(Two days later)
Kate hopped off the school bus and ran to the front door. She spun around when she heard her name and nearly tackled Dean. "You're back!" She stepped back and asked for details on the two hunts.
John put his oil cap back on and shut the hood of his truck.
Kate smiled and hugged him.
John hugged her but swatted her before he went back inside the house.
Kate yelped. "What was that for?"
Dean smirked. "19 year old you has a death wish."
Kate gasped and sat on the hood of the impala. "What did I do this time?"
John opened the house door again. "Kate, I need you inside the house."
Kate looked worried.
"He just has news. I won't let him beat you up." Dean said, tugging her ponytail.
Kate skipped up the steps and went inside. "I'll put my bag upstairs."
Taylor was just as concerned as Kate was. John just had an odd look on his face.
John put his hands on the table and took a deep breath. He made eye contact with Kate. "I am going to tell you something and you will not make any rash decisions, am I clear?"
Kate nodded. "Yes, sir."
"We have a plan and a protocol that you will follow."
Kate nodded again.
"You will let me finish telling you all of this before you speak out of turn," John added.
Kate slid down in her seat. "Yes, sir."
"Desiree, Walt, and Roy went hunting. Roy and Walt didn't make it. They ran into a nest of freaks. Yes, a nest. Desiree is alive and unharmed. That part is odd. They didn't bite or scratch her. She had some bruises and was dehydrated but for whatever reason, they did not attack her. They went and got another person instead of attacking her. Now, that is something we will have to do research on." He took another deep breath. "We have two live freaks and two dead ones locked up in the facility."
Kate gasped but covered her mouth, biting her hand to keep herself from asking questions.
"We will try to find out more about them but it will be done safely. If anyone attempts anything without my approval, you will answer to me." John said.
"Yes sir," Kate said again. She wiggled slightly and clasped her hands together.
"You may speak now."
Kate squeaked. "How is Desiree different? How did you get both of the live ones to the facility? Are the two dead ones truly dead? What happened? How big was the nest?"
John held his hand up. "You, well older you, jumped in and did that part." He glared at Kate. "You were cocky and could have gotten yourself killed."
Kate frowned. That would be why he swatted her. "I just grabbed them?"
"We do not know," Dean said. "That doesn't mean you should try to do that now. Even at full power, you almost didn't get out of there." Neither he nor John was going to tell her that she got bit and laughed it off.
"Can we see them?" Kate asked, motioning to herself and Taylor.
John walked away from the table to look out the window for a moment. "Can I trust you?"
Kate nodded. "Yes, sir. This is an amazing opportunity and I'm not going to throw it away by being irresponsible."
Taylor cleared his throat. "I have no desire to get into the cage with them."
"Get your homework done and then I will take you," John said.
Kate knelt on the chair, unable to be still. "I got mine done."
"All of it?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, I'm caught up for two weeks," Kate said.
Taylor gave him a sheepish grin. "We got bored on the way home."
John pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't want them to know where the facility was just in case they did decide to go rogue. "Dean, get Castiel here."
Dean walked outside but put his back to the wall. Cas couldn't appear behind him if there was a wall. He prayed and pumped his fist when the angel appeared a few feet in front of him. "Can you take us to the facility? Dad doesn't want the kids to know where it is."
"Yes. I reinforced the cells." Cas said.
Kate barreled out of the house, eager to get going. She gasped and ran back inside. "I need a notebook!"
Taylor moved back so she didn't run into him. He looked at John. "She is really weird."
John opened the door again. "Do you want to go?"
Taylor quickly put his shoes on. "Yes, I want to go. I just don't want to write a report over it."
Kate hopped back down the stairs and skipped outside. "Ready!"
(Caleb's bunch)
Andy dropped his bag by the door and fell onto the couch.
"How was your day?" April asked.
Andy yawned. "It was fine."
April made him a snack and brought it to him. "That is a long day, isn't it."
Andy sat up. "I like summer more."
"How is it going with Jimmy?"
Andy dipped his apple slice in peanut butter and took a bite. "He makes dumb faces but his face is kinda dumb."
"That wasn't very nice," April said.
"Sorry, mama. I stay far away from him."
Ian took one of Andy's apples and shoved it in his mouth. He chewed quickly and reached for another.
"I'll get you another apple," April said. "He's only had 20 snacks today."
Andy dipped one of the apples for Ian and held it up for him to bite. "No, no. Small bite so you don't choke."
Ian adjusted his bites and chewed since the peanut butter was sticky. He reached for the cup of milk that Andy had on the coffee table and tried to drink from it.
Andy grabbed the bottom of the cup and helped Ian tip it slightly.
Ian took a big sip and smacked his lips with an 'ah'.
Andy looked into the cup. "Can I have more milk too?"
April got him some more milk and apples and transferred the tainted milk into a cup that Ian wouldn't spill. She sat down on the couch and let Andy tell her about his day.
"I already got homework," Andy said.
April gave him a small smile. "Would you like some help?"
"Maybe just a little bit," Andy said with another yawn.
April grabbed his backpack. "You can get that done and then rest."
"I can't fall asleep before dad gets home," Andy said.
"If you do, I'll wake you up."
"He is going to show me survival stuff," Andy said, rubbing his eyes.
"Then you'll need to be well rested. If you take a short cat nap, I'm sure he will not mind."
Ian finished his stolen apples and half of the second apple that April got for Andy. He downed his milk and stuck his hand in the remaining peanut butter.
April sighed. She wiped his hand and took the plates to the sink.
Ian followed her. He tapped his fingertips together to sign 'more' and whined.
"You want more?" April asked. She poked his tummy. "My goodness, where would you put more food?" Since Andy was the only other toddler that she had been around, she didn't know which traits of Ian's were normal and which were abnormal. Sure, some kids ate a lot but he was never full. He had the adorable toddler tummy that most toddlers had but he wasn't chunky. He was solid and heavy but very healthy. She gave him some water with ice cubes to distract him until dinner. She messaged Jody to talk to her and was happy when the phone buzzed. "Hey, Jody."
"I was just thinking about you. I met another mom that is pregnant. She has a little boy that is Ian's age." Jody said.
April paused. "Is she nice?"
Jody chuckled. "Yes. I gave her your number, I hope that is okay."
"Oh, yes. That is fine. I had a question about toddlers." April said. "Ian eats so much. I can't tell if it is because he is a toddler or if it is because of his differences."
Jody listened intently. "He could be going through a growth spurt."
"Then he is constantly growing," April said. She listed all that he ate since breakfast.
"Jesus," Jody said. Her first bit of advice would have been to make sure he isn't snacking on empty calories but all of the food was pretty dense.
Ian handed his cup to April and signed 'more' again.
April refilled the cup and handed it back. "He drinks constantly too."
"Has anyone checked his blood sugar? He could have something going on with that or metabolism." Jody said.
April frowned and ran her hand over his forehead. "I can ask about it at his next appointment." She checked on Andy and saw that he was asleep on the couch. "Andy fell asleep."
Jody smiled. "Owen did too. Would you mind picking him up tomorrow?"
"Of course not. Andy will be excited."
Ian handed April the cup again.
April sighed. "What am I going to do with you?"
(The facility)
The creatures could be heard as soon as they got to the heavy doors leading to the facility.
Kate got closer to Dean. She chewed her thumb nail and waited for the door to open.
"They are locked up." Dean said. "They are still scary but they can't hurt you."
Taylor followed John. The sound alone was nerve wracking. He had an idea of what they looked like but knew nothing would prepare him.
"I'll show you the dead ones." John said. He had made sure that they were in restraints, just in case they regenerated. They were still behind bars and a plexiglass screen had been added on one side of each cell.
Kate reached for Dean's hand.
Dean squeezed her hand. "It's okay."
Taylor sidestepped into the room and stood close to Kate and Dean. They still looked kind of human but the claws were massive. The face was disfigured and the canine teeth had grown into fangs.
Kate got her notebook out and started to make notes, sitting on the floor in front of the cage. "This one is new."
Dean crouched down. "Why do you say that?"
Kate pointed with her pencil. "The skull is still human-shaped. It also has body hair."
The other one had thicker skin and no hair.
A howl made Kate jump up and go back to Dean.
He put an arm around her. Somehow, she got from a scared 12-year-old to a cocky 19-year-old. He had a feeling that the scared Kate was easier to handle.
John cleared his throat. "We can leave it here. I would prefer to. You can decide if you want to see the live ones."
"No, I need to see them," Kate said.
The other two were aggressive, throwing themselves against the bars and screaming. Their claws tore at the center block walls and the bars shook with the force of their bodies.
Kate swallowed hard. She started making notes. "That one looks different."
Dean squinted his eyes. One looked less human than the others, probably turned earlier. It also had burns around its mouth and was weaker than the other. He traded looks with John. Was that the one that bit older Kate? Is that what she meant about the younger ones being more venomous? Did she know that a bite from an older freak would be easier to survive? He needed to talk to her.
Kate got more comfortable as she viewed them from a scientific perspective. She had faith that the bars and plexiglass would keep her safe.
Taylor was frozen in place, overwhelmed by the sound and the aggression. Seeing one in person, he didn't know how Caleb made it to the driveway. He could have died instantly.
Kate moved to the cell of the freak with burns. She felt like it was making eye contact with her. Liquid oozed from its mouth and dripped onto the floor.
Taylor needed a moment. He opened the door, creating a slight draft.
The creature lunged at the bars, staring Kate right in the face.
Kate swallowed. She made mental notes. The creature's eyes glowed green. She made hers glow blue. She jumped when the creature screeched and pushed off of the bars, settling on the far side of the cell.
Not wanting Kate to think it was scared of her, Dean put a hand on her shoulder. "We need to go."
Kate sighed. "When do we start trials?"
"After we speak to Marty," John said.
Kate held up her notebook. "I have notes." She turned to look at the creature for a moment longer and then followed Dean out the door.
Back at the house, Dean spoke to John. "Do you think it recognized her?"
John took a long sip of his beer. "I was wondering that too. If it did, did it recognize her scent?"
"Or her face?" Dean asked. "Did it stare at her because it met her as an adult and was trying to decide if she was the same person?"
"I don't know. If they still have human thoughts, they are much more dangerous than we thought." John said.
Dean swore under his breath. "We need to talk to older Kate."
John growled and drank the rest of his beer. "I have a few things to talk to her about."
(A week later)
April sat in an uncomfortable chair at the pediatrician's office. Her back was hurting and she was nervous.
Caleb helped Ian balance on the bed and named the letters that Ian pointed to. There were brightly colored alphabet stickers on the wall, complete with drawings that matched each letter. "Your name starts with 'I'. Igloo." He looked at April. "Do you think he will be confused because his name has an 'e' sound?"
"He may be at first but plenty of people's names do not work with the basic phonix rules." April said. She leaned back slightly and put a hand on her stomach. At 22 weeks, she was feeling the weight of her belly.
The door opened and a cheery doctor with a white lab coat entered. He introduced himself and waved at Ian.
Ian nearly climbed Caleb to wrap his arms around his neck.
Caleb patted him. "It's okay. You can sit."
Ian didn't let go.
The doctor smiled. "He is okay right there for now."
April told the doctor some of her concerns, although the appointment was his two year checkup. "He turns 2 Sunday."
"Oh my, you've got a big guy on your hands." The doctor, said, reaching out to touch Ian's foot.
Ian kicked his hand away.
Caleb shifted him. "You do not kick."
The doctor asked Caleb to put Ian on the bed so he could look at him.
Caleb tried but Ian was not having it.
The doctor was patient. He grabbed a small bin of toys from a cabinet and offered Ian one.
Ian slowly approached the bin and picked out a firetruck.
"There, now we are friends." The doctor did all of the normal tests and asked questions about Ian's development. He ran his fingers down Ian's jawline, eliciting a giggle. "No swollen lymph nodes." He had Ian jump and repeat movements that a typical two-year-old should be able to do. He held his hands out and pulled up to test Ian's grip.
Caleb saw him make a face and chuckled. "He has a strong grip."
The doctor smiled "No body is taking candy away from this baby, are they?" He picked Ian up and sat him on the bed again. Aside from being big for his age and being very strong, he didn't see anything off. "We will run some blood work and he will get his two year vaccines."
April felt queasy. "Today?"
"That would be best." The doctor said.
April felt guilty. Both boys were behind on vaccines because she couldn't take them to the doctor unless they were sick. Now she could take them for checkups. She couldn't stand to see them in pain.
Caleb told her that he could hold Ian and she could wait outside.
"No. It just breaks my heart." April said.
The doctor looked at the vaccine list. "We could do several today or just two and then you can come back."
April didn't know which option was worse. She could get Kate to go with them and then Ian wouldn't feel anything. Kids got shots all the time. They survived. She sighed. "I'd prefer to do less in one day."
30 minutes later they left, slightly traumatized. Two vaccines and bloodwork ended with both parents worn out and the nurse sporting a red mark on her head from a certain firetruck. They apologized but she told them it was quite alright.
Ian gripped the firetruck in his hand. He tucked it against his chest and sniffled.
"Thank god it wasn't a big truck," Caleb said
April put Ian in his car seat. "Those hot wheels cars are heavy though. Oh, I feel terrible."
Caleb reached over the back of the seat and ruffled Ian's hair. "It will be funny later."
"Maybe we could get ice cream when we get Andy. He needs shots too and I think he is going to be upset when we tell him." April said.
"You'll have to let me know ahead of time what day you are going. Ian, do you want ice cream?" Caleb asked.
Ian held his truck and nodded his head.
"Are you okay, bud?" Caleb asked. He got a nasty look from Ian and offered him an apologetic smile. "Ice cream makes everything better."
They stopped at the store but Ian was tired. He fell asleep on Caleb's shoulder, still holding his firetruck.
Caleb carried him through the store, soaking in the cuddles. He rubbed his back when he stirred and caught the firetruck as it fell. "He's out."
April put the truck in her bag. "Do you want me to get the stroller?"
"No. I won't be able to do this forever." Caleb said, realizing that Ian would be Andy's size one day.
April grabbed his free hand and placed it on her stomach, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Caleb could feel Lauren's foot. It felt like she was lightly tapping his hand. "Is that her?"
"Yes. You can feel it?"
Caleb supported Ian's head so he could lean down to kiss April. "I did. It felt so light."
"It isn't light for me. The first time that Andy felt Ian move, he screamed and refused to snuggle me. Then he got used to it just in time for Ian to get a little bigger and a little stronger. He used to lay his head on my stomach. That stopped when Ian would kick his head relentlessly every time he tried." She placed her hand back on her stomach. Those little details had slipped her mind.
Caleb shifted Ian so that he'd be more comfortable. "So you got a glimpse of who Ian would be before he was born."
April smiled. "He never stopped moving and would kick the fire out of anything he didn't like."
"That sounds like our boy," Caleb said, looking at Ian's sleeping face. He gently kissed his cheek and studied the small features. "He still seems small to me."
"He is small. He is just bigger than other two-year-olds. I want to keep him as a baby for a little while longer." April said, reaching up to brush a few strands of hair out of Ian's face.
Caleb blinked a few times, drying his eyes. "We should shop before we run out of time."
April smiled. "No chick flick moments?"
Caleb smiled back. "Not in public."
(Kate)
Kate hung upside down on the monkey bars, letting the blood go to her head. It had been a week since she saw the freaks. Her mind was spinning and she needed to understand the creatures.
"How can you test them without getting bit?" Hannah asked.
Kate dropped her hands so they dangled over her head. "We are working on that, I guess." The long stare that she shared with one of the creatures had her stumped. Did it know her? Was it someone she had met before? "Since they can turn people, my dad is being really careful."
"You can cure them," Hannah said.
Kate curled herself so she could grab the bars again. She dropped her feet and hung from her hands. "We haven't figured out exactly how it works. Just because one person got cured, doesn't mean another one will. One swipe from one of those things had Caleb's abdomen ripped open."
"Does he have scars?"
"No," Kate said. "We gave him a lot of blood. It was bad though."
Hannah shivered. "He has kids now, right?"
"Yep. The case that Dean took right before they got attacked was for a single mom. She wound up here because Andy, the oldest boy, was one of the babies that the demon tried to mess with. Caleb got to know her so now they are married. He adopted the two boys and April is pregnant with a girl."
Hannah bounced on her toes. "That is so exciting."
Kate rolled her eyes. "It's about time we got another girl around here." She dropped from the bars and sat down on the ground. How could Desiree be different from any other woman? Why did they let her live? She talked through it with Hannah before calling Dean.
"Hey, kiddo. You aren't supposed to have your phone out." Dean said.
"Sue me," Kate said, lightly. "Could Desiree be pregnant?"
Dean rocked his chair back. "No idea."
"I was thinking about why she was spared. We know nothing about the other woman but finding out may be a place to start." Kate said. She hid her phone for a moment. "I've got to go. Bye." Sometimes, her thoughts and ideas felt as though she was looking through a frosted window. She knew something was there. She could see a rough outline to know if it was something big or small but the details were too blurry.
"You don't think one of them..." Hannah said.
Kate cringed. "Oh god, I hope not. I was thinking she was pregnant when she left."
"I'm never going outside at night again." Hannah said.
"They migrated or spread. We have no way of knowing how far." Kate said, retying her shoe. She still needed to do that deep dive through her head. Maybe that was something Hannah could help with.
(Marie and Rod)
Marie pushed Ben on a swing. She stopped him for a moment because he looked dizzy.
Ben grinned. "Again!"
She spun him the opposite way and soaked up the giggles and laughs.
Caroline fed Chester, the pony, an apple and scratched his ears.
Caitlyn watched her brother and sister. Their mom was okay. She could relax and enjoy things.
Charlie skipped down the steps. "Are you sure you want me to be behind the wheel?"
Rod tossed her his truck keys. "You can drive around here. You need to try to drive in town before we get your license."
Once Charlie started thinking of driving as being similar to a video game, she got comfortable. "Hi, Caitlyn. Do you want anything from town?"
"No thank you. Could I read some of your books, though?" Caitlyn asked.
"Sure. If you see a bookmark, leave it where it is." Charlie said.
Caitlyn went back into the house. She stopped in the foyer to slowly spin in a circle. The ceiling in the entryway was tall. There was a big light fixture that made her feel like she was in a castle. She needed a twirly dress. She took her time walking up to Charlie's room. There were dozens of photos of people on the walls. One row was just Christmas photos through the years. Some people stayed the same and some only appeared once. She saw one of a dark-haired boy carrying a girl on his back. Her arms were spread out to the sides like she was an airplane. They both had cheesy smiles. She tiptoed to read the bottom of the frame. "Kate and Taylor." They looked nice. She knew a little about them but not a whole lot. She knew that Taylor was Marie's real grandkid and that his and Kate's family helped find her mom.
Caroline ran inside and saw Caitlyn in the hallway. "What are you doing?"
"Looking at pictures," Caitlyn said.
"They look happy," Caroline said, looking at another set of photos of birthday parties.
Marie brought Ben in to get him a popsicle. "Do you girls want one?"
"Yes," Caitlyn said, walking to the kitchen.
Marie fanned her face. "We thought about having part of our family over this weekend. The littlest one is turning two. Before we decide to have the party here, I wanted to ask if it would be too overwhelming for you."
"Which family?" Caitlyn asked.
"Taylor, Kate, Dean, April, Caleb. That side of the family. Ian is the one turning two."
Caitlyn couldn't wait to meet Kate. She frowned momentarily.
"If we have a party here, you will attend," Marie said.
Caitlyn brightened. "I'd love it."
"Since you have a little brother, would you like to help pick out stuff for Ian?" Marie asked.
The girls grinned at each other. "We would love to help."
Charlie parked the truck on the far side of the parking lot. She was nervous driving but did well. Parking was something else.
"Even a professional can have issues parking this tank," Rod said. "I'll try to set up an appointment for you. You can fill out the paperwork however you like."
Charlie got out of the truck and shut the door. She handed him his keys back. "I'll keep the name I have right now."
Rod nodded.
"Can I use your address?" Charlie asked.
Rod chuckled and put an arm around her shoulders. "Whatever you feel comfortable with, I'll support. We like having you around."
Charlie felt warmth in the pit of her stomach. He reminded her just a tiny bit of her dad and she hung onto every fiber of memory she could. She was actually happy. She had the renaissance fair to look forward to but also the gala at which she would steal information. Those were essentially her two favorite things. Marie found a pattern for a really cool dress. All she and Kate needed to do was to choose the fabric. The gala was fancy but a normal store bought dress would work for that.
Rod noticed a change in Charlie. She was more relaxed and her bubbly personality was seen more often than her anxiety. She certainly hadn't passed out again. "Would you know what the twins like?"
Charlie was busy looking at books. "Huh?"
"James said that it would be their birthday soon. They'll be planning Ian's party for Sunday but it will be one for them as well. They just don't know it." Rod explained.
Charlie tilted her head. "Will he and his wife be there?"
"No, sadly not. Ian's birthday is Sunday, the 8th. The girls are about a week later. If I remember correctly, it is September 14th." Rod said. "Marie is better with dates than I am. James and Desiree should be present for their birthday but the party may be too stressful for Desiree."
"So we can have the big party and then they can have a quiet one on the actual day. Cool beans." She only knew what the twins had told her. They liked her fantasy books but they were also very frilly. She snapped her fingers. "Alice in Wonderland!"
"They would like the book?"
"I think so, but for their part of the party, we could do the tea party with the mad hatter. Of course, we don't need to dress up like that but I think they'd love it. It has the frills but also the mystery. I bet Marie could make those cakes and little bottles with labels." Charlie said all at once.
Rod had a feeling that Charlie's inner nine year old was coming out. "You grab what you need. Marie will be coming to town later if you are not sure about something."
Charlie got lost in a list in her head. "Crafts."
"The craft store is right across the street. I'm assuming you would rather look there instead of helping me look for twine." Rod said, lightly.
Charlie gave him a grin. "I hope that is okay."
"Absolutely. Marie is expecting you to call. Just don't let the girls know what this is for." Rod said.
Charlie left that store and ran across the road to the craft store. She found so many whimsical things and had an entire spread planned out. She didn't want to spend a ton of money so she found things that could be repurposed. Glass bottles could be used several times, not just for a themed party. Marie said that she had the perfect china set for a tea party so that made Charlie happy. She hoped the girls liked the theme and she wasn't projecting herself onto them.
Marie sat on the porch and let the kids play outside on the trampoline. She could hear the excitement in Charlie's voice and knew three girls that would enjoy themselves. She spoke to James and her heart broke for poor Desiree. She hoped that they'd want to stay for a while. The kids were having a blast and trauma was hard to heal from while trying to raise babies. Desiree needed to take all of the time she could to get on her feet. She heard Caroline scream in anguish and walked out to the trampoline. "Is everything okay?"
Caroline held her arm out. She gagged dramatically. "He won't stop licking me."
Ben scrambled across the trampoline like a puppy with his tongue out.
Caroline screamed again and ran away from him.
Marie helped her down so she could wash the seemingly toxic germs off of her arm. She scratched Ben's head as if he was a dog. "You and Ian are going to be best friends."
(Caleb and April)
Ian woke up as they were waiting on Andy to walk out of the school. He started fussing and struggling against his straps.
Caleb turned around. "We are picking up Andy and then going to get food."
Ian ran his hands down his legs and whined.
"Do you hurt?" Caleb asked. He got quite the look from Ian and went around to Ian's side of the truck. He pulled up the leg of Ian's shorts and touched the spot where he had gotten one of the shots. It wasn't warm.
Ian shoved Caleb's hand away angrily and scratched at his leg. He got his finger under the bandaid and ripped it off, throwing it out the door. He tried to get the other one but was too upset.
Caleb pulled it off and picked the first one up.
Ian stopped crying as soon as it was off and clasped his hands together in his lap.
"You just didn't like the bandaids?" Caleb asked.
Ian looked away from him.
"You are still mad that we took you to the doctor," Caleb said with a sigh. "We may have made a mistake but not doing them all at once. We will need a crew next time."
April gave Ian some water. "My poor love."
Ian drank his water and kicked his feet happily. He looked around in his seat and started fussing again.
April gave him the firetruck from her bag.
Ian relaxed and ran the firetruck over his leg.
Caleb heard the bell and walked up to the front of the school to collect Andy. He got a big hug as Andy wrapped his arms around him. "How was your day?"
Andy sighed. "I'm stressed."
"Oh no. Why?" Caleb asked.
Jimmy walked out with a smug look on his face that disappeared when he saw Caleb.
Andy took Caleb's hand to walk to the truck. "I wanted to kick him in the face today. I didn't. I just wanted to."
Caleb held the door open for him. "I'm glad you didn't do that."
Andy pulled a paper out of his backpack and gave it to April.
April smiled. "I love it. Thank you." Andy had drawn a picture of her and himself with 'I love my mom' in his best handwriting.
"He said it was dumb to put that. That's why I wanted to kick him." Andy said.
"This is going on the refrigerator," April said. She saw Ian's face with his furrowed eyebrows and a pout forming. "Are you hungry?"
Caleb shut his door. "He was just happy."
The firetruck hit the floor and Ian started fussing again, pushing at the straps on his seat.
"Okay, okay, we are going," Caleb said. "How does the diner sound?"
Andy gave Ian an animal cracker that was left over from his own snack. "Can we get shakes?"
"I think a day of not kicking people in the face could earn you a milkshake," Caleb said, pulling onto the street. He looked into the rearview mirror at Ian. If Ian had been able to kick someone in the face, he would have. He was calm and cute chewing on his animal cracker. He looked absolutely harmless. He chuckled. "We got Riot to protect us if anyone got into the house. I think Ian would be more effective."
April couldn't disagree. "Just give him a truck and he will knock someone out."
Andy handed him another cracker. "What does that mean?"
"He had an appointment and was not happy to be there," April said. "We will tell you later."
(The kids)
Kate couldn't wait for school to be over. She wasn't sure if John was still home but hoped he was. She needed to start testing sooner rather than later. Convincing him that he needed to get his rear in gear was a battle in and of itself. He had his own timeline that governed all the comings and goings of the freak investigation. She was annoyed but she could also just walk through time.
Taylor had practice after school and walked down to the field after the bell rang. He sat down on the bench to massage his legs as they were hurting again. His back and arms were as well. He shook his legs out and stretched. The field was being repainted for the first game and he felt butterflies in his stomach. His whole family would be there, watching him. He was worried about getting caught up in the game and not holding himself back. Maybe he could find something that would dampen his abilities without taking them away completely.
(Later that evening, Dean)
Dean had a few things to get for John and stopped by the bar for a drink before he went back. The usual crowd was there. He sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. He made small talk with the bartender and savored his drink. He ordered food as well and dug into the greasy cheese fries and burger as soon as it was sat in front of him. He was almost done with his burger when someone slammed into his shoulder. He whipped his head around. He stood up quickly to face whoever touched him. He saw a shirt and let his eyes drift up to the man's eyes. "Son of a bitch."
Older Taylor took the stool next to Dean's. "Jack and Coke, please."
Dean slowly sat down. "You could have just said hi."
"Ah, what is the fun in that?" Taylor asked.
They talked for an hour. Most of the conversation was cryptic but Dean got some information about the freak situation. He was told that shit would hit the fan. That was a given. Taylor seemed to be in less of a hurry than Kate was when she visited. It was still weird for Dean to see him as a man, not a kid. "I'm guessing you aren't going to tell me when shit hits the fan."
"I wish I could," Taylor said, walking outside with Dean. He looked up at the sky and took in a breath of fresh air. "I came back for something that I can't explain. I just thought I'd drop in."
Dean leaned against his car. Of all the things that had changed about Taylor, how tall he was seemed to be the hardest to get used to. Sam grew gradually and it wasn't as noticeable at first. Older Taylor gave Dean a preview of what Taylor would grow up to be. He narrowed his eyes. He'd stunt the kid's growth if it was the last thing he did.
Kate still seemed exactly like herself. Taylor seemed different.
Taylor reached a hand out to shake Dean's and clapped him on the back. "It was good seeing you."
Dean did the same. "Stay safe."
Taylor stepped back. "You do the same. Oh, one more thing." He reached out to put a hand on Dean's shoulder and smirked.
Dean felt his entire arm get zapped and jerked away. "Goddammit, you little shit." He saw two women walk out of the bar and give him disgusted looks. Of course, Taylor was gone and he was yelling at thin air. He got into the car and shut the door roughly. He blew air through his nose. Oh, Taylor wasn't different. He was still Taylor. That was comforting but he could have shown that in any other way.
Young Taylor was sitting on the couch watching a show when Dean got home. He caught Dean's hand to the side of his head and yelped. "What was that for?"
Dean dropped the bag of stuff off in the kitchen and walked back into the living room. "Future Taylor also has a death wish."
Taylor looked from Dean to Kate.
Kate shrugged. "We are being punished for sins that we haven't committed yet."
Dean tossed a pillow at her. "Whatever happens in the next few years... no matter how bad things get... I know one thing for sure."
Kate sat forward. "What?"
"That both of you will still be an eternal pain in my ass," Dean said, smacking Taylor with the other pillow.
Kate giggled. "If we weren't, you'd worry."
"Hell yeah, I would. That doesn't mean I'm not retaliating." Dean said. "Older you dropped in to talk to me. You shocked the hell out of me before leaving."
Taylor's eyes lit up. "So I still have that ability!"
Dean stepped back. "Don't make me hit you again. This pillow isn't as soft."
Taylor held his hands up, a spark of electricity visibly flowing between his palms. "I know where you sleep."
Dean gave him his best John Winchester glare. "I'm ordering you not to shock me."
Taylor slumped. "That isn't fair."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "That is a direct order." He snapped his head to the side to look at Kate. "No compelling me to forget I made the order either!"
Bobby walked out of his office. "Sounds like you're taking all of their fun away."
"You just wait until you see them at 19 and 21." He pointed two fingers at his eyes and then back at Taylor and Kate. "I'm watching you." He ran up to his room to put a few things away. He'd hit them with pillows and make silly rules all day. At the end of the day, he hoped they never stopped being eternal pains in the ass.
