Author's note: Ponygirl- I was in Taylor's shoes as a kid too. I felt like we needed a bit of a back story to put things in perspective. Does it need a trigger warning?

This is a fluffy transition chapter with some weird stuff thrown in that will be built upon later on. Ha, I promise the weird stuff is relevant.

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Kate was quiet for the first few miles. "Where are we going?"

Sam smirked. "Climbing."

Kate tilted her head. "Climbing?"

Sam nodded. "It is an adventure."

Kate sighed. "Is it a secret?"

Sam smiled. "No, you'll just understand better when we get there."

Kate watched the mile posts fly back. "How far are we going?"

Sam slowed down. "Do you have some place to be?"

Kate saw his dimpled smile and gave him a smile in return. "No. I just didn't know if I needed an over night bag."

Sam shook his head. "No. It is right up ahead."

Kate looked out the window and saw a wooded area with cliffs and a river.

Sam stopped the car and pulled a back pack out of the back seat. "Follow me."

Kate excitedly followed him. "What is this place?"

Sam stopped at the bottom of a steep hill. "I have been here before when I really needed to clear my head and get away from people."

Kate tilted her head up to the top of the hill. "How do you get up there?"

Sam tied a rope around her chest. "You climb."

Kate pulled on the rope. "Did you have these just hanging around in the car?"

Sam laughed. "I had planned to come up here anyway."

Kate followed his foot steps and flinched when he suddenly jumped and pulled himself up on a large rock. She put her hands over her head. "That isn't fair. You are taller."

Sam held his hand out for her. "Team work."

Kate dug her toes into the rock face and let Sam pull her onto the rock. "You have climbed this by yourself?"

Sam nodded. "It has changed a bit over the years."

Kate stomped her foot on top of a boulder. "Oh great, that means these things move."

Sam tugged on her rope. "Less complaining, more climbing."

Kate giggled but followed him. She dug her fingers between two rocks and carefully pulled herself up as she placed her foot on another rock. She grabbed a root and tested it before pulling on it. "I didn't know you liked this kind of stuff."

"Sometimes I do. It lets you know your weaknesses." He said and pointed at the hand that she was shaking the tingle out of.

Kate stuck her tongue out at him. "Rock climbing wasn't on the training list."

Sam put his arm out in front of her. "Not that way, see how easily the dirt is disturbed?"

Kate nodded. "How do you know where to grab on to?"

"You feel your way around and test everything. Be aware of your surroundings and trust yourself." Sam said.

Kate followed him until he disappeared above her. "Sammy, I can't even touch that one."

Sam leaned over the boulder. "Jump."

Kate looked down at the ground below. It wasn't as far as she had thought but she wasn't sure jumping was a solid idea.

"Trust yourself. Jump and grab with your fingers." Sam said. He tugged the rope. "If you fall, I've got you."

Kate missed the edge on her first jump and a few small rocks fell down the cliff face. She looked to Sam for reassurance. She took a deep breath and jumped higher and felt her fingers curve around the boulder. She screeched and panicked when her feet didn't immediately find rock.

Sam told her to breathe. "Slow down and think about what you are doing. Pull yourself up and you'll find where your feet go."

Kate sent him a glare. "Easy for you to say. You are gumby."

Sam laughed. "Figure it out."

Kate thought that he sounded like Dean. She pulled herself up like she was doing a chin up and swung her arm so that her forearm was on the rock and not just her fingers. She found a foothold and steadied herself. She inched over and pushed with her foot, giving her momentum to push herself up to her hips.

Sam grinned.

Kate grinned back and swung her leg up.

Sam gave her a fist bump. "See, I told you."

Kate was pleased with her own strength and control.

They continued up the cliff until they hit a plateau. Sam helped Kate up and showed her a place where the water trickled down into the creek.

Kate cupped her hands and drank from the small stream.

Sam sat down on a rock and motioned for her to sit down too. "What is on your mind?"

Kate scoffed. "My arms hurt."

Sam smirked. "Those are muscles you don't normally use. You are trained to think quick and strike fast. It is different when you have to slow down and control your body."

Kate agreed. "Look." She pointed to a bird.

Sam watched the bird jump around after some type of bug.

"It is really peaceful here." Kate said.

Sam nodded. "That is why I like it. There are others. I come to these kind of places when I need a moment."

Kate swung her feet over the drop off, under the rock. "I feel small."

Sam leaned back on the rock. "Places like that do that."

Kate laid back beside Sam and watched the clouds through the trees. "Is heaven real?"

Sam sighed. "I don't know. If it does, it is probably not like what people imagine."

Kate frowned. "I hope my mom and dad are there."

"I'm sure they are. Their souls went up." Sam said.

Kate turned her head. "You saw that?"

Sam nodded. "I was focused on other things but after the dome fell, I saw something shoot into the sky."

Kate smiled. "I like to think that they saved me and then got to be together in heaven."

Sam wanted to freeze the moment. Kate was a little kid with big dreams and momentarily thinking of heaven and happiness. He saw a shadow fall across her face and sighed.

"My dad died thinking that I could read people and stuff. It was so simple then." Kate said.

"None of us knew. It has been an interesting couple years." Sam said.

Kate let a single tear fall. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to be a burden and I let myself get comfortable."

Sam put his forearm behind her head. "You aren't a burden. I'm glad you got comfortable."

"Things should have been simple. When you go to college, Dean should be able to hunt and stuff." Kate said.

"He will." Sam said.

"Bobby should be able to research and hunt." She added.

"He will. You aren't stopping them. Sure, some things have to be shifted but that goes for anything. You don't need to hunt but you could be really helpful. Dean wont have to worry about coming up with a story as to why he's broken his arm for the fifth time." Sam said.

Kate smiled. "I don't think I can fix broken bones. I can do stitches though."

"Don't sell yourself short. You are good with research." Sam added.

Kate looked back at the clouds. "What about Taylor?"

"He will be helpful too. This is a hiccup." Sam said.

Kate closed her eyes and scooted her head into his elbow. "He is calmer than me. He doesn't normally let his emotions get the best of him. He listens and has been super helpful."

"You don't have to convince me to keep him. He isn't a stray kitten." Sam said.

Kate giggled. "No, but I'm worried."

"I spoke to Dean before we left. Taylor isn't going anywhere unless he wants to." Sam said.

Kate opened her eyes. "So what is going to happen?"

Sam groaned. "What would happen if you had been the one responsible."

Kate gasped. "No."

Sam shrugged.

Kate felt her anger boiling and quickly sat up. She spun around to look at Sam and her hand slid off the edge of the rock.

Sam grabbed her and yanked her back. "Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Kate gulped. "No. I didn't realize I was that close to the edge."

"Speaking of managing emotions and keeping control over yourself." He said with a raised eyebrow.

Kate brushed the tiny pieces of rock from her hand. "Dean can't do that to Taylor."

Sam sighed. "Why not?"

"Taylor isn't his kid or sibling." Kate said.

Sam patted the spot beside him. "I have my own opinions but don't disagree on this one. I don't know for sure what they decided on but it is Taylor's choice."

Kate let her shoulders drop. "So he gets a choice?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah."

Kate crisscrossed her legs.

"Did you think that he wouldn't get a choice?" Sam asked.

Kate shrugged. "I just didn't want him to have to go through that."

"It isn't the end of the world. It is a far cry from getting kicked out of your house for weeks on end." Sam said.

Kate sighed. "I know. I just had a burst of anger."

"You're going to fall off a whole lot of cliffs if you keep that up." Sam said.

Kate rolled her eyes. "I didn't sign up for life lessons."

Sam realized how badly he was going to miss Kate. He had meant to take her on a climbing trip but time got away from him. He studied her and soaked in the time. "I thought of it on the cuff."

Kate gave him a small smile. "You are lame."

Sam nudged her. "I know." He handed her a piece of jerky and turned his face to the sun.

"Is this all that is up here?" Kate said and looked around.

Sam shook his head. "There is a cave too."

Kate cringed. "Last cave I went to we found a dead body."

Sam remembered the incident with Hannah. "I don't think that will happen this time but we don't have to go."

Kate scoffed. "You said there would be adventure."

Sam smiled and dusted off his hands. "I can't promise a wild adventure."

Kate stood up and stretched. "I'm okay with that."

"Have you gotten anymore abilities?" Sam asked.

Kate shrugged. "I don't know."

"It is hard to know what you can do when you are restricted." Sam said.

"Wow, you agree with me." Kate said.

Sam stopped walking. "I agree with Dean and Bobby too. You test one thing out at a time and learn how to control it before jumping to the next."

Kate skidded to a stop. "Don't use your Dean voice with me."

Sam cracked up. "We have come full circle with that."

Kate laughed too.

"He has put a lot of thought into all of this." Sam said.

Kate jumped and caught a tree branch with her hands. "I know. I just forget sometimes."

Sam grabbed her sides and caused her to fall. "Why'd you let go?"

Kate giggled. "Because my ribs are ticklish."

Sam started walking again. "Have to control those reflexes."

Kate groaned and tried to trip him up but wound up just running into his back.

Sam pulled her around and put an arm over her shoulders. "Don't let all of this ability stuff cause you to lose your normal abilities."

They walked down a path until the cliff face started to climb again.

Sam stepped around a ledge. "Here."

Kate followed him and made sure that her steps were purposeful and controlled.

Sam took a flashlight from his pack. "It isn't a big cave but caves always make me feel small."

Kate stepped into the mouth of the cave. "You aren't small."

"In the grand scheme of things." He pushed on the rock above his head. "One of these could fall and I'd be like one of those ants over there."

Kate looked above her. "And you thought it was a good idea to bring me in here?"

Sam chuckled. "Somebody comes up here and makes sure these places are safe. They do checks every now and then. That is why I didn't take you to the other one."

Kate stepped farther into the cave. "So what is in here?"

Sam flicked the flashlight into the darkness. "Nothing fancy. It is a cool place to get away from the sun and a warm place to get away from the snow."

Kate ran her fingers along the walls of the cave and imagined how Ada must have felt. Was the cave in Scotland like that one? Each sound was amplified and she imagined how loud an upset baby would be.

Sam watched her soak in the surroundings.

Kate took a deep breath and noted how the cave smelt. Sam was right about feeling small. "There is water in here."

Sam nodded. "Yeah but don't drink it."

"Why?" Kate asked.

Sam used the flashlight to illuminate a small pocket of water. "Standing water. It breeds all kinds of bacteria and nasty stuff. River water is safer because it is constantly moving. You should be careful though."

Kate poked the water with a stick. "Yeah this looks gross."

Sam turned the light and walked deeper into the cave. "It sounds neat in here. Some friends and I came up here and one of them brought a guitar and sang. The acoustics are great."

Kate hummed and was pleased with the sound. "It is kind of eerie though. The sound echoes a little."

Sam smiled. "It is kind of eerie."

Kate found something carved into a rock. "What is this?"

Sam handed her the light. "Looks like someone carved their initials into the rock."

Kate got a closer look and jumped back. The symbols appeared all over the rock and onto the walls of the cave. She stumbled back and fell. All around her was the ancient language that had become a big part of her life. Sam?"

Sam took her arm. "You with me?"

She spun around.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"The writing." Kate said.

Sam squinted his eyes. "I don't see anything."

Kate swallowed. "It is every where."

"Usually you zone out during a vision. This is new." Sam said.

Kate settled her eyes on his face. "I'll show you." She pulled Sam into the vision.

Sam blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. "What does it say?"

Kate slowly turned around. "I think it is a story." She jumped when she heard a soft cry.

Sam spun around but nothing was there. "I don't think this is now."

Kate wondered if she was picking up Ada's memory. She walked to one wall and ran her fingers along the letters. "I think you read it right to left. I think the story is about a guard who had to guard a place where no one went. He guarded it for a long time until. It stops here." She searched the walls but the symbols started to fade. She groaned and held her head.

Sam pulled her back to reality. "Your nose is bleeding."

Kate took the cloth that Sam handed her and held her nose.

Sam put his arm behind her knees.

Kate shook her head. "I can walk."

Sam scooped her up anyway. He made his way out of the cave and sat her down on a log outside. "That was odd."

Kate bit her lip. "When this stops we can go back."

Sam shook his head. "No. This is your body telling you to stop pushing yourself. Those symbols are in your head, not in there."

Kate tried to stand up but her shoulders hit Sam's hands. "I heal, remember."

Sam pulled the cloth away from her nose. "You haven't yet."

Kate leaned her head forward slightly to stop the nose bleed. "Maybe we can use the internet to find out if that story is real."

Sam nodded. "We can do that."

Kate dabbed her nose until the bleeding stopped. "That took longer than I thought it would."

"The healing ability seems to have some areas of exclusion." Sam said.

Kate suddenly remembered Dean and Taylor.

"Stop fretting." Sam said. He heard his phone chime. "Speak of the devil." He read the message from Dean. "He said it is okay for us to come back."

Kate took a drink of her water. "Can we pick up treats on the way home?"

"What did you have in mind?" Sam asked.

"Pie."

Sam grinned. "I can't imagine why."

"It has been a long day. Everyone could use a pick me up." Kate said.

Sam checked her nose again. "We can get all the pie you want."

Kate stood up quickly and started back down the path.

Sam told her to slow down and wait for him.

Kate waited impatiently for him to catch up.

"This isn't a race." Sam said.

Kate bounced on her toes. "I want to get back."

Sam smirked. "You can't fly in and demand answers and ask 20 questions."

Kate pushed him. "I want answers though."

Sam threw the back pack over his back. He walked ahead of her and showed her the path back to the big rock they had sat on.

Kate was watching Sam and not where her feet were. She tripped and slid.

Sam spun around and dropped to his knees beside her.

Kate hissed. "Yeah, skinned my knee."

Sam grabbed her leg. "Don't move. You are bleeding."

Kate looked down at her knee. "A root cut me."

Sam ran his fingers down the root and cringed. "I think it did more than cut you."

Kate felt of her knee. "That would explain the pain."

Sam pulled his knife out and cut the root a few inches from her leg. He slowly helped her to roll off of her knees and sit down.

Kate blanched. "Oh that is gross."

Sam pulled a water bottle out of the bag and ran water over the wound.

"It will heal." Kate said.

Sam tried to gauged how deep the wound was.

Kate took the knife and cut her pants around the wound. "Why isn't it healing?"

Sam was thinking of how he was going to get her off of the cliff.

"Maybe because the stick is in the way." She said.

Sam grabbed her hand. "Do not move it. With injuries like this, taking the stick out could make it worse." He turned to grab another cloth from his bag.

Kate bit her lip and ripped the piece of wood away from her knee.

Sam jumped and covered her knee with the cloth. "I just told you not to do that!"

Kate leaned back on the ground. "I couldn't heal with it there."

Sam sent her a glare and moved the cloth to check the damage. The wound was still bleeding and he touched her leg below the wound to steady it. "Ow!" He said and jerked his hand back. He slung his hand like he had touched boiling water.

"What is it?" Kate said, panicked.

Sam took a couple steps to the stream and held his hand under the water. He drew his hand out and saw that it was red. "Something burned me."

Kate looked at her leg. "What burned you."

Sam refilled a water bottle at the stream and brought it back. He touched her leg again and pulled his hand back before dousing it with the water.

"My blood is burning you?" Kate asked.

Sam sat on the ground. "That has definitely never happened before."

Kate took his hand and frowned. "It actually burned you."

Sam went to tend to her leg.

Kate pulled her leg back and reached for the water bottle. "Let me do it." She sighed in relief at the wound that was actively closing. "See, just had to take the stick out."

Sam was still processing the burn. "How?"

Kate stood up and tested her knee out. "I'm sorry."

"No, it isn't your fault. That is just.. new." Sam said. He had cradled her when the hounds attacked and had been drenched with zero burning.

"It is healed now. We can add that to the list." Kate said.

Sam nodded and went back to making his way down to the car. "You are a lot more controlled now."

Kate let go of a rock and dropped her hand down to the next one. "I don't want to hit the ground before I mean to."

Sam laughed. "That is wise."

Kate finally hit the flat ground and brushed off her hands. She looked at her leg. "I really liked these jeans."

Sam rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't think there is any saving them. I can get you another pair or at least some shorts in town."

Kate grinned. "I can make them cut offs."

Sam grinned back. "I thought you were trying to appease Dean."

Kate shrugged. "And pass up this golden opportunity to rile him up?"

Sam shook his head. "No cut offs. Prank or not, I am the one that would catch the flack on that one."

Kate smiled. "I'll just ride like this. It isn't like they have never seen torn jeans before."

Sam opened the door for her. "You can't go into the store like that."

Kate propped her feet up on the dash board. "You are capable of picking out pie."

Sam nodded. "Yes ma'am."

"Thanks for bringing me here. It gave me a lot to think about. I don't get to just hang out with you much." Kate said.

Sam ruffled her hair. "I like hanging out with you."

They drove to the store and Kate waited patiently for Sam to return with Dean treats. Her knee was sore and red. She prodded it with her fingers and felt a lump. She wondered if part of the stick was still under the skin. She considered doing a sort of surgery on herself but decided against it. Her luck would end with an old lady seeing her and she'd wind up in the hospital with Craig.

Sam got a variety of pie at Kate's request. He also got drinks and a few other things.

Kate saw him walking back and opened the car door. "Did you buy the store?"

Sam smiled. "Nope. A while back you and Taylor were arguing over which soft drink was best."

Kate tilted her head. "I wouldn't call that an argument. We were joking."

Sam smiled. "I know but he said Nehi was superior, right?"

"He did because Radar from that show.. M.A.S.H. likes the grape ones and he said that proves that Radar was the best member of their unit." Kate said.

Sam pulled one out of the bag. "Grape. That makes sense. They had grape and peach and I couldn't remember. I do remember you hate grape and if I heard right, you said that no one liked bubbly cough syrup."

Kate grinned. "You heard all that?"

"Yep. I was sitting in the same room." Sam said.

"You were on your computer and it was a silly debate." Kate said.

Sam turned the car on. "Just because I'm doing something else doesn't mean I'm not also listening."

Kate looked through the bag. "He will be happy."

"Try the peach one." Sam said.

Kate opened it and took a drink. She smacked her lips. "I agree on the Nehi, just not the grape."

Sam reached for it and took a sip too. "That is pure sugar."

Kate took it back. "Delicious sugar. What else did you get?" She pulled out another bottle. "How did you get this? You aren't 21."

Sam winked at her. "I took a chance."

Kate gasped. "Sam, you broke the law." She giggled and put the beer back in the bag.

Sam sighed. "I figured we'd go for both of his favorites. I did tell the cashier it was for my older brother."

Kate drank her soda. "And they just let you have it?"

"Yep. Don't go doing that though." Sam said.

Kate touched her knee. "I think a bit of root is still in there and I want to perform surgery at the house."

Sam grimaced. "No, if something is stuck in your leg we need to go to urgent care."

Kate scoffed. "And risk my blood burning someone. How are we going to explain that?"

Sam groaned. "We will look at it at home."

Kate smiled. "If someone is doing surgery it is going to be me."

"You are weird." Sam said.

Kate took another sip of her drink. "That is why I fit in so well with you guys."

Taylor had settled down by the time that Kate and Sam got back but his pride was wounded. He was embarrassed and hadn't spoken about it.

Kate was limping slightly and sat the bag down on Bobby's table.

Dean stopped her. "What did you do?"

"She wasn't paying attention and tried to knee a tree root." Sam said.

Kate smacked him. "I tripped and part of a root went in my knee."

Dean winced. "That looks like a lot of blood. It healed though."

Kate nodded. "but I'm going to do surgery later! I think there is some left under the skin."

"Surgery?" Dean eyed her.

Kate grinned. "Yep."

Dean looked over her head at Sam. "Did she knock her head too?"

Kate stepped away from him. "We brought gifts." She pointed to the bags.

"Pie?" Dean said with a grin.

"Yup. Sam got you a drink too." Kate said.

Dean grinned again. "Did you use a fake ID?"

Sam shook his head. "No. Told the cashier it was for you and paid for it."

Dean furrowed his brows. "Man, if I had known it was that easy I wouldn't have tried the fake all these years."

Kate giggled. "Does it ever bother you that you went from using fake ideas and going to parties to dad voicing kids and rocking Ivy to sleep."

Dean grabbed her. "Sam should have left you in the woods."

Kate screeched. "You are still the cool brother."

Dean let her go. "Damn straight."

Sam rolled his eyes. "Is he upstairs?"

Dean sighed. "Yeah he is."

"I'll go get him." Kate said and ran toward the stairs.

Sam stopped her. "No. I will. You stay down here." He took the grape nehi and found Taylor in his room.

Taylor looked up and hid the catch in his breath.

Sam held the soda out to him.

Taylor's eyes brightened.

Sam gave him a smile. "I figured you needed a boost."

Taylor thanked him for the drink. "I love these things."

Sam nodded. "I know. You and Kate had an entire debate over them."

Taylor was surprised that Sam would remember something like that.

"Why don't you come down stairs?" Sam asked.

Taylor sighed. "I'm okay up here."

"If you want privacy that is okay. If you are staying up here because you think people will look at you different, that isn't okay. No one is mad at you. No one is going to bat an eye." Sam said.

Taylor opened his drink. "I don't know how to explain it."

Sam chuckled. "You feel embarrassed."

Taylor shrugged.

"Look, I can't promise you wont get teased at least once but I guess it is a right of passage. Kate wants proof of life and Dean would feel a lot better if he knew you weren't damaged for life." Sam said.

Taylor smiled a little. "Is it that simple?"

"Yep, especially with Dean." Sam said. "My dad can be awkward to be around after something like that but Dean forgets fast and goes back to his dumbass sense of humor."

Taylor had to admit that Dean did use a bit of humor before he went down stairs. "Okay." He followed Sam out of the room.

Sam turned. "Kate has one of those peach Nehis and I'm just going to warn you. She has been plotting her side of the debate since we left the store."

Taylor smiled a genuine smile. "Oh I'm not changing my stance but thanks for the heads up."

Kate wrapped her arms around Taylor's neck as soon as he sat his drink down.

Taylor awkwardly moved his arms in attempt to hug her back.

Dean smirked. "That is a strangle hug. You just gotta deal with it."

Taylor smiled. "I'm okay, Katie."

Kate let him go. "I'm glad. I'm going to do surgery on my leg and I need a second set of hands."

Taylor cleared his throat. "What?"

Dean shook his head. "She has lost her mind. Kate, you are not doing surgery."

Kate grabbed plates and forks. "Pie first."

Bobby joined them for the pie fest. "What is this about surgery?"

Kate told them the story of how she fell and how she pulled the stick out.

Bobby cringed. "That is first aid 101."

Kate shrugged. "I couldn't heal until it was out."

Sam swallowed his bite of pie. "Her blood burned me." He said and held his hand up. There was still some pink from the first degree burn.

"How?" Dean asked.

Kate and Sam both shrugged.

"It could be the dusty stuff that heals us." Kate said.

After the pie was put away, Kate convinced Bobby to at least consider the leg operation.

Bobby looked at her leg. "Run up and get shorts on."

Kate sprinted up the stairs and changed quickly. She ran back down and stopped to rub her leg. "Okay, ready!"

Taylor wasn't keen on being the second set of hands. He was fine with blood but didn't want to see her hurting.

"I can see an outline. It is probably a large splinter. No surgery needed." Bobby said.

Kate grumbled. "That doesn't sound as cool as surgery."

Bobby prodded it. "It looks to be working toward the skin."

"So I can get it out." Kate said.

Bobby had Sam set up the kit. "A small spot right here at the start of the splinter and we can work it out."

Kate crossed her arms. "You are ruining this for me."

Bobby eyed her. "If you are that excited about cutting in to your leg maybe you shouldn't be the one doing this."

Kate snapped her mouth closed.

Bobby cleaned her leg and pressed on the side of the lump.

Kate washed her hands. "I'll let you use the numbing stuff if that makes you feel better."

Bobby smacked her head. "Can you do one of those mind things that blocks out pain."

Kate nodded. "I can."

"Why not just let it work its way out?" Taylor asked.

Kate looked at him. "It hurts and this is quicker."

Taylor knelt down beside Bobby. "What do I do?"

Bobby handed him some clean gauze. "What ever she tells you."

Kate blocked the pain and made a very small incision two inches from her knee cap. "See, no big deal."

Taylor put the gauze in place to dab away the blood. He felt his stomach start to bubble.

Kate pressed on the other side of the lump. "Here. Move your hand. She skillfully deepened the cut."

Taylor felt his face tingle. "That doesn't hurt?"

Kate shook her head. "No, not at all."

Dean touched his shoulder. "Maybe let someone else take over."

Taylor shook his head. "I'm okay."

Dean pointed to the blood spilling down her leg. "You are missing the stuff you are supposed to sop up with that."

Taylor's ears started to ring.

Dean took the gauze from his hand. "Go get some air."

Taylor apologized and stood up. He wasn't prepared for how faint he felt.

"Don't touch anything with your skin. It will burn you." Kate said.

Dean shrugged. "I'll be okay." He cleaned up Kate's leg. "I think you can get that out without cutting anymore."

Kate sat the scalpel down. "It is like a normal splinter but sped up."

Dean put his left hand on her leg to steady it. "I've got you."

Kate prodded the swollen skin and worked the splinter to the top. She was bleeding more than she thought she would.

Dean held her leg. "It is okay. It is probably just because you aren't healing yet. Sorry, you are temporarily a normal person."

Kate continued to work the wooden sliver out.

Dean dabbed the area. "I'll get it."

Kate moved her leg. "No, you'll get burned."

Dean raised an eyebrow and held up his left hand. "It isn't burning me."

Kate looked at the trail of blood that ran across his thumb. "How?"

"I don't know but let's finish this up before Taylor passes out." He used a pair of tweezers to extract the piece of root. "Not sure if we should call this a splinter or a branch."

Bobby grimaced. "No wonder you weren't healing."

Dean poured antiseptic on her leg and cleaned it up. He prodded the skin and determined that she was now free of all trees.

Sam was deep in thought. "It could have been something in the forest that burned me.

Dean wiped his hand on Sam's arm.

Sam jumped up and hissed. He ran his arm under the faucet. "Why would you do that!"

Dean looked from Kate's leg to Sam's arm. "I honestly didn't expect it to melt your skin off."

Bobby held his own hand out for a test swatch. "Doesn't even tingle."

Sam braced himself against the counter. "I'm the only one that's been touched by a demon."

Dean handed Kate a wet cloth. "You can't jump straight to that. We have all been more than touched by a demon."

Sam turned his head away from Dean. "I'm the only one burning. I'm the only one who also had ol' yellow eyes mess with me."

"If it had to do with that, I would be burning." Kate said.

Sam sighed. "Fine."

Kate's eyes welled up with tears. "Sammy, I'm sorry." She gave him a small smile. "Maybe it has to do with blood alcohol level."

Sam snorted and looked at Dean.

Dean threw his hands up. "You brought me the drink."

Kate smirked. "It was just an idea."

Bobby scoffed. "I haven't had anything today."

"It made you laugh." Kate said with a shrug.

Sam walked over and patted her shoulder. "Thanks, kid." He went to check on Taylor. "Are you seeing double?"

"No. I don't know what happened." Taylor said.

"It is normal to feel woozy with that stuff." Sam assured him.

"My ears were ringing and my face tingled." Taylor said.

Sam nodded. "You about fainted."

Taylor went back to the kitchen. "Are you done?"

Dean gave him a crooked grin. "Yep."

Taylor blushed. "I'm sorry. I have never done that before." He had seen enough blood that it normally didn't bother him. Growing up with older brothers meant a bloody nose or two and a few sets of stitches.

Kate tilted her head. "What is wrong?"

"That felt different. My ears rung like when the light shows up." Taylor said.

Kate took his hand and searched for understanding. She swallowed slowly. "Oh."

Dean wiped up what was left on the floor. "What?"

Kate looked sadly at Sam.

Sam's nose flared. "I knew it." He left the house and let the door slam behind him.

Dean started to go after him but stopped. "What was that?"

Kate stared at her hands. "Sam was right."