Bobby wiped the rest of the blood away. "How?"

Dean put Kate's shirt down.

Kate stood up. "Stop looking at me like that! What is wrong?"

Sam touched her shoulder. "I think we just watched you heal yourself."

Kate pulled her shirt up and looked in the car window's reflection. "What? I can't. I don't."

"That was a pretty large cut. It wasn't all that deep but you don't even have a mark now." Dean said.

Kate got weak in her knees. She started crying again and crumbled.

Dean caught her. He carried her inside.

Sam ran to get her a new shirt. He helped her switch shirts and looked at the old one. He stuck his hand through the hole that the hunk of metal had left.

Kate saw it and turned her head.

Dean rubbed the back of her head. "This isn't a bad thing."

Kate pushed against him.

Dean tightened his arms.

Kate gave in and cried heavily.

Bobby's heart hurt for Kate. He thought that healing was a wonderful gift to have but understood that she was scared. Seeing her skin zip up like a jacket was unsettling.

Dean stayed with Kate and let her cry. "Do you want to talk now?"

Kate was exhausted. "I want the bracelet back on."

Bobby held up the broken bracelet. "I don't think that is possible."

Kate reached out and held the pendant in her hand. "Maybe we can put it on a different chain."

Dean rested his chin on her head. "We will talk to Missouri."

Kate wriggled away from Dean. "I'll sleep in the basement."

Dean shook his head. "No, you are okay."

Kate rubbed her eyes. "We don't know that! I could snap and kill everyone. I could turn into some kind of monster."

Sam kept her from running. "You aren't sleeping down there."

Kate covered her face. "Please."

Dean rubbed his face. "If it would make you feel better you can sleep down there but only if one of us is with you. We are not locking you away like that."

Kate was hyperventilating again. She felt a surge of power building and ran outside.

Dean and Sam were right behind her. "Katie. Breathe."

Kate shook the tingle from her fingers. "Help."

"Stay there or come back inside. Don't you dare take off." Dean said in a low tone.

Kate was shaking. "I'll stay here."

Dean turned and went to talk to Bobby. "She is losing it. Would it be bad to knock her out?"

Bobby furrowed his brows. "How do you plan on doing that?"

Dean ran his fingers through his hair. "The stuff you use when someone is combatant. I hate even thinking about it but she asked for help. She needs to calm down."

Bobby called John to ask for dosage information and make sure it was okay.

Dean took the syringe and mentally kicked himself.

Bobby eyed him. "What if she flings you across the yard when you try to stab her with that."

Dean groaned. "She wont." He stepped back outside. "Kate, I have an idea but I need you to work with me."

Kate didn't want him to get near her.

Dean held up the syringe and told her what was in it. "This will calm you down. It will make you sleepy and give your body time to chill."

Kate wiped her tears and nodded her head.

Dean approached her. "You aren't going to hurt me. I know you are scared."

Kate held out her hand. "I'll do it."

Dean shook his head. "I've got you. Come here." He held his arms open for her.

Kate was still scared that she would snap. "Dean."

Dean shook his head again. "Come on."

She ran into his hug and held onto his flannel.

Dean wrapped his arms around her, popped off the cap of the syringe. He rubbed her arm to give her a heads up and gave her the sedative. He put the cap back on. "See, told you you wouldn't hurt me."

Kate gave him a weak smile.

Dean brushed hair from her face and scooped her up. "I've got you." He carried her back inside and laid her down on the couch.

Kate blinked a few times and then was out.

Dean handed Bobby the syringe and downed a beer. He gripped the edge of the table and let out a frustrated growl.

"You did the right thing." Bobby said.

"Doesn't make me feel any better about it." Dean said.

"She is safe and can rest. I'm a little surprised it worked since she healed so fast outside." Bobby added.

Dean furrowed his brows. "That doesn't add up."

Sam sat down next to Kate's head and put his hand on her shoulder. He felt guilty that she was the one who kept getting hit by everything. He could understand her struggles with the visions but things had gotten so much more complicated.

Dean went back into the living room. "How is she?"

Sam shrugged. "Sleeping."

Dean sat down in a vacant chair.

Sam could see the worry and frustration on his face. "What do we do?"

Dean looked at him. "Why are you asking me?"

Sam sighed. "You always know what to do. Every mess we have gotten in, you have gotten us out of it."

Dean drove the side of his fist into the arm of the chair. "Sammy I am tired of being the one to figure things out."

"Call dad." Sam said.

Dean looked at him with tired eyes. "We have. He knows. This is beyond even dad. I have never seen light like that."

Sam looked at the time. "You should probably get some shut eye."

Dean protested. "I need to make sure she is okay."

Sam stood up. "Carry her up. I'll go to sleep too."

Dean told Bobby and carried Kate up the stairs. She was dead weight in his hands and he felt bad for tranquilizing her. He reminded himself that she agreed to it and it helped her.

Sam pulled her blankets back and stepped to the side.

Dean put her in her bed and pulled her blankets up. He brushed her hair back and put her stuffed cat next to her face.

Sam shut the light off and got in his bed. "Are you okay?"

Dean sat down on his bed. "No."

Sam didn't reply. He knew that was Dean's way of asking him to stop talking about it. He had a mental countdown to Stanford and days like this made him less excited.

Bobby spoke to John again and tried to brainstorm a solution. He talked to Missouri too and no one had answers. With the kids sleeping, he decided to get some shut eye too.

Kate woke up in the middle of the night but still felt groggy. She remembered Dean giving her the medication and opened her eyes. She saw that both Sam and Dean were in the room. She tried to sit up but she felt weak. "De-" She mumbled.

Dean rolled out of bed. "What's wrong?"

Kate giggled sleepily. "Calm down. I just want to go to the bathroom."

Dean held his elbow out for her to hold onto. "How do you feel?"

Kate rubbed her eyes. "Like somebody drugged me."

Dean grimaced. "I'm sorry."

Kate tried to pat his arm but missed. "It was a good idea. I feel great."

Dean chuckled. "You look drunk."

Kate stepped into the bathroom. "I got it from here."

Dean raised a brow. "I don't know if you do."

Kate put her hand on the counter. "I'll be careful. This isn't the way I want to die."

Dean shook his head and shut the door. He wondered why the sedative was still making her loopy. Did she only heal serious wounds?

Kate washed her hands and looked in the mirror. She thought she saw a flash of color in her eyes but couldn't be sure. "Dean."

Dean opened the door. "You ready to go back to bed?"

Kate nodded but didn't move. "What if I turn bad?"

Dean took her arm. "You wont."

Kate stumbled. "How do you know?"

Dean tried to keep her in good spirits. "Because if you do you'll have to answer to me."

Kate giggled and fell into her bed. "Okay."

Dean put her blankets back on her and laid down in his bed. Kate wasn't a bad person. She had the kindest heart and loved with all of her being. He had considered how he was going to keep her from turning but he was grasping at straws.

The next morning Dean woke up and checked on Kate again. She hadn't moved much. He wondered if he had given her too big of a dose.

Sam opened his eyes. "The staring is getting creepy."

Dean narrowed his eyes at Sam. "I'm making sure she is okay."

Sam sat up. "Go get coffee or whatever. I'll keep an eye on her."

Dean sighed and went down stairs.

Bobby was sitting at the table with the necklace that Kate had gotten the day before.

"Any idea what that thing is?" Dean asked.

Bobby sat it down. "Not a damn clue."

Dean took a drink of his coffee. "The plot thickens."

Bobby chuckled. "Didn't Sam used to say that?"

Dean nodded. "Yep, in a snarky tone when dad dodged questions about hunts."

Bobby tried to remember the last time he had heard it. "I'm taking it John cured him of that."

Dean tilted his coffee. "That he did." Dean drummed his fingers on the side of the cup. "I swear he was an annoying 12 year old brat just a year ago."

Bobby hummed in the back of his throat. "I could say the same for you."

Dean had felt the years go by for himself. However, with Sam, he had grown up over night. "I wasn't that annoying."

Bobby laughed. "Not in the same way. Sam could argue the paint off a barn but you just couldn't keep yourself out of trouble."

"Girl trouble though." Dean said.

Bobby smirked. "The worst kind."

Dean couldn't argue. What are you thinking about Taylor?"

Bobby rubbed his face. "I think he is less concerned with chasing tail than you were."

Dean cleared his throat. "I wasn't that bad. He seems level headed enough."

Bobby agreed. "What is on your mind?"

"One kid going through this is complicated but two? He seems like he has good control of himself but what if he doesn't? What if he helps Kate with one of her schemes or falls off the wagon himself?" Dean asked.

Bobby sighed. "You don't trust him?"

Dean looked at the ceiling as though it had the answers written in ink. He took a deep breath. "He has never done anything to make me not trust him. I think he genuinely cares about her and likes us too much to do anything against us. I just don't know what I will do if he does anything stupid."

Bobby nodded. "Afraid you'll strangle the kid?"

Dean snorted. "Kick his ass five ways to Sunday and then strangle him."

"I think he is less likely to cause issues." Bobby said.

Dean shrugged. "I just know that I'd kill for Kate and don't want him in that position."

Bobby found the explanation dramatic but understood Dean's thoughts. "Work with both of them. We can figure this out. Don't sign a warrant for him just yet."

Dean wasn't as worried about Taylor going rogue on his own as he was about Kate dragging him down with her. She could get into some sketchy things with the abilities she had but now she had more and had a partner with unknown abilities. He envisioned himself as someone trying to walk through a mine field with two puppies. He wasn't sure where the image came from but thought it was accurate. He went back upstairs to relieve Sam of his watch.

"Is there coffee left?" Sam asked.

Dean nodded. "Plenty."

Sam went down and left Dean with Kate.

Kate was still sleeping so Dean sat with his back against her bed and pulled his knees up.

Sam had been deep in thought while he was waiting on Dean to return. He wanted to help Kate. He wanted to help Dean. He hadn't seen exactly what happened but could tell both of them were frazzled. He laid his hand on Kate and tried to read her but all he could see was white light. When he went downstairs he grabbed his coffee and went onto the porch. He felt useless. He felt like an outsider again.

Kate started to wake up again and rolled over. Her muscles and head hurt.

Dean turned to her. "Hey sleepy head."

Kate stretched and whimpered.

Dean furrowed his brows. "What is wrong?"

Kate frowned. "My legs and arms hurt."

Dean pulled sat on her bed and patted his leg.

Kate put her foot on top of his leg.

Dean rubbed the tense muscles. "Better?"

Kate relaxed. "Yeah."

Dean wasn't sure if the aches were from the meds or from her ordeal yesterday. He rubbed her arms too and had her sit up and drink some water.

Kate felt sick to her stomach as the memory became less foggy. She felt tears build in her eyes.

Dean wiped her face. "Why are you upset?"

Kate laid down and rolled toward the wall.

Dean shook her knee. "Talk to me."

Kate put her pillow over her head.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Do I need to use my dad voice?"

Kate rolled over and scrunched her nose. "You mean the annoying one?"

Dean smirked. "Yeah that one."

Kate rolled the other way but stayed on her side. "I feel bad."

Dean shifted and turned toward her. "Why do you feel bad?"

Kate sighed. "I feel guilty for things I haven't done yet."

Dean narrowed his eyes. "How?"

Kate sat up. "I don't know what all this means and I think of getting mad and hurting you or Sam like I did when I took on those demons. I think about compelling you again and a ton of other stuff that could happen."

Dean put his hand on her back. "You are getting better about controlling those impulses."

Kate shrugged. "The bracelet is gone. I have nothing preventing me from going off the rails."

Dean gave her a stern look. "You have your own ability to control yourself without that bracelet. We will get another one if it helps but you can control your anger and stop yourself from making those choices."

Kate didn't like the tone of his voice.

Dean continued. "You can't use that as a crutch and do stuff thinking that I will let you do it because you don't have the bracelet."

"Wh-." Kate started to interrupt.

"I can see the wheels turning in your head. No, I don't think you are scheming right now but I think that something will happen and you will try to talk yourself down before deciding you can't fight it because you aren't wearing the bracelet. Then that will be your excuse. You kept the bracelet on for quite a while because you decided to. Sure, we expected you to but you could have taken it off easily. So don't think for a minute that you are helpless to this." Dean lectured.

Kate blinked. "How?"

Dean chuckled. "I was a kid once. I have known you for a while now. Was I wrong?"

Kate huffed. "No."

Dean stood up. "Don't look at me like that."

Kate smirked. "When you have kids I'm going to teach them how to be sneaky."

"Why would you do that?" Dean asked.

Kate grinned. "You are too good at reading me and I don't want your head to get too big."

Dean laughed. "I'm not going to have kids."

Kate frowned. "Why not?"

"Because you will teach them bad things." Dean said and ruffled her hair.

Kate followed Dean out of the room. "You could already have kids, you never know."

Dean stopped on the stairs. "I do not have kids. I'm only 21."

Kate shrugged. "There could be baby Dean's running around."

Dean put his hands on his hips. "Don't curse me like that."

Kate giggled. "It wouldn't be so bad."

Dean thought for sure that mini Dean's would be very bad.

Kate felt her phone buzz in her pocket and answered it. "Hey, Ellie." She said and smiled.

Dean was grateful for the distraction. She needed to focus less on the fear of what she would become.

Kate sat on the top of the steps and talked to Ellie. "I don't think I can right now."

Ellie begged her to ask Bobby if she could come over. "I haven't seen you in forever and I'm dying for some friend time."

Kate didn't want to ask Bobby because she still felt unsettled with the previous day. "Uh I will ask."

Dean watched her. "Want me to be the bad guy?" He asked quietly.

Kate frowned but nodded her head.

Dean took the phone. "Hey Ellie. This is Dean. Kate is housebound for a few days but she can let you know when she is off the hook."

Ellie groaned but accepted Dean's answer.

Dean hung up the phone and handed it back to Kate. "That wasn't so hard."

Kate rested her elbows on her knees. "Thank you."

Dean put a hand on her head. "Any time."

They went downstairs and found Bobby.

Bobby smiled when he saw Kate. "I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

Kate scrunched her nose. "I didn't want to."

Dean rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "You'll get over it."

Kate just wanted to lay down and stay still so she didn't hurt anyone.

Dean put a hand on her back and steered her to the kitchen. "You need something to eat."

Kate rested her head on the table while Dean cooked the food she didn't want to eat.

Dean's back was turned and he tried to get her to talk. "What do you want to do today?"

Kate took a pocket knife from the table and was opening and closing it. "Sleep."

Dean looked at her. "I know you are scared but you have to keep pushing through."

Kate put her forehead on the table. "I am. I just also want sleep."

Dean turned back around. He was concerned with her becoming depressed.

Kate's hands were in her lap, fiddling with the knife. She ran her thumb down the blade and admired how sharp it was. She figured Bobby had sharpened it recently. She went to close it again but stopped. She narrowed her eyes and dug the tip of the knife into the pad of her thumb. She winced when it started bleeding but took in a breath as she felt her skin close.

"You okay over there?" Dean asked.

Kate looked up. "Yeah." She sat the knife down and wiped the blood on the inside of her shirt. Healing wasn't a bad thing. She could live with that.

Taylor had gotten an earful from his dad but avoided any major backlash. He knew to be careful and really didn't need the lecture but accepted it since it centered on his wellbeing and wasn't a drunken tirade that he had gotten used to in years prior. He felt normal even after the ordeal and wasn't sure if that made him feel less worried about the future. He was curious about the stuff that was in the vial and wanted answers. He couldn't find them on his own though. His dad dropped him off at Bobby's so that they could keep an eye on him and prevent him from doing anything stupid. Those were Craig's words but Taylor didn't fight him on it.

Kate was nervous when she saw Taylor. She was going to run back to her room but Dean stopped her.

"If you don't stop trying to hole yourself up, I'm going to handcuff you to me again." Dean said.

Kate rolled her eyes. "You know forced morale boosting doesn't really boost morale."

Dean tossed her a couple of shells to fill. "I am trying to keep you out of your head."

Kate could see the logic in that. "Do you want to help?" She asked Taylor.

Taylor grabbed a few shells. "Sure."

No one talked about the day before right away. There was a mix of fear and curiosity surrounding the light and whispers that no body knew how to approach.

Kate found herself forgetting about things and relaxing. She wasn't having power surges although the bracelet wasn't on. She felt as though her body had adjusted.

Taylor went out to finish the shop and clear his head. He wanted to know why he didn't feel any different. He knew the message was numbers but didn't have any clue what the numbers meant. He loved puzzles but this one frustrated him.

Kate cleared her throat. "Bobby sent me with water."

Taylor smiled and took it. "Gotta keep the troops hydrated."

Kate chuckled at Taylor's impression of Bobby's voice.

Taylor sat down against a cabinet and closed his eyes. It was hot and he was tempted to pour the water over his head. He felt Kate looking at him and opened his eyes.

Kate offered him a weak smile. "Did anything happen after.. you know?"

Taylor straightened his back. "No. That is kind of weird right?"

Kate chewed her fingers.

Taylor finished his water. "Did something happen here?"

Kate sighed. "You could say that."

Taylor turned so that his body was facing her. "What happened?"

Kate smirked. "I'll show you." She took her knife out of her pocket and cut into her arm.

Taylor jumped and covered her arm. "Katie!"

Kate giggled. "No, look."

Taylor gasped as the skin healed itself. "What?"

Kate told him about falling and cutting her back. "I guess I heal now."

Taylor eyed her. "You shouldn't just cut into yourself to test that though."

Kate rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. See, there isn't even a scratch."

Taylor ran his fingers down her arm. "That is cool but please never do that again."

Kate huffed but agreed to not make it a habit. "Do you heal too?"

Taylor shrugged. "I don't know."

Kate tilted her head. "Check."

"I'm not digging into myself." Taylor said.

Kate sighed. "Suit yourself."

Taylor was thrown off by how nonchalant she was. He wondered if he should say something to the others.

Kate helped him with a few things in the shop before going back inside. She was afraid to learn what else had changed but had warmed up to the healing ability. She wondered if she could heal others the way that she had healed herself. She had no way of testing it and that frustrated her.

Dean had been cleaning the kitchen and found a few drops of blood where Kate had been sitting. "Hey, was this here when you were sitting here?"

Kate froze. "Yellow card?"

Dean crossed his arm. "No cards. Spill."

Kate told him about cutting her thumb to see if she healed. "It wasn't deep and a band aid could have fixed it if I didn't heal."

Dean rubbed his face. "No more. If I catch you doing something like that again we are going to have a long talk."

"I can heal. It isn't like I just injured myself with no way of fixing it." Kate said.

Dean looked at her. "Do I make myself clear?"

Kate sighed. "Yes, Dean."

Dean knew that Kate lacked a certain set of self preservation skills and could foresee her pushing herself to see how well she could heal.

Kate side stepped. "Just so you know I showed Taylor and cut my arm but it is healed and didn't hurt."

Dean took a deep breath. "No. More."

Kate nodded. "Got it."

Dean knew that he should probably nip it in the bud beforehand but wasn't sure what good a spanking would do if she couldn't feel it. It had hurt when she cut her back but she said it didn't hurt when she cut her arm. He made a mental note to keep an eye on that.

Kate did chores inside and grew bored. She laid down on her bed and decided to take a nap.

Dean went to check on Taylor. "How is it going out here?"

Taylor looked nervous. "Almost done."

Dean watched him for a moment. "She told me about her arm."

Taylor let out a breath. "I wasn't sure if I should or not."

Dean nodded. "Use your judgement. If she is putting herself in danger please let me know. If she flips me off behind my back I'd say it is safe to keep that to yourself." He said with a smile.

Taylor laughed. "So don't be a tattle tale."

Dean gave him a thumbs up.

Taylor went back to organizing but felt like Dean was wanting to say something. He sat a bin down and looked at Dean.

Dean wasn't sure how to go about things. "Kate likes you. You two are good friends. I think that you could be an asset to her, as you have been already. I don't know what is going to happen with all of this but what happened yesterday made me think."

Taylor's face fell. "About what?"

"Kate is... spirited. She has a way of diving head first into things without thinking it through. That has landed her in trouble many times. Hannah, the girl who helped her find stuff to save her dad was instrumental in helping her hide things. Kate may not have went so far off base had she not had help. That wasn't Hannah's fault. Kate led her down that path but she was like a.. uh.. a." Dean couldn't think of a word.

"A catalyst?" Taylor asked.

Dean tilted his head. "That sounds about right. I don't want you to be a catalyst."

Taylor was slightly hurt. "I don't want to be either."

Dean put his hand up. "I'm not saying you are or you are going to lead her down a bad path. I just know how quickly things spiral and would prefer that you didn't land in deep shit with her."

Taylor thought he understood. "Is this like a say no to drugs speech?"

Dean snorted. "Ah maybe. I think you are a good kid and I don't want something like that to drive a wedge where it doesn't need to be."

Taylor kind of understood. "I think I'm following."

Dean didn't know how since he made no sense to himself. "My point is, you are a cool kid. We like having you around. She is my sister and I can handle her. You are kind of like family too but I just need to know that you will do everything you can to not get sucked in."

Taylor nodded. "Stay on the straight and narrow, let you know if she veers and don't tattle. Have I got all of that?"

Dean chuckled. "That would have been quicker to say." He studied Taylor for a minute. "Kate has told me about your brothers. I'm sorry that they suck. I know what it is like to grow up and fend for yourself. You fit in good here."

Taylor could read between the lines. "Thanks. Kate is really lucky to have you two."

Dean clapped him on the back and walked out of the shop.

Taylor rested against the work table and tried to sort his thoughts. Dean was incredibly nice to him but somewhat cryptic. Taylor wasn't sure if all of that had been a warning or a compliment. He suspected a bit of both. He dusted his hands off and the heel of his hand touched his pocket knife. He pulled it out and stared at his hand. What was the worst that could happen? He touched the tip of it and a drop of blood formed. He wiped it away and was startled to see that the skin had no mark. He didn't need to dig into his arm to test that out. Aside from his gut feeling and being able to hear the whispers, this was his first real ability.

Dean had turned around on the porch and watched Taylor. He was reasonably worried about both kids. He saw Taylor pause and then a look of bewilderment crossed Taylor's face. Dean pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long summer.