luvreading67:hopefully you see this. wow you read fast. I'm not sure what joke in 29 you were talking about. You can private message me on this site. I can't reply to comments.

Misty didn't like conflict. That is why she had a hard time standing up to Craig on his bad days. She would do just about anything to avoid an argument.

John could see Mandy's eyes flitting around the room. He sat down to make himself less intimidating. "Craig decided to check in to a psych unit. He needs that kind of help."

Misty nodded. "That is probably a good idea."

John filtered through the words he wanted to use. "Did you know?"

Misty looked at him like a mouse caught in a trap.

"I'm not here to argue or anything. I just want to know how to help Taylor." John said.

"I know that they argue. I know that Craig can be hard on him and Taylor gets on his nerves at the worst times." She answered.

"He has some stuff going on because of what happened with the writing and the lights. Kate is more volatile and reactive but there is no telling what Taylor will wind up being able to do. You are practically a single parent. I know how that is. How would you feel about him hanging over at Bobby's for a little while?" John asked.

Misty sighed. "I don't want to leave him home alone but he is nearly a teenager."

"I get that. I just thought I would offer." John said easily.

"Only if you want him to. He is fine here too. That... ability...stuff is over my head." Misty said.

"You are his mother. You can decide. The offer still stands though. He honestly keeps Kate out of trouble so we don't mind at all." John knew how to handle people like Misty.

Misty paced around the room. "Okay. If he wants to he can spend a few nights over there. I work doubles this week. Send him home when you want. If he causes any issues let me know."

John nodded. "He's been helping Bobby clean up the place. Looks nearly presentable."

Misty relaxed. "Alright, yeah. He can come and go whenever he wants."

John stood up and shook her hand. "Let me know if Craig gets a phone call out. I'd like to know how he is doing."

Misty gave John some of Taylor's stuff and saw him off.

John dropped the fake smile and took a deep breath before returning to Bobby's house.

"She is kicking me out?" Taylor asked, sadly.

"No. I offered for you to hang out over here." John said.

Taylor was sad that his mom didn't fight for him to stay with her but also happy that he was getting to stay at Bobby's. "How long."

"As long as you want." John said.

Dean was pleased that John was helpful.

Bobby took Taylor's bag. "The Anderson's down the road offered up their boys' beds."

Taylor felt like an intrusion. "No, it is okay. I can sleep on a mat."

John put a gentle hand on the back of Taylor's neck. "I am tired of sleeping on the couch when I roll through here. They have twin boys who are off to college."

Taylor relaxed. "Oh, okay."

Kate leaned against the railing. "This place is like a hotel!"

"The word is hostel." Dean said.

Bobby grumbled. "If my hands weren't full I'd rattle your head."

Kate tiptoed and smacked Dean's head.

Bobby chuckled. "Ah there we go."

Dean smacked Kate's head lightly and tripped her. "Stop doing that."

Kate sat back on the ground. "I was helping Bobby."

Dean smirked but went inside.

John sat down on the swing and motioned for Kate to sit beside him.

Taylor went inside to help rearrange things.

"You have had quite the week." John said.

Kate studied her hands. "I think most weeks are 'quite the week' lately."

John pushed the swing with his feet. "It does seem like that."

Kate wasn't sure what to say. She liked John and they still had a sort of comradery but he was a naturally intimidating person.

"I know you have heard it but you have got to start following orders." John said.

Kate frowned. "I will."

John stopped swinging porch swing. "Are you?"

Kate's heartbeat picked up. "Yes."

"You want to know the advice I gave Dean?" John asked.

Kate squeaked. "Probably not."

"You seem to like word pictures so let me paint you one. If you have two kids playing with water guns and one shoots the other in the face and their eye gets irritated, how do you handle that?"

Kate shrugged. "I guess it depends on if it was on purpose."

"That matters. You could probably take the gun away or make them apologize."

"Okay?" Kate said.

"Now let's say you have two kids playing and one of them pulls out a real gun and points it at the other's face. How do you handle that?" John said.

"I guess more than just taking the gun away since someone could get killed like that." Kate didn't like this word picture.

"One could say that the water gun should never have been pointed at someone's face. Seems like a small issue but can escalate into more serious issues." John waited and let her mull it over.

"Am I running around with a gun in this story?" Kate asked.

John started pushing the swing again. "No, but one day you will be. I told Dean to make sure he nips those small issues in the bud before they become big issues."

"I don't think I like your advice." Kate said softly.

John put an arm around her. "He didn't either."

"Really?" Kate asked and looked at him.

"He would rather let me or Bobby deal with the less pleasant part of raising you." John answered.

"Then why doesn't he?"

"Who told you to wait?" John asked.

Kate blinked. "Dean."

"Who talked to you several times beforehand?"

"Dean." Kate said and hung her head.

"Who has been pretty darn lenient with you?" He added.

"I feel like we have different definitions of that word." Kate said.

John shifted. "I am on the road a lot. I always have been but made those lessons count enough that I didn't need to repeat them. I was too hard on the boys sometimes but they turned out pretty well."

Kate gritted her teeth.

"Dean already handled it. I'm not going to do anything so relax."

Kate unclenched her jaw. "This sounds a whole lot like one of those lectures that never ends well for me."

John chuckled. "Could it be because you wind up saying stuff like that?"

Kate chewed her fingers. "There does seem to be a pattern."

John patted her leg. "Start listening to Dean and Bobby. I don't know why you challenge Dean so much but it has to stop."

Kate sighed. "Yes sir."

John opened the door and let her go inside.

Kate went upstairs. "What is the plan?"

"Two beds in the other room. Two in here." Dean said.

Kate scratched her head. "What about John?"

Dean looked around the room. "Basement."

Kate giggled. "Why are you banishing him to the basement?"

"The man cave. I'd move down there if I wasn't worried about you scampering out the window." Dean said and threw a pillow at her.

Taylor helped Dean move a bed into the spare room. He felt weird being in there. "What if someone needs to study?"

Sam moved the desk. "Then we can study somewhere else. Remember we spent most of our time in motels."

Taylor shrugged. "I really appreciate being able to stay here."

"It is no problem. Bobby acts gruff but he likes the full house." Sam said.

"Especially since you like to clean." Kate said.

Taylor smiled. "Am I Cinderella?'

Kate giggled. "You two do remind me of the stepsisters." She said to Sam and Dean.

Dean sat his end of the bed down. "What is the cat's name that tries to eat all the mice?"

Kate put her hands on her hips. "Lucifer."

Dean stood up. "Really?" He wiped his sweaty hands on her shirt. "Taylor, do you want to go with me and my dad to pick up those beds?"

Taylor smiled. "Uh, sure."

They went down the stairs and left with John.

Sam watched them drive away. "Did dad talk to you?"

Kate sat on her bed. "Yeah."

"What all did he say?" Sam asked.

Kate shrugged. "That I need to listen to Dean and Bobby and told me a story about water guns."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck.

"Why?" She asked.

Sam sat on the other bed. "Did he tell you about...it?"

Kate furrowed her brows. "About what?"

Sam smirked but gave her a pitying look.

"Sam... what?"

Sam wiped his hands along his jeans. "I'm telling you this to give you a heads up, not to freak you out."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Just tell me."

Sam rubbed his hand down his face. "I'll just show you."

Kate was beginning to wonder if they found magic handcuffs or something.

Sam dug around in the top of the closet before grabbing an object and holding it out to show Kate.

Kate's face got white. "Is that..."

Sam swung it. "Yup."

"Don't do that! Put it away." Kate shrieked.

"I'm not going to hit you with it." Sam laughed.

Kate felt sick to her stomach. "Is that the same one Dean has colorful stories about?"

"Yes. I know for a fact that Dean doesn't want to have to paddle you." Sam said.

"I'm a kid!" Kate said.

"So were we. Stings like holy hell but doesn't leave marks. Which almost makes it worse." Sam quipped.

Kate's eyes watered. "Why?"

Sam sat down beside her. "Dad has a soft spot for you. He cares but doesn't know how to show it. He doesn't want you hurt anymore than we do. His reasoning is Dean shouldn't have to repeat himself when it comes to safety."

Kate stared at him. "You should be on my side."

Sam laid back on the bed. "I am. That is why I am giving you a heads up."

"Aren't I too little for that?" Kate asked, hopefully.

Sam sat back up. "No. This one is light. It isn't like those kinds schools have."

Kate still wasn't sure. "Why has he had it this whole time?"

Sam snorted. "It stays under the seat in the truck."

Kate tilted her head. "Why?"

"Easy to reach on road trips." Sam chuckled.

"Harder to steal and burn?" Kate asked.

Sam grinned. "That too. I wouldn't suggest doing that."

"You tried didn't you?"

Sam grimaced. "I didn't!"

"Dean?"

Sam laughed. "Yeah, so he knows and has a strong hatred for the thing so he wont swat you any harder than he needs to."

Kate vowed to herself that she'd listen to every single order and then realized that was the point. "Is it worse than the ruler?"

Sam nodded. "Stings worse, doesn't go as deep."

Kate furrowed her brows.

"Want me to show you?" Sam asked.

Kate's mouth dropped open. "Who are you?"

Sam chuckled. "The one who is trying to prevent you from getting a real dose of this thing."

Kate crossed her arms. "Smack yourself with it."

Sam rolled his eyes and smacked the side of his leg. "Yep, still stings."

Kate smirked.

Sam stopped her. "Your turn."

Kate stayed seated. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"No but you are trying to decide how bad it could be in your head. Dean is sick over this thing but also sick over you getting hurt. He doesn't know how to bring it up so I am before you get yourself into something." Sam said.

Kate eyed him. "When did you turn into an adult?"

Sam smiled. "May 2nd."

Kate rolled her eyes but stood up. "Don't hit me hard."

Sam swatted her with it and put it back on the shelf.

"Fffffu..." Kate hissed.

"Told you it stings." He said.

Kate bounced on her toes. "I said not hard!"

"I tapped you with it. If you go behind Dean's back again, do you think he is going to just tap you?" He asked.

Kate fully understood what Sam was saying. "Thanks for the heads up."

Sam hugged her. "I'm always on your side."

Kate shivered and renewed her desire to stay on everybody's good side.

The guys returned with beds and unloaded them.

Kate kept a weary eye on John.

Dean watched her. "What is that about?"

Sam tilted the bed to fit through the door. "I showed her."

"Dude." Dean said.

Sam looked at him. "I gave her a heads up so she is determined ahead of time."

Dean smirked. "There goes my plan to burn the damn thing."

Sam laughed. "How well did that work last time?"

Dean grimaced. "See, I'm the adult now."

Sam laughed and then heaved the bed up the stairs.

Kate couldn't help but be a little upset.

"Why are you sulking?" John asked.

Kate turned red. "I know what you gave Dean."

John didn't act surprised. "Good. Now make sure he doesn't need to use it."

Taylor overheard the exchange but didn't ask what it was about.

Kate sighed and grabbed extra bedding. "Bobby, you're going to need to invest in some fancy soaps and stuff."

Bobby grumbled. "Just steal them from the motels and bring them home."

Kate giggled. "You could build on to the side of your house."

"I'm already building the panic room." Bobby said.

Kate smirked. "Not for guests."

"For little girls who like to make fun of my house." Bobby said.

Kate grinned. "I love your house."

By late afternoon the crew had the beds and rooms set up. Dean bunked with Taylor and left Kate in the room with Sam. He wasn't sure but figured Taylor would feel less anxious if he thought that nothing could get through the door.

"Thanks again for letting me stay." Taylor said to Bobby.

Bobby felt the sadness in the words. "Any time. Day or night."

Taylor was exhausted emotionally and physically. He was still processing things with his dad and his future. His own family betrayed him. His mom was subtle but the betrayal was there. He felt guilty for weaseling himself into Kate's family. It hadn't been intentional but he felt guilty anyway.

Dean fell back onto his bed. "Moving furniture takes it out of ya'."

Taylor almost apologized. "I'm pretty tired too."

"You don't snore do you?" Dean teased.

"Not that I know of." Taylor answered. He sat down on the bed.

"Good, Sam does. Annoying habit." Dean said.

Taylor smiled. He caught that Dean was joking.

Kate curled up in her bed. "Sam, do you think everything will be okay?"

"With what, exactly?" Sam asked.

"Me, Taylor, demon stuff." Kate said.

Sam rolled onto his side. "I don't know. I think you have a lot of people on your side that will do everything they can to make sure things turn out okay."

"Is John going to adopt Taylor too?"

"I think you are way ahead of yourself on that one." Sam told her.

"Maybe so. I am angry at his parents." Kate said sleepily.

"You are as protective as Dean is." Sam said with a yawn.

Kate held back her comment. "Goodnight, Sammy."

Sam smiled. "Night, Kate."

John woke up and had to make sure the previous day had happened. Hunting was easy for him. He researched the thing, tracked it down and killed it. Family life was another story. He let Bobby do most of the work with the boys but he realized raising them wasn't horribly complicated. Kate made him see things differently and Taylor further complicated that. Taylor was already part of their lives so shutting Craig down was easier than if Taylor had been some random kid. John had a reputation for being an ass but he had a short list of things that he abided by no matter what. One of those things was to never hit a kid, aside from their backside when they needed it. He had come close to crossing the line but prided himself in never having done what Craig had.

Bobby started a pot of coffee. "You look like you have a lot on your mind."

"I always do." John answered.

"I'm waiting for people to start dropping babies off in baskets." Bobby said.

John snorted. "You have a reputation."

"Can't have people thinking I've gone soft." Bobby said.

"He might be the easiest of the bunch."

"He might be? He is. The kid polite, he cleans, he has a level head." Bobby said.

John laughed. "You act like my boys weren't."

"I love those two boys but they have other qualities." Bobby said. He gave John a cup of coffee.

"Do you need backup here?" John asked.

Bobby sighed. "I'd say Sam and Dean are my back up. Well until Sam leaves for Stanford."

John's jaw twitched. "Do you need me?"

Bobby tapped his cup. "I'll let you know if I do. I think I have it handled for now. When they start teleporting or setting stuff on fire I will let you know."

John nodded. "I'll keep looking for answers while I'm out."

"Something tells me this is something not many people have come across." Bobby said.

"Why did it show up here?"

"Seems to do with Kate and she is here." Bobby said.

"I have been looking at our time lines. I don't know how but I don't think it is just by chance that I found her. I don't think it is by chance that Taylor became friends." John said.

"Sam was born before she was. Mary died before Ruth." Bobby said.

"I know. I'm not saying that Kate is the center. We are the center. Everyone in this house." John clarified.

"That doesn't make sense. We are nobody." Bobby said.

"I don't disagree but all this seems connected and I don't think it was on accident." John replied.

Bobby rubbed his eyes. "I don't think I like being a pawn."

John sighed. "Me either but here we are."

Dean showed up in the kitchen. "Seems like the kid slept well."

"Probably the most sleep he has had in a while." Bobby said.

"Has Missouri called yet?" Dean asked.

Bobby checked his phone. "No. She is doing her own research but doesn't have any good leads."

Dean wanted to know what the liquid was that came out of the vials. "Do you still have that friend who works down at the lab?"

Bobby nodded. "I do. He owes me one too."

John picked up Dean's train of thought. "We can see if anything changed on a microscopic level."

"That was what I was wanting to do. It could have changed their DNA." Dean said and ran his fingers through his hair. "That could happen, right?"

"I'd say it happens when people get bit by vampires or wolves." Bobby answered.

"I'm going to go for a run before they all wake up." Dean said. "You running or gotten too old?"

John smirked. "Not old yet."

They got their shoes and took off.

Bobby sat in the quietness of the kitchen and thought. He was a good hunter and a fantastic researcher but he felt out of his league. If they had been cherry picked to handle all of this then he questioned the powers that be. He wasn't special. He owned a salvage yard and got drawn into hunting by a demon. He wasn't equipped for the curve balls that were being thrown.

Kate woke up from a dream and couldn't go back to sleep. She reached for her drawing stuff and started on a sketch. The symbols were bugging her again. She wanted to know what the numbers meant. She wrote down a few ideas to try with the intention of running them by the adults. She resigned herself to teamwork and just brain stormed while she drew.

Sam stirred and heard the faint sound of pencil on paper. He squinted his eyes. "Hey, you're awake."

"I woke up a little bit ago. I'm just drawing." She said.

Sam patted the bed beside him. "What are you drawing?"

Kate got up and then sat down on his bed. "Bobby's kitchen. I saw some pictures of Karen so I can add her in. I also have some ideas about the symbols that I wrote down."

"That is a good idea." Sam said.

Kate shrugged. "Have to okay it with the warden."

Sam chuckled. "Where did you learn to draw?"

Kate pursed her lips. "I remember doodling when I was little. I had some books that showed you how to draw animals. This kind of just comes naturally to me." She said and drew an outline for Karen.

Sam sat up. "I struggle to draw a stick man."

"Yeah, you and Dean didn't get John's ability to draw." Kate giggled.

"I don't see him as the artsy type." Sam said.

"You have seen the drawings in his journal." Kate said.

Sam furrowed his brows. "I never really thought about it."

"How else do you think they got there?" Kate said with another giggle.

"I guess yours stands out more because you are a kid. I have spent more time looking at your drawings." He said and motioned to the one that she had drawn for him.

Kate flipped the page around. "We all have different things we are good at." She worked on the wispy waves that Karen had in the photos she had looked at.

"You look a bit like her." Sam said.

"I don't see it."

"Blonde hair, blue eyes. Same as my mom too." Sam said.

Kate frowned. "It sometimes makes me feel weird that I look like the people who have died."

Sam furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Sometimes I think that people don't see me as me. Sometimes I feel like they see me as who ever they lost. It is just brief moments but I still feel it." Kate explained.

"I'm sorry that you feel like that. I don't think I do that." Sam said.

"You don't." She gave him a smile. "Have you gotten dorm information yet?"

Sam shrugged. "I was offered a certain building but I don't know who my room mate will be."

"Hopefully someone that is okay with having salt thrown all over the place." Kate joked.

Sam rubbed his face. "I have to figure out a sneaky way to do that."

Kate got up and walked to the bedroom door. She opened it and toed the metal strip that ran across the doorway. "Depending on how the layout is, you could peel this up, put salt under it and anchor it back in place."

Sam swung his legs over the bed. "You wouldn't be able to put enough salt under that to make a difference."

"You would if you made a groove in the floor and filled it." Kate said.

Sam looked at the window. "We could do the same thing with the window sill."

Kate smiled. "That is one problem solved."

Sam chuckled. "Well that could have been useful earlier on. Run that by Bobby. He may be up for sprucing this place up a bit since he has had more guests."

Kate and Sam went downstairs to talk to Bobby.

"Kate has an idea." Sam said.

"Hey, don't look at me like that. He said an idea. It is a good idea and not even anything to do with my abilities." Kate said with her hands on her hips.

John chuckled. "Alright then, what is this idea?"

Kate explained the salt line idea.

"That is something we should have thought of." Bobby said.

"You planned on lining the walls of the panic room like that. I just changed it a bit." Kate said.

John rocked back in his chair. "You got an idea for sigils?"

Kate shook her head. "No but Taylor did."

John raised an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"Ink that you can only see with a black light." Kate said.

John thought about it. "That is something I would want to test out before trusting it. Is that what you two do? Spitball how to improve this kind of stuff?"

Kate smiled. "Only sometimes."

John tapped the table with his fingers. "Each generation is a little bit more creative than the last."

Bobby nodded in agreement.

"See, not all my ideas are bad!" Kate said.

"Want to tell them the other ideas?" Sam asked.

Kate huffed. "I wasn't going to yet but alright. For the record, I wasn't going to act on these." Kate showed them her list of possible ways to understand the symbols.

Dean got back from his run and ran up to get a shower. He opened the door to check on Taylor.

Taylor was sitting on the bed with his head in his hands.

"Hey, you okay?" Dean asked.

Taylor squinted his eyes and blocked out the light.

Dean walked into the room. "Taylor?"

"I think we need to figure out what those numbers are." He said.

Dean walked closer to him. "Yeah, we will. Kate is downstairs talking to the others about it."

Taylor went to stand up. "That makes sense."

Dean touched him. "What is wrong?"

Taylor held his arm out.

Dean cringed. "Welts again?"

"Woke up to loud whispers and then this." Taylor explained.

Dean took him downstairs.

John looked at his arm. "When did this happen?"

Taylor scratched at his arm. "Just a little bit ago. I woke up and they kind of just appeared."

Kate's eyes watered. "Did I cause it?"

Taylor shook his head. "No. I don't think so."

"You are awfully calm for someone who looks like they landed in a beehive." Bobby said.

Taylor sighed. "Wont do me much good to freak out about it now."

"Is it the same message as before?" Dean asked.

Taylor looked at his arm. "No."

"Then what is it?" Kate asked.

A loud ringing filled the house and caused everyone to cover their ears.

Kate growled in frustration. "Oh my god! Shut up already! We get it!"

The ringing stopped.

Kate rubbed her ears and looked up to see everyone staring at her.

"Did you just tell the thing to shut up?" Dean asked.

Kate furrowed her brows. "I guess."

Bobby helped Taylor to a chair. "And the thing listened?"

Kate's mouth dropped open. "I don't know how."

Taylor was a bit loopy. "Hey, we speak the language!"

John crouched down beside him and looked him over for injuries.

Dean nudged Kate. "Want to catch us up?"

Kate shifted nervously. "My translation might be faulty but I'm pretty sure that is a key."