Author's note: Brain fog and writer's block are bugging me but I'm doing my best.

Dean stopped at the diner.

Kate frowned. "I am sorry."

"It is okay, kiddo. I know you are worried." Dean said.

"Are you?" Kate asked.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "Not as much as I was. Taylor could always dig himself in deeper but I don't think dad will overreact."

"I just wish things would blow over." Kate said.

"Yeah, me too. Taylor can't get over it though. He's going to be okay." Dean said. "Everything is going to be okay." He walked toward the diner but flinched as something hit the window. He blinked and then smiled.

Ian saw Dean's car outside and was banging on the window to get his attention.

Caleb pulled him away. He waved Dean over and told him that he and Kate were welcome to share a table with them. "Where's the rest of the crew."

Dean grimaced. "There was an incident."

Caleb's face matched Dean's. He looked at Kate. "An incident you didn't get involved in?"

Kate's face turned red.

Dean had her sit down. "It is a story I'll have to tell you when the rugrats aren't around."

Kate was beside Ian who was happily talking. She had been given the ability to understand languages. She understood Enochian and ancient, dead languages that no one else did. Ian, however, was speaking a language that she couldn't quite decipher.

"He's asking about the drone." April said.

Kate pulled a face. "Are you sure?"

Ian smacked Kate's arm. He held his hand up to mimic the drone flying over the table.

"Did you get to fly it?" Kate asked.

Ian shot Dean a dirty look.

"It's okay. He won't let me play with it either." Kate said. She started to understand more of his words as he calmed down.

Dean leaned over to look at the car seat in the floor. "All she does is sleep."

April chided him. "She's a wonderful baby. She's very alert most of the time."

Dean saw her open her eyes and expected her to get upset or cry out. "Huh, I didn't know babies could be like that."

"How many babies have you met?" Kate asked. She glared at him. "Call me a baby and I'll hurt you."

The waitress added in Dean and Kate's order with the others.

April picked Lauren up when she got restless. She removed her little hat and blanket and held her upright.

"She's so much bigger." Kate said.

April held her up slightly. "She's getting rolls."

"So is Caleb." Dean said. He grunted when a boot connected with his shin.

"How have you been?" Kate asked.

"We are good. Andy is very happy to be out of school." Caleb said.

Andy got excited. "We are going to Marie's house!"

"Us too!" Kate said.

Andy made a sour face. "We have to bring Krissy a gift."

"She is getting you one too, isn't she?" Dean asked.

Andy sighed. "Mama picked it out because girl stuff is boring."

"You'll grow to appreciate girls one day." Dean told Andy.

"Maybe not. They are weird." Andy said. He bowed his head slightly when April scolded him. "Mom said I can't call people weird."

April shot Dean a look.

"Yeah, we probably shouldn't do that." Dean said. "I thought you were done with girl trouble after our little talk."

"I was but not anymore." Andy said.

April lightly bounced Lauren. "He met a girl at the park and he thought she was weird. We've met her a few times. Not everyone will want to be your friend."

Andy leaned closer to Dean. "She is scary."

"Some girls are." Dean said. He pinched Kate's leg because he heard a Tessa comment coming before she opened her mouth.

"Maybe she isn't very good at socializing." Kate said.

"She isn't. All she does is swing and stare at people." Andy said. "Other people want to swing but she is always there. She doesn't even swing high. I asked her name and asked her if she wanted to play and she just stared at me."

April did think the little girl was a little odd. She wondered if she was from a bad home or perhaps, she couldn't speak.

"Owen said her name is Lilith." Andy said.

"How did he find that out?" Dean asked.

"She told him." Andy said. "Then she won't talk to anyone."

"Enough about the girl." April said. She scooted away from the table so a warm plate didn't touch Lauren. She reminded Ian that the food was hot and shook her head when he ignored her and grabbed a fry.

The meal was nice. Dean and Kate had the opportunity to get away from the stress and enjoy a meal with a normal family.

Kate finished her food and took Lauren from April. She was five weeks old and getting stronger. Kate didn't feel the need to heal her in any way. "I wonder how big Jacob is."

"Sam and Jess haven't seen him." Dean said. "That is probably a good sign."

Kate let Lauren wrap her hand around her finger. "We need one of these."

Dean scoffed. "No, we don't. You've got one right there." He felt Ian's hand on him and barely caught him before he fell into the floor. He scooped him up and let him stand beside him. "They don't stay little like that."

Ian turned around and looked over the booth at another table.

Caleb cleared his throat. "Sit down."

Ian ignored him and reached over the booth like he was going to grab something.

Dean poked him. "Buddy, you are getting the look."

Ian turned around and slowly sat down.

Caleb and April had a good handle on the kids. Sure, they still had their days but consistency had been rewarding.

"You should come over for a bit." Caleb offered, knowing that Dean had left the house for a reason.

Dean shrugged. They could waste some time that way. He followed Caleb to the house

Kate looked out the window. The swing was moving at the park like someone had just vacated it. She didn't see any kids though. Creepy.

(John and Taylor)

John took a few deep breaths. He didn't want to argue with Taylor. That was his burden though. He was the parent.

Taylor tensed as the door opened.

"Kate and Dean are in town. I'm aware this wasn't her fault." John said.

"Good." Taylor mumbled.

"I'm not angry about what happened." John said.

Taylor snorted softly. He didn't believe John. Obviously, he was angry.

John was growing tired of the attitude although he knew where it was coming from. "You have every right to be angry about Kyle and the demons. No one in this family hurt you and there is no reason to take your hurt out on them."

"I know." Taylor said flatly.

"I'm going to give you a choice." John said.

Taylor picked his head up.

"You can walk out. You can drop the angst and we can move on." John said.

Taylor heard what John was saying but he was in too much pain.

"You have a history of going off the deep end when things settle down." John said.

Taylor narrowed his eyes.

"I'd say we all do to an extent. Dean did when he was your age." John said.

Taylor's lip twitched. "Okay."

John ran his fingers through his hair and took another deep breath. "You aren't leaving with that chip on your shoulder."

Taylor made the floor rattle but tried to pull himself back in. "Easier said than done."

John watched dust fall from the ceiling and wondered how sturdy the foundation of Bobby's house was. "I'm not going to whip you for getting out of the car or calling the demons. However, I will if you don't get yourself under control."

((TW))

Taylor snapped. "How do I do that? Huh? Don't we all have anger issues? I caused Kate to sell herself to Crowley and I got Kyle killed. Dean almost got eaten. Everything boils down to me."

John grunted as a wave of energy hit him. "Rein yourself in." That proved to be the opposite of what Taylor needed to hear but that didn't surprise John. God, he was so much like a younger version of Dean.

Taylor paced. Everyone should hate him. He hated himself.

John grabbed Taylor's arm in a vice like grip and walked him over to the table that sat at the corner of the panic room. He pushed him down on the table and held his hand on his back. "You are going to tear the house down."

Taylor's brain took a minute to register his position and the growing fire spreading across his backside. He gritted his teeth and stiffened.

John paused. "Control your abilities."

Taylor hit a point where his brain started to shift back to his human side. There was no lecture which meant he had no time to recover. "Ow. Ow. I get it!"

"What do you get?" John asked.

Taylor hissed and managed to get out of John's grip.

John just stared at him.

Taylor returned the stare.

"What do you get?" John asked again.

Taylor swallowed hard. "I messed up."

John raised an eyebrow. "How did you do that?"

Taylor let his eyes drift away from John's. "The demons."

John pinched the bridge of his nose. "Did you not listen to anything I said? You are not in hot water over the demons."

Taylor's face went blank. He blinked slowly. "Then why the hell are you whipping me?"

John had to calm himself down because losing his temper with Taylor wouldn't be setting a good example. "The yelling and swearing. Trying to uproot Bobby's house and the attitude you've been sporting today."

Taylor's stomach dropped. He did have a vague memory of doing those sorts of things. "But… that's." He was going to say not that bad but obviously John disagreed.

"I learned early on with Dean that he'd lose his head if he felt guilty enough. Telling him to forgive himself didn't work and he'd wind up where you're about to be." John said. "Instead of waiting a week and you drinking again, we are going to get your head screwed on straight right now."

"I'm not.." Taylor couldn't form full sentences.

"You aren't Dean. You are Taylor and we have been through this a handful of times and how did you act after things settled?" John asked.

Taylor's face was red. "I understand."

John pointed back to the table.

Taylor grimaced. "You don't think I'm sore enough?"

"I think you are still fighting with yourself and you know not to move out of place." John said.

Taylor licked his lips. Telling John that he had made his point wasn't going to work. He did move out of place. Why did his brain hate him? He took a step toward the table but froze for a moment. He kicked himself mentally and returned to where John had him to begin with.

John didn't add anything to their conversation except additional licks. He wanted to shake Taylor and tell him to give in but he knew a small part of him still blamed himself. He noted the change in Taylor's body language and stopped. "Why are we here?"

Taylor groaned. "I was being an ass."

John shook his head. That answer would suffice. He added two more much harder licks and let Taylor stand.

Taylor was cursing his healing ability. He clinched his fists and took deep breaths.

"Are we on the same page?" John asked.

Taylor shuddered. "Yes, sir." He stepped into the hug John offered him. His walls started to crumble and he let the demon incident go.

"You could have gotten off easy." John said.

Taylor cringed. "I see that now."

John put his belt back through its loops and told Taylor to head up the stairs.

Taylor waited until they were both upstairs. "I am sorry that I yelled and stuff."

"Clean slate." John said.

Taylor did not want to feel guilty about the yelling part because then he'd get his ass kicked again and he wanted no part of that.

((ETW))

John gave Taylor time to think. He looked as though he had a lot on his mind.

"Why do I do that?" Taylor asked.

John let out a slow breath. "I don't know. I drove myself mad after Mary died. I thought that it was my fault because I should have been the one to go to Sam's nursery. It took a while for me to admit that I couldn't have changed anything. You spent the first part of your life being forced to feel guilt over the smallest things. Part of it is just who you are as a person."

Taylor was embarrassed. "Yesterday was a pretty big thing."

"It was." John said. "If you were out with Dean on the road and demons hit the motel you were staying in, would I blame you for bringing them there?"

"No." Taylor said. "I understand what happened. I just lost myself."

"Make sure you realize that now so I am not trying to explain it to you when you are in your 20s." John said.

"I don't know if I am going to see my 20s at this rate." Taylor said.

"You will. You are a good kid." John said.

"Is Kate okay?" Taylor asked.

"She is okay." John said. "She was worried about you more than anything."

"What is going to happen to her?" Taylor asked.

"We will find a way to break her deal." John said. He didn't know if they could do that but he didn't like that Crowley had her bound to him. He didn't like any of it. "Do what you need to do and then take a walk around the house and pick up anything you knocked off the wall."

(Dean and Kate)

The coast was clear to return to Bobby's house and Dean's arms and back had started to ache from throwing Ian around. It was probably a good work out but the kid just didn't stop.

Kate asked Dean about how he was feeling while they were on the way back.

"I'm okay. I'm worried about you guys. I hate that it happened on my watch." Dean said.

"It wasn't your fault." Kate reminded him.

Dean sighed. "I know. It just hurts."

"Are you going to be able to let it go?" Kate asked.

"I think so. Your older self told me several times that certain things happen and can't be changed. I have survivor's guilt in a way. I wish I had been in your shoes and not the other way around." Dean said. "Seeing Taylor spiral is kind of like seeing myself in third person. I'm not going to obsess over it."

"I feel guilty too but I have replayed it over and over. I didn't have a choice. I think we have a better view of it since dad talked to us." Kate said.

"I'm still questioning him on a few details." Dean said, lightly.

"You know how old men tell fishing stories?" Kate asked with a smirk. "They start out with a small fish but by the fifth time they've told the story, they swear they caught a shark."

Dean sucked air through his teeth. "I may have had the reasoning wrong but I assure you that the magnitude is spot on."

"What else happened that you feel bad about? Not everything is life or death. You know, when you were younger." Kate said.

Dean thought about it as he drove. "I was a dick to a few girls. They are probably fine but in recent years I've thought about it. I think most teenage guys are assholes sometimes."

"Specifically teenage guys." Kate said.

"You aren't a saint." Dean said. "You have to have a few things you regret."

"I haven't had time to do non-life-threatening regretful things so I save my regrets for demon stuff." Kate said. "Well, I have been snippy with people who didn't deserve it."

"You know what? I did do something. When I was around your age, I stole something from a store. Back then we were dirt poor and left alone a lot. I set an alarm off and ran. I tripped over a homeless guy and he told me to run. The cops arrested him although I was responsible." Dean said.

"You probably got him a warm bed for a night." Kate said.

"Not knowing what happened bothered me for a long time. I was young. He was adamant." Dean said.

"You look pretty beat up." Kate said, motioning to Dean's face.

"I think he intended to get arrested but part of me wonders." Dean said. He sighed and parked the car. He went inside the house first just to make sure everything was good before letting Kate enter as well.

Kate checked on Taylor and was pleased to say that he was calm and would recover in a few days. She heard Dean talking to John and joined them. The conversation was about what happened but it wasn't heavy. "I should say something."

John eyed her. "What is that?"

"You should know that Dean feels really guilty still and I'm worried that he's going to snap." Kate said.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "You are on it today."

"I'm just saying that I thought about our conversation about the homeless guy and I don't want you to beat yourself up." Kate said.

John smirked. "He's an adult now. He can handle himself."

Kate dramatically frowned. "It was worth a try."

"I have never gone out of my way to try to get you into hot water." Dean said.

Kate crossed her arms. "You are the hot water, Dean."

"And yet you keep opening your mouth." Dean said. "Maybe you feel a bit guilty about healing Sam."

Kate gasped loudly. "Dean!"

John raised both eyebrows. "When was that?"

Dean grabbed her in a playful headlock. "Before the poltergeist got him."

"You are the big brother. Your job is to not rat us out." Kate said.

John connected the dots and snorted softly.

Kate got away from Dean. "I have not and will not ever feel guilty about that."

Dean looked at John. "What do you think?"

"I think that if you two weren't trying to drive each other crazy I would be more concerned." John said.

Taylor was more likely to mess with Dean in a physical way such as shocking him. Kate was devious and slowly grated on his nerves. They kept Dean a little bit younger in a sense. He was serious and a fantastic hunter but being able to act like typical siblings helped Dean cope. He'd need that in the years to come.

(Sam and Jess)

Sam was barely containing Jess as she planned out the car con. He was amused. It was comical what excited her. He got an email from Tony and clicked on it. It had links to documents. He was aware beforehand that most of the documents were cautionary. If Tony got sick or hurt, Jacob would have a set place to go to. He knew Jess was missing the little guy but he was too. It felt weird taking responsibility for someone else's kid but also because he and Jess were so young. It wasn't until he got to the end of the email that he worried that one day they might actually have to take him.

Jess was watching Sam's face. "What's wrong?"

Sam sighed. "We have copies of the papers for Jacob. If Tony needs surgery or anything that requires more than a babysitter, Jacob will come hang out with us."

"That is good." Jess said.

Sam rubbed his face. "I think he's looking into werewolves."

Jess understood Sam's discomfort. "We could talk to him. Another hunter can look for his wife. He doesn't need to be out there. Who would watch Jacob if he is gone for the night? I doubt he is going to drop him off here for a simple hunt."

Sam didn't know. He knew how it usually went with hunters. A creature killed a loved one, the hunter researched the creature and then they set out to rid the world of the creature. Some hunters lasted for decades like Bobby or John. Others didn't make it back from their first hunt. He'd talk to Ryan about Tony. He might not be able to get Tony to stop but he could try to make sure he didn't hunt alone.

Jess had slowly gotten used to Jacob not being with them as often. Her arms felt empty but the longer they went without seeing each other, the more she could get her brain to realize that he wasn't her baby. He was precious though and she wanted to see him grow. She and Sam would have their own babies in a few years. Then she would keep them safe and they'd grow up with both parents and a big family to love them.

(5 pm the same day)

Lee needed to grab a few things on the far side of Sioux Falls. He could have had Bobby bring the stuff when they visited for Christmas but he needed to get out of the house for a few hours. The drive from Marie's house to Sioux Falls was a little over two hours and he brought Krissy with him. They had just made it over the county line when the bottle of soda Krissy had gotten at a gas station exploded in her lap.

They made a pitstop at Bobby's house to get her dried off.

Dean answered the door and looked down at Krissy. "Where is your dad?"

Krissy scrunched her nose. "Let me inside. I'm cold."

Dean clicked his tongue. "I can't let you in here without an adult with you. These guys will try to adopt you and I'm tired of little kids."

Krissy put her hands on her hips. "My dad is right there."

Dean acted like he didn't see their car. He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes as a sharp pain spread throughout his shin. He whistled for Kate and told her to help Krissy.

Lee met eyes with Dean. "Did she kick you? Krissy Leanne Chambers!"

Dean held his hand up. "I probably deserved that. What can we do for you?"

"She spilled soda." Lee said.

Dean opened the door completely. "I'll get towels."

Krissy followed Kate up the stairs and grumbled about Dean under her breath.

"He thinks he is hilarious." Kate said.

Krissy huffed.

Kate was amused. "He was just joking."

Krissy took a cloth from Kate to wipe her arms off. "I don't want to be adopted. I just want to get clean."

Dean brought Krissy's bag upstairs. "Everything okay?"

Krissy narrowed her eyes.

"You've got quite the kick." Dean said.

"I was very cold." Krissy said.

"Why do you think I told your dad not to come after you?" Dean said, tapping the side of his head.

Krissy's eyes grew wide.

Kate smiled. "He is a pain but he's nice too."

Dean flicked Kate's ear. "Here is her bag. Lee wants to get back on the road." He decided to check on Taylor since he had been quiet. "I could use some backup."

Taylor stepped back from the window that he had been staring out. "It sounds like you handled it."

Dean looked out the window. "Are you looking for something?"

"No. I guess I'm just being melodramatic." Taylor said.

Dean sat down on Kate's bed. "Where is your head at?"

Taylor turned his back to the window. "I don't blame myself. It still sucks though. I want to know why this stuff happens. I don't want the 'everything happens for a reason' type of answers."

"When you find someone that can answer that, let me know because I have a couple of questions to ask them." Dean said.

"Thanks for picking me up." Taylor said.

Dean nodded slightly. "We knew Nate had probably messaged you."

Taylor groaned. "I need to talk to Hailey." He remembered shutting down. Did he snap at anyone? Did he hold it together until he was far away from them?

"Give her a call. I'll take you over there if you want me to." Dean offered.

Taylor snorted. "You aren't afraid I'll jump out of the car again?"

Dean cleared his throat. "Maybe if dad was a few states away with no plans to come back."

Taylor grimaced. "I'll just talk to Hailey. I don't think I could go over there right now."

Dean let him have his space. He had gotten a decent read on Taylor and didn't think he was going to snap. He seemed subdued which wasn't a bad thing.

Dinner was somewhat quiet but not tense. Bobby and Karen were back. Taylor was alert but didn't have much to say. It was peaceful.

Kate studied each member of the family for a few moments before moving onto the next. She was reading them with the skills she had been taught. She didn't need to dive into anyone's thoughts. She did start thinking about the future. What would need to be done to hold up her end of the deal? Was a deal set in stone? Could Crowley go back on his word? Would he? Did he see her as a threat? She knew deep down that she was a threat to hell. She just couldn't get cocky. Her life wasn't on the line. Everyone else's lives were. Damn Crowley for knowing her weakness.

Once the kids were in bed and asleep, Dean let himself relax a little. Maybe relax wasn't the right word for it.

John joined Dean in the living room with a glass of whiskey. He handed it to Dean and sat down on the couch.

Dean savored the strong drink. He closed his eyes and let it warm him.

"Your shadow is concerned." John said.

Dean opened his eyes. "I thought she finally dropped that."

"Arguing with her, picking on Krissy…." John said.

Dean furrowed his eyebrows.

"When you are struggling, you make everyone laugh." John said.

"That is better than punching another hole in Bobby's wall." Dean said.

"I'm not condemning you. Just don't lie and say you are completely okay with this." John said.

Dean sat forward. "I'm not okay with it at all. I know I couldn't have done anything to stop it. I know that. It doesn't stop me from replaying it in my head."

John studied Dean. He wasn't the angry teenager he used to be. He still dealt with a lot of anger but he managed it better. "If you need to blow off steam, you can do that. I don't care how or when."

Dean had a few things go through his head but just nodded. "Why didn't we do this years ago?"

John finished his drink. "You were too angry and I was too arrogant."

Dean raised an eyebrow.

John snorted softly. "Missouri isn't one to sugar coat anything." He saw Dean's body language change and felt like he would be okay. "How bad did Krissy get you?"

Dean rolled up his pant leg to show John a small bruise on his shin. "Impressive for a five-year-old."

"She broke that guy's nose when Gordan showed up at Marie's house. She's a spitfire." John said.

"Oh, I see you find this funny." Dean said, rolling his pant leg back down.

"It is funny because she isn't my responsibility." John said.

"We laughed behind your back about your first run in with her." Dean said. "At least Kate as older when we got her."

"They have different tactics. Kate makes you question your sanity." John said.

Dean leaned back in his chair. "She's fun though."

John stood up to give Dean some time alone. "You'd be bored without her."

Dean swirled the ice around in his glass. At times he thought about the simplicity of being able to hunt all the time. He had been down that road and enjoyed it. He enjoyed being home too. It was just different. He absolutely did not want to have his own kids or add any to the family but Kate and Taylor were the missing puzzle pieces.

(December 23)

April busied herself packing bags. They had decided to head to Marie's house a day or so early because Ian and Andy were just about to drive both her and Caleb insane. She was a little anxious about the trip. Last time they were there, Ian nearly went nuclear, she went into labor and Andy confessed to taking Ian's bracelet off. She had spoken to Marie who was adamant that everything was okay and no one cared. Still, she didn't know how two little boys could do so much damage. She heard a crash and quickly made her way to the boys' room.

Caleb beat her there. He unearthed Ian from a fallen shelf and did his best not to drop him as he kicked and screamed. He put Ian's feet on the floor and tried to look at his face.

Ian stomped his foot and held his hand to his eye. He growled and spun around to continue what he was doing.

Caleb turned him back around. He had an impressive black eye forming.

Ian didn't cry. He didn't sulk. He growled and then he was fine.

Caleb let Ian go to fix the shelf. He made a mental note to anchor it to the wall. He stepped back and looked at April. "Is that an ability?"

April smiled. "No. Toddlers are just invincible."

Caleb had witnessed Ian take some hard hits being tackled by Riot or stumbling over his own feet. He thought Ian was just a tough little guy but some of the harder hits made him wonder. He reacted quickly and grabbed Ian before he pulled the shelf back down. "You can't climb that."

Ian fought Caleb and tried his best to return to the shelf.

Caleb called Andy and asked him to play with Ian while he anchored the shelf. It was a wonder that Ian hadn't wound up on the roof yet. He saw something in a vent above the shelf. He reached up and pulled an army man from the metal slats.

Ian happily grabbed it from Caleb and dove under the bed to continue playing with the army men that he had stashed under there.

Caleb scratched his head. "How did that get up there?" He had theories but would likely never find out exactly how it happened.

April shook her head. "Boys."

Andy licked his lips and swallowed hard. "Um, a sling shot or something didn't do that."

Caleb looked at him suspiciously. "That is a little specific."

Andy chewed his cheek. "I'm just saying I didn't make a slingshot."

"What did it then?" Caleb asked.

"I don't know." Andy said.

Caleb sighed. "Andy, don't lie to my face."

Andy stood up straighter. "I'm not going to lie but I'm not going to say because it is almost Christmas and we don't want to ruin the magic."

Caleb hid a chuckle. "Just show me so I can make sure it doesn't happen again. No one is in trouble."

Andy let out a big breath. Technically, he had found the thing but Ian wouldn't stop messing with it and he had no interest in getting Ian into trouble. He got on the bottom bunk of his bed and carefully pulled one of the wooden slats away from the metal of the bed. It had just enough give to it that it could be slipped out of its socket, pulled forward and be bent a fraction of an inch to snap back up against the metal.

Caleb got a good look at it. He asked Andy to show him what they were doing.

Andy picked up a plastic cap to a toy and held it against the wood before letting go.

Caleb watched the small object fly up and hit the top shelf of the bookshelf. He walked over and looked behind the bookshelf to see several small toys behind it. He looked at the wall above the book shelf and noticed a few small dents. The metal of the vent looked fine but it was likely that it had been hit a few times. "How exactly did you figure that out?"

Andy sighed. "I wanted to be on my head so I put my feet on the wood part and then it moved. It did that when I tried to fix it."

Caleb rubbed his face. Why did they have to be so much like him when he was that age? "Did you fling all of those?"

Andy shrugged. "I prefer not to say."

Caleb chuckled and grabbed a few tools. He had Andy help him fix the bed and the shelf. "If anything else breaks, let me know. I'm not going to get mad about it."

Andy tested the wood slat and nodded. "Okay, dad."

"I'll help you get stuff packed." Caleb said.

April smiled. "If we are at Marie's house, someone else can entertain them."

Caleb stayed with the boys to gather clothes for them and put them in their backpacks. He asked them if they wanted to bring a certain toy and helped tidy up the room before they left. Surely the boys could manage another hour without burning the house down.

April packed a few outfits for Lauren and changed her into a set of warm pajamas for the trip. New born clothes were still big on her but not nearly as big as they had been. Ian had blown through sizes so quickly that it didn't matter than he only a few items per size. Lauren would stay little a little bit longer and that was fine as long as she was healthy. The tiny reindeer on the feet of the pajamas melted April's heart. Girls were fun.

Caleb put bags into April's van. The truck was quickly running out of room. It would be fine for the family but Riot wouldn't have much room.

Riot jumped into the van and jumped around from seat to seat.

Andy pulled him down and into the third row. He was in charge of keeping Riot back there so he didn't jump on Lauren.

Riot was enthralled with the new addition but he had big paws and was still very much a puppy.

Caleb locked the door and joined the rest of the family. It was cold but the roads looked good. He turned to look into the backseat so he could ask the boys if they were good to go. He got a look at Ian's face and held back a chuckle.

April followed Caleb's eyes. Ian had a full black eye and a scrape on his cheek. It hurt her heart as a mom but Ian could care less. She had learned early on with Andy that it would be a rare occurrence that one of them didn't have a bump or bruise. Ian was more fearless and would give her gray hair before she turned 30.

(Marie's house)

Marie busied herself around the kitchen while Rod made sure the house was ready for guests.

Lee helped Rod. He had gotten used to the older couple. He had been offered an acre for a house for Krissy and himself but he wasn't sure what to do. Krissy loved it at Marie's house. He needed to return to hunting eventually so he didn't want to accept the offer and then leave. Spending time at the farm made it hard for him to look at their future. There, they were cut off from the horrors of the world.

Charlie knew Lee was thinking about leaving. It made her sad. She enjoyed having Krissy around but she also didn't want Krissy to have to grow up on the road. That wasn't her call though. She got Krissy's attention and had her sit down to unwrap her gift.

Krissy tore the paper and opened the box to see a pretty crystal. She gasped and carefully took it out.

Charlie pulled her necklace from where it was hiding under her shirt. "They match."

Krissy squealed excitedly and asked Charlie to put it on. "Is it magic?"

"No. It just looks nice." Charlie said.

Krissy jumped to hug her and ran to show her dad.

Lee caught her before she headbutted him. "What do you have?"

"I have a necklace that matches Charlie!" Krissy exclaimed.

Lee looked at the colorful crystal and gave Charlie a small smile. "Did you say thank you?"

Krissy whirled around and ran back over to Charlie. "Thank you, Charlie!"

Charlie smiled. "I thought you'd like it."

Krissy stopped suddenly. "What if it gets broken?"

"I can buy a new necklace for the crystal." Charlie said.

Krissy frowned. "Andy and Ian and Ben will be here."

Charlie showed her how to tuck it into her shirt. "I don't think they'd get close enough to break it."

"Good 'cuz I'll kick them." Krissy said.

Lee scolded her. "You will not kick anyone."

Krissy turned so that he didn't see her eyes roll. "I won't." She absolutely would if she needed to. Boys were mean.

James' family showed up at Marie's house right before Caleb's family did. They planned it that way.

Desiree covered her mouth as Ben and Ian ran into each other. The collision was audible.

Neither boy cared and got up to play with Riot.

"Is that a boy thing?" Caleb asked.

Desiree let out a slow breath. "It has to be." She put her hand on her stomach. They didn't know if she was having another boy or another girl. "Hopefully this little one survives."

Caleb pulled Lauren's car seat from the van. "This one has."

Desiree touched Lauren's foot and melted at how small and cute she was. "I swear my girls were this size just yesterday."

April took Lauren from Caleb and left him and James outside to watch the kids. She was too worried about them getting hurt to stay outside with them.

Caleb and James caught up on family life and other stuff they had in common. It sounded like James was happy with where they settled. Caleb was as well. They heard a small yelp and walked around the side of the house to see what was going on.

Andy spun around and shoved his hand in his pocket.

"What was that?" James asked.

Andy and Caitlyn traded looks.

Ian touched the electric fence like he had saw Andy do. He jerked his hand back but burst into a fit of giggles.

Caleb grabbed him before he did it again. "No, that can hurt you."

James sighed. "Why are you touching the electric fence?"

Krissy started to tell him but quickly shut her mouth.

Andy wasn't going to say that Caitlyn told him to do it.

Seeing that the discussion would go nowhere, Caleb asked Caroline to ask Rod to turn off the power to the fence. They could demand that the kids spill but they'd hold out until the bitter end. He rubbed his face. "Don't mess with electricity."

James eyed Caitlyn. "Did you tell him to do that?"

Andy cleared his throat. "No one is really sure what happened."

"I'm assuming that is a lie." Caleb said.

"I'm not going to touch it again if you are worried about that." Andy said.

Caleb heard the fence stop buzzing and reminded them not to ever mess with electricity. He explained that their hands could get stuck to the fence if they touched it the wrong way. He sent the kids to the front of the house so that they were easier to keep an eye on.

Lee stepped out onto the porch and asked what happened.

James leaned against the railing. "They were touching the fence."

Lee furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?"

Caleb snorted. "Your guess is as good as ours."

"They wouldn't rat each other out." James added. Neither he or Caleb pushed them too hard since they were kids doing kid things.

Caleb would be lying if he said he had never messed with an electric fence. "I've got bad news."

Lee sighed. "What is that?"

"They are unionizing. Not even Krissy broke." Caleb said.

Lee watched Krissy running around with the other kids. "At least they have someone to unionize with."

Caleb agreed. Most hunters' kids didn't have other kids to play with. Their little group was growing and the relationships being formed would carry the kids into adulthood. They were blessed to be dealing with normal kid issues and not creature related issues. He'd count it as a blessing until they got a little bit older and the electric fence seemed miniscule.

(Bobby's house)

Dean noted that Kate was a little lost after waking up. She just didn't seem to be completely present. "Where are you?"

Kate looked at him. "Deep in thought."

"Uh oh." Dean said.

"How do we find Abaddon? Do we summon her?" Kate asked.

Dean bristled.

"I'm not going to. I'm asking your professional opinion." Kate said.

"Can't we discuss this after Christmas?" Dean asked.

"You wanted to know where I was at." Kate said. "I'm just thinking about logistics."

"It is going to take a while." Dean said.

Kate slumped. "I know. I just can't but think two steps ahead. Oh, I requested something of Castiel."

"What?" Dean asked.

"The pendant that I gave you that has your mom's love in it, does it still work?" Kate asked.

Dean wrapped his hand around the pendant that he kept on a necklace. He smiled. "Yeah, it does."

"Those actually aren't that hard to find. You just have to know what you are looking for." Kate said.

"Then why did these come from the future?" Dean asked.

"They didn't." Kate said.

Dean obviously wasn't following.

"Fossils are old. Someone will find another in the future. It doesn't mean that it was made in the future." Kate said.

"You know what I mean. If it is easy to get, why did older you have to bring them?" Dean asked.

"Because at the time, well at this time, we didn't know about them." Kate said. She placed her palms together and brought them up to her mouth. She did that sometimes when she was deep in thought. "We know that Taylor and I can go back and change things. We found the pendants at a later time but older me brought them back. So, now we are experiencing life from the point in which I brought them back."

Dean's eyes drifted.

"Bringing them back didn't affect the timeline. You got them at a good time but it is just a nice gesture. It isn't anything big that would change the course of the timeline." Kate said.

"How do you know this?" Dean asked.

"Time isn't linear. I pick up certain things." Kate said. "Think of life as a video tape. There is one original movie playing. Someone could rewind part of the tape and tape over it on accident. It is the same tape but plays a different image. Sometimes you can see both images because the tape glitches."

"I'm following." Dean said.

"That is what Taylor and I do. Except those small things don't entirely tape over the original timeline. They layer on top of it. I can see some of those changes." Kate said. "It isn't an alternate time line. Those are like different video tapes. Some may have the same story but be created by a different film studio. The actors are different."

"So older you just took a detail from the future and brought it back." Dean said.

"Exactly." Kate said.

"Where was this headed?" Dean asked, realizing that the conversation started with Cas.

"Oh, we can get more of the pendants. We can choose people in heaven and do the same thing that we did with your mom." Kate said.

Dean soaked in her words. "Wow. Wouldn't that cause issues though? You had to be secretive with Karen."

Cas can enter someone's heaven, interact with them and then walk away. They will not remember it." Kate said. "So, I was thinking that Karen would benefit from something like that."

"What is the catch?" Dean asked.

"There is no catch." Kate said.

"So why didn't you bring it up earlier?" Dean asked.

"I did after I asked Cas about it." Kate said.

"Right after?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. I went to the time stream." Kate said. "That is legal."

"It is." Dean said. "When did this happen?"

"When you asked where I was." Kate said.

"But you said you were thinking about Abaddon." Dean reminded her.

"I was. That seemed to be the more pressing issue." Kate said. "I can multitask."

Dean's head started to hurt. "You were easier before all of this."

Kate smiled. "You know I was never easy."

"Eight year old Kate was a piece of cake." Dean said.

Kate cracked her knuckles. "This has all been in 4 years. I wonder what will happen over the next 4."

"I'll be in an institution." Dean said, jokingly.

"I'll just compel you not to go insane." Kate said with a smile.

Dean's shoulders shot up to his ears as he spun around. "Personal space!"

Cas just tilted his head like a confused puppy. He held his hand out for Kate to take the pendants from his hand.

Dean looked at the strange pendants. "Where are they from?"

Kate, without looking up, said "You grind up the horn from a unicorn. They used to be more common but it works even if it is a fossil."

Dean froze. "A what?"

Kate gave him a wink. "It could be from a saber tooth tiger or phoenix."

Dean looked to Cas. "What are these actually made of?"

"She is requesting that I do not answer your question." Cas said.

Kate huffed. "Way to keep a secret, Cas."

"I was unaware that I was keeping a secret." Cas said. He heard a ping on angel radio and disappeared.

Dean crossed his arms. "You aren't going to tell me what those are? Is it illegal?"

"It isn't illegal but I'm enjoying the sense of power I have right now." Kate said.

Dean stepped toward her.

Kate spun around. "Karen! I have something to show you."

Dean shook his head. "She can't protect you forever."

Kate met his eyes. "Wanna bet?"

Karen dried her hands. "What is it?"

"She's buying your loyalty." Dean said. He knew that Kate's heart was golden and Karen would be touched.

Kate handed Karen one of the pendants and told her to hold it close to her heart.

Karen felt a sensation spreading across her chest and took in a deep breath. Her eyes got watery as she recognized the feeling.

"Sam and Dean have one. The pendant soaks up someone's love or comfort and you can activate it by doing what you are doing. You can also look into it and see her favorite memory with you." Kate said.

Karen wrapped her in a hug and held her for a minute. "Kate, this is…. I don't know what to say." She looked at Dean. "You had better not touch a hair on her head."

"You can't buy protection with gifts." Dean said.

Karen kissed the top of Kate's head. "She certainly can."

Kate gave her a second pendant. "This one is for April. I think it would mean the most coming from you."

Dean flicked her ear as she stepped away from Karen. "You have an agenda."

Kate held up a third pendant and smirked. "Dad isn't easily bought but I think this will smooth him over for a while."

"What is it?" Dean asked.

"I couldn't disturb your mom again but Millie Winchester sure loved her only son." Kate said.

Dean snatched it from her hand before she could jerk it away. He held her back and whistled loudly. "Dad, come in here. I have something for you."

Kate ducked under his arm to take the pendant back. "Nice try but he knows you don't have the creativity to think of something like this."

Dean handed it back to her. "Fine. Go gloat."

Kate heard John coming down the hallway and snapped her fingers. "You know… we could make a ton of money off of these for other hunters."

Dean smiled. "Now you're talking."

Kate turned to John and put on her best sweet little kid face. "I got you something. I hope it helps you feel less stressed."

Dean snorted loudly. "She is laying it on thick."

John took the pendant and turned it over in his hand. He knew it was similar to the one Dean had. "Is this…"

"Your mom. I'm sorry that I couldn't disturb Mary again." Kate said.

John held it to his chest and felt his throat close. It had been so long since he had gotten a hug from his mother or heard her voice. He was at a loss for words and not one for expressing emotions with an audience.

Dean saw his dad's face. He saw how touched he was. He saw the emotion John was holding back. He gently turned Kate back to the kitchen. John needed a moment. "I think that was actually really sweet."

Kate batted her eyelashes. "I'm really sweet." She hugged him around his middle. "I've got to use these abilities for something else than sassing demons. I might as well earn brownie points while I'm at it."