The morning after the big game still found everyone in good spirits. Taylor, of course, was on cloud nine.

John had a plan for the first half of the day but did not have the patience for Kate to fight against him. It was important that she wait until he told her it was okay. She was more complaint than before, at least. "Kate, Dean, and I are going to go do something. If all goes to plan, we can go forward with testing. I need you to stay. I need you to listen and not argue."

Kate wiggled excitedly. "Yes, sir. I won't argue." She didn't ask what they were going to go do. She didn't want to delay them in any way.

John narrowed his eyes slightly. He finished his coffee and looked to Taylor. "We will be back before you leave for your dance."

Taylor cringed. "You could just wait until after I leave. I don't need Dean here."

Dean smirked. "If you're wanting to ride in my car, I'm going to be here. Besides, I got a good night's sleep and have so many more jokes now."

Taylor rested his elbows on the table. "Of all people, you should be cool about this."

"I feel like I'm watching a baby take its first steps. I'm not going to be cool." Dean said.

Kate rocked her chair back. "Oh, you're giddy over him even talking to a girl but freak out if a guy looks at me."

"Hailey is harmless," Dean said.

Kate's cheek twitched as she tried to school her features. "You thought Tessa was harmless too."

Dean rocked her chair with his foot, causing her to flail and jump so that she didn't fall backward.

John didn't comment but did hide a chuckle with another sip of coffee. That was going to be an endless source of teasing, for as long as Dean lived.

(Sam and Jess)

Sam hated that they had to miss Taylor's game but did talk to him the previous night to congratulate him. He was feeling the distance between them and his family.

Jess was bored after the kids left. She was able to focus on classes but they were not difficult. Sometimes, it was nice to have a class that didn't exhaust her. She hadn't been back to her parent's house since the day that she went with Sam. The house was due to sell soon and she couldn't seem to care. A family assistant sold things for her and took a portion of the proceeds as payment. That padded Jess's bank account.

Sam's funds were decent too. He was careful with the money left over from financial aid. He enjoyed his classes because they were challenging. Since it was the weekend and neither of them had a test to study for, he planned some time away from Stanford. They'd go on a hike and enjoy the scenery that California had to offer.

Jess was just happy to go anywhere with Sam. Her mother had been so rude about Sam. She said that Jess was moving too fast and that Sam would hold her back. If anything, she was holding Sam back. He would never say that. The reality was that they supported each other and were better off together. Jess spoke to her dad a few times and it was awkward each time. He wasn't rude. He was just... detached. That hurt. Maybe, if Jess didn't have Sam, her dad would be worried. Maybe that was it. He saw that Sam was a good guy and just let him take care of her.

Sam packed his backpack with snacks and a few items worth of gear. He still didn't have a car but that would be remedied at some point. They caught the bus out of town and got off near a scenic route. It was still pretty warm in September but the temperatures could drop. He planned for that.

Jess looked at the signs at the trailhead. "Which way?"

Sam flipped a coin. "Left."

(John and Dean)

John stopped at a know 'hunter's shop'. He had a few items that he needed that Bobby didn't have. Something bothered him about older Kate. He knew she had been bitten more than once. If he let her younger self study the freaks, would one of them bite her? He understood that there were rules with bending time. However, he didn't think her real reason for being quiet was solely due to the rules. He shared his thoughts with Dean.

Dean agreed. Every time he ran into older Kate she was a little bit off.

"She left me a note that said she was sorry," John said.

"I can only imagine for what," Dean said.

"I am not going to let young Kate around any freak stuff until we have an idea of what happened," John said.

Dean didn't think that older Kate would give up that information without a fight. "Are we talking to her today?"

"If my plan works," John said.

Dean didn't ask what the plan was. The set of John's jaw told him to sit back and be quiet.

John checked his watch. He drummed his fingers on his steering wheel and sat back. "Now we wait."

(Taylor and the others)

Taylor went with Karen and Bobby to find something to wear to the dance. He didn't want to shop for a long time. Hailey said a blue shirt. She didn't say what kind of blue. That was hard although Karen picked out a shirt that she said would complement any other color of blue. He got his hair cut and headed back to the house to relax before he needed to get ready.

Kate was a little sad that she wasn't going. Dances weren't really her thing either but she hated missing out. Last year, she and Taylor were both in middle school. It felt weird having him in a completely different building. She felt like he was growing up and leaving her behind. She hadn't heard from Dean or John in a few hours and it was driving her insane. She wanted to know what they were doing. She assumed it had something to do with the freaks so she didn't bug them about it. She did call Marty and talk to him about her heart. She tested Taylor's too and he had a similar result, although his wasn't as low as hers. "Maybe it will just stop beating eventually."

"I hope not," Karen said, concerned.

"Do angels have heartbeats?" Kate asked. They could ask Cas when they saw him again. She didn't think that vampires had heartbeats since they had to die before they turned. That sent her down a rabbit hole. If a creature had a heartbeat, it would continue to bleed immediately after death. Vampires had blood but it didn't do anything besides fly off the end of a blade, to her knowledge. She spent some time in Bobby's office trying to find information about creature hearts. It was a simple inquiry to keep her mind busy.

Taylor got a message from Hailey and went outside so that he could call her. He was amused with her enthusiasm. Clearly, the dance was a big deal for her. He listened to her talk and gave her his input when it was appropriate. Although she liked to talk a lot, she was fun to talk to. She was chipper.

Karen ironed Taylor's clothes and made a band for Hailey's wrist with flowers that they picked up at the store. When she went to school dances, her mother made her dresses and put together corsages. It was a useful skill to have.

(Sam and Jess)

Jess walked for an hour before she wanted to sit down. The sun was up and felt good on her skin. She sat down on a large rock and leaned back, letting the sun warm her face and arms. "It is really pretty up here."

Sam sat down too. "I thought we both needed some fresh air."

Jess squinted against the sun. "It isn't your way of telling me I need to exercise more?"

Sam scoffed. "Really?"

Jess grinned. "Well, is it?"

"We could all exercise more. You, only so that you can outrun something if it is chasing you. No other reasons." Sam said. He put a hand on her thigh and squeezed.

"Why would I run when I have you?" Jess asked.

Sam leaned back too. "No, I stay and fight. You run, far far away."

Jess frowned. "I like fighting." She sat forward. "I do want to know how to fight."

"I can teach you," Sam said. He had already shown her escape techniques and very basic skills. "I honestly don't want you to hunt."

"No. I'm too much of a chicken. I just think I would feel better if I knew what to do if something did outrun me." Jess said. She drank some of her water. "You can't protect me every single moment of every single day."

Sam was painfully aware of that. Things had been quiet for them. There had been no demon attacks or anything fishy since Martha died. That was comforting and upsetting at the same time. It was possible that the demons were no longer interested in them. He was still waiting for one to jump from every shadow and corner they encountered.

"What are we going to do if things go south again?" Jess asked.

"I was just thinking about that. I guess it depends on what happens." Sam said. He knew Jess still wasn't in love with the thought of staying in Stanford for a few more years. "We could cross that bridge when we get there, although I hope we never get there." He whipped his head around as he heard a faint sound. "Did you hear that?"

Jess did after it happened two more times. It was incredibly faint and high-pitched.

Sam carefully walked around boulders and fallen trees to find the source of the sound. He got close and crouched down. "It is a kitten."

Jess nearly fell over him. "Oh, poor baby." She reached over him and scooped the kitten up in her hands. "It is so tiny."

Sam got a good look at it. "There is no way that it has been weaned."

Jess looked around. "Where is the mom?"

"I don't know. We could look for her?" Sam said.

Jess put the kitten in her shirt so that it would stay warm but also stay out of the sun. The kitten nuzzled her and rooted around. "It is hungry."

Sam sighed. He looked for any sign of the mother and couldn't find anything. He hoped that someone didn't just dump the poor thing. He wasn't sure what to do.

"Let's walk back. We can stop at the store and get milk for it." Jess said. She scratched the kitten's head and spoke softly to it.

Sam watched her and smirked. She was already smitten. "We could take it to a rescue."

Jess snapped her head up and looked at him with pleading eyes.

Sam rubbed its head. "We could also try to feed it."

Jess was fully focused on the kitten as they walked back down the path. She didn't know if it was a boy or a girl but it was very cute, although dirty. "What should we name it?"

"Maybe we should see if it lives first," Sam said.

Jess frowned. "Even if it doesn't, it deserves a name, Sam Winchester."

Sam chewed his cheek. "We could decide once we know what it is."

They got on the bus again and got off at a pet store. They showed one of the vet clinic workers the kitten and asked what they needed.

The kitten was approximately 2 weeks old and very dehydrated. They got milk and two bottles for it because it was too little to eat normal food.

Jess was able to fill the bottle before they left the store and sat down to feed the tiny kitten. She grinned. "Look at its ears!"

Sam watched the ears wiggle every time the kitten drank. "That is pretty cute."

Jess already had a schedule planned out. She would take it to class so it wasn't alone. It was so tiny that it wouldn't cause any trouble.

Sam was relieved in a way. The kitten was a huge responsibility since it would need to be fed every few hours. It gave her something to do though. It gave her something to care for and nurture. She desperately needed that. A kitten was less work than a baby.

Jess gave Sam the bottle and slowly stood up. She rubbed the kitten's back and almost cried because it was so cute. She tilted her body so Sam could see the kitten. "It fell asleep."

Sam shifted the bags so they were easier to carry. "That is going to be an obnoxiously spoiled cat."

Jess hushed him. "Don't stay that. You will hurt its feelings."

(John and Dean)

John drove over to the hunter's cabin by the lake and parked. He unlocked the door and sat his duffle on the table. A while later, Castiel showed up with Kate.

Older Kate looked flustered.

Dean tilted his head to acknowledge Cas.

Cas left because time travel wasn't as easy for him. It took a lot of power and he needed to be far away to recharge.

"We need to talk," John said.

"I talked to you already." Older Kate said.

John pointed to the sofa. "I know you will have time to talk this time because you weren't the one who traveled."

Kate sat down and crossed her arms.

"I have done the research and I have spoken to Castiel. I am not going to ask for details on every little thing but I know you are holding back things that you do not need to hold back." John said.

Dean wondered why he was invited to this pow wow. Was he backup? Was he a human shield? Was he the voice of reason?"

"You can't just pull me back here. I have things going on." Kate said.

John sat down in another chair. He saw her move something up her sleeve and narrowed his eyes. "You came all the way back to capture the freaks. You want us to figure this out. I know you have gotten bitten more than once, and badly by the looks of it. I want to know when that happened. If I let 12 year old you study these things, is she going to get bit? Does it kill you? Do you lose part of your soul?"

Kate was uncomfortable. Damn John and his blood hound like ability to sniff out the smallest mistake. "It is complicated. No, I didn't die."

"You didn't die this time or the first time?" John asked.

Kate fidgeted. "I've never died from a freak bite."

Dean's heart raced. "Can I see your shoulder?"

Kate pulled her flannel higher on her neck. "No. I really need to go."

John traded looks with Dean. "What were you doing?"

"I have a lot to do. It is important and I was in the middle of something when I got pulled away." Kate said. She started to stand up.

John grabbed her wrist. "If you were in the middle of something, you'd say what it was. You don't want me to know and I'm guessing whatever you are hiding in your sleeve has something to do with it."

"Look, I'm an adult. I have seven or eight years' worth of experience that you don't have." Kate ground out.

"You are deflecting," John said. He stood up too.

Kate groaned and let the vial fall out of her sleeve. "Blood deal, happy?"

"No, I am not happy!" John said. "This was for Crowley?"

"Well, yeah. We already talked about it. It is just a few drops and it causes me no harm." Kate said.

"What does he do with it?" John asked.

Kate shrugged.

"It is never that simple, Katelyn," John said.

"It is that simple. We made a deal. I hold up my end and he holds up his end."

"When?" John demanded.

"A few years ago," Kate said, vaguely.

"While you were still a minor," John added. "What happened that made you think this was okay?"

"A lot of shit happened." Kate snapped.

Dean's eyes widened and he stepped back.

"Screw time. I will not let you make a deal with a damn demon. I need to know what happened so I can stop it." John said, his voice rising slightly.

"No. You won't stop it and I don't want you to. This is good. This helps people. You are small-minded because all you know is one timeline and your own point of view. Things are complex." Kate said, matching his tone.

"No demon deal is good," John said. "Some things are black and white. Demons are bad. Where did I go wrong? How did I not drill that into your head?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "You aren't all-knowing. I made a choice for the greater good. If you can't accept that, so be it."

"Do I know?" John asked. "When you made the deal, did I know?"

Kate snorted. "No."

"Do I know after you do it?" John asked.

Kate's eyes drifted.

"Do you hide it and I only find out when you walk back through time?" John asked, a bit louder.

"Look, I get that you are mad but we are from different times. I'm not 12. I'm not the Kate you know right now. Things happened."

"What happened?" John demanded again. "Give me one good reason."

Dean was frozen where he was but tried to speak up. "Kate, we can go back and do things right. We can fix things. Just tell us so we can work around it, just like you are with other things."

Kate flicked her eyes back to John. "It happens the same way every time because you," She poked his chest, "Are too hard-headed to listen."

Dean covered his face. She probably didn't realize that being 19 would do nothing to save her ass if John snapped.

"I'm listening. Speak." John said. "Respectfully before I remind you of who you are talking to."

Kate turned her back to John. She paced for a minute and turned around. "I did it for you."

"I've told you not to," John said.

"Well, I did and I will no matter what you say. You can scream and lecture me. I don't care." Kate said.

John had to count in his head to stop himself from grabbing her.

"You have too much pride and make yourself a martyr. You can't let anyone else fall. So I made a deal. My blood for your soul. I didn't tell you because I knew you'd be as pissed as you are now."

"Kate, my soul doesn't matter. If I do something and put myself in that position, you are to stand down." John said.

"That isn't something you can beat into me. What is done is done." Kate said.

"I will not make the same mistake."

"The night that I got rid of Abaddon the first time, Crowley wasn't happy that I summoned him and his hounds. Even if you don't make the mistake, it is going to happen." She got anxious and wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her legs. "Dad, I'm sorry. I have to go."

John stared at her. "Promise me you will not make another deal."

Kate swallowed hard. "I promise."

John waved her off and rubbed his face angrily. "Dean, do you know why I asked you to come with me?"

"Backup?" Dean asked.

"No," John said. "I want to make sure I'm not reading more into this than need be."

"Oh, no. 100 percent. She's about to go do something stupid."

(Bobby's house)

Kate decided to talk to Hannah so that she didn't go stir crazy. Waiting was never fun. Once she was back on John's good side, she planned to ask if she could spend the night at Hannah's house. Of course, they'd assume they were up to something. They weren't. She wanted to play by John's rules, even if they seemed arbitrary.

Taylor went for a long run to calm his nerves. He wasn't going anywhere until that evening and, like Kate, waiting wasn't fun for him. He got back and showered. He helped Bobby do some things around the house and checked the time every five minutes. He heard John's truck and perked up. He still wanted Dean to drive them to the dance, even if Dean teased him.

John didn't know how to approach Kate. She hadn't done anything yet but he didn't want her to later on. If he took her to the lab and let her run samples, that would keep her busy and happy. He could still stand by his decision not to let her near the actual freaks.

Dean went inside to talk to Taylor. "What time are we leaving?"

"Uh, I can get ready." Taylor took a deep breath and mumbled. "My nana wants photos."

Dean grinned. "Kate, give me the camera. I can be a professional photographer. "

"Please don't embarrass me. You would have been pissed if someone did that to you when you were my age." Taylor said.

"I won't embarrass you. The torment will remain private. Hailey will never know." Dean said.

Taylor furrowed his eyebrows. "No torment is cool too."

"You charged my door, Taylor." Dean reminded him.

"I think you've made up for it," Taylor complained.

"I will stop teasing you for tonight and only tonight." Dean offered.

"I will refrain from shocking you for tonight and only tonight," Taylor responded.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "I liked you better when you didn't have that ability."

Taylor shrugged. "Just imagine what new things I'll learn in years to come."

Dean was unimpressed. "Go get ready or I'll blare 'Night Moves' when we go pick her up."

Taylor ran up the stairs. Dean could be the cool brother most of the time.

John got Kate's attention. "Kate, come in here."

Kate walked into Bobby's office.

"You and I will be going to the lab this afternoon. Again, I'll need you to follow directions. I am still hazy on some information I'm searching for so I will expect you to use precautions." John said.

Kate did a happy dance. "Okay, I'll wear a hazmat suit if you want me to."

John studied her.

"That wasn't sass. I promise. I was being honest. I will do anything I'm told because I really want to get these answers." Kate said.

"Go get your stuff together. Bring all of the notes you've written." Johns said. "We will leave when Taylor does."

Kate sprinted up to her room and told Taylor to move faster. "You look fine, come on!"

Taylor brushed his teeth and looked in the mirror. The haircut made that part easier. He buttoned his shirt and opened Dean's drawer for a moment. He debated with himself and shyly walked to the edge of the stairs to ask for Dean to come upstairs.

"What's up?" Dean asked.

Taylor sighed. "Does my hair look stupid?"

"No. It is about how I wear mine. What are you looking for?" Dean asked.

Taylor didn't want to say it. His face was red and he couldn't make eye contact with Dean.

Dean nodded slowly. He pulled his cologne from his drawer and gave Taylor a little bit. "Proven hit with the ladies."

Taylor took a deep breath. "Thanks. I'm not really trying to impress anyone. I'm just nervous."

Dean rolled his eyes and grimaced. "It pains me to say this but just be yourself. You're a cool kid."

Taylor didn't want to stick around long because he was being bashful.

John just said he looked nice and to have a fun time. That was about all he could say before Taylor about crawled out of his skin. He stopped Dean. "Be nice to him."

Dean shrugged. "We called a truce for the night."

Kate shifted from foot to foot. "Can we go now?"

John chuckled. "Yes. I'll be right out." He grabbed a few more things and followed Kate to his truck. She was excited. He appreciated the enthusiasm but something in the back of his mind still caused him to worry. He could have a heart-to-heart with her but he had had those before. He could remind her to make good choices and she would, for a while. No human was capable of making only good choices, especially not a kid. He didn't worry about Taylor as much. Kate though was set to spiral out of control if the wind blew too hard. If she was just defiant, it would be manageable. Her willingness to self-sacrifice would be her undoing time and time again.

Dean drove over to Hailey's house and turned his music off. He nudged Taylor. "Go knock on the door. I don't know her dad, or if she has one but it is best to be respectful."

Taylor slowly got out and walked up the walkway to knock on the door. He waited a few moments and a man opened the door. His first instinct was to retreat into himself and roll his shoulders, the way that Craig made him speak to adults. John taught him not to do that. He cleared his throat and held out his hand. "I am Taylor. Hailey asked me to pick her up."

Rick, Hailey's dad, shook Taylor's hand and called Hailey downstairs. "Taylor is here."

Hailey skipped down the stairs and hugged her mom and dad.

"Keep your cellphone on. Either of us can pick you up if you'd like." Rick said. He kissed Hailey's forehead and waved at Dean. "Nice car."

Taylor glanced back. "67 Impala. That is my oldest brother. He loves that car."

Rick let Hailey go and told her to have fun. He watched Taylor but had only heard good things about him.

Taylor put the wrist band on Hailey's wrist and walked her back to the car.

Dean said hello. "I'm under strict orders from Marie to take photos. Would you like them to be done here or there?"

"There is a really pretty spot by the park we could go to," Hailey said.

"Park it is then," Dean said. He wanted to laugh at the look on Taylor's face but kept his composure.

Taylor didn't know what to expect. Hailey was pretty in her normal school clothes with her hair in a ponytail. She had on a blue dress that reminded him a little of Cinderella. It came to right above her knees and had a ton of sparkles. Her hair was half down but curled and he was slightly overwhelmed.

They got out at the park and took a few photos that Marie would be proud of.

Dean leaned in like he was going to fix something on Taylor's shirt and whispered. "Breathe. Passing out isn't a good look." After he dropped them off he called Sam. "I just dropped Taylor and his date off at a school dance. He's growing up."

Sam laughed. "Don't be a middle-aged mom."

"Hey, he is doing well for himself," Dean said. "I'm just acknowledging that."

"So when Kate does the same thing, are you going to be this happy?" Sam asked.

"Hell no. She isn't allowed to date. She isn't even allowed to have friends that are guys." Dean said. He heard Jess scold him in the background. "It isn't a double standard. Taylor wouldn't dream of looking at her the wrong way. Kate, however, could and would kill someone. That logan kid was an ass and she messed him up. That being said, if she is to date, and some dude breaks her heart, not only will she kill him, I'll have to kill him again unless he becomes a ghost, then I can get rid of him then too."

"So she isn't allowed to talk to boys because one may not be nice?" Jess asked.

"Damn straight." Dean heard a shrill sound. "Do you have a banshee?"

"No," Sam said. "We went on a hike and found a kitten."

Dean groaned. "Another freaking cat?"

"You're the only one that hates them which is fine. Maybe you'll think twice before breaking into the apartment again." Jess said.

"Yeah, you're threat of using a frying pan is enough."

(John and Kate)

Kate, with Marty's permission, gathered the things she would need to begin testing. She labeled everything meticulously and added the information to a chart. "Hannah offered to let me use her blood."

John looked up from one of the vials. "No."

"I figured. It is possible that different people react differently to the toxin. Dean and I share a blood type. I also have had a lot of his blood in my body on two separate occasions. Caleb had my blood and Taylor's and we were able to treat people that way. I think it would be good to test each of our own samples but also people that haven't been in contact with us. I don't know if healing people alters their bodies in any way. Hannah is a kid, so I'm in no way arguing. I'm just talking out loud." Kate said.

John could understand where she was going with that thought process. "That all has to be done under Marty's care."

"Can we use yours?" Kate asked.

John held out his arm. "Take what you need."

Kate looked at his arm and then up at his face.

"You can do it. Ask Marty for assistance." John said.

Kate got the kit and followed Marty's instructions. "Can I give you a tattoo next?"

John chuckled. "I don't think you have the right tools for that."

"Hey, prisoners do tattoos all the time," Kate said. She put a cotton ball on his arm and told him to hold it. "AB blood type, right?"

John nodded.

Kate expertly labeled everything and added John's code to the vial and to the chart. She set up four different tests and used a bit of blood for each one. She did the same for Marty's sample. Sure, they did a lot of blood tests but they needed to start over at the beginning. She viewed slides that Marty set up and made observations. "So they have more cell types than humans do?"

"That is what I was seeing," Marty said.

"Wouldn't those be the cells we would try to eradicate?" Kate asked.

Marty, as usual, was amazed by her mind. "Yes. That may not be the solution but it is a logical step."

Kate tried to imagine how the change happened. What organ system changed first? Was it painful? How soon after someone turned did the teeth grow like that, not to mention the claws. In her visions, the young vampire changed suddenly but didn't look like the other freaks. That lead her to believe that the major physical changes with the claws and lack of hair happened gradually. That could help them tell how long one of them had been a freak.

A phone call from John brought Caleb and his family to the lab long enough to get samples from them. Andy decided he wanted to be part of the testing too and braved a needle with as much stoicism as he could muster.

Caleb promised him a root beer float in exchange.

Ian, understandably, wanted no part in the research. He had been fooled once and was not letting anyone in the same room with him if they had anything remotely needle-like in their hand. That was okay, no one wanted to test on him anyway.

April was fine being a test subject as well.

"Enjoy your ice cream," Marty said with a smile.

Ian perked up and looked up at Caleb.

Caleb picked him up. "Let us know if anything interesting comes up. Should we stop by the dance to make sure Taylor is good?"

"He would never forgive you if you did," John said with a slight chuckle. Dean was notorious for embarrassing the younger ones but Caleb was no better. When those two were teenagers, Sam stood no chance.

(Taylor)

The dance wasn't as awkward as Taylor was expecting. The music was kept at a reasonable volume so that everyone could talk and hang out. The food was good and the drinks were fun. He thought it was a little funny that they had alcohol-free cocktails at a school sanctioned event. That was just too much temptation for someone to bring a flask and make them normal cocktails. The thought made him queasy. If he ever touched alcohol again, he'd probably be in his 30s.

Hailey got Taylor to dance. She could tell he was on the shy side but didn't know why. "You fit in, you know that right?"

Taylor tilted his head. "What?"

"You act out of place. You act surprised when people come up to talk to you." Hailey said.

Taylor thought she was very perceptive. "Oh, this isn't my normal thing. Switching from middle to high, I don't know very many people besides Nate."

"Freshmen are the underdogs. I don't feel it as much because my sister is older so I've been around for years. People like you. They want to talk to you. Sure, you kicked butt at the game but you have a good reputation." Hailey said.

Taylor's eyes drifted as he soaked in what she said. "Oh."

"So, have fun," Hailey said.

That helped Taylor relax. He found Nate and enjoyed himself for a while. An hour into the dance, Hailey slightly twisted her ankle. She limped a few feet and sat down. Taylor looked at her ankle and asked if she wanted some ice for it. He wound up giving her a piggyback ride to the office to ask for a bag and some ice. It was much quieter in there and gave them a chance to take a breath of fresh air.

"Tell me about your sister," Hailey said.

"Oh. Like what?" Taylor asked.

"I heard she beat up Logan Parsons," Hailey said in a whisper.

"Oh, gosh. Uh, yeah she did." Taylor said. He didn't want Hailey to know he went to that damned party.

"Good for her. She is in 7th grade, right? She seems sweet. You can tell me to hush and I will. Rumors go around and I ignore them but I am curious about your life story." Hailey said.

Taylor let her prop her foot on his leg and put the ice pack on her ankle. "Ah, it isn't that entertaining. What is yours?"

Hailey messed with one of the sequins on her dress. "I'm the youngest of four girls. I was born and raised here and my parents both work in town. Pretty boring."

"Four girls?" Taylor asked.

"Yes. There is me and Heather. Then Rachel and Rebecca. Rebecca is married and lives out of state. Rachel is in college." Hailey said.

Taylor made the sudden decision to keep that information away from Dean. "What kind of rumors went around about me?"

"Oh, stupid ones because people tried to make sense of the explosion and stuff. I know those are lies." Hailey said.

Taylor was silent for a few minutes. "Craig was my dad, well I thought he was. He had a few sons with someone else and then married my mom. She had David and then me. I guess I was not actually his. He got messed up when he was overseas and had bad PTSD. He snapped one night and that is what happened to my mom, with the explosion. I don't know where David is. He felt like I was to blame for Craig snapping. I was friends with Kate before all of that and wound up staying at her house. We both got adopted and we still live there."

Hailey gave him a sad look. "That is awful. I'm glad you live with them now."

"Dean is the one that dropped us off. Sam is in college at Stanford. I have a half sister that lives in Nebraska, her name is Jo." Taylor explained.

"Way more interesting than my life," Hailey said with a smile.

"Sometimes not interesting is better."

"What do you like to do besides football?" Hailey asked.

"I am an outdoorsy person. I like to build stuff. I don't know. I like bow hunting." Taylor said.

Hailey gasped. "Archery?"

"Yes," Taylor said, giving her an odd look.

"Why haven't you competed?"

"I never really considered it," Taylor said.

"You have to this year. It will be fun. I'll give you the dates." Hailey said. She realized Taylor didn't know. "I won the state championship in archery for the girl's division of my age group the last three years."

Taylor's eyes widened. "Really?"

"I have the trophies to prove it. My dad bow hunts too." Hailey said.

Taylor was shocked. "You don't seem like the archery type."

Hailey held out one of her arms. "Feel."

Taylor ran his fingers down her arm. There was a slightly calloused patch from getting snapped with the bowstring.

Hailey put her hands in her lap. "I do that and I cheer. I did dance for a long time but now I just cheer."

"I used to play baseball and basketball. I stopped for a little bit." Taylor said.

"I suck at throwing," Hailey admitted.

They got lost in conversation and only realized how long they had been talking when the bag began to leak from melted ice. Taylor grabbed napkins and put her foot down. "How does it feel?" He messaged Dean to give him a heads up.

"Sore but I'll be fine. I should call my mom or dad though." Hailey said.

"Dean could drop you off." Taylor offered.

Hailey said that her dad wanted to pick her up. "Maybe you could wait outside with me."

Taylor carried her on his back and sat her down by a bench. He heard the impala and let Dean know he was waiting for her to get picked up. He sat down beside her and talked for a little bit longer.

Hailey stood up. "That's my dad."

Taylor held out his elbow so she could lean on him instead of the twisted ankle. He opened the car door for her and stepped back.

Hailey tiptoed and kissed his cheek. "I had fun, thanks for carrying me around."

Taylor stopped breathing and just gave her an awkward wave. He forced himself to make eye contact with her dad and nodded his head in acknowledgment. As the car pulled away he walked quickly to the impala.

Dean's eyes were twinkling. "In front of her dad?"

"I didn't do anything."

"No, she did. Boy, you're in for it with that one." Dean said.

Taylor pressed his head against the dashboard. "She twisted her ankle. I just carried her out and got ice for her."

"First you knocked her off the bleachers to catch her and now you cause her to get hurt so you can get a kiss," Dean said.

Taylor held up his hands and let electricity jump from one hand to the other.

Dean pulled away from the school. "Was that a first kiss situation?"

Taylor thought about it. "I mean, a girl kissed me in kindergarten."

"That doesn't count," Dean said.

"When was yours?" Taylor asked.

Dean looked away from him. "New topic."

(Kate)

Kate put all of her stuff away and joined John by the door. She was glad that she got to start testing. She felt a lot better.

John could see that she was at ease and that gave him some hope that he could contain her curiosity.

Marty shut off the lights except for the one above the samples, as a bit of heat was needed to mimic a human's body temperature. He locked his office and drew the shade down so that no one could see in.

As they all left for the night, under the incubator, one sample slowly started to change. Instead of the pitch-black substance that had been there before, the substance was slowly changing colors. By morning that one sample would be bright red, void of all traces of the toxin.