Author's note: Health sucks. I've been in a pit of self-pity so I'm slow to write. Hopefully that ends soon.

December 29, 2002

A few days had gone by since Kate left for the bunker. She and Dean were nearing the end of their journey after having taken several detours. She was calm and collected.

Dean had let his worries surrounding the proverbial pebble fade to the back of his mind. Death hadn't shown up again. That had to be a good sign. Throughout their trip, he let Kate read small bits of the book out loud. He considered it to be like trialing a medication and building up a tolerance to it.

"I didn't know about Cameron or that his mom was my mom's cousin. I just think that the Winchester side of the family could extend beyond us. If your ancestors were anything like you, you probably have aunts and uncles and cousins that no one knows about." Kate said.

Dean narrowed his eyes. "You just love to run your mouth."

Kate sat forward and smiled sweetly. "I just really want a baby, but in an aunt way."

"No babies. We have Lauren." Dean reminded her.

Kate frowned. "Yeah, but that is Caleb's baby."

"Caleb is basically a brother." Dean countered.

Kate cringed.

"What? You don't want a fourth brother?" Dean asked with a smirk.

"No." Kate said. "I want a sister though."

"No." Dean said. "No more kids."

"Lame." Kate said with a sigh. "I'll just wait a few more years."

The sun was high in the sky and actually felt warm. They had stopped at a rest area that had a picnic table. It was cold but there was no wind and the sun felt good.

Dean stretched. "I'm ready for summer."

"Me too." Kate said. She studied her nails and picked away broken pieces. She could never grow her finger nails out. She was far too anxious. "If you could go back in time and tell yourself something, what would you tell your younger self?"

Dean looked suspicious.

"Not reality. Just advice you'd give your younger self." Kate said.

"Make sure the girl is human." Dean said with a snort.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Oh, but you get mad at me when I tease you about that."

Dean thought about it. "I don't know. There is so much that I wish I had known. I could be lame and say that I could tell my younger self not to stress out as much. Dad was proud of me, even when he didn't act like it. I don't know. He says and does things differently now. I think things would have been easier had he made that change before I became an adult."

Kate reached across the table to pat his arm. "That is surprisingly deep."

"I think deep sometimes." Dean said. "I was thinking about his dad. If they had known that he didn't just walk out. They would have still had to struggle with money and stuff but maybe the grief wouldn't have been so bad. Between you and me, I hope we find out what really happened to him."

"To unlock more questions?" Kate asked.

"To satisfy my curiosity. He wasn't a hunter but it seems like demons have had their eyes on us for a long time. I don't like having a big gap in our history." Dean admitted.

Kate sighed. "Our history is full of big gaps."

(Marie's house)

Kids started to stir in the early morning hours. Waking up early on vacation was much easier than waking up early for school.

Marie wanted to take the kids to the winter festival before Kelsey left. The town put a lot of effort into making the town square look like it belonged in a snow globe.

Sam knew he and Jess needed to head back to Stanford but that could wait another day.

Extra air mattresses that had been blown up for extra guests were no longer serving a purpose aside from being a fun way for the kids to entertain themselves. They had their fun with them but were disappointed when Rod said they had to pack them away.

Letting air out of the air mattresses was the perfect kid task because it seemed harmless.

Andy rolled across one as it deflated, squishing the last of the air out before trying to roll it up. Ian wasn't exactly helpful with that.

Ian flopped back onto another mattress and rested his tired legs for a minute. He had jumped until he could jump no more.

Andy was tired and flopped down beside Ian. His eyes went wide as Ian bounced a few inches off of the mattress.

Ian was stunned but laughed and told Andy to do it again.

Andy sat down harder and grinned when Ian popped up. That became a game. If just falling onto the mattress with fun, surely jumping on it would be fun as well. That action gave Ian more airtime although he landed back onto the mattress with no harm done. He stood on the real bed and looked down at the mattress. He just needed to be careful not to jump on top of Ian.

Sam walked by the room with a stack of blankets that needed to be watched. He saw Andy leaving the bed and watched everything happen in slow motion. Andy landed on the mattress with his legs out in front of him. A fraction of a second later, Ian was air born. He followed Ian with his eyes and cringed when Ian's flight landed with him hitting the wall. He quickly checked on Ian who was out of breath.

Ian grunted and took a deep breath. He whined but immediately tried to get away from Sam so that he could fly again.

Andy gasped in horror. He stared at Ian and then at Sam.

Sam twisted the valve on the air mattress to let the air out. "What were you doing?"

Andy's voice broke. "Bouncing him."

Sam assessed the situation. "You both could have gotten hurt."

Andy apologized as his mind raced. He hissed. "You can't tell my dad."

Sam sighed. "That wasn't a good decision." He nudged the mattress with his foot to show Andy that they had busted it.

"Can't you do something?" Andy asked.

Sam shook his head.

"Sam, you don't understand. I didn't mean to do anything bad. I don't want to be in trouble." Andy said.

"I'm not going to lie for you." Sam said.

Andy started to panic. Sam wasn't like his dad or John. Sam was very understanding. Surely, he could take care of things so that his dad wouldn't. He tried his best to convince Sam to be the grow up in their situation.

Sam wasn't even angry at Andy. Andy had just gotten off the rails and no amount of correcting him seemed to stop him. "Enough." His voice was stern although not harsh.

Andy was wide eyed.

Sam bit his cheek. "Go tell Marie what happened and come back up here to help me with this."

Andy took off running out of the room. He was red faced and on the verge of tears.

Krissy nearly got knocked over by him. She had heard part of their conversation and Andy pleading not to be in trouble. She was disgusted with Sam. From her position, it sounded like Andy was pleading not to be in trouble with Sam. She couldn't know that it was the opposite.

Marie calmed Andy down and asked him to show her the damage. "It is just an air mattress. I'm glad you boys are okay."

Krissy sat on the stairs. It was just an air mattress and Sam was mad at Andy? That didn't sit right with her.

Sam carried the rolled-up mat and carefully stepped around Krissy.

Jess watched him and noticed the daggers that Krissy was staring into his back. She didn't know why she was doing it but asking probably wouldn't be helpful.

With Andy and Ian less likely to injure each other, Sam went back inside to pack some of his stuff back into his bag. He enjoyed hanging out at Marie's house. He knew Jess did too.

Jess was already back in the room, packing her own bag. They'd need extra room for snacks.

Sam walked up behind her and whispered into her ear.

Jess smiled and told him to behave himself. She got a love bite on her neck and squeaked. She playfully pushed him away and touched her neck. "Can't you wait?"

Sam was happy to be the one riling her up instead of it being the other way around. "I wasn't doing anything."

Jess scrunched her nose and turned back around. Sam lightly swatted her, causing her to whirl around and smack his arm. "Sam Winchester."

Sam just grinned.

Jess scoffed. "At least close the door."

Krissy froze where she was. She had several spots she could go where no one could see her but she could see them. Adults were weird.

Lunch time rolled around and Marie made sure everyone had enough to eat. They were free to eat at the festival but it was probably best for the children not to fill up on sweets.

During the meal, Krissy kept shooting Sam dirty looks.

Eventually, Charlie asked her what was wrong.

Krissy sat back with her arms crossed.

Charlie leaned closer to her so she could whisper.

"Sam is mean." Krissy said, quietly.

Charlie sat back. "I think he's nice."

Krissy huffed. "Well, he isn't!"

Marie reminded Krissy not to shout at the table.

Sam was extremely confused. "I am mean?"

"Yeah!" Krissy said.

Sam was shocked. "What did I do?"

"You are mean to people." Krissy said.

"When have I been mean to anyone?" Sam asked. He honestly wanted to know what he had done to scorn her.

Krissy kneeled on her chair to be tall. "You were mean to Andy."

Sam furrowed his brows.

"You are supposed to be cool but you are like your dad and are mean." Krissy said.

"I didn't…" Sam was trying to follow her train of thought.

"Earlier you made a big deal." Krissy said.

Sam looked at Andy. "I told him to go get Marie."

Krissy rolled her eyes. "After you made him cry."

Sam remembered Andy being upset but he hadn't been the cause of it. "Krissy, I.."

Krissy glared at him. "You are mean to Jess too."

"No, he isn't." Jess said.

Lee told Krissy to sit down.

Krissy crossed her arms again. "I saw you be mean to her."

Taylor was fully invested in the drama.

Jess and Sam traded looks.

"You bited her and then smacked her booty when she got mad at you. That isn't nice because you can't bite people and you can't hit them. Those are mean things." Krissy said.

Sam froze.

Jess wanted to defend Sam but how would she explain that in a way that wouldn't make the meal more awkward.

Taylor cleared his throat. "Where did he bite her?" He grimaced and sucked air through his teeth when Sam kicked his shin.

Krissy pointed. "On her neck."

Jo turned so Krissy didn't see her swallowing a laugh.

Sam and Jess were beet red and wanting to shrink away from curious eyes.

Marie bit into her lip and composed herself. "Krissy, sweety, let's worry about something different."

Krissy was outraged.

Lee removed Krissy from the table before she made the situation worse. She had a massive attitude that he was not loving.

The little kids were confused. Andy knew Sam wasn't mean but why did he bite Jess?

Sam covered his face and rested his elbows on the table. "I'm just gonna…" He got up and left the table to catch his breath. She had embarrassed the hell out of him and he couldn't clear up the misunderstanding. He'd just have to let her think he was just another mean adult.

Jess joined him and covered her mouth with her hand. She pressed her forehead against Sam's and giggled.

Sam turned as Taylor showed up in the hallway. "What do you want?"

"I am just making sure Jess is okay." Taylor said.

Jess smiled. "I'm quite alright."

Taylor smirked. He started to say something but Sam smacked his head. "You aren't helping your reputation."

Sam told him that he wasn't making things any better.

Taylor rocked back and forth on his feet. "Man, you are lucky Dean isn't here." He laughed and reached for his phone. Sam flipped him and caused him to land on his back on the floor. Taylor stood back up. "Your face."

"Shut up." Sam said.

Taylor licked his lips. "I didn't think you'd be that kind of guy."

Sam narrowed his eyes.

"I mean… Dean but aren't you like some kind of gentleman?" Taylor asked.

Sam put an arm around his neck, acting like he was going to choke him. "Do not make me hurt you."

Taylor tapped his arm so he would be let go. "I am just saying that things could have been worse."

Sam had gotten over the shock and had to admit it was a little funny.

"Are you going to tell her that you weren't being mean?" Taylor asked.

Sam pulled a face. "And what? Tell her that sometimes adults like to be bitten?"

Jess snickered.

Andy wanted to see what was going on but Rod told him to stay put. Obviously, he was missing important details.

Lunch was quickly wrapped up and dishes were washed. Everyone felt a little bit awkward. How soon could they start laughing at their discomfort?

Lee returned without Krissy. He apologized to Sam and Jess and rubbed his face.

"Like Taylor said, it could have been worse." Sam said, lightly.

"She doesn't listen worth a damn." Lee said.

"Ah, she's a kid." Sam said. "She's looking out for Jess."

Andy ran up the steps but skidded to a stop. He pushed Lee's door open and gave Krissy a look. "What are you doing?"

Krissy sighed heavily. "Listening."

"That is the worst idea ever. Do you want your dad to see you?" Andy asked.

"If I don't listen, no one ever tells me anything." Krissy said with a pout. "I know all kinds of things now because I heard them say it."

Andy pushed her back and quietly shut the door. He scuttled off to his own room and cleared the hallway before Lee breached the top of the steps.

Krissy was frustrated trying to piece things together. Something big was going on but she didn't really know what it was. The angels were a big thing but Sam was acting weird. He said weird stuff to Kate when Jess broke her toe and he was being extra weird by being mean to people. As long as she had known the family, Sam was the chill one. She frowned and sat down on Lee's bed. She needed to talk to someone but who could she trust?

(Bobby's house)

Bobby looked out the window, into the salvage yard. He grumbled and resituated his ball cap.

"Who is it?" Karen asked. She got a disgruntled response that she thought sounded like Rufus.

Bobby walked out onto the porch and put both hands on the railing of the porch.

Rufus parked and got out of the car.

"What the hell do you want?" Bobby asked.

Rufus shut the car door. "Now Bobby, is that anyway to talk to a long-time friend?"

Bobby stepped back. "Long time friend my ass. You only show up when you want something."

"Well, Bobby it just so happens that I not only want something, I find myself in need of it." Rufus said.

Bobby welcomed him inside.

Karen smiled. "Would you like some coffee?"

Rufus smiled back. "Yes, ma'am I would. See, Bobby, that's how you greet someone."

Bobby shook his head. "You didn't call."

"I was told the door was always open." Rufus said.

Karen handed him a cup of hot coffee. "That still stands. Just ignore him."

Bobby sat down at his desk and rocked back in his chair. "You going to tell me what is going on?"

Rufus sat down across from him. "I was getting to that part."

Karen gave Bobby a wink and returned to what ever task she had been doing.

Bobby was interested to know what was up with Rufus. He acted annoyed but he could tell something was wrong with his friend. "Go on."

Rufus sipped the coffee and closed his eyes. "I took out a nest of vampires."

Bobby narrowed his eyes. "Do you want a gold medal?"

Rufus opened his eyes and glared at Bobby. "The nest was big. I used some creative means to get rid of the majority of them."

Bobby wanted to know what Rufus considered creative.

"A couple acted real funny. They didn't act like a normal vampire. I think they were sick with that stuff that turns them into one of those freaks." Rufus said.

"Did you get bitten?" Bobby asked.

"No. I about did. Those ones didn't react to dead man's blood. I cut heads off the ones I could. They were strong, even if they were stumbling around." Rufus said. "Now, I'm not an expert on this particular breed of monster but I do believe at least one survived it all and might be wanting to even the score."

Bobby took his cap off. "You think you got one on your tail? I don't know how freaks track."

Rufus pulled up the side of his shirt. "This was my own doing. I caught my side on a metal bar."

Bobby nodded so that Rufus would continue.

"If a normal vampire gets your scent, they can track you till one of you dies." Rufus said. "I have reason to believe that one or two might be doing just that."

Bobby's heart dropped. "What's your reason?"

"I drove out of town and stopped for the night at a motel. I heard a lady yelling and looked outside. A man had her cornered so I opened up the door. He whipped his head around fast and I barely got the door shut. I recognized him. He just didn't look like himself." Rufus explained.

That raised some new questions about the freaks. Was it even a freak? "So now you are here."

Rufus rubbed the back of his neck. "It's bright and early. I wouldn't want it following me here. I was thinking you have that place I might could lay low at."

Bobby nodded. "The bunker." He got up and put a hand on Rufus's shoulder. "You hang tight. I'll make a call." 20 minutes later he returned. "I'm assuming you brought anything you'll need."

Rufus held his side. "Getting this cleaned up would be mighty appreciated."

Karen busied herself with getting items to clean Rufus's wound.

"Where's your medic?" Rufus asked, talking about Kate.

"She is with Dean." Bobby said, simply. "We don't want any freaks showing up at the bunker so we will do this another way. We will drive your car out of town, just incase they got the scent of that too. Then, a nice young lady will come get you and take you there."

Rufus raised both eyebrows. "A nice young lady, huh?"

"She's a reaper but she helps us." Bobby said.

Rufus snorted. "This wouldn't be the reaper Dean has a thing for."

Bobby smirked. "The one and only."

"I can't say I'm excited about going anywhere with one of them but I trust you and you trust her." Rufus said. He winced as Bobby cleaned his wound. He sucked in a breath and held it. "You could numb me up before you started sewing."

Bobby gave him an exasperated look. He put the needle down and stood up. "I wasn't aware you had gotten needy."

"Out of all the years you've known me, when have I never not been needy?" Rufus asked.

Bobby scratched his chin. "I will have to go with you. You'll need to know where everything is."

"Assuming that thing doesn't lose my trail soon enough, I think I'll have time to figure it out." Rufus said.

Bobby just eyed him. "You came to me for help. You can at least sit back and accept the help."

Rufus put his hands up to appease Bobby. "I'll just keep my mouth shut."

In the kitchen, Karen packed a small box with food and other items that Rufus may need. She hugged Bobby when he found his way back to the kitchen. "I think it is sweet how you two bicker."

Bobby kissed the top of her head. "You aren't the one dealing with him."

Karen squeezed him. "He's your best friend, isn't he?"

Bobby took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'd say so." He let his eyes drift to look out the window behind Karen's head. "He had better not get his fool self killed."

"No, you've lost too many people." Karen said.

Bobby nodded slowly. "I lost you."

"You got me back though." Karen said.

"I did." Bobby kissed her. "I think it's all a dream every time I wake up next to you." He narrowed his eyes. He heard Rufus. "Rufus, I swear to god I'm this close to letting the damn thing have you."

Rufus appeared in the doorway. "Karen, you didn't see him when you were gone. Downright insufferable."

Karen grinned. "I've heard stories."

(Marie's house)

Marie loaded a van with kids. She was going to need a school bus eventually. She could probably get one easily and was always up for having more kids around.

Sam started the car they were borrowing. He rubbed his hands together and waited for the heat to kick on. He had Jess and the teenagers with him. He was just about over being around the little kids. His nerves were shot.

Jo elbowed Taylor in the side. "Move over Gumbo."

"I'm not loving the nickname." Taylor reminded her.

Charlie shrugged. "You are kind of turning into Gumbo."

"Like Sam isn't?" Taylor shot back.

"Hey, we don't call Sam names. You know how he is now." Jo said with a smirk.

Sam looked at her through the rear-view mirror. "Not you too."

Jo reached forward to put a hand on Sam's shoulder. "It was bound to happen eventually."

Sam flicked her hand away. "You are getting close to 18. I wouldn't be cracking too many jokes."

Jo sat back. "I don't have a parental bone in my body so I'm not worried about turning into one of you."

"That wasn't parental." Sam tried to argue.

Jess gave him a sweet smile. "I happen to like seeing you manage everything."

Sam flicked his eyes toward her for a moment. "You mean you like to see me suffer?"

Jess laughed. "Women like a man with a nurturing side."

Taylor gagged.

"Didn't you get Hailey to date you by borrowing Ian?" Jess said.

Taylor blushed. "I actually saved her life. I think that is what did it."

"You are a gentleman like Sam." Jess said. "Can't say the same for the others."

The festival was well done. It was set up to look like a German village. There were dozens of booths selling trinkets and food.

Charlie froze mid step.

"What is it?" Jo asked.

Taylor watched as Charlie's neck and face started to turn red. "Are you okay?"

Jo nudged Taylor to get him to look where Charlie was looking. "Go talk to her. Don't let us stop you."

Charlie had spotted Aislinn from the mall shop. She hadn't spoken to her since then. "What?"

Jo laced her arm through Charlie's so that Charlie would walk with her. "I think I'd like to look for a necklace."

Charlie stumbled but let Jo lead her along. She stopped directly in front of Aislinn. "Hi."

Aislinn grinned. "Hi!"

Taylor had so many smartass things he could have said but he kept his mouth shut. If it was Dean or Kate, he'd take a bit of joy in embarrassing them. Not Charlie though.

Aislinn bounced on her toes. "We got some new stones. I'd love to show them to you."

Charlie just nodded and followed her.

Jo waited for Charlie to step away from them and looked to Taylor. "I don't think we are needed here."

Taylor walked around the festival with Jo. They found something small for Ellen. Mostly, they just wanted to try the different types of food.

Sam asked Marie if they needed help but was glad when she told him to go spend time with Jess. He was rethinking Jess's multiple kids plan. Jacob was easy enough because he was stationary. He could be put in a crib and wouldn't wind up flying into a wall or eavesdropping on a conversation.

Andy, Krissy and Kelsey ran toward an area that was meant for kids. They were all curious and excited.

Ian ran after them. He stopped to look at the lights and blinked slowly. There were so many and he was amazed by the glow.

Marie had Rod get them something hot to drink and sat down at a table right outside the kids' area. She could keep an eye on them without being in the way.

The kids explored the area and ran in and out of tunnels that had been made to look like igloos. Andy thought they looked kind of lame since he had built a real igloo one time. He bumped into Ian and then noticed Krissy looking under a fence rail. He could see over the fence from his vantage point and saw that there were animals. He also saw Krissy slip under the fence, followed by Kelsey. He knew they weren't supposed to leave the play area so he begrudgingly went to find Marie.

Marie found them and lightly scolded them. She stayed close by to let them pet the animals though.

Charlie took a moment to warm up to Aislinn again. She was forever socially awkward. "Where do you get your stones?"

Aislinn pulled a basket from underneath a table. "Most are mass produced. Those are the cheap ones. Most people don't care. These are real."

Charlie picked up an amber blob. There was a bug inside. It was beautifully preserved but she couldn't help but feel a little bad for the bug. It was frozen in time. No harm came to its body over the centuries in which it was stuck in the amber. She listened to Aislinn talk about each one.

Aislinn scooted closer to Charlie. She held out her wrist to show Charlie a small stone on her bracelet. "This is one of the stones that an ancestor brought over from Ireland."

Charlie touched the stone gently. She thought it was pretty.

Aislinn blushed suddenly.

Charlie pulled her hand back. "Oh no."

Aislinn looked alarmed.

"Why do you look like that?" Charlie asked.

Aislinn covered her face with both hands. "I'm being stupid."

Charlie thought that she had done something wrong.

Taylor just so happened to be wandering by and leaned over the side of the booth to ask if Charlie wanted anything to eat. He looked between the two girls and tilted his head.

Charlie blushed. "No, I don't want anything."

Taylor furrowed his eyebrows. "Did I interrupt something?"

Charlie was too embarrassed to speak.

Taylor may have used an inkling of his abilities to figure out why they both looked shell shocked. "Are you two going to go on a date or something? Charlie stays home and hangs out with Krissy all day. Lame if you ask me."

Charlie made eye contact with Jo behind him. "Punch him."

Jo obliged. She grabbed Taylor by the shirt and dragged him away from the crystal booth.

Charlie tried to apologize but Aislinn stopped her. "I wanted to ask but didn't know how without sounding stupid."

Charlie blinked.

Aislinn's face fell.

"Date?" Charlie asked.

"Well, you… you… like…" Aislinn trailed off.

Charlie suddenly caught up and smiled. "We should go on a date."

Aislinn grinned. "Oh my god I'm so awkward."

Charlie grinned back. "Oh my god I am too." She heard a grunt and stood up so that she could see around the booth.

Taylor gave her a sheepish smile and a thumbs up before Jo punched him again. He was being helpful and got bullied for it.

Charlie got lost talking to Aislinn. She heard her name after a while and stood back up. She waved to Marie to let her know where she was.

Marie had spoken to Taylor so she knew that Charlie might have news.

Charlie shifted awkwardly. "Is it time to go?"

"No. Here is some money though. You two girls must be hungry by now." Marie said.

Charlie took that as Marie's blessing and asked Aislinn to show her which vender had the best food.

Sam had hot food in his hands and almost tripped over a kid.

Kelsey looked up at him and rubbed her head. "Sorry!" She took off running again, presumably after Krissy.

Sam wasn't sure if the girls were supposed to be running around that part of the venue. "Kelsey, wait."

Kelsey stopped.

"Where is Krissy?" Sam asked.

Kelsey pointed to a wooden playhouse.

Sam just gave her a nod and let her continue on her way.

Marie made her way back around the loop, checking with each person in her group. She got Andy and Ian a plate of food and left them with Rod. She finally found the girls and corralled them toward the tables so that they could eat as well.

Right before it was time to leave, the kids dispersed to run through the tunnels one more time.

Kelsey came out of the tunnels on the side that Sam and Jess were on. She smiled and waved at them.

Sam knew they were about to leave. He had the girls climb over the fence so that they could walk with them.

Jess stopped the girls from darting again. "You two are going to get lost."

Sam handed Kelsey part of a soft pretzel. It had jalapenos in it and the cheese dipping sauce had a nice kick to it.

Kelsey took a big bite and chewed slowly.

Sam met eyes with Rod across the crowded room. He held up two fingers and pointed down so that Rod would know he had two of the kids.

Kelsey coughed. She reached for the drink in Jess's hand and took a few large gulps.

Sam stopped to buy the girls some water.

Kelsey continued walking but her nose started to run.

Sam could tell she was uncomfortable. He crouched down. "Are you okay?"

Kelsey grimaced. "That was a little spicy."

Sam started to stand up again but paused. "Was it more than you are used to?"

Kelsey nodded and drank almost all of her drink.

Jess picked up on Sam's tension.

Sam put his arm out to stop Krissy. "Krissy, you can walk with Jess."

Krissy scoffed. "I was doin that."

Kelsey took Krissy's hand and turned to walk away.

Sam felt like they were moving a little too fast. He reached out and snagged Krissy's arm, pulling her back. He got on her level and looked into her eyes. "Go with Jess."

Krissy tried to pull her arm away from him. "Let me go!"

Sam cringed. He tried to hand her to Jess but she started kicking and screaming. That quickly got the attention of the room.

Jess wrapped her arms around Krissy in an attempt to carry her. That wasn't effective.

Sam cursed under his breath and picked Kelsey up instead. He saw a door and headed toward it but several people stopped him. "What? No. I'm not kidnapping her." He stammered.

Rod waded through the sea of people to take Krissy from Jess. A sharp smack got her to stop yelling for a moment.

Krissy pointed across the room. "He took Kelsey!"

At that time, Rod had absolutely no idea what transpired.

Jo and Taylor ran around the perimeter and reached Sam.

Sam had a tight grip on Kelsey's arm and was trying to explain that he knew her.

Jo bent and scooped Kelsey into her arms. She acted relieved and gave Kelsey a slight squeeze. "You can't just go where you want. I thought we lost you."

Seeing a female teenager interact with the scared girl seemed to ease tension. People were still nosey though.

Taylor was as stiff as a board, seeing Jo holding Kelsey. He gritted his teeth and met eyes with Sam.

Sam didn't want to leave their side but it was clear that stepping in would cause more people to become alarmed. He swallowed hard and gave Taylor a subtle head tilt before turning to walk outside. His heart was in his throat and he fought every fiber of his being to keep from taking Kelsey from Jo.

It was deafeningly quiet outside as the trio headed toward the parked cars. There were still too many onlookers for anyone to be comfortable.

Kelsey wiggled and demanded to be put down but suddenly stopped.

Charlie only knew that something was going on. She had no idea what. She calmed Krissy down and made sure she didn't jump out of the van.

Krissy was certain that Sam had truly snapped and Kelsey was in danger.

Sam whispered something to Taylor and cleared his throat. He gave him a hard look, daring him to argue.

Taylor growled and ran back around the opposite side of the building and went back inside.

Once they were near the car, Sam told Jo to give Kelsey to him.

Jo slightly lifted her hand to show Sam that a silver band on her arm was what was keeping Kelsey from fighting.

Rod ran over. "What is wrong?"

Kelsey reached for him. "They are scaring him."

Sam glanced at her. "Not Kelsey."

Kelsey frowned. "I want my dad."

"Jo. Pass her to me and go help Taylor." Sam said.

Rod's throat was dry. Just the look on Sam's face alarmed him.

Jo carefully transferred Kelsey while also removing the band around her wrist, sliding it over Kelsey's wrist. She backed away and then turned to find Taylor.

Sam questioned Kelsey and got nothing but tears from her. She was an impressive actress.

Rod understood the situation through Sam's line of questioning. "Is Krissy?"

Sam didn't think anything was up with Krissy because, while she fought like hell, she didn't have anymore strength than a typical kid. He had ideas about Kelsey but wasn't sure enough to take action.

A painful fifteen minutes passed as they waited.

Taylor pried a heavy door open and ran down a dark hallway. He heard faint sniffles and picked up his pace.

Jo followed right behind him.

He hit his knees and skidded across the concrete floor. He reached into a dark corner and pulled Kelsey from behind a box.

Kelsey looked terrified. She was crying and trying to talk.

Taylor pulled his knife out to free her wrists and ankles.

She was shaking but looked unharmed. She was also cold. She had been left without a jacket, boots or jeans.

Taylor took off his jacket and wrapped her in it. "I've got to sprint."

Jo snorted. "Sam trying to kidnap her might not look as bad as you coming out of a dark room without her fully dressed."

Taylor made a mental note to get her back for that when things weren't dire.

Jo walked swiftly after Taylor, trying not to call more attention to herself.

Marie took Kelsey and held her close to her chest. She soothed her and sat in the backseat with her on her lap.

Taylor told Marie that he was going to get Rod and that they needed to drive home.

Jess asked if Sam was okay and got a shrug as a response.

Jo didn't stay with the van, but did her best to keep up with Taylor as he zipped through cars, on his way back to where Sam and Rod were.

Taylor told Rod that everyone was in the van.

Sam nodded. "Check them all with silver."

Taylor expected Jo to go with Rod. "Go."

"No." Jo said.

Sam started to tell them both to go but got interrupted.

"Taylor isn't going anywhere. I sure as hell am not. We have to get out of here and you aren't going to hand her over. So, seeing that I have a driver's license maybe we should get out of here before the police show up." Jo said in a tone that reminded both guys a bit of Ellen.

Jess helped get the kids inside the house and worked on settling nerves.

Rod didn't know enough to be able to tell Lee what happened.

Krissy had her own version of events.

Kelsey glued herself to Jess and shook her head.

"I know. Something happened. Krissy, something happened." Jess said.

Krissy whirled around but a heavy hand clamped over her mouth and another pulled her back. Her feet left the ground and she panicked. "Daddy, put me down."

"You yelling isn't helping anyone. Calm down before I calm you down." Lee growled.

Krissy pouted but stayed on the couch that Lee deposited her onto.

(Sam)

Sam had Jo drive to a secluded area. He had deep bruises forming all over his body from the physical fight that was building as the little girl became increasingly enraged.

Taylor helped contain her with a field. He could see the glow in her eyes. "Shapeshifter?"

"Maybe." Sam said.

That set Kelsey into a frenzy.

Sam held the silver band to her head, cringing at the shrill cry. He reminded himself that the being dressed as Kelsey was in fact, not Kelsey.

An interrogation told them that the creature was a changeling. It wouldn't say why it had targeted Kelsey but they could only assume that it was trying to get to the family. There were dozens of other kids there but Taylor had only seen the glow in her eyes. He didn't make eye contact with everyone though.

Containing the changeling became impossible.

Sam needed to act quickly. He cursed himself. It looked like a kid. He had to get rid of it but his stupid heart made him hesitate.

Jo knew Taylor was becoming fatigued from trapping the changeling. She knew neither of them would find it easy to end the changeling with its current appearance. The changeling found a burst of energy and got away from Taylor and knocked Sam down. She had been told to stay back but leapt into action, grabbing it by the wrist and wrestling it to the ground.

Sam scrambled to Jo. He reached around her and plunged his knife into the creatures heart.

Jo stood up. She looked down at her hands and swallowed hard.

Sam wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Jo glanced at the thing on the ground. It no longer looked like a kid. It had been in the middle of transitioning when he stabbed it.

Taylor removed Sam's knife from its chest and picked up the body. "I'm going to bury this before anyone sees something."

Sam paced back and forth. He was gutted. "I froze."

"She looked like Kelsey." Jo said.

Sam turned to look at Jo. "You… you had to. God, I am so so sorry."

Jo motioned to where the body had just been. "You saw it, it didn't look like anything."

"It did." Sam said.

Jo wiped her hands on her jeans. "I'm a kid. Changelings copy kids, right?"

Sam slowly confirmed her statement.

"It wouldn't copy you because you're an adult. It wouldn't copy Taylor because he isn't your normal kid. When I grabbed her, she started to copy me. She got her before she transitioned. She didn't look like anything." Jo said.

Sam still felt horrible. He felt like he failed them.

"Looks like you're going to have to get used to beating up kids." Jo said.

Sam's mouth dropped open.

Jo gave him a small smile. "I'm okay."

Sam groaned. "Your mom."

Jo shrugged. "As we established, I am still a kid in this situation." She walked by and smacked his chest with her palm. "I think that is an adult conversation you two should have."

Sam rubbed the back of his head.

"Seriously, Sam. This wasn't your fault." Jo said.

"I froze." Sam said.

"It knocked you down. We needed to know what it was before acting. You didn't freeze." Jo said.

Sam knew she was right. "God. Ellen."

Taylor returned. "What about Ellen?"

Sam grimaced. "Jo was that close to a creature."

Taylor high fived Jo. "She saved our asses."

"She isn't supposed to hunt." Sam said.

"You telling me not to didn't do much. I'd say she will blame me if she blames anyone." Jo said.

Sam's mind jumped around. "Krissy…. Kelsey."

Jo told him to take the passenger seat. "I'll drive."

Taylor got into the back of the car. He could feel some of Sam's emotions. "You handled it. You got me to find the real Kelsey. You got everyone out safe."

"Jo is the one that did that." Sam said. He handed her back her wrist band.

"We did it." Jo said. "Next time we go hunting, let's make sure the creature doesn't look cute with pigtails."

Sam whipped his head around. "No more hunting!"

Jo smirked. "Oh Sam. That's adorable. I'm not young enough for you to tell me no."

Taylor leaned forward. "I mean… Jess is his age. You know what he did to her." He shot back in his seat before Sam's hand connected with his head.

Sam leaned forward to rest his head on the dashboard. He went over the events in his head. He should have killed it before Jo was on top of it.

Back at Marie's house, Jo slipped through a side door to wash herself off so that the kids didn't see the creature's blood on her.

Sam trudged into the house. He was still beating himself up. He told the others what happened.

"A spicy pretzel?" Taylor asked.

"She loves spicy stuff. That pretzel barely had a kick to it." Sam said.

"How'd you know she wasn't just having an off day." Charlie asked.

Jess sat next to Sam and wrapped her arms around him. "He's a good hunter."

Krissy had been quiet until the conversation turned on her.

"He gave you an order and you fought him? You could have gotten him arrested." Lee said.

Krissy gasped. "He was being mean!"

"I told you to go with Jess." Sam said.

Krissy crossed her arms. "Well how was I supposed to know you weren't going to hurt Kelsey?"

Sam rubbed his face.

"You follow orders!" Lee said, firmly.

Krissy didn't like the direction things were taking. "You tell me to fight back and now you are mad."

"You don't fight back against Sam and Jess." Lee said.

Krissy licked her lips, desperate to get the heat off of her. "He scares me."

"What?" Sam asked, letting his voice raise in pitch. "I got on your level and spoke calmly."

Krissy glared at him.

Sam palmed his forehead. "Is this because of what happened at lunch?"

"That is why you don't sneak around and listen to people. You misunderstood every one of those conversations." Lee started to remove her from the living room.

Krissy slid back. "If I don't listen you don't tell us nothing and something is going on!" She dove off the couch. "Something big and they are keeping it a secret."

Lee reached for her and pulled her toward him.

"Angels are real!" Krissy yelled.

Lee froze.

"They have wings and can be invisible." Krissy said.

Lee's nose flared. "Now is not the time."

Krissy was desperate. "I saw one! He showed me his wings and then another lady angel was here."

Charlie and Jo traded looks.

"Krissy." Lee warned.

"Kate told me to keep the angel a secret." Krissy said. "Are you guys friends with them? What is wrong with Kate? Somethings big wrong with her. Is it because she heals people? What does that mean? Does she have super powers? Why do they make her sick?"

Comedic timing at play, the front door opened and Kate stepped inside, followed by Dean.

Krissy turned to Kate. "Why'd you tell me to keep angels a secret?"

Kate hit a wall of angst as tempers in the room flared. "I didn't…. what angels?"

"The guy in the weird jacket was in Charlie's room and you told me not to tell anyone about him." Krissy said.

Kate covered her mouth. Had that compulsion not worked?

Dean slowly shut the door and surveyed the room. "Looks like there might be some kind of misunderstanding."

Sam stepped over to stand beside Dean. "Welcome home. I'm tapping out. Have fun being the adult. I can't do this."