Chapter 16: The Horsemen and The New Guy

Dyson noticed the change in Andy. He had know her for a very long time, and with that came a certain ability to tell when something was bothering her. He also knew she wouldn't often volunteer any information. He kept a close eye on her though. He was worried about her. Ever since Ellen and Jo died, she hadn't really come back to herself. The boys had been off on a couple of cases for a while, but one night Dean called and said they were coming up. From his tone Dyson figured something had gone wrong.

"What happened?" Bobby asked as he opened the door. Andy only had to take one look at Sam to know what had happened.

"We ran into Famine." Dean said roughly.

"The horseman?" Bobby asked. Dean nodded and ushered Sam in. Dyson was close behind "And?"

"And Sam got jonesing for demon blood and managed to find some so he needs a detox run." Sam looked at Andy, pale faced, sweating, eyes full of pain. Andy sighed inwardly. It wouldn't be as bad, there was less to deal with, but she was not looking forward to feeling that again so soon. She moved to take Sam's hand, but he pulled away.

"No Andy." he said shaking his head. "I'm not going to let you." Dean looked between them confused.

"Let her do what?" he asked.

"Yea, let her do what?" Dyson said also giving them confused looks.

"Sam, come on. This way you won't waste any time. Just-" Andy said trying to reach for his hands again.

"No Andy. Let me deal with this. I won't let you put yourself through my pain."

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Sam looked between Dean and Andy.

"You didn't tell him?" He asked brow pinched together.

"Wasn't my place to tell him. That was between you and me." Andy answered looking away.

"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Dyson's voice raised in frustration. Before Andy could say anything Sam jumped in.

"She took on my withdrawal right after Lucifer rose." he said simply. Dean did a double take.

"You did what?" Both Dean and Dyson said in unison. They both paused and looked at each other in a strange way. Then Dean shook his head and looked back at Andy. Andy looked away from him.

"The motel. Your fever, the shaking." Dean said slowly. Andy nodded. Dean turned away running a hand down his face. "Ok. Sammy, come on."

"Dean wait." But he didn't look at her. He took his brother down to the panic room and locked him in.

Sam had a rough go. It was different for him, because he had to deal with the other effects of the blood that Andy hadn't had to. She could tell it was torture for Dean, listening to Sam going through that. Andy kept her distance. She knew he had to work through the fact that someone else had done something for Sam that he couldn't. But when she saw him bolt outside after a particularly violent outburst from Sam she couldn't stop herself, she followed him out. She watched as he took several shaky breaths. Raised his face to the sky.

"Please. I can't…I need some help. Please." Unshed tears in his voice. Andy moved closer to him.

"Dean?" she said softly. He jumped and turned to her quickly. His eyes full, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Andy silently walked to him and put her arms around his waist, and held him tight. It only took a moment for him to hold her back hard, bury his face in her shoulder and cry. When he finally stopped, Andy kissed him softly and looked into his eyes.

"I know what Famine said to you." she told him quietly. Dean's eyes widened. Then he sighed looking away from her. He took a shaky breath.

"He was right." Dean said roughly. -Andy took Dean's face in her hands and made him look at her.

"No, Dean. He wasn't. A person who feels as strongly and as much as you do can't be dead on the inside. You are broken, anyone with eyes could see that, but you are not dead." Dean was focusing on her now. He looked like he didn't believe her.

"Then why wasn't I affected by him? Why wasn't I hungry." Andy sighed. She thought she knew the answer, but Dean wasn't going to like it.

"You were," Dean shook his head and started to disagree "let me finish. You were affected, but the thing you were hungry for was nothing." Dean stopped trying to protest and looked at Andy confused. "Like I said, you feel so hard and so much that what you crave most, what you're hungry for is nothingness. You want to want nothing. So you did. But, being you, you kept going through the motions, like he said. He thought you were dead inside, because that is what you crave right now." Andy finished, her eyes wet. She knew she was right, and she knew Dean understood and it broke her heart that she was right. The thing he wanted most, was for it all to stop. She hugged him again. Hard. He held on to her, shaking, from what she wasn't sure, but he was here, he knew the truth, and they would get through it.

A few weeks later

The night Karen showed up at Bobby's Andy just about ran screaming from the house. She had had it with all the weird ass crap that had been going on the past few months and that was almost the last straw. She felt for all the people who had loved ones coming back to them. But it all just felt wrong. What was worse, was Bobby couldn't see it. Then suddenly, Dyson disappeared. Andy looked everywhere for him, but there was nothing. Then the boys rolled back into town, and all hell broke loose. Karen got sick. Wicked high fever, coughing up gross foamy gunk. Bobby begged Andy to heal her, but there was nothing she could do. This wasn't a normal illness. It was death coming back to bite it's victims in the ass. That was when Dyson showed back up. He had been off chatting with…Death…the horseman…again. Apparently he had pissed him off somehow and that was why Sioux Falls had to suffer. Andy's heart broke for Bobby when they burned Karen. She could see the pain in his eyes and it lingered. She knew it wouldn't go away easily.

Two months later

"Andy, we could really use you on this one. The state is lousy with demonic omens. Will you help?" Dean had called her after a search had reviled some serious crap in Minnesota. It didn't take much for her to get on her bike and ride out to meet the boys. It was interesting meeting another prophet. Like Chuck's her visions were more violent than Andy's, but they seemed real enough. They called Cas and hopped he would show up. Andy was suspicious about Leah. The paradise stuff was a bit much for her to swallow. It seemed that Dean almost seemed to buy it. Andy started to get really worried when Dean started talking about not fighting anymore. Then Cas showed up hammered and suddenly Andy had a very bad feeling. When he told her and Sam that Leah wasn't a prophet. After dealing with The Whore of Babylon Dean took off. He had suddenly become a servant of heaven. Luckily, someone upstairs, or downstairs or sideways for that matter, wanted him found. Andy saw where he went. All she wanted was to keep Dean from saying yes.

"You look like crap." Dean started and looked up. Seeing Andy's reflection sent a shock through Dean. The look on his face made Andy want to hold him and never let go. But she was fighting her pain that he needed to send a letter to Lisa so her face was hard, and his changed to match it.

"What are you doing here Andy?"

"I came to talk you down." Dean chuckled without humor.

"Well you can talk but I won't hear."

"Damn right you'll hear me." Andy said with such fire that Dean looked up at her stunned. "What the hell are you thinking!"

"Andy please don't" Dean all but whispered.

"Dean," she took a step towards him but he backed away from her. She stopped and looked at him eyes hard and hurt. "I can't help it. You decided to go and get angel fucked." She shrugged. "How is that in any way a good idea?"

"It's not your choice."

"No. It's not my choice. But I like to think that you and I have some respect for each other. And that you might at least hear what I have to say even if you won't listen." He looked at her steadily. She was struck by the hopelessness in her lover's eyes. She could see he was at a complete loss. "Dean, you have to see how wrong this is. You're just going to walk away. From Sam, from me? How could you do that?"

"How could I? Isn't that exactly what you do?" That hit Andy hard. She took a deep breath and soldiered on.

"I was wrong. And every time I did, I regretted it the moment I walked away. Please…please Dean just wait. We're working on this."

"You've got nothing and you know it Andy."

"Nothing? Dean we have Dyson, and me. I don't really think we need Michael at all here." Dean shook his head.

"No, I am not letting people I love get caught in the crossfire here."

"So you'll just leave the people you love high and dry instead. Besides who says we wouldn't get caught anyway."

"Better than loosing you all together." Andy sighed frustrated. "You know you can't stop me." Andy chuckled lightly.

"No, but I can slow you down." She nodded at something, or someone behind Dean. He turned and saw Dyson, who grabbed him and they went poof.

Andy wished Dean would settle. She couldn't handle his nervous pacing and his wicked attitude. Andy watched as he circled once more. Cas was also keeping a close eye on him. That also made Andy a bit nervous. She glanced at Dyson, who stood in the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face was stoic. She wasn't really paying attention to Dean raving about screwed pooches until she heard him say

"You're not my father. And you ain't in my shoes." She looked up at him slightly horrified at what he had just said to Bobby. Bobby pulled out his gun and put it on the desk. Then reached into his shirt pocket and produced the 'round he means to put through his skull.' Andy looked at Dean, whose face was closed and passive. Suddenly, Castiel grunted and held his head in pain. Andy rose, ready to…to do what she wasn't sure. Then he vanished. The tension doesn't leave the house and only gets worse when Cas comes back with an unconscious muddy boy.

"Oh my God," Andy said quietly.

"Who is that?" Bobby asked.

"That's Adam. That's our brother." Dean replied.

Between the four of them, Bobby, Dyson, Andy, and Sam kept Adam in check, locked Dean up in the panic room and tried to hash out a plan. It was hard for Andy. Watching Dean desperate to do what he thinks is right. Resorting to blowing Cas to heaven and bolting. Then Adam getting whisked away from under their noses. Andy, Dyson and Sam had their work cut out for them. Dyson went looking for Adam, but the angels had taken him somewhere Dyson couldn't track. When Cas reappeared with an unconscious Dean in tow Andy hoped it was over. No such luck. Cas figured out that the angels were holding Adam in the same place they had put Dean before Lucifer rose. All together, they went to get him back. The rescue mission was a bust. Cas managed to blow the angels guarding the outside away, but it also blew him away in the process. They left Dyson outside to guard their exit. Inside the room, things did not go well. Just as they were about to get Adam out, Zachariah showed up and as the epic dick that he was decided to make Sam, Adam and Andy spit blood while he tried to convince Dean to say yes. So not only did Andy have to watch Dean crumble under the pressure of watching his brothers and his lover hemorrhage, but she got to enjoy the feeling of blood filling her lungs. She could see it. Dean was going to say yes. But then he surprised all of them. With a small wink Dean turned the tables. In spite of getting to kill Zachariah, they still lost Adam. For all they knew he was dead, or worse. They all limped home to Bobby's, and tried to get up the balls to keep fighting.