Author's note: Just a reminder that the story isn't over. I still have a lot to write. If I am slow it could be due to me being in graduate school, a single mom, or be health related. Thank you for reviews. I love them. I'm hoping to have more time to write this summer as I will not be in school. I will, however, be having more surgeries. Fingers crossed this main surgery goes better than the last one.
Missouri had been bombarded by calls from other psychics. Anyone with any type of psychic ability had gotten powerful visions and signs. The spirit world was busy and it was causing turmoil. Missouri had her own visions that told her to call John because it likely had something to do with the Winchesers. It always did.
John shared the previous day with Missouri. Could the turmoil be caused by the mark that Kate put on Smith's soul? Did something happen in those moments that caused ripples that reached the dead?
The spirit world rarely reacted to the outside world and if it did, it was in small batches as ghosts were disturbed or scenances held. It was a vast expanse of nothingness connecting small pockets of lost souls that were suspended in time. Like with the ghost that Andy's biological mother spoke to to try to contact Andy, spirits could communicate at certain times but it was triggered the spirit frenzy caused dormant spirits to become active. They were confused and crying out for help, drowning psychics in a wave of misery.
Psychics that didn't communicate with spirits had visions of the future, far more vivid than they typically did. Some of the visions were cryptic while others were fairly obvious. Sam had one of the obvious ones. He just didn't know at the time what triggered it or that it wasn't just a dream.
(Dean)
Dean checked in with John so he knew that Missouri called and that she said the spirit world was freaking out. That was about all he got though. He couldn't sleep because his head was full of racing thoughts. Kim was sleeping peacefully but she was pale. She was a distraction from everything going on supernaturally but he didn't think she was a negative distraction. He didn't think a demon had made her sick to pull him away from his family. He couldn't know for sure though so he stayed awake, thinking of every possibility and problem that could arise. It was useless, in a sense. Most of the things that had happened in recent years were things he could not have fathomed.
(Sam)
Sam wasn't sleeping much either. After his 'dream' about Jacob, his heart was in his throat. He felt uncomfortable and struggled to stay still, trying not to alarm Jess.
Jess was already alarmed, though. She could feel Sam's tension alongside her own. She knew that Sam's 'dream' had been a vision but she couldn't understand it. They had solutions. Why would Jacob be left alone? Why wouldn't a nymph be with him? Why would Tony even take him? She doubted that he'd have a sudden change of heart and want to be an involved father. He was too busy chasing revenge.
Out of the darkness Sam heard a heavy sigh.
"Do you feel like your dad abandoned you?." Jess asked.
Sam rolled over. "What?"
"I know he was a bad dad at times and left you alone with Dean but he didn't actually abandon you." Jess said.
Sam probably would have argued with Jess had the comment been made five years ago but she was right. "He wasn't a bad dad."
"I've heard stories." Jess said.
Sam tucked his hands behind his head. "Things changed. I used to hate him sometimes. I'm an adult now so our dynamic changed but I think he does a good job with the kids. It is weird." He let out a long breath. "I'm all the way over here at Stanford and feel disconnected. He is so different now that it almost feels like Kate and Taylor have a different dad."
"Do you feel like you are missing out?" Jess asked.
"Not in the way I thought I would. I'm not jealous that he is better now. I'm just happy we can talk without wanting to kill each other." Sam said. "I can honestly say that where I am right now is not at all where I thought I would be when I left Sioux Falls."
They chatted for a while, soothing each other so they were both able to sleep for a few more hours before the sun came up. They saw the mistakes other people made and made a pact to not do the same.
(The next day)
John had spoken to Missouri for a while before trying to get some sleep. He knew Kate would instantly blame herself about the spirits. It didn't matter if she had anything to do with upsetting them or not.
True to nature, Kate woke up anxious and on edge.
John stopped her before she got all the way down the stairs. "Did you have visions last night?"
Kate eyed him. "Yeah."
"What about?" John asked.
"There was a tornado." Kate said. She rubbed her eyes. "What is going on?"
John studied her before answering. "Missouri called me last night. The spirit world is more active than usual and a few psychics she knows were hit hard enough with visions that they thought to call her."
Kate gasped. "The tornado could have been spirits. There were voices." She trailed off and stopped talking.
"Stop doing that." John said.
"What?" Kate asked.
"Trying to connect it to something you did." John said.
"It is weird timing if it has nothing to do with what I did." Kate countered.
"I am going to make some calls. Draw it out if you need to. I do not want you to spiral." John said.
"I'm the epitome of stability today." Kate said.
John eyed her.
"I won't do anything stupid." Kate said. "If I use my abilities, I'll probably make it worse."
"That isn't what I meant." John said. He shook his head. "I'm going to call your brother."
(Dean)
Dean woke up before Kim did. He made coffee and called John to check in. He was instantly worried about the changes in spirit activity. Did that mean that ghost activity would be increased? He was deep into a conversation with John when he heard Kim start to wake up. He excused himself from the conversation and told John that he would be back as soon as possible.
Of course, John told him not to rush back. They didn't know anything yet.
Dean sat on the end of Kim's bed. "How are you feeling?"
Kim winced. "I'm okay."
Dean raised an eyebrow.
"I'm alive." Kim said.
"Do you want some coffee?" Dean asked.
Kim just nodded. She put her feet on the floor and stood up but got dizzy as she did.
Dean helped her sit down. "I'll bring it in here." He poured a second cup of coffee and brought it back to the room. He stopped in the doorway. "Wait. Why are you crying?"
Kim sniffled. "You are so nice."
Dean placed the cup of coffee on the nightstand.
"You are supposed to be a hook up and you are just nice." Kim said.
Dean furrowed his brows.
"I shouldn't have called you. I am sorry. I didn't know who else to call." Kim said.
"I'm glad you called me." Dean said. "You don't have to apologize."
"No strings attached. No obligations." Kim said.
"I chose to pick you up." Dean said. He wasn't sure if she was emotional or just sick.
Kim settled enough to sip her coffee. She had mixed feelings but mostly, she felt like a burden.
Dean sighed. "What is up with your health?" He saw a change in her face. "I'm just curious. You don't have to tell me."
"I have an autoimmune disorder and some other stuff. It is complicated and I don't think the doctors really know what it is." Kim said.
"Do you get sick like this a lot?" Dean asked.
Kim frowned.
"I'm asking because I am concerned." Dean added.
"I get sick a lot. I'm sorry." Kim said. "Sometimes a cold can knock me out but other times it is just the symptoms acting up."
"What kind of symptoms?" Dean asked.
"Headaches, body aches, you know…. Normal stuff." Kim said.
Dean's phone lit up, alerting him to a call. "Hold on. I'll be right back." He stepped into the other room and spoke in hushed tones. It was Sam.
Sam told Dean about the previous night and the vision of Jacob. At the time, Sam didn't know that the influx in visions was a widespread issue. He just thought he had a random vision and called Dean to hash it out.
"Missouri called dad last night to let him know that she and a bunch of other psychics got hit hard yesterday." Dean whispered.
"Shit." Sam said. "Then Jacob could be in danger."
"Check on him. Call Marie." Dean said.
Sam was quiet for a long moment. "Where are you?"
"Kim's apartment." Dean said slowly.
"Maybe don't stay there." Sam said.
"Why?" Dean asked.
"I don't know. It is just a feeling." Sam said.
"I was going to head home to help dad." Dean said.
Sam was quiet for a moment longer. "Don't leave her there."
Dean felt goosebumps race across his skin. "Sam, what is going on?"
"I don't know." Sam said. "It could be nothing but it is best to just roll with things until we know differently."
"Where am I going to go then?" Dean asked. "I can't just go to Bobby's house."
"Why?" Sam asked.
Dean was exasperated. "She isn't Jess, Sam."
"I mean…. Just tell people to keep conversation quiet." Sam said. "Go to Marie's house."
"Yeah, like I'm going to be able to convince her to do a three hour drive with me when she feels like crap." Dean said.
"Is she sick?" Sam asked.
Dean was twitchy. He was taking in every sound, smell and sight around him. "I'll call you back."
Kim could only hear the rises and falls of Dean's tone so she knew the conversation was serious. She just didn't know what the topic was.
Dean rubbed his face as he walked back into the room.
"You can go." Kim said.
"Huh?" Dean asked.
"That sounded serious. You can go." Kim said.
"You can't even stand up." Dean said.
Kim shrugged. "I'll manage."
Dean shook his head. "No."
"What do you mean no?" Kim asked with a snort.
Dean met eyes with her. He gave her a slight smirk. "You called me for help. That means you have to put up with being helped. I don't want to leave you here and have you pass out."
"Dean, I'm fine. Seriously." Kim said.
Dean got another call and growled. "Give me a minute."
It was John that time. They were still at Marie's house working on the Krissy situation.
"Sam just called me." Dean said.
"Did he have a vision?" John asked.
"Yes." Dean said. "He had one about Jacob but also suggested that Kim and I not stay here for long."
Kim was caught somewhere between concerned and curious when Dean popped back into the room.
"We need to go to my…. grandmother's house." Dean said.
"We?" Kim asked.
Dean paused. "Yes."
"Okay." Kim said, putting her feet back on the floor.
"Okay?" Dean asked.
Kim shrugged. "Yeah."
"Just okay?" Dean asked. He had meant to be more tactful but he was worried about why they needed to leave. "You aren't going to question that?"
"No." Kim said.
Dean leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Why?"
"You have had several conversations with family members, look slightly alarmed and said we needed to go." Kim said.
Dean was trying to think of how he was going to convince her to go and hadn't prepared for total cooperation. It threw him off and made him cautious. Did she know more than he thought she did? "You really shouldn't just go along with people that way."
"Fine. Are we actually going to your grandmother's house?" Kim asked.
Dean's eyes drifted. "I mean… she isn't actually my grandmother. She is a grandmother figure."
"Are you prepared to explain, in detail, why you feel alarmed?" Kim asked.
Dean paused.
"No. So why argue?" Kim asked.
"You don't know me that well and are just agreeing to suddenly go with me to somewhere you don't know." Dean said.
Kim slowly got to her feet. "I do know you, though. I don't know a lot about your family but I know you are kind. I know you are protective and go out of your way to help people. You have a good heart. Besides, if you are trying to kidnap me, I don't know what your end goal is. My family isn't going to pay to get me back."
"It is a two to three hour drive." Dean said.
"That gives you time to explain." Kim said. She pointed to a bag at the corner of the room. "I'll just throw some stuff in that and we can go."
Dean put his shirt on and grabbed the bag for her. He didn't know if she actually trusted him that much or if she just had no value for her own life. She wasn't possessed. If anything was off, the nymphs or the kids would notice it right away.
(Marie's house)
John called a short family meeting to let people know that Dean would be bringing Kim with him. They needed to watch what they said and did around her but he also knew that Dean would be getting hell. "Do not tease him while she is here."
Taylor scoffed. "He has never given me that courtesy."
"I do not know what is going on yet or why Sam didn't think they should stay there. It is best to keep things as calm as possible." John said.
"What about Krissy?" Kate asked.
They couldn't count on Krissy not to say something randomly.
"Wipe her memory for now and then we will discuss what to do in the long run." John said.
"As long as Lee is okay with it." Kate said. She caught the look John gave her. He didn't seem to care if Lee was okay with it or not.
"We have a few hours before they get here." John said.
"Hide the occult." Taylor said. He looked around. Nothing in the house screamed that they were involved in the supernatural but he had also grown accustomed to everything.
Kate caught wind of something and hid a smirk.
John had an intense thought about Sam and him being there right before Sam and Jess opened the front door.
Marie smiled. "Jacob is napping. You are welcome to check on him."
Jess ditched the others to do just that.
Sam was radiating psychic energy that only Kate could feel. They still had that connection. She concocted her best idea to date and glanced at Taylor momentarily to share the idea.
Taylor schooled his features and gave her a subtle nod. Missouri said that anyone who had any type of psychic ability had been hit. If they were going to try to convince John that he was psychic, this could be their only chance. It did involve pushing things into his head and using abilities but an opportunity like that was once in a lifetime.
(Sioux Falls)
An hour into the drive to Marie's house, Dean got a call from Bobby. Weird things were happening. It had gotten colder and there was an electrical issue throughout the city. That just made Dean drive faster to get farther away. Typically, he'd want to turn back to help but it was no coincidence that Sam told him to leave right before things got dicey.
Caleb was in contact with Bobby as well as John. John had called to ask if Andy had visions before everything started happening.
Andy had. He had nightmares and couldn't sleep the night before.
Beyond the timing of things, certain areas in Sioux Falls weren't having electrical issues. Namely, Caleb's house, Bobby's house, Jodi's house, Hannah's house and Nate's house. They got through to each other when they couldn't get them out to other places. Kim's apartment was a ways outside of Sioux Falls but it didn't sit well with any of them. If it wasn't supernatural, why was it avoiding houses that were warded? Which warding was keeping whatever it was out?
Taylor worried about Hailey. Her house wasn't warded. He had hidden a few things but he couldn't reach her on her cell phone. He was only put at ease when a few nymphs went to check on the family and post up outside the house.
Not knowing what was going to happen, Caleb decided to take his family to Bobby's house. Bobby had that panic room and Caleb didn't like being the only set of eyes. He also didn't want either of his boys to have issues that would out them to Kim. They used the nymph express to get to Bobby's house and hunkered down for what looked like a massive storm.
(The roadhouse)
The roadhouse was crowded and loud. Reports were being made about strange activity and hunters were on edge. It was like a powder keg, waiting to blow.
Ellen was doing her best to keep everyone calm as they tried to figure out what to do. Was it demons? Was it ghosts? Reports were pointing toward a variety of things that didn't make a whole lot of sense. It was best to plan for everything.
Jo listened to conversations and wrote things down as she served beers to anxious hunters. She may have watered it down a little in an attempt to keep the peace. Anxious hunters were bad. Drunk anxious hunters were really bad.
Ellen pulled a box from under the bar and looked through the contents. She had gotten it from Kate a few months prior. It had stamps for demon sigils. No one was getting in or out of the bar without a stamp. Ghosts were easier to keep out than demons. Demons were sneaky.
One hunter saw her at the bar with the box. "What is that?"
Ellen used a stamp to stamp a napkin.
The hunter took the napkin. "Is this an anti-possession sigil?"
"Yes." Ellen said.
"Where did you get this?" The hunter asked.
Ellen took the napkin back. "A friend."
The hunter chuckled. "Does it work?"
"Yes." Ellen said. "I don't want anyone going in or out of here without one."
The hunter nodded. He rolled up his sleeve so she could stamp his forearm. He studied the stamp. It didn't have any breaks in the lines and looked solid. "What kind of ink is that?"
Ellen wasn't sure. She knew it had things added into it to make it stain the skin, difficult to wash off and react if the person was already possessed.
The hunter whistled and waved over two other hunters. "Give her your arm."
They traded looks but let Ellen stamp them.
The first hunter rolled his sleeve back down. "You let me know if anyone gives you trouble."
Ellen thanked him. He was a regular. He was typically quiet but had a good reputation. If things got rowdy, he was usually there to throw people out if Ellen couldn't convince them to go willingly.
Jo talked to Noah. She wanted to meet up with him but she needed to help Ellen. She had a gut instinct to react a certain way but was at war with herself. What if it wasn't the right gut instinct. What if it was just her natural way of doing things that would lead her into a trap? She didn't like the tension in the roadhouse but it was probably the safest place at that time.
(Marie's house)
Sam was growing uncomfortable with not knowing where Tony was. He hadn't gotten any messages back and was starting to wonder if Tony had gotten himself killed. The vision of Jacob being alone was fresh in his mind and he wanted answers.
John picked up on Sam's irritation and called Tony's phone several times. He was not nearly as patient as Sam was.
Kate found herself somewhat calm. The fallout with Hannah had knocked her out of her spiral but the spiral was never far away. It was hard not to blame herself for what was happening. Even if she had caused it, she didn't mean to cause it.
John got a call from Dean and let everyone know they were getting close so that all conversation about the supernatural would be kept quiet.
Taylor looked at the time. "How did he drive from the other side of Sioux Falls this quickly?"
John raised an eyebrow. "She fell asleep."
"You aren't even going to fuss at him for speeding?" Taylor asked.
"Feel free to do that." John said. "I have bigger problems."
Kate had chewed her fingernails until she met the skin. It was a bad habit she really needed to break. She looked at her nails and frowned. She'd never have nice nails at that rate.
Dean pulled off the road onto the first stretch that led to Marie's house.
Kim woke up as the tires met gravel. She rubbed her eyes and stretched. She could see fields and trees but not much of anything else. "Where are we?"
"Almost there." Dean said. "They live in the middle of nowhere.
Kim sat up.
"They own a lot of land and have a farm." Dean said.
Kim saw the top of a building in the distance and identified it as a barn as they got closer. She saw horses and cows. "You didn't say they lived out in the middle of nowhere."
"You didn't ask." Dean said.
Kim cracked a smile. "No, I didn't."
They were met outside the house by the dogs that sniffed around the car and greeted both of them.
Kim opened the door. She put her feet on the ground and winced. She was still weak.
Dean walked around. He held out his hand.
"I've got it." Kim said.
"If you don't fall because you pass out, you are going to fall because of the dogs." Dean said.
Kim looked toward the house.
Dean followed her eyes. "If they come out here and realize I let you try to walk alone and you fell, they will physically hurt me."
Kim scrunched her nose.
"I can carry you if you are set on not taking my hand." Dean said.
Kim lightly smacked his hand away. "Do that and I will physically hurt you."
Dean held out his elbow instead so she could hold onto his arm. He really didn't want her to fall. She looked so pale. He wondered if Kate or Cas could figure out what was wrong with her.
John had another intense thought and told everyone to make themselves busy because Dean probably didn't want Kim to feel crowded.
That was exactly what Dean was thinking and he was surprised that the living room wasn't full of nosey people when the door opened.
Marie welcomed them inside. She introduced herself and told Kim to have a seat on the couch.
Dean sat with her. He looked around and furrowed his brows. He got up. "I'm going to grab you something to drink." He followed Marie. "Where is everyone?"
"Your dad told them to make themselves busy so she wasn't crowded." Marie said.
Dean pulled a face. He got a drink and returned to Kim. "Do you need to put your feet up?"
"No." Kim said, quietly.
John eventually came back into the house. He acknowledged Kim and Dean and stepped into Rod's office to grab some papers.
"Where is Sam?" Dean asked.
"On the phone. Jess is upstairs." John said.
Dean felt off. John seemed off. Jess would probably make Kim the most comfortable. Why did John point out where she was though? He shrugged and stood at the bottom of the stairs. He called Jess's name and waited for her to appear at the top of the stairs.
Jess smiled. She had Jacob in her arms. "You made it." She followed him back to the couch and introduced herself and Jacob.
Kim loved babies. She smiled at him and touched his foot.
"You didn't tell me you had a nephew." Kim said.
Dean rubbed the back of his head. "Well he isn't their kid. They just babysit."
Jess kept Kim's attention by chatting and gave Dean the opportunity to check on other family members.
Dean found Sam and got caught up with him. They were standing outside, talking quietly.
Sam made a comment just moments before John showed up.
John handed Sam his journal. "Call those two numbers."
Sam and Dean traded looks. They knew their dad well and both boys thought he was acting weird.
"There is no way he heard that." Dean said.
Sam had wanted the numbers of the trackers that John knew. He wanted someone to put eyes on Tony. It wasn't even a full thought and John just magically showed up with the exact numbers that Sam needed. Since Sam had been there longer, he had noticed more than Dean had. "My abilities got jump started.. You don't think…."
"Maybe he does have abilities." Dean said. "I guess we just have to test it out to see."
Kim was nervous but liked Jess. She had just trusted Dean about leaving her apartment but now she was somewhere surrounded by people she didn't know.
Jess had Sam and Dean come back inside. "This is Sam."
Kim gave him a small wave.
Sam gave her a small wave back. "Hi."
Jess asked Sam to make a bottle for Jacob.
"Where are the kids?" Dean asked.
"No idea." Jess said.
Dean wanted to see if they picked anything up about John's behavior. He didn't want to keep leaving Kim though. He wanted to know everything that was going on but had to play it cool.
Marie asked Kim if she liked spaghetti or had any allergies. She wanted to make her as comfortable as possible.
Kim met people as they walked in and out of the house but not more than one or two at a time. Everyone was nice.
Dean noted that she looked tired. He asked her if she was supposed to take anything around that time. He didn't want to embarrass her. He got her bag and sat it beside her so that she could grab the medication she needed.
"Dean!" Kate said and wrapped her arms around him.
"Hey, kiddo." Dean said.
Kate waved to Kim. "Hi, again."
Kim smiled. "Hi."
Dean convinced Kim to go upstairs to the room he stayed in. She was visibly exhausted. He didn't want her to push herself and get sick again. He also wanted to talk to his family about the spirit issue.
Sam was talking to John when Dean found them. They were talking about Tony and Sam was heated.
"Still can't find him?" Dean asked.
"No!" Sam said. "I'm pretty sure he's getting the calls too. They don't all go straight to voicemail."
"Can nymphs find him?" Dean asked.
"They have nothing to go off of." John said. "The plan is to look in the area he said he was in."
Sam was tense.
"Well if he isn't coming back, at least that vision won't come true." Dean said. The look he got from Sam worried him. "I'm kidding, man. You know visions don't always come true. You saved Jess."
Sam blew air through his nose. "Did I? Or did I just drag her so far into this that she can't get out?"
"Whoa." Dean said.
Sam shook his head. "I'm angry at Tony. I was scared. I got to thinking about what I would do if anything did happen and then what I'd do if something happens to Jess."
"Is there anything I can do?" Dean asked.
Sam looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. He swallowed the anger and met eyes with Dean with a smirk. "So, uh…. She isn't just a friend with benefits."
Dean leaned against the railing of the porch. "You told me to bring her."
John didn't say anything but he did look at Dean.
"What?" Dean asked. "She got sick. You told me to bring her."
"I saw how you look at her." Sam said.
Dean shook his head. "I regret coming out here." He spun on his heel and went back inside. He ran into Kate who looked slightly guilty. He grabbed her arm and pulled her to stand in front of him. "What are you doing?"
Kate blinked. "What?"
"What are you up to?" Dean asked.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Kate said.
Dean raised an eyebrow. "Katelyn."
Kate licked her lips. "It is nothing you wouldn't approve of."
Dean snorted. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
Kate glanced outside before grabbing Dean's hand and pulling him into the hallway. "Have you noticed dad?"
"Him acting weird?" Dean asked.
"Yes." Kate said.
Dean bent to be at Kate's level. "What are you doing?"
"Missouri said any psychic that had any level of ability was active right now." Kate said.
"So?" Dean asked.
"Sam got booted up. So did Andy." Kate said. She gave him a sheepish grin. "So if dad does have abilities they'd show up now."
Dean looked into her eyes. "You are screwing with him."
Kate reached up to cover his mouth. "Shhhh. We don't know for sure he isn't psychic."
"Is that how he knew to get people out of the house?" Dean asked. "Are you compelling him?"
"No." Kate said. "We… I mean I… suggested things."
"Katelyn Amelia." Dean said, trying not to crack a smile. "He is going to kill you. I'm assuming Taylor is helping you."
"Please don't say anything." Kate said.
"What if you throw him off and someone gets hurt?" Dean asked. "There is a lot going on right now for you to be messing with his head."
"We have done nothing dangerous." Kate said.
"You aren't even supposed to be using abilities." Dean said.
"That is why I have help." Kate said.
Dean almost jumped when he heard John's boots stepping closer to the front door. As long as the prank was harmless, he thought it was funny. That didn't mean he wanted to be involved. Kate and Taylor were far more brave than he ever was. He was 99% sure that John did not have abilities but that 1% made him think John would know if he even remotely condoned what the kids were doing. "You're on your own."
Kate was left standing in the hallway as John entered the house. She ducked into the sideroom to avoid John because she too wasn't 100% sure he didn't actually have abilities.
(Sioux Falls)
Ian wasn't outwardly affected by the strangeness going on in town. He seemed slightly more clingy but he wasn't irritable. That raised additional questions since he had been a wreck when Abbadon and the other demons surrounded the house. Did that mean that it wasn't demon related?
Andy, on the other hand, was not doing well. He was scared. He was jumpy and confused. He thought his dreams were just dreams but knowing they were visions scared him even more. He had seen a tornado with faces. He saw the tornado take out buildings and could hear people crying. He didn't want to sleep for fear that he would see the tornado again. It was windy outside and the adults looked stressed.
Caleb talked to the other adults. They needed a game plan. If things got hairy, they would send April and the kids to the panic room. Karen would be there to help April manage Lauren and the boys. They had nymphs around. It was the unknown that scared them.
Hannah and her parents were tense as well. The parents couldn't tell the other kids anything about spirits so they struggled to answer questions the boys had. Austin was especially curious. Ryan didn't care as long as they had electricity.
Jodi was at work but Owen and Shawn were at home. They had nymphs on standby to get them to Bobby's house if things took a turn.
Nate was the only one in his family worried about the strange outages. He and Taylor had warded the house in secret but it wasn't as well warded as the other houses. He didn't know how safe they were. He didn't want one of his parents to leave for groceries and get hurt.
(Missouri)
Missouri had gotten phone call after phone call. When she wasn't on the phone, she was answering her door as friends stopped by to discuss the things they were seeing.
One psychic that was known for contacting the dead had woken up during the night to three spirits standing at the end of her bed. She gathered that they were the deceased family members of clients that she had held seances with. Sometimes, if the relative could not be reached, she told the client that their grandmother said that she loved them or that she said it was okay to move on. She never wanted to put words into someone's mouth but some people just needed closure. Her connection to the spirit world was often spotty and it was rare that she connected well enough to hold a full conversation. When she woke up, she was scared and thought she was being attacked.
One spirit was the grandmother in question. She remembered the psychic's voice and, thankfully, everything the psychic said to her granddaughter was what she would have said anyway. The second was a young man that had killed himself decades ago. He came back from the war and couldn't adapt to civilian life. He had left his wife and young child but had taken his life in a way that allowed his wife to get his life insurance. He had regrets but his wife was able to move on and the child grew up with a step father that loved them. The third was a young woman that didn't know where she was. She didn't know how she died. She was unstable and caused the lights to flicker. The first two spirits moved on after they spoke to the third faded into the veil but the psychic could still feel her presence.
Missouri was grateful that her friend had not been harmed and the spirits were not vengeful. It just seemed like they found her because they had been contacted before. Several psychics had told her similar stories. The ghosts were active but many just wanted to move on.
(Tessa)
Tessa had been busy. She had been reaping souls left and right. As soon as she transported one soul to the other side, another was waiting. Some souls were fresh while others were degraded. She recognized a few as stubborn people who refused to move on the first time she met them. She didn't typically meet souls more than once unless they were disturbed and usually dispatched by a hunter.
She was on her way to grab another soul when she found herself in a restaurant in New Orleans. Everyone around her was frozen. She turned and met eyes with Death.
"What has she done?" Death asked.
"You don't know?" Tessa countered.
"She kicked a beehive." Death said, biting into a sandwich.
"I don't think she caused this." Tessa said. "Maybe she had something to do with it but this is beyond her control."
Death nodded. He motioned to the seat in front of him. "That is why I am talking to you, and not her."
"Angel radio is active as well." Tessa said.
"I am aware." Death said.
The mark that Kate left on Smith did get him into heaven. It was something that would have been sniffed out immediately had the whole spirit thing not happened. Heaven had millions of souls entering at the same time and Smith went unnoticed. Souls that had been trapped in the veil for centuries were arriving in droves. The need to get them to their "room" in heaven before they saw anything was essential. It gave angels no time to question who each soul was. Reapers had one job, take the soul to where it belongs. So, why would they question a soul if a reaper brought it?
"Who released the spirits?" Tessa asked.
Death chewed slowly. "Better yet, why did they release them?"
"I can't imagine it was to cover one soul sneaking in." Tessa said.
"No." Death said. He waved his hand, unfreezing a waitress. He tapped his glass and waited for her to refill it before freezing her again. "I heard Katelyn."
"When?" Tessa asked.
"I believe she wanted to fight." Death said.
Tessa was alarmed. "Why didn't you show up?"
"For a petulant child?" Death asked. "She was upset about her friend. I doubt she truly wanted to fight."
Tessa didn't think Death cared what people intended. He didn't like to be challenged. "What do we do about the souls?"
"Continue to reap them." Death said.
"There are so many." Tessa said.
"Yes." Death said. "I can hear them." He placed a pendant on the table.
Tessa slowly reached forward to pick the pendant up. "What is this?"
Death sipped his drink. "It is for the especially stubborn souls."
Tessa found herself standing outside of an old cemetery. Death had sent her away with cryptic information. She tucked the pendant into her pocket and looked at her arm as names started to appear on her skin. She heard a small voice and turned around.
"Where am I?" A little girl asked.
Tessa looked at the stone beside the girl. Our Sweet Angel, Violet January 5, 1803 - August 8, 1806. She held out her hand. "Not to worry now, Violet, I'm here to take you home."
(Marie's house)
Kim opened her eyes as she felt Dean's weight shift the bed.
"How are you feeling?" Dean asked.
Kim wasn't sure. Her head was hurting.
"Do you think you could eat?" Dean asked. "I can bring food up here."
Kim slowly sat up and looked around. "I'll get up."
Dean let her slowly stand up. "Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I'm okay." Kim said.
Dean wanted to say that she wasn't okay because he could hear it in her voice but decided to stay quiet.
Jess saved Kim and Dean a seat across from Sam and herself. She could keep Sam in line if he started to pay Dean back for the numerous times he embarrassed Sam since they had met.
Kim felt very out of place at first. She didn't know much about his family. He tried not to talk about them. He had a good relationship with them though.
Marie coaxed Kim out of her shell and got her to talk. She just made sure the topic didn't focus on Kim's family or health.
Trying not to talk about spirits was also an issue. They didn't have new information so they couldn't come up with any plans. They just had to wait it out and hope that things calmed down.
Kate kept looking at Kim throughout lunch. She was having another one of those "we've been here before" moments but didn't feel the anguish that she had before Smith died. She did, however, sense that Kim was sick. It wasn't just a cold. It ran deep. She just needed to touch Kim to figure out what was making her sick.
Sam got a call toward the end of lunch and nearly knocked his chair over scooting back to answer it. He went outside and the door had barely shut before he ground out. "Where are you?"
Tony's voice was crackly. He had been on a hunt and said he lost track of time.
Sam told him that it had been days.
Tony had seen figures fading in and out of thin air and turned his phone on. He got all of Sam's calls and messages then.
Sam was rightfully livid. "We didn't even know if you were still alive."
"I'm on a hunt." Tony said.
Sam took a deep breath. "No. You are on a suicide mission. You aren't a hunter. You are someone trying to hunt down wolves. You are not experienced and you are not ready to be out there by yourself. You have a baby you haven't seen in weeks and don't have the decency to check in."
John stepped outside.
"He already lost his mom. Now his dad is out chasing revenge, too selfish to give a damn about what it's going to do to him." Sam said.
John put a hand on Sam's shoulder.
Tony fumbled for words and excuses that Sam didn't want to hear.
After Sam had that vision, something changed. "Get back here by Wednesday or don't come back at all." He hung up the phone and gripped the railing of the porch. He had lost his temper and he was trying to reel it in.
John let him breathe through it. "You sound like Bobby."
Sam turned to look at him.
John looked pained. "I got that call a time or two."
Sam rubbed his face. "I'm sorry."
"No. I am." John said.
"I think having visions has me on edge." Sam said.
"You don't think it has anything to do with how close you got to Jacob?" John asked.
"Maybe I shouldn't have let myself do that." Sam said.
"I don't know what the future holds but nothing is going to happen to him. He has a lot of people on his side, even if his own dad can't see it right now." John said.
Sam tried to relax. Why did it bother him so bad? It was scary but why had he gotten so angry? It wasn't like Jacob was his son. He was just a babysitter.
(The Roadhouse)
The Roadhouse had been packed all morning. It was just past 2 p.m. and the building had been at max capacity for hours. Ellen needed a plan to keep people safe from what was outside while also keeping them safe from anything that happened inside.
Ellen stood on the bar and whistled loudly. "Alright, we can't all sit on our hands." A short conversation ended with some sort of a game plan. Hunters would leave in small groups to take care of problems reported around town. Spirits typically didn't require more than two people but they still didn't know if it was just spirits out there.
Groups were no smaller than three people and everyone had stamps to ward off demons. They had a few hours of daylight left and instructions to get inside before it got dark.
Jo pushed her way through a small crowd to talk to Ellen. She had been talking to Noah all morning. He and his family were at their house. They had been visited by hunters looking for iron bars and salt rounds. They seemed fine. Noah sounded fine. Jo just couldn't stop thinking about the gun that his dad had. It was important. It was just sitting on a shelf for anyone to grab.
"We can't call attention to it. I don't think many people would know what it is. It doesn't look functional." Ellen said.
"I know, mom." Jo said. "I just can't stop thinking about it."
Ellen didn't want Jo to get too worried and take off to solve the issue by herself. She knew that would happen if she shut the idea down. "I'll call his dad."
"What are you going to tell him?" Jo asked.
Ellen heard a glass break and looked toward the bar. "I'll tell him we have a weapon thief and he needs to lock up anything he doesn't want stolen."
That was the best that Jo could get. She wanted eyes on the gun, or better yet, hands on it. She wanted Noah to put it away, just so she knew it was safe. Ellen was right. She couldn't call attention to the gun.
Ellen scolded a hunter and threatened to throw him out of the bar. "I'll add that glass to your tab."
Jo called Kate to get an update on how things were at Marie's house.
(Marie's house)
To an outsider, things at Marie's house looked normal. Jess had convinced Kim to play a card game with the boys.
Kim fit in well but was tired. She still didn't know why they had to leave suddenly. She noted that Dean would step into other rooms to talk in hushed whispers and his jaw stayed tense, even when he was supposedly having fun.
Dean didn't want Kate to use her abilities when things were so uncertain outside. The little bits she was using to prank John worried him. He spoke to Marie and finally settled on having Holly talk to Kim. The nymphs were holistic and had remedies. They helped Jacob get through RSV. If Kim was willing, they could pass Holly off as the hippy aunt who had tea for illnesses.
Kim wasn't immediately thrilled with the suggestion. She was used to people telling her to exercise or drink more water for a cure. Her health was complicated. However, Dean offered and she didn't want to make a big deal out of it. Holly was nice and it would give her a chance to step out of the constant bombardment of social interaction.
Holly spoke to Kim. She found out that Kim's immune system didn't work well. She developed allergic reactions to things and her body attacked itself. Her kidneys were in bad shape and a list of other things that explained why Kim felt like crud. She had a few ideas but nothing that would fix Kim's issues. She could make her less miserable though.
Kim accepted a cup with herbs in it. She wanted her headache to go away. She just hoped it didn't make her queasy.
Dean sat down beside her. "How are you feeling?"
Kim offered him a weak smile. "The same." She sipped the drink. It wasn't awful and the warmth did help her head. "Why did we come here?"
Dean sighed. "There is weird stuff going on and I wanted to be with my family."
"Why didn't you leave me?" Kim asked.
Dean chewed his cheek. "Why would I leave you?"
"I'm not your family. I'm no one." Kim said. "We aren't dating."
"You are a friend." Dean said. "Are you confused because I care or confused because I drove you out into the middle of nowhere?"
"Both." Kim said.
Dean didn't want to tell her everything. He did want to tell her something though. "Maybe we are slightly paranoid. Reports started coming in and my uncle intercepted them. There are electrical outages. We have power here and a ton of food."
"Is the world ending?" Kim asked.
Dean smirked. "I hope not." He studied her features. If she got too curious, someone could wipe her memory. He too wondered why he had brought her all the way out to Marie's house. It was instinct. The demons had used Lacy to get to him so it made sense that they would try to use Kim. Everyone else they could use already had a parent or partner looking out for them. That had to be what it was.
James and Desiree drove over to Marie's house to discuss the situation that they had decided to refer to as a storm. They were unaware that Kim would be there but adapted quickly. Before the freak incident, they lived on a quiet street in a typical community. The community just didn't have a lot of kids. They didn't worry too much about the neighbors finding out what they did. They needed to hide the truth from time to time. They'd say James was on a business trip instead of a hunting trip. They had gotten spoiled at Marie's house. They were surrounded by people that knew about the supernatural but also surrounded by people that had kids. The girls knew not to tell their school friends about the things that went bump in the night and Ben was too young to ask questions. The introduction of a civilian changed things. They had to tell the girls not to talk about the nymphs or mimics. They could trust them not to do that.
Lee, however, could not trust Krissy. He had to keep her away from Kim because it was in her nature to say something just because she had been told not to.
Kim didn't have anyone to call to ask how things were going at home. She had a friend or two but didn't think to check in so she was out of the loop and unaware that ghosts were roaming the streets.
(Sioux Falls)
Outside of Sioux Falls, at Kim's apartment, the building manager had gotten angry calls about the water in the building. Residents were complaining that the water was thick and had black sediment in it. They couldn't run a bath or drink water from the tap because it smelled and looked awful.
The water issue was making its way down toward Sioux Falls. Officials would say it was a chemical spill that started in higher elevation and flowed down, making its way through a few cities. Residents would argue that the distance that it covered and the variety of water sources it came from wouldn't be explained away by one chemical spill. Conspiracy theorists would say the government was trying to poison them. There would be dozens of explanations to be argued over for weeks but none would be that the water was haunted. Hunters would know but the general public wasn't creative enough to throw that idea into the mix.
Jodi let Bobby know that the water was running gray and black. She checked in with Shawn and their water was fine but other people on the street stepped out of their houses to see if it was an issue with their own home.
Grocery stores became crowded and bottled water flew off the shelf, causing small riots to break out. It took attention away from what was causing the lights to flicker.
Andy had gone a few hours without a vision and was able to relax. He had his dad there so he was safe. Caleb wouldn't let anything bad happen. He had Bobby too but since Caleb was his dad, he would make especially sure that nothing happened.
Lauren was getting more alert and staying awake for longer periods of time. She was content to be held or be propped up to watch what everyone was doing. She got the most entertainment from Ian as he bounced around the living room, trying to show off his gymnastics skills.
Karen was a nervous wreck trying to keep Ian from knocking his head on anything. If it didn't hurt him, it would for sure hurt the furniture. Their house was more kid friendly than it had been before she returned but it wasn't Ian friendly. They needed to figure out the spirit thing so that he could go outside for a little while.
Riot was also a source of chaos. He wanted to chew on things and his tail knocked things over. Usually, if he was there, he was outside. The cats could care less if there was a dog in the house but Riot found them interesting and insisted on being in their business if they came downstairs.
Caleb and Bobby went outside to see if they could come up with a solution that would meet chaotic safety standards while also protecting them from anything the supernatural threw at them. They settled on heavy nymph involvement so that the boys and the dog could play behind the house.
If things didn't improve in a hurry, they'd have to go to Marie's house just to keep the boys from burning Bobby's house down.
(The spirit issue)
Crowley was a businessman. If the spirits were going to be set free, he was going to find a way to profit from it. Reapers moved quick to pick up souls but demons could move just as quick. He could sweet talk someone into avoiding hell for ten more years even if they weren't originally going there in the first place. The influx of souls in hell meant more demons could be made.
Angels were assigned to be angels. Heaven couldn't just make new angels left and right. Hell could make more demons though. It was pretty simple. Just twist an already twisted soul. It was just a whole lot harder to break into heaven than it was to break into hell. If hell was going to attempt to take over heaven, they'd need billions of soldiers. Only the smallest percentage of demons made it out of hell. Most stayed in the pits, waiting for the opportunity to walk the earth. If they let too many out, hunters or angels noticed and wiped them out. They had to be sneaky and strategic. They couldn't harm too many people. They couldn't cause too many issues. Angels were always the bigger issue. Hunters just sent the soul back to hell which was more annoying than anything. In recent years, though, humans had found a way to kill demons. Having weapons that could take out one or two demons would never add up to be an issue but having a little girl walking around whose blood could wipe out all of hell, that was a major issue.
Sure, Crowley took Kate to hell to get Bill's soul but he could have done that without having her tag along. That was a test. Had she reacted the way he wanted, she would have never made it out. For those beings that didn't originate in hell, fighting a demon in hell was like fighting a shark in open water. Lucifer was weakened because he was caged but also because his angelic power was weakened in hell. That was part of God's design. Throw the problem child into open water. It would be much the same if demons made it into heaven. It wasn't as simple as just busting down the door and getting rid of angels. Kate had a little bit of everything. She had been dosed by Azazel so she wasn't immediately weakened in hell. She had grace from Gabriel. She wasn't quite human so her soul was harder to trap. Crowley just couldn't pinpoint how she was different from other creations. He just knew Taylor was the same.
(The Roadhouse)
Ellen shuttled hunters off to the nearest motel. She shared warding stamps and stencils. Some went home. Some stayed at the bar. Others were still out on hunts. When they ran into patches of ghosts, they were easy to get rid of. They didn't have to burn objects in most situations. They just disrupted the spirit and it faded away, along with the cold spots and electrical outages.
One group of hunters ran into a nest of vampires but all five hunters made it out alive and unbitten. Had they been in a smaller group, they may not have.
Jo had created lists of hunters and who they were with. When that team returned or sent word that they were hunkering down for the night, she crossed them off the list. Darkness made her nervous. The sun was on its way down and there were still teams that hadn't checked in.
Ellen answered the roadhouse phone and whistled loudly for everyone to be quiet. She could hear someone on the other end gasping for breath like they had been running. "Name."
The hunter wheezed. "Dunn."
Ellen said the name and pointed to Jo so they would know who he was with. "What's going on?"
"We got ambushed." Dunn said.
"Are you hurt?" Ellen asked.
"Bruised. Send backup." Dunn said. He had taken off so that he could make the call. He needed to get his bearings and head back in to help his team. He didn't have time to give Ellen details on what ambushed them.
Ellen had volunteers lined up before the phone call ended. She didn't want to send men out to their deaths but they wouldn't listen if she tried to stop them. She shouted orders to be prepared for anything because Dunn didn't tell her anything.
Jo quickly made changes to the list. Organization was important but it also gave her something to do besides worry.
The area the hunters were in was not all that far away. Maybe a town or two over, off the beaten path. Hunters didn't like hospitals. Few had insurance but hospitals asked a lot of questions. If people were injured, they'd likely head back to the Roadhouse. Ellen needed to be prepared. She had first aid supplies but usually took care of bloody noses and scrapes from altercations. She messaged John to get an idea of what she could do ahead of time.
(Marie's house)
John read the message and then called Ellen. He could hear exhaustion in her voice although she hid it well. He made a mental list of supplies and told her to clear out an area that could be used for triage. They weren't expecting mass injuries but an open spot for two or three people to sit while getting bandaged up would be helpful.
Kate overheard the conversation. "Are you going?"
"Yes." John said. "I'll take some stuff over there. She has her hands full and there is no telling what those guys got into."
"I need to go too." Kate said.
"You don't." John said. "You stay here."
Kate touched John's arm. "I don't have to use abilities. I can bandage wounds. If someone needs stitches, are you going to handle all of them?"
"Kate, the wreck." John said. The incident with Smith had been traumatic and it was so fresh.
"I couldn't save him. I am not trying to be a hero. I just think that I have a skill set that will be going to waste if I stay here." Kate said.
John got Dean's attention. "I'll go. If I need a second set of hands one of the nymphs will bring you."
Kate was somewhat content with that. John was a good medic. He could stitch people up. Kate was drained. Memories of the wreck flooded her mind. She had been there 8 times and some of the alternate memories surfaced. Smith didn't deserve to go that way. No one deserved to go that way.
Dean stopped Kate in the living room. "Hey, what's wrong?"
Kate buried her face in his shirt. "Smith."
Dean walked her over to the couch and sat down. "It's hitting you?"
"It isn't fair." Kate said, starting to sniffle.
Dean forgot Kim was in the room for a minute. He pulled Kate onto his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Let it out. I'm not going to tell you not to be sad."
Kim felt halfway decent after drinking the herbal tea. She didn't have as many body aches. She switched to the couch that Dean was on and put a hand on his shoulder to ask if she could do anything.
Dean rested his chin on Kate's head. "She just needs a minute."
Kim remembered that Dean told her that one of Kate's friends had been in a wreck. She was unsure what to do so she said that she would go get her some water. That was what Dean always did when they were together. Everything could be fixed with a fresh cup of water.
Kate let out a sob she had been holding in. She was angry at Atropos and the universe in general. She had gotten used to death in ways. People died horrible deaths every day. She was used to the devastation that a demon left in its path. She could read hunter announcements about passing after being bitten by a vampire or at the hands of a windigo. She was desensitized. Except, sometimes the sensitivity surfaced again and she felt the weight of how horrifying life could be.
Kim stood at the edge of the kitchen where she could see Dean's back. She listened to the tune he was humming to calm Kate down. She had never heard him hum.
"Is she okay?" John asked.
Kim nearly jumped out of her skin. "What?"
John raised an eyebrow. "Is Kate okay?"
"Yeah." Kim said. She put a hand over her heart. "Sorry, you scared me."
"I didn't mean to." John said. "I have been told I'm light on my feet."
Kim had entered the kitchen for a glass of water and realized that she was not in her house. She was in a stranger's home and she didn't know where the cups were. She turned back to ask Dean when she decided to take in the scene. She felt awkward being in the kitchen with John. "I don't know for sure what caused it."
John nodded. "I'm sure he has it covered." He pulled a cup out of the cupboard and filled it with water. "Here."
Kim slowly reached for the cup. Had she asked him for a cup? Did he just assume she needed one because it was a family thing to get people drinks when they were sad?
"Are you feeling better?" John asked.
Kim blushed. "I do feel a little better."
"Good." John said. He felt as awkward as Kim did. He nodded and left the kitchen, tapping Dean on the shoulder once as he walked by. That is all he needed to do to tell Dean that he was going to pretend to go help Rod with a downed fence. He couldn't just vanish in front of Kim so they needed a cover.
Kim shuffled over to Dean. She held the cup with both hands and looked around for where to put it.
Dean rubbed Kate's back. "Let's take a sip of water."
Kate took the cup and took a small sip. "Thanks."
Sam was outside with Jess and got a splitting headache. He grabbed his head and saw flashes of light that faded into images. When the pain went away he looked around. "Kate." He stepped inside and saw that Kate was in Dean's lap. He thought that she was accidentally radiating again and that is what hit him.
Kate heard Sam in her head and looked up. She frowned and nodded. She needed to pull it together.
Kim saw the exchange but didn't understand it.
Sam felt the pressure in his head start to fade. He met eyes with Kim and gave her an awkward smile. To her, he probably looked a little crazy for coming into the house just to freeze in one spot. "Forgot what I came in here for." He backed out of the door and shut it behind him. "Great."
Jess sat on the porch swing. "What?"
"Kim probably thinks I'm a nutcase." Sam said.
Jess smiled. "She likes Dean. He actually is a nutcase."
Sam froze again. He blinked rapidly, trying to pull an image to the front of his mind. Kim's face was in a few of the images. He picked up his phone without thinking about it and snapped back to reality when he heard Pamela's voice.
"Hi, Sam." Pamela said. "What can I do for you?"
"You can see when people glow, right?" Sam asked.
"Do you mean auras? Yes." Pamela said.
"If someone was kind of somewhere between light blue and lavender, what would that mean?" Sam asked.
"Who?" Pamela asked.
"Dean's…. Friend with benefits." Sam said.
Pamela chuckled. "What is she doing?"
"Dean is holding Kate because she was crying and Kim was just standing there." Sam said.
"I would say she is concerned but trusts Dean. Maybe a touch of amazement." Pamela said. "It is hard to say without seeing her for myself. If her aura is light, she is light."
"So light is good." Sam said.
"Yes." Pamela said. "If a person has evil in them, their aura will be dark."
Sam relaxed. "Kate keeps boosting me and I don't know what to do with visions."
"Why don't you tell me about them and I'll see what I can do." Pamela offered.
Sam sat on the swing beside Jess. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He gave Pamela as much information as he could gather.
"Let me do some research and I will get back to you." Pamela said.
"Thanks." Sam said. He ended the call and leaned back on the swing. "What do you think of Kim?"
"She is sweet." Jess said.
"Why did I have a vision or a feeling that he needed to bring her?" Sam asked.
"I don't know." Jess said. "Didn't Kate have visions of me?"
Sam felt his stomach drop. "She saw you on the ceiling."
"Maybe Kim is supposed to stick around for a while." Jess said.
"Maybe." Sam said. He rubbed his temples. He didn't miss the abilities. He got spoiled with them being dormant. Each vision he got made him feel bad for Kate.
Kate calmed down but stayed in Dean's arms. She listened to his heart beat. It was slow and steady as it usually was.
"How are you feeling?" Dean asked Kim.
Kim rubbed her arms. "I feel okay."
Kate turned her head to look at Kim. She had a ton of questions because she wanted to figure out what Kim had. She had read dozens of textbooks and could pick apart symptoms better than most doctors. She fought the urge to read Kim. She just offered her a weak smile instead.
"I don't know what is in that tea but it cures just about anything." Dean said, lightly.
"Do you think she would mind if I took some home?" Kim asked.
"She wouldn't mind at all." Dean said.
Kim chewed her lip. "When am I going home?"
Kate watched Kim's body language. She wasn't tense.
Dean didn't have an answer. "I don't know what is going on out there."
"What do you mean?" Kim asked.
"Electrical outages, a storm, water issues." Dean said.
"I feel weird just staying in here." Kim said.
"I'm sorry. I have kind of left you alone a lot." Dean said.
Kate got up. "I'm going to go talk to Marie."
Dean fidgeted with his fingers. He still didn't have a good explanation for Kim. He felt his phone vibrate and grimaced. "I'm so sorry. I have to take this." He answered the phone and stepped away from Kim. He covered one ear to hear Bobby better.
Bobby updated Dean on some of the strange things going on but also on the fact that his house was becoming unsafe for the kids. They needed to cover getting to Marie's house so that the boys could play. They could drive over but that put April and the kids out in the open longer than necessary.
When Dean returned to Kim, she looked uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry. I keep getting calls." Dean said.
Kim took a deep breath. "I am in the way."
Dean furrowed his brows. "No you aren't."
"The hushed conversations." Kim said. "I am the odd one out. I'm in the way."
Dean's heart twisted. "No. There is just a lot going on."
Kim sighed. "I grew up in hospitals. I can read body language and can read lips. You get good at that while being stuck in a bed, watching doctors talk to your parents outside the room."
Dean winced.
"I want to know what is going on but I'm also going to respect your privacy if you really don't want to tell me." Kim said.
"I don't know exactly what is going on." Dean said. "I just know things are getting weird out there."
"I saw part of the news before it got turned off." Kim said.
"So you know there are weird issues popping up." Dean said.
"Not here." Kim said. "There's not a cloud in the sky."
"We are a ways away from Sioux Falls." Dean said.
"The news mentioned several places, not just Sioux Falls." Kim said. She sighed when Dean's phone buzzed again. "Take care of your family. If you decide to tell me later, I would appreciate it. If not, I understand."
(The roadhouse)
Ellen was prepared for hunters to return in pieces. She hated to admit it but she was stressed out. Too many people needed her at the same time. When she got the call that the large group of hunters were on their way back, she shoved the stress down and jumped into director mode.
John stepped out of his usual leader role to let Ellen take over. It was her bar but he also thought she might shoot him if he spoke too much. Hunters respected Ellen and John didn't want to upset the normal order of things.
A truck load of hunters pulled up outside and nearly busted through the front door. One had a bloody bandage on his head and another was holding his arm. 30 minutes of triage and first aid ended in a total of seven hunters with injuries. The worst was a concussion and laceration to the head. The one holding his arm likely had a broken arm but no one was going to die.
John was relieved because hunter casualties happened too often but also because Kate wasn't needed. He couldn't argue that she was a good medic. She had a gift outside of her abilities. Her hands were small and she stitched better than he did. Of course, in war, he was concerned with saving lives as opposed to not leaving large scars.
Ellen announced that no one else was going out to hunt until the next morning. She wanted everyone hunkered down somewhere for the night.
A few of the hunters that lived nearby opened up their homes for people to crash on their couches for the night. The community had always been close knit but the 'storm' had brought them together in a way they hadn't previously been.
(Marie's house)
Kim started to feel sick again. She was in a lot of pain. Dean had to take another phone call and she just couldn't fake not being sick anymore.
Marie convinced Kim to take a warm bath. It would give Kim a moment to herself and hopefully help with the pain. She gathered herbs from Holly and placed fluffy towels on the counter. She showed Kim everything she could use and paused before leaving. She studied Kim and gave her a soft smile. She opened her arms and wrapped Kim in a hug.
Kim wasn't sure how to react. She hadn't been hugged like that in years, if ever at all.
"This lot can be overwhelming." Marie said. She let Kim go from the hug and stepped back.
"I appreciate how nice everyone is." Kim said. "I didn't mean to make it seem like I was overwhelmed."
"Oh, honey. I get overwhelmed and I'm used to the crazy." Marie said. "I should warn you that it is going to get crazier.
Kim looked alarmed.
"Another family and their two boys will be coming over. It is the two boys that bring the crazy." Marie said.
"Is everyone in danger?" Kim asked.
Marie sighed. "Probably not. It is true that we don't know what is going on but people wind up here because we have room for the kids to play. Sam and Dean shamelessly just visit for the food."
Kim smiled. "You are a good cook."
"Thank you." Marie said.
Kim wanted to ask questions because she trusted Marie but Marie could just tell her what she wanted to hear and not the truth. "Why did Dean bring me here?"
"He cares." Marie said. "He doesn't let just anyone tag along. I'd say you are pretty special."
Kim blushed. "We aren't even dating."
"So you two are friends. He doesn't keep a lot of friends but those that he does keep he holds close to his heart." Marie said. She heard a timer beep. "I should check on the cookies. You take all the time you need. We have more than one bathroom."
Kim thanked her. She was flattered that Marie thought that Dean thought so much of her.
Marie found Sam and Dean. "Caleb and his family will be here soon. Do you mind helping them transition?"
"You mean do we mind containing the kids?" Dean asked.
Marie tsked. "Surely we don't want them arriving in the living room."
Dean looked around. "Where is Kim?"
"She is upstairs taking a bath." Marie said. "Don't worry about her. I've got her covered."
Dean pulled a face. "I wasn't…."
Marie patted Dean's arm. "I've got cookies to take out of the oven."
"You are in denial." Sam said.
Dean smacked the back of his head.
Sam rubbed his head. "Jerk."
As Kim was nearing the end of her bath, she heard shuffling downstairs and a loud but small voice.
"Where the snacks?" Ian asked.
April scolded him. "Ian Grant."
"Where the snacks please" Ian said.
Marie chuckled. "I have fresh cookies. You could have one before dinner."
Ian kicked his shoes off and ran to the kitchen.
Andy took his shoes off too. "Are they chocolate?"
April sighed and picked the boys shoes up to put them next to the door. "It is like they are being raised by wolves."
"They have just been cooped up all day." Caleb said.
Kim dried off and put her clothes back on but stayed upstairs. She didn't know where Dean was and felt awkward just walking out. She sent him a text message in hopes that he would have his phone on him.
Dean got her message right away and told Caleb that he'd be back. He jogged up the steps and tapped on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"
Kim opened the door. "Yes."
"How are you feeling?" Dean asked.
"I'm okay." Kim said.
"Are you actually okay?" Dean asked.
Kim sighed.
"You don't have to say you are okay if you aren't." Dean said.
"It doesn't change anything." Kim said. "I'm going to be sick no matter what. I'm just trying not to whine about it."
Dean took Kim's hand.
Kim followed him down the hallway to the bedroom that she had taken a nap in earlier.
Dean sat down on the bed and had her sit beside him. "You don't have to do that. You aren't whining. If you are sick, you are sick."
"I'm always sick, Dean." Kim said. "I always will be. It isn't going to get better. It is just going to get worse. I'm going to be a burden until I'm dead."
Dean narrowed his eyes and made the distinct disgruntled Winchester sound without meaning to.
Kim searched his eyes for confirmation that she was right.
"What have I said or done that makes you think you are a burden?" Dean asked.
Kim's eyes drifted. "I just know I am."
"To who?" Dean asked.
"My family, my friends…. Society." Kim said.
"Do you talk to your family?" Dean asked.
"Not a lot." Kim said.
"Do you talk to many of your friends?" Dean asked.
Kim shrugged.
"If you aren't around anyone and aren't talking to anyone, please explain how you are being a burden." Dean said.
"You didn't have to bring me here." Kim said.
"You are right. I didn't have to. I chose to." Dean said. "I chose to pick you up from the hospital. I chose to help you pack your stuff and chose to drive three hours with you to be here."
"Why?" Kim asked.
Dean blinked a few times. "I want you to be safe."
"From what?" Kim asked.
Dean rubbed his face. "I don't know. I got an off feeling and just didn't want to stay in town."
Kim looked slightly frustrated.
"Are you mad that I brought you?" Dean asked.
"No." Kim said. "I just don't understand."
"I like being around you." Dean said. He grimaced as his phone buzzed yet again. He answered it and spoke very briefly with John.
Kim crossed her arms until they were done talking. "Explain that."
"What?" Dean asked.
"Talking in code." Kim said.
Dean stood up and paced for a moment. "Things are complicated."
"Why don't you trust me?" Kim asked.
Dean had a moment of realization. That was what was bugging her. She was confused why he cared so much when he also didn't trust her to know what was going on. "I trust you. I just don't know how to explain because we don't really know what is going on."
"Give me your theories." Kim said. She scooted back and crossed her legs on the bed.
Dean was quiet.
Kim shrugged. "Or I can just leave. I'm not being held here, right?"
Dean narrowed his eyes.
"If it is safe and you really don't have any idea what the trouble could be, I would be fine to just go." Kim said. "It is just a storm, right? I don't need electricity. I'd be fine at home."
"I'd have to drive you home." Dean said.
"So do it." Kim said.
"I thought you didn't care what happened and were just along for the ride." Dean said.
"It was you that told me I shouldn't do that, right?" Kim asked.
Dean cursed himself.
"Why do you think that I am in danger because I know you?" Kim asked.
Dean met eyes with her. "What do you mean?"
"Body language." Kim said. "The way you look at me when you talk to your dad. This didn't just start. This has been a thing for weeks. When we go out, you never settle. You are always looking around. You put yourself between me and anything but a wall."
Dean tried to go back and forth with Kim in an attempt to appease her but he was running out of stalling techniques. He was good at shutting people down but she was something else. She wasn't necessarily arguing. She just made really good points. He was used to Kate getting ruffled and them butting heads. No, Kim was different. "If I was to tell you a fraction of any of it, you'd think I was crazy."
Kim smirked. "The crazy ones are the best in bed."
Dean smirked back but shook his head. "No. Don't do that. Don't distract me."
Kim's eyes twinkled. "Try me."
Dean really didn't want to tell her the big secret. What John had told him over the phone did worry him though. He needed Kim to stay there during the night and probably into the next day, even if he didn't. If things went south, Kate could wipe her memory. "You could be in danger because you know me."
"Why?" Kim asked.
"People out there are pretty pissed off and could use you as leverage." Dean said.
"What kind of people?" Kim asked.
Dean was highly uncomfortable.
Kim scooted forward and touched Dean's hand. "You might as well tell me now before you go. Remember, I can read body language. You are halfway out the door as we speak."
Dean did want to meet up with John to discuss what John had said. He hated that she could read him that well. "People that would like to hurt other people are out and causing issues. We stop them."
"That isn't it." Kim said. "You could have said that this morning."
Sam knocked on the door and cleared his throat.
Dean cracked the door. Neither of them said anything but there was an entire conversation at play. He told Sam to wait and turned back to Kim.
Kim stood up and walked over to Dean. "Please."
"I need to help my dad with something." Dean said.
"Not before you tell me." Kim said. "What is the worst that could happen?"
"You think I'm crazy and leave." Dean said.
"So is that really that bad? That isn't life or death. It is just inconvenient." Kim said.
Dean felt pressured. If he didn't tell her, the next few hours were going to be impossible. "We hunt."
"Yeah?" Kim said.
"We hunt down people that hurt other people and get rid of them. Some come back." Dean said.
"And they cause multi state electrical issues?" Kim asked.
Dean went back to the bed so that they could sit down and be at the same level. "There are things out there that you don't know about. They are worse than your typical human."
Kim put a hand on Dean's face. "If you don't hurry and spit it out, your dad is going to call you again."
Dean snorted. "He doesn't like waiting." He decided to go for it. If she freaked out, Kate could wipe her memory. If she understood the danger, that would keep her safe for a while longer and Kate could wipe her memory the next morning. "What do you know about demons?"
"Not much." Kim said.
"My dad hunts them. They get mad. We think this could be because of that." Dean said. He thought she would think he was being sarcastic and get mad at him. That was actually his goal. If she thought he was joking, she'd stop asking.
Kim's eyes drifted from Dean's face to his chest where his tattoo was hidden by his shirt. "That is why you have that tattoo."
"What?" Dean asked.
"The pentagram." Kim said.
"No." Dean said. "Yes but…."
"So demons are out causing issues and all of you guys are worried the women and children are going to get taken out." Kim said.
Dean didn't say anything and just stared at her.
"How'd you know they were coming? Is that why we had to leave my apartment?" Kim asked.
Dean was alarmed. "Why aren't you freaking out?" He got up again to pace.
"I had some wild theories in my head. This one wasn't among the wildest." Kim said.
"No. People find out and immediately call me a liar. They don't just roll with it. Did you know beforehand?" His mind started to race. Had she been planted?
Kim stood on the edge of the bed so that she would be as tall as Dean. She put a hand out and touched his shoulder. "Dean."
Dean turned and let her put her other hand on his other shoulder so she didn't fall. He put his hands on her waist. "What are you?"
"If you are crazy and just think demons are real, you still cared enough about me that you brought me out here. If you aren't crazy and they are real, you still cared enough to bring me out here. No one cares about me. My family doesn't. Really, none of my friends do. So I don't care what you tell me. You could tell me you are part of the mafia. It doesn't matter." Kim said. "I'm just flattered that you want to protect me from something."
"That is not healthy." Dean said.
Kim smiled. "I have never been accused of being healthy."
Dean growled when Sam knocked a little more forcefully on the door. "Dude, chill."
Sam opened the door. "Go ahead and tell dad to chill."
Kim grinned and kissed Dean. "Go on, he doesn't seem very patient."
Dean helped her down from the bed and kissed her again. "I'm not done talking to you."
Kim sat down on the bed. Her face was slightly flushed. "God, I hope not."
Sam and Dean hurried down the stairs to where a nymph was waiting on them.
"Did you tell her?" Sam asked.
Dean grimaced. "I didn't have a choice." He spun on his heel in search of Kate. He pointed toward the stairs. "Figure that… figure her out before I get back."