Raising Katie

by amycoe37

This is a sequel to Saving Katie. Same warnings, same characters but new adventures. trigger warnings for discipline of minors and talk of abuse. (two separate entities)

253. Chapter 253

Author's note: I appreciate the reviews, as always. I am trying to find a happy balance with everything. I'm okay healthwise. I'm not great but I'm not getting worse right now. I will have a short break between semesters in which I hope to be able to write more. This past week I have been a bit brain dead and had terrible writer's block. Also, I caught a mistake that I'm going back to fix. Chris/Adam's birth family was the Marsh family. I had the same name for both families. So, I changed the adoptive family to the Hicks family.

(The Marsh family)

Jody sat down with Mr. and Mrs. Marsh to discuss Adam. She had spoken to John and Bobby while the couple drove to Sioux Falls. She wasn't sure how much to tell them and had no idea how they would react.

The parents were able to talk to Adam on the phone for a little while and honestly didn't care what transpired as long as he was alive and in good health.

Jody tried to explain bits and pieces of what they knew because simply showing up to claim Adam would be difficult. How would they prove that Adam was their son when his birth certificate belonged to someone that should have been much older?

Adam's parents were very open to the idea that whatever happened wasn't black and white. They had theories of their own. Of course, none made a lot of sense but no one knew exactly what happened.

Kate thought that his ability to hear the veil was a massive clue. Maybe he fell through the veil when it was thinning but didn't make it through the other side. So, he just bounced around outside of time and space until the veil was thin enough to fall back through.

Adam was torn. He was confused. He was excited that his parents found him and still wanted him. He had worked so hard to convince himself that his birth family wasn't real. He had been told they weren't real. All of his memories from early childhood felt like dreams.

It would take a few days before the parents could take Adam home since the facility wouldn't just let him leave without checking documents. With Charlie's help and the family's permission, a birth certificate could be forged to explain Adam's age. They'd say he had episodes in which he forgot who he was. He wasn't crazy but crazy was the easiest explanation for the confusion. Everyone except for the facility would know that Adam was perfectly sane.

(Tuesday)

Taylor was back on his feet and ready to go to school that morning.

"If you run in, people are going to ask questions. You were in a wheelchair not even 24 hours ago." Kate said.

"So, I won't run." Taylor said.

"We could wrap your ankle." Kate said.

Taylor shot her a look. "Or not. The wheelchair was bad enough."

Karen placed a cup of coffee on the table for Bobby. "You looked rough yesterday."

"Oh, you can use crutches!" Kate offered, teasing Taylor, knowing well that he would adamantly refuse.

Taylor tried to lightly kick the side of Kate's leg to show her that his foot was fine. He was still slightly stiff so when she grabbed his foot and twisted it, he lost his balance and fell back onto the table.

The table broke in half and Bobby's coffee poured down Taylor's shoulder, causing him to jump up in a hurry.

Kate was wide eyed.

Bobby rushed into the kitchen. "What the…"

Dean heard the commotion and joined the others.

Bobby rubbed his face. "I guess we needed a new table anyway."

"It was an accident." Kate said.

"I heard you before it happened." Bobby said. "I know it was an accident. Just get the pieces out of the house and clean up the mess."

Dean scoffed. "Bobby. I seem to remember an identical incident when I was younger and you sure as hell didn't just say we needed a new table."

"The only reason it broke this time is because you and Caleb broke it the first time." Bobby grumbled.

"We fixed it." Dean said. "It was more sturdy after that."

"I guess it wasn't." Bobby said.

Karen gave Kate a cloth to mop up the coffee. "How did you break it?"

Dean shrugged. "Doing what Kate and Taylor just did but Bobby was pissed about it."

"You idjits broke a lot more than the table." Bobby said. "I was fed up."

"Taylor has broken things." Dean reminded him.

Bobby smacked Dean with his cap. "I was rightfully pissed back then."

Karen smiled. "Just how many things did you boys break?"

"A couple of holes in the walls, broke that front window more than once. The light above the porch." Bobby looked up at the ceiling. "Lights in the house. A shelf or two."

"Roughhousing." Dean said.

"Fighting." Bobby corrected him.

"Okay, the table might have been from fighting. Most of it was good natured fun." Dean said.

"Dean, you are always on us about how bad you had it as a kid. Have you ever considered you were just a bad kid?" Kate asked.

Dean smirked. "Nah, I just had a few bad moments."

"An entire year." Bobby added.

"Hey, it was more like just the summer portion of that year." Dean defended himself.

(Flashback to the summer of 1994)

The boys were out of school and John had a whole list of hunts to cross off his list. He dropped them off at Bobby's house and told them to be on their best behavior.

Bobby grumbled and told John he wasn't a babysitter but he didn't mind the boys being there. It was better than them being in a motel room for days on end.

Dean was 15 and Sam was 11. Dean was hotheaded and ready to hunt and Sam was beginning to copy his attitude.

Dean would argue that he could go on hunts and John would shut him down.

Sam would argue as well but didn't know when to stop. That summer started the beginning of a multi-year long battle of the wills between John and Sam.

Bobby thought that having the boys at his house would save Sam from angering John one too many times. A week into their stay, he agreed to let Caleb stay as well. He thought that it would give Sam and Dean a break from each other and calm them down.

When Dean got the wild hare to do something foolish, he thought about Sam and how he didn't want Sam to get into trouble. Sam was his baby brother and needed to be protected. Sure, he had talked Sam into a few things that landed them both in hot water but typically, he either did things by himself or opted not to do them for Sam's sake. He didn't have the same thought when it came to Caleb. Caleb was his equal.

Caleb was not Dean's voice of reason. He went right along with everything Dean wanted to do but that's not to say he didn't have ideas of his own.

Sam grew weary, or smart, and started hanging out with Bobby, reading his lore books.

Dean and Caleb were creative. They came up with ideas to keep themselves busy that caused no harm in the end. Of course, they also came up with ideas that did a whole lot of harm, mostly to themselves.

Bobby had to replace the window in his living room twice within a few weeks. Then he had to replace the light above the door. A shelf got knocked off the wall not too long after that and he decided they would be fixing what they broke. Midway through the summer brought the calm he was expecting. The boys got all of their wild ideas out of their heads and settled into a routine.

Boredom caused bickering. Sam and Dean argued over little things, mostly one annoying the other. Bobby would yell at them to go to separate rooms or have to pull them apart. Sam was smaller so Dean would just put him in a headlock and Sam would scream and try his best to break free. Bobby was used to those fights. What he was not used to was what happened when Dean and Caleb got mad at each other. It started out as roughhousing, knocking over a lamp but stopping if he told them to knock it off.

One of their first fights ended with A few black eyes and a bloody nose. Bobby chewed them out and told them to go to separate rooms.

Dean held a tissue to his nose to stop the bleeding. "Why?"

"So you don't kill each other." Bobby said in a harsh tone.

Caleb shrugged. "We won't. We are good now."

Bobby grabbed them both by the back of their shirts and led them to the mirror in the hallway. "Take a good look at yourselves."

Caleb laughed. "Oh man, you can see the imprint of your knuckles." He touched the skin under his eye that had begun to swell.

Bobby let go of their shirts. "There is no sense in you two beating the crap out of each other."

"It was just a little disagreement. I'm not mad. Are you?" Dean asked.

"No." Caleb said.

"Do not let me catch you fighting like that again." Bobby warned.

That became a thing for the duo. They'd fight it out and be fine a minute or two later. They kept most altercations underwraps due to Bobby's warning. However, Bobby had to break them up more than once. He thought for certain that he would strangle them before the end of summer.

A call to John and Micheal had the boys swearing they were done fighting. They were just too much alike and too hard headed. When things got tense again, they would walk away from each other and stay on opposite ends of the house. That caused things to fester.

One afternoon, Bobby noticed they were shooting each other dirty looks and muttering things under their breaths. He had no idea what started it this time but told Sam to steer clear of them.

Sam wanted to know what was going on and didn't heed Bobby's warning.

Caleb was in the kitchen getting himself a cup of water. He groaned as Sam entered the kitchen.

"Come on. Why are you guys mad?" Sam asked for the dozenth time.

"Don't worry about it, Sammy." Caleb said.

Sam just kept pushing. "Is it a girl?"

Caleb growled. "Stop asking. Go away! God you never stop."

Dean slid into the kitchen. "Hey! You don't yell at him!"

"Tell him to shut up, then." Caleb shot back.

Bobby was finishing a call with another hunter when the yelling started. He quickly excused himself and put the phone on the receiver.

Dean walked around the table and right up to Caleb. "You don't yell at Sammy."

Bobby rounded the corner just as Caleb dumped his cup of water over Dean's head. In the span of a few seconds, Dean had tackled Caleb and somehow rolled him over his back, landing Caleb on the table.

The table splintered and broke under the sudden weight.

Caleb winced and groaned. He had gotten the breath knocked out of him.

Dean had a moment of clarity and looked at Bobby with wide eyes. He reached for Caleb's hand to help him up and dusted wood splinters off the back of his shirt. "Uh, sorry."

Bobby couldn't speak, he was so mad. He just pointed down the hallway to tell them to go to the living room.

Sam stayed behind to mop up the water and other things that had hit the floor. He was hoping that a smaller mess would ease Bobby's temper.

Bobby took a few minutes before speaking. "Did I not tell you two to stop fighting?"

Dean winced. "Yes, sir."

"Caleb, let me see your back." Bobby said.

Caleb lifted his shirt and stifled a hiss. He was going to be sore.

Bobby turned Caleb so the light was on his back. He checked for broken ribs and told him to sit down.

Dean swallowed. "Look, man, I'm sorry."

Caleb sat down. "No, sweat."

Bobby heard his phone ringing and told the boys to stay where they were and not to talk to each other. He stepped into his office and answered the phone.

Dean saw the look on Bobby's face and groaned, leaning forward to put his face in his hands.

"Your dad?" Caleb asked. He sucked air thorugh his teeth. "Damn."

"How does he always call at the worst time?" Dean asked in a whisper.

Bobby put the phone to his chest. "I told you two not to talk to each other!" He put the phone back to his ear. "They've lost their damn minds." When the conversation ended, he hung up the phone and joined the boys in the living room.

Dean looked worried. "Is he on his way back?"

Bobby took his cap off and smacked it down on the back of the couch. "No. He's going to be a few more weeks."

Dean let out a breath of air and relaxed. He slowly shifted his eyes to meet Bobby's.

"I don't know why the hell you are feeling relieved by that bit of news. I guess you decided when your dad is away, you don't have to mind." Bobby spat.

"I'm sorry. Bobby. We didn't mean to break the table." Dean said.

Bobby would look back later and admit he probably lost his temper but they were both far too thick-skulled to reason with.

(End of flashback)

"Where did that stupid ruler thing even come from?" Dean asked, suddenly remembering that the table incident was the first time he had it used on him.

"Had it in a desk drawer for a long time." Bobby said.

Karen was amused by the story, although she was certain Bobby wasn't at the time. "You were so worried about turning out like your dad."

Bobby grumbled. "I can say I have never beaten any of them. Although, at times I have wanted to."

"I don't think friends typically hurt each other." Kate said.

"Maybe for girls. It is different for guys. Besides, most of it was sparring." Dean said. "Caleb and I don't hold grudges."

"The rules for sparring changed to accommodate how hardheaded you were." Bobby said.

Taylor furrowed his eyebrows. "No weapons, hits to the face or broken bones."

"No sparring in the house, either." Bobby said.

"Probably shouldn't spar if you are mad at each other." Karen said.

"Dean said I could." Taylor said.

"Because you lose your skill when you get mad. Like Ian throwing a tantrum." Dean teased.

"Yeah, yeah. You made your point." Taylor said.

"I can't spar if I'm mad. That isn't fair." Kate said. "You all wont fight me because I'm a girl."

"I have knocked you on your back plenty of times." Dean said.

"But Taylor and I can't spar like you guys do." Kate said. She gasped. "Except, as nephilian we are equals and should be able to use abilities on each other."

"No. That breaks the weapons rule." Dean said.

Kate sighed. "I feel left out."

"Ask Jo," Taylor said. "She's a girl."

"I don't want to fight Jo." Kate said. "I like her."

"But you want to fight us." Taylor said.

"Yeah, I don't like you as much." Kate said.

"Taylor, you should get moving. You are going to be late for school." Karen said.

Kate scrunched her nose. "Sucks for you."

Taylor flicked Kate's ear as he walked by.

Kate went to retaliate but a gruff grumble from Bobby stopped her.

"You already broke the table." Bobby said.

"On accident." Kate said.

"Leave him be." Bobby said.

Kate shrugged. At least she didn't have to go to school.

Taylor got ready and waited at the door for Dean.

Dean jingled his keys. "Car's already on."

Taylor stepped outside, followed by Kate.

Kate held out a box for Taylor. "Karen wants you to take this out to the dumpster.

Taylor took the box. "What is in it?"

Kate jumped up and smacked his head, laughing because he couldn't immediately retaliate due to the box in his hands. "Rocks."

Taylor sat the box down and tried to smack Kate back but Dean walked out of the house. He waited for Dean to pass and reached for Kate's wrist, zapping her before letting go.

Kate grabbed her wrist and whined. "He zapped me!"

Dean shook his head. "You probably deserved it."

"But he used an ability." Kate said.

"Good thing you two are about to be separated for a few hours." Dean said. He smacked them both on the head and told Taylor to get in the car.

Kate skipped back inside and tidied up the rest of the mess from the table. She asked Karen if it would suffice and ventured into the livingroom to chill out for a bit. In order to chill out, she needed to be far away from home.

(30 minutes later)

Kate waded into the time stream, letting the water ripple around her feet and legs. She wasn't in search of anything specific. The stream was just the one place where she had a thread of control over the places that her mind took her. She had been spending more and more time there as days ticked by. Maybe she could stay there for a year. Then, everything that was supposed to go wrong, wouldn't go wrong. She wasn't in school so she didn't need to worry about paying attention. Her family had finally agreed that she was too crazy to be in school. So, she was allowed to stay home and work at her own pace.

No one had actually agreed that she was crazy. They just understood the difficulty of blending in. She was smart and could keep up with school without being physically present.

Dean found Kate sitting on the couch. He said her name and got no response. He sighed and shook her gently. "Earth to Kate."

Kate blinked. "What?"

"You've been out for too long." Dean said.

"I was at the time stream. I could stay there indefinitely." Kate said.

"If you are out of your head too long, I'm afraid you are going to get stuck that way." Dean said.

"So?" Kate asked.

Dean sat down in one of the chairs to put his boots on. "You are needed here on earth. I hear the attitude building and I'm not a fan of it."

Kate flopped over on the couch so she was laying down. "I don't have an attitude."

Dean snorted.

"If I am at the time stream, I can't give you attitude." Kate said.

"You can visit, not stay there." Dean said. "Besides, you are going with me to run a few errands."

"I don't want to." Kate whined.

"Tough. Bobby and Karen are going to look at new tables and I'm not leaving you here alone." Dean said.

"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." Kate said.

"I have no doubt that you can keep yourself fed without burning the house down. I don't want you left alone to think yourself into a bind." Dean said.

Kate groaned. She didn't want to leave the house. She wanted to be a vegetable and rot away on the couch.

"I've got to stop by Kim's place at some point." Dean said.

Kate sat up. "I can see her place?"

"Yeah." Dean said.

Kate jumped up and ran up the steps to throw her hair in a bun. She hopped back down the steps. "Ready!"

"I shouldn't have to bribe you to get you up and moving." Dean said. "You should jump as soon as I tell you to."

Kate smiled. "Bribery works so well, though."

Dean stepped outside and looked down.

Robby was waiting expectantly at the door.

"Don't look at me. I'm not the one that feeds you." Dean said.

Kate grabbed some fruit from the kitchen and handed it to him on her way out. "He eats better than you do."

Dean ignored her. He had added a few vegetables and fruits to his diet since Marie and Karen knew how to cook them. He'd still leave the majority to the racoon though.

(School)

Taylor met up with Hailey. He told her he tweaked his leg but it was okay.

"I was worried. Are you sure it is okay?" Hailey asked.

"Yes. Coach just wanted to make sure." Taylor said. He saw Nate and gave him a dirty look.

Nate grinned. "Looks like you lost your limp."

Taylor jabbed him in the ribs.

"Are we still good to go for paintball?" Nate asked.

"Yeah," Taylor said. "Got warden approval for this weekend."

"Sweet." Nate said.

"Paintballs hurt." Hailey said.

"Ha, that is why it is fun." Nate said.

"Who shot you?" Taylor asked.

Hailey rolled her eyes. "Heather."

Nate laughed. "Yeah, I've shot Ellie."

Hailey gasped. "You didn't!"

"I did. It was hilarious." Nate said.

"Does your dad know that?" Taylor asked.

Nate cleared his throat. "No. I paid her 5 dollars not to tell him."

"She should have taken the money and told him anyway." Hailey said.

"Nah, she has my back." Nate said.

"Well she has my sympathy. Youngest sibling to youngest sibling." Hailey said.

"You mean the most annoying sibling." Nate said, getting confirmation from Taylor.

"You used to be the youngest." Hailey said.

Taylor shrugged. "Now there is Kate and I agree with Nate."

Hailey playfully shoved him. "You are both just mean. Kate has my number and she can call me any time you are being too mean."

Nate snorted. "Yeah, what are you going to do about it?"

Hailey frowned dramatically. "Look really sad and make Taylor feel bad."

"Ah, yeah that may work." Taylor said.

"So, I was asked to see if you liked someone the way she likes you but I don't think I will now." Hailey said.

Nate's eyes widened. "Who?"

Hailey shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You are too mean to date her."

"I take back everything I said. Youngest siblings are awesome." Nate said.

Hailey smiled. "Bell is about to ring. We had better get to class."

Nate walked with them. "Who?"

Hailey stepped into the class she shared with Taylor. "Sorry, no time to talk."

Nate groaned and turned to go to his own class.

Taylor turned to Hailey. "Who is it that likes him?"

"Riley."

"Dusty's sister?" Taylor asked.

"Yep." Hailey said.

"That is against the bro code." Taylor said. "He can't date another player's sister."

"Well she likes him." Hailey said.

"Can't imagine why." Taylor said.

"She thinks he is cute." Hailey said.

Taylor furrowed his brows. "I thought she was smart."

Hailey poked him. "Have you always been this mean?"

Taylor smiled. "I've just hidden it well."

(Dean and Kate)

Dean drove to Marty's lab and parked outside.

Kate looked excited.

"He is looking at the demon dust." Dean said. "Me bringing you here means I am trusting you to make good decisions."

"I promise not to make bad decisions. That could skew data." Kate said.

"Safety is more important than data." Dean said.

Kate got out of the car. "I wear goggles and gloves."

"Kate." Dean said.

Kate sighed. "I understand. No going off the rails in the name of scientific discovery."

"I'd like to make it through the day without needing to knock sense into you." Dean said.

Kate shrugged. "I possess the most sense when I am at the time stream but you pulled me away."

Marty welcomed Kate into the lab and pointed to a tray of cultures.

Kate donned the protective goggles and gloves and sat down to analyze the petri dishes.

"Left side is freak venom. Right side is mutated freak venom." Marty said.

"Fascinating." Kate said. The venom was similar but must have mutated when the physical mutations happened. The mutated venom didn't seem to do as much damage.

"Nothing happened when they mixed." Marty said.

"They were supposedly created to fight hellhounds." Kate said.

Dean rubbed his face. "No."

Kate looked up. "Yeah they were."

"No. I'm saying no. We do not need to get a hellhound." Dean said.

"We have material collected from the one I vaporized." Kate said.

Dean relaxed. "Okay, that is reasonable. I'll ask dad where he put it."

"The dust is made up of a few different compounds. Some I have never seen before." Marty said.

"Probably supernatural." Kate said.

"It's partially sulfur." Marty said.

Dean let Kate talk to Marty for a half hour. He had more things to do and being at the lab made his head hurt. He was thankful that Marty spoke Kate's language and that he was an adult. They had plenty of smart kids running around but they lacked impulse control. Conversations with John and Bobby told him that his memory of being a kid was a tad skewed. He gave them a hard time and did dumb things like tackle Caleb through a table. Normal kid stuff. The younger kids were on another level of tomfoolery. Charlie became a hacker, upset some powerful people and was on the run for years. Hannah helped Kate with saving Brian's soul and dove head first into the dangerous world that Kate lived in. Kate and Taylor were in their own category. He could almost understand where Taylor's bravado came from. If he had powers, he'd probably get cocky too. Kate, though. Kate's thought process made no sense to him.

Kate was refreshed with the conversation. She loved visiting the lab.

Dean rubbed his temples.

Kate frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Just a headache." Dean said.

Kate touched his arm, healing the pain.

"Thanks, kiddo." Dean said.

Kate gave him a small smile. "No problem."

(John)

John met up with the hunter he told the kids about. He was not thrilled. Ellen asked him to help though.

The other hunter was cocky and didn't want help. He was sure he could handle it. Ellen told him to take John as back up. She was insistent. He only agreed to get her off his back. He had never been up against a demon but he had gotten rid of plenty of ghosts. They were just like a complicated ghost. He didn't know why John was so revered by other hunters. No one got a pat on the back for being good at salt and burns.

John explained that demons were not like complicated ghosts. They were more powerful and intelligent. They had full control of themselves and the body they possessed. He was blunt and told the man that his way of thinking was going to get him killed.

They came up with a plan to take down the demon and drove over to the area the hunter had tracked it to.

John asked for details about how long he had been tracking it and where he got his information. He didn't trust his research skills. Honestly, he didn't trust anything about the man. He was younger than John but far too old to be as dumb as he was.

Ellen also thought he was dumb. That is why she asked for John's help. It was a last ditch effort to pull the guy's head from his ass. She kind of assumed he'd screw up the hunt and the demon would escape or he'd die and the demon would escape.

Sometimes John felt guilty for raising the boys to be hunters. Other times, he was glad that he did. They had survival skills from an early age. They knew the signs to look for and the weapons needed to take down most creatures.

The other hunter, Justin, was the son of a hunter. Except, his dad got out of the life. He hunted for three years and then stepped away. He talked about his glory days and shared stories. He didn't teach Justin anything, though. So, when Justin became an adult, he decided that he wanted to experience the high that his dad got all those years ago. He wanted to be cool. He read a few books and asked his dad some questions before setting out to wipe some creatures off the face of the earth.

John knew a few hunters that stopped when they had kids. They didn't tell the kids about the supernatural so the kids wouldn't want to hunt. The ones that did tell the kids, taught them the basics of how to survive. John thought Justin's dad was irresponsible.

Justin started out tagging along on hunts with other hunters. He clashed with most of them and quickly found out he wasn't a team player. He preferred to hunt solo. He took on a dozen ghost hunts that all went well. Then he decided to move onto other creatures. Sure, a few hunts were dicey but that just made them fun.

John looked at the building that Justin said was ground zero for the demon. He could smell sulfur so Justin was likely right. He told him to wait while he placed sigils around the building.

"It ain't going to get trapped in something that small." Justin said.

"This sigil will slow them down. The more you put up, the more secure it is." John said.

Justin wasn't so sure about that.

"I have used them on a few hunts and they work." John said. Before they entered the building, John asked for clarification. "How do you know there is only one?"

"I've watched it. I did my research and am not an idiot." Justin said.

John disagreed with the last statement. "Even if you think there is just one, you always go in like there is more."

Justin opened the door to the building without responding. He wasn't an idiot. He wasn't a fan of John's tone or assumption that he didn't know what he was doing.

John followed him through the door. He stayed back and let Justin do most of the work since the man was convinced he knew what to do. He saw a mistake in the large sigil that was drawn on the floor. He contemplated not saying anything and letting nature take its course. He didn't care about making Justin mad but he did want to get out of there as soon as possible. He waited until Justin wasn't looking and fixed the sigil.

Justin pulled a slip of paper out and began the first few words of an exorcism. That would pull the demon into the room and they would trap it.

The demon showed up, eyes black and teeth gritted. The demon was dealt with quickly, a textbook exorcism. However, more showed up. Justin was wrong about there only being one. There were three more.

Justin tried the exorcism but was knocked back.

The demons knew not to fall for the trap and fought back by flinging him across the room.

John wasn't the center of attention so he discreetly placed sigils with the stamp Kate made. That would lock the demons in the room.

One of the demons noticed him and whirled around.

John felt the demon's grip, pushing him back into a wall, making it difficult to breathe. He saw Justin fumbling with the exorcism paper and waited for the first word to leave his mouth. That would cause the demon to twitch and give John a chance to reach into his pocket.

Justin was thrown again and crumbled as his body hit the wall, and then the floor.

John pushed a button on the recorder in his pocket and braced himself for the demon's attempt at attacking him.

Black smoke shot from the demon's mouths and up to the ceiling. Disembodied demons were harder to trap but John planned for that. He didn't want to just exorcise them. He wanted to snuff them out for good. He played the rest of the recording and watched red lights flicker across the ceiling, consuming the black smoke.

Justin felt the tension leave the room and slowly got to his feet.

Two of the humans were alive but the third was dead. The demon probably broke the guy's neck when he possessed him. The two remaining humans were scared. They had no memory after being possessed and just found themselves in a dingy room with two guys and a dead person.

John flashed a badge and told them they were detectives. He got their names and numbers and walked them outside. He told them they could go home but that he would call them for interviews. Of course, they'd never get that call. It did get them outside without dozens of questions. He returned to the room and told Justin they needed to go.

Justin was slow to move and trying to hide how much pain he was in.

John told him to drive to his motel room and he'd follow behind. The quicker they got out of the area, the better.

Justin did as John said. He was in a mild form of shock.

John followed him to the motel and into his room. He figured Justin had a few broken ribs judging by the way he was walking. He didn't say much as he checked for injuries. He cleaned a wound on Justin's head and closed it with butterfly bandages. It could have used a few stitches but he didn't have the patience and it would heal fine with the bandages.

"What was that on the recorder?" Justin asked.

"Exorcism." John said.

"It didn't sound like an exorcism." Justin said.

John played the recording for Justin to hear. "It is the same exorcism but sped up."

Justin winced as he sat down on the bed. "I thought there was only one."

"Never assume there is only one." John said.

They had a short conversation about the hunt in which Justin found himself irritated with John's view on things. "So, a demon is a little stronger than a ghost. Next time I'll plan for more and take them all out."

John decided that sugar coating things to appease Justin's temper would not be beneficial. "You do not need to hunt. You need to run back home and let those ribs heal. After that you need to get a real job and leave the hunt to the rest of us. If you are so damn set on hunting then you need to learn how to hunt. You need to take someone with you."

"I don't need anyone with me for my usual hunts." Justin said.

"You have gotten lucky. Plain and simple. You are sloppy and arrogant. On second thought, don't take anyone with you. You are a liability to anyone you are with." John said.

Justin shot back a stream of remarks, getting more and more irritated by John.

"You are right, I cannot tell you what to do. I can tell you what is going to happen, though. If you do not swallow your pride and find a mentor, you are going to screw up and get yourself killed. Since you refuse to hunt with anyone, no one is going to know you got yourself killed. Then, your mother and father can wonder and worry for weeks, months or years until, maybe, someone finds your body." John growled. He turned to leave the room. He stopped and drew the sigil on a piece of paper. He handed that and the recorder to Justin. "Learn to draw sigils the right way before trying to trap something." He left and walked out to his truck. He dialed Ellen's number as he turned the key in the ignition. "He's alive. Not by any fault of his own."

Ellen sighed. "I'm guessing he wasn't as ready as he thought he was."

"Assumed there was just 1 demon. There were three. Didn't draw the sigil right either." John said.

"Thank you for taking the case. I know he is a pain in the ass but I think he is young enough to do something good with his life if he wisens up." Ellen said.

John pulled out of the parking lot and got back on the road. "Nobody wants Jo to hunt but it might be worthwhile for her to learn a few things. She has made bad decisions in the past and I don't want her ending up like Justin."

Ellen sighed. "I keep telling her not to hunt but lord knows what she is going to do as an adult. I am hoping the mess with the kids will deter her from hunting. You are right, though."

"She could go to Bobby's house more often to train with the kids. She can hold her own at the Roadhouse but is vulnerable elsewhere." John said.

Ellen glanced at the table that Jo often sat at the complete homework. "She would like that."

"I'll talk to Dean and Bobby about it." John said. He ended the call and turned the radio on. He enjoyed music, like Dean did but not at the same volume. After most hunts, he took time to think through the hunt. He was good at what he did but wanted to improve with each experience. Is there something he could have done different? Was there another weapon that would have taken the creature down more quickly? For at least a decade, he had grown to the point that he wasn't learning much anymore. He entered hunts with the best plan, weapon and method. When Kate showed up, she opened up a whole new world of options. They had a demon knife. They had witch killing bullets. The possibilities seemed endless and the thought of new ways to hunt intrigued him. He liked Dean's drone because it was safer in certain situations. Also, it was fun to fly. He hid his enjoyment better than Dean did but anything that didn't involve Kate's blood or sacrifice piqued his interest.

(Andy)

With the cheating scandal behind him, Andy wanted to prove that he wasn't a delinquent. His teacher didn't think he was but he liked earning ribbons and having nice notes sent home to his parents. He held his hand up beside his face when doing math so he couldn't see TJ's answers. He was purposeful in showing that his work was his own.

One of the girls thought that Andy was nice. She liked that he was friends with TJ. She had a kind heart but wasn't sure how to go about befriending a kid like TJ. She approached Andy at lunch to ask about the friendship.

Andy explained that TJ couldn't talk so Andy was basically the only one that could sign with him. He also explained that it was important not to take advantage of kids that were different and not to be friends with them just to look good.

Carly asked him to help her talk to the resource room teacher. She wanted to try befriending a girl that was in their grade but typically in the resource room.

Andy shrugged but agreed to help her. He left Owen and TJ and walked over to his own teacher to explain what they wanted to do.

They then talked to the resource teacher. She introduced Carly to the girl in question. The girl could speak but had other concerns that prevented her from being in the typical classroom. Still, she was excited to see if the two girls clicked.

Andy didn't know much about the girl so he couldn't really help. He asked if it was okay if he went back to play with his friends and got the go ahead.

Owen had a story he wanted to share because he heard someone talking about it. He knew not to talk about stuff in front of the other kids. "Andy, guess what."

Andy walked across a small balance beam. "What?"

"There is this place in town that is haunted." Owen said, quietly.

Andy gasped and looked at TJ.

Owen shrugged. "He can't tell no one."

Andy grimaced. TJ wasn't even looking at them. "I don't think that matters." He told Owen to be super quiet but to tell him about this place.

Owen said that the other person said that some of the teenagers said it was haunted. "The swings move without being pushed and if you are inside, you can hear chains on the floor."

Andy furrowed his brows. "Did they say anything about cold spots?"

"No." Owen admitted.

"We can't check it out." Andy said.

Owen pulled a face. "I wasn't gonna. Maybe you should tell your dad, though."

"I can do that. Sounds kinda fake though. Those are things you see in movies." Andy said.

Owen smiled because TJ decided to join them. He was alerting Andy because they could no longer talk about it without him hearing.

TJ signed to ask about the ghosts.

Andy was quick to think of an excuse. "He was talking about a movie."

TJ didn't respond, meaning he was likely uninterested.

A ball rolled across the ground and into Andy's feet. He picked it up and looked for whoever it belonged to. He saw Jimmy and briefly thought about throwing it at his head. He decided to just toss it back since he didn't think Jimmy tried to hit him. It was rolling too slow for that to be the case. He still didn't like Jimmy but wasn't going to be mean for no reason.

(Taylor)

Nate cornered Taylor. "Did she say who the girl was?"

Taylor laughed. "Yes."

"Come on, man, tell me." Nate pleaded.

"Riley Harper." Taylor said.

Nate blushed a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, I don't know why." Taylor teased.

Nate saw her at the other end of the hallway and met eyes with her, blushing a bit more. He looked back at Taylor. "What do I do?"

"Talk to her." Taylor said.

Nate looked uncomfortable.

"Unless Dusty isn't okay with it." Taylor said.

Nate didn't think about that. There was a definite unwritten rule that the sisters of players were to be protected. They were nearly off limits but not always.

"Ask him." Taylor said.

"How?" Nate asked.

"You aren't incapable of having conversations." Taylor said. "You can't let a girl get you this dumb."

Nate spotted Dusty and jogged over to talk to him before they needed to go back to class. "Hey, uh." He licked his lips. "Hailey said that Riley likes me but I don't want to date her if that is going against the player code."

Dusty put a hand on Nate's shoulder and looked him in the eyes. "Riley can date whoever she wants but break her heart and I'll have to break your neck." He gave Nate a moment to panic before laughing and smacking his shoulder. "Dude, I don't care."

Nate backed away. "Uh, thanks."

Taylor asked how the chat went.

"He said he'd break my neck if I broke her heart and I don't know if he was joking or not." Nate said.

"Just don't be a dick." Taylor said. "I don't think he'd actually break your neck."

"You would break someone's neck if they messed with Kate." Nate said.

"Kate would break his neck. I'd just revive him to break it a second time." Taylor said. "Although, Dean is far more likely to do that."

"I can't even look at her." Nate said.

"Good." Taylor said. "We can stay friends."

Nate smirked. "I'd prefer to date someone I'm not scared of."

Taylor raised an eyebrow. "You look pretty scared of Riley."

"Hey," Nate shot back. "This isn't like liking a girl in elementary school. Highschool relationships can be pretty serious."

Taylor waved at Hailey and motioned to Riley. He grinned when they walked over. He clapped Nate on the back and took Hailey's hand, leaving Nate to talk to Riley. "I think he is going to pass out."

"I think the bashfulness is endearing." Hailey said. She turned to look back at them as Taylor walked her toward their class. She saw Riley bounce on her toes excitedly with a huge smile on her face. "One day, we can go on double dates."

(Dean and Kate)

Kate wanted to go back to the time stream. She loved Dean and loved spending time with him but every moment she remained in reality wore her down.

Dean studied Kate. He was trying to find a way into her head that didn't involve Gabriel traumatizing him. "Let's go look at books."

"That isn't on your to do list." Kate said.

"No but I have time and books make you happy." Dean said.

Kate gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

Dean drove to the old book store where Kate found Sam's book all those years ago. It had only been around two years but it felt like a decade ago. Back then, she didn't know about demons and hellhounds. She just wouldn't stop digging and eventually found out. She never stopped digging.

Kate entered the book store and took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of the books. There was so much knowledge hidden in the pages of every book. She walked down the aisle of history books. They had a book on just about everything. Lore books were often history books. Knowing what was happening at a point in time could help a hunter know what creature they were dealing with, ghosts in particular. She spied a few Celtic books and pulled them off the shelf to read the covers. She chose the two oldest books and put the others back. She wanted to know more about the period of time before Britain attempted to wipe out all of the clans. She wanted to know more about Ada's life before she had to run.

Dean kept an eye on Kate but let himself wander through the store. Books were never his thing. He saw a thick book sitting on a cart and read the cover. It had a drawing of a brain on the front. "Is this available?" Dean asked the owner.

The owner smiled. "Yes. That and a few others. A student dropped them off after he graduated from medical school. They can be rather expensive."

"Is this one?" Dean asked.

"No. They were a gift. He used several of my other textbooks to get into medical school. They change books when new information comes out." The woman said.

Dean picked up the book. "Hey, Kate. Look at this."

Kate carried the two Celtic books to the table that Dean was next to. "What is it?"

Dean turned the book to face her.

Kate reached for it. She sat down and started flipping through the chapters.

The woman watched her. "That is a big book for a young girl."

"I want to be a doctor." Kate said. She forced herself to stop reading the book. She wanted to take it home and savor the information.

"I was telling.." The woman paused, unsure who Dean was to Kate.

"Her brother." Dean said.

"I was telling your brother that someone dropped off his textbooks from medical school. Would you like to look at them?" The woman asked.

Kate gasped. "Yes, please."

The woman wheeled a cart from behind the front desk.

Kate sat down on the floor to better view the books on the bottom. She read the titles and pulled one from the middle of the stack.

"What is that one?" Dean asked.

Kate held up an Abnormal Psychology book. "A book about our family."

Dean smirked. "Funny."

Kate flipped through the book and added it to her own stack. She really wanted to take all of them but didn't want to be selfish. Besides, she could visit again and take more home or just speed read them at the store.

Dean paid for the Celtic books and asked the woman if she was sure she didn't want anything for the medical textbooks. He picked up the impressive stack and grunted. "Might as well carry around cinder blocks."

Kate took the two Celtic books off the top.

Dean snorted. "Thanks, that took a whole pound off."

Kate skipped to the car. "Good thing you are strong." She opened the back door for Dean and walked around to her side of the car.

Dean placed the books on the floorboard and shut the door. He turned to get in the driver's seat but noticed Kate staring at something. "Kate."

Kate didn't break her gaze but reached back to open the door and got in. She didn't look away until the car was out of the parking lot.

"What is that?" Dean asked.

Kate blinked. "Hellhound."

Dean tensed. "What was it doing?"

"Just sitting there." Kate said.

"Why didn't you get in the car instead of just standing there?" Dean asked.

"Because it wasn't doing anything and can't do anything." Kate said.

Dean turned the car on. "But why try to win a staring contest with a hellhound?"

"If you are scared of something, you look away and move quickly. It should know I'm not scared." Kate said.

Dean felt uneasy. "You should be scared."

"I have done the scared thing since I learned about hellhounds. Didn't do me a whole lot of good." Kate said.

"They are still a threat. It doesn't matter if they just sit there." Dean said. "Do not get it in your head that they cannot hurt you and everyone else because they haven't yet."

Kate looked tired. "I wonder what a nymph could do to one of them." She reached across the back of the seat to grab one of her books.

Dean glanced over at her. She had the psychology textbook.

Kate ran her finger down the table of contents. She landed on schizophrenia and opened the book to the correct page.

"You do not have schizophrenia." Dean said.

"No but a doctor would think I do. How many people have gotten diagnosed but have really just been seeing a ghost or demon? What if they are psychic?" Kate asked.

Dean hadn't put much thought into that.

"How many people are written off as crazy when they say they vanished from their home or they witnessed a human with jagged teeth attack their neighbor? How many people wind up in jail because the police don't believe they killed their loved one because they were possessed?" Kate continued.

"It sucks but we can't do anything about it. If we start bailing people out of jail, that will raise red flags." Dean said.

"At least Adam can go home." Kate said.

"Yeah." Dean said. "Sounds like his parents aren't too concerned about how he left. They just want him back."

"I don't think my parents would have wanted me back." Kate said.

"Why?" Dean asked.

"My mom died when I was a baby. My dad died before most of this started. He didn't like that I had visions. I can't imagine he'd be thrilled that I can teleport." Kate said.

"I came around to the idea." Dean said. "It is weird but it is what it is. Being different doesn't make your parents not want you."

"Do you think dad would have been mad at Sam if he had found out about the visions when he was younger?" Kate asked.

Dean couldn't say for sure. "I think I would have picked on him more."

"Did having a vision change how you understand visions?" Kate asked.

"I see what you mean about it being different. It wasn't just a dream." Dean said. "I didn't like it."

"Not all visions are bad. I saw Lauren before she was born." Kate said.

"That one still feels hard to believe." Dean said. "Caleb having a baby. Not the vision."

Kate closed the book but kept her finger on the page. "I didn't know him too well before he met her. I mean… I got up close and personal when you guys were attacked but that's different."

"I guess Caleb and I are similar. I don't think he wanted kids. I'll always look at him a certain way. We did a lot of dumb, but really fun stuff growing up." Dean said.

"The haunted doll hunt was fun." Kate said, referring to the hunt that they went on while taking Sam to Stanford.

"That was not fun. Maybe a little funny." Dean said. "I won't admit that to him if you claim I said it."

"Do you think life is boring now?" Kate asked.

Dean pulled a face. "Life is anything but boring."

"You don't get to have fun. You don't go to many bars. You hunt less. You don't have Caleb to travel with. Sam is in school." Kate said.

"Life is different." Dean said. "Sam and Caleb are still around. Not going to bars doesn't bother me. I go often enough."

"Do you like Kim?" Kate asked.

Dean shrugged. "She is cool."

"No. Do you like her?" Kate asked, emphasizing the word like.

"She is interesting. I like hanging out with her. She doesn't demand that I spend time with her and has taken the truth about what we do very well. I'd say I like her." Dean said. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. "We are still just friends. If we were anything else, I think she would get hurt."

"If you say the magic words she will parish?" Kate asked.

Dean nodded. "So we are good where we are."

"Is she a best friend?" Kate asked. "Is she your bestest friend or is that still Caleb?"

Dean sucked air through his teeth. "She would be a best friend for very different reasons than Caleb."

"Did Andy ever figure out what kind of benefits she had?" Kate asked.

Dean chuckled. "You and Taylor are assholes."

"Andy is gullible and still young enough to not get hurt in the crossfire." Kate said.

"Don't talk him into doing your dirty work. I've been known to fight kids." Dean said.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Yeah but you are nicer to him than you are to me."

"He is nicer to me than you are." Dean countered.

Kate shrugged. He had a point.

(Sam and Jess)

Jess chatted with a few of her friends after class to buy time until Sam was also out of class. She was capable of walking home alone but knew he preferred if she didn't.

One of her friends asked about the baby that she was rumored to be seen with.

Jess smiled. "His name is Jacob."

"Who is he?" The friend asked.

"It is a long story but we will be adopting him. His parents were family friends." Jess said.

Another friend asked to see a photo of him.

Jess, of course, had a few in her backpack. She showed them off and told them little things about him.

"He is so handsome." A friend said, "Look at those dimples."

Jess was pleased that her friends were supportive. She kind of assumed they'd ask a ton of questions.

One of them asked where Jacob was while they were at school.

"He is with a sitter." Jess said.

The friends all said they wanted to meet him. They were excited for Jess and thought Jacob was the cutest baby ever.

Jess spotted Sam and waved at him.

The friend that asked where Jacob was nudged Jess. "What does Sam think?"

"About the baby?" Jess asked. "He loves him."

"Does he help you though?" She asked.

"Of course. He is great. He does everything I do." Jess said.

The friend smiled. "Good. My sister's poor excuse for a husband wont even feed their baby."

Jess watched Sam as he got closer. "Sam is fantastic."

"Oh! We need to go shopping!" One of the girl's said.

Sam saw the photos in Jess's hand and shook his head. "We have no more room for baby stuff."

"Just a few outfits." The girl said.

"He and 10 other babies could share the clothes he has and never run out." Sam said.

"So much for being fantastic." The girl teased.

Jess smiled. "We really do have a ton of stuff."

"Did you have a baby shower?" Someone asked.

"No. He had stuff from his parents. Then, Sam's family has gone overboard with buying things." Jess said.

"No fair." One of them said, "You should have told us sooner."

"I wasn't sure how you all would react." Jess said, honestly.

"Um, hello, super cute baby. How did you think we would react?" One asked.

Jess shrugged. "I guess my family hasn't been supportive so I wasn't sure how friends here would act."

"Forget about them." The first friend said, "Anyone that isn't happy for you can suck on a lemon."

Jess laughed.

"Okay, so, we have to meet this little man. How about you meet us at Benny's tonight for dinner." One offered.

Sam traded looks with Jess. They didn't have plans. Part of him was leary. Were they too accepting? No. They were just college girls gushing over a baby. That was normal. It was normal for people to like babies.

"Sweet. We will see you at 5 then!" She added.

Jess took Sam's hand and walked with him toward the hotel. "He is very popular."

"I've noticed." Sam said. "I think Brody even likes him a little bit."

"Who wouldn't love him?" Jess said. She slowed down a few steps.

"Tony loved him. He was just blinded by grief." Sam said, assuming that was where her head was.

"I'd give up everything. I'd die for him. How could Tony just leave him?" Jess asked.

"I don't know." Sam said. "Maybe he knew that Jacob was going to be okay. He has us but he also has everyone else. He will be surrounded by a huge family of people who adore him. It could have been different had that not been the case."

"He could have been hurt when they got attacked. Why didn't the wolves hurt him?" Jess asked.

Sam wasn't certain. "I don't know. They may not go after babies." He could feel the tension building in Jess's body. He stopped and hugged her. "He is okay. Nothing happened to him. He is happy and healthy and will never remember that night."

Jess wanted to get back to the hotel as soon as possible so that a nymph could bring him back over. She wanted to hold him and study his face like she did nearly every day. Talking to her friends felt surreal. Two, she had known in highschool. Two more she had met before college started. They had been so close but she had drifted away from the group after meeting Sam. Her priorities were different. Had someone told 18 year old Jess that she would be moving away with a baby and soon to be husband, she wouldn't have believed them. It felt right, though.

(Taylor)

Taylor couldn't help but check in with Kate. As much as he complained about her thinking too loudly, he felt anxious when her thoughts were silent. She was with Dean which was a good thing. He could feel the anxiety and confusion. However, she was focused on parent approved things. She was looking through information about neurological disorders. Lame.

Hailey joined Taylor and Nate at the lunch table. She looked amused.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"Griffin and Hays are telling everyone about this haunted house. They are obviously lying but are trying to get people to meet up with them to ghost hunt." Hailey said.

"Why do they say it is haunted?" Taylor asked.

"Griffin said he heard voices and saw an actual ghost. Apparently the house makes sounds and things move without being touched." Hailey said, highly amused. "This weekend a few people are going to check it out. It sounds stupid but kind of fun. Heather and I may go with them."

"No." Taylor said, failing to hold back a slight bite to his tone.

Hailey looked shocked.

"Oh. I mean…. you don't want to do that. Those guys are idiots." Taylor said.

"The ghosts aren't real, though." Hailey said.

"Well yeah but there may be alcohol involved. With those two, it is likely. If cops notice a bunch of teenagers in some random house, they are going to investigate." Taylor said.

"Good point." Hailey said. "Even if I wasn't drinking, my dad would get mad if I was around someone who was."

Nate set out to find out more about the house. Were the two upperclassmen playing a prank or was there an actual ghost? He got some information but found it odd.

The house in question was the same house that Owen had learned about. Rumors about the house were spreading all throughout the schools. The house was fine during the day, but when it got darker, swings would move by themselves. The doors would creak open or closed and chains could be heard being dragged across the floor.

Taylor pressed a thought into Kate's head so that she could tell Dean who would then tell Jody. He thought it was fake but didn't want anyone to get hurt if it wasn't. The details were fishy for sure.

(Dean and Kate)

Dean called Jody and left a message. He too thought the ghost was fake. Still, he said that he would stop by the house while the kids were in school.

Kate was interested to see what the hype was about. The house didn't look old enough to have chain dragging ghosts walking about. That only happened in places where people were once chained up. Still, that was rare and a ghost couldn't drag a chain. The material alone would send a ghost in the opposite direction.

Dean allowed Kate to get out with him. They drove around to the side of the house and got out of the car. The house was at the end of a dead end street. There were no houses close enough to prompt nosey neighbors to watch them out of their windows. The back door had broken glass and was unlocked.

Kate stepped around the broken glass. "Looks like people have been here recently." She tapped her foot next to a few beer cans.

"I'm less concerned with the recent people." Dean said. He walked into the kitchen and looked around. He wasn't sure why the house didn't have anyone living in it. Sure, it needed some renovations but it wasn't in bad shape.

Kate followed Dean through the house. She opened up a bedroom door and paused. She could feel something in the house but it confused her. It wasn't evil. It wasn't angry.

Dean heard the sound of chains moving across the floor and looked at Kate. There were no cold spots. The EMF reader was barely reacting to the point that he didn't consider the reading to be proof that a ghost was in the house.

Kate looked down the hallway and saw someone duck out of sight. She walked toward them and opened another door. "Why are you here?"

A little boy looked at Kate with wide eyes. "You can see me?"

"Yep." Kate said.

Another boy peaked from behind a chair.

"Why are you here?" Kate asked again.

Dean joined her. The boys looked like ghosts but the spiderman pajamas that one of them wore told him they weren't from the 1800s.

Kate told them that Dean was her brother. She spoke softly to them and convinced them to explain why they were haunting the house.

The older of the two boys launched into an epic story about a nice lady that took them away from the hospital and told them they could do whatever they wanted for a few days. They chose to pretend to be ghosts and scare the life out of people.

Dean listened and figured that they had only seen movie ghosts and that was why the chains and swings were being messed with.

Kate asked more questions and sat down on the floor to think. "What hospital?"

The boy pointed in the general direction of the children's hospital.

Kate started to connect dots. She asked Tessa to join them to sort things out.

Tessa appeared and caused both boys to stare in amazement. She knew exactly why they were there. "Sometimes, for children who are unable to do things in life, they are given a chance to do them after death."

"So I'm dead?" The younger one asked.

"I suspect your body is on life support." Tessa said.

The boy shrugged. He didn't mind because he was sick. He had cancer and hated being in the hospital.

"Their reaper has allowed them to travel." Tessa said. "Although, typically these children choose to go to Disney world or to the beach."

The boys traded mischievous looks. "This is fun!"

"Why don't they act like a typical ghost?" Dean asked. "The EMF reader barely picked them up."

"They are passing peacefully and are not truly ghosts." Tessa explained. "When is your reaper coming back?"

"I dunno." The younger boy said.

Tessa asked for her name so she could speak to her.

The reaper showed up and told the boys they really needed to get back to their bodies and cross over properly.

Neither boy wanted to go just yet.

"Some of the high schoolers want to come over here this weekend. No one believes two of them that there are ghosts here." Kate said.

The boys looked excited. "Can we please stay a little bit longer?"

The reaper had an idea. "How about we go somewhere else, like an amusement park. Then, this weekend you can spook the teenagers and then cross over."

That plan worked for all involved. The boys were harmless.

Back in the car, Kate let out a breath. "That is kind of sad."

"Yeah but they look happy." Dean said.

"Their parents won't know how much fun they are having." Kate said.

Dean cranked the car. "I don't think I'll ever be able to gank a kid ghost again."

"Not all are that friendly." Kate reminded him.

"Tell Taylor to suggest that those guys video their ghost encounter." Dean said.

"Why?" Kate asked with her eyebrows furrowed.

"It will be hilarious." Dean said. "Besides, the boys are using movie special effects. Anyone else that sees it is going to think it's fake."

"Just a bunch of teenagers freaking out from a door shutting too hard." Kate said. "What would young Dean have done with such a free pass?" She quickly added. "That doesn't involve women."

Dean flicked her ear. "I would have found the passenger seat of a fast car and taken a joy ride."

"Oh, so you would have cheated on Baby." Kate said.

"I respect Baby too much to put her through that. We are talking about young me, before I was given the car." Dean said.

"I think I'd go to an amusement park." Kate said.

"We can do that without you being a ghost." Dean said.

"Put it on our bucket list." Kate said. "Can I go to the stream?"

"Why?" Dean asked.

"I want to find something." Kate said.

Dean looked at the time. "Sure. I'll let you know when we get to Kim's place."

Kate closed her eyes and drifted away from the hum of the engine.

(Time stream)

Kate walked along the bank beside the stream. She took her shoes off and stepped into the water. The flow of the stream was soothing. When she stepped out of the stream, her feet would be dry. She wasn't sure if that was a time thing or because everything she saw wasn't real. Why did the time stream appear as a stream? Could they change things? What if she wanted a pet for the stream? She looked for green orbs. Those were the happy memories. Who decided to use stoplight colors for memories? Was the time stream set before they got there or did the arrival of their consciousnesses set it into motion?

She peered into the orb. It was a scene from Hannah's house, back before Brian died. They were laying on the swing, looking up at the sky, chatting about simple things. She dropped the orb and searched for another one. Each one she found was from the last few years. Where were the ones from when she was much younger? Did she have memories of her mom?

She walked up stream. How far did it go? Did it have a beginning and an end? She picked up another orb. She was getting closer to when she was a baby. She finally found one and it tingled in her hands. She held it up to her face and peered into it. She saw Ruth with a smile on her face. She was pushing Kate in a swing and tickling her feet when they were in reach.

Kate's heart ached. Her mom was so happy. She shook the orb as the memory faded, willing it to continue. She watched it again, studying every inch of her mom's face. She spotted something as it stepped out of the shadow of a tree a few yards away from where Ruth stood. Baby Kate only caught a glimpse of it as her attention was quickly pulled back to Ruth's smiling face. Time stream Kate only needed a glimpse. She wanted to look at other memories to see if the thing was in those as well but Dean rudely interrupted her.

(Dean and Kate)

"Hey kiddo we are at Kim's house." Dean said.

Kate was irritated. She needed to get a closer look at what was in the memory.

"Help me carry some of this inside." Dean said.

Kate got out and picked up a couple bags. She followed Dean up the steps to Kim's apartment and waited for the door to open.

Kim greeted them with a smile. "Hi. Here, come in."

Kate sat the bags down next to where Dean placed things.

Kim stopped Dean before he made a second trip to the car. "Is she okay?"

Dean sighed. "I don't know. I pulled her out of the time stream and she looked mad when I did."

Kate returned to the car before Dean did. She slowly turned her head, scanning her surroundings. She narrowed her eyes and clinched her jaw. She met eyes with a hellhound. She took a step toward it, daring it to move. She got within 10 feet of it and saw the first sign of agitation. She raised an eyebrow. She noted a white line on its chest. It was a scar. In the memory, the thing that stepped out of the shadows was a hellhound. It was specifically that hellhound. How long had it been following her? She took a few more steps and the hellhound bared its teeth.

Dean made it out to the car and heard a familiar, low, growl. He whipped his head around and saw Kate, inching her way into the street. He cleared his throat. "Kate."

Kate put a hand up to tell him to be quiet.

Dean touched her back and gently pulled on the back of her shirt.

"It is scared of me." Kate said.

"Kate, back away." Dean said.

A box truck drove by, giving Dean a chance to yank Kate back toward Kim's apartment.

Kate pulled against him and didn't take her eyes off the hound. She had a score to settle.

Dean slammed the door just in case the hellhound followed them. He got between Kate and the door and tried to get her to snap out of it. He felt pressure building around himself and his feet started to slide as though a strong wind was blowing him out of the way. He grabbed Kate's arm and spun her around, swatting her a few times.

Kate stumbled back and looked at Dean with wide eyes.

Dean locked the door and turned Kate to walk into the living room, making her sit down on a couch.

Kate flicked her eyes to Kim, equally embarrassed and angry that Dean did that with her nearby.

Dean snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Hellhound, seriously?"

Kate blinked. "Could you see it?"

"I could hear it." Dean said.

"You could have gotten killed." Kate said.

"I'm willing to risk that to save you, even if it is from yourself." Dean said.

Kate rolled her eyes. "I was fine until you showed up. You distracted me."

Dean tried to stay calm as he tried to get Kate to understand that approaching and taunting a hellhound was a terrible idea.

Kate turned around. "Kim. Tell him he is being irrational."

Kim grimaced. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" Kate asked.

"He isn't being irrational. You are, though." Kim said, gently.

Kate explained everything from the time stream to the point where she approached the hellhound. "It has been following me for my whole life. It isn't going to hurt me. It has never been around when one has attacked."

Dean pulled his phone out of his pocket. He held it up to show Kate who was calling.

Kate squeaked. "Don't tell him!"

Dean pushed the button to answer it. He looked at Kim and pointed at Kate. "Watch her."

Kate frowned. "Great, just blow it out of proportion."

Kim sat down beside her. "I mean, you did attempt to pet a hellhound."

Kate sighed. "I wasn't trying to pet it."

"What were you trying to do?" Kim asked.

Kate searched for an answer. "I don't know. I felt like I was in a trance. If you had a creepy dude in a van following you around, and you had a weapon, you'd want to confront him."

"I would call for someone else to confront him. I'm a wet noodle." Kim said.

"I'm not. I can literally vaporize them." Kate said.

Kim let her vent while Dean was out of the room.

"And then he just doesn't care who is around or what is going on. He treats me like a little kid." Kate said.

Kim handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes. "You were using an ability on him and I think he was hoping to get your attention without needing to call in a nymph or Tessa."

Kate didn't realize she was using an ability. "Oh. You could still tell him to not blow it out of proportion."

"And risk him smacking me too?" Kim asked with a slight chuckle and a wink.

Kate cracked a smile. "Don't worry. He only hits kids."

Kim gave Kate a side hug. "He loves you. You just need to understand that hellhounds are scary. I'd say it is even worse now since he had that vision."

Dean stepped back into the room after his conversation with John.

Kate motioned to Kim. "She wants to tell you that you are being irrational but is afraid you'll smack her."

Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. "What?"

Kim stood up. "I did say that."

Dean leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. "Now why would you say that?"

"She wanted me to tell you not to blow it out of proportion and I jokingly told her that I didn't want to risk you smacking me too." Kim said.

Dean blew air through his nose. "I didn't blow it out of proportion."

"You told dad." Kate said.

"I did. We are going to talk about it later." Dean said.

Kate whined.

"If you can keep your attitude in check, it should just be a talk." Dean said.

Kate pulled a face.

"I saw how zoned out you were. It is complicated." Dean said. "Now, if you try to do that again it will not be so complicated and I guarantee it will be more than a talk."

"I guess that is fair." Kate said.

Dean pointed to the stack of bags. "Start working on the warding." He tilted his head to tell Kim he needed to talk to her as well.

Kate feigned concern. "Don't smack her. She was just trying to help me calm down."

Dean flicked Kate's head. "Good lord. I'm not going to smack her." He looked at Kim. "You started that and she is going to run with it."

Kim smiled. "Oh, you'll be alright." She opened her bedroom door and sat down on her bed to see what Dean wanted to talk about.

"I think now would be a good time if you wanted to get the anti-possession tattoo. I don't want it to hurt you, though. If you want it, we need to figure out how to safely do it without an immune reaction." Dean said.

"I can do it!" Kate yelled from the living room.

Dean opened the door. "This conversation doesn't involve you." He shut the door again and shook his head.

"I could probably talk to my doctor." Kim said.

Dean chatted with her for a few more minutes, wrapping up bits and pieces of things he needed to run by her.

Kate looked up from what she was doing to see them walk out of the bedroom. "So can I give you a tattoo?"

"I'm afraid not." Kim said.

"Lame." Kate said. "I was thinking about the hellhound."

Dean sighed heavily.

"It has a scar on it." Kate said.

"You mentioned that." Dean said.

"I haven't seen any scars on the rest of them. At Least, not white scars." Kate said. "So did something special leave the scar?"

Dean caught onto her train of thought rather quickly. "A weapon of some sort."

"Right." Kate said, a little shocked that he understood where she was going. "Shooting them doesn't work. They do not have lasting scars from fighting over souls. If something can leave a scar like that, surely it could kill one of them."

"Was it a big scar?" Kim asked.

Kate got up to retrieve a piece of paper and a pen. She created a rough sketch of the hound and turned it around for Kim to see.

Kim covered her chest with her hand. "And you tried to pet that?"

Kate huffed. "I wasn't trying to pet it."

Dean took the paper out of Kate's hand to study it. The scar was a diagonal line across the hound's chest. "Yet you can look at those things and your first reaction isn't to run."

"You really shouldn't ever turn your back on any type of dog. Running is a bad idea." Kate said.

Dean flicked her ear. "Don't be a smartass."

Kate rubbed her ear. "That's like me telling you not to be a killjoy. It goes against my nature."

(Sam and Jess)

Jess dressed Jacob in an outfit that Marie had made for him. His initials, JBW, were embroidered on a tiny pocket on the shirt. The 'W' made her happy. Soon, she would share the 'W' with Sam and Jacob. It couldn't happen fast enough. In Stanford, people knew who her parents were. In South Dakota, no one would know who her parents were. She would get to start over in a new city, with a new family and a new last name.

Sam took Jacob from Jess so she could get ready as well. He walked around the room to keep Jacob entertained. He followed Jacob's eyes and looked up at the light fixture. Jacob loved looking at lights. Babies were so simple in that way. He caught himself thinking about himself at that age. Jacob lost his mom at 1 week old. Sam lost his at 6 months old. Sam, like Jacob, didn't have any memories of her. Sam felt the loss his whole childhood. He saw other kids with their moms and grew envious. They had normal dads, too. They had families that ate dinner together and attended their school events. Jacob would have that. He just hoped that they were enough to fill the void.

Jess finished her make up and stepped out of the bathroom. She smiled. Both boys were staring at the light. Jacob was just so tiny in Sam's arms.

Sam noticed her and looked away from the light. "Ready?"

Jess slipped her shoes on. "Yes."

They left the hotel and walked down the street, toward the restaurant. It was a bit of an awkward distance as it would take far longer to get there by bus but walking took a while. It was a beautiful afternoon and warm enough for Jacob not to be wrapped up in a blanket in his stroller.

Jacob's eyes darted around, looking at the trees and lights as he moved under them.

Sam pushed the stroller and glanced down at Jacob from time to time but his eyes were scanning the area. His ears were tuned to every sound and was ready to strike if anything approached them.

Sam and Jess had to have a difficult conversation a few days prior about having Jacob out in public. Sam wanted a backup plan. They figured out cues to use if the situation became dangerous. Neither of them liked having to have a plan. Normal parents didn't have those types of plans. Normal parents didn't have to worry about creatures stalking them.

When Kim was talking to Dean about him needing to trust her to nymph away, Jess took a moment to think about herself. She wanted to stay and help Sam. Kim had a point though. If something happened, Jess would take Jacob and trust that Sam would know how to defend himself. Staying would put Jacob in danger but also distract Sam.

As they got close to the restaurant, Jess's friends spotted them and ran over to meet Jacob.

One explained that they were on a waitlist and their table should be ready within a few minutes.

"Hi." One said, leaning down to be closer to Jacob.

Jacob grinned and kicked his feet. The girls were enamored and Jacob was a fan of the attention.

Once they were inside and sat at a table, Jess reluctantly relinquished Jacob into the arms of her friend. She fought the urge to take him back but trusted the friend with his general safety. She wasn't possessed or anything of that sort. They checked.

Before the food came, one of Jess's friends pulled out a camera to document the occasion. She got a few of the group and several more of just Sam, Jess and Jacob.

Jacob didn't love the flash of the camera but got over it quickly when Jess offered him a bottle.

Jess made sure to order something that Jacob could have a few bites of. She didn't think he would be appeased by the bottle alone. She scooted away from the table and had Sam cut her food into smaller pieces so she could use one hand and keep Jacob away from her plate.

Jacob was given a taste of mashed potatoes and chewed on the spoon until it stopped tasting like potatoes.

"He is so precious." One of the girls said.

"Until you get between him and food." Sam said.

Conversation was pleasant and Jess felt a sense of belonging. She would miss that set of friends but was still excited to leave Stanford. They could only stay in a hotel for so long as a cover for losing their apartment. Jacob wasn't too far away from learning to crawl and he needed the space to do so. Marie had space but Jess wanted their own space.

Jacob got sleepy before the meal ended and was placed in his stroller.

An older woman stopped by after a few minutes and peered into the stroller. She said that he was a darling and reached into the stroller to touch his face.

Jess grabbed her hand before she did so. She did it quickly and spooked the woman. "He is a light sleeper. Please don't touch him." He wasn't a light sleeper but she needed to explain why she nearly smacked the woman's hand away.

The woman looked shocked and mildly embarrassed. She apologized and continued on her way.

Jess's mind went in several directions. What if she was trying to hurt him? She likely wasn't. What if her hands were dirty and she made him sick? That was a reasonable worry.

Sam raised an eyebrow but lowered it when Jess looked at him. He was slightly amused.

"Is he a light sleeper?" One of the friends asked.

"No but she looked like she was on the way to the restroom. I don't want someone with dirty hands touching his face." Jess said.

"Why do old ladies like to pinch their cheeks?" Another friend asked, lightly.

"I know. That is so annoying." The first one added.

The incident was swept under the rug and they were able to finish their meal without strangers trying to touch him as he slept.

Sam and Jess walked back to the hotel, enjoying the fresh air. There were nymphs around to ease Sam's worry since it was later in the day. He got a call from Dean telling him that they should go to Marie's house. Once they were in the hotel room, away from curious eyes, they nymphed over to see what all the fuss was about.

(Marie's house)

John wanted to talk to everyone about the hellhounds, but he had other things to discuss as well. He started out with the infuriating excuse of a hunt he had been on with Justin.

"Do you think he is going to take the warning?" Dean asked.

"I don't know." John said. "He is a grown man and can make his own choices. I did my part."

Jacob had woken up when they got back to the hotel room and was sitting in Jess's lap, looking at the chandelier in Marie's living room. He was chewing on his hand and babbling intermittently.

"Jacob is just as shocked as you are." Kate said.

Jacob took his pacifier and settled down through part of the conversation.

They talked about Kate and the hellhounds. She shrunk in her seat as John got a bit heated with his opinion about her approaching one.

John talked about his conversation with Ellen and how the younger generation needed to know how to hunt or atleast how to survive. All four of his kids knew how to do that. He just needed a way to make sure the others had the information but not think it was an invitation to start hunting. That was the last thing he wanted.

An hour ticked by as they discussed little things concerning the whole family, making sure everyone was on the same page.

Dean brought up a good point about needing back up plans for when the nymphs weren't available. His vision was a stark reminder that there could be situations that left them vulnerable.

Jacob got talkative again and wouldn't take his pacifier. Every time Dean would try to say something, he would babble loudly.

Jess started to stand up so she could take him out of the room.

"Hold on. Let's hear him out. He obviously has something to say." Dean said, lightly.

Jacob babbled a bit more.

"Well, he has a good point." Dean said. "I'd like a turn to talk unless you have anything else to say." No one minded his chattering as they weren't discussing urgent things at the time.

Jacob mumbled as he chewed on his hand. "Mama."

Jess startled and spun Jacob around to look at him. "What?"

Jacob said mama a few more times as he gnawed on his hand.

Jess looked at Sam and got emotional. She hugged Jacob to her chest and squeezed him.

Sam hugged her and kissed Jacob on the head.

Marie was ecstatic and emotional as well.

It pulled everyone's attention away from the discussion as they shared the special moment.

Dean gently ruffled Jacob's hair as he got up in search of a drink. "You could have just said that without all the yammering."

Jacob gave him a grin and went back to chewing his hand.

Jess kissed his cheek and took a deep breath. "You yammer all you want."

John was quiet. He didn't feel the intense pain hearing him say mama like he did with Sam. With Sam, Mary was gone and he felt inadequate. Jacob had Jess.

Kate could feel emotions as they filled the room. Where there had been tension, there was now a lightness. Everyone was happy and she could feel how much everyone loved Jacob. She took note of everyone's faces. She'd have to draw the scene later on, like the one from the Diner. If she could draw their good days, maybe they would overshadow the bad ones. Would that moment make its way into an orb at the time stream or were those only from before she got her abilities?

Dean got his drink and stopped beside Jess. "Okay, now say Dean."

Marie lightly slapped him. "You leave him alone. Let Jess enjoy her moment."

Dean smirked and clapped Sam on the back. "It is cute now. You just wait. He will get mouthy like the rest of them."

Sam jabbed him. "Jerk."

Dean snorted. "Bitch."