Not going to lie – I hate this chapter, but they had to find the bunker some how. Thanks everyone who keeps reading. I have sadly slowed down a lot and I am a bit stuck transitioning from season 8 to season 9 but I have some ideas so we will see how it goes. Thanks for sticking with me and a special thanks to bjq who keeps commenting and making this feel like a worth while endeavour!

Chapter 29: Family Business

It was a whirlwind ride. Meeting John's father was rather surreal. Learning about the Men of Letters was even more so. Andy wasn't surprised that an order like them existed. All the magic flowing through the world there must have been more than hunters in on the secrets. When Abaddon came through the portal Andy had one of her feelings. It wasn't a vision, but she could tell Abaddon was going to cause all sorts of problems. The long drive to Illinois was grating. Andy could see Dean's stress level rising with every hour. After a lovely night of grave digging and figuring out that one elder had survived, they found a place to crash. When they settled in the motel and Dean started telling Henry about how John lived, she could see he was having a hard time.

"John was a legacy. I was supposed to teach him the way of the letters." Henry said with regret. Dean's eyes went hard. Andy could see where this was going.

"I had a responsibility. It was a risk I had to take."

"You had a responsibility to your family," Dean said, getting up. Andy watched, gauging Dean's mood. She let him go. It was pretty clear he needed some time to process. After a while Andy went after him and brought him back to the motel for some sleep.

The morning brought more complications, as Henry decided to take matters into his own hands. Sam went to find the elder while Dean and Andy went after Henry. They found him in a new age looking hoodoo shop. He was trying to do the blood sigil. Andy hung back while Dean tried to talk him down. It seemed like he would win, until his phone rang. Abaddon had Sam. She wanted to trade. Henry and the key, whatever that was, for Sam alive. Henry tried to start the blood sigil again. But Dean would have none of it and knocked his grandfather out.

Dean and Andy laid Henry out in the back seat and started towards Sam and Abaddon. When Henry came to, Dean asked if he could keep Abaddon busy and he would take care of the rest. Henry etched a devil's trap into a bullet that would trap Abaddon in the meat suit as well as keep her still. When they got to the factory, Dean made Andy stay in the car.

"Not a chance Dean!"

"Andy…please…I can't…I can't risk losing you again. Abaddon is the toughest demon we have ever come up against…I can't…I can't risk it Andy," Dean stuttered out. Andy looked at him stunned. She nodded.

"Ok. Ok babe. But if you're not out in ten minutes I'm coming in." Dean nodded and left her. She waited her ten minutes, then went sprinting in. She saw the closed door and ran to it. She hauled it open. She took in the scene. Abaddon, headless, Henry in Sam's arms with blood on his lips. She ran to the boys and knelt. Henry looked up at her with a pained, yet still slightly cocky smile.

"We did it," Henry said. Dean huffed a chuckle out.

"No, you did it. That wasn't bad Henry." Dean looked at Andy. "Can you…?" She slipped into her sight. Henry had already lost too much blood. Andy shook her head. But she took his hand and deadened the nerves, so he felt less pain. Henry looked at Andy grateful for the relief.

"You better be good to this woman Dean. She's something special."

Dean smiled grimly.

"Don't I know it." He put a hand on Andy's arm.

"I'm sorry I judged you all so harshly. I should have known better. You're Winchesters. That means there's hope." Sam and Dean exchanged sorrowful looks. "I may not have known my son as a man. But seeing you two, I know I would have been proud of him." Henry took Dean's hand, and gave the key to Sam. He exhaled, and the light went out of his eyes.

They buried him with his friends in the cemetery. Andy let the boys have a moment. When they wandered back to the car Dean walked right into her arms. She held him close. He pulled away and kissed her head.

"We need to see if the place is still standing," he said, waving the box with the key.

"Ok, let's get rolling. It's not too far."

Not only was it standing, but the place was also, as Dean put it, a freaking Bat Cave. When they walked in, it was dark, a bit musty and outdated. When Dean found the breaker switches and the lights came on, it was a whole new ball game. The front section was like a communications center. Radios, telegraph, old world map table. What came next was more or less a living room that doubled as a library, filled to the brim with books, knickknacks, swords, all sorts of stuff. It took some exploring, but they found bathrooms, bedrooms, a full kitchen, and storage rooms.

"Wow," was all Andy could say. It took all of one day for Sam to start pouring through books. Dean was skeptical at first.

"Let's not go all geek on this stuff." Andy glared at Dean, who got distracted by a sword on display. "I mean, don't get me wrong, this stuff is awesome. But it's not like they knew some big secrets we don't know." Sam turned to his brother, bitch face in place.

"Dean, they were a secret society. We may really have something here. To help…us…humanity. You know we could use a break, what if this is our break?" Dean looked seriously at Sam.

"Ok Sam. You're right. Have fun. I'm going to go pick out a room." Andy chuckled and Sam rolled his eyes as Dean wandered off to go exploring.

"I bet he picks something up and gets cursed at some point," Andy said only partly joking.

"I'd take that bet," Sam chuckled and turned back to the book he was pouring over. Andy smiled at Sam, got up and ruffled his hair.

"Like a kid in a comic bookstore," she said affectionately. Sam swatted playfully at her with a small grin and went back to reading. Andy wandered off to…find Dean, explore…she wasn't sure. It was all just a little surreal.

She did find Dean; he was poking around through the barrack quarters. Andy wasn't really interested; she would let Dean decide where he wanted to be, and she would choose her own space accordingly. She wandered away and continued poking around. There were rooms filled with stacks of case file boxes, old supplies, everything. She started just opening random doors and going in if something looked different or interesting. This was how she found it. Andy opened the door and was hit by a smell of stale, musty, dry, plant life. It was a familiar smell to her. The number of times she had worked as an herbalist over her life was not a small number. She breathed in several sense memories at once. When she opened her eyes she smiled. The room was large but crowded. One wall was floor to ceiling wooden drawers, another wall had shelves full of glass jars and vials. There was a bench with old fashioned scales and measures, and an honest to gods' cauldron. Andy went into the room and started poking around. She found that the drawers were full of dried herbs and other medicinal plants. She also found several volumes of a medicinal and magical plant encyclopedia. 'I think I may have found heaven,' Andy thought to herself. She brought a few of the books back up to the library and sat at the table across from Sam. He glanced up at her and cocked his head questioningly.

"You have your fun and I have mine," she said, showing him the front cover of the book. He smiled at her and nodded.

Over the next few weeks the three of them settled into the Men of Letters bunker. Dean took some time and went to check on Garth and Kevin while Andy and Sam started combing through the bunker's information and archives. Andy found it rather meditative, and she knew Sam loved it. When she had time, Andy would go back to the Apothecary, which she had nicknamed the medicinal plant room, and read over the books, catalogue what inventory was still good, what needed replacing and what needed to be added from her own knowledge. It became her passion project. She started taking little trips to some nearby wooded areas to gather wild edibles and medicinal. When Dean got back, and Sam brought up a new case, Andy decided to stay behind and keep working on the catalogue. She had come to the realization that nearly two years in Purgatory had in a sense burned away her need to hunt. She had fought tooth and claw to survive, and, at least for now, she didn't have to do that. She decided if the boys ever needed help, she would be there. But she knew they could handle themselves, and they didn't need her with them when she did not have her heart in the hunt anymore. When she told the boys her decision they both understood, Dean seemed almost relieved at her decision. So, she went to work.

Dean called a few days after leaving on the most recent hunt.

Hey babe, you are not going to believe this.

What?

I killed Hitler!

…you did what now?

I killed Hitler, the case, this Thule Society was trying to bring Hitler back, which they actually did, but then I ganked him!

Ok…that…was not what I was expecting from this phone call. Umm…congratulations I guess?

Ha ha, thanks Andy. Look we'll be back in a while but we might have to stop over somewhere so don't wait up for us ok?

Sure thing sweetheart.

Andy hung up the phone and shook her head. Her life was too weird to explain on so many levels. They boys were back home the next day. Dean walked in with a smile on his face, dropped his bag and scooped Andy up into a hug. Andy giggled and squeezed him back.

"You're in a good mood," she said kissing him.

"I like having a woman to come home to," he said and then paused a moment "I like having a home to come home to." Andy was caught off guard by the statement. But of course, it made sense. The closest thing the boys had had to a home was Bobby's and that had been gone for a couple of years now. She glanced at Sam, who had a similarly surprised and sad expression on his face. Dean put Andy down and grabbed his bag.

"I'm going to hit the shower then do a supply run," he said heading down to his bedroom. Andy shook her head.

"Did he really kill Hitler?" Andy asked Sam who was watching his brother go.

"He really did," Sam answered chuckling, "and he is not going to shut up about it…ever I think." Andy laughed and hugged Sam.

"Welcome home," she said with a bit of weight. Sam smiled and squeezed her back.

A few days later, Andy came out of her room, she had chosen the one across the hall from Dean's and saw the man moving around in his own room. He had been organizing and decorating and it was really starting to come together. She moved to lean against his doorway. Andy watched Dean pull a faded photograph out of his wallet.

"Hey Mom," he said softly as he laid it on his lamp. Andy smiled.

"Looks good babe." Dean swung round to face her.

"You kidding? It's perfect. I haven't had my own room…ever." Andy smiled at him and held her arms out. Dean put his arms around her waist, lifted her up and spun her around. Andy laughed.

"I'm glad you're so excited. You deserve your own space." Dean put her down, suddenly somber.

"Andy…I hope. I hope you don't take me wanting my own room the wrong way…" Andy shook her head.

"Dean, what did I just say? You deserve to have a little space. This is something you have never had. Anyway, my room is right across the hall. If you want me to sleep over, or you want to spend a night in my bed, all you have to do is say the word. But believe me, I understand. Don't worry at all." Dean sighed with relief. He hugged Andy close.

"Seriously, how did I land such a cool chick?"

"I just have skewed standards." Dean kissed her. "I'm hungry. We should make some dinner." Andy said and took Dean's hand intending to lead him to the kitchen. He stopped her for a moment and swung her into him for another kiss. Andy laughed and playfully fought him.

"I wasn't lying Dean! I want food!" Dean smiled at her, a little nervously.

"I, uh, I have something I want to give you," Dean said, fiddling with something in his pocket. Andy stopped struggling and looked at him seriously. Dean pulled a small box out of his pocket and fiddled with it. Andy's eyes went wide.

"This isn't a proposal or anything," Dean said quickly. Andy blew a breath out through closed lips. "I don't think either of us are really…ready for that if we ever will be. I just wanted to give you something…something you could keep with you, no matter where you were to remember me…us…and so…maybe you can feel like…you're really family." Dean cleared his throat nervously and opened the box. Inside was a simple silver ring. Four thin strands crossed over each other, two strands were brushed texture, two were shined. He picked up Andy's right hand and slid the ring onto her middle finger. It fit beautifully. Andy stared at it, then looked back up at Dean, eyes shining. Dean looked concerned for a moment. "If you're not into it it's ok…I –" Andy cut him off by throwing her arms around him.

"Dean, shut up. It is perfect and I love it." She kissed him deeply. "This means a lot to me Dean, I like having something that can remind me that I belong to someone. That I'm yours. Thank you," she said as she held him tightly. They broke apart, and Dean took her hand, and they went down to the kitchen together. They whipped up some seriously good burgers and had a pretty decent meal. They were just finishing up when Dean's phone rang.

"Kevin, Kevin what's wrong?"