Author's note: Elliesamdeangirl, don't worry about Kim. It is really common for people with chronic illnesses to have unsupportive family members. Kim's family is a reflection of part of my family. Dean's reaction to her is what I wish I had experienced instead of the hate that I have experienced from some people.
I worked on this chapter for a while. I just couldn't get into the story. Sometimes I function well and sometimes life just gets really heavy. I update when I can.
Ope: Another message: Later in the chapter, Kate makes some comments about god. This is in line with the show as "Chuck" is everything that she claims. So, if you haven't seen the later seasons, this is a little heads up.
(The cabin)
Steven was not going to give up information willingly. Caleb didn't want to torture him... okay, he did kind of want to torture him but needed to set a good example. He was twitchy because his anger had risen to a fever pitch. Steven had spit insult after insult at him, mainly about April. He needed to end the interaction before he spent any more of his patience on the creep.
Outside, Dean and Caleb discussed what needed to happen.
"I want someone to pull the information out of him. We are not getting anywhere." Caleb said.
Dean nodded. "I can call Kate."
"No." Caleb said.
"She is on restriction, but I think dad would let her do this." Dean said.
Caleb grimaced. He flicked his eyes to the side to get Dean to take a few steps away from Andy. He looked up at the sky for an extra dose of patience, but he was also in search of words that he could use. "I know Kate has seen some shit. She is strong." He took a slow breath. "April told me a little bit about Steven. He didn't just hit her. He... Ian wasn't created consensually."
Dean narrowed his eyes. He was second guessing the decision not to shoot Steven.
"I don't want Kate to see any of that." Caleb said.
Dean closed his eyes to steady himself. "Tessa." He was grateful for their direct link to each other.
Tessa walked out from behind Caleb's truck. She waved at Andy and gave him a warm smile.
"Steven, April's ex is in the cabin. He was following Andy, and we have reason to believe that someone or something told him where April and the kids are." Caleb explained.
Tessa didn't feel a demonic presence but that didn't surprise her. She didn't think anything could linger with how tightly the place was warded.
Andy was quickly approaching the end of his rope. He had been shielded from some of the insults, but some got through to him. He didn't want to stay outside while the guys dealt with Steven. He probably should have just listened to the order but decided to make it difficult for them. He absolutely had to be involved to make sure that Steven told the truth.
Steven had new insults and claims for them as soon as they walked through the door. He saw Tessa and smirked.
"You aren't going to talk so my friend is going to pull the answers out of you." Dean said.
Steven narrowed his eyes. He tried to pull back as Tessa approached him. "Get away from me, bitch."
Tessa ignored him and placed a hand on his head. She siphoned memories and intentions before stepping back, knowing all she needed to know.
Steven was belligerent. He didn't know what Tessa was, but she wasn't human.
Caleb stepped into the cabin's small kitchen with Tessa so that she could give him the most important notes. A demon did help Steven find them. Steven didn't know the name of the demon though. It seemed like the demon gave him the information just to get to the family. It was a scare tactic with the possibility that he could do real harm.
While Caleb and Tessa were in the kitchen, talking about Steven's intentions, Andy glared a hole through Steven's head. He clinched his fists and gritted his teeth.
Steven leaned forward slightly and hissed as he spoke.
Andy jumped and cleared the space between them. His hand settled around Caleb's hunting knife that had been placed on a side table. He had every intention of getting Steven to shut up. He stopped moving forward and found himself outside.
Dean's reaction time was a little faster than Andy's. He had been watching Andy closely, assuming he would make another attempt to punch Steven but the knife was somewhat unexpected. He hauled Andy outside before he could make a sound.
Andy growled and tried to wiggle out of Dean's grip. He winced when Dean pried the knife from his hand and tried to run back to the cabin.
Dean kept his grip on Andy's arm and tried to snap him out of it. It was like trying to contain an angry cat. Thankfully, Andy's claws weren't as sharp as Millie's.
((TW))
Andy did everything in his power to get back to Steven, but he didn't make it far. He didn't register that Dean was talking to him until he started to feel the sting of Dean's hand. He gasped and threw his hand back.
Dean shifted him against his hip. "Kid."
Andy moved his hand on instinct and gritted his teeth through a volley of swats. He was still pissed at Steven, so it took a minute before his brain switched from rage to reality. He sucked in a breath of air. "Okay!"
Dean paused. "Okay?"
"I'll stop fighting you." Andy said with a sniffle.
Dean didn't right him immediately. "What were you thinking?"
Andy groaned. "I hate him."
Dean swatted him three more times a bit harder than all the rest. He let him go and picked him up so he was sitting on Caleb's tailgate.
((ETW))
Andy wiped his face. "You didn't have to do that."
Dean pulled down the collar of his shirt to show Andy the angry red spots where Dean had struggled to restrain him. "I was tired of fighting you."
Andy frowned. "But I have to be mad. You heard what he said."
"I know. I'm not telling you not to be mad. I'm telling you to use your head." Dean said. He rubbed his face. "You haven't listened at all since you spotted his car."
Andy met his eyes. "I did a little bit."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "I'd say 50/50. Not a good record at a time like this."
"I'm sorry." Andy said.
Dean sighed. "I know, kid. This is all about to be over. I am doing my best to keep you safe, but you have to let yourself be kept safe. Going after him with a knife, seriously?"
Andy blinked.
Dean showed him Caleb's knife. "Did you plan on stabbing him?"
Andy's eyes drifted.
Dean tapped Andy's forehead. "Focus."
Andy cringed. "Yeah."
"With a weapon that your dad most definitely wouldn't want you using?" Dean asked.
Realization hit Andy like a ton of bricks. "I didn't mean to."
"You lost your head." Dean said. "We have all been there. You have to control yourself. You are just as likely to stab yourself as you are Steven."
Andy looked over Dean's head toward the cabin. "I'm super sorry. I don't think I even had a thought. My body moved on its own."
"Claiming possession now?" Dean asked.
Andy blushed slightly. "Not exactly."
"We had a good start to the day. After this, Steven will be nothing but a bad memory. You are going to go home and be safe and happy with your family." Dean said. "You don't want your decisions to make today a bad day."
Andy groaned. "My dad is gonna be really mad."
"You acted offended that I knocked sense back into you, but I did you a favor." Dean said.
Andy furrowed his brows.
"Had your dad been the one to see you grab his knife…" He sucked air through his teeth. "He loves you. He worries about you."
"How is that doing me a favor? That's two in the same day." Andy said.
"This is a weird situation. I think he will understand as long as you fully understand." Dean said with a pointed look.
"I understand." Andy said. "I shouldn't have grabbed the knife and I shouldn't have been near Steven."
Dean nodded. "You kids are aging me."
Andy gave him a small smile. "6 more days."
Dean ruffled his hair and let him down from the tailgate. "If you mess up again, you are on your own."
Andy crossed his fingers over his chest. "Best behavior."
Dean's heart twisted for Andy. His heart also twisted for Caleb. He claimed to be doing Andy a favor but thought it was more of a favor for Caleb. He knew his friend didn't want to turn around from getting rid of his wife's abuser just to deal with his son that reacted the way that he wanted to. He had Andy sit on the porch and stepped back inside. He met eyes with Caleb and gave him a subtle look that meant there was nothing to worry about.
"Drop him off. I don't care where. Just erase his memory so he never comes back." Caleb said.
Dean cleared his throat. "Tie his shoes together so he trips when he wakes up."
Caleb snorted. "What?"
Dean shrugged. "I think Andy would be happy with that."
Caleb knotted Steven's shoes in a youthful act of pettiness. He found it amusing deep down. He stood up and took a step back. He nodded at Tessa and breathed a sigh of relief when Steven vanished before his eyes."
Dean clapped Caleb on the back. He whistled and told Andy he could come back into the cabin.
Andy tiptoed through the door. He looked at the empty seat and let tears fall from his eyes. He ran to Caleb and collapsed into his arms.
Caleb soothed him. "It's okay. He's gone. He won't remember anything and can't get back to you." He just held Andy for a bit, grateful that Andy was in one piece. He looked over Andy's head at Dean. He flicked his eyes to the side table.
Dean placed the knife back where Caleb had left it. He and Caleb had a silent conversation over Andy's head that cleared up everything about the knife. He rocked back onto his heels and chewed his cheek. "Someone should call April."
Caleb reached for his phone. He dialed her number and nearly melted when he heard how strained her voice was. He assured her that everything was okay and that he would be home as soon as possible.
"I got to pu-" Andy's words were cut off by Dean's hand.
"Maybe don't tell your mom you punched him, or you got close enough to do so." Dean said, quietly.
Andy grinned sheepishly. "I love you mama!"
Caleb ended the call and quickly gathered his stuff. He got Andy into the truck and shut the door before turning to Dean. "He took my knife."
Dean smirked. "Had every intention of stabbing him." Dean held up his hand. "I already handled it. Besides, you wanted to stab him too."
"Had this happened a few years ago, I may not have stopped myself." Caleb said.
"Looks like the wife and kids calmed you down." Dean said.
Caleb jabbed him in the ribs. "Who is going to do that for you?"
Dean scoffed. "Dealing with Kate and Taylor has already done it."
Andy tapped on the closed window to remind Caleb that they needed to go home.
Dean stepped back and waved. He leaned against the impala as the truck pulled away. He didn't need to look to his side to know Tessa was there. "Where'd you take him?"
"The middle of Times Square." Tessa said.
"That would be a rough place to wake up." Dean said. He sighed. "The demons are stirring, aren't they?"
"I'm afraid so." Tessa said. "They are chipping away at your defense."
"Great." Dean said. "Just what we need."
"I will explain it all when we are with Caleb and your father." Tessa said.
Dean jingled his keys. "Right, meet you there." He had whiplash due to the day's events. He woke up at Kim's place, content but slightly alarmed. He met up with Andy and enjoyed knocking him into foam pits. Then it all went downhill. They had a decent ending to the emergency. Compared to other outcomes, the whole event had been pretty easy to wrap up. He didn't know if that comforted him or made the paranoia worse.
Andy jumped out of the truck the second it was stopped. He darted up the steps and swung the door open. "Mama!"
April rushed to him and wrapped him in her arms. She was already emotional but seeing him broke the dam she had been struggling to keep up. "I'm so sorry."
Andy pulled back. "Don't be sorry. He got handled."
Caleb hugged April too. He assured her that everything was okay, and that Steven would never find his way back.
John got Andy's attention so that April and Caleb could have a moment.
Andy approached John. He didn't know if John would agree with the things that Dean agreed with.
John asked Andy if he was okay, knowing that the ordeal had been stressful.
Andy nodded. "I am happy." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Except I wanted to shoot him, but my dad didn't think that was okay."
John smiled slightly. "Probably a good thing you didn't."
Andy's eyes brightened. "I punched him." He lowered his voice. "My mom can't know."
"Did it make you feel better?" John asked.
"Yeah." Andy said. "He isn't so big and scary now."
"I'd say not." John said. He looked at Andy's hand. His knuckles were red although he didn't have enough power behind the punches to do much damage to his own skin. "It's a wonder that you didn't break your hand."
Andy pulled his hand back. He looked slightly offended. He showed John the way that Taylor had told him to position his thumb so that it didn't get broken from a punch.
John was ever so slightly amused. "You can still break this part of your hand from punching stuff." He tapped the back of Andy's hand to show him where boxer's fractures often formed.
Andy flexed his hand. "I would be okay if that happened. It makes you tough, right?"
"Worry about that when you are much older." John said. He showed Andy a few scars on his hands. "If you break too many bones, the cold hurts."
Andy tilted his head slightly. "Don't your joints just hurt when its cold because you are old?"
John smirked. "That too. You have a lot to look forward to."
Ian heard Dean's car and gathered a few of his toy cars for identification purposes. He waited by the door and held them out for Dean once he was inside.
Dean looked at the cars with a bit of confusion.
April smiled. "I don't know all the names. I told him to ask you."
"Ah." Dean said. "You've got a Shelby Cobra here." He handed that specific car back to Ian.
Ian made a hissing noise because of the Cobra. He pointed to the other cars.
Dean named the rest of the cars before handing them back to Ian. "I didn't know there was going to be a pop quiz."
Ian was thrilled with the extra people in the house. That meant he got extra attention. He wasn't thrilled with being taken upstairs, away from the extra people. Karen followed him with snacks so that eased his displeasure.
Andy was just as displeased but knew it was coming. He liked cars too, so he helped Ian set up a track for the cars to ride down. He was hurt over what Steven said about Ian. That made him want to spend more time with Ian so that Ian knew he was loved. Ian would never have to see the things that Andy did. He would only see Caleb treating their mom with respect.
Tessa typically had a full case load each day. She bounced from place to place reaping souls. Initially, she balanced her normal work with the tasks that the Winchester's required. Death gave her special instructions to make them her top priority after his talk with Dean. So, if they called, she appeared.
John called Kate so that he could share information with her and Taylor. He knew they needed to be privy to the conversation but wasn't comfortable with not knowing the details ahead of time. He told them that he would explain when he got home and was grateful that neither of the argued with him. That was a first.
"Steven was working with a demon that he does not know the name of. It is not the same demon that possessed him when April was with him. The angels have noticed increased activity on the outskirts of this area. It seems as though the demons are restless. It is believed that they were held back from their normal activities for a few weeks and may be disregarding orders now." Tessa said.
"Why did it tell Steven where we were?" April asked.
"Probably to send a message." Caleb said.
"He was given a general area but the wrong city. That is what confuses me." Tessa explained.
"Sending a more subtle message." Dean said, almost to himself.
The conversation continued. Tessa had a lot of information but not a lot of answers. The general consensus was that something or someone was toying with them. It also felt like something or someone else was nudging them in a certain direction. How could they plan for something that was so broad and unpredictable? They were always on high alert.
Dean had been quiet for a few minutes before cracking his knuckles. "How friendly are those nymphs?"
John raised an eyebrow.
"They blend in and keep an eye on Rod's place. It might be a good idea to have extra security here. Your house is probably fine, but the kids have to go to school." Dean said.
April liked the idea. "They could warn us if something showed up."
John shrugged slightly. "I can talk to Rod about it."
Dean met eyes with Caleb prompting him to send him a glare. "You just keep your mouth shut."
Caleb smirked. He knew all about the way that Dean had met the nymphs. His first instinct was to say no. He didn't want supernatural creatures around his family. However, they had proven to be useful and as far as he knew, they wouldn't hurt a woman or child. Steven's appearance told him that no matter how hard he tried, he alone could not protect his family.
(A few blocks away)
Hannah stopped peddling her bike and looked around. She was on her way back from a sleep over at another friend's house. The sun was warm. The air was crisp. She had homework she needed to work on but pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Weekends were not for homework. She saw that no cars were on the road so she let her bike roll forward so that she could cross the street.
She thought she heard a sound but didn't see anything. She made it to the other sidewalk next to a stand of trees before she was knocked off her bike. She rolled a few feet and came to a hard stop due to a tree. She winced and started to sit up, but trails of steam appeared above her face. She froze. She felt something drip onto her forehead and closed her eyes tight. "Don't be an idiot. If you hurt me she will vaporize you." Minutes passed before the trails of steam vanished with the heavy, dark, presence." She sat up and could feel the pain in her arm for the first time. She couldn't freak out yet. She didn't want to call Kate because her reaction would be too big. She didn't want to get back on her bike. She sat up against the tree and dug into her pocket in search of her phone. Thankfully, it was there.
(Caleb's house)
John heard his phone chime and answered it. "Hello?"
"Uh, hi." Hannah said in a small voice.
John held his hand up to stop conversation. "Hannah?"
"Yeah, um. There is a slight issue and I kinda need help." Hannah said.
John had his shoes on his feet before Hannah could say anything. "Where are you?"
Hannah sat forward to look at the street signs. "4th and Everette."
John said the names out loud.
Caleb opened the front door. "Two streets down. Turn left. Big inflatable snowman in the yard."
Dean followed John, not having any idea what was going on.
Tessa went as well. She touched both of their backs to get them to the destination sooner than they could get there on foot.
Hannah heard heavy footsteps and was scared for a moment. She turned and saw John and Dean and relaxed slightly. "Hi."
John crouched down. "What happened?"
Hannah looked around him, searching for trails of steam. "I kind of got attacked."
Tessa asked if they should take her back to Caleb's house.
John said they should take her home instead. Her parents would be worried, and Caleb's house was crowded.
Hannah's house was closer as well. She let John carry her even though that was super embarrassing. She called her mom on the way.
Hannah's mom met them at the door and had John place Hannah on the sofa.
Ryan, Hannah's older brother entered the living room. "What did you do?"
Dean turned his head. "She fell off her bike."
Ryan snorted. "Dweeb."
Dean shot him a look. "Hey, I will still fight you." His voice was light with no malice. It was just a gentle nudge for Ryan to stop being an annoying brother for a moment as Hannah was actually hurt.
Ryan rolled his eyes dramatically. He opted to go upstairs because everyone downstairs was lame.
Mandy tilted Hannah's chin so she could look at the scrapes on her face. "What happened?"
Hannah licked her lips. "Okay, so this sounds bad but it really wasn't that bad."
John and Mandy traded looks.
"So, I think a hellhound hit me." Hannah said. She cringed at their faces. "Just hit me though."
"You didn't think that was relevant information on the phone?" John asked.
Hannah's eyes drifted. "I was processing."
Dean snorted softly. She was so much like Kate that it amused him slightly.
"I didn't tell Kate." Hannah said. She chewed her lip. "I didn't want her to overreact. I know she is going to be upset."
"Thanks." John said. "Is your arm hurting you?"
Hannah nodded. She winced as her jacket was removed from her arm.
John felt of her shoulder. "I think this is dislocated."
"I'll take her to the emergency room." Mandy said.
Hannah sat up quickly. "No! John can fix it, can't you?"
"If we were in a situation where you couldn't get to the hospital." John said.
"Please." Hannah said.
"It is painful to have a shoulder put back into place." John said.
Hannah narrowed her eyes. "More painful than getting it knocked out of place?"
"Hannah." Mandy scolded.
"I have to tell you the whole story anyway." Hannah said.
"I can help." Tessa said.
Hannah snapped her fingers and pointed at Tessa. "Yeah, she is an angel."
Mandy moved so that she was on Hannah's good side, holding her hand.
John felt of Hannah's shoulder and figured out which way he needed to position her arm to put it back in place. He told her to take a deep breath and put the joint back into place as quickly and as safely as possible.
Tessa touched Hannah's shoulder to ease the pain and tissue damage.
Hannah let out her deep breath. "Ow."
"I told you it would hurt." John said.
Hannah tested the slightly healed shoulder and flexed her fingers. "Thanks. She had bumps and bruises on her legs and side but none of those needed immediate attention. "I was spending the night at Alora's house. I think something has been trailing me for a while. I just noticed small things. When I was riding back, I felt like something was watching me."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Mandy asked. "How long has this been going on?"
Hannah shrugged her good shoulder. "If I told you every time I felt like something was following me, I would never leave the house." She shrunk slightly. "If something big happened, my angel would step in."
"Something big did happen." Dean reminded her.
"Not that big. It just knocked me off my bike. It didn't bite me or anything." She scooted back to get comfortable. "It stood over me for a few minutes." She felt of her head. "I got spit on my face."
Mandy got her a wet cloth. "How did you know it was there?"
"Trails of steam." Hannah said. "Plus, its breath stinks."
Dean nodded slightly. "I can agree with that."
"I kind of told it to go away and it did." Hannah said.
John sat down in a chair across from Hannah. "You told it to go away?"
"Uh I told it not to be an idiot because Kate would vaporize it if it hurt me." Hannah said. Her mouth dropped open slightly because Mandy and John both looked about ready to strangle her. "I had a 50/50 chance of sounding cool or dying anyway. Either way, what I said was true."
Dean crossed his arms. "I don't think you are helping your case."
Hannah sighed. "I was scared and was pretending I wasn't."
"This adds to the theory that they are messing with us." Dean said.
John rubbed his face. They weren't being subtle anymore. Of course, Kate was best friends with the only other little girl that would laugh in a hellhounds face. "Tessa, would you mind being on standby if this happens again?"
"Of course." Tessa said.
"I do have my angel." Hannah said.
"Which you have been told not to interact with. We know nothing about them." Mandy said.
"Do you know their name?" Tessa asked.
"Anahil?" Hannah said. "Aninahil? Something like that."
Tessa sifted through names and landed on one. The angel was one that she didn't know well. She had never heard anything bad about them, but most angels laid low. "I will ask about them."
"I can just ask it to show up." Hannah said.
"No." John said firmly.
"Can you explain this all to Kate? I figured she was already on edge." Hannah said.
"Yes." Dean said. "Thanks for not calling her first."
"If it had dug into me, I would have skipped you but it kind of just stood there." Hannah said.
"This is incredibly serious." Mandy said.
"I'm in one piece now." Hannah said. "That's got to count for something."
Mandy pulled Hannah close to hug her. "I am so happy that you are okay, but you could have easily been taken away and I wouldn't have known."
"Nymphs are looking better every day." Dean said.
"The naked tree ladies?" Hannah asked.
"I see you have talked to Kate." Dean said. "They typically show up in clothes."
"You need to stay inside. We are going to figure some things out and will call you with updates." John said.
Hannah chewed the inside of her cheek. "You know, if I was Kate, I would have said you have no power here. Since I'm not, I didn't."
John shook his head. "I'm glad that you learn faster than she does."
Dean waited until they were outside on the sidewalk to look up at the sky. "I can't tell if they are naturally alike or if Kate is somehow transferring her personality to her like a clone."
"12-year-old Hannah is just a lot like 10-year-old Kate. I think she would be the same if she was handed a few powers." John said.
Dean groaned. "If Kate figures out how to do that, we are going to have issues."
"We already have issues." John said. He kept his eyes moving as they walked back to Caleb's house. "Kate is not going to take this well."
Dean held out his hand and placed his other fist on top of it to signal that he wanted to play rock paper scissors to decide who was in charge of trying to explain that to her.
John raised an eyebrow. "Win or lose you are going to explain it."
Dean sucked air through his teeth. "Damn."
"Anything like this she is going to accept more easily from you. I know my limits." John said.
"When she starts teleporting, she is your problem." Dean said. He motioned to the upstairs window of Caleb's house. "I thought that one was going to be the problem today."
John looked up to meet eyes with Andy. "He did well, didn't he?"
Dean snorted. "He tried to stab Steven with Caleb's knife when Caleb had his back turned."
John stopped walking.
"He also launched himself over the seat a few times. I can't say I blame him much." Dean said.
"Does Caleb know?" John asked.
Dean tilted his hand from side to side. "A little. I lit Andy up and got his head on straight. I didn't think Caleb needed to focus on that when everything else was going on."
"You mean you felt bad for Andy and didn't want him to get into actual trouble." John said lightly.
"Had I been in that situation at his age I would have shot the guy. John Winchester style smack down or not." Dean said.
"There was a reason you didn't start hunting until you were older. You were obedient but hardheaded." John said. "I knew for a fact I couldn't trust you to hold back."
"Here I thought you just wanted a babysitter for Sam." Dean said.
"You argued less when Sam was concerned." John said.
Dean underestimated John's tactics. He was having a slight issue comprehending the day. First Steven and then Hannah gets hit by a hellhound. Was it coincidental that shots were being taken at the kids? An adult would be equally vulnerable to a hound. He could tell Kate not to put her life on the line for him but as much as he wanted to, he couldn't tell her to do that for the other kids. He couldn't tell her not to fight when Andy's life was in danger. Was that why things were happening the way that they were? He did not like the implication. "I should head home. I might be able to talk to Kate before her spidey senses bring her over here."
Kate's senses were tingling from the moment she woke up. She met Dean in the drive way. "Are you going to tell me what is going on or do I need to pull it out of you?"
Dean got out and shut his door behind him. "I had planned to but not with that attitude."
"I am dying." Kate said. "I know something is happening and have stayed out of your heads."
"Well, Steven showed up. He's gone now though." Dean said.
"What happened?" Kate asked.
Dean kicked his boots off at the door. "Tessa wiped his memory and dropped him off somewhere after pulling stuff from his head."
Kate furrowed her brows. "Why Tessa?"
Dean had Kate sit on the couch. "Caleb didn't want you involved. Steven did some stuff to April that Caleb didn't want you to see."
Kate frowned. "How is Andy?"
"A little upset I didn't let him stab him." Dean said.
Kate pulled Millie into her lap. "Wow, what a jerk."
Dean flicked her leg. "Everything is okay now." He settled into the couch to give himself time to think of how he was going to talk to Kate. "We think that the demons are restless. They may have been told to hold off and are now active."
Kate studied Dean's face. "What happened that makes your face look like that."
Dean felt of his face.
"You look hurt." Kate said.
Dean sighed. "Everything is okay now. Hannah is okay. She was knocked off of her bike by a hellhound."
Kate's eyes widened. "When?"
"A bit ago." Dean said. "She called dad because she knew you would swoop in. All it did was knock her from the bike and stand over her. I know this is bad. She is okay now though."
Kate chewed on her thumbnail. "Was she hurt? Was she scared?"
"She insisted that dad put her shoulder back into place. She was scared but told the thing not to be an idiot." He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Kate laughed. "Oh man."
"She took a page out of your book. She is going to bite off more than she can chew. She got a little jealous of your ability to sass dad without him getting mad." Dean said.
Kate asked him what he meant and grinned. "I love her."
"She's becoming a pain in the ass." Dean said.
"I'm a little hurt that she didn't call me." Kate said. She sighed heavily. "I understand why though. What are we going to do?"
Dean leaned his head back. "Start day drinking." He picked his head up. "Me, not you."
"Can I call Hannah?" Kate asked.
"Yes, but any scheming will end poorly. I think dad is at his limit." Dean said.
"After the hell thing, do you not think I am trying to be on his good side?" Kate asked.
"You can try but temptation is strong." Dean said.
Kate scooted closer to him. "You can sit here and make sure we don't make plans."
(Later)
Bobby placed his phone back on the receiver. His ears were ringing. He had warned everyone that he could think of that the demons were stirring. Ellen, of course, was well prepared. She already had the feeling that they were acting up just from hearing hunters talk. If it wasn't demons, it was freaks. If it wasn't freaks, it was vamps. Creatures were stirring as the weather got warmer.
Rod and Marie had a chat with the nymphs about Lee but also about watching over Sioux Falls.
The nymphs were delighted to help. They turned away offers as they were happy with what they received from the land. They would never pass up the chance to help children. The children's joy was a source of life force as well.
Charlie was privy to the conversation but stayed quiet during most of it. "Wait, why don't we just say you bound them?"
"How do you mean?" Reigna asked.
"Obviously you aren't bound. You do what you want. If Lee is going to be an issue, we can say that you are bound by oath. I don't know… like a spell?" Charlie said.
"That feels disrespectful." Marie said.
Reigna liked the idea. "We can create lore. This is an excellent explanation."
"I can ask Kate for her artistic abilities." Charlie said. "I've seen lore books. Surely, we can rough a book up enough to make it look old."
"Yes." Reigna said. "If you are given a seed, you can travel far away and we will be able to find you. This may be a solution to your fear that children could be trapped somewhere and be harmed."
"Is there anything we can do?" Marie asked. "You give us so much."
"We would enjoy a host of wildflowers when the weather permits. We love bees." Reigna said.
Rod made a mental note of that. "We can get a few hives this spring."
Reigna left the house to talk to her sisters. Some were happy with the group. They never wanted to leave. Others liked adventure and would jump at the chance to see other forests.
That was one plan that they could set into motion quickly and efficiently. One problem down, 800 to go.
(Tuesday, January 21, 2003)
It had been a few days since Hannah was attacked. She was on edge but trying to hide it from Kate. That was silly though. Kate could see right through her. She thought Kate would be mad that she called John, but she wasn't.
"I've got your back." Kate said. She was angry that a hellhound would dare even get near Hannah. She had made it clear to Crowley that he needed to back off. Either he wasn't holding up his end of the deal or someone else had hounds. Both explanations made her feel sick. The demon activity being picked up was just far enough away that she would notice it but not be immediately alarmed. Except, she was alarmed. It wasn't just people she knew in danger. Demons would hurt anyone for no reason. It didn't have to be a planned attack to get to her. It could be a bored demon who decided that someone didn't need their mother anymore. Guilt surfaced frequently although, rationally, she knew it wasn't her fault.
Dean felt confident that he had given her the Hannah information without setting her off. That didn't mean he was going to assume she was alright. Of course, she wasn't. Nothing was alright.
Taylor worried alongside the rest of them. Had he missed the demon activity? Had they hidden themselves, so he didn't feel them? Was he not focused enough? He was prickly due to being focused on the demon problem.
Hailey grabbed his hand. "You seem off."
Taylor blinked. "Stressed."
"You can talk to me." Hailey said.
Taylor wished he could. She was too pure though. "Family issues." He had made it to lunch without noticing it. Where had the class time gone? Had he been blank the whole time?
An upperclassman was in an equally bad mood for his own reasons. He shoulder checked Taylor as he walked by. He smirked but was promptly slammed into the wall.
Taylor held him to the wall with the side of his forearm.
The upperclassman tried to push him off. "Get out of my way."
Taylor flicked his eyes to the floor. "Pick up her books that you knocked out of her hands."
"I didn't touch her." The other kid said.
Taylor felt a hand on the back of his neck and a stern voice in his ear. "Winchester, office. Vaughn, pick up her books and get yourself to class."
Hailey gasped. "Wait." She clamped her mouth shut when she got a stern look as well.
Taylor rolled his shoulders to remove the coach's hand from his neck but turned to walk down to his office. He punched a punching bag a few times before the coach walked in.
The coach didn't say anything. He went to his office and gave Taylor a minute to cool down. He heard a heavy hit and a subsequent smack against the floor. He took a long deep breath. "If you broke that you had better fix it."
Taylor blinked. He had punched the bag hard enough to break the metal ring that held it onto the stand. He picked the bag up and found the broken piece. He mended the metal and got the bag back on the stand.
"Get in here." The coach said.
Taylor sighed. He sat down in the chair that sat in front of the coach's desk.
"Can you control that anger, or do you need to run?" The coach asked.
"I was controlling it." Taylor mumbled.
"Sit up straight and talk to me." The coach said.
Taylor sat up and cleared his throat. "I'm fine."
"You didn't look fine. Vaughn about got his lights knocked out." The coach said.
Taylor dropped his eyes.
"You have had a chip on your shoulder." The coach said. "What is it?"
Taylor couldn't help but let his shoulders drop. "Demons."
The coach rocked back in his chair. "Was he one?"
Taylor snorted. "No. I'm just mad at them."
"You can do that without crushing other kids." The coach said.
Taylor rubbed his neck. "I think maybe I should talk to my dad."
(Middle school)
Kate was excellent at compartmentalization. She could tuck things away in the back of her mind where they couldn't hurt her. However, some things were loud. Some things were persistent. Some things were like a fire behind a closed door, starved of oxygen, seeping through the windows and doors in search of a way to reignite. She pretended a lot. She acted like things weren't bothering her. She had been focused on other things but there was something deep and painful that she had pushed to the edges of her mind.
School was monotonous and uneventful most days. That wasn't always a bad thing. Kate just didn't get much enjoyment or enrichment from it. She had a few classes that caught her attention briefly before her brain absorbed all of the information that the teacher had to offer. She floated through school days, detached from her body, laughing at the right times and answering questions so it seemed like her attention was on the board and not busy grasping at the fibers of reality.
Mythology was brought into a conversation during a history class. That sounded interesting. She checked in to take part in the conversation.
"Why wouldn't they just walk to Olympus to see if the gods were real?" A girl asked.
The teacher leaned back to sit on the edge of his desk and crossed his ankles. "They believed that approaching Olympus would have consequences."
"That is stupid." The girl said.
"It may seem stupid now but that was what they had been told for generations." The teacher explained. "If you do not know you should question something, you don't question it."
Rachel kind of got on Kate's nerves at times but wasn't mean spirited. She was just devout in her own faith and measured everyone according to that faith. "It was obvious that it was fake."
The teacher noticed a look on Kate's face and cleared his throat. "Kate, you look like you want to weigh in."
Kate licked her lips. "Humans want there to be a cause or reason for everything. It is in our nature. When famine strikes, we pray to whatever god is out there that water will come. Then water comes and we think that our prayers were answered. In a modern society, it is easy to look at Greek mythology or Norse mythology and think that those people were dumb, but they were working with the information that they had at the time."
"That is a good point." The teacher said. "At one time, we believed that the earth was the center of the universe. Now, we know that the sun is and the earth just orbits."
Others in the class had opinions and questions that sparked a gentle debate.
Rachel furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean that the world was created by a spark?"
A boy shrugged. "A spark, a big bang, who knows?"
Rachel was taken aback. "God created the world."
"That is what you believe." The boy said.
"No, it is true. We have proof." Rachel said.
Kate tuned back in. "What proof?"
Rachel had never had her beliefs questioned so she was slightly horrified. "Look around you. The flowers and animals. The way water and wind work. It is all complicated and couldn't happen just by chance. An intelligent god made us."
Kate bit into her lip. That was part of her deep and painful fire that threatened to breech the doors of her mind. Demons were demons. They were bad and evil. However, something was supposed to be good and just. Where was that thing? "That is the same exact thing that every other religion has claimed. Just replace your god with a Hindu god or Norse god."
"No." Rachel said. "There is only one. He loves us and wants what is best for us."
The boy snorted. "I guess you have to love someone a lot to kill off millions of people in a flood."
Rachel was irritated. "That only happened once, and he promised not to again."
"So, no world flood but there can be disease, famine, war, local floods." The boy said.
The teacher wanted to steer the conversation away from religion as they had gotten deep into the weeds. He tried but was unsuccessful.
"Okay, maybe god is real. Maybe he did create the world. Maybe he got bored and left the world to rot." Kate said.
That upset Rachel. "He is still here."
"Where?" Kate asked. "What is he doing?"
Rachel thought long and hard about the ways that she could prove that she was right. "I lost my necklace yesterday. I prayed and found it this morning."
"So, he will answer your prayer about a necklace but won't answer prayers about kids that have cancer." Kate said.
Rachel gasped. "He does! So many kids get better. You must believe for him to work his miracles."
"I used to." Kate said. "I stopped when he didn't show up."
"Sometimes he doesn't answer prayers the way we want him to but he is still here. He has a plan for each of us." Rachel said.
"Then why pray? Why worship? Why do anything if he already has his mind made up?" Kate asked.
"If you are ever in a bad situation, pray and I promise he will come through." Rachel said.
Kate blinked a few times. "Where was he when each of my parents died? Where was he when I laid on the ground after being mauled, bleeding out onto the forest floor? Where was he when my brother's family abused him? Where was he when his house exploded?"
Rachel looked concerned and nodded. "I know those are hard times, but you survived. He wanted you here for a reason, so you didn't die and he got you to the hospital. That is why we praise him."
"No, my brothers got me to the hospital. I refuse to praise a being that chooses to let horrific things happen to innocent people. If he has reasons, we are all pawns in a sick game where no one wins. We are entertainment." Kate said.
Rachel was sad that a few people didn't agree with her. She made another comment that knocked a hole in Kate's fire door.
Kate started breathing quickly. She felt sweaty and knew her eyes were about to glow. She didn't realize how angry she was. She knew there was a god, and she knew that he set things in motion. She knew that people she loved were hurting. She knew that she and Taylor were created as a virus to disrupt the 'natural' order. She was sick of being a pawn. She left the classroom in search of the quiet of the hallway. She slid down the wall and put her head in her hands. She needed to calm down, but the pain was starting to take over and she was losing her fight against the flames.
Rachel sat down when the teacher told her to. She didn't know why Kate was upset. She wanted her to see her point of view so she could be happy. She didn't intend for anyone to get hurt. She sighed. "I will pray for her."
Hannah had her hands on Rachel's desk in an instant. "Don't you dare. Your god has already done enough. She doesn't need you to make her a beacon." She left as well to find Kate. She sat down beside her and wrapped her arms around Kate's shoulders. "If we can make it to the bathroom, I'll cover for you."
"I can't." Kate said.
Hannah waved the history teacher off so he wouldn't bother them. "You should know, I yelled at Rachel. I wanted to punch her, but it only took once for me to find out that I really don't like making my dad mad."
Kate looked up at her. "At least one of us learns quickly."
"You know, I think your dad said the same thing the other day." Hannah saw another teach and jogged down the hallway.
Kate heard a second set of steps returning and furrowed her brows. She looked up to see the art teacher from Taylor's school.
"I am dropping off a few things. Hannah told me you were upset." The teacher said in a soft voice.
Kate nodded.
"Can you tell me what is wrong?" The teacher asked.
Kate hid her face. "I'm angry at god."
The teacher nodded. "That sounds like a conversation to be had over a can of ginger ale and some crackers." She told Hannah to go back to class and helped Kate walk down to the nurse's office. She asked the counselor to call John and ushered Kate into an empty room. She also grabbed some paper and markers before joining Kate.
Kate took the supplies and started sketching something. She was silent because talking made it hard to control herself.
The teacher gave her time to process. "You are in a lot of pain."
Kate looked at her.
"I knew you had been through your fair share of trauma; I can see it in your art." The teacher said.
Kate's face fell.
"Art doesn't have to be sunshine and bunny rabbits. Think of the greatest artists we have seen. Many of them had darkness around them." The teacher said.
Kate's throat was dry. She coughed slightly.
"You can share, or you can just sit here. I'm not going to ask anything of you. I just know something is eating you up inside and you need someone to understand." The teacher said.
Kate slid her sketch across the desk. It was a sketch of a wooded area. There were trees and fallen leaves. The path through the trees had deep gouges in the ground.
The teacher frowned. "Would you like to explain?"
Kate chewed her cheek. People knew she was attacked by a 'bear' and that is how her leg got cut up. "I was in the woods and a bear attacked me." She felt of her leg. "His claws ripped through my leg. I almost died."
The teacher didn't know that but had a suspicion from some of Kate's drawing. A lot had a nuance of death.
"My brothers got me to the hospital. I was out for a while. I had a lot of stitches." Kate said.
The teacher nodded. "So, you healed on the outside but haven't healed on the inside."
Kate sniffled. "Why me? Why did I lose both of my parents? Why do I lose everyone? Why do I get singled out for bad things? I don't wish it on anyone but I'm just a kid. Why me?" That was the base of her anger. Things happened to her because she was a nephilian but why were her ancestors chosen? Why was she saved from being a stillborn? Why, out of everyone, did the daughter of someone who made a demon deal get picked? She was meaningless before all of this. She wasn't special. She just got handed the weight of humanity and she didn't want it.
"You can draw. I'm going to step out to speak to the front office." The teacher said. Kate looked like she needed some space.
Kate picked up a red marker and touched it to the paper. The edges of the dot were fuzzy due to the absorbency of the paper. Construction paper wasn't her first choice for drawing, but it was what she had. She drew a line and watched the edges blur slightly. A normal person wouldn't notice but she did. Any artist would. Her drawing wouldn't be as perfect as she wanted it to be, no matter what she did. The paper wasn't meant to hold ink in place. The ink seeped through the fibers of the paper, spreading ever so slightly. She thought of Death's dam metaphor. Maybe she was the heavy ink being pulled through a world with flimsy fibers.
The teacher returned to talk to Kate. She looked at the paper. She could draw conclusions, but no one would know what was in Kate's head except Kate.
Kate had a drawing in her mind. Typically, she would draw the figure, leaving the background white. This time, she colored everything but the figure. A face in a sea of ink. She heard a voice and placed the marker on the table. She tilted her head. She had excellent hearing, so it was possible that she was hearing someone in another room. No, it was different. Was it a vision? Where was the rest of it? Was she imagining it? Was the voice coming from her head? Was she finally having a psychotic break? What if some of her visions were just delusions or hallucinations? What if all of them were? What if nothing was real and she just went crazy after Brian died and got stuck in a nightmare? Was she going to wake up in a hospital room, surrounded by padded walls?
John got a call from Taylor right before he got a call from Kate's school. He was going to go down to the high school to talk to Taylor, but Kate seemed to be in bad shape. "Dean."
Dean turned. "Yes, sir?"
"I've got one kid pissed off and trying not to crush other students and I've got one angry at god and having a panic attack." John said.
Dean groaned and got his keys. "I've got panic attack. You can handle the other one."
"Meet back here. Check her out and we can deal with all of this here." John said.
Dean eyed Millie as he was leaving. He swore under his breath and picked her up. He placed her in the backseat of the car and turned the car on. He had a no pets in the car rule, but Millie would probably help Kate. He wasn't going to embarrass himself by bringing the cat into the school, but he could coax Kate outside more easily. He turned onto the road and headed toward Kate's school. He didn't know what he was going to say and he didn't know what condition she was in.
Kate had grown quiet and distant. She stopped talking and making eye contact. She heard Dean's voice and her bottom lip quivered.
Dean entered the room alongside the art teacher who had graciously tried to tell him what was going on. He prepared himself to talk Kate off a ledge, but she just looked sad.
Kate sniffled. "I want to go home." She ran to Dean and dove into his arms.
Dean lifted her. "Okay. We can go home." He rubbed the back of her head. He tilted his head at the receptionist. "I'm assuming I don't need to actually sign that paper." He got the go ahead and carried Kate to the car. He hated when she melted. It hurt his heart.
Kate saw Millie and let Dean put her down. She opened the door and scooped Millie into her arms.
Dean took a deep breath. He watched the life fade from Kate's face again and winced. He didn't know where she was at in her head, but it was likely no where good.
