that John could read minds. He was a good profiler but scary good. "I'm really sorry."
John patted his leg. "You know the drill."
((TW))
Kate gave him puppy eyes. "Isn't nearly getting trapped with Satan enough of a lesson?"
"Normally I would say yes but not for you." John said.
"Can't we focus on the fact that Bill is in heaven?" Kate asked.
"Bill would be on the same page that I am on." John said.
Kate pulled a face. He did scold her. "He said you shouldn't be so angry about that part of it."
John snorted. "I know for a fact that he did not. He would have dragged you in here and handed you over."
"Two peas in a pod, the two of you." Kate said, dejectedly.
"I'm not making you go cut a switch. That's the only leeway I'm giving you." John said.
Kate blanched. That was a definite plus.
John guided her over his knee and placed his other leg behind her legs.
Kate hated it so much. It was never a good sign.
John brought his hand down hard. He added dozens of stinging swats in layers building up a heat that started to really bother Kate.
Kate gasped. "Ow. I'm sorry."
John didn't say anything but continued blistering her backside. He was so frustrated with her, but he was scared too. If he couldn't get through to her, she was going to wind up dead. She was going to wind up truly dead and not able to come back. He paused and shook his hand out.
Kate wiggled. "I am really sorry."
John felt his heart break a little. Her voice seemed so small. He picked up the thick ruler that hadn't been used in a while.
Kate squeaked. "Dad, I'm sorry."
"I believe you, but you are hardheaded." John said. "Let this be a fraction of a percent of what you might have felt like had you gotten trapped down there."
Kate winced. She didn't think demons dished out spankings, but she didn't say that. Dying, being mauled by hellhounds, those things didn't scare her as she felt invincible. However, she was feeling the opposite of invincible. She was greatly concerned about her own skin instead of just about everyone else's.
John had to give her credit for not completely breaking with the first few swats. She had pent up guilt and frustration that he was sure she was holding onto. He layered a few swats across her thigh and steeled himself.
Kate hit her limit and tried to pull away from him, but her legs were trapped, and he had an arm on her back. She broke down and sobbed finally. All of her walls were knocked down so she could see how serious hell was and why everyone was so upset.
John stopped spanking her and gave her a minute before letting her stand up.
Kate jumped up and hissed. She clenched her fists down by her sides and bounced on her toes. "I'm so sorry."
"I know." John said. "Clean slate."
Kate walked into his hug and continued to cry for a while. Maybe the residual anger had to work its way out.
"You are not grounded but you are on restriction." John said.
Kate sniffled.
"If you cannot follow an order or do anything risky, you will be right back here getting a dose of that ruler." John said.
Kate just nodded into his chest.
"I don't care if it is an hour from now." John said. "Stop trying to kill yourself."
Kate sniffled. "Yes, sir."
((ETW))
John held her for a long time. He reminded himself that she was still a little girl, but she also wasn't. She had abilities that made her physically stronger than the average kid. At that moment, she seemed small. He would just hold onto that moment.
(Dean and Taylor)
Dean opened the hood of his car and looked around at the engine. He didn't think it would magically be torn to shreds from John driving it, but it didn't hurt to check. He was good on oil. He decided to get under the car to clear out salt from driving around on winter roads. Truthfully, he just wanted to be busy. He scooted under the car and started to brush away the salt. "Hey, Taylor, can you grab a brush for me?"
Taylor said yes.
A few seconds later a brush dropped at the side of the car. Dean scoffed. "Could have just handed it to me." He knocked away grime so that it didn't eat away at the metal. He was decently satisfied after a few minutes. He scooted out and brushed himself off. He noted that a cover was loose, and the screw was gone. He headed to the shop to find a replacement for the screw. Taylor's organization skills made it easy. He sat the screw down to grab a tool, but the screw rolled off. He heard it hit the ground but continued looking through bins for the right tool. He felt a tap on his leg and held his hand out for the screw. He turned his head expecting to see Taylor sitting on the ground after finding the screw under the table. It was not Taylor. He jumped back and held a hammer poised to strike.
Taylor ran back into the shop. "No! Don't hurt him. That is Robby."
Dean locked eyes with a big racoon. It was holding a screw in its tiny hand. "What the…"
Taylor rushed over and patted the table.
Robby made his way up to where Taylor had patted.
Taylor scratched his head. He held his hand out and took the screw before handing it to Dean.
"Taylor." Dean said.
"This is Robby." Taylor repeated. "He helps in the shop."
Dean thought about the brush that had been thrown beside the car. Maybe Taylor hadn't been the one to drop it. "Why is there a raccoon in here? Those things carry diseases and will maul you."
"Not this one." Taylor said.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "How long has he been here?"
"Uh, a few weeks." Taylor said.
"Why?" Dean asked.
"He got caught in the cold one night. He was frozen. I brought him in here and got him warmed up. He has visited since and is surprisingly easy to train." Taylor said. He handed Robby a crushed soda can.
Dean watched the racoon jump from the table and deposit the can into a trashcan. Was this a fever dream? "You didn't tell anyone."
"Well, no." Taylor said. "I wanted to see if I could train him first. I didn't want Bobby to get rid of him when he isn't a problem."
"It is a wild animal." Dean said.
"Not anymore." Taylor said.
"Do you have the ability to talk to animals?" Dean asked.
"No." Taylor said with a huff.
Dean studied Taylor and his sidekick. "Why did you name him that?"
Taylor smiled. "Look at him. Now imagine him wearing a worn-out ball cap."
Dean's eyes twinkled. "Racoon Bobby. Boy, he is going to skin you." Dean needed the chuckle. "Although now might be the time to tell him since naming a wild animal after him is not as bad as waltzing through hell." He looked up at the ceiling. "Life doesn't feel real. None of this feels real."
"This is your life." Taylor said. He gave Robby half a sandwich.
"I don't think they'd appreciate you using the food to feed that thing." Dean said.
Taylor raised an eyebrow. "Bobby won't but Karen will say it is okay."
"How does it feel having the pendant?" Dean asked.
Taylor chewed his cheek. "It is good. I love it. I didn't know what to expect because I never really knew him. It feels good that he had that much love for me when he didn't raise me. I feel bad that Kate had to go to hell to get it but I am glad she got him out of hell."
"It is a lot to process." Dean said. "Only she is bat shit crazy enough to go and smart mouth the actual devil."
"She would smart mouth god if given the chance." Taylor said. He crumbled up the wrapper that the sandwich had been in and gave it to Robby to throw away.
"You said he helps. Does he just throw away things?" Dean asked.
"No. He picks stuff up and can put it away. It is a work in progress." Taylor said. He shook a bucket of screws and sat it down on the table.
Robby picked up the screws that were on the table and placed them in the bucket.
"Damn." Dean said. "What about the cats?"
"They don't mind each other." Taylor said.
"I say not to go around hiding things from us but I'm not mad about this one." Dean said.
"He can grab beers." Taylor said.
Dean narrowed his eyes. "How do you know?"
"Obviously I used a coke and not a beer. I just wanted to see if he could lift it." Taylor said.
"There is no way that they can lift that much." Dean said.
"They can move cinder blocks." Taylor said.
Dean noticed a few setting on the floor. "Don't strength train him. The last thing we need is a mutant racoon running around picking up cars."
"Everyone expects a guard dog. No one expects a racoon." Taylor said.
Training the racoon made Taylor happy and gave him something to focus on. Dean was okay with that. He was intrigued. He didn't know much about racoons. It had small hands but seemed smart. He'd have to compare him to Ian for a true level of helpfulness. If he didn't throw fits like Ian did, they'd be in good shape.
Bobby stepped outside to let Dean and Taylor know they no longer needed to avoid the house. He was already tired, and the day was nowhere near over.
Taylor gave him a sheepish grin.
Bobby let out a slow breath. "Karen has food if you boys are hungry."
Dean nudged Taylor.
Bobby watched them. "Now what?"
Taylor glared at Dean. "Can Karen come out here too?"
Bobby grumbled but stepped back inside to call for Karen.
Karen followed him back to the shop.
"Taylor has something he wants to show you." Dean said.
Taylor crushed another can and tossed it on the ground.
The racoon ran out of hiding to retrieve the can and place it into the trash.
Karen gasped.
Bobby looked alarmed.
"He has trained it." Dean said.
"You what?" Bobby asked.
"He does tricks and picks up stuff you drop on the ground." Taylor said.
Karen knelt to pet him. She obviously wasn't worried about him being aggressive. She and her brothers had nursed baby racoons back to health after a nasty storm had separated them from their mom. "Oh how precious. What is his name?"
Dean smirked.
Taylor glanced at Bobby before looking away. "Um, Robby."
Bobby took his hat off to smack Taylor with it. "Why'd you go and do that for?"
Taylor took Bobby's hat and hovered it above Robby's head.
Bobby snatched his hat back. "Idjit."
Karen thought it was cute. He did look a bit like Bobby. "Has he eaten?"
"A sandwich." Taylor said.
Karen got up and hurried to the house. She came back with a bowl of fruit and another bowl of water.
"He has a water bowl." Taylor said.
Karen sat the bowls down.
Robby picked up an apple slice and washed it in the bowl. He did that with other pieces of food as well.
"Oh, that is why his water keeps getting muddy." Taylor said.
"They like to wash their food." Karen said. "Just the cutest little guy."
Bobby was amused more than anything. He also liked seeing Karen remember bits of her childhood. It didn't surprise him that she would have experience raising racoons.
Back inside, Karen placed food on everyone's plates.
Taylor offered to take plates upstairs because he wasn't sure if John or Kate were going to join them. He also wanted to check on her.
John heard a soft knock and told Taylor he could come in. He thanked him for the plate.
Taylor frowned. Kate was awake but curled into a ball with her head on John's leg. "I brought two up here."
John thanked him again. "We will be down in a little while."
Taylor hopped back down the stairs and sat at the table. The Kate conversation was hidden away as no one wanted to talk about it.
(Sam and Jess)
Tony hadn't called. He hadn't messaged. Sam was worried something happened to him. He called him twice and didn't get an answer. Finally, he got a short message from Tony that simply said he would call later. Great. Sam needed to know if he was headed back. They were running out of baby supplies, and both had school and classes.
Jacob was fussy and discontent which wasn't like him during the day. He was warm to the touch. Jess was very concerned.
"It is just a low fever." Sam said. He intended to call John to ask about baby fevers, but he didn't pick up either. There were very few reasons that John wouldn't pick up and Sam didn't want to bug him by calling again.
As the hour ticked by, Jacob got fussier and warmer. He was miserable and they didn't know why.
Sam said they could put him in a cool bath to lower the fever.
Jess ran a bath with lukewarm water. Usually, baths were quick because Jacob was so little. She took Jacob and placed him in the water. That seemed to calm him a little. Her back wouldn't allow her to hold him like that for long.
Sam sat beside the tub and put his hand in the water. He put his palm on the back of Jacob's head, neck and back and let his body float freely. It was easier than trying to hold the other way.
Jacob moved his legs and kicked a little, causing small splashes.
Jess smiled. "I think he likes that." It was helpful that Sam had mitts for hands. "Please let me know if your arm gets tired."
Sam promised he would. He kept a close eye on Jacob to make sure he didn't get too rambunctious and slip out of his hand. The tiny splashing sounds were probably a good indication for how Jacob felt. There was no way they could take him to class if he was sick and fussy. That kind of ruined the plan as far as that went. "Can you grab my phone? I want to call Bobby to see if he can figure out where Tony is."
Jess brought Sam's phone to him. She dialed Bobby's number and placed it on speaker phone so that Sam could hear.
Bobby answered right away.
"Hey, do you think you can ask around and see if anyone has seen Tony? He said he'd call me back, but communication has been scarce. It is looking like Jacob is sick and we can't take him to class with us if he cries the whole time." Sam said.
Bobby grabbed his notebook with different names and numbers. "I'll get on that. How sick is the baby?"
"He has a fever and is fussy. I have him in cool water trying to break the fever." Sam said. They chatted for a minute before Sam mentioned John. "Yeah, I tried to call him earlier but he didn't pick up."
"He is with your sister." Bobby said.
"Is everything okay?" Sam asked.
"She went on a little adventure through hell." Bobby said.
"Is that like saying she's been to hell and back?" Sam asked. He thought Bobby was using colorful words that meant Kate was just having a rough time.
Bobby stopped what he was doing. "No. Bill Harvell's soul was in hell. She got him out. She got pendants and stuff so that part is okay. She also broke off from her tour guide and went site seeing."
Sam unintentionally made the sound that was characteristic for displeased Winchesters. It was somewhere near a growl.
Jacob was startled. His bottom lip wobbled, and he started crying a pitiful cry.
Sam scooped him up. "Oh no, I didn't mean to scare him."
Jess nearly melted at the face Jacob made because it was adorable but also pitiful. She gave Sam a towel and let him wrap Jacob. "Is Kate okay?"
"As far as I know." Bobby said. "I'll have to let John or Kate tell you about that."
Sam was dumbfounded. He couldn't comprehend what Bobby had said. She went to hell but how? How did she go to hell? Was it actual hell? How did she get back?
"Don't worry about it just yet. She is in one piece." Bobby said.
Sam sighed. "No wonder he didn't answer."
"What did you need to talk to him about?" Bobby asked.
"Stuff with Jacob, I guess." Sam said.
Bobby looked toward the stairs. "Call Marie. She may not be able to help find Tony but she will know what to do about Jacob."
Sam chewed his cheek. "Thanks, Bobby."
"Yeah, no problem, kid." Bobby said. "I'll let you know when I find something."
Sam handed Jacob off to Jess. Thankfully he had washed his other clothes because he had spit up on the previous ones.
Jess placed the call to Marie and explained the situation.
Marie was outside feeding barn animals during the call. "Oh, sweet baby. I can get you what you need. I can find a way over there."
Jess knew they couldn't use Kate. They probably shouldn't use Cas or Tessa either. "How?"
Marie was approached by one of the nymphs. She spoke to her briefly before talking to Jess again. "Alice will bring me to you."
"Alice?" Jess asked.
"One of our forest friends." Marie said. She wasn't totally sure Krissy wasn't somewhere close enough to hear her. "Give me an hour and I'll be there."
Jess felt relieved. "She will be here in an hour."
Sam checked the time. "I have class in 20 minutes."
"Go. I can handle him." Jess said.
Sam kissed her. "Text me and I'll be back here as soon as possible."
(An hour later)
Jess struggled to keep Jacob comfortable. She got a call from Marie that she was about to zap over and looked around at the apartment. It was a bit of a mess. She started trying to tidy up but Marie arrived.
Marie asked Alice to place a box on the floor and thanked her for the trip and assistance.
Jess frowned when Jacob started crying again. "I'm sorry it's a mess."
Marie insisted that the house was just fine. She picked Jacob up and gave him a once over. "Poor little love."
"I don't know what is wrong. I know he is sick but I don't know with what." Jess said.
Marie felt of his head and around his neck to see if his limp nodes were swollen. "We will just have to see, wont we?"
"Tony has to give us permission to take him to the doctor." Jess said.
Marie reached into the box and produced a thin folder. "I'll take him."
Jess looked at the papers. "Charlie did these?"
"Of course." Marie said. The papers would give her enough 'proof' to say that she was Jacob's grandmother and had the right to take him to the doctor. She asked Jess for the name of a local clinic and said that she'd call and try to make an appointment.
Jess grimaced. "Ugh, I have classes."
"Go on and freshen up. I've got him." Marie said.
Jess looked into the bathroom mirror. She did need to freshen up. She got a quick shower and got dressed for classes. She thanked Marie several times and promised to hurry home.
"Why don't you and Sam stop and get something to eat after classes? You both need a breather." Marie said.
Jess bit her lip. Jacob was her responsibility. "Sam will actually be home in a little bit."
"I volunteered to come over here and help. He's not the first sick baby that I have dealt with. There is no need for either of you to rush back." Marie said.
Jess groaned. "We can pick up diapers."
"No need." Marie said. She pointed to the box.
Jess investigated the box. It was filled with diapers, blankets and clothes. "He may only be here one more day."
"The good thing about diapers is that the unused ones can be used by someone else eventually." Marie said. "We are good here. I promise."
Jess felt lighter. She felt bad for leaving but, honestly, Jacob was probably in better hands. She loved and doted on him, but Marie knew all the tricks. She sent Sam a message detailing what Marie had said and what the new plan was.
Marie bundled Jacob up in a blanket and left not too long after Jess did. There was a walk-in clinic that told her to bring him in and they'd take a look. She walked down to the bus stop and waited for the bus before boarding and riding out to the clinic. The bus was great. However, she was looking forward to when Jess and Sam got their car. With a baby in tow, the bus took forever. She was a very optimistic person, but she had a feeling that Jacob would be around more often than Tony would admit.
(John and Kate)
Kate stared off into the distance as she stayed curled up next to John. It was all hitting her. She had been to hell. She almost got stuck in hell. She had spoken to Satan himself. The fear that she should have felt in hell was delayed but present. Possibilities bombarded her.
John gave Kate time and didn't speak. He needed to stand up due to his leg going numb. "Katie, I'm going to get up for a minute."
Kate just nodded.
John popped his back. "I'm not comfortable being the age that back pain is a daily occurrence."
Kate shoved a pillow under her head. "You aren't old. That is just from past trauma."
John smiled slightly.
Kate sat up slightly. "It's okay if you want to go downstairs. I'm okay."
John did need to go downstairs. He had gotten a few calls but hadn't answered them.
Dean replaced John. "Hey, kiddo."
Kate grumbled.
"I have news that might perk you up." Dean said.
Kate tilted her head. "Yeah?"
"Taylor has a friend in the shop. He has kept it a secret for a few weeks." Dean said.
Kate slowly got up. "What kind of friend?"
"I'm not going to ruin it for you." Dean said.
Taylor slid into the hallway. He got a nod from Dean and opened the front door.
Kate followed them out and stood in the doorway to the shop.
Taylor tapped the metal table.
Kate squeaked. "Oh my god. Look at him. He has a little mask." She went straight in for pets.
"His name is Robby." Taylor said.
Kate went blank for a moment. "Is it because he reminds you of Bobby?"
Taylor grinned. "Yeah."
"I told you it would perk you up." Dean said.
"Oh, this is the best thing ever." Kate said.
"He gets along with the cats too." Taylor said.
Kate was fully smitten. She had always wanted to pet a racoon. She had even weighed if getting bitten by one would heal quickly enough that petting a wild one would be worth it.
Dean let Taylor and Kate be by themselves. He figured that they needed to hash some things out. He joined the other adults inside. "So, what do you really think about Robby?"
John furrowed his eyebrows.
Bobby looked unimpressed. "Taylor adopted a racoon and named it that."
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" John said.
"Sam called." Bobby said.
"I saw that. Is he okay?" John asked.
"Tony isn't answering calls or messages very well. Jacob is sick." Bobby said.
John's jaw twitched. "He is ignoring calls, or he can't answer?"
"I don't know. I put out messages to a few hunters to figure out where he is. Marie was supposed to go over there to help them." Bobby said.
John was irritated to say the least. All those years of leaving the boys without word were biting him in the ass.
(Stanford)
Marie messaged Jess to update her on how Jacob was doing. She was still waiting for the doctor to reenter the room with news.
Jess hated that Jacob didn't feel good. She wanted to be there to hold him, but Marie insisted that he was okay and would be just fine if Jess and Sam had time to themselves. She tried to think of symptoms they may have missed. He had a fever. He coughed a few times. Did he have a runny nose? Was his stomach upset?
Marie noticed an uptick in those symptoms within a few hours. Thankfully, the doctor did return but his news wasn't the best. Jacob had RSV. It was a respiratory virus that could be dangerous for someone so young. Marie placed a call to Jess before she left the office. The complicated part of Jacob's age was that most medications were not appropriate. For a child of Andy's age, they could give him cough syrup and a fever reducer. That wasn't the case with infants.
Sam and Jess had their impromptu date before walking back to their apartment. They were both worried about Jacob, but they hadn't yet been given enough information to form clear thoughts.
Marie got Jacob back to the apartment and showed them the paperwork that she had been given after his appointment. It had useful information for what to do to keep him comfortable and symptoms to watch out for if he became more ill.
Sam called John since they had concrete information.
John unsurprisingly was more irritated at Tony than he was before. He knew RSV was no joke and had a small pit of worry in his stomach that he got any time the boys were sick. He doubled down on finding Tony after that phone call.
Marie wanted to get a few things at the store that would help Jacob. She made a list and added a few food items for Sam and Jess. She couldn't just visit. She had to give them the royal treatment.
Sam said that he could go. It was later in the afternoon and things got a little sketchy as it got dark.
"We will use a rental car until we know that we won't need to take him to the hospital during the night." Marie said. "I will go because you are both too young to rent a car."
Sam blushed slightly. "We are old enough to go to war, but you have to be 25 to rent a car."
"I am older than 25." Marie said with a smile. She called and spoke to Bobby and John as she waited for another bus. Sam and Jess were saints. They could probably handle it alone but there was no reason for them to.
(Sioux Falls)
True to character, Bobby and John had things set into motion right away. Marie would stay and help the kids. Bobby would find Tony. Rufus would get a trailer and transport the old car to Sioux Falls where one of them could take over and drive it to Stanford. Things were touch and go with Rufus being hunted. They had a back up plan for that as well. Once the car was there, they could finalize the sell and use that money to help buy a new car. That wouldn't happen overnight, but John wanted to start the process so that they were not continually stranded in weeks to come.
"Is the baby, okay?" Dean asked.
"He is sick with RSV. He will probably have a rough few days and get better." John said.
"If he doesn't, I'm on standby." Kate said.
"He should be able to kick it without that kind of help." John said. "They are close enough to the hospital."
"I noticed you didn't say no." Kate said.
John ignored the comment and continued his efforts to locate Tony.
"He didn't say no." Kate said.
Dean got close to her. "Because he is basically his grandkid now."
Kate smirked. "Even if he doesn't realize it."
Dean thought John did realize it. Everyone knew deep down that something was going to happen. It might happen in five years, but Tony was destined to come up short on a fight. They'd try to reason with him, and he might take time away from hunting for a while. However, it was a common story with a common ending. Dean had been doing a lot of thinking. He just kept it to himself. Things happened to their family that were truly tragic. However, somehow, they were always okay. He thought about how John had started hunting. His dad was a Marine but had taken chances in the earlier years. Dean had taken chances. They had been near death countless times and at the last moment, they were always spared. Kate had a lot to do with that, but it started before she showed up. They got too lucky, too many times to not make him stop and think. He was certain they had an army of beings set on destroying them. That fear had been with him for a long time. It wasn't until recently that he started to see it differently. Someone wanted them to stay alive. Maybe they had a purpose. John couldn't have died years ago because he was needed for Kate and Taylor. He didn't find comfort in the thought. If that one being was on their side, and all of the bad things happened, what was going to happen when that being was no longer strong enough to fight for them?
He glanced outside and squinted his eyes. "Taylor, get the damn rodent off my car before I skin you!" That was enough to break him from his train of thought. The racoon was simple. He flicked Taylor's ear as he passed by. He shook his hand out, but Taylor was gone before he could grab him.
John looked at Dean.
"The little shit shocked me." Dean said.
John snorted. "Remember he is the easier one."
Dean cleared his throat. "At least Kate has never shocked me."
Kate grinned. "Hey, I've got that going for me, right?"
Dean nodded. He heard Taylor running back up on the porch and cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to need you to look the other way."
John waved him off. "You two can work it out."