Author's note: Thank you, Tamilyn313 for the ideas for this chapter. I love all feedback and do respond to messages. Each of you is awesome. (Also fanclaire gave me the idea for the 'back to the future' esque comment Kate made about getting drunk not being her fault.) Thank you all :)

Dean and Kate made it back to Sioux Falls without additional hellhounds following them. Sam and Jess returned to Stanford and John had Taylor on a hunt.

Bobby helped Dean unload the car. "I have to go drop off some things to another hunter."

"Do you want me to go?" Dean asked.

Bobby grabbed his keys. "No. He is a buddy that I haven't seen in a while. Don't burn the house down."

Dean knocked the snow off of his boots and placed them on a towel inside the door. "Kate, can you start putting stuff away? I'm going to hop in the shower."

Kate scrunched her nose. "Maybe I wanted to shower."

Dean flicked her ear. "I'm older. I get to shower first."

Kate rubbed her ear. "Jerk."

Dean smiled. "I'll help you when I get out. Just worry about your stuff."

Kate looked outside. It was getting dark but the moonlight reflected off of the snow. It was peaceful. She felt Millie rubbing her head on her leg and picked her up. "I missed you guys." She opened a can of wet food and dumped the food onto a plate. She picked Liam up. "Jody must have fed you well. You are getting fat."

Dean was glad to be back in Bobby's house. It was well warded and felt like home. He let the water heat up and stepped into the shower. He let the heat work the knots out of his back and reached for shampoo to wash his hair. He was out. He tossed the bottle into the trashcan and looked around. He'd just use Kate's. It smelled somewhat girly but that was fine.

Kate ran up the stairs to put her stuff away and stumbled midway as the power went out. She heard Dean's signature disgruntled 'Son of a bitch' from the bathroom and laughed. She made it to her bedroom and felt along her dresser for a flashlight. She knocked on the bathroom door. "Do you need a flashlight?"

Dean rinsed the soap from his hair and finished up his shower before the hot water ran out. "Uh, give me a minute."

Kate found a second flashlight. "I'm going to toss it in."

Dean saw a bar of light when the door was cracked open and a swirl of light as the tossed flashlight entered the room. "Can you check the breaker?"

Kate ran downstairs. She tried to restore the power but it didn't work.

Dean dried off and went to his room. He pulled a pair of sweatpants on and jumped. "Goddammit, Millie. That is how you get punted."

"Why is she going to get punted?" Kate asked.

"She wasn't there two seconds ago." Dean said.

Kate picked Millie up. "Aw, you are scared of a tiny baby kitten."

Dean scoffed. "She isn't so tiny anymore and she blends into the shadows."

"I tried the breaker box but it didn't work." Kate said.

Dean threw his towel over the foot of his bed and went downstairs. "It is snowing pretty hard now. A powerline could be down."

"Great, we get home, and then the power goes out." Kate said.

"It will come back on in a little while. We can just make a fire and chill in there." Dean said.

"Makes for a boring night." Kate whined.

"You and I need to talk anyway." Dean said. He ran back up the stairs and grabbed something. He tossed it to her.

Kate rolled her eyes. "The truth ball."

Dean smirked. "Yep." He grabbed firewood from Bobby's stash and started a fire in the fireplace. He held his hands in front of the flames and squinted his eyes. "Toasty."

Kate decided that a fire meant they needed marshmallows.

Dean figured they might as well drink the eggnog and fully commit to the sugar high. He poured two glasses and added some extra spice to his own. He sat them down on the coffee table and ran upstairs to get some socks.

Kate sat down in front of the fire and grabbed a cup. She took a big drink and furrowed her eyebrows. It tasted different. She shrugged and put a marshmallow on a skewer.

Dean joined her. "Remember that Bobby said not to burn the house down."

Kate took another big drink and scrunched her nose. "The fire was your idea."

Dean toasted his own marshmallow and popped it in his mouth. "Good thing we ate before we got here. Although some roasted sausages would be nice."

Kate blew the fire off of her marshmallow. "Nope. I only want things that are pure sugar."

Dean saw her take another drink and grabbed his own cup. He sat it in front of his legs and shoved another marshmallow on his skewer. He picked up his cup and took a drink. He paused and took another sip. He pulled the marshmallow out of the flames and blew the fire out. "Kate, which cup did you grab?"

Kate held up her cup. "This one."

"Was it on the left or right?" Dean asked.

Kate shrugged. "I don't know." She went to drink the rest of the sweet liquid but Dean pulled it out of her hand.

Dean sniffed the cup. He groaned. "Did this not taste weird to you?"

Kate licked her lips. "It has some cinnamon or something in it."

Dean blew hair through his nose. "Kate, that was my cup."

Kate popped a marshmallow in her mouth. "Why?" She asked around the puffy treat.

"I added burboun to it." Dean said.

Kate's eyes grew wide. "I didn't know!"

Dean raised an eyebrow.

Kate held up the truth ball. "I really didn't know."

Dean chuckled. "Well, that is one way to get you to talk."

Kate's face was warm. "I won't get drunk from it, right? You don't get drunk. How much did you put in it?"

Dean gave her a water bottle. "I don't get drunk because I have at least 100 pounds on you and my body is used to it." He had a feeling she would get a little warm and fuzzy before her abilities took over. Older Kate wouldn't have warned him about 'how much it takes to get a Nephilian drunk' if spiked eggnog would do the job.

Kate frowned. "I'm sorry."

Dean patted her leg. "I should have told you which was which."

"You aren't mad?" Kate asked.

"No. Stay away from alcohol in general but you didn't mean to drink it. Why did you chug it, though?" Dean asked.

Kate blushed. "I don't know."

"How are you feeling?" Dean asked.

Kate shrugged. "Tingly."

Dean pointed to the ball in her lap. "Time to talk."

Kate shoved another marshmallow in her mouth. "About what?" She mumbled around it.

"You know about what." Dean said.

Kate sighed. "What do you want to know?"

"When did the self-harm start?" Dean asked.

"After my scars went away." Kate said.

"Was it when you were sketching them?" Dean asked.

Kate groaned. "If I am doing this, you have to spill too."

Dean held his hand out to catch the ball. "Ask away."

"Who is your favorite sibling?" Kate asked with a smirk.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck. "It depends on the day. You are all so different that I can't really pick a true favorite."

"That is lame." Kate whined.

"Do you want me to say you?" Dean asked with a chuckle.

Kate nodded.

"Fine, you are my favorite," Dean said. He tossed her the ball. "So, was it when you were sketching?"

Kate nodded again. She tossed the ball back. "Have you ever done anything like that?"

Dean really thought about the question. "I have gotten so angry that I've punched a wall or mirror. I have been careless."

Kate caught the ball.

"Why did you hide the problem?" Dean asked.

"It helped and wasn't a big issue when I healed instantly. I guess I didn't see it as a big deal. It was like snapping your wrist with a rubber band. I know that it isn't the same. I didn't want to get in trouble. I didn't want you to worry or be mad at me. I didn't want to be forced to stop." Kate spilled.

Dean put an arm around her. "Do you understand why it has to stop?"

"Yes." Kate said. She handed him the ball. "What is the angriest you have been with me?"

Dean nodded slowly. "I'd say the blood spell."

Kate fidgeted. "Have you fully forgiven me?"

"Yes. I don't fully believe that you won't do something equally as dangerous one day but I'm not angry." Dean said. He rolled the ball back to her. "Have you had any intrusive thoughts?"

Kate froze. "Why do you ask that?"

"Missouri gave me a list of things to look out for." Dean said.

"I guess." Kate said in a mumble.

"Full truth." Dean said.

"Yes but I don't act on them."

"Don't get worked up. A lot of people have intrusive thoughts. It is normal to look down from a tall building and wonder how much damage your water bottle would do if you dropped it on someone. It is normal to be driving and briefly wonder what would happen if you swerved into the other lane. Neither of those examples means you are likely to do those things. It just means your brain gets a little twisted. I want to know if you have had stronger thoughts."

"I have. Most of the time it is just when I feel frustrated and I wonder if I can die." Kate said.

"That is pretty dark. When you are exposed to the things we have been exposed to, those thoughts do happen."

Kate held Millie up to her face and rubbed her face on her fur.

Dean had a feeling that the rum did have a little bit of an effect. "How are you feeling?"

Kate smiled. "Warm."

Dean tossed her a pillow. He put the ball on the coffee table and didn't fight Liam when he curled up in his lap. "I need you to be more honest with me."

Kate laid on her stomach with the pillow balled up under her chin. "I don't want to be needy."

Dean gave her a look. "You aren't needy. I don't want to assume things are fine while you are debating if jumping off a cliff is a good idea or not."

Kate scrunched her nose. "I'd probably heal."

Dean flicked her ear again.

Kate yawned. "Is there anything you have done that John never found out about?"

Dean cracked a smile. "A few things."

"Come on, this is truth time." Kate said.

"I took money from his stash to go out. I wound up making what I spent, back by playing pool. So, I replaced the money." Dean said.

Kate grinned. "When?"

Dean grimaced. "It was after he gave me the car. He was away on a hunt. I'd say I was 16."

"16 and going to a bar." Kate said. She shook her head. "Some role model you are."

Dean ruffled her hair. "I never said I was a saint. I got my ass kicked for enough of my screw-ups that the few times he didn't catch me haven't ruined my character."

"You can't get mad at me for stuff then."

"I can. Well, to an extent. I can understand certain things. That doesn't mean I can always let things go." Dean said.

"I know. I'm really sorry I was snippy." Kate said.

"It happens. We dealt with it." Dean said.

Millie climbed on Kate's back and settled around the base of her neck.

Kate smiled in contentment.

Dean tried the lights again. "I'll bring some stuff down here and we can camp."

Kate groaned. "I'm not tired."

Dean brought pillows and blankets downstairs, as well as a mat. "Tired or not, you look like you are going to pass out."

Kate rolled onto her side. "I am not done asking you questions."

"Well, you can get comfortable. I don't think Millie is going to give you much of a choice." Dean said.

Kate laid down on the mat and folded her pillow in half. "What is your biggest fear?"

Dean leaned back on the couch. "Dolls."

Kate huffed. "I'm being serious."

Dean rubbed his face. "I guess something happening to one of you guys."

Kate thought about it. "Mine is kind of the same but I'm scared that I will be the one that causes it."

Dean frowned. "You may cause me to have gray hair but I don't think you'd do anything harmful."

"On accident though." Kate said.

"Most of your abilities are not harmful. You heal. You can compel and stuff like that but you don't light people on fire when you touch them."

Kate let Millie into the crook of her arm. "I worry about it a lot. If something happens and I get possessed or just lose my way, I know you won't kill me."

Dean sat up. "Of course I won't."

"Dean, I am getting stronger as time goes by." Kate said as she sat up. "Me getting snippy is a long way off from me hurting someone but what if I have a split second of anger and injure or kill someone?"

Dean sighed. "You are learning to control all of that."

Kate crossed her legs and tucked her feet under each knee. "I have nightmares that I have destroyed entire buildings."

"Kate, you are a good person." Dean said.

Kate looked down at her hands. "The smoke from holy fire does a number on me. If you ever need to disable me, that is how you do it."

Dean held his arms out so she would walk over. "I am sorry that you are scared. We can figure out ways to detain you if we need. No one is killing you though."

Kate rested her head against Dean's chest and listened to his heartbeat. "Thanks for not giving up on me."

Dean rested his chin on her head. "I never will."

### ###

Taylor read through research as John drove. "So something is digging up graves?"

John nodded.

"Probably a ghoul." Taylor said. "Aren't they pretty easy to take care of? You just chop off their head."

"The problem is that they can disguise themselves as different people. You don't want to chop off a civilian's head."

Taylor continued reading. "So how do we figure out who is a ghoul and who isn't?"

"They are stronger than a typical human. This one is probably hanging out around the graveyard." John said.

Taylor shivered. Running around a graveyard at night wasn't spooky at all.

John saw the flicker of fear in Taylor's eyes but didn't comment on it. He got to the graveyard and shut the truck off. "Stay with me."

Taylor wasn't sure why he kept saying that, as his first instinct wasn't to go in the opposite direction. "Yes, sir."

John searched the area and found a crypt. He tested the door and it creaked open. "Watch your back. Watch where you step."

Taylor nodded. He crouched down and found a stone plate that was not straight. "I think I found something."

John looked at it. "That may be the entrance."

Taylor pried it back. "So, do we go in there?"

"No." John said. "There isn't enough room to defend yourself in there. Ghouls are at home down there."

Taylor shrugged. "I could fit."

John grabbed Taylor's shoulder. "No."

"How do we get them out?" Taylor asked.

"Typically they figure out someone is looking for them and they get defensive," John explained.

"I could smoke it out." Taylor said. He rubbed his hands together and felt of the soil.

"Not yet." John said. "We need to get back to the truck."

Taylor sighed and followed him. "Now what?"

"We wait." John said.

Taylor kept an eye on the tombstones and trees surrounding the crypt. He flinched and sat forward. "There is somebody."

John groaned. "Teenagers. Stay in the truck." He got out and walk swiftly toward the young couple.

The boy stepped in front of the girl.

"What are you doing out here?" John asked.

"Just going for a walk." The boy answered.

"In a graveyard, in the middle of the night?" John asked.

"Well, what are you doing out here?" The boy asked.

"I work here." John said, firmly. "Now get your asses out of here before I call the cops."

The girl pulled her boyfriend's arm. "Come on, Troy."

Taylor kept an eye on everyone and saw something move in the shadows. He couldn't get John's attention from that distance. He didn't have a gun on him and the weapons box was locked. "Crap." If he got out of the truck and ran to John, he'd wind up skinned. What if the thing in the shadows wasn't a ghoul?

John walked the couple back toward their car. "Next time, take her to a movie." He turned to go back to the graveyard and caught movement out of the side of his eye. The ground shifted underneath his feet. He darted to the side and pulled his weapon from behind his back. "Come on out."

Taylor saw John reacting to something and opened his door. He stayed in the truck but needed to be able to hear.

A man rose out of the ground and went after John.

John put a bullet in the man's brain and finished the job with his knife. He wiped the knife on his jeans and shoved the man's body back into the hole.

Taylor relaxed slightly. The gunshot had startled him but John looked like he had taken care of the ghoul. He was glad it was quick but had missed out on the experience. He shut the door to the truck and waited for John to come back. He saw movement again and got out of the truck. He stayed right by it but John didn't turn toward the movement. He pressed his palms on the back of his head. 'Think'.

John finally heard a sound behind him and whirled around. Just as he did, another ghoul fell back and hit the ground. He spun around and looked around him. He grimaced. The ghoul's head was destroyed. He had a feeling Taylor had something to do with that. He dumped the man's body in with the other one and went back to the truck.

Taylor was in the passenger's seat with his head pressed to the dashboard.

"What did you do?" John asked.

"I'm sorry. I got out of the truck. I stayed near it. I saw it coming at you and panicked." Taylor said.

John eyed him. "I am asking what you did."

"I couldn't open the gun case." Taylor said.

John pinched the bridge of his nose. "Report."

"I, uh.. I..." He took a deep breath. He straightened his shoulders. "I grabbed a broken piece of rock and threw it."

John rubbed his face. "You threw it?"

"Yes, sir." Taylor said.

"Do you realize how far away I was?" John asked.

Taylor licked his lips. "I just figured the sound of the rock hitting the ground would put you on high alert and you'd turn around and see it."

"Taylor, you obliterated that ghoul's head." John said.

Taylor's breath hitched.

"You were told to stay in the truck. You saw something I didn't and got out." John started.

Taylor grimaced. "I-"

John held up his hand. "You stayed around the truck. You didn't run in." He studied Taylor. "I am not angry."

Taylor let out a shuddered breath.

"Do you disagree?"

"No.. no, sir." Taylor stammered.

"Taylor, stop stammering." John said.

Taylor took a breath. "No, sir. I made the best decision I could given the circumstances."

"I agree. How did you throw that rock though?" John asked.

"Well, I'm pretty accurate from playing baseball," Taylor said.

"Did you use an ability?" John asked.

Taylor had a chat with himself in his head. He had to show confidence. "I guess the strength was an ability but I didn't intentionally use one. I was concerned for your safety and acted on it."

"Get out of the truck." John said.

Taylor tensed but did as he said.

"Get another rock and aim at that tree back there." John ordered.

Taylor got into his pitcher's stance and took a breath. He threw the rock just like the first one and gasped when he heard it hit the tree.

John walked with him to the tree. The wood was splintered and the rock was lodged deep into the trunk.

"Did the guy's head look like that?" Taylor asked in a worried tone.

John shook his head. "His skull wasn't as hard as the tree."

Tayor cringed. "Oh, god."

John turned him around to go back to the truck. "Can you still throw at a normal strength?"

Taylor picked up a pinecone and threw it. "Yes."

John squeezed his shoulder. "I was going to offer you a gun but it seems that rocks are more effective."

Taylor slowed his walking. "Can I still have the gun?"

"You can have one on you while hunting." John said.

Taylor smiled. "Thanks." He was excited to share details with Kate and Dean.

"We will get a motel for the rest of the night."

"Are you taking me back to Sioux Falls?" Taylor asked.

"We made good time on those two jobs." John said. "I will check in the morning but we may be able to fit in another one before school starts."

Taylor was elated. Hunting was way better than school.

Dean got a little more out of Kate before the exhaustion or rum won over. He put her back on her mat and covered her with a blanket. He added rum to her original cup and leaned back on the couch to drink it. Liam curled up beside him and nudged his hand. He smirked and scratched behind his ear. In the quiet house, Liam's purr was loud. Dean wondered how cats did that. He jumped up when Bobby called and went into the kitchen to answer the call. "Hey."

"Is the power out?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, but we made a fire." Dean said.

"Okay. Jody wants you to know that you can go to her place if the power doesn't come back on soon enough."

"Is it not out in town?"

"Not yet, at least. I am going to head back tomorrow." Bobby said.

Dean stretched. "Okay. I think we will survive."

"Did she talk?" Bobby asked.

Dean chuckled. "Yeah, she did. I poured two cups of eggnog and she drank mine."

Bobby furrowed his brows and then made a sound in the back of her throat. "Why did she do that?"

"She didn't know it was spiked. She thought it tasted different but didn't know it had rum in it." Dean said.

Bobby chuckled. "Is she okay?"

"Yes. I think her abilities helped her not get too tipsy." Dean said. "She is asleep in front of the fire right now."

"Good. She needs the rest. Keep me updated."

Dean said he would and hung up. He went back to the couch and his drink. The house was peaceful. The crackle of the fire soothed him. The warmth of the flames warmed his skin and the rum warmed his chest. The heavy snow caused the house to creak and a soft glow to seep through the curtains. If he could freeze time, he would freeze it right then. His heart was in knots knowing that Kate struggled so much. He'd have to pay more attention.

Taylor was worn out from the previous night and fell asleep easily. He had weird dreams and woke up a little confused.

"We are headed out early." John said.

Taylor stretched. They had only gotten a few hours of sleep but he could manage. "What are we after?"

"That is to be determined. I got a message last night about some suspicious activity." John said.

Taylor got dressed and splashed his face with water. "Can we eat?"

John chuckled. "Yes. We will get some food and coffee while I figure out what we are dealing with."

Taylor scarfed down his food like he hadn't eaten in a week.

John raised an eyebrow. "Are you doing okay?"

Taylor blushed. "Yes, I just really hungry."

John finished up what he was reading and paid for the meal. It was icy and snow was starting to fall.

Taylor held his hands in front of the truck's vent to warm his hands. "Do creatures become less active when it is cold?"

"Some do I am sure. Demons don't really care if it is cold." John said as he drove.

They were far away from town when the wind started to pick up and snow tornados swirled across the road. John's truck could handle ice and snow. However, the lone car in front of them couldn't.

Taylor gasped as the car hit black ice and spun.

John got his truck to stop and got out to see if the people needed help.

Taylor ran after John and fell back when he heard the car strike something and debris flew back.

They heard a woman yell and John got closer. He couldn't see through the snow so he made his way, slowly. He put his arm out to stop Taylor. "Don't get any closer. There is a power line down." John did his best to yell to the driver to ask if she was okay.

She had kids in the car and her husband was not responding.

Taylor smelled smoke and his vision sharpened. "The car is catching fire."

John held him back. "You cannot help them. Police are on their way."

Taylor could feel the static from the downed powerline. "I can control the current."

John shook his shoulder. "Taylor, that much electricity can kill you in a split second."

"Let me get closer. I will see if I can redirect the current." Tayor said.

John held his arm. "Even if you can, that is a live wire. It isn't like a light socket at the house." John said.

A warm glow started to build from the front of the car.

Taylor pulled away from John. "I have abilities. Now is the time to use them."

John lost sight of him and swore loudly.

Taylor pushed the current away from his body until he was able to grab the covered end of the wire. He could feel the electricity running through him and struggled to maintain control of his body. It felt like being tased, but worse. He pulled the line away from the car and got the line thrown over a wooden fence before his muscles gave out. He hissed and curled into a ball.

John got the kids out of the car and away from the vehicle. He went back for the woman but her leg was badly broken. He felt a wall of snow hit him and stumbled.

Taylor staggered over and pried the hood of the car open and summoned enough strength to douse the engine compartment in another wall of snow.

John couldn't see where Taylor was but moved the kids out of the way so they weren't run over by the approaching emergency vehicles.

Taylor felt tingly and groaned.

John whipped his head around when a blue streak of light shot from the ground. He ran toward it.

Taylor was sitting in the snow with his hands on his head. He was in so much pain but it was getting better. He heard John's voice and groaned again.

"Taylor? Taylor? Are you okay? What was that?" John said all at once. He lifted Taylor to his feet and got him to the truck. "What the hell was that?" He turned Taylor's face and hissed.

Taylor pulled down the mirror to look at what John was looking at. He had electricity burns all over his body.

John asked how he was feeling and told him to stay put. He stopped and walked back to the truck. "Taylor?"

"Yes sir?"

"If you get out of this truck, you will get the whipping of your life. Do you understand me?" John said.

Taylor shrunk down in the seat. "Yes, sir."

John stalked back to the wrecked car and waved the police car over.

The policeman jumped out and assessed the scene.

John needed to get away before they asked too many questions.

Cas showed up when John called him. "I will erase their memory." He stood back once his job was done and listened to the people.

"Ma'am, you must have had angels watching over you. The front of the car is charred but you must have hit the snow bank and covered it."

John got back into the truck and kept his lights low as he pulled away.

Taylor was quiet. He had no idea where John's head was at and his body ached.

John found a mall with a covered garage so they were out of the snow. He turned the cab lights on and got a good look at Taylor. "Take your jacket off."

Taylor slowly removed his arms from his jacket sleeves. He pulled his hat off and deposited his gloves on top of the hat and jacket.

John walked around to his side and opened the door. "What are you feeling?"

"Uh, my bones hurt but it is getting better." Taylor said.

John didn't see any deep burns. Taylor had lines across his skin but he didn't have the burns that John expected. "You look like you got struck by lightening."

"I kinda feel like it." Taylor said.

John tilted Taylor's chin to look at his neck. "You are real damn lucky. For most people, if they come into contact with that type of electricity, they die or wind up with a few less limbs."

Taylor grimaced. "I can control the current."

"I see that." He listened to Taylor's heart and looked in his eyes. "Shirt off."

Taylor cringed but took the shirt off. He had a massive bruise on one side of his back.

"Did you hit something?" John asked.

Taylor twisted to get a better feel for what type of pain was radiating from his back. "Maybe I pulled the muscle. I felt like I was being tased."

John raised an eyebrow. "Have you been tased before?" He saw Taylor's face and dropped that line of questioning. "How did you get the fire out?"

Taylor rolled his shoulder. "I threw snow on it. Fire can't spread without oxygen. The front of the car was already jammed so I just pried the hood open."

John rubbed his face. "Do you know anything about flashback?"

"Yeah, if you open a door and there is fire on the other side, it can cause a wall of flames to barrel out." Taylor said.

"Correct." John said.

Taylor's head was hurting and the light hurt his eyes.

John chewed his cheek. He couldn't take Taylor anywhere until those lines faded. "What was the beam of light?"

"I think my body just overloading like it did that time with Kate." Taylor answered.

John watched Taylor's face as he wrestled with the morality of his choices. "Why did you go after I told you to wait."

Taylor hung his head. He took a deep breath and forced himself to look in John's eye. "I was reasonably sure that I could manage it." He steeled himself. "There were kids in the car. Death by fire is painful. I couldn't stand back and watch the car burst into flames. I weighed my options and thought that I had to do something. Being electrocuted hurts but nothing like being burned."

Taylor's knowledge of how those things felt had to do with what he had told John about David. John sighed. "We need to get on the road."

Taylor bit his lip. He straightened his shoulders. "How bad did I mess up?"

John shut his door and walked around to the driver's side. He took a deep breath and considered all of the information. "You didn't."

Taylor froze.

"Don't let this get you too full of yourself. I do not like having my orders ignored. That is a sure fire way to wind up pissing me off. You looked me in the eye and explained your reasoning. You are right, those kids could have burned up. You look like shit. Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. I think the shock is going to deter you from trying that stunt again anytime soon."

Taylor's voice cracked. "Thanks."

"If Kate asks, I laid into you and you've learned the error of your ways." John said.

Taylor smiled. "She'd take that and run with it."

"She would." John said. "I am not sure about this next hunt. We will check it out but you don't need to be out there after being electrocuted like that."

Taylor didn't argue. He was grateful that John wasn't angry at him.

Kate sat up quickly and scratched at her skin.

Dean turned the flashlight on. "What is wrong?"

Kate stared at her arms. "The lines!"

Dean rubbed his eyes.

"The lines that I have been seeing for weeks. This is them." Kate said.

Dean smoothed his hair down and yawned. "Why are they on you now?"

Kate stepped out onto the snowy porch so she could get a good look at her skin. "I don't know."

Millie jumped up on the window sill and watched Kate and Dean through the window.

Dean turned his head and met eyes with Millie. He tilted his head. He felt like she was looking into her soul. He saw a brief flash of blue in her eyes and flinched. He jerked his head back. 'Did that cat just wink at me?'