Author's note: Sorry for the delay. I had a ton of assignments all due at the same time. Grad school is fun and informational but consider my butt thoroughly kicked.
(Sioux Falls)
Taylor wasn't sure how to feel when John got to the school. He expected to be told to calm down and sent back to class. He didn't know that John had planned to pull him out. He should have, but he also didn't expect John to talk to his coach.
"This is becoming a more frequent issue." The coach said.
John eyed Taylor.
"I am aware that this has something to do with demons. I understand why Taylor is angry. I just don't want him to hurt someone or out himself." The coach said.
"No." John said. "I don't want that either."
Taylor had been sent out to the weight room but could hear them loud and clear. He gritted his teeth and joined them when he heard his name.
"Did you do any damage to the other kid?" John asked.
Taylor frowned slightly. "No, sir."
John nodded slowly. "Okay, we can talk about it at home."
Taylor wasn't sure how to react.
"Kate had a panic attack. Dean is picking her up. I think we all need to be on the same page before someone explodes." John said.
Taylor relaxed. "Uh, Coach? I'm sorry."
The coach gave him a soft smile. "You're a good kid. If it happens again, you will just be running laps until he gets here."
Taylor blushed slightly. "I'll go get my stuff."
John waited for him at the front office. He signed Taylor out and walked with him to his truck. The drive home was on the quiet side but not in an awkward way. "Do you want to stay out here and talk?" He asked as he parked.
Taylor slumped. "Can I run first?"
John turned the truck off. "You can. Do you need someone to run with?" He saw the slightest upturn to the side of Taylor's mouth. He shook his head. It was probably true that he couldn't keep up with Taylor if Taylor was on a running high. Taylor's body healed in ways that John's didn't.
"I can run alone." Taylor said. "You seem tired enough."
John sucked air through his teeth. "You are asking for it."
Taylor feigned confusion. "I am just offering to run alone because I'm the angry one."
"If you want to run with me, I can do a few laps. I know you have a leg up on me, but you don't have to go alone." John said.
Taylor looked out the window. "I can run the first few alone because everything I feel like saying first is going to get me in trouble."
John nodded. "Sounds like a plan."
(Kate and Dean)
Dean got Kate to the house and out of the car. He had to guide her up the steps because she was out of it. "Alright, kiddo, we are just going inside, and you can sit on the couch."
Kate tripped slightly, grazing her toes on the steps.
Dean caught her. He opened the door and let Millie go inside before he did. "Hey, Bobby, we are back."
"Your dad is out with Taylor." Bobby said.
Kate tilted her head in confusion.
"Taylor came home too." Dean said. He sat Kate down and got her something to drink. "Can you tell me what is wrong?"
"I am." Kate said.
"How?" Dean asked.
"I'm not supposed to be here." Kate said.
"Yes, you are." Dean said. "I know you are angry at god. What else?"
"Why me?" Kate said.
"I don't know, kiddo." Dean said.
Kate shifted uncomfortably. "Why make a world and leave it to die?" She had fallen deep into the spiral that she had started on. "If I die, will everything go back to normal?"
"Katelyn." Dean warned.
"I am just asking." Kate said. "I mean…. Demons wouldn't be so angry."
"You are not going to die." Dean said.
"I don't want to die. I am just very tired of always being yanked around by an invisible string." Kate said.
Dean patted her leg. "Let's go upstairs. I don't want you to get distracted when Taylor comes in." He blew air through his nose. "I can wrap you in a blanket and you can rest."
Kate decided that his idea was reasonable and slowly made her way up to her room. She could feel her muscles growing tired after each step. Her shoulders were heavy and her head hurt.
Dean let Bobby know what they were doing so that he could relay the information to John. He grabbed an extra blanket and rolled her into it. "Now, is this just anger at god?"
Kate settled into the blanket. "Everything is confusing. I got mad." She sighed. "I'm okay now, though."
"Nope." Dean said.
Kate furrowed her eyebrows.
"I don't think you are the least bit okay." Dean said.
"I don't know what to tell you. My feelings are hurt." Kate said.
Dean tapped her forehead. "I think you have something else going on in that head of yours."
"Like what?" Kate asked.
"I think you are trying to piece everything together by yourself." Dean said.
Kate huffed.
"Where is your head at with the demon thing?" Dean asked.
"Oh, you mean Abaddon, the hellhounds or just general demon crap?" Kate asked.
"Any of it." Dean said.
"I think that I need to take care of Abaddon sooner rather than later. Crowley is a threat." Kate said. "I have to move in quick and hit hard."
"We." Dean corrected her.
"If there is a solution that allows us to work together, I'm all for it." Kate said.
"Kiddo." Dean said with a sigh. "You can't do this alone. It is way to dangerous. You need people to help you."
Kate's eyes drifted to the side.
"You are not going to sacrifice yourself." Dean said.
Kate met eyes with him. "You are annoying."
Dean smirked. "I know." He heard John enter the house and paused. "I need to talk to dad. I want you to figure out what you need to talk about while I'm gone."
Kate rolled her eyes. "Sure."
Dean flicked her but stood up. "I'll be right back." He swapped details with John and asked Taylor if he was okay. Satisfied, he returned to Kate. "Can you explain what is going on in your head?"
Kate looked up at the ceiling. "I have a wall of radios, all playing different songs. I can't understand anything but keep getting bits from songs I recognize."
Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "I can see how that would get confusing."
Kate yawned. "Can I take a nap?"
Dean chewed his cheek. "Yeah. I'll do a few things and check on you." He patted Kate's foot and turned her light off.
(The road this far)
Kate was asking a multigenerational question. Why?
After god locked his sister away, the world was created. Many worlds were created. The world in which Kate and Taylor found themselves in was the original world. It grew boring as god got more creative. He left the world to fend for itself, stopping in occasionally to shake things up or to check in with his original creation. His absence gave his sister the chance to make small changes without him noticing. The changes just needed to happen over a few centuries. She was locked so far away that her powers barely reached the surface a few times through those centuries.
The bloodlines that lead to the birth of Sam and Dean were part of the original plan. It was a plan that god implemented in several other worlds. It was a thrilling show that always ended the same way; with one brother dying at the hands of the other.
As with many other worlds, the introduction of demons brought forth the earliest hunters. Men who would protect their families at all costs. They were fierce. Witchcraft and vampires appeared as time moved on. Many creatures were ancient, around since the beginning. As the human population grew, so did the creature population. Transportation across oceans and vast areas of land brought people together. Disease spread. Wars started. The bloodlines started to mix, creating more variety in the populations.
Gabriel was what god would consider a problem child. He did not challenge him in the same way that Lucifer did. He was less obvious. Long before Ada, Gabriel heard a soft voice. He heard the voice's story and took pity on them. He loved his father, but he knew how his wrath could be. As years passed, Gabriel watched the events of history unfold. When the earth was tilted just right and the moon was in just the right spot, he could hear the voice that was locked away in the darkness. On a cold and dreary night when English soldiers were making their way through the trees in search of a highland settlement, he was given his first orders. He approached Ada when she was in dire need of his protection. He told her what he was and provided safety for her and the two children. He gave them a sliver of grace, causing the bloodlines to morph into something more. He carefully worked his way through generations, dosing them ever so slightly. The bloodlines were strong so many of the humans survived the introduction to grace. Some didn't, however. With the Winchester bloodline specifically, the family accepted grace well. Some even knew a bit about what was changing them. The lack of communication and death before stories could be passed along prevented things from being handed down. Henry's father knew more than Henry did and Henry knew much more than John did. That was typically the case. Horrible things could not be prevented because they were unaware that they needed to be. That is why Mary and Ruth had to die. The original plan was written in stone and nearly impossible to alter.
The night that Taylor was born was one of those nights were the earth and moon were exactly where they needed to be. A stillbirth occurred. This was necessary because the child would not be given a sliver of grace. He would be given a sliver of a power that Gabriel could hardly contain. If the child was already dead, god's lifeforce would be drained from his body. The lifeforce could be replaced with something that looked an awful lot like what everyone else had. The same was done the next time the moon and earth were where they needed to be. Katelyn was born and reborn. As they grew, they were micro dosed with slivers of power. If they died, her lifeforce would bring them back to life with the help of Gabriel. Again, they needed to keep all of this off of god's radar. His ignorance was essential.
The night that the kids took on the final vials of grace, they died again. As their cells died, new ones took the place of the old ones, much like the new growth of vegetation after a wildfire.
With the original plan, Abaddon caught wind of the strange family and lead to their extinction. She, and other demons, saw the changes being made and put forth additional effort to destroy the family. They could care less if Micheal and Lucifer had their big fight. Abaddon was power hungry and wanted what the men of letters were hiding. She found out about Kate and she realized that this one girl possessed more power than the entirety of what was in the bunker. She needed to gain control over the girl immediately. She aided in the creation of the freaks. She set tripwires throughout their lives. Each attempt was foiled by the infuriating humans that she despised so greatly.
Why them? Why their family? Why Kate? The complicated answer involved interrupting god's plan and changing the timeline to one day free his sister from the darkness. Dominos fell in unpredictable patterns. The simplest answer was perhaps the most devastating. The earth was tilted just right and the moon was in just the right spot.
(Bobby's house)
Taylor felt pretty chilled out after running. He hated that his anger was such an issue. He struggled with not equating himself to Craig in those moments. When he was calm, he had clarity. When he was angry, the clarity disappeared. That was true for most people.
John grabbed a drink for himself and leaned against the kitchen counter.
"How is Taylor?" Dean asked.
John took a long, slow, breath. "I suspect he is hitting his teenage stage."
"Or is the stage hitting him?" Dean asked.
John downed his drink. "How is Kate?"
"Sad." Dean said. "She is napping. I'm going to check on her. She is tired of being a pawn."
John nodded his understanding.
"Just so you know, you can't claim you've done the teenager thing twice and pawn this off on me." Dean said with a smirk.
John eyed him. "I'm sure you have some wisdom you can share with him."
"I think my memory is spotty from all the times you've hit me in the head." Dean said.
Karen chuckled softly. "You all will get through it. Just give the boy some time."
Dean left the kitchen to check on Kate. He felt of her head and gently shook her. "Hey, kiddo. You have to wake up."
Kate yawned and stretched. Her eyes were blue but not as bright as they got when her eyes normally lit up.
"Vision?" Dean asked.
Kate moved hair out of her face. "What if I'm not special at all and all of this just happened by a weird coincidence?"
Dean sighed. "Nothing is ever a coincidence."
Kate seemed better after the nap. At least outwardly.
Dean wasn't that easy to fool though. He kept a close eye on her and gently nudged her to talk through the rest of the day.
Taylor stayed calm although he was fighting with himself inside. He was easily annoyed and didn't know why. Too many people were in the house. Kate was mopey. His headphones broke. He broke his headphones by grasping them a little too hard. They snapped like David's neck did and that set him down a path that he didn't need to go down.
Dean was mentally exhausted by nightfall. He was barely holding everyone together. The house felt like a powder keg, ready to blow at the first hint of a spark.
(Friday)
Charlie had her own stuff going on. She stayed up late on a deep dive and fell into her bed around 4 in the morning. She turned down breakfast and slept in until some time after lunch. When she woke up, she had an email. She thought it looked a little fishy so she didn't click on it right away. She added a few layers of protection to her computer and clicked the name.
I know who broke into your apartment.
That caused her to freeze. Her heart was in her throat and she felt faint. That was impossible. Who could know that and know how to track her? She was meticulous in covering her tracks. The email wasn't even tied directly to her. It was a fake email with a fake name. Could she have gotten careless and tripped something? She heard her door creek open and met eyes with Marie.
Marie saw the horror on Charlie's face. "Charlie, what's wrong?" She approached Charlie and looked at the words on the screen. She had a similar reaction. "Who is that?"
Charlie sucked in a breath of air. "I don't know."
Marie patted her arm. "Okay. Let's step away from this. I will call Bobby."
Charlie stopped her. "You can't call them."
"Why?" Marie asked.
Charlie licked her lips. "I don't want them to be mad."
Marie hugged Charlie. "Sweetie, this is big. This could be a massive safety issue."
Charlie couldn't decide if it was worth people being mad at her. She didn't do anything on purpose, and she had been careful. Whoever the mystery person was possessed as much hacking knowledge as she did. Was the email a threat or was it a warning to be careful? Who could this other person be. If they were evil, wouldn't they just track her down and kill her? If they were good, why did they leave such an ominous message.
Marie gave Bobby a call and a short explanation.
Bobby whistled loudly for the kids. John was on a hunt and honestly, if someone was going to know something about cybersecurity, it would need to be someone younger than him.
Kate gasped.
Taylor asked questions and mentally went down the checklist of safety precautions that his grandparents took. Most supernatural things couldn't get to the farm. Humans could but the nymphs could easily stop them. They had an excellent perimeter. What about the data though? What could they pull from Charlie's computer?
"Shut down the computer." Kate said.
Charlie pulled the plug. "They know who did it. They know who I am."
Marie put a hand on Charlie's back. "You are going to pass out if you don't calm down."
Bobby cleared his throat. "I'll call Ash."
"Yeah." Taylor said. "He could trace the email."
Charlie felt exposed. She felt foolish. She hadn't done anything to lead the person back to her. She snooped around but not much more than she was allowed to.
Dean got the short version of the story and groaned. Kate was depressed. Taylor was angry. Charlie was anxious. They were going to play off of each other, he just knew it. He wanted to ask what Charlie looked at but that question alone was enough to cause her to faint. He needed to take a few dozen steps back and let John handle all of it. He couldn't though. He couldn't hand over the keys and watch from a distance. "Can everyone just calm down."
Kate eyed him.
Dean looked tired. "We can conference. Ash might be able to help. Just…. No one pass out or teleport." That was a reasonable request after the last few days. He struggled to keep Kate together as she faded and glitched. She was fine one moment and then not fine at all the next. Taylor was combative in a way. He was also fine until he wasn't. He was just snippy and short tempered. He fell into bed that night with the weight of the universe on his shoulders and a migraine the size of Texas.
(January 24, 2003)
Dean groaned and put a pillow over his face. "Not yet."
Kate jumped on his bed. "It is tradition."
"It is more fun when I do it to you." Dean said.
Kate pulled the pillow away. "Happy birthday!"
Dean gave her a smile. "Thanks, kiddo."
Taylor said happy birthday too but couldn't muster the enthusiasm that Kate had.
Karen made Dean his favorite breakfast and gave him a warm hug.
Dean blushed. "Thanks, Karen."
The first half of the day was nice and relaxing. No one seemed to be teetering on the edge of a cliff. They most definitely were but held it together a little better that day.
"24! You're almost halfway to 50." Kate said.
Dean cringed. "Damn."
"This side of 24 isn't so bad." Karen said.
"If I still feel 24 by the end of this year, I'll be surprised." Dean said. He was joking but there was a hint of fear hidden behind his smirk. That dam that Death told him about was weakening against a raging river. He didn't know when or how or where but the right rock was going to fall. He didn't know if it would be Kate or Taylor or Charlie or himself that would start the spiral. Sam was okay. Sam was fine. He and Jess were fine. They weren't standing at the edge of a cliff. Dean was though. He felt it with every breath. He shook his head. He needed to relax. Lucky for him, Kim had asked him to come over again. She knew it was his birthday. He loved his family but needed to step away once in a while. Whatever Kim had planned was sure to take his mind off the chaos for a couple hours.
(Sam and Jess)
Rufus made it to Stanford with the old car. He was keen to turn around and head back as soon as possible so that he didn't lead his own enemies to Sam. He was always cautious and paranoid. He felt like he was being watched and he probably was.
"You could have a companion to make the drive back with." Sam said.
Rufus raised an eyebrow. "A companion?"
"The nymphs." Sam said.
"Son, I might get lonely sometimes, but I'm not interested in that." Rufus said.
Sam smirked. "Uh, well, I didn't mean that kind of companion. I meant a guardian and someone to talk to."
Rufus needed a lot of convincing before he agreed that the idea could work. He liked talking so a set of ears were welcome. He didn't know much about the nymphs so when one showed up at Sam's apartment, he needed a minute to settle.
The nymph in question was one of the adventure seeking ones. She loved her sisters but also wanted to see the world. A long road trip sounded great. She introduced herself and picked up on things that put Rufus at ease.
Rufus was unsure about having the nymph in the truck with him. A few miles down the road made him forget that she wasn't human. She knew a lot about the era that he was born in, into his teen years. They discussed old music and tv shoes. She was a better passenger than Bobby was.
(The nymph is just a friend for Rufus)
(Afternoon)
Sam held a large stack of cash in his hands. He had never seen that much cash, let alone touched it.
The man that bought the car was ecstatic. He was in awe of how good the car looked. "Where did this come from again?"
Jess cleared her throat. "Not really sure. My grandfather just had it parked in a barn forever."
The man didn't want to ask questions that would tell Jess that the car was worth more than he paid for it. He thanked the young couple and loaded the car onto his own trailer so that he could take it to his buddies and brag about it.
Jess let out a long breath as he pulled away. "I almost slipped."
Sam grinned. "You are a regular con woman."
"He thinks he conned us." Jess said.
"That is the best kind of con. They don't ask questions." Sam said. He tucked the cash into his jacket. "We should put this in the bank before someone robs us."
Jess looked around them at the other people walking by.
Sam tilted his head in the direction of the bank. The bank was a block away and he could defend Jess and the cash with ease.
(Charlie)
Charlie was never really good at staying calm. Her natural resting state was mild panic. Someone outsmarted her and tracked her down. That was both impressive and terrifying. Who was this mystery person? She needed to know as soon as possible because she didn't function well with unknowns. She was waiting on the others to figure out how to safely navigate the new threat. Waiting was annoying.
John, like Bobby, gracefully bowed out of part of the discussion. He could make final decisions, but the kids were throwing around words that he didn't understand. Cyber security. Hacking. VPNs. Since Charlie was very much involved, he trusted Kate and Taylor not to do anything outlandish. They absolutely would if it was their own necks on the line but not with Charlie.
Since the message was sent online, Kate and Taylor couldn't just use abilities to find out who it was. They couldn't shield anyone or teleport to the mystery person.
(Dean)
Dean was given the all clear to go to Kim's place. He couldn't help with the tech stuff either. It was his birthday and he needed to have a bit of fun before the storm hit. He got to Kim's place and knocked on her door.
Kim opened the door and smiled brightly. "No need to come inside. We have somewhere to go first."
Dean stepped back and let her lock the door. "What kind of place?"
Kim shrugged. "You'll see."
Dean drove as Kim gave him directions. He pulled up outside a strip of old buildings. It looked like some were lived in while another still held onto the remnants of a corner store. He could hear faint music so he had an idea of what Kim had planned.
Kim ran over to one of the buildings and knocked on the door. She gave someone a secret word and motioned for Dean to follow her.
Dean was on high alert as he always was. They walked down a hallway and to a basement door. When the door opened, he could hear voices and music.
Kim followed the doorman down the stairs.
Dean followed Kim. He let his eyes adjust. It was a small bar. The music was up to par with his preferences, and it wasn't crowded. There were a few tables and benches. It was cozy. "What is this place?"
"VIP club." Kim said.
"How did we get into a VIP club?" Dean asked.
Kim smiled. "I'm friends with the owner."
Dean started to relax as he did a survey of the group. Nothing stood out as an obvious red flag.
Kim introduced him to the owner and found somewhere for them to sit. "I thought you would like a smaller place."
Dean ordered drinks and sat down. "Why is that?"
"You scan crowds." Kim said.
Dean eyed her. "You are awful observant."
"As are you." Kim said.
Dean sat back. "I'm no gentleman but some guys do their best to take advantage of some people. After my sister game a long, I guess I just noticed it more."
Kim settled into her seat and placed her jacket over her lap. Dean was still mysterious. "How many siblings do you have?"
Dean took a sip of his drink. It was good but not as good as the bunker stash. "Diving a little deep there."
Kim gave him a smile. "Friends with benefits, I get it. Friends know things about each other though."
Dean nodded. "I have three."
Kim sat forward. "Sisters?"
"No. Two brothers and a sister." Dean said.
"Are they nice?" Kim asked. She blushed slightly at the question.
Dean smirked. "Pains in the ass." He took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm close to them."
"That is so cool." Kim said. She sighed. "I have siblings but don't talk to them."
"It sounds like your family went their separate ways." Dean said.
Kim rolled her eyes. "They never liked me anyway."
"Why?" Dean asked.
Kim debated telling Dean more but reasoned that he did share stuff with her. "They are older than me. I was unplanned and was born with some health issues. My mom spent a good while in the NICU with me and I required so much attention that they felt got jealous."
Dean finished his drink. "Can I ask what was wrong?"
Kim took a large drink of her drink for courage. "I have an autoimmune disorder."
"That's why you take those meds." Dean said.
"Yeah. It is embarrassing." Kim said.
Dean studied her. "It shouldn't be." He didn't understand why it was as big of a deal as it was.
"Less about me." Kim said. "Where did you get your car?"
"My dad gave it to me when I turned 16." Dean said. He saw the look on her face and snorted. "He got a truck. I worked my ass off to earn that car." He fell into conversation with her as an hour slipped by. She was just different enough that he felt comfortable with her. It was an odd feeling.
Kim talked to the owner before returning to Dean. "This place gets a little busier as the night wears on."
Dean appreciated the heads up. "Where to now?"
Kim smiled. "My place." She let Dean open doors for her and said goodnight to the owner. "Happy birthday."
Dean wrapped his own coat around her. "Thanks."
(Bobby's house)
It was dark outside, and Dean was gone. The Charlie situation was at a standstill and Kate was able to step away from the others. She let her guard down for a moment to catch her breath. She glitched a few times before she forced herself to remain in one place. If Dean was there, he would notice. She was just as loved by everyone else in the house but Dean had a freaky sense for when she wasn't acting normal. Maybe it was the shreds of angel grace in their bloodline. Maybe he just spent his life raising Sam and got good at noticing those types of things. She sighed and called Hannah.
Taylor could feel some of what Kate was feeling but didn't know what to do. If he talked to her, she would put up a wall. If he told John, she would act like nothing was wrong. That left him in a difficult spot. He would keep an eye on her and let her ride out the emotions of the day.
John sat down with Bobby to talk about hunts. Juggling the kids and the hunting was wearing on him. He couldn't delegate everything as certain hunts were handed to him as an expert. Other hunters passed things to him when they felt underqualified to handle to monster. He had an extremely short list of hunters that he thought were competent enough to not get themselves killed. Each hunter typically found their niche. They focused on vampires or ghosts. Often times, what they hunted was what killed their loved ones. John was somewhat of an expert on demons. Demons, in the hunting world, were the big bad. They were a step above vamps and ghouls. When John set out to find the demon that killed Mary, he went in blind. He was a trained fighter from being in the Marine Corps but looking back, he was lucky that he didn't get himself killed. Although, it wasn't luck, was it? It was probably partially due to the puppet master that pulled their strings. He would talk to Dean and the kids before he left but he couldn't avoid the hunt.
Kate was on the phone with Hannah when she started to feel weird. They were talking about everything that was going on and it got deep.
Hannah was a great listener. She heard everything Kate said and wrapped her head around it in a way that typical kids wouldn't. Everything that Kate said made sense, even if she had to repeat it once or twice.
Kate lost some of her defenses and felt a wall of emotion and anger hit her. She was desperate. The strange feeling had been happening for a while, but it was usually a split second, and she didn't know how to explain it. Hannah's voice seemed distant. She felt a little dizzy and sat back down on her bed to steady herself. She was able to say something else to Hannah, but John swung her door open and scared her.
"Kate." John said.
Kate blinked.
"Hannah called and said something was wrong." John said.
Kate glanced at her phone. She was no longer in a phone call with Hannah. She glanced at the clock on Taylor's desk and blinked again.
"She said you were talking and stopped suddenly. She waited a little bit and then told me to check on you." John said.
Kate knew what happened, but the rational side of her brain was not allowing her to accept it. "I think I zoned out." She felt incredibly tired. She apologized to Hannah through another phone call and told John she was really sleepy.
John let her settle into bed and turned her light off. He passed Taylor as he headed up the stairs. "Night."
Taylor yawned. "Night."
Kate stared into the darkness. She didn't just zone out. Did she? No. Maybe? She knew what it felt like to Zone out. She knew what it felt like to have a vision. This was nothing. This was over the span of two seconds, and nothing happened. Being the anxious person that she was, she looked at the clock often. When she sat down on her bed, it was 9:04. When John swung her door open it was 9:28. She was trying to understand it before she tried to explain it. The explanation would have to wait because she couldn't fight the fatigue that settled into her bones and muscles. She fell asleep quickly and didn't hear Taylor enter the room.
Taylor checked on Kate. She was out. She wasn't in a vision or anything like that because he tried to read her. She was simply asleep. That was rare.
(The next day)
Dean got back around noon and caught up with John. He wanted to go on a few of the hunts with John. He had every right to but his guilt was tricky.
Taylor was Taylor. Instantly jumped to tormenting Dean but enjoying the retaliation. The difference between Taylor and Sam at 14 was Dean could torment Taylor a lot more before he got grumpy than he could Sam.
Kate hugged Dean and asked how his date was. She listened and told him Kim sounded nice.
Dean almost let her walk by him but grabbed her arm and pulled her to stand back in front of him. He bent slightly to look into her eyes. She wasn't fully Kate.
Kate blinked and stared at him.
"Alright, what's wrong?" Dean asked.
Kate looked confused.
Dean pointed toward the living room. He walked behind her and sat on the coffee table so that he could face her. "Either you are a shapeshifter, or you aren't alright."
Kate could feel herself floating in the air above her body. She knew she was disassociating. It was a common response for people experiencing trauma or high levels of stress. She was just too tired to snap back.
"Have you hurt yourself?" Dean asked.
Kate shook her head.
"Do you want to?" Dean asked.
Kate shook her head again.
Dean could see that he wasn't going to get much out of her. "I know you can't talk right now. That is okay. You'll just tag along with me today." He stood up and motioned to her shoes by the door. "Shoes and jacket. We are going to tune up Baby."
Kate moved almost robotically but she followed him. If she stayed where she was, mentally, she couldn't think about the things that caused her to time travel the night before. She needed to tell him about that. Yet, she didn't know if it really happened. She had nearly convinced herself she was truly crazy and was having a psychotic break. That would make way more sense than being the pawn in an ancient game of king of the hill.
(Rufus)
Rufus talked with the nymph and was impressed by some of her stories. They were strong and lethal when they needed to be. They would make damn fine hunting partners. He mentally chastised himself. Since when did hunters work with creatures to hunt other creatures.
They stopped after driving for a long while.
The nymph stepped into the trees to survey the area. She could get a read on wooded areas and feel things that had happened in the past. The rings on a tree told a story.
Rufus grabbed coffee and food before returning.
"I believe something is approaching." The nymph said.
Rufus looked around. "How fast?"
"I think we must leave." The nymph said.
Rufus was tired. He was no stranger to long drives, but he needed coffee before driving again.
"You are tired. I can drive." The nymph said.
Rufus scoffed. "I can't let you wreck my car."
The nymph smiled softly. "I have driven before. Sometimes, we take part in human activities to blend in."
Rufus shrugged and let her take over. Knowing how powerful she was, he felt a little safer. He wasn't as tense. He was still watching his back but she had extra powers that even a good hunter didn't have. He tucked that information away for later. He still had a lot of years left but he knew a few hunters that were getting older and less careful. A nymph might be a good buddy for them. That might be hard to explain to them, but he thought they'd come around to the idea. He did, after all.
(Stanford)
Sam felt light. They had a padded bank account as well as a fund from Marie and Rod. If Jess's father stopped paying for her tuition, they would be okay. The college in South Dakota was cheaper anyway. He was just as excited to move back as he was to leave initially.
Jess felt light too. She did such a good job with her car sell that she felt proud of herself. Martha would roll over in her grave. That made it so much sweeter. She talked Sam into going to the mall with her to get a few things. Sam was happy to wear clothes until they fell apart. Jess liked new things.
Sam just didn't know where to shop for clothes that truly fit him. He usually wore a size or two larger pants just so they reached his ankles. The odd pair that did fit him, he had for a long time.
Jess promised him that she knew where they could find clothes that fit. He deserved that much. She made a beeline for a coffee shop at the front of the mall and got two coffees to go. She had just about won Sam over with the sugary drinks.
Sam kept pace with Jess although she was walking a little faster than normal. He was used to walking slower for her. He saw long hallways with countless stores. It wasn't the first time he had been in a mall, but he usually blocked most of the stores out. There was no use looking at a store if you didn't have the money to buy anything.
Jess entered a store and waved to a salesperson. She simply motioned to Sam.
The salesperson eyed Sam for a moment and showed them a row of clothes that would work.
Sam didn't know what he was looking for but that was okay. Apparently, his job was to hold clothes that Jess handed him.
Jess and the salesperson chatted while Sam held the stack of clothes.
Jess smiled. "Here, try them on."
Sam didn't look excited.
Jess nudged him. "I'll be here to see how they look."
Sam snorted softly. He went into the dressing room and sorted through the clothes. He tried on a pair of pants and was surprised with how they fit. He stepped out and showed Jess.
Jess grinned. "Perfect. You will need nicer clothes when you do interviews."
"Yeah, but that is years away." Sam said.
"I think they look nice." Jess said.
Sam bent to kiss her and returned to try on the other clothes. He was genuinely surprised with what he ended up with. He had never had that many pair of pants that fit at any given time. He didn't even have that many that didn't fit at any given time. Sure, most people had more than 3 pairs but Sam usually didn't. Dean didn't have as many issues with jeans as Sam did but Taylor did. He asked the salesperson a few questions before calling Taylor to see how long his legs were.
Taylor gave him an estimate. "You don't have to buy me pants."
Jess spoke up. "Just hush. We will call you later."
Sam was happy to carry bags although deep down, the prices hurt a little.
Jess was just plain happy. "I made you try on a bunch of clothes. Now it is my turn." She gave him a smirk. "That means you have to see how everything looks on me."
Sam blushed slightly. He liked that the second store had a bench to sit on outside the women's dressing room. He made eye contact with an older gentleman and gave him a head nod. There was a silent understanding between them.
Jess got her own stack of clothes and paid for them. She took a deep breath and turned Sam to face her. "I want to go to a specific store."
Sam raised an eyebrow.
Jess pulled his arm so that he would turn around.
Sam blinked. "Jacob has enough clothes."
Jess gave him a look.
"His dad can get clothes too." Sam said. He nearly laughed. "Fine, we can look at baby stuff."
Jess almost skipped over to the store. She saw the baby boy clothes and searched through them.
Sam followed her. "Do I need to give you a limit?"
Jess laughed.
"We can't buy the whole store." Sam said.
Jess jabbed him in the ribs. "Just a few things." She settled on a little more than a few things but walked out with less than the whole store. She held one of the sleepers and ran her hand over it. It was so soft.
"You know, when we get home, we can go see him." Sam said. He grinned at the look on her face. "Plus, Marie will feed us."
Jess barely survived the bus ride back to their apartment and the trip from the bus stop to their front door. She called Marie and shifted from foot to foot while they waited for a nymph to appear.
(Marie's house)
Marie welcomed them with open arms. "Come in out of the cold." She hugged Jess. "Jacob is in the floor over there."
Jess walked over and sat down in the floor next to a soft blanket. She talked softly to Jacob and smiled when he did.
Marie offered to wash the baby clothes and take the tags off. Clothes were so much cuter than when she had her children or even when Taylor was a baby. "His dad should be headed back soon, shouldn't he?"
Sam sighed. "Should be."
Jess scooped Jacob up and held him. "You are getting so big."
Jacob looked at Jess as she spoke. He wouldn't understand her yet but liked her voice.
"I'll make a bottle. He is just about due." Marie said.
Sam touched Jacob's foot. "You must be feeding him well. He looks like he has gained some weight." He saw the look Jess gave him. "In a good way."
"Growth spurt." Marie said from the kitchen.
Jess frowned. "No, you need to stay this size forever."
Sam saw Charlie and asked about the email.
Charlie looked tense. "I don't know."
Sam knew a good bit about computers so he asked if he could see what she had.
Charlie made sure it was okay with Marie and showed Sam. "Most of this is locked down. I'm kind of afraid to turn it on."
"That makes sense." Sam said. He asked about the encryption she had been using and rubbed his face. "So, whoever this is knows their stuff."
"If it wasn't aimed at me I'd be impressed." Charlie said.
They thought that it could be something supernatural using a computer to reach her but none of their checks showed anything.
"Could a ghost enter a warded house through the internet?" Charlie asked.
Sam thought about it. "I hope not."
"Cameron was able to talk to me." Charlie said.
That was true. There were just no other signs that this email was the same type of situation. It, as far as Sam could tell, was just an email. "Has anything been downloaded onto your computer?"
"No." Charlie said. "If it was a computer virus, it hasn't attacked. It could be coded to do something different, but I've torn this apart, and I cannot figure it out."
Sam saw a backup computer set to the side. "Is anything on that?"
Charlie shrugged. "Not really."
Sam nodded. "Okay, we can transfer the email to that computer, cut it off from the internet and see if anything happens."
Charlie rocked back in her chair. "Yeah, your dad doesn't want me doing anything."
Sam gave her a smirk. "Let's just see what happens."
"I don't want to make him mad." Charlie said.
"If he gets mad, it will be at me. You are just working off my suggestions." Sam said.
Charlie felt the slight thrill of being able to investigate the mystery email.
Once the transfer was complete, Sam clicked on the email. They needed to view it with the internet, but the internet was connected to Charlie and to Marie's house. Thankfully, the file in the email transferred before they disconnected it.
Charlie wiggled excitedly.
"What does that mean?" Sam asked.
Charlie wrung her hands. "This is awesome."
"Yeah, unless things go south." Sam said.
Charlie's face dropped.
Sam laughed softly. "Which I will take the blame for." He clicked the file and sat back.
Charlie was nervous. She tilted her head as a blank document appeared on the screen. She had Sam move over and inspected the document. If she was needing to send a message to someone without someone else finding out, she would encrypt the hell out of it and make the message impossible to find unless the person it was meant for was as brilliant as she was. She used her courser to highlight the blank page and chose a black font color. She saw the tiniest line in the bottom right corner of the page and magnified the words. It was short and mysterious. "I'm guessing I can't go to this place and figure out what is there."
Sam shook his head. "No, I'd say not." He paced for a few seconds. "I can."
"I know you are feeling the whole adult thing but there has to be a limit somewhere in which he is just going to know you are doing things outside of his scope." Charlie said.
Sam chewed his cheek. "Better make it quick then." Truthfully, he had a hunch and trying to explain it to someone who nothing about computers was going to be a problem. "I'll take nymphs with me. What's the worst that could happen?"
"You die and I'm left trying to explain what happened." Charlie said.
Sam sucked air through his teeth. "I better make it back then." He hopped down the steps and told Marie and Jess that he needed to check on something.
Marie watched Charlie trying to fade into the wall behind him. She asked Charlie what was going on because Sam was already outside and walking into the trees.
Charlie took a deep breath. "He is doing hunter stuff and I'm simply on the peripherals and am in no way involved."
Marie chuckled. "Well, I'd say he knows what he is doing."
"Cool, just make sure John knows that should anything happen." Charlie said.
Jess sat down to feed Jacob. "You're okay Charlie. He has the Winchester stubbornness. I don't think any of us could talk him out of what ever he is doing."
Charlie was a ball of nerves. Sam was a giant with years and years of experience. Plus, he had more than one nymph with him. He wouldn't even be gone that long because they could teleport. Everything and everyone were totally fine.
Sam touched down outside of a small country store.
The nymphs didn't feel anything dangerous but walked beside him to keep an eye on anything that could show up.
Sam asked to use the restroom and entered the tiny bathroom. He counted tiles and reached up to push one out of the way. Had Charlie attempted to go there alone, she would have needed a ladder to reach. He was no idiot. He knew not to stick his hand or head through an opening without making sure it was safe. That was an easy trap to lay. He had one of the nymphs check it out. He hoisted her up so that she could investigate without tearing the ceiling down. He lowered her back down after she grabbed a small matchbox.
Charlie stood up quickly when she heard Sam's voice again. She stood a little too quickly and would have hit the floor had Marie not grabbed her.
Sam held up the matchbox. "Got it."
Charlie's blood pressure returned to normal, allowing her to stay upright. "What?"
Sam held up the matchbox. He slid it open carefully. The nymphs had already opened it to check for traps or powder that could harm a human. It was just a small box with a neatly folded slip of paper.
Charlie bounced on her toes. "Mysterious!"
Sam sat down and unfolded the paper. The writing was done with pen but was such a small script that he had to slow down to read it.
Charlie pushed his shoulder. "Read out loud."
Sam cleared his throat. "Surely, your library has a book on my family. I'm almost certain it does. I'll tell you everything you need to know. I'm not one of them." He tilted the paper to see a name imprinted as though someone had drawn on the paper above the one that he held. "Styne."
Charlie gasped loudly and ran up the steps. She yanked a drawer open and nearly tumbled coming back down the stairs. "The creepy family!" She showed Sam the research she had done months ago when she noticed the strange family. "They are filthy rich and keep showing up. I knew they were bad."
"I'm guessing you were told not to look into it." Sam said.
Charlie scoffed. "I stopped and look where that got me."
"I'm going to ask Bobby if they took any of the books from the bunker that might relate to this family." Sam said.
Charlie stared at him. "What are you going to tell him."
Sam ruffled her hair. "That I had a hunch."
Charlie took the note from Sam so that she could read it. The person could have been leading them into a trap, but they were doing it in a weird way. She felt like they wanted to help. "I'm not one of them."
"They could still be dangerous." Jess said.
Charlie folded the note. "You guys thought I was evil until I got picked up."
"Dean thought you were evil." Sam said.
Marie and Jess went upstairs with Charlie to chat with her while she rebooted her computer.
Jacob was content after being fed. He snuggled into Jess's arms and started to fall asleep.
Jess situated Jacob so he was well supported. She could stay like that forever.
Charlie fired up her computer and carefully looked through files. She had not printed everything and had a good bit more research in a folder. Little things that she read scared her. There was that one blog that claimed they were monsters. Could that be what the mystery person meant? She found a record of a plantation they had in the deep south. She had opinions about the way that they chose to run the planation. She was thankful that it was frowned upon to own humans in her day and time.
Sam talked to Bobby for a while before going into Charlie's room. "The bunker probably has the book. Bobby doesn't have any at his house." He requested help from the nymphs again and made a trip to the bunker. He could get used to being transported by the nymphs. They liked seeing new places and didn't fatigue like Kate did.
(The days to come)
Sam and Charlie's investigation would end with a lot of answers and a lot of questions. The mystery person would introduce himself and feed them information about his family. He would explain why he switched sides and given them a warning.
The Stynes were an old family with old money. They were powerful in each century they lived through. At some point after the beginning of the family's existence, a young man suffered injuries from a rockfall. He was the youngest son and cherished. The family gathered where he fell and tried to comfort him. They couldn't move him from under the biggest rocks. His leg was trapped, and he was quickly fading. The mother kept her knowledge of witchcraft a secret from her husband until that moment. She couldn't let her child die. She had a wild idea that she begged her husband to allow. By morning, the son was alive and well, walking around their house. The mother had conjured up a spell that would allow one limb to be taken from another and placed on someone else. The injury mended under the spell and set into motion a grizzly family tradition. First it was a leg, then it was a hand, a kidney, eyes, and a heart. The family got greedy and killed whomever they wanted to replace something they needed. It allowed family members to live for hundreds of years.
The tradition lived on through generation of Stynes. The family name warped through those same generations as townspeople got curious about where there missing loved ones had gone. Frankenstein to Stein to Styne. Each new member of the family took part in the tradition as they became an adult. It was a right of passage. With 18 approaching, one family member lacked the same interest that the rest of his family did. He didn't want to kill people. He didn't want someone else's body part sewn into him. He ran accounts for the family and noticed a flag where someone had gotten too close to encrypted information. Mentioning it to his father ended with three of the men barging into a small apartment. He got a clear idea of who lived there and vowed to keep any future breaches a secret. He studied the hacker and learned their ways. He needed to get information to them without alerting his family. That endeavor is what brought Sam and Charlie together that day in a final leap to learning what was really happening.
A doctor feverishly researched ways to get out of his demon deals. He met the head of the family through the black market. He had met someone who did not think he was a lunatic. Luck would have it that the head of the family had an endless supply of money and the desire to control demons. That partnership fueled the creation of the freaks.
The young man that contacted Charlie saw the destruction that his family and the freaks could do. He took a vow to take down the family but couldn't do it alone. Bit by bit, day by day, the Styne's could be stopped.
(The big picture)
Kate struggled with feeling sane because part of her could see the web of events that brought them all together. It was beyond her comprehension at the time and was painful to look at.
Like with the choosing of her ancestors to create nephilian, other aspects of their lives were both equally orchestrated and left up to chance. People fell in line like dominos with no concern of what being roped into the timeline would do to their lives.
If Ada had not left, her village with the babies.
If Gabriel had not found them in the cave.
If someone had not made a demon deal.
If people hadn't died. If Mary hadn't been murdered, leading John to hunt. If Ruth hadn't died the same way, placing John and Brian together. If Brain had not made the deal that ended his life.
If Charlie hadn't learned to hack. If she hadn't been on the road and in need of money. If she hadn't gotten a little too curious about what she was asked to look into.
If Jacob's father hadn't went on a hunt Sam wouldn't have been at Marie's house that night, checking in on him. He would not have asked Charlie about the email. He wouldn't have ended up in the library.
Dominos fell into line against their will. Something big was happening, and no one could see it coming. Cosmic strings were being pulled. Factions were being formed.
Kate picked up bits and pieces of memories from her future self. She never knew what to do with the memory. It was never clear. She was excellent at compartmentalizing and shoved the memories somewhere deep and dark where they couldn't haunt her. Her older self knew what was unfolding and couldn't warn anyone. Young Kate wrestled with needing to understand and feeling absolute despair if she thought about looking into the memories. It was terrifying and Dean had just had a birthday, so she pushed them down, behind the fire door, trying to starve them of oxygen.
One day soon, without warning, the earth would be tilted just right and the moon would be in just the right spot to knock the dominos over, revealing the big picture that had been planned so long ago.
(A few years into the future)
Older Kate was a basket case. She wanted to throw the time rules into a pit and change everything. She couldn't though. The years would be hard on everyone but there was a silver lining. One day everyone would be happy. They'd be a little bit safer. Bobby's house would burst at the seams as little feet pattered around. There would be joy eventually. Kate turned to a being that appeared behind her. "You didn't need to screw everyone over just to make a scene."
The woman put a gentle hand on Kate's shoulder. "Had I not, you'd have remained stillborn."
Kate was bitter. "That would have been for the best." She was left with a lame line of comfort and cursed the being silently. She saw the big picture at that moment, as she had for a few years. She knew why things had to happen but hated the pain that had been caused. She was about to go talk to Dean but a soft pat on the back of her leg stopped her. She turned and picked up a small child.
She brushed the soft whisps of hair out of the girl's face and smiled softly. She peered into the deep green eyes that peered into her own. "I love you."
The little girl put her arms around Kate's neck and sighed with content. "Yeah, I know."