Author's note: I update as quickly as I can. The wind got knocked out of my sails this week so finding time to write and being able to focus is a battle. I'm tying things together (Finally) so everything will be connected. Just might need another chapter to make it clear.
(Kim's place)
Dean got to Kim's apartment and paused outside of the building. The street was quiet. He was paranoid although he did just drive over without questioning her. Why did she message so late? Was she in danger? Had she been possessed, and a demon was trying to trap him? Was she too attached? He did a mental check of the area and didn't notice anything off right away. He climbed the steps to her door and looked around, not sure what he was looking for. He knocked softly and listened as he heard footsteps from inside.
Kim opened the door with a smile. "I didn't think you'd be awake."
Dean shivered from a cool breeze. "I got woken up and just saw the message."
Kim stepped back so that he could enter the apartment. "You look worried."
Dean wasn't sure how to explain his thought process in a civilian friendly way. "Is everything okay?"
Kim blinked. "Oh. Yeah, I am okay. Did you expect that I had been kidnapped and was being held for ransom?" She saw a strained look on his face locked the door behind them. "Bad joke. I have insomnia sometimes and I always sleep great when you visit."
Dean smirked. He took his boots off and hung his jacket on a hook. He followed her to her room. Apparently, she was skipping small talk.
Kim watched him take his shirt off. She tilted her head slightly. She was no stranger to the tattoo he wore on his chest. She just never asked about it. "Dean?"
Dean paused. "Yeah?"
"Why do you have a pentagram on your chest?" Kim asked.
Dean went blank.
"You can have what ever kind of religion you want but I don't want to wind up being sacrificed one of these days." Kim said.
Dean caught the slight upturn of her mouth and chuckled. "I guess it is a family thing that dates back a few hundred years." That was a slight stretch of the truth. "It is supposed to ward off evil spirits."
Kim studied the lines. "Does it work?"
Dean shrugged. "So far."
Kim scooted back on her bed. "I think it looks cool."
Dean relaxed as the questions faded. She wasn't pushy, and for that he was thankful.
(Saturday, January 18, 2003)
John had a headache. The night before and the early morning hours drained him. He had a massive secret eating away at him. He had two kids that seemed a little less human each day. He considered them human. He didn't think of them as different than Sam and Dean. It was a difficult thing to process. How could they look and be so normal but also exist as immensely powerful beings? They were outside of everything. Everything known to man was made by god. Except for Kate and Taylor. If they were not created by god, were they outside of his control? That thought scared him. Although, it could be a good thing if things took a turn for the worse. Would they go to heaven or hell one day? Aside from a field trip. He shook his head. If he thought to hard about it, Kate would notice. He needed another cup of coffee. He found Taylor and asked how he was feeling.
Taylor bounced on his toes. "Great." He was pretty sure he could run to Stanford and back and still feel good. Every time his legs started to burn, he healed. The main surge of energy was gone but he still felt more juiced up than he usually did.
Kate was laying on the floor in the living room, feverishly working on keychains. She made a few and then changed her medium several times, trying to find something that felt right in her hands.
"How many of those are you going to make?" John asked.
Kate looked up at him. She looked over to a pile of complete keychains. "I didn't have a set number."
John crouched down. He picked up a few keychains and studied them. The leather working was impeccable. The clay keychains were interesting as they looked like they were made from stained glass. "Do I want to know how you cured these without a kiln?"
Kate sat up and stretched. "Taylor."
John chewed the side of his cheek. "Did you already have the glaze?"
Kate blinked. "Karen said I could get some."
John slowly nodded. "These will be a big hit."
Kate cracked her neck. They were just keychains, but the process was all that was holding her back from the edge. She grabbed her notebook to show him a string of notes she had taken.
John squinted his eyes. "Is this English?"
Kate got a good look at her writing. "Uh, some of it. I did a deep dive in my head."
John looked skeptical.
"I have a purpose for all of this. I am not here to make keychains. I am here for more. Why am I here? Why do so many people have to suffer?" Kate asked.
John got his cup of coffee and had Kate sit at the table. "Why are any of us here?"
"You don't understand. You have never felt anything like that." Kate said.
John sighed. Bridge the gap. "I think I have felt something similar."
Kate scooted closer to the table.
John sipped his coffee. "I am trusting you right now."
Kate nodded.
"After the wendigo incident, the older ranger found one of your feathers on the ground." John said.
Kate gasped softly.
"He gave it to me. I barely pricked my finger with it on accident. I got hit with a rush of something. I could nearly see back through time it was so strong." John said.
Kate narrowed his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You are a giver." John said. "If you thought that a feather could have an effect on someone, you'd tear all of them out and we don't know enough about them for you to be doing that. I think that is a fraction of what you felt last night."
Kate rested her elbows on the table. "Did you like it?"
John took a minute to answer. "I don't think I did."
"Did it feel like your atoms were being rearranged and you couldn't hold still or you'd explode?" Kate asked.
"Yes." John admitted.
"That flows through me every moment of every day. Most of the time it is dormant." Kate said.
John could understand some of her impulses. "What hit you last night somehow got to Andy."
Kate frowned. "I think that is my fault. I was trying to dilute it."
"Not your fault." John said. "He is perfectly fine now."
"We just have a sleeper agent that I can activate at will." Kate said.
"Caleb and April do not need to deal with that on top of Ian." John said.
"No." Kate said. She rocked back in her chair. "Where is my feather?"
John eyed her.
"I'm not going to go wild. My feathers are changing. My luck, I'd try to help someone, and their heart would explode." Kate said.
"This isn't like your blood. Your blood can be dangerous for certain things but this seems more powerful." John said.
"I understand. I like my wings." She shifted. "I don't think it grew back. I had a sore spot for a decent chunk of time."
"I do have it. I put it in a cursed object box." John said.
Kate had dozens of experiments to run but some weren't ethical. How would they know if a feather could cure someone without trying to cure someone? She would not be able to cope if she tried to help a hunter and they died due to the supposed cure. "I wonder how my kidneys work."
John drummed his fingers along the side of his mug. "You will have to loop me in. I'm not sure how you got from feather to kidney."
"My blood is potent. The feather is stronger. Do my kidneys filter things out? Do my red blood cells and plasma dilute the same substance and that is why my blood isn't as powerful? Do my kidneys actually work like that or does my body heal well enough that I don't even need them?" Kate asked.
John rubbed his face. "I don't know and don't think we should test it."
"I could donate both kidneys and grow new ones." Kate said with a smirk.
"To who?" John asked.
Kate thought about it. "Well, we know you and Dean can handle my blood. You all like to drink a lot. One of you is bound to need a liver or kidney one of these days."
John blew air through his nose. "Don't run with the idea. We have enough on our plate."
"Just don't come crying to me when you start turning yellow." Kate said.
John stood to get another cup of coffee. "If the alcohol is what kills me, I'll be okay with that."
Kate put a hand to her chest. "Wasn't one of the reasons that Taylor and I were told not to drink is because it is bad for you?"
"Do as I say, not as I do." John said.
Kate's face started to turn pink from the effort she was putting in to not say what she was about to say.
"Remember that you are already on thin ice." John said.
Kate whined. "But dad. You set yourself up for me to sass you."
"This is a lesson in impulsivity." John said.
Kate groaned. "I'm not allowed to teleport, or I'd say it."
John returned with a new cup of coffee. "I can only advise you against it."
Kate got up from the table. "Abuse of power."
John gave her a small smile. "One of the perks of the job."
Kate found Millie and took her outside to sit on the porch swing. She liked bantering with John. He was usually tense but seemed oddly calm. Maybe it was the shock. She pushed the swing with her feet and breathed in the cool air. She could smell the dampness. The snow had melted and left thick mud behind. She preferred warmer weather and dry ground but the cool air did feel nice. She thought about Andy's reaction to the surge and remembered that Sam shared demon blood with them. She dialed Sam's number to see if he felt anything as well. How far did her ripples reach, and did it only reach those that she knew? Could she have boosted any of the other people that Azazel dosed?
(Dean)
Dean felt refreshed after sleeping in late. He took a shower and wrapped his towel around his waist so that he could find Kim. He walked out into the dining room and saw a few vials sitting on the table. He was going to get a closer look when Kim spun around and swiped them from the table.
Kim was wide eyed and clutched the vials to her chest.
Dean raised an eyebrow. "Am I the one that needs to be worried about being sacrificed?"
Kim's eyes got teary. "No. No these are for me."
Dean thought her reaction was weird. "I wasn't going to steal them."
Kim sat down at the table with a look of defeat.
Dean sat down too. "Are they illegal?"
Kim gasped. "No!" Her face turned red.
Dean was truly lost.
Kim sat the vials on the table. She covered her face and mumbled that she took medication everyday because she had a medical condition.
"I have met people who take medication." Dean said. "You aren't the first."
Kim sighed. "It is embarrassing."
Dean looked confused.
"All my life, I have been the weak one. My family thinks so, at least. They don't like me because I required extra care when I was a kid." Kim said. "People find out and treat me differently."
Dean nodded. "Pity you?"
Kim frowned.
"I don't." Dean said. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I sound like an asshole. It isn't the same, but my mom was killed when I was a kid. People hear that story and look at me like I am damaged goods. I am assuming it is something like that."
Kim gave him a sad smile. "Yeah, or they worry I'm contagious."
"Are you?" Dean asked.
"No." Kim said. She watched him closely. "You aren't going to demand I tell you what is wrong?"
Dean leaned back. "No. Not unless you want to tell me." He smirked. "Although you did ask about my tattoo."
Kim smirked back. "Yeah, but I didn't ask why you carry a gun on you."
Dean was slightly alarmed, but her face calmed him. He snorted. "That probably should have been one of the first questions you asked?"
Kim laughed. "So, you could panic and shoot me?"
Dean cracked a smile.
Kim motioned to the size of his arms. "If you wanted to kill me, you could crush me. I figured the gun was a better way to go." She covered her mouth. "Sorry, dark humor."
Dean thought it was cute, although warped. "Purely for protection."
"I like to think you are some kind of spy, undercover and carry a weapon on you and a dozen passports." Kim said.
Dean thought that wasn't too far from the truth, except it was a dozen IDs. "I might be."
Kim got up to grab food from the oven after the timer beeped. "So, James Bond, are you back to your life as a spy after you leave here?"
Dean grabbed his clothes from her room. "No, a bit more lame than that. I promised my best friend's son that I'd take him to do something today."
Kim sat some muffins on the counter. "Okay, that is cute."
Dean pulled a face. "Cute?"
Kim kissed his cheek. "In a hot way."
Dean took a muffin although it was steaming from the pan. He tossed it in his hand to keep from burning himself. It all felt a bit too domestic. "I'd love to stay but he'd never let me live it down if I pick him up late."
Kim watched him retrieve his gun and slide it into the back of his pants. "Don't shoot any kids."
Dean pulled his shirt over the gun. "Only the really mean ones."
Kim let him out and stood at the door for a few moments. She shivered. She didn't have photos of him so she couldn't show her friends. They'd never believe she had a guy that looked like that willing to stop by occasionally. She frowned. He probably wouldn't stop by again. She ruined the mood with the damn medications. That is how it always happened.
(Caleb's house)
April had her hands full with Lauren and Ian. Ian was demanding and Lauren was hungry. She had Andy get himself dressed and ready and only needed to smooth his hair down. Caleb had to leave to help with an urgent call. Someone's basement flooded. Basements just seemed to flood every week. She was glad they didn't have one. "Ian, just hold on."
Ian was having one of his bad days. He was grumpy and irritable.
April was glad that Dean was on his way to get Andy so that he could get a break from the whining. It was like nails on a chalkboard.
Andy covered his ears and yelled over the crying to ask where his shoes were.
April took a deep breath. "By the door, where they always are."
Andy backed away. Clearly, she was on edge. How was he supposed to know that the shoes that he put on the shoe rack the night before had not grown legs and ran to a different part of the house?
April raised her voice to a firm tone and told Ian to stop. She didn't have the same ability that Caleb did to stop the tantrums with an order. She needed his voice on tape so that she could play it when Ian started acting up. If only that worked. Two was such a difficult age. She heard the phone ring and answered it. She got a few words in before Ian started up again. She sat the phone down for a moment, placed Lauren on the floor and grabbed Ian. She swatted him twice and told him to knock it off.
Ian was stunned. He would never get used to the fact that his actions had consequences. He'd be surprised every time it happened until years down the road when it suddenly clicked. He stopped crying instantly and stared at April like she had three heads.
April sat him on a chair and returned to the phone. "I'm so sorry, Karen."
Karen's voice was soothing on the other line. "It sounds like a busy day already."
"How do you always know when I'm about to lose it?" April asked.
"Oh, sweetie." Karen said. "I was going to stop by to visit for a bit."
April let out a breath of air. "Yes, please." She kept an eye on Ian although he was still sitting on his chair, staring at her. She picked Lauren up, grateful that she hadn't gotten upset by being on the floor. She hung up the phone and approached Ian. "Use your words."
Ian swung his feet. "Baby down."
April looked at Lauren. "She is hungry."
Ian frowned. "No, baby down."
"I can put her down in a little bit. She has to eat." April said. She situated Lauren and sat down in the living room floor. "Do you want to play cars?"
"Cars." Ian said. He ran to his room to gather a few and let them fall down the steps.
April cringed as the cars bounced and crashed all the way down to the main floor. She gave Andy a thumbs up and told him to be on the look out for Karen or Dean.
Ian pushed the cars over to April and drove them around on the floor. He started to give one to Lauren but changed his mind. She was taking too much attention to get a toy to play with. He ran one over April's leg and chattered about the cars.
"What color is this one?" April asked.
"Red." Ian said. He pointed to the car. "Wet."
April felt of the car. "It is dry."
Ian shook his head. "Wet." His vocabulary had grown a lot but he struggled to pronounce certain words, as all two year olds did.
April looked at the car. He wasn't saying it was red again because he could pronounce red, although it sometimes sounded like 'wed.'
Ian grabbed another car and placed it in April's hand. "Daddy say it a wet."
April suddenly got it. "It is a Corvette."
Ian looked at her like it was obvious that he had told her it was a Corvette already.
April overenunciated the 'v' in Corvette so he could learn the difference.
Ian separated his toy cars and pointed to each group.
April helped him sound out the names of the ones she knew. She grimaced. "Buddy, maybe Dean can tell you what this is when he gets here."
Ian was satisfied with that.
April noted that he knew the difference in the cars. Caleb had worked with him, but he had a knack for picking out cars. She could see the difference between iconic cars like Dean's car or a Mustang. Beyond that, she could probably remember the color of the car. If they ever needed to give the police details on a car, she would have to rely on her two-year-old.
Andy waved to Karen from the window. "Karen is here."
Ian perked up. He ran to the front door but stayed back so he didn't get whacked with the door. That was a lesson that took a few times to learn. He jumped and hugged her leg. "You bring snacks?"
Karen laughed and gave him a small bag with treats in it. She hugged Andy and joined April in the floor. "Are you playing with cars?"
Ian ran over with his snacks. He pointed to the cars and did his best to pronounce what they were.
"So smart." Karen said.
"Do you want a drink?" April asked.
"No. I'm okay. You just rest." Karen said. "I'll get Ian to the table before he crumbles the cookies."
Ian ditched his cars. He hadn't gotten the chance to look through the bag and was unaware that she had brought cookies.
April gathered his cars in a pile, so they weren't stepped on. She chatted with Karen and took a few breaths to relax from the stressful morning.
Andy banged on the window. "Dean is here!"
April stood up and burped Lauren. "You be good and listen to Dean, okay?"
Andy opened the door. "Yeah, mom."
April cleared her throat.
"Yes, ma'am." Andy said with a sheepish grin.
April waved him off. "Have fun. I love you." She got an echoed response that was cut off by the closing door. "He has been looking forward to that all week."
Karen poured Ian a cup of milk. "Of course, he gets to hang out with one of the guys."
April smiled. "He thinks he is one of the guys."
"Give him a few years and you won't be able to pick him apart from the group." Karen said.
"If he spends time around any one of them, he walks like them." April said. "It cracks me up because he's so much shorter than they are but tries to match the stride."
"That is what boys do." Karen said. "He has big shoes to fill one day. One day many years from now."
Andy talked Dean into letting him ride in the front seat since they "knew" the police. He reasoned that his mom wouldn't be that mad if Dean drove responsibly and she knew that Dean loved his car so that meant he would drive very responsibly.
Dean remembered standing on the front seat, looking out the window as John drove. That was the 80s though and John was less anxious than April was. He vaguely remembered being tossed into the backseat one time when they stopped at their house. Thinking back, he was pretty sure that he remembered his mom carrying Sam to the car. John probably only let him stand in the seat when Mary wasn't around. She was probably a lot like April. "Keep your feet on the floor."
Andy dropped his feet from the dashboard. "So, I don't break my legs?"
Dean snorted. "So you don't get mud on Baby's interior."
Andy fired off questions until Dean motioned for him to stop talking.
"You aren't going to learn a whole lot if you keep asking questions in the middle of me trying to explain things." Dean said.
Andy made a zipping motion across his mouth.
It was Saturday so Dean had originally planned to go somewhere but Andy was promised one day a week, one on one, with one of the guys. Dean didn't mind. It was a weird weekend anyway. He fielded questions about monsters and ghosts. John had given him the full rundown when he was Andy's age. They had chosen to try to hide it from Sam. With Caleb's kids, they were finding a middle ground. The kids needed to know what was out there but didn't need to feel responsible for keeping the demons at bay. "I don't think any monster smells good." He shot Andy a look, expecting a Tessa comment but remembered that Andy was blissfully unaware of why her name had become a joke at Dean's expense. "Demons smell like sulfur. Ghouls smell like death. I don't think they care about bathing."
Andy didn't really care about that either. "What about vampires? Can you know one is around?"
"By smelling it?" Dean asked. "I don't think so. Not unless they have been around something. Sometimes, you can tell if they are really pale or if they are cold. They look human so you have to be careful. It is always best to be careful. Plain humans are monsters sometimes."
"You have a vampire friend." Andy said.
"Matt. I don't know if I would call him a friend. That is complicated." Dean said. He scratched his head. Why did Andy ask so many questions? Why did they always go in a direction that Dean felt uncomfortable with? He had enough of the big questions with Kate and Taylor. When Andy was first around the family, his questions were about Baby. Dean could answer those all day.
"Are you going to jump with me?" Andy asked as they neared a large building. His chosen activity was to go to a trampoline playground that had just opened. He was told they had big trampolines and stuff to climb.
"Uh, I don't know about that. I don't think they let adults do that." Dean said.
Andy shrugged. "Dad said he couldn't jump like that because his knees were too bad. Are you old like that too?"
Dean narrowed his eyes. "Well played, kid. Just so you know, I have a few days left of being 23, your dad already turned 24. So, he is a lot older."
Andy gave him a small smile. He knew a bit of competition between Caleb and Dean usually worked in his favor. "Are you going to have a birthday party?"
Dean grimaced. "I hope not."
"What if someone gets you cake?" Andy asked.
"Make it a pie and I might show up." Dean said. He parked the car and looked around the parking lot. They got to the trampoline park on the early side before the crowd would show up.
Andy stepped inside and his eyes got wide. There were climbing walls and a zipline. He did his best to wait patiently while Dean signed papers and paid for the experience. He took off and dove onto the first trampoline.
Dean stood at the side and watched Andy jump around. He cringed as Andy tried to do a backflip but came down on his head. "Your mom will kill me if you break your neck."
Andy bounced over to Dean. He tiptoed and whispered. "If I break my neck, Kate can heal me, and my mom never has to know."
Dean bent slightly and whispered back. "Moms always know."
Andy returned to jumping. "Can you do a backflip?"
"If I break my neck who is going to call 911?" Dean asked.
Andy looked smug. "I can!"
"Do you know the number?" Dean asked lightly.
Andy palmed his face. "That was a bad joke."
"What?" Dean said. "I thought it was funny."
"Maybe in the 1980s." Andy said as if that had been 100 years ago.
"Are you saying I'm old?" Dean asked.
Andy stopped jumping and held his hands in front of him to count from 18 to 24. He held up his fingers. "In 6 days, you will be old."
Dean acted offended. "I brought you all the way over here just for you to be mean."
Andy bounced again. "What are you going to do about it? You can't catch me because your knees are old."
Dean snorted. "Well played. Maybe I will just tell your dad."
Andy bounced down on his seat and back to his feet. "He would be okay with me being a little mean because he is a little mean to you."
Dean crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll just wait for you to get done jumping and then deal with you."
Andy stopped jumping. "Only if you want to owe Taylor money."
Dean eyed him. "What do you mean?"
Andy wiped his face with his shirt. "Taylor bet me 20 dollars you wouldn't jump."
"When did you talk to Taylor?" Dean asked.
"When this place opened." Andy said.
Dean narrowed his eyes. "That was weeks ago."
"My dad said it is called a long con." Andy said.
Dean tested the edge of the trampoline. "So, your dad was in on this too?"
Andy grinned. He screeched and dove to the side to another trampoline. He saw a climbing wall to one side and decided that he would never be able to climb it faster than Dean. He had several feet on him and a lot of muscle. What was it that his dad taught him? Run and evade. Use the monster's size against them. He darted to the left and dove into a foam pit.
Dean saw him sink into the foam blocks. "You can't pick a fight and then hide." He saw movement under the foam and walked around to where the movement was headed.
Andy poked his head out. "I'm not going to beat you in a fair fight. I have to use your size against you and wait for your knees to give out." He screamed and dove back under the foam, desperate to get away from Dean. He ran into the wall of the pit and tried to climb out, but he was laughing too hard. Something grabbed his ankle and hurled him into the middle of the pit. He landed softly but lost his breath from the laughter. He knew Dean had grabbed him but lost sight of him during his short flight. He sat up and looked around. He was light enough to crawl over the foam blocks to the side of the pit. He stayed low and watched for movement.
Dean was standing behind a foam pillar. His plan was to grab Andy when he ran by, but the little brat must have chosen to scope out the area before trying to escape. If he had a nerf gun to shoot Andy with, the activity could be a lot of fun. He could claim he was teaching him how to fend for himself with the supernatural all the while enjoying just being able to beam the kid. It was compensation for the years that Andy had aged him in the short time they had known each other.
(Stanford)
Sam got the call from Kate. He had felt something the previous night. It was a confusing feeling because he didn't attempt to do anything like Andy had. He had visions that he thought were dreams. They were hazy and he didn't have a good explanation as to what happened in the visions. Knowing that the boost came from Kate made sense. It was fleeting. He didn't want to have visions again because so many had been horrible to witness. He told Kate he was fine and that he wasn't upset. He did worry about the implications and how quickly and how far that kind of energy could travel.
Jess had Sam go to the university's rental department with her. She needed a table to use for their booth and no one else was willing to do anything. Plus, Sam was strong enough to carry the folded table back to their apartment. They got chairs as well, which she did help carry.
Sam sat the table in their living room and retrieved a small toolbox from his closet. He used a tape measure to figure out the dimensions of a display that Jess wanted to make.
"Did your dad teach you to build stuff?" Jess asked.
Sam jotted down the numbers. "Bobby did." He met eyes with Jess and smiled. "Uh, he made us fix or build whatever we broke."
Jess smiled back at him. "Lots of practice?"
Sam grimaced. "Just a few projects through the years." He drew the display on a piece of paper and scaled it with the measurements he had taken. "Rod said he had all the supplies I would need."
Jess brightened. "Are you going over there?"
Sam nodded.
Jess frowned. "Am I going over there?"
Sam kissed her head. "You are a free woman. I would appreciate the travel buddy though."
Jess wanted to see Jacob.
Alice got the pair from Stanford to Marie's house in an instant.
Jess hurried up the steps. She was met by Marie who had Jacob in her arms. She gently took Jacob from Marie's arms and started to talk to him. She put a finger in his hand and smiled when he tightened his grip. "How is he?"
"Fever free for now." Marie said.
Sam followed Rod to one of the sheds and picked out the boards he needed. He liked having access to a woodshop. "So, Lee won't wonder why we are here?"
Rod's nose flared.
Sam shook his head slightly. "He isn't here."
"Off chasing a vamp." Rod said.
"Is his arm back to normal?" Sam asked.
"Hell, if I know." Rod said.
Sam had never heard him use any type of harsh language although hell wasn't all that harsh. "Krissy?"
"Madder than a hornet." Rod said. "Can't say I blame her."
Sam looked toward the house. "So, Lee had better sleep with one eye open."
Rod started cutting the boards to match Sam's drawing. "I think so. She took off and gave us a good scare."
"Oh man." Sam said. "How long was she gone."
"Not too long. She got escorted back." Rod said with a slight smile.
Sam chuckled. "What did she think of the nymphs?"
"She wasn't fond of them making her come back but spent a half hour talking to them after things settled down." Rod said. "They don't get tired of questions."
"Does Lee know?" Sam asked.
"Not yet." Rod said with a sigh. "I don't know if he will be keen on knowing that we have nymphs living in the trees."
"Krissy talks too much for you not to tell him." Sam said.
"I'll worry about that." Rod said. "He can go if he doesn't like it. They are a huge help."
"Has he settled at all?" Sam asked.
Rod started sanding part of the boards. "I'd say so. He gets tired of her at times. That is when he starts looking for hunts. This one was a whim."
"She is a little intense." Sam said.
Rod stopped sanding. "She is but she is a good kid. She will keep him on his toes, but I think she has a bright future. I think he gets tired of the parenting gig."
Sam nodded. "I don't doubt that. That has to sting though."
"Krissy has big emotions. It stung when you were a kid, didn't it?" Rod asked.
Sam looked away from him. "Those wounds run deep. He has changed a lot. We have a great relationship. Sometimes, when I tell him about stuff or try to ask him for something, I just expect his old way of reacting to things."
"He regrets that." Rod said. He and John had been able to have that conversation a few weeks ago. John had guilt but knew that he had to keep the boys alive. He could look back and see how his actions had an effect on them, but it wasn't worth dwelling on. He learned some things along the way. "You have a good head on your shoulders."
Sam blushed slightly. "Thanks."
Jess carried Jacob around in her arms the whole time Sam was working on the display shelf. She was happy that he was getting a break from his fevers. He even giggled a few times. That healed her heart. She wasn't sure how she was supposed to go back to Stanford and leave him behind.
Marie made a nice meal for Sam and Jess so that they would have full stomachs when they got back home. Cooking was her love language and she never tired of it.
Sam smelled food and his stomach growled.
Rod chuckled. "Lunch break?"
Sam dropped the board he was holding. "Absolutely."
(April)
April was exhausted. She had gotten up a few times with Lauren the night before and had trouble falling back to sleep. Ian woke up early and Caleb got called in to help with that basement. It was a perfect storm for sleep deprivation.
Karen patted April's shoulder. "Why don't you go get a nap?"
April felt guilty but took Karen up on the offer. She was still learning that it was okay to accept help.
Karen let Ian and Riot into the backyard and bundled Lauren into a blanket to keep her warm. The boys could burn off some steam while she and the baby watched.
Ian threw a ball for Riot and clapped his hands. He liked fetch as much as the dog did. He got bored easily so having a puppy was good for him.
(Dean and Andy)
Dean took Andy to a pizza place and let him choose what he wanted. They both ate quickly because the pizza was good, and Andy had jumped until he no longer had the energy to ask questions. Dean was just as tired from chasing him around. He got a few good whacks in with a foam roll and only got an odd look from one soccer mom. So, what if he closed lined him and made him fall into a pit? Everything was soft and soccer mom had no idea the type of trash Andy was talking before he slipped up and ran out where Dean could grab him.
Andy followed Dean out to the car and stopped to stretch. He froze and looked behind Dean at a store across the street.
Dean had to jump to grab Andy before he darted into the street. "What the hell kid?"
Andy fought him and tried to get free, but a hard swat stopped him. He looked shocked. "Why did you do that?"
"You are trying to play chicken with oncoming traffic." Dean said.
Andy blinked and took in where he was. He pointed across the street to a beat-up car.
Dean held onto his arm but looked to where he was pointing.
"That is Steven's car." Andy said.
Alarm bells sounded in Dean's head. "Are you sure? There has got to be a ton of cars that look like that." He doubted his own statement because there was rust and dents covering the exterior of the car.
Andy growled. "He has that stupid bumper sticker."
Dean read the sticker and shook his head. He didn't care to repeat the vulgar slogan the creep had adhered to his car.
Andy started to go toward the car but got stopped. "He is here."
Dean was in a difficult spot. If Steven was there, why was he there? Was he possessed and able to track them down? Was he armed and dangerous? He had Andy with him so he couldn't just grab him. Well, that and he would get the police called on them. Was Steven there for a reason or did he just show up blindly? Of course, that wasn't the case. "Andy, I need you to listen to what I am going to tell you. You have to follow orders."
Andy nodded, not taking his eyes off the door of the store.
"We are going to walk down that sidewalk and you are going to see if you spot him. You will not make a move to get his attention. We will act like we have no idea that he is here." Dean said.
"I wanna punch him." Andy said.
Dean shook his head. "Can you follow orders?"
Andy huffed. "Yeah."
Dean kept his hand near Andy's back as they walked. He'd be able to yank him back or stop him if the situation changed. They got confirmation that Steven was there and stopped at the window long enough for him to notice them. Dean quickly got Andy back to the car and had him sit in the front seat. "Do not get out of the car. Do you understand me?"
Andy nodded.
"Not going to cut it." Dean said.
"I will not get out of the car. Are you going to shoot him?" Andy asked.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "No, the plan is to capture him."
"Then shoot him?" Andy asked.
"No one is shooting anyone at this point." Dean said. "Just sit down and act normal." He called John first, knowing that Caleb wouldn't be satisfied with a short message. John could work with just a few words. He stepped away from the car but kept a safe distance. He wanted Steven to get curious and approach the car, thinking that Dean was distracted. He couldn't stand using Andy as bait, but he was safe bait, sitting in the car. No demon could enter the car. He had a brief conversation with John where he explained what was going on. John and Bobby would make sure nothing was going on at Caleb's house and nothing could get to the house. They didn't know if Steven had friends. No one could drive in and pick up Andy without scaring Steven off. Dean couldn't just take him home either. They were in the next town over, so it was possible that Steven didn't know exactly where they lived. He couldn't have Kate swoop in because there were cameras and things would get complicated if he wasn't fully human. The cameras messed with his ability to grab Steven anyway. Jodi wouldn't be able to explain away a video of Dean knocking a man out and throwing him in the back of the car. He saw Steven looking around and acted like he didn't notice. He called Caleb. He hated the fear that he heard in his friend's voice. "Dad and Bobby are going to make sure the others are safe. I have Andy. I am going to try to grab him. Do you want to meet me at the cabin or do you want dad to take over?" He snorted slightly when he got Caleb's answer. No one was going to keep Caleb away from protecting his family.
Andy looked confused when Dean got into the car. "Aren't you gonna kidnap him?"
"Not with all of the cameras around." Dean said. "I'm going to see if he follows us in his car." Just as Dean thought, Steven's car pulled away shortly after he did. He drove to a hiking area that would give them cover. He parked and walked into the wooded area with Andy. He had a feeling that Steven was his human self because he didn't think a demon would be that stupid. The idiot took off down the trail after them. He had no stealth at all. It was almost too easy. Dean let Andy get a few feet ahead of him, claiming he was going to take a leak. He told Andy to keep walking but of course Andy whirled around and faced Steven as he started down the trail.
Andy stood his ground. "What the hell do you want?"
Steven snarled. "You always were a little shit. Your whore of a mother ran off and I just want what is mine."
Andy sucked in a breath of air. He was going to yell at him, but he dropped to the ground from a blow to the back of his head.
Dean tied Steven's arms behind his back. "What happened to not confronting him?"
"I got him to stop." Andy said.
Dean struggled to get Steven to the car. He was not a huge person, but he wasn't light either. He gagged him and tied him so that he wouldn't be able to get free in the car.
Andy got into the front seat and crossed his arms.
"We are taking him to the cabin." Dean said. He turned onto the main road and made a bee line for the cabin at the lake.
Andy turned and glared at Steven over the front seat. He had anger that had built up over time. As he got a little bit older, he understood a little bit more about how awful Steven was to April. It also helped that Andy had a fantastic example of how a woman should be treated since Caleb adopted him. He saw Steven's eyes open and his face change to an expression of disgust. That tipped him over the edge.
Dean barely grabbed Andy before he launched his entire body over the seat. He swerved and held onto the back of Andy's shirt until he could yank him back into the front seat. "Andrew!"
Andy fell back into the dashboard. He had gotten a few punches in and that suited him.
"Moving vehicle." Dean said, sternly.
Andy met eyes with him. "He hurt my mom."
"Yeah, I got that." Dean said. "Your dad and I will handle this."
Andy jerked his head back. "I was there. I can handle it. Look at him. He is tied up."
Dean pulled over and grabbed Andy again as he tried to reach over the seat. He parked and pulled Andy out of the car, placing him on the hood.
Andy tried to slide off the hood. "I can shoot him."
"You are not going to shoot him." Dean said.
"I can at least beat him up. I can scare him. I have street cred now." Andy said. "I know about monsters."
Dean blew air through his nose. "You are going to lose that street cred if your dad has to wear you out before dealing with Steven because you can't follow an order during a crisis."
Andy's eyes grew wide. "This isn't a crisis."
"Is there ever a time that it is okay not to follow orders?" Dean asked.
Andy's eyes drifted.
"I know you are mad. I'm mad. I have to get him to the cabin where he can't hurt anyone. The only reason I am not taking you home first is because I don't want to show him where you live. I can't drive if you keep attacking him." Dean said.
Andy frowned. "I hate him."
"You have a right to. I need you to pull it together though." Dean said.
Andy sighed. "What about when you are not driving?"
"We will cross that bridge when we get there. He isn't possessed right now. As far as I can tell, he is human. That doesn't mean that things won't change in a hurry. You are going to listen to what you are told to do regardless." Dean said.
Andy took a deep breath to calm himself. "Are you going to tell my dad I wasn't listening?"
"I think he will understand the reaction. He isn't going to get angry about things that happened before our talk." Dean said.
Andy chewed his lip. "Are you angry?"
"I'm not thrilled but I get it. I would have done the same thing had I been around the demon that killed my mom. My dad would have skinned me but I understand. Now, if you try to jump over that seat again, it will be a different story." Dean said.
Andy crossed his hand over his heart. "I promise I won't try that again." He did shoot Steven a dirty look when they got back in the car but turned around and stayed seated for the rest of the ride.
Caleb almost passed out when he got the call from Dean. All of his worst fears were at the front of his mind. He must have looked faint because his boss immediately asked him what was wrong. He did tell him the truth about April's ex husband being spotted. He didn't think to lie about it and didn't see a reason to. He was released from work and allowed to be there for his family. The boss probably thought the police would be involved but Caleb didn't specify what was going to happen. He didn't know what was going to happen. He couldn't just kill him because he was human. A poor excuse for a human. Dean said he passed the tests for being possessed or being a shifter. It would be easier if he was one of those things because they could simply get rid of him. He was teetering between anger and fear. How did Steven find them? Did he have demonic help or did he just stalk April's path until he landed in Sioux Falls? He was surprised that Bobby and John agreed to keep an eye on the house. He expected John, especially to insist on being the one to deal with Steven. He and Dean would be in their 80s before John stopped trying to protect them.
Dean told Andy to stay in the car while he took Steven inside. The hunter's cabin was set up for hostage situations. He tied Steven to a chair and secured him so that there was no chance he could get away. He then returned to the car for Andy.
Andy wanted nothing more than to face Steven. He felt strong. He wasn't scared of him. He knew they had the upper hand and even if Steven got free, his dad and Dean would not let any harm come to his mom. He heard Caleb's truck after what felt like forever. He ran to him as the door opened.
Caleb crouched and picked Andy up when he jumped. He hugged him to his chest and took a deep breath. "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, dad." Andy said.
"Is mama and the babies?" Andy asked.
"They are safe." Caleb said. "I need you to wait out here and I am going to talk to Steven."
Andy looked horrified. "Dad, you don't know him."
"I know people like him. I need to figure out how he got so close to us." Caleb said.
Andy looked Caleb in the eyes. "He hurt mom. He is a bad man, and I am not scared of him. I need to help you, or I won't feel like everything is okay."
Caleb rubbed his face. "Okay. You stay away from him though."
Andy stayed at the edge of the room while Caleb woke Steven up.
Steven was groggy. He started to fight against the restraints but gave up soon after. He spit when the gag was removed.
Caleb looked menacing. He had his jaw set and his eyes radiated anger. "Why are you here?"
Steven smirked. "Here to get what's mine."
"What's that?" Caleb asked.
Steven looked around Caleb to Andy. "Little man's mama. I don't know who you are, and this doesn't concern you."
Andy showed up next to Caleb. "He's, my dad. Yeah, that's right. I have a good dad now. Not like you... you... you sorry son of a bitch."
Dean covered Andy's mouth and pulled him back. "Remember what I told you."
Andy crossed his arms but stayed quiet.
Steven blew air through his nose. "That doesn't surprise me. She will shack up with anyone that will pay her bills."
Caleb punched him in the face and shook his hand out. "How did you find them?"
Steven wasn't going to answer but felt the barrel of a gun next to his head. He licked his lips. "An old buddy told me."
Dean flicked the safety off of his gun. "Who?"
Caleb's phone buzzed. It was April. He needed to answer it so that she didn't worry.
Dean stepped outside too with Andy in tow. "You have to cool it."
Andy's bottom lip wobbled. "He hurt me... my mom."
Dean's face fell. "He hurt you too?"
Andy sniffled. "I lied."
Dean sat down on the small porch and had Andy sit beside him. "What do you mean?"
Andy tensed as he thought about it. "He was really mad at my mom, and I tried to fight him. I was really little though. I could probably do it now." He sighed. "I tried to punch him, and he grabbed my hand and broke it a little."
Dean pulled him into a hug. "I am so sorry."
"I told my mom I fell." Andy said.
"You are safe now. No one will be angry at you for a lie like that." Dean said. His heart was twisted. He could see the pain in Andy's eyes. He slid off the porch and grabbed a decent sized stick. "You can hit him with this once, to get your pay back. Only once." It was probably not a parent approved action but he wasn't the parent. He was the stand in uncle that also wanted to hit Steven with a stick.
Andy stepped back inside and got everything he wanted to say to Steven off his chest. He used words that his mom wouldn't like but she wasn't there at that time.
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a feeling that Andy learned those words for him. He saw Andy swing the stick and winced. He grabbed it from him and pushed him outside. He got a look at Steven and stepped out as well. "What was that?"
"You said I could hit him." Andy said.
"I thought you were going to hit him in the leg or something." Dean hissed.
Caleb returned and saw Steven bleeding from a small wound on his head. "What happened?"
"The little shit hit me in the head with a log." Steven growled.
Caleb whipped his head around and looked at Andy.
Andy squeaked and pointed to Dean. "Dean said I could!"
Dean put his hands up. "You walked in at an awkward time. See, Steven hurt Andy too. I just thought payback might be good for him."
Caleb got a good look at Stevens face and nodded before punching him again.
Andy gasped and covered his mouth. He thought Caleb was mad, but he wasn't. He got to hit the worst person ever in the head and no one was mad. "Now can I shoot him?"
Caleb and Dean both turned around at the same time. "No!"