Author's note: As always, thank you for the reviews. You guys are amazing. Jerseygrl- I haven't given a description of Caleb. In my head, he is a hair shorter than Dean but broader. I mentioned he couldn't fit through the window in the house. He probably has dark hair and dark eyes. April I see as having dark hair too (since Mary, Jess, and Lacy are described as blondes.)

### ###
With the possible cure for Alana and the arrival of Marie and Rod, Bobby's house was bursting at the seams with people and excitement.

April hadn't gotten to meet Marie yet but had questions about recipes.

Taylor helped Rod get all of the food into the house.

Bobby's salvage yard had extra lights so most of the yard was bathed in light but no one wanted to be outside.

Taylor let Marie hug him. "Thank you."

Marie kissed his cheek. "You know I love to cook and it looks like your crew has grown."

Taylor introduced her to April, Andy, Ian, Brandon, and Caleb. "Brandon's uncle and sister are at the hospital right now."

Marie stayed in the kitchen with April and the boys.

"Would you mind explaining how you made certain things?" April asked.

Marie smiled warmly. "No, not at all."

Dean and Caleb were in Bobby's office talking about the creatures and what they were planning to do.

Dean sipped on a beer. "If Alana comes out of this with no side effects, that is great. The 'cure' would only work if someone survived those things."

"I still don't understand why my blood worked." Caleb said.

Kate sat down on the floor. "When you got scratched, you set up an infection. You had a ton of my blood in your system. The claw was still in you so the infection wouldn't heal. I kept you from dying from the wounds but you didn't get better until Taylor added his own. I don't think antibiotics would work against this stuff because it acts more like a virus. Your body fought off the virus, with help, but you now have antibodies. If you get chickenpox, you develop antibodies. If you get the vaccine for it, you get antibodies without getting the virus."

Caleb narrowed his eyes. "You know too much for your age."

Kate smiled. "Marty and I talked."

Taylor joined the small group. "Is Brandon going to sleep in our room?"

Bobby nodded. "That makes the most sense."

"I don't mind taking the couch." Dean said.

Caleb rubbed the back of his head. "There is that bed downstairs right?"

Bobby shook his head. "Needs a new mattress."

Caleb shrugged. "Floor works."

"You can spend the night at my house!" Andy said.

Everyone turned to look at him.

Andy spun to run to April and Caleb took off after him.

"Mama, can Caleb sleep at our house?" Andy asked before Caleb could cover his mouth.

April blinked. "What?"

Caleb pushed Andy behind him. "We are discussing sleeping arrangements and he.."

"I don't see why not." April said.

Caleb's mouth was dry. "I can just sleep downstairs."

April fed Ian a berry. "We have plenty of room. It would be no problem."

Caleb slowly nodded. "Right, uh sure.. thanks." He shifted awkwardly before slowly backing out of the room.

Marie smiled. "You've about killed the boy."

April blushed. "It really isn't a big deal. He has helped us out. I don't see a reason he should sleep on the floor here."

Marie gave her a good natured wink. "Rod and I could stay at the motel."

April blushed deeper.

Marie chuckled. She patted April's hand. "Get some paper and I'll tell you how to make those dumplings."

Rod sat down across from Brandon. "You haven't said much."

Brandon shrugged. "My uncle and my sister aren't here."

"So you feel out of place. I do too." Rod said.

Brandon looked up. "They are really nice though."

"Yeah, they are." Rod said. He wasn't sure what all was going on but Marie assured him that they were good people. He had been sick for so long that he felt out of sorts. "I heard your sister was sick."

Brandon sighed. "She is. I really hope she gets better because it killed my mom and dad and..." He blinked away tears.

Rod wondered what exactly killed his mom and dad but didn't ask. "I'm sure she will be okay." He gave Brandon a small smile and looked for Taylor.

Converstation of creatures stopped as soon as Rod walked into the room. "Hey." Taylor said.

"Hey, yourself." Rod said, warmly.

Taylor walked to the kitchen with him. "So, what do you think?"

Rod patted his back. "I think you found quite the family."

Taylor smiled. "I really like it here."

"I was going to sit out on the porch for a bit." Rod said.

Taylor's eyes darted to the door. Were there creatures out there? Had they traveled as far as South Dakota? "Oh, uh, uh, I'll go with you." He pushed into Kate's head and then went outside.

"I still remember you as a little boy. I can't comprehend how you grew up so fast." Rod said.

Taylor sat down on the porch swing. "I didn't get to see you much before.. "

"I know. Craig kept you far away." Rod said.

"I'm happy now." Taylor offered.

Rod sat down beside him. "I can see that. You've got a lot weighing on you though."

Taylor looked up to Rod. He was wise and always seemed to pick up on what people were feeling. "There is school and stuff."

Rod sighed. "Marie told me."

Taylor swallowed hard. "Told you what?"

"About what is out there. About what this family does. About what you and Kate did for me." Rod said.

Taylor let out a large breath. Keeping secrets wasn't his strong suit so not being responsible for the big secret made him relax. "You aren't freaked out?"

Rod gently pushed the swing. "I was surprised, to say the least. It made some things make a bit of sense."

"You aren't afraid of me? I mean, I have abilities." Taylor said.

"No. You are one of the kindest souls out there. You healed me and you didn't have to."

Taylor heard a twig snap and jumped. His eyes flashed blue for a moment and then he relaxed.

Rod raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to tell me what that is about?"

Taylor slowly stood up. "There are creatures out there that are deadly. They are worse than vampires and all of that. I am just jumpy."

Rod stood up too. "Then let's go back inside."

Taylor opened the door and moved Ian back. "Almost whacked you with the door."

Ian seemed unphased. He toddled in the opposite direction and made a beeline for Bobby's voice.

Caleb answered his cell phone when it rang. "Hello?"

"Alana's rash is gone. The doctor is running another test but he is under the impression that the medication he gave her worked surprisingly well." He emphasized a few words to let Caleb know it wasn't the doctor's medication that helped.

Caleb rubbed a hand over his face. "So she will be okay?"

Brandon heard Caleb and got closer. "Alana is okay?"

Caleb nodded. "We think so."

"She is sitting up asking for food." Matt said with a grin.

Caleb gave a thumbs up to let the others know that it was good news.

Kate screeched and jumped up and down. She jump-hugged Dean. "You are a genius!"

"But I didn't come up with the idea." Dean said.

Kate rolled her eyes. "Then whoever you got the idea from was a genius."

Dean smiled. She had no idea. He prayed to Cas to ask him to check Alana and then went to the kitchen. "I am starving."

Marie gave him a full plate. "There you go."

Dean grinned. "Thank you!"

Marie chuckled. She dished up more food for the others and April helped distribute plates.

Andy held Ian's hand to help him walk to the kitchen.

Ian dropped the toy he had in his hand and reached for it.

Andy thought he saw Ian pull the toy to him but that was silly. He just grabbed it. Ian couldn't pull stuff to him. He was a baby. "Mama, I got Ian."

April smiled. "Thank you."

Ian's eyes widened at the plates. He immediately reached for the closest one.

April sat down and let Ian eat from her plate. "You act like I never feed you."

Marie gave Ian a smile. "Boys do that."

Andy squeezed between Dean and Caleb.

Caleb had to switch hands so he didn't elbow Andy in the face.

Dean looked down and gave Caleb a smirk.

Caleb crossed his leg in front of Andy's to kick Dean in the shin.

Dean grunted and huffed.

Marie had wanted a big family. However, most of the kids had moved away. The additional boys that Craig brought to the family wanted nothing to do with them. Yet, here she was, surrounded by people and it felt right. "I'll have to visit more often. This is lovely."

Taylor grabbed another roll. "I think you are welcome any time."

Bobby nodded. "You and Rod both."

Rod smiled slightly. He wasn't as talkative and preferred to stay on the outskirts of conversation. Marie, however, had never met a stranger.

As dinner came to an end, dishes were washed and the kitchen was cleared.

Ian was fussy, indicating that it was bedtime.

"I can take you back over to your apartment," Bobby said.

April looked at Caleb.

Caleb mumbled something.

"What was that?" Dean asked with a smirk.

"I said I will take them back." Caleb said.

"Why's that?" Dean asked.

Caleb hit him in the chest. "Asshole."

Dean coughed. "I didn't even say anything."

Caleb turned to find Kate. "Hey, Kate."

Kate skipped over. "What?"

"Do me a favor. Give him hell." Caleb said. He ruffled her hair and ran upstairs to grab his stuff.

Kate raised an eyebrow at Caleb. "That sounded like an order to me."

Dean scoffed. "His orders don't count."

Kate giggled. "Pretty sure they do."

"Mine override his so behave yourself," Dean said.

Kate rolled her eyes. "So bossy."

Caleb grabbed 'food' for Matt and then helped April load the boys into the car. He called Matt so that he didn't have to leave April and the kids in the car. "Let me know if there is any change."

Matt thanked Caleb. "I will."

Andy was vibrating with energy. He was excited that Caleb would get to spend the night. "Are you going to sleep in my room?"

Caleb grimaced. "I bet that sofa sleeps great."

Andy frowned. "That isn't fun."

April tapped his leg. "We will worry about that later."

Once they got to the apartment, April carried Ian inside. She put pajamas on him and put him in his crib. She walked back into the living room. "He was out before I put him in the bed."

Caleb chuckled. He nodded toward Andy who was sitting on the couch, dosing off. "I think he might too."

April barely got Andy to walk to his room. She helped him change into nightclothes and then kissed his head. "Goodnight." She didn't get a goodnight back as his eyes were already closed. A sliver of anxiety worked its way into her stomach. She slowly walked back to the living room and looked at Caleb awkwardly.

Caleb could feel the discomfort. "I can go back to Bobby's."

April shook her head. "No, I just.."

"Went through abuse and having someone in your house makes you anxious?" Caleb asked.

April blinked. "Well, yes."

"Let me know how to help. I really don't mind going back." Caleb said.

April shook her head again. "No. I'll get you some blankets."

Caleb felt an instinct to protect her. She was vulnerable and scared. He thanked her for the blankets.

April wasn't sure how to talk to Caleb. Her nerves were frayed. "I should go to bed. Um, goodnight."

Caleb gave her a warm smile. "Goodnight."

### ###

Jess laid down and rested her head on Sam's arm. She looked up at the stars on the ceiling. "Do you ever think about going back?"

Sam looked at the stars too. "What do you mean?"

"You miss your family." Jess said.

"I do but I have you. I have classes and want to do something besides hunt." Sam said.

Jess ran her fingers up Sam's arm. "We should go up there for Christmas break."

"Don't your parents have a ski tripped planned for you?" Sam asked.

Jess rolled her eyes. "I do that every year."

"I want to stay here. Do you want to go somewhere?" Sam asked.

Jess rolled over. "I don't know. Just knowing how much more is out there made me think. My family is boring. We get good grades in school, go to Stanford, get a mind-numbing job, and have kids. Then those kids get good grades in school, go to Stanford and get a mind-numbing job."

Sam could understand how she felt. "You don't have to get a boring job. You can do whatever you want."

Jess kissed him. "Do you ever want kids?"

Sam rubbed the back of her head. "I didn't because of what my family does but maybe one day."

"Ten years from now we will be in a house on an acre of land. We will have a little garden and four kids. Two boys and two girls." Jess said.

Sam scrunched his nose. "I don't know. I've been told girls are bad news."

Jess grabbed his ribs. "We are."

### ###

Alana was fully mended by the next morning. Castiel confirmed that the infection was gone. She felt good too.

Matt signed papers for her discharge and waited for Dean to pick them up.

Dean smiled when Alana smiled at him. "Look at you, good as new."

Alana jumped into the backseat. "Where is Bran?"

"At Bobby's house." Dean said. "We will go there."

Matt shifted. "Everyone is going to be okay?"

"You don't have to broadcast your diet." Dean said.

Matt nodded. The hunters of the group knew what he was so that helped. "Thank you again."

Dean nodded. He turned the radio on and tapped along to the music.

Brandon ran to the car and hugged Alana. "I'm so happy you are better."

Alana hugged him back. "Do I smell cinnamon rolls?"

Brandon grabbed her hand and pulled her into the house. "The best ever. Ms. Marie, this is my sister."

Marie smiled brightly and shook Alana's hand. "It is so nice to meet you." She put a cinnamon roll on a plate for Alana.

Dean spoke quietly to Matt. "Since Caleb was able to help with Alana, we think it might be possible to help Mary. She may have already turned too far but did she look like the other things?"

Matt shook his head. "No, she had the green eyes but still looked like Mary."

"I'm not getting my hopes up but it may be a possibility." Dean said.

"That is a wonderful possibility." Matt said.

Marie offered him a roll but stopped when Dean shook his head.

"Where is Rod?" Dean asked.

Marie chuckled. "He and Bobby are outside somewhere."

Dean sat down at the table. "Does he still go out to feed animals at night?"

Marie nodded.

"It may be best to keep outside activity to the daytime or under a very bright light." Dean said.

"Bobby mentioned something about that." Marie said. "I'll make sure Rod knows."

Kate was too antsy to focus on school. She wanted to get back to the house because Marie was awesome but they also needed to work on a way to prevent the virus from changing vampires. Curing Alana was the tip of a massive iceberg.

Ellie shook Kate. "She asked you a question."

Kate blinked. "I'm sorry. What was the question?"

"Where are noble gases on the periodic table?" The teacher asked.

"Oh, right side. Helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, radon, and oganesson." Kate said.

"Excellent. It looks like you've studied the table although you are daydreaming." The teacher said.

Kate fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Yes, ma'am." What did it matter if she was mentally present if she knew the material anyway?

Caleb walked with Andy and April to the school.

"Are you going to pick me up too?" Andy asked.

Caleb shrugged. "I'm not sure yet."

Andy readjusted his backpack and looked at his mom. "I love you."

April smiled. "Love you too buddy." She watched him go inside and waved one last time. "He likes you."

Caleb blushed. "He is a cool kid."

"Do you have anything planned for the day?" April asked.

"I don't know. Someone usually needs something and I go where I'm told." Caleb said.

"Would you want to have breakfast with us?" April asked.

Caleb's heart jumped. "At the diner?"

April pulled the blanket over Ian's face to keep the wind from chapping his skin. "That sounds great." She went back to the apartment to gather a few things and met Caleb at the car.

Caleb drove over to the diner. Lacy was working so he got to meet her for the first time.

"Good morning, my name is Lacy and I'll be your server this morning. What can I get started for you?" Lacy asked.

Caleb ordered a coffee for himself. "You wouldn't happen to be Dean's Lacy, would you?"

Lacy grinned. "Yes I am."

Caleb shook her hand. "I am Caleb, long-time buddy."

Lacy looked at April. "You must be April."

April smiled. "Yes."

"Dean told me a little bit about everybody." Lacy said. She got the rest of their order and took it to the kitchen.

"She seems nice." April said.

Caleb nodded his head. Lacy was absolutely Dean's type.

Ian patted the table and motioned to his mouth.

"We are getting food. You have to wait." April said and kissed his cheek.

Lacy brought two coffees and a small cup of juice for Ian. "Food will be right out."

Caleb sipped the coffee. "How is Andy liking school?"

"I think he likes it. Owen has been a good friend for him." April said. She poured the juice into a sippy cup and handed it to Ian. "His teacher hasn't said anything negative."

"That is good. I always hated school when I was a kid." Caleb said.

"I liked school until high school. Then, things just got complicated." April replied.

The two chatted about being teenagers and how April wound up with Andy.

Lacy brought the food and placed it on the table.

Ian immediately tried to grab some of April's food.

"No no. It is hot." April said. She held Ian's hand back and made him sit down. She started cutting it into smaller bites and placed it on a second plate.

Ian made another grab for the food and whined when April held him back.

Caleb saw the plate about to fall and grabbed it.

April gasped. "Thank you. Ian, sit." She blew on the food and handed him a fork.

Ian bounced as he ate.

Caleb chuckled. "He really likes food."

April nodded dramatically. "I swear he eats more than Andy does."

Taylor checked on Kate at lunch. "You look tired."

Kate grumbled and put her head on the table.

"More visions?" Taylor asked.

"I don't know." Kate said.

"Do you want me to get you a tray?"

"No, I am not hungry." Kate said.

Taylor frowned. "Well, I'm here if you figure out what is wrong."

Kate gave him a thumbs up and put her head back down.

Taylor wanted to push her to talk but with Kate, that could either help or make things so much worse. He sat across from Nate.

"Are you going to ask to get back on the team?" Nate asked.

Taylor shrugged. "I could try freshman year. I think this year has been too busy."

"Maybe, but we win more games when you play." Nate said.

Taylor snorted. "You've won plenty this season."

"Are you going back to the gym?" Nate asked.

"I don't think so. Jiu-Jitsu is fun but I don't really want to go to competitions anymore. There are other things I'm into." Taylor said.

"You should ask if I can come over and try out some of those guns." Nate said.

Taylor squinted his eyes. "That would be a no."

Nate wadded his wrapper up and tossed it into the trashcan. "And he scores."

Taylor shook his head. "See, you don't need me on the team."

Kate wondered if she could get away with being picked up early. She was tired of school and honestly didn't feel great. Curing people was more important than anything school had to offer. She closed her eyes and sorted through things in her mind.

Ellie shook Kate. "Wake up, we have to go to class."

Taylor stopped by their table. "What is wrong?"

"She won't wake up. She was out of it in science class too." Ellie said.

Taylor touched Kate's head before patting her. He touched her arm and tried to push into her head.

Kate sat up. She rubbed her eyes and blinked.

Ellie tapped her. "Class."

Kate nodded. "Go, I'll be there."

Taylor sat down beside her. "What is wrong?"

"I can't focus. I can't stay awake." Kate said.

"Are you sick or is something bothering you?" Taylor asked.

"That is just it, I don't know. My brain feels foggy. I want to go home. Matt's sister is on my mind." Kate said.

"School will be over in a few hours." Taylor said.

"Do you think Dean would pick us up early?" Kate asked.

"I don't know." Taylor said. He could tell Kate was truly off. "We can call him."

Kate nodded. She followed Taylor to the office and sat down in a chair.

Taylor handled the phone call. "Can you pick us up?"

Dean furrowed his brows. "Why?"

"Kate feels off." Taylor said.

The lack of details spoke volumes. "Okay, get your stuff. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Taylor gave the phone back to the receptionist. "Can I go get Kate's stuff too?"

The receptionist smiled. "Aren't you the sweetest? Here is a note for her teacher and one for yours."

Taylor thanked her and gently knocked on the classroom door. He got Kate's bag and books and gathered his own. He needed an early day too.

Kate was asleep by the time Dean got there.

Dean felt of her head. "If you have all of that I will carry her."

Kate grumbled. "I can walk."

Dean helped her stand. "Are you sure about that?"

The ground rippled. "No."

Dean helped her walk to the car and put her in the backseat. "When did that start?"

Taylor shrugged. "Ellie said she was out of it before lunch."

Dean drove to Bobby's house and carried Kate up the stairs. He put her in her bed and left the door open.

"What's wrong with her?" Bobby asked.

"I don't know." Dean said.

Marie frowned. "She seemed okay this morning."

"I figured she could sleep for a little while and I can keep an eye on her." Dean said.

Matt wanted to go back to his house. He wanted to know where Mary was or what she was. He also wanted to get some of the kids' things. "When will you have a better idea about my sister?"

Dean sighed. "I don't know. We found out about Alana's by chance. We were able to try a few things with her blood before we gave her Caleb's."

"So you need some of Mary's blood." Matt said.

"If she is one of those things, I don't know how we would manage that." Dean said. He wondered if Cas could get blood from the creature he had caged. "I can ask Cas." It seemed like Cas was the only one that was fast enough to manage the monsters.

Kate was in complete darkness except for a faint net of branching lines. Was it tree branches, veins, webbing? She tried to focus on the lines but she couldn't see them clearly. She knew she was in a vision but she couldn't scratch the surface to get out. Something was weighing her down. She pulled herself from the darkness in search of any kind of answer. The lines meant something so she tried to trace them. She heard a faint rhythmic sound that reminded her of a heartbeat. She walked to it. In the middle of a dark room was a table. It looked like the kind that funeral homes used to prepare people for burial. She got a little sick to her stomach. She closed her eyes and listened for the source of the sound. It was coming from one of the drawers. Kate groaned. "This is classic horror movie crap." She said out loud. She slowly pulled open the drawer and nothing was on the metal bed. She felt drawn to it but quickly shut the drawer. "Nope, not going in there. Forget that." She looked for an exit and found one. It was dark outside the building. She could see green eyes flickering around the perimeter. "We cured Alana, so I guess I fixed that. How do I fix a vampire?" She stayed within the light although she knew she was in a vision. She was hit by a familiar scent and all of a sudden it hit her.

Kate sat up quickly and nearly headbutted Dean. "Dean!"

"Whoa, Kate." Dean said. He put his hands on her shoulders. "What is it?"

Kate looked around the room. "Where is the book I stole from Hellen's house?"

Dean furrowed his brows. "Why?"

Kate stomped her foot. "I need it!"

Dean pulled it from the top of the closet. "Why?"

Kate looked at him. "Learn as we go." She ran down the stairs and straight to Matt. "Smell this."

Matt was confused but smelled of the book. His eyes dilated and his second row of teeth came down. He quickly got control of himself. "Where did you get that?"

"There was a woman that lived in town. She was evil and it is a long story." Kate said.

Dean stopped her. "Explain."

Kate looked at Matt. "Smells like one of them doesn't it."

"There is something there." Matt said.

"How do you know what they smell like?" Dean asked.

Kate huffed. "You taught me to be perceptive."

"I know but.." Dean gave up. "The book should just smell like her house, right?"

Kate shook her head. "Something is in the book or on the book."

Matt studied the book. "It is this." There was a faint stain on a few of the pages."

"Must be the venom." Kate said.

Dean rubbed his face. "That further complicated things."

"What is this book?" Matt asked.

Kate answered. "I got a book for Sam one year. Then, I... um... well I found this book and it helped decode the other one.

Matt sat down with the book. He flipped through pages and studied it.

"Do you know anything about this?" Kate asked.

Matt sighed. "Not exactly. Some of the symbols do look familiar but this would be from an old faction."

"How old are we talking?" Dean asked.

Matt made sure they were the only people in the room. "Hundreds of years."

Dean squinted his eyes. "How old are you?"

Matt shut the book. "Not as old as this book."

"Can vampires have human babies?" Kate asked.

"No. We forfeit the ability to bear children when we turn." Matt said.

"So is Mary really your sister?" Kate asked.

Matt handed her the book. "Brandon and Alana's mother died in childbirth. Mary was working in the hospital at the time and he was one of her patients. He had a terminal condition so the children would be orphaned. Mary gave him the option and he took it. Two years later they wed."

Kate sat down. "That is so awful. It was nice of her but wow."

"Mary has raised them as her very own." Matt said.

"My real parents are both gone." Kate said. "I get it."

"If there is any chance of saving Mary, I would like to try." Matt said.

"Can I go to the lab?" Kate asked.

"I picked you up from school because you didn't feel good." Dean said.

"It was vision related." Kate said.

"Marty is running samples so we can't do much right now." Dean said.

"Please." Kate said.

Dea sighed. "Chill for a minute."

Kate groaned. "Fine."

Dean raised an eyebrow at her.

Kate blushed. She gave him a thumbs up and flipped through the book. "Oh! I wonder what else the house has."

Dean stopped and turned around. "It has been torn down."

"Yeah but some of the stuff is in evidence. Jody..." Kate said.

"Jody is an officer and looking through that stuff is illegal," Dean said.

"Not for her." Kate said.

Dean held his hand up. "Write it down. Wait. Chill. I will talk to Bobby real quick."

Kate ran upstairs to get her notebook. She made a list of ideas and got lost in a drawing. Curing people was great but they needed to figure out how to kill the creatures in a way that would allow the hunter to remain alive. Even with a gun, the creatures moved too fast to get a good shot. Unlike wendigos, they apparently lived in groups. Cornering one would leave your back open to another.

Taylor used his knife to whittle away at a piece of wood. David was locked up, Craig was dead two times over. Why did the mere mention of David's name send him into a spiral? It would be so easy to get him out of wherever he was. The average teenager couldn't do it but a summoned demon could. David was in a normal cell or room. He probably couldn't summon a demon with a spell but there were other ways.

Rod cleared his throat. "Where are you at?"

Taylor sighed. "In my head. A friend said that someone else said, that someone else said... David was mixed up in some demonic stuff. Ash said that the group he was running with is still active. I guess part of me is worried that they could still cause trouble."

"Would it make you feel better if your grandmother and I visited him?" Rod asked.

Taylor fidgeted. "He could be dangerous."

"Someone could go with us." Rod said.

Taylor started to volunteer himself but saw that train wreck a mile ahead. "Dean or Bobby."

"I'll go talk to Bobby then." Rod said.

### ###

Andy was excited that Caleb was still there when he got picked up from school. "Mama, can we go to the park?"

April looked up at the sky. "Not today, it looks like it is going to rain."

Andy sighed heavily. "Just for a few minutes, please?"

April bounced Ian. "Ian needs a nap."

Andy looked at Caleb. "Caleb can go with me."

"Andy, he doesn't want to go to the park."

Caleb shrugged. "I don't mind taking him."

Andy tried to hand his backpack to April.

Caleb put it back on his shoulder. "You can't make your mom carry your stuff."

They walked back to the apartment and April made sure that Caleb was okay with taking Andy. "Thank you."

Caleb smiled. "No problem."

April told Andy to wear a hat.

"I don't need a hat." Andy said.

Caleb shook his head and looked at Andy.

Andy sighed. He put his hat on and waved at April.

Dean called Caleb about the lab. "Where are you?"

"Walking to the park." Caleb said.

Dean chuckled. "Are ya now?"

"What did you call me for?" Caleb asked.

"We need to find a way to help Mary. Kate and I are going to go down to the lab." Dean said.

"Uh, I could meet you over there." Caleb said.

"No, no don't worry about it. You have very important things on the agenda." Dean said with a smirk.

"Will you shut up?" Caleb asked.

Dean chuckled. "I remember you making fun of me several times over similar things." Truth be told, he was happy for Caleb. April would be good for him and Andy needed a guy around. He liked the kid but couldn't stick around as much as needed.

"Let me know what lab guy says." Caleb said. He felt Andy's hand tugging at his. "Call me later." He hung up the phone.

Andy pulled Caleb toward the park. "I learned to do the monkey bars at school." His old school didn't have monkey bars. "I can't do it with gloves on though."

Caleb shrugged. "I bet you could take them off for a few minutes without getting frostbite."

Andy smiled. "Mom thinks I'm going to turn into an icicle."

"That means she cares. I promise it is better to dress too warm and be able to take some layers off than to be caught out here with not enough layers." Caleb said.

"Has that ever happened to you?" Andy asked.

Caleb laughed. "When I was seven, me and my friend decided to go outside. It was snowing and my mom told me to take a thick jacket. I didn't want to because I couldn't move my arms as well. I left the jacket at home and we ran down to this dried-up creek down the road. It filled with water during the rainy months but otherwise, it was dry. That was the best place to find treasure. The temperature dropped and we got stuck out there. A snowstorm whipped through and we couldn't see to make it back. After that day, I never left the house without the right kind of jacket."

"I want to have adventures like that." Andy said.

"I'd say you've had a few adventures already." Caleb said.

"Life will be boring now. I can't even move a crayon."

"You will be able to do other things. Kate and Taylor will tell you that abilities aren't always a good thing." Caleb reminded him.

Andy ran up the slide. He jumped and grabbed one of the monkey bars. He made it all the way across before dropping and putting his hands to his mouth to blow warm air on them.

Caleb helped him put the gloves back on.

Andy went down the slide a few more times. A drop of rain fell from the sky and hit his nose.

Caleb felt one too. "We should head back if we want to beat the rain."

Andy jumped off the slide. "Do you think I will get my abilities back?"

"I don't know. Kate got all of that out of your system just like she did with Sam." Caleb said.

Andy jumped in a small puddle. "What if Ian has powers?"

Caleb pulled his hood over his head. "He doesn't."

Andy thought about it. "What if he does?"

Caleb shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason." Andy said. He didn't want Caleb to think he was crazy. Stuf got knocked over all the time. Ian didn't have powers. He was just a baby.