Author's note: I know it has been a few weeks. My final semester of school is DENSE. I'm putting in 50 ish hours a week for school which is insane. Lectures, projects, tests, papers, the works. I've also been sick since Christmas which has put a damper on my energy. I am really rundown physically and mentally. I will not abandon the story, I will just be slow sometimes.
(Taylor)
Taylor and Nate formed a team, much like they had at the paintball range. They stepped into the darkened room with glowing gear hung from the walls. Taylor slipped the harness over his head and fastened it around his chest. He turned toward the arena and could see the black light illuminating the neon markings along the wall.
Nate did the same thing Taylor did but roughly jabbed Taylor in the side to get his attention.
Taylor grabbed his side. "What was that for?"
"Close your eyes." Nate hissed.
Taylor closed his eyes. "Why? What's wrong?"
"Why are your eyes glowing?" Nate whispered.
Taylor had no idea. He wasn't upset. He didn't feel off in any way.
Nate told Taylor to go to the bathroom and he'd wait. He helped him navigate the dark area and pulled his phone out so that Taylor could message him.
Taylor rushed to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. His eyes were fine. He furrowed his brows and told Nate that his eyes weren't glowing.
Nate relaxed and waited for Taylor to return. He saw Taylor at the door and he was right, his eyes were fine. However, as he got closer to the black lights, his eyes illuminated the same way that the markings. He quietly warned Taylor, wondering what was setting him off.
Taylor rubbed his eyes and opened them just enough to see Nate. "Maybe it is the light."
They had to go into the arena to avoid suspicion. Nate saw a corner and told Taylor where to go.
Taylor opened his eyes when he was able to.
Nate told Taylor to sit down so he could get a good look at his eyes. He had witnessed Taylor's eyes glowing and although they were glowing again, they looked different. "Dude, I think you are right. It is the light."
Taylor asked for details about what Nate was saying.
"It looks like you have a film over your entire eyes. It isn't just the blue part." Nate said.
"If I squint, is it noticeable?" Taylor asked.
"Uh, just don't look anyone in the eye." Nate said.
Taylor told him to run and play the game. He'd stay back and move more slowly, careful not to let anyone see his eyes. Taylor played through two games but he had already told two people his contacts were glowing because they had noticed the blue glow. He let Nate know that he would sit out the rest of the games and limped away from the chaos, claiming that his sprained ankle was acting up.
Mark saw Taylor exit the large room and asked if he was okay.
"Yeah. I sprained my ankle and it is just sore." Taylor said. He checked his eyes in a nearby reflective surface before looking at Mark.
Mark sat in silence for a while. He studied Taylor and finally spoke up. "How are you doing?"
Taylor bounced his leg. "I'm good."
"You look like you are doing better." Mark said. "I know looks can be deceiving though."
Taylor chewed his cheek. He couldn't say that he was stressed because freaks were roaming around. "I still have some anger issues about my other family. I guess that is about the worst of it though."
Mark nodded. "I am sorry that happened."
"It is okay." Taylor said.
"No. It wasn't and isn't." Mark said.
Taylor sighed. "I can't go back and change anything so I like to just focus on the here and now." He noticed the deep lines on Mark's face. "Is something wrong?"
"Alice and I talked about how things were back then. I am so sorry that we did not help you." Mark said.
"You guys helped me a lot." Taylor said.
"You should have been removed from that home years ago." Mark said. "I don't…. I don't know why we didn't report Craig." Mark admitted.
"I was good at hiding it." Taylor said. "My teachers didn't say anything. No one did. If I had been honest, you guys would have reported it."
Mark felt immense guilt. "I do not want to make that mistake again."
"I am good right now. If something changes, I'll be honest this time." Taylor said. He felt his phone buzz and was almost relieved. He stepped away and answered it. "Hey."
Dean couldn't help but check on both of the kids. "You good?"
Taylor smirked. "Yes. My ankle is sore so I'm sitting out after a few games of laser tag."
Dean caught Taylor's sore ankle comment and took it as code for something being slightly wrong. "How bad is it bothering you?"
"It doesn't hurt unless I'm running around. I figured I'll just ice it tonight." Taylor said.
Dean picked apart each word. Either Kate was better at speaking in code or he needed to spend more time talking to Taylor. "Do you need help?"
Taylor almost rolled his eyes. "No." He sighed. "I'm not alone. My eyes did something weird with the black lights but I'm out in the lobby where there are no black lights."
Dean rubbed his face. "Okay. We can talk about it tomorrow. I'm going to check in on Kate. Has she said anything to you?"
"Not in a while. We talked about the haunted house but that's it." Taylor said.
Dean took a deep breath. "Alright. Enjoy your sleepover. No parties though."
Taylor scoffed. "Only the cupcake and family kind."
(Dean and Kim)
Dean hung up with Taylor and called Kate. He had to cover his ear to hear her soft voice. He glared at someone that tried to walk through him and didn't look away until the person stepped to the side. "Hey, kiddo. How is it going?"
Kate's throat was dry. She coughed slightly. "Good. I've been doing art stuff."
"Do you need me to come home?" Dean asked.
Kate laughed. "No. Sounds like you are having a blast with trivia."
Trivia was more fun than Dean assumed it would be. He liked knowing the answers to things. He also liked seeing Kim excited. "Eh, it isn't so bad. I could have used your brain for a few of those questions, though."
"Are you saying I can go to a bar?" Kate asked.
Dean snorted. "Not a chance."
"I can scry and tell you the answers." Kate said.
"It is a game. Not everyone has a psychic in their pocket." Dean said.
"Oh so you are throwing those words out in public now?" Kate said.
Dean ignored the quip. "Make some notes along with those drawings."
"I could be painting." Kate said. "Oh, or sculpting."
"Pain in the ass." Dean said with a chuckle.
Kim was having a blast but was worried that Dean's nerves were beginning to fray. More people entered the place as the night drew near and alcohol was being served more frequently. She turned to meet eyes with him. He had stepped away to talk to the kids but he was still close by.
Kim's friend, Amanda was also having a blast. While Kim and Dean were being incredibly careful with what they were drinking, Amanda was less concerned.
Dean had to be alert and Kim was a lightweight.
Amanda was offered a drink and the waiter pointed across the room to a table with four guys. One winked and gave Amanda a smile. Amanda smiled back and happily sipped her drink.
Kim had watched the drink being made and saw the waiter walk straight to Amanda so she didn't think anything of the offer.
Dean watched Kim and Amanda as well as every other person around. He bit the bullet and called John.
John answered. He was still on the road and not in the best mood.
Dean chose his words carefully. "Is there anything I can look at or do while you are on the road?"
John cracked his neck. "Bobby and Ash are looking."
After Amanda drank her drink, two more showed up, one for her and one for Kim.
Kim put her hand over the top of Amanda's drink. She had been looking at Dean and didn't see the drinks as they were brought to them. She couldn't prove they weren't tampered with. She handed the drinks back to the waiter and explained that she was worried about being drugged.
The guy who ordered the drinks made his way over to the two women. "What? You don't want free drinks?"
Kim smiled tensely. "We have both had enough for the night."
Amanda was tipsy and very vulnerable.
The guy coaxed Amanda to leave her boring friend.
Kim grabbed Amanda's hand. "Let's go." She felt resistance as the guy put his arm around Amanda's shoulder.
Dean told John he needed to go. He didn't have to say why. His tone was enough to let John know he was needed elsewhere.
The guy's friends walked over as well. They were cocky and not nearly as charming as they thought they were.
Dean put a hand on Kim's lower back and stepped in front of both women. "Do we have a problem?"
The guy snarled. "I don't know. Do we? We are just trying to have a little fun."
"They said they were leaving." Dean said.
"She didn't." The guy said, reaching for Amanda again.
Dean stopped him. He reached back and tapped Kim to tell her to go. "She isn't sober and she is leaving."
The guys didn't immediately follow the trio but weren't far behind them as they stepped out into the cool air.
Dean knew that they'd probably put up a fight. He wasn't quite ready to call it a night but Amanda was loopy. With the Impala in sight Dean pressed the keys into Kim's hand.
Kim made some assumptions as to what that meant. She heard the guy from the bar yell for them to let Amanda stay. She groaned but helped Amanda walk more swiftly to the car. She heard a loud thud as a punch was landed. She wanted to turn around but continued another 10 feet to get Amanda into the car.
Dean was mildly annoyed with the fight. The first guy folded with a return punch. The ring leader acted tough but a bloody nose was enough to get him to back off. Dean wiped his knuckles on his jeans and asked if anyone else wanted to pick a fight. He walked backwards as the four guys retreated to the bar. He touched Baby's trunk and turned to walk to the front door. He saw Kim's hand unlocking the door and pulled the handle.
"That was hot." Kim said, leaning over the back seat.
"That was nothing." Dean said. He took the keys and cranked the car. "Is she okay?"
"So far. Are you?" Kim asked.
Dean held up his fist to show her some mild scrapes. "That's the worst of it."
Kim sat in the back seat and rested Amanda's head on her leg. "Guys are creeps." She met eyes with Dean in the rear view mirror. "Some guys are creeps."
Dean smirked. "What do you want to do with her?"
Kim brushed hair from Amanda's face. "I'll take care of her."
"Your place?" Dean asked.
"I could grab a few things from my place and drive her home." Kim said. "You don't need to do anything."
"Hey, if I go home, I'll be babysitting anyway." Dean said, lightly. "I have already checked, I'm not needed at home."
Kim sighed. "Okay, but I totally don't mind if you leave."
"You can't get her into your apartment by yourself." Dean said.
"You are probably right." Kim said.
As they pulled in front of Kim's apartment, Amanda picked her head up.
Dean grimaced. "Please do not throw up in the car."
Amanda got out and staggered over to a bush, saving Baby's upholstery.
Kim helped her walk back toward the apartment.
Dean took over and just lifted her to get her up the stairs. He put her on her feet and caught the keys that Kim tossed him. He got her to the couch and helped her lay down.
Kim grabbed a small trash can and extra pillows. She, like Dean, was no stranger to intoxicated people.
With Amanda taken care of, Dean called John back. The conversation was short but not tense.
Kim went to the bathroom to wash off her makeup. She grabbed comfortable clothes and took off the ones that smelled like alcohol. She washed her face and gently dried it. She saw herself in the mirror and gasped lightly.
Dean stepped into the bathroom. "What?" He saw the redness around the line on Kim's chest. He had her sit down and looked at it. He asked her several questions and felt for any sign of warmth.
Kim cupped his face to get him to pause. "I think it got yanked at the bar. Look, the redness is from the adhesive."
Dean took note of the lines that followed the wrinkles in the bandage. "Can Kate look at it?"
Kim dropped her hands. "Why?"
"I had that vision. I changed the bandage earlier. It would just make me feel better." Dean said.
"I should probably at least put a shirt on." Kim said.
Dean stepped back. He called Kate. He told her to be quiet because Amanda was asleep on the couch.
Kim dressed and sat down on her bed.
Kate arrived and sat on Kim's bed beside her. She asked a lot of the same questions that Dean did. She raised an eyebrow. "You changed the bandage?"
Dean leaned against the wall. "Just the sticky part."
Kate carefully read Kim. She could feel that she was sick but not from the line. Her joints hurt and she felt sluggish.
Dean stepped out of the room to check on Amanda as she had made a sound.
"I didn't see anything wrong with your line." Kate said. "Does he know how you are feeling?"
Kim gave her a sad smile. "He knows I don't feel great. I always feel like this."
"I'm sorry. Can I help?" Kate asked.
"No. It is just discomfort." Kim said.
Dean returned and asked how Kim looked.
"No infection. No damage from the line being pulled. It only moved a fraction of an inch." Kate said. She checked on Amanda too. She grimaced. Amanda was asleep but Kate didn't envy the hangover that was coming. She learned her lesson with alcohol and just feeling the disorientation made her uncomfortable.
Kim leaned to the side in order to lay down.
Dean asked if she wanted anything.
Kim patted the bed beside her. "Just you."
Dean laid down as well although it was too early in the night to sleep. He thought through the day. "You just went to the car."
"Was I not supposed to?" Kim asked.
"You were. In the bar, you walked out. You did everything right." Dean said.
"I told you I wouldn't fight you." Kim said.
Dean furrowed his brows.
Kim rolled over onto her stomach so she could prop her head on her hands. "I had to guess a little to figure out what you wanted me to do. You didn't need my help."
"Every single other person in my life is the opposite." Dean said.
Kim smiled. "So I am special." She quickly rolled back off the bed and hurried to Amanda's side. She held the trashcan up and rubbed Amanda's back.
Dean found it a little amusing. Amanda being drunk wasn't funny but her timing was comical. He grabbed wash cloths and handed them to Kim.
"I should have asked Kate if she had a hangover cure." Kim said.
"The hangover is part of the experience." Dean joked.
"I want to hear your hangover stories." Kim said.
Dean carried a kitchen chair into the living room so that Kim could sit by Amanda. "Those stories aren't entertaining."
"Tell me the moonshine story." Kim said.
Dean narrowed his eyes. "Which one of them mentioned that?"
Kim grinned. "I can't say."
Dean sat in another chair. "Caleb and I were unaware that Amish moonshine was stronger than the other stuff."
"How did you get Amish moonshine?" Kim asked.
Dean smirked. "I can't say." He told her the rest of the story but added that his memory of the next day wasn't reliable. "It works fast. We had a few sips and decided that the only way to keep my dad from finding out was to drink it all."
"I'm surprised you survived that." Kim said. She saw Dean's face. "I'm surprised the alcohol didn't kill you."
"Barely survived that. I think someone had a part to play in that. Now, Kate saves me from the brink of death. Back then, she wasn't around. We keep getting told that we are supposed to be vessels. Someone wants me around enough to not let me die." Dean said.
Kim laid her head on his arm. "You have a purpose beyond being a vessel."
Dean let out a slow breath. "Yeah, to be a babysitter."
(The Hunt)
John's eyes were tired as he continued driving. He wanted another cup of coffee but also wanted to sleep that night. He also needed to talk to Bobby and Ellen. He knew whatever was attacking the town was dangerous and his two main suspects were freaks and hellhounds. He wanted a team of hunters to investigate. Going in alone would be a suicide mission. He needed enough people to form a good defense against the creature but too many people could be distracting. He didn't trust many hunters for that type of job. He agreed with Bobby that Rufus was a reasonable choice as he was experienced and had hunted with John before. Bobby had found two other hunters that were good enough and had the time to take care of the hunt.
Ellen thought through the hunters she knew and ruled most of them out as reliable partners. She would have signed them up for hunts with lower level creatures but few people knew how strong and fast freaks were. The bar had calmed down but she was still taking orders and serving drinks to hunters. She looked at each hunter in the room and asked herself if they were smart, reliable, experienced or worked well as a group. She made a list of names and crossed them out as she surveyed the crowd.
West leaned against the bar. "Are you trying to figure out who to kick out?"
Ellen smiled slightly. "No. There is a weird kind of hunt that John Winchester is working on. Half of these guys are too dumb for me to send out that way."
West looked at the names and agreed. "What about Eric Turner?"
Ellen had not written his name down as he wasn't in the bar. "Whatever is out there is big and bad. The two main contenders are freaks or hellhounds."
West sucked air through his teeth. "I have hunted with Turner. He is good. He does a lot of windigo type hunts."
Ellen added his name to the list of possibilities. She gave West more details about the hunt, although she didn't have many.
"I can go." West said.
Ellen tapped her pen on the bar. West fit the criteria. She wasn't sure why he wasn't at the top of the list. She wrote his name down and told him that she would call John for updates. She pulled her phone from her pocket and stepped into the sideroom to make that call.
John looked at his map and decided how far he was going to drive before stopping. He asked Ellen if she had identified anyone that would be helpful.
"Miller," Ellen started. "Lyle, not Garry Miller. Turner and West just volunteered."
John knew Garry Miller and wouldn't take him on a deer hunt. He was okay with Lyle though. "I don't know much about Turner and West."
"Well, West said that Turner was a wendigo hunter. They have hunted together. West has a good track record too."
"Are they nearby?" John asked.
"Miller and West are at the Roadhouse. I'm not sure how far away Turner is." Ellen said.
"Give West my number and tell him to call me. I don't want just anyone going on this hunt." John said.
"I ruled out just about every hunter I know." Ellen said. She waved West back over. "John wants to talk to you." She decided to hand over her phone instead of hanging up just for West to call back. She left the two men to talk while she returned to the bar.
John's conversation with West wasn't long but it was detailed. He was impressed with the knowledge that West had. He had heard that he was a good hunter but John judged hunters much more harshly than others did. He didn't just want to wipe out the threat, he wanted to survive the ordeal as well.
West gave Ellen's phone back and entered John's number into his own.
"Are you going?" Ellen asked.
West put his phone away. "I am going to figure out where Eric is and then go."
Ellen returned to her work and kept herself busy, only needing to threaten two hunters with a bullet to the head.
Jo overheard part of a different conversation and found Ellen. "Is West going with John?"
"Yes." Ellen said.
"When?" Jo asked.
"I'd assume tonight or early tomorrow morning." Ellen said.
Jo frowned. "You were supposed to get coffee tomorrow morning."
"People are dying." Ellen said.
Jo knew that but she really wanted Ellen to be happy at least for a little while.
West got in touch with Turner and quickly explained what the plan was. Turner was closer to John than West was, so he decided to pack up that night and meet them. He found Ellen and let her know that he'd have to take a rain check for the coffee.
Ellen made him a to-go cup of coffee and told him that it was alright. Hunters needed to hunt and that meant they came and went at the drop of a hat. She was used to that and wasn't upset that their plans had changed.
(Bobby's house)
Kate let Karen know that she was back and that everyone at Kim's place was fine. Dean had asked her to check in. Usually he wanted her to stay put. She took that as a sign that he liked Kim more than he would admit. Still, she understood why neither of them wanted to label the relationship.
Karen asked Kate not to go immediately to her room but to work on her art at the kitchen table. She felt like Kate was safer if she wasn't alone. She dried her hands before looking at the canvas Kate was working on. "What is this one about?"
Kate wasn't exactly sure. She had intended to draw a hand being pulled toward something but that was before she had the vision with Gabriel. She didn't know which of her thoughts were just thoughts and which were warning signs. Did she ever think of anything organically or was everything that went through her head scripted by some other being. "I haven't decided. I thought about painting a hand that is being pulled by vines. It could be a nymph helping someone."
Karen could see the inspiration and hoped that it really was just a friendly nymph and not some other entity. She sat down with Kate but stayed quiet so she didn't distract her. She would forever be amazed at how good of an artist Kate was. Everything was effortless.
Kate placed another canvas beside the first and continued the lines onto the second canvas. The first canvas featured a human's hand and a vine wrapping around it, pulling it toward some unknown space. The second canvas was an extension of the arm. It looked as though someone had their hand raised above their head in order for the vines to grab.
Karen pulled dinner out of the oven and fixed Bobby a plate. She carried it to his office since he was working on research for John. "Are you hungry, Katie?"
Kate looked up. "No."
"Well you should eat anyway." Karen said. She loaded Kate's plate with small portions and told her that she could continue working on the canvas while she ate.
Kate worked feverishly but took bites of food when Karen reminded her to. Kate ignored the arm but used varying shades of gray and black to add depth to the canvas.
Karen watched the canvas get darker and darker, especially where the person's body would be. She was worried but impressed with the detail Kate could create with such a dark background.
Kate added shadows and highlights where her mind told her to. She was beginning to see what could have been large rocks surrounding the arm. It wasn't a pit of nothingness. Maybe it was a cave or a hole.
Karen asked Kate to put the art away to finish her last few bites of food.
Kate did as she asked. She glanced at the canvas frequently. Something was missing and it was going to drive her mad.
(The next day)
The small group of hunters met up at a church on the outskirts of town early the next morning. They were missing one hunter that was on his way. They needed a base of operations and the pastor of the church was kind enough to let them use the church. Hot coffee and meals were provided by the pastor's wife. Both were well aware that whatever was killing people was of the supernatural variety.
Like the town that Matt lived in, many of the residents knew that the culprit wasn't just a violent person or gang. The police department did their best to inform the public that it was dangerous outside without causing panic.
Once the sun was high enough in the sky, the pastor took them out to look at some of the damage the creatures had done. Deep gouges were carved into the sides of buildings and cars. Fences and signs were broken and knocked to the ground. It looked as though a freight train had made its way through the town at a high speed. It was multiple streets, though. He pointed to a barn that was leaning to one side.
"The creature did that?" Rufus asked.
"It was after the animals inside." The pastor said. He grimaced. He had been inside the barn once before and didn't care to see it again.
John and a couple of the other hunters stepped into the barn while the others kept watch. John surveyed the barn and didn't know what to make of it.
West stepped over fallen boards and traced his fingers along a set of claw marks in the ground.
John crouched down to get a better look at them. That set, as well as the ones around town, could have been made by a freak. They seemed shallow comparatively but they didn't use their entire claw to dig into things.
The four hunters in the barn were nearly silent as they looked around. There had definitely been a struggle.
John stepped outside. "What kind of animals?"
"Two cows, some chickens and 4 goats." The pastor said.
"Did they kill all of them?" John asked.
"Looks like they were after the cows. We found the goats the next day, hiding in a culvert across town." The pastor said. "One had a scrape along its back, like it got caught on something when it was running away. Another had a deep wound down its side and sadly had to be put down."
John spoke with the other hunters. What creatures went after animals like that? Sometimes vamps would steal cattle for blood. A newly turned werewolf would sometimes attack farm animals. Neither of those creatures could do the damage that was done to the barn.
The state of the barn was a gruesome wake up call to each hunter as they understood just how violent the creature was. It had to be larger than a typical human.
John initially thought it was the freaks since they had a tendency to mutate. Not all freak attacks had to be identical. However, his gut was telling him that this was something else.
"Hellhounds just go after people who have made deals." West said.
"I've seen some people become collateral damage if they get in the way." Rufus added. "Can't say they mind too much if bystanders get caught up in it."
Two of the hunters returned to the church to look at maps and data that the pastor had collected. Were the attacks at certain times or days? Was nightfall the trigger for the creatures to attack or had anything happened in broad daylight? Had security cameras picked up anything?
After a thorough investigation of the damage around town, the other hunters returned to the church.
John called Dean to check in and share their findings. He knew Dean wanted to be there. He also knew that he was being selfish by keeping Dean away from it. He did need Dean to stay with Kate but more than anything, the destruction left behind by the creature spooked him and he didn't want Dean to be in harm's way with something that dangerous.
Bobby got details from Dean and researched the new information. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his face. Kate and Karen were the only other people in the house but he felt the need to hide what he was looking at. If Kate got the slightest hint that an unknown creature was doing that much damage, she would jump head first into the fight. He messaged John to tell him he'd call later with anything he found. Kate could have overheard the phone call with Dean but she hadn't reacted as though she had.
At the church, John pored over the maps. The pastor had done a good job of marking each attack and labeling it. None of them could see a pattern. The attacks happened all over town. They wouldn't be able to narrow down where the creature was hiding because there was no apparent rhyme or reason for the people and places they attacked. He even looked at possible areas they had not attacked. Was the church immune to attacks? Did the creature stay away from the light? After hours of investigation, it seemed as though the only reason the church hadn't been hit was sheer luck.
A police officer showed up with a stack of tapes. They were filled with security footage around town. Some were useless, others were horrifying. He showed them one where someone was walking and stopped suddenly. It looked as though the person was hit by a car and thrown out of the camera's frame. He quickly stopped it after that out of respect for the person.
John knew freaks were fast but surely they would have seen one if it ran across the screen. The hit happened right in front of a camera. Did the man see the creature before it attacked? What caused him to stop and attempt to flee. He asked for the footage to be slowed down so they could study it frame by frame. Just before the man was hit, claw marks showed up on the ground where the creature was. That meant the creature was invisible.
"I know hellhounds are mean but they don't normally do this." Rufus said. He had come to the same conclusion as John and many of the others. The claws beneath an invisible force were clear hellhound signs.
"They attacked a bunch of people on one of your hunts." West said to John, remembering Ellen talking about the rogue hellhounds.
"They attacked people who made deals. They just did it early. They also didn't leave this much destruction behind." John said.
"So we can find the demon in charge of them and send all of them back to hell." Turner suggested.
"How do you plan on finding that demon?" Rufus asked with a harsh tone.
The pastor's wife suggested they all sit down for more coffee and a hot meal. Then, they could go back to research with clear heads. She had been present when people from the police department had similar conversations. The hunters just had a broader world view and their knowledge didn't end with human monsters.
(Sioux Falls)
Dean and Kim had gotten decent sleep. Amanda had gotten sick a few times but slept most of the night. That morning, Amanda was groggy and had very little memory of what happened. "How did I get inside?"
Kim playfully squeezed Dean's bicep. "He carried you."
Amanda was both impressed and embarrassed. "I am sorry, guys."
"No worries." Kim said. "We all had fun."
Amanda accepted a bit of food although her stomach was unsure about eating. "What did I miss?"
"Those guys that sent you a drink tried to send another one but I was afraid they put something in it. They got mad because I said we were leaving and Dean had to knock them out." Kim said.
Amanda looked at Dean. "Did you get hurt?"
Dean shook his head. "I bruised a knuckle or two. They were too drunk to do much."
Amanda was happy that Kim had Dean as he seemed to be a wonderful person and made her happy. "You wouldn't happen to have brothers would you?" She joked.
"One is engaged and the other is 14." Dean said with a chuckle.
Amanda cringed. "Yeah, I'll pass."
Dean touched Kim's back and excused himself to take a phone call. John had more news about the case. He furrowed his brows as John spoke because John didn't have his normal level of confidence behind his words. If the creatures were hellhounds, and demons were involved, it hit a little too close to home. Had someone handpicked that case for John? Was it a trap? How would they possibly get rid of hellhounds if they couldn't even see them.
Kim met eyes with him as he returned to the living room. "Amanda, where did you park your car?"
Amanda rubbed her temples, trying to remember. She figured she could find it if they drove close to the bar.
Kim made sure that was okay with Dean, assuming he either needed to get going or would want to talk without Amanda around. She pulled Dean into her bedroom before leaving. She lifted her shirt to show Dean the line but giggled when his eyes focused elsewhere. "My line is fine."
Dean felt the skin around the line. "Completely forgot that it was there for a second."
Kim playfully smacked his hand away. "No fever, no rash, no chills." The vision had scared them both as she had seen Dean's face when he woke up. If she could reassure him in any way, she would do it. That day it was confirming that her line hadn't been messed up the night before and she still showed no sign of infection.
Dean walked with the girls back out to the Impala and scanned the cars and buildings around where he parked. It was a habit and he always felt exposed in some way.
Amanda sat in the backseat and looked at the interior. "I'm glad I didn't throw up in here last night."
Dean turned around slowly.
Kim turned as well but smiled. "You can't even mention any harm coming to Baby. He is very touchy."
Amanda sat back. "Oh she has a name!"
Dean turned back around. He was in no way actually offended by Amanda's comment but he was very glad she didn't throw up in the backseat. His job was messy, his family was messy, life was messy but Baby had to stay in mint condition. It was something he could control. If Baby had a flat tire, needed an oil change, had a dent or any other problem, he could fix it right away. He could tune her up or order parts. He didn't worry about the car dying or leaving where he left it. He couldn't say the same for the humans in his life. They were far more complicated and he found himself helpless to protect them more and more often.
Kim had found all of that out as she got to know him better. She was perceptive and saw him in a different light. He was strong and fierce but he was also stretched far too thin. She knew that Kate hiding things wore on Dean so she didn't want to do the same thing. She could let him know when she felt more unwell than normal but she did not want to add chaos to his life. She was beginning to understand that he didn't see it as a burden. She wasn't a burden. She asked about the phone call once Amanda was safely inside her car.
"It may be another mutated freak situation but they are invisible. A lot of the signs point to hellhounds but he described a lot more damage than a typical hellhound would leave." Dean said.
"Did he send Bobby photos?" Kim asked.
"Yes, I was going to go look at those." Dean said.
"Can I look at them?" Kim asked. "I promise I won't try to fight them or anything."
Dean let out a small laugh. "Oh, you promise, huh?"
Kim batted her eyelashes at him. "I'm curious but in no way courageous."
Dean headed toward Bobby's house instead of Kim's place. He wasn't sure what the photos would show. "I think a lot of it is damage to buildings. What if some of it is gory?"
Kim chewed her lip. "I'll sit back. If it is something you think would be too much, I won't look at it. I can look at the other stuff, though."
Dean was okay with that. He drove to the salvage yard and opened Kim's door once they stopped. He stepped inside and Bobby briefly looked up from his research to acknowledge that he was home.
Karen asked Dean if he wanted anything to eat and stepped out from the kitchen to see that he had Kim with him. "Good morning. Can I get you anything as well?"
Kim smiled. "No thank you." She nudged Dean. "How did they know it was you?"
Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean?"
"They didn't look out the window and you didn't tell them you were coming back." Kim said.
Dean's eyes twinkled slightly. "Oh, the Impala."
Kim felt dumb and blushed deeply.
"They can tell who is walking up on the porch too by the pattern of steps. We all get used to certain sounds that identify people." Dean said.
Kate jumped down the stairs, clearing the last half and landing at the bottom with relative grace.
Kim was startled. "Hi, Katie."
Dean half hugged Kate when she approached. "You could have at least landed it in a cool way."
"What, like Spiderman?" Kate asked.
"Why did you jump like that?" Kim asked.
Kate shrugged. "He mentioned knowing who was coming by how they walk, I was just changing things up."
"My friend is doing better." Kim said. "We took her to her car."
"How is your line?" Kate asked.
"Good. The irritation went away." Kim said.
"Cool, why are you here?" Kate asked, jumping to hip check Dean.
"I live here." Dean said.
"What is dad working on?" Kate asked.
Dean tensed. "Nothing you need to be involved in."
"So demons, freaks or hellhounds." Kate said.
Dean rubbed his face. "Don't start. You saw how dad was yesterday."
"He isn't here." Kate said.
Bobby cleared his throat. "Katie, drop it. No one knows what we are looking at yet and putting Dean between you and John isn't fair to him."
"Can I go to Hannah's house?" Kate asked.
"Kate, you cannot get involved. You also can't get her involved." Dean said.
"I can't help here. I'm bored. Taylor is with Nate." Kate said.
"Let me get settled." Dean said. "I just got home."
Kate sighed. "Fine."
"Kate, I could use some help in the kitchen." Karen said.
Kate's shoulders slumped but she joined Karen, fully aware that she was being kept out of the loop on purpose.
Dean stood next to Bobby's chair and looked at the computer screen. He was intentionally quiet as they looked through photos of the damage.
Kim watched him. She saw a range of emotions on his face and wanted to see what he was looking at.
Dean pointed to a few photos and told Bobby to move them to a separate file. Those photos made him cringe and he was no stranger to gory scenes. He waved Kim over and let her look through the photos of damaged fences and buildings.
Kim was shocked. "Do they have a rogue dinosaur?"
Dean thought that a rogue dinosaur would probably be easier to handle. He chose his words carefully. "A lot more research needs to be conducted."
Kim glanced toward the kitchen. "What if I take Kate and Hannah to the mall or something?"
"You mean the two kids who have a habit and a knack for going behind our backs?" Dean asked.
"I can manage them." Kim said.
Dean traded looks with Bobby. He needed Kate out of the house and distracted but he also wanted her nearby so he could keep an eye on her. Would she use Kim's inexperience against her or would she respect the limits to keep the peace for Kim's sake? He got up and walked to the kitchen. "Kate, I need to speak to you."
Kate washed her hands and asked why he wanted to talk to her.
Dean opened the kitchen door and walked out to the back of the house. "Kim offered to take you and Hannah to the mall."
Kate bounced on her toes. "Can we go?"
Dean was uncomfortable. "You cannot use this as an excuse to hatch a plan. You cannot alter her memory or compel her."
Kate looked hurt. "I won't."
"The temptation is going to be there." Dean said. "No scrying either."
"I won't do anything." Kate said.
"Good. If you do something I will find out about it and I will light your ass up, got it?" Dean asked.
Kate blushed. "Yes."
"Kim isn't going to cover for you. I'll explain the rules to her and she will tell me if you try anything." Dean said.
"You've made your point." Kate said.
Dean followed Kate back inside. He told Kate to call Hannah and get ready to go out. "Kim, I told her she isn't allowed to compel you or anything. She isn't allowed to scry or scheme with Hannah. If she does absolutely anything, you need to tell me."
"Okay." Kim said.
"I am serious. Do not cover for her. Do not feel bad for her." Dean said.
Kim touched Dean's arm. "I understand."
Dean relaxed slightly. "Thank you."
Kate hopped back down the stairs. "Hannah said she could go."
"Sweet." Kim said. "I just need to grab my car."
"What? Dean won't let you drive Baby?" Kate asked.
Kim winked at Dean. "I don't think I've been around long enough to earn that privilege."
Kate hugged Dean and took Kim's hand to zap them to her apartment.
Kim had to look around for her car keys. She found them and walked with Kate to her car that was parked down the street. She noticed that Kate's eyes never stopped moving, just like Dean's. "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know." Kate said.
"You can do anything that sounds fun." Kim said.
Kate smirked.
"That is Winchester approved." Kim added.
"Damn." Kate said. "You are quick."
Kim smiled. "You get to be a kid today. Think of something that a typical kid would do."
"We will have to ask Hannah. I'm not sure what normal kids do." Kate said.
Kim heard a tinge of sadness to Kate's voice. "What did you like to do before all of this started?"
Kate looked out the window. She couldn't think of anything besides art.
"Have you ever been roller skating?" Kim asked.
"No." Kate said.
"There are a few places in town that have fun things to do. You could go to the trampoline park. They have rock walls." Kim said.
"Those places are aimed at little kids." Kate said.
"They are aimed at teenagers and young adults too." Kim said.
Kate just felt like doing those things felt immature. What business did she have roller skating? She had deprived herself of every luxury that felt childish in an attempt to cope with the heavy load she had been carrying. "I'll ask Hannah."
Hannah ran out as soon as she saw Kim's car. She said goodbye to her mom and skipped down the driveway. "Hi!"
Kate smiled. "Hi."
Kim noted Kate's voice raised in pitch and her face became more animated, imitating Hannah's. She explained the activity dilemma and listened to Hannah talk about each option.
"Let's jump. I finally figured out my backflip and have to show you!" Hannah said.
"You can already do a backflip." Kate said.
"Yeah but this one is cooler." Hannah said.
Kim drove as the girls talked. She caught a word here and there that she was concerned about but overall, the conversation was relatively normal. She parked in front of the trampoline place and unbuckled her seatbelt. "Hold up. You hexed your brother?"
Hannah blinked rapidly. "Huh?"
"Did you use witchcraft on him?" Kim asked, turning around to look into the backseat.
Hannah licked her lips. "No."
Kate rolled her eyes. "She is as bad as Dean about piecing things together."
Hannah had been extremely careful with her word usage.
"She didn't curse him or anything. You'd have to meet Ryan. He's an ass." Kate said.
"I'm not saying he isn't or he didn't deserve what you did." Kim said. "What kind of witchcraft are we talking about?"
"It wasn't witchcraft." Hannah said.
"She used the concept of a hex bag but the ingredients just stink. So when he uses the heat in his room his room smells like rotten fish." Kate said.
"Like a stink bomb?" Kim asked.
Hannah nodded her head.
"Why act like it is something else?" Kim asked.
"I guess it was kind of mean and I didn't want you to think I was a horrible person." Hannah said.
Kim opened her door. "I am not going to judge you for messing with him. Where did you put the hex bag?"
Hannah chewed her cheek.
"If your parents look for the source of the smell and find a hex bag, are you going to have much luck convincing them it isn't a witchcraft thing?" Kim asked.
Hannah's eyes grew wide.
"Is it in a real hex bag?" Kim asked.
"Yeah but it isn't hexed. It is just the material." Hannah said.
"Are they going to ask where you got a hex bag?" Kim asked.
"I didn't think about that." Hannah said. She was telling the truth. A simple prank could be easily misconstrued.
"I'll talk to Dean and you two can play." Kim said.
Hannah gasped. "No!"
"He loves pranks. He isn't going to care about this one." Kim said. "If you hide it and someone finds out about it in the wrong way, I can't promise no one will care."
"Sweet talk him." Kate said.
Kim got them signed in and called Dean to tell him about the bag. She smiled when he chuckled. "She is afraid someone will find it and won't believe it isn't truly a hex."
Dean rubbed his face. "What happened to just putting fish in someone's vents? Did she get the bag here?"
"I'm not sure but I don't think anything was done maliciously." Kim said.
"I'll talk to her mom. That is pretty funny." Dean said.
Kim was glad he was amused.
"Rile them up a bit before letting them know that she isn't in trouble." Dean said.
"I don't know if I can do that." Kim said.
Dean let her go to keep an eye on the girls but told Bobby what was going on.
Bobby shook his head. "They are more creative nowadays."
Dean rubbed his temples to ease the headache that was forming. "Yeah, that is what worries me."
Hannah showed Kate around the trampoline park.
Kate followed her and jumped onto one of the trampolines. The activity felt good. She was burning energy that had previously been overflowing.
Kim sat down and watched them. She nearly had a heart attack and covered her chest because Kate did a backflip and almost landed on her head. "Dean is going to get mad if you break your neck."
Kate smiled. "Not at me."
Hannah talked to Kate as they bounced from one area to the other. "You are kind of out of it."
"I have a lot on my mind." Kate said.
"You can tell me." Hannah said.
"If I tell you, they will assume we are scheming." Kate said.
"Is there anything not bad guy related?" Hannah asked.
"The weight of the universe, time travel, gene mutations." Kate said.
Kim watched them. She had noted a few things about Kate but was never able to confirm her thoughts because Kate was typically around her family. Kate mimicked people. She stood to the side and got a read on people before stepping into the mix, making sure she fit in.
That was something that Kate knew about herself. While the abilities and physical changes made her feel less human, the thoughts inside her head made her feel even less so. She was highly empathetic but struggled to understand nuances that other people did. She could pick up emotions from across the room, but until she could read people's thoughts, she kind of always assumed they were mad at her. She knew just what to say in an emergency or to help someone that was in pain. Part of what made school so difficult is that she didn't connect with her peers. She didn't care who the hottest celebrity was or about episodes of hit shows. She felt like an alien species and it wasn't getting easier as she got older.
(Bobby's house)
Dean got off the phone with John, yet again and sat on the couch to give his back a break from the hard chair in Bobby's office. He silently talked himself through the situation, checking off boxes in a list he had in his head. "Hey, Bobby."
Bobby stretched. "What?"
"We could talk to Tessa." Dean said. "She might be able to see the things and have a way to take them out."
Bobby had no other ideas so he agreed.
Tessa showed up about five minutes after Dean called her. She had a few souls to transport and Dean's message didn't sound terribly urgent. "You called."
Dean sat forward and told her she could sit in one of the chairs. "My dad is hunting something. We are thinking hellhound or freak. It is invisible and deadly."
Tessa asked for details. She was unaware of any creature that fit that description but angels were not all knowing.
"Do you think you could go over there and just take a look?" Dean asked. He held his hand up. "I'll call my dad. He isn't big on surprises."
(The hunt)
John walked away from the church to meet Tessa. He didn't ask the other hunters if they were okay or not because he didn't really care.
Tessa saw a lot of the damage as she arrived. She quickly surveyed the area and was nearly as puzzled as the hunters were. "Dean said you have video."
John tilted his head toward the church. "I'll show you." He opened the door and let Tessa walk through. He didn't explain who she was or why she was there.
Tessa looked at the screen. She gasped and asked him to replay it twice. It was a hellhound but it was easily twice the size and horrific to look at.
"You see something?" Rufus asked.
"Yes, I do." Tessa said. She spoke quietly to John and glanced at the other hunters.
John nodded. "She saw a hellhound but it is bigger than a normal one. It has bigger teeth and claws. It also looks shredded."
"How did she see that?" Turner asked.
Tessa smiled softly. "I'm an angel." She left out the reaper title as John suggested.
Everyone but Rufus looked a bit skeptical.
"You have an angel on call?" Turner asked.
Tessa released her wings for a few seconds before tucking them away. "With matters such as this, we do sometimes get involved." She stepped back while John smoothed them over and discussed how they were going to take down a mutant hellhound.
The preacher's wife introduced herself as Esther. "You are really an angel?" She looked at her with admiration and amazement. "I am so pleased to meet you. I have so many questions."
Tessa met eyes with John to say that she was going to talk to Esther for a little while.
Esther kept her questions brief. She was nervous to be in the presence of one of heaven's beings. "Is it real?"
Tessa smiled. "Yes, although it is different than most people think." She saw that the woman's soul was pure. She had nothing but love and good intentions towards her husband's congregation and the people of the town. Tessa often found that nasty people liked to hide behind religion as an excuse to hurt others. It was bothersome but she kept her nose out of it. Good people were like pieces of gold among river rocks.
John asked Tessa to join him outside. "Is there a way you can help me see them?"
Tessa searched her memory. If she implanted a vision in his head, it wouldn't help him continue to see them. She vanished and returned so quickly that John had only managed to blink once. "If you can obtain these items, you can create glass that makes them visible."
John took the old, folded slip of paper. He raised an eyebrow as he read it. "This isn't so hard to get."
"You will need to scorch the glass in holy fire." Tessa said. "You will need a furnace large enough for the task."
John read the paper again. "Would eye glasses work?"
"Ah yes, I've only seen it done with a window but glasses should work." Tessa said. The window had been created a long time ago by a minister in a small, rural town that had a string of hellhound encounters due to a few members of his flock making deals. "I have souls to tend to."
John thanked her and sent her on his way. He called Bobby to update him before going back into the church.
Bobby relayed the message to Dean.
John could hear Dean in the background. He had a hint of excitement to his voice. "I'll ask the reverend what they have on hand and I'll call you back with the rest of the list."
"Hopefully their holy oil isn't olive oil." Dean said with a snort.
John cracked a bit of a smile and hung up. He held the paper up as he walked back into the church. "If we can get this to work, we should have hellhound-seeing glasses."
The hunters had the first bit of hope since they got to the town. It was good for morale.
The pastor did have a few of the items. A hunter or two had a few more things.
John asked the pastor about the holy oil that he used to anoint people.
The pastor assured him that it was real and not something he picked up from the grocery store.
John wasn't sure if the pastor would know fake holy oil from the real stuff but it was a place to start. They just needed to attempt to make at least one pair of glasses and review the ingredients if they didn't work.
(Kim and the girls)
Hannah and Kate had jumped their hearts out and Kate had to admit it was a bit fun.
Kim let them choose where to eat and where to go next. She ordered the food while the girls sat at a nearby table. She paid and watched them from the corner of her eye.
Kate had not read anyone's mind. She had kept her own mind busy enough that the temptation had not won over. She was no longer jumping. She was cooling down. Her adrenalin was returning to normal. Her heart was slowing. She was suddenly less human and back to her normal alien self. She waited for Hannah to start talking again and quickly popped into Dean's head. She schooled her features and focused back on Hannah. John was after a mutated hellhound and wouldn't let her help. None of them had attempted to survive a hellhound. She had. She had survived. She could disintegrate them with a flick of her wrist and she was kept in the dark.
Kim sat the tray down with the food. "Be careful. The fries are super hot."
Kate picked up one and blew on it to cool it down. She liked Kim but found her to be a problem at that moment. If she showed agitation, Kim would surely pick up on it. She wasn't sure if Kim and Dean fit the whole opposites attract stereotype. Kim was sweet where Dean was stern. In most ways, they were total opposites. It just bugged Kate that her biggest pet peeve about Dean had shown up in Kim too. Damn hyper observant people.
(Elsewhere)
A certain corner of hell was buzzing with rumors about feral hellhounds wreaking havoc on the surface. Like with angels, demons had different jobs and classes. Where angels were 'born' into their roles, demons earned their ranks. Some of those ranks were beneficial to the demon and others were another level of torture. It was much easier to earn one of the lower ranks by pissing off someone above them.
Crossroads demons were among the higher ranks. They had more freedom, able to walk around topside, conning people into signing away their souls. They also doubled as hellhound handlers. They could summon and banish hellhounds at will. Crowley was a crossroads demon that worked his way up the ranks. He had a pack of hellhounds that answered to him and only him.
New crossroads demons were not given a hellhound. They just borrowed one from their superior until they got strong enough to command one of their own. The hellhounds wreaking havoc on the town were without an owner and no one knew who they belonged to. That had never happened before. Usually, if a hellhound didn't have a handler, it didn't have a job. It just sat around, waiting for an order to go fetch a soul. They didn't leave hell without an order.
Crowely was not happy with the unruly mutts running amuck. He sent demons to collect them and the demons dared to return without the hellhounds. They said they didn't listen to orders. The demons claimed they were too scary and growled at them. Pathetic. He did receive word that a Winchester was in town. That meant trouble for the demons. That also meant that an opportunist like Crowely could work the situation in his favor. If the hunters figured out how to get rid of the hounds, that was one less thing to worry about. If the hounds got rid of the hunters, then that would be a treat as well.
Meg appeared at Crowley's side, annoyed to be summoned.
"Meg, darling, do me a favor and check in on our little pets." Crowley said.
"What do you think I was doing?" Meg asked with an eyeroll. "I had eyes on them."
Crowley had tasked Meg and a few other demons to keep an eye on the Winchesters. He couldn't trust just any demon with a task as tricky as that. They'd mess up and step too close, alerting one of the children to their presence. "The four legged pets. I have sent demons to manage the scene and they come back empty handed, with claims that the hounds are too scary for them. Surely you have the competence it takes to bring me back something useful."
Meg smirked. "What a sweet talker you are."
"Run along, I expect gifts when you return." Crowley said.
Meg blew a bubble with her chewing gum.
Crowley heard her smart remark as she vanished and chuckled to himself. So many of the souls in hell were dry. No one had a sense of humor. It was like torture drained the wit right out of people. He liked the ones with spunk.
Meg stopped outside of the town. She was careful not to be seen and even more careful not to step into a trap. She snooped around for a while before she saw one moving through the trees. It was large and had scars covering its body. She whistled and met eyes with the thing. It growled and bolted toward her but ran past her. It couldn't see her in her demon form. She studied the creature, trying to understand what went wrong. She thought about tattered hellhounds that returned to hell, licking their wounds. They tangled with freaks. Those hellhounds had battle scars. More than one became too disabled to carry on its work. Was she looking at a hellhound that fought a freak? Why was it so big? Did it turn? Hellhounds didn't turn. Freaks could do plenty of damage. They were created to fight the hounds but they either killed them or maimed them.
Hellhounds had insignia that only demons could see that marked who they belonged to. This hellhound did not have the mark in its usual place. Did a demon turn it loose? She was stumped but knew that Crowley would have her head if she didn't gather useful information. She didn't appreciate the added responsibility.
(The hunters)
Even with the ability to see the hounds, no one could make sense of what they were seeing. Each hour that ticked by brought them closer to nightfall and the possibility that the hounds would be out hunting.
A few nymphs searched the area but didn't see any hellhounds. They were either hiding well or the nymphs were unable to see them.
That development caused the hunters' morale to sink even lower. They needed to keep people safe but stepping outside could be a death sentence. They didn't know the hounds' patterns. Did they attack randomly or did they attack when they got hungry? Where did they come from?
Would the hounds know that there were hunters in town? A demon would know. Was a demon controlling them?
John got tired of hearing the debates. Each hunter was smart and experienced but none of them had been up against something like that. John hadn't been up against something like that. He knew enough about the freaks to make a rough guess about how to at least. Although the hounds didn't react to light or display many of the characteristics that freaks did, John's gut told him they were somehow involved.
(Sioux Falls)
Kim called Dean to tell him that she and Kate would be out for another hour or so. The update was to ease Dean's worry by checking in but also to warn him that he didn't have long to help John with the case before Kate was back.
Kate was hyper observant as well. She saw the change in Kim's body language when she was talking to Dean. She couldn't blame her. Kim was obviously tasked with keeping her out of Dean's hair. Don't hide things. Work together. We are a team. Until things were turned around and they were the ones hiding things. She knew, rationally, that they were worried about her getting hurt. She was less likely to get hurt than they were. They didn't want her to fall into a trap. She was good at getting out of traps. Why was a hellhound case being kept from her? Couldn't they work together to figure out how to get rid of it? Why was she the odd man out?
Kate felt the storm clouds brewing, hour by hour, day by day. When she thought about the future, there was this solid wall that stretched forever in every direction. She couldn't see around it or through it. She had spent months digging her heels into the dirt, trying to slow everything down until she could see what was on the other side. She fought with herself constantly. She didn't want to repeat old habits by sacrificing herself. She wanted to do things the right way. She understood why John and Dean made the decisions they made. Sometimes, she felt bits of herself slipping away. She weighed the pros and cons of possibilities. If she dove into the demon fight and blew everything up, they wouldn't have Abbadon problems anymore. If things went awry and she was captured, she would find a way out.
John didn't want her on the hellhound case because it could be a trap. Why did it matter? People were dying and John was in danger. If she stayed back and he was attacked, they'd take his soul to hell. She wouldn't let that happen. She would jump in and pull his soul out. He would say not to. He would say he was an adult. She didn't care. There would never be an instance where she chose herself over anyone that she loved. It wasn't like she was a little kid with a toy pistol. She could pin the wings of angels and tear holes in reality. She could alter time. Wait, she could alter time. She could stop time. She existed outside of time. She had been so stressed out by her upcoming birthday, just days away. Each day reminded her that something was supposed to happen. What if it wasn't just a few days away? What if she tacked on a few more hours here and there until she was ready and able to face the day? She just needed to figure out how to control it so she didn't wake up two weeks later, disconnected from her body.
Kate noted that no one got mad at her for redoing the day with Smith. They had no concept of how the timeline folded back onto itself, erasing those hours from their lives. Compelling them and erasing memories came with risks and they didn't like it very much. Jumping back in time didn't hurt anyone as long as Atropos didn't try to stop her. She knew she could turn back time a few seconds but her bigger jumps had been unintentional. Vaporizing the hellhound had been unintentional at first too. So was teleporting and reading people. She was really good at those things now. She could become really good at controlling time with a little practice.
Kim called Dean again to let him know that she was taking Hannah home.
Dean asked how Kate was doing and if she had listened to Kim.
"She is an angel." Kim said. "Both of them are."
"Look for the horns holding the halos up." Dean joked.
Kim smiled. "Kate heard that."
"Tell her not to eavesdrop." Dean said.
Kate rolled her eyes. "Don't talk so loud."
Kim got off the phone with Dean and chatted with the girls until she dropped Hannah off. She waved to Mandy and told her that Hannah was a delight.
Kate glanced at the time on Kim's dashboard. 1:45 p.m. Still plenty of light left in the day in South Dakota. Time was relative. Everyone shared the same 24 hours but there were countries and cities that were just waking up or halfway into their night. A few hundred miles away, there were states an hour behind or ahead of South Dakota. Some people were sitting down for lunch while others were sitting down for dinner. If she went back and changed events, she could mess things up. She could alter the timeline. Atropos was picky about the timeline. Kate messed with the original timeline by saving Smith. What if she just messed with the alternate lines and left the original alone? She could experiment with solutions without hurting anyone or anything. She didn't even have to leave the universe for another reality.
Kim tapped Kate. "Are you doing alright?"
Kate blinked. "Yes."
"You zoned out." Kim said.
Kate looked at the time again. 1:47 p.m. 2 minutes had gone by. Thinking about it wasn't going to prevent time from continuing on. She needed to act sooner rather than later. "Yeah, I zone out sometimes." She smiled at Kim to convince her that she really was okay and hadn't been considering time travel. As soon as she got home, Dean would be on high alert. She couldn't zone out again because Kim would notice. She bit into the side of her cheek and looked out the window. Damn hyper observant people!