Author's note: I'm trying to get chapters out faster. If you catch plot holes or anything, please tell me. Sometimes I forget what I wrote at the start of the chapter by the time I'm at the end. School is back in session and I'm so not ready for it. Wish me luck.
(A few days later- Kim and Dean)
Kim was more than ready to leave the hospital, but the doctor wasn't happy with how her body reacted when they removed the supports that she was using.
"Just send me home with an IV." Kim said.
The doctor explained that it wasn't that simple.
"I'll have help." Kim said.
"You would need a nurse to stop by." The doctor said, "Let me talk to the rest of your team. I'd love to say you can go home but I cannot make promises."
Dean touched Kim's arm when the doctor left. "Just a little bit longer."
"Easy for you to say. You get to go out and get food and coffee." Kim said.
Dean grimaced.
"I'm not blaming you for doing that. I just don't feel great and am a little bitchy." Kim said.
Dean smiled. "This is bitchy?"
Kim flopped back onto her pillows. "I shouldn't snap at you."
"If it helps, snap away." Dean said.
"No. It isn't helpful when you aren't being a jerk." Kim said.
"Kate has said something similar to that before." Dean said, lightly.
"Great minds think alike." Kim said.
Dean handed Kim his coffee cup. "I won't tell anyone if you take a few sips."
Kim sighed and took the offering. She had a caffeine headache on top of all of her other aches.
Dean flinched when his phone chimed. He had not put it on silent and the sharp tone disrupted the otherwise quiet room. "Hello?"
Dean thought about his time at the hospital with Kim. He normally liked silence but hospital silence was too loud. He had spoken to a few people while Kim was out. He spoke to a nice nurse that said that she knew Kim well as she had been her nurse for years. He felt bad that Kim so seldomly had visitors that a nurse would notice him.
John asked how things were going.
"Uh, not horrible I guess. They still won't let her go home." Dean said.
"I want to take a look at those crystals and I think it would be wise to have a second set of eyes." John said.
"Do you think it is a trap?" Dean asked.
"I don't know what I think." John said.
Dean was surprised that John sounded unsure of himself. "Oh. Can Bobby go with you?"
"He is taking Sam to his interview." John said.
"Let me tell Kim." Dean said. "I'll let you know when I'm leaving." He hung up and turned to Kim.
"Go." Kim said.
"Well I was going to explain the situation." Dean said.
Kim yawned. "I'm going to sleep. Your dad wants you to be somewhere. Go. You don't have to stay anyway."
Dean made sure everything was within her reach and told her he would be back. He felt bad leaving her although she was just sleeping. He updated John and drove into town to meet him. He hadn't stepped foot in that shop in a long while. He remembered going several times as a kid and knocking something off a shelf by messing with Sam. He thought the owner could still be mad about it.
John said hello and made his way to the trays of crystals and charms. They had been moved around so he wasn't sure which white crystals were the important ones. He asked Dean to look at them as well.
"You could just get all of the white ones." Dean suggested. They all looked the same to him.
"Can I help you boys?" The owner asked. She looked Dean up and down. "You have grown up."
Dean blushed slightly. "Uh, yes ma'am."
"My daughter had her eyes set on two of these the other day but I don't know which ones she was looking at." John said.
"Is she alright?" The woman asked.
"Yes. She has been through a lot so she has panic attacks." John responded.
"Poor girl." The woman said.
Dean motioned to the white crystals. "Is there any difference in these rocks?"
"Those are not simply rocks." The woman said. "I do not sell placebos here. I like to keep hunters alive."
Dean grimaced. Okay, she was still a little mad.
"How do you screen these? I don't want to get her something that is going to hurt her." John was working on his excuse.
"A psychic reads them." The owner said.
"Do you know Pamela Barnes?" John asked.
The owner smiled brightly. "Lovely young lady. Of course I know Pamela."
"She happens to be in town. Would you mind if she read these?" John asked.
"Yes. Please tell her to stop by." The owner said. "How do you know Pamela?"
Dean smirked.
John shot Dean a look. "She is a very good friend of mine. I'll step out and call her to see if she is close by." He made the phone call and Pamela agreed to have a nymph take her to Bobby's house. Then she would borrow a car to drive to the shop. "She can be here in an hour." John said. "We are going to pick up a few things and then come back."
Dean let out a breath as they shut the door behind them. "Something tells me she still isn't a fan of me."
John raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?" It wasn't an actual question as he knew why Dean thought that. Truthfully, it wasn't that she didn't like him. She just didn't trust anyone. She was the daughter of a hunter as well as a widow of one. Like Ellen, she was well respected but the lack of trust kept her safe.
(Bobby's House)
Bobby gave Taylor and Kate a small list of things to do while they were gone. "Your dad is letting you stay here by yourselves. Don't make him regret it."
"I can cook." Taylor said.
"I think we can manage." Kate added.
Bobby shook his head, "Idgits. You know what I'm talking about."
"No magic, light or dark, stay in the warding, no keggers… "Taylor said, counting each thing on his fingers. "Does that cover it."
Karen handed Bobby a mug of coffee. "They know what you mean."
(Bobby's house)
Sam was nervous. He looked at himself in the mirror and chewed his cheek. Was he dressed professionally enough? Was it too professional? He had a meeting at the law firm near Sioux Falls. It would be years before he got his degree but they were interested in having him work under them.
"Babe." Jess said. "You look great."
Sam shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't want to look like some college kid."
Jess kissed him. "You are a college kid but you look fine. You'll do great."
They nymphed to Bobby's house and Sam said hi to the kids briefly before he and Bobby needed to leave.
Karen had her own car and told Bobby they would meet them to look at apartments.
Jess changed Jacob and got him settled before putting him in his carseat.
Kate spoke softly to Jacob and tickled his foot, earning her a glare. She stepped back and promised Karen that she and Taylor would be on their best behavior.
The house felt empty with everyone gone. Taylor told Kate that he was going to work on a project outside but to let him know if she needed anything.
Kate told him she was good and grabbed her art supplies from her room. She found a moment of peace as she painted a canvas. While most artists would place their canvas on an easel or a table, Kate liked to put hers on the floor. Dean would occasionally tell her she looked like an alien with the positions that she found comfortable. Dean wasn't there to comment on it though. She rarely knew what she was going to paint. Her brain focused on small sections that would eventually mesh into a larger picture.
She had a few odd talents that she wasn't sure if they were true talents or just abilities. The art was something she was good at from the beginning. However, she had improved a lot. Some of the strength and accuracy with fighting and weaponry was due to training but some was also probably due to abilities. She wondered who she would be without the abilities. She'd be who she was before the trouble started. Weak and scared. Helpless. A whole lot less stressed.
She wished that she could visit her biological parents in heaven to see what they thought of her. She got sad when she thought about it though. They were happy. They were in heaven together living the life they truly wanted to live. If she told them what happened after they died, they would not be happy anymore.
She looked down at her artwork and saw bark on a tree. It was very detailed and she could almost feel it. A branch extended from the bark and coiled toward the right side of the canvas. She had a bit of an idea of what she was going for. She'd add a human hand and arm within the coil as though the tree was trying to keep someone from falling or being pulled away. She didn't want to make the scene dark like a lot of her other art. She wanted the tree to be supportive, not trying to play tug of war with the human. It was a complex concept that she didn't know if she could portray on such a small canvas. She needed more canvases.
(Sam's interview)
Bobby agreed to drive Sam to the law firm so he didn't show up out of thin air. He chatted with Sam on the way there. "You're going to have to take some deep breaths or something."
Sam grimaced. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous aside from wanting to make a good first impression. He saw the sign above a building and pointed to it.
Bobby parked and let Sam out.
Sam walked up the steps to the main door of the building and took a moment to settle his nerves. He opened the door and stepped into a room with a desk and a few oversized chairs.
"Ah, you must be Sam." A receptionist said with a warm smile.
"Yes, ma'am." Sam said.
"Mr. Scott is in his office. He will be out to greet you shortly." She said.
Sam sat down in a leather chair and felt along the front of the arm where gold colored buttons lined the edges. The bumpy texture under his fingers helped pull his mind away from how nervous he was.
A bit later a man with gray hair and a sharp suit opened a door and stepped into the waiting room.
Sam stood up quickly and reached out to shake his hand.
"Nice to meet you in person." Mr. Scott said. "Follow me."
Sam's mouth was dry but he followed the man through a door, down a hallway to a small conference room.
"Make yourself comfortable. I'll have Delilah bring us some coffee." Mr. Scott said. "I'm impressed with your school records."
Sam's guidance counselor from highschool had put in a good word for him because she had known the lawyer for years. "Thank you, sir."
"I appreciate that you sent over your paperwork from Stanford as well. A 4.0 is no easy feat." Mr. Scott said. He smiled when Delilah opened the door with two coffees. "Thank you." He turned his attention back to Sam. "Why do you want to go into law?"
Sam took a deep breath. "That answer keeps changing. I found law interesting but didn't know what I wanted to do with a degree. Recently, though, I have been looking into family law. I've seen first hand that family cases can be mishandled terribly. I think I would like to focus on that so good families can stay together and children can escape the bad families. My fiance is going into social work."
"As you know, I do family law. However I handle many more divorces than I do children specific cases." Mr. Scott said. "It sounds like the two of you may wind up working together. Do you think that would be a conflict of interest?"
Sam thought about it. "No, sir. I would be advocating for the clients. A judge would rule one way or the other. I believe that a lawyer can work with a social worker and not cross legal boundaries."
Mr. Scott nodded. "What drove the two of you to focus on this?"
Sam chewed his cheek. How honest did he want to be? "My dad worked a lot when I was younger. My brother and I were afraid that CPS would show up and take us away one day. We were scared that they would split us up. Family dynamics can look different but not be harmful to the children. We have a family friend that fostered teenagers for a long time. They are older now and watch children when the parent has to be gone for a length of time. The children are safe and cared for. They do not travel from home to home. They are not lost in the system. I think there are better ways to care for children that come from atypical families than pulling them away from their parents to place them in a stranger's home."
"You are passionate about this." Mr. Scott said.
Sam felt more confident. He relaxed as the conversation continued.
After a long while Mr. Scott announced that he had another appointment to attend to. "I would like for you to shadow me on a few cases this summer. If we have any involving the situation that you are passionate about, I'd like to know your thoughts." He stood up and reached his hand out to shake Sam's hand.
Sam smiled. "Yes, sir. I appreciate the opportunity."
Bobby jumped from Sam knocking on the window of the car. He had fallen asleep and grumbled at Sam for scaring him.
"He wants me to help on a few cases this summer." Sam said with a grin.
Bobby started the car. "That is wonderful, son."
Sam leaned his head back when he sat down. He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I don't know if I have enough energy to look at houses."
Bobby chuckled. "Let's get you a bite to eat."
Jess got out of Karen's car and ran to hug Sam when he and Bobby met them at a restaurant. "How did it go?"
"Really well." Sam said. "He wants me to work on some cases this summer."
Jess squealed excitedly. "I knew you would do great."
The group went inside a small restaurant that had good reviews. Jess wanted pasta so they picked an Italian place.
Karen offered to hold Jacob while they waited for the main course to arrive.
A waitress returned with salads and breadsticks as appetizers.
"He will swipe at your plate." Sam said.
"Oh he is fine." Karen said. She sat down and scooted her chair closer to the table. She didn't react fast enough to prevent Jacob from grabbing a handful of lettuce. She laughed and pulled most of it out of his hand. "You did warn me." She let him keep a small piece and monitored him to make sure he wasn't going to choke.
"He is too young to eat that." Jess said. "I'm worried it will hurt his stomach."
"It is just a bite or two." Sam said. "I doubt it tastes good enough for him to actually eat it."
Jess sighed. She had read several books about babies and each author had different opinions. "I just want him to stay teeny tiny forever."
Jacob was content with his one leaf of lettuce through the whole meal. He didn't let go of it until he was offered a bottle and finally relaxed his hand enough for Karen to wipe with a wet cloth.
"Taking candy from a baby is a silly saying. He has quite the grip." Karen said.
(The Hunter's shop)
Pamela called John to let him know she was there and waited for him to walk back from the hardware store next door. She made small talk with the owner. It was nice to catch up.
John entered but left Dean outside to look around the area for any demon signs. He pointed out the crystals in question. "Can you read these?"
Pamela picked up each crystal and studied it. She could feel tiny scraps of power that would bind protection spells and sigils to the crystal. She picked up one of the white ones and felt like her blood had been replaced by ice. She quickly sat it down and stared at it. That one had way more power than the others and it was unlike any other power she had experienced. She tried not to outwardly react so that the owner didn't ask too many questions. The second crystal did the same thing and left her with a metallic taste in her mouth.
John could read her face and knew those two crystals had an effect. He was worried and wanted to know if she was okay.
Pamela sat aside five crystals and turned back to speak to the owner. "These will do."
John paid the owner and carried a plastic bag with the crystals inside, out to his truck. "What did you see?"
"I felt…." Pamela swallowed. "Power."
"Do you think it is from Kate or Taylor?" John asked.
"Stronger." Pamela said.
John explained how he felt when he was poked by Kate's feather and confirmed that Pamela had felt a similar sensation. He needed to get those crystals somewhere safe. The bunker, in a locked box, in a room with several locks. "Dean, did you see anything?"
"A whole lot of warding." Dean said. "I don't think demons had anything to do with this."
John almost thought that demon activity would make him worry less than no demon activity. They had no idea how the crystals got to the store or where they had been found. "You can go back to Kim."
"Where are you taking those?" Dean asked.
"Bunker." John said. He drove with Pamela away from town where they could nymph over to the bunker without anyone seeing. He appreciated Pamela's help as she had skills that he did not.
Dean cranked the car and leaned back in his seat. He felt off. He felt like he was being watched. Things were going too well and it sickened him. He called both Kate and Taylor to ask if they were still okay and the house was still standing. Once he was reasonably certain they would survive a few more hours, he asked Kim if she needed anything and made a short list of errands to complete before he drove back.
(Kate)
Kate was rudely torn from her artistic focus but didn't mind. She got a phone call and asked the person to wait so that she could call John to ask permission. She was surprised that he gave her the go ahead and didn't lay out 400 different rules. She asked a nymph to help her and explained what they were doing. Kim had called and wanted her to meet her at the hospital. Kate was likely too young for the nurses to allow her back to Kim's room but the presence of a grandmotherly type nymph would get them past the reception desk.
At the hospital, the woman at the front desk asked the nymph what she could do to help.
The nymph, who went by Eva, introduced herself. "We would like to visit Kimberly Elliot."
"Are you family?" The receptionist asked.
"We are not related to her but she is certainly part of our family." Eva said.
"Let me call and make sure she wants visitors." The receptionist said.
Kate looked around the waiting room. She could feel the frustration and pain from so many people. It was intoxicating. Her heart ached for those people and she wanted to make them feel better. She couldn't siphon their emotions though. That was not on the list of John Winchester approved activities. She stepped away from Eva to approach a man as though he had said something to her. She could smell his breath across the room. Fruity but weird. He needed help immediately.
Eva got Kim's room number and motioned for Kate to follow her.
Kate stopped one of the triage nurses. "That sleepy guy over there is very thirsty."
"I'm sure half the people here are." The nurse said.
Kate lightly touched her arm. "His breath smells like fruit."
The nurse gave Kate an odd look.
"My uncle is a diabetic. I'd recognize the smell anywhere." Kate said.
The nurse checked on the guy in question and helped him walk back to a triage room to be checked.
Kate joined Eva.
Eva asked what Kate had told the nurse.
"That guy is in ketoacidosis. His blood sugar is crazy high and he is going to die if they don't get that under control." Kate said.
"How do you know about that?" Eva asked.
Kate shrugged. "I had to do a report on prescription drugs and went down the rabbit hole with a few medical textbooks."
Eva found Kim's room and knocked on the door. She opened it when she heard Kim's voice.
Kim thanked them for coming. "I hope this isn't too much trouble."
"Not at all." Kate said. "This all just reminds me how much I want to become a doctor."
Kim sat up slowly. She asked how things were going and made small talk. "I was thinking about Dean and I think something needs to be discussed."
Kate tilted her head. "Yeah?"
"He is so kind. He really is the sweetest guy. I know things are going to get scary and you'll need him. Your dad called him and he didn't immediately go. He asked if he was really needed because he was here with me." Kim said. "If something big happens he can't afford to hesitate. I want you to compel him not to think about me in those moments."
Kate grimaced. "He doesn't like when I compel him."
"This could be life or death. He doesn't need to waste time explaining to me why he has to go. He doesn't need to consider sitting here while I sleep." Kim said.
"I understand what you mean but he will murder me if I even think about compelling him." Kate said.
"Not if I asked you to." Kim said.
Kate raised both eyebrows. "He wouldn't care. It would still be on me because I'd be the one messing with his head."
"Maybe you could ask him first." Kim said. "If I'm in danger a nymph can help me."
"The whole Winchester bloodline is wickedly hard headed." Kate said. "I feel like this was set up by him to be a trap."
Kim smiled. "He did not try to set you up. This is purely me asking you about it. Maybe I'll talk to him about it when he gets back from the store."
Kate touched Kim's hand and pulled a little of her pain away.
"Hey, I said not to do that." Kim said.
"I didn't fix anything. I just pulled part of the pain." Kate said.
Kim thanked her. "I can sleep better now."
"Please do. If you look unrested, Dean is going to panic." Kate said, lightly.
Kim smiled. "He's done enough of that. I might have him compelled to go home and sleep in his own bed."
Kate put her hands behind her back. "Not helping you there. I want to live." She and Eva left Kim's room and walked back toward the main waiting room.
Sirens blared outside a set of glass doors and a team of paramedics rushed in with a stretcher. The stretcher was whisked away to a room where doctors and nurses would try to save the person's life.
Kate met eyes with someone that wasn't in such a rush. She gave them a sad smile and hung her head out of respect for the person on the stretcher.
Eva bent slightly. "What do you see?"
Kate sighed. "Reaper. That person isn't going to make it."
Eva walked Kate out of the hospital onto a grassy area with a bench. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Kate bit her lip. "They aren't always scary. Some reapers are really nice. They just help people to the other side."
"You've met one, correct?" Eva asked.
"Yeah. A few times." Kate said. She could hear sirens getting closer and knew that additional ambulances were on the way. She didn't know if they came from the same area or if several things had happened at once. She had to get far away from the hospital before her need to save people took over.
(Sam and Jess)
Sam and Jess would need a place to live after leaving Stanford. Jess had researched housing areas and crime rates. She compiled a list of neighborhoods that she thought would be nice to look at and shared them with Sam.
Sam was so used to living in motels or brief stays in rundown houses. He wasn't sure if John ever worried about crime or school districts. They were in a very different situation with their house hunt then John was. He knew that was a privilege that he was lucky to experience with his own family.
The drive was short although the car was cramped with four adults and a baby taking up every seat. They had left Karen's car parked in a safe spot so they didn't have to worry about finding parking for two cars.
Sam unfolded himself from the front seat and stretched. "This street looks nice."
Jess pulled Jacob's carseat from the car and gave him to Sam.
Sam gently swung Jacob's seat as he had fallen asleep on the drive.
Jess shielded his face from the direct sun. She looked around. She could hear kids playing and saw part of a park at the end of the street. It was the first street they stopped on and she was already ready to move in.
Bobby handed Sam a stack of papers that he printed. "There are two places on this street with openings that are ready now. I think the green house over there might be opening soon."
"Thanks for looking these up." Jess said.
A woman got out of her car and waved at the group. She greeted them and introduced herself as Barbara. "You must be who I spoke to over the phone."
Bobby shook her hand. "Yes ma'am. These two are looking for a place to live while they go to school here."
The woman smiled and motioned for them to follow her. She talked about the neighborhood and responsibilities that residents had.
Sam had another moment of surrealism. They were looking at places to live. He and his soon to be wife were looking for a place to live that wasn't just a temporary place to crash for a few weeks.
Barbara showed them a few apartments in the area. The visits were quick as they were all nearly identical.
So many of the houses were cookie cutter copies of each other. It was picturesque for Sam. Jess was used to it. She grew up in a wealthy neighborhood but this neighborhood felt more quaint and comfortable. "What about the green house?"
"Oh." Barbara said. "An elderly couple lives there now. They are planning to move south once they are able to sell" She could see how badly Jess wanted to see the house. "We can walk over there and I can tell you a bit about it. They've had it on the market for years."
"Why haven't they been able to sell it?" Sam asked.
"A lot of the homes are bigger and newer." Barbara said. "They come with frills that this house doesn't. Of course, updates can be arranged. The couple just has no interest in doing that before selling."
Bobby and Karen let Sam and Jess ask all of the questions. Bobby nudged Karen and asked if she remembered how they got the house they lived in.
Karen did. She smiled. The house came with the junkyard. Bobby found it for a wonderful price as the owner had passed away and his children had no interest in the piles of junk that covered the yard. She thought Bobby was crazy. She told him as much.
They wound up buying the house and sprucing it up over the years. The rose bushes. The paint. Karen was free to do as she wished with the decor. Coming back from Heaven was not as difficult for Karen because Bobby kept everything the same. They just had more beds and things were moved around to make room for the kids.
Barbara told them the history of the house and answered all of their questions.
"Why hasn't it sold? It may be older but someone has to want it." Sam said.
Barbara sighed. "They really are the sweetest couple. They meet potential buyers and back out at the last minute. They are attached to the place but also want to move somewhere warmer." She knocked on the door and was pleased that the couple were at home. "Would you be open to showing your house today?"
The woman opened the door. "Of course, come in."
Jacob woke up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around and frowned deeply.
Jess took him out of his seat. "Did you have a nice nap?"
The woman smiled warmly. "Well hello."
Jacob yawned and rested his head on Jess's shoulder.
The couple welcomed everyone and opened the home so that they could see each room.
Jess was in love with the house. She held Sam's hand and squeezed it.
As they were getting ready to leave, the lights flickered and a cool breeze blew through the house, shutting some of the doors.
The couple didn't look frightened but just ignored it.
Everyone ignored it until they were outside.
"The windows are drafty." Barbara said.
Sam thanked her for showing them around.
Back in the car, Jess placed Jacob back in his seat. "I love it."
"The ghost house?" Sam asked.
Bobby shook his head. "That might be why it hasn't sold."
"So what if it has a ghost?" Jess asked.
Sam gave her a confused look.
Jess looked out the window, down the street to where the house stood. "We are meant to live there. No one else is able to get rid of the ghost so no one else can buy it."
Sam couldn't argue with that logic. "We have a long time to look at houses."
"I think it is a beautiful house." Karen said.
Bobby was sharing Sam's train of thought. Why was there a ghost? Who was the ghost?
Jacob whimpered and chewed on his fingers.
Jess pulled a premade bottle out of his bag and gave it to him. She glanced at Sam and hoped that he loved the house as much as she did.
Sam felt like they were being nudged toward the house but was unsure if it was to their benefit or detriment. He didn't want to make a rash decision and fall into a trap. He valued Karen and Bobby's opinions, as well as Jess's but wouldn't be able to settle his mind until he talked to John.
(Kim and Dean)
Dean returned to the hospital with some of Kim's things from her house. He wanted her to be comfortable.
"I asked Kate to compel you." Kim said.
Dean sat down next to the bed. "Why?"
"You don't need to focus on me. Your dad called you and you didn't just jump and run." Kim said.
Dean rubbed his face. "It wasn't an emergency."
"I have heard you talk about your dad. Questioning him isn't your normal." Kim said.
Dean was blank.
"I don't want you to ever hesitate because of me." Kim said.
Dean leaned back and crossed his arms. "Yeah?"
"Yes." Kim said. "I want her to compel you so that in an emergency, you are focused. If I need help, there are nymphs out there."
"If it is an emergency I can deal with it." Dean said.
Kim sat up and looked into his eyes. "When something happens, you have to look out for your own safety but you are doing mental checks at the same time. What are you fighting? Is your family safe? Do you have the right weapon? Are civilians safe? Are things warded?"
"It has always been like that." Dean said.
"If big things are about to happen, I do not want you to think about me. I'm a big girl. If you need to leave, an alert is nice but you don't need to explain." Kim continued. "You feel guilty leaving me here and it makes you slow to react."
"Just how much did you and Kate talk?" Dean asked.
"Not too much." Kim said. She kicked off the hospital blanket and snuggled into her own. "I'm good at rolling with the punches. I did allow you to drive me to the middle of nowhere with minimal questions."
"So you just want me to shout orders and leave without warning?" Dean asked.
Kim rolled her eyes. "Don't shout at me. If you tell me to go somewhere, I'll go. You can explain why later. If you have to leave you can leave. If there is no time to tell me that you have to leave, I'll figure it out."
Dean was quiet as he processed. "I can do that."
"I'll have Kate compel you if you don't." Kim said. "You can't get mad at her if I tell her to do something."
Dean raised an eyebrow. "Nope. That isn't how things work."
"Have dinner with your family." Kim said. She picked up a plastic cup and tilted it toward Dean. "I have this amazing hospital jello to work on."
Dean did want to catch up with the kids. He also wanted to talk to John. "I can come back after dinner."
"You can also sleep in your own bed." Kim said. "I promise I will let you know if anything changes with me. I'm going to sleep after this next set of meds. Take care of yourself."
Dean looked uncomfortable.
"I love…." Kim blushed deeply. "... that you care so much. You can't help people if you are exhausted."
Dean searched Kim's eyes. He heard what she was about to say and had no idea how to feel about it. His throat was dry. "I'll keep my phone on."
"Yep. A nymph can come get you if I can't message you." Kim said.
Dean sighed and stood up. He handed Kim her stuff and kissed her forehead. "You continue to confuse the hell out of me."
Kim settled into her bed. "I have to remain mysterious."
Dean snorted. "That's one word for it."
(Bobby's house)
Taylor, with permission, checked the emails that had accumulated on Bobby's computer. It was mostly hunter stuff with a few emails about the salvage yard and car parts. He deleted the ones that were pointless and made a list for the others that Bobby would want to answer right away. He found one from a government agency and his curiosity got the best of him. He clicked on it and found an encrypted file. He clicked on the file and found out how to open it. He saw John's name and figured out that it was a background check. He had almost forgotten that Bobby did checks on them to see what would come back if the police wanted to know who Dean spent his time with.
The document had personal information about John's parents and the addresses that he had claimed to live at over the years. He got to a section about police records and paused. Was he supposed to read it? No one said not to read it. He bounced his leg and looked at his phone. Should he call Bobby? He scrolled down instead and saw the usual things that he expected. A speeding ticket, a citation for parking in an unauthorized area. He had a few infractions such as breaking and entering or theft. His record looked like every other hunter's record did. He scanned the list with his eyes and saw a charge that he wasn't expecting. He quickly got out of the email and shut the computer off. His face was red and he wasn't sure what to do with the information. Maybe he shouldn't tell anyone that he saw it. That was lying though. He let out a laugh and got up to pace around the room. He had to play his cards right or John was going to kill him.
He didn't have nearly enough time to think of a plan before John, Dean and Pamela got home.
Dean walked in and gave Taylor a weird look.
Taylor's face was red because he was trying his best not to look like he knew something he shouldn't. He wasn't doing a very good job though. He realized Pamela was with them and had to go to the kitchen to calm himself down.
"Taylor is acting weird." Dean said.
John said. "Weird how?"
"His face is weird." Dean said.
John sighed. "Taylor, come in here."
Taylor swallowed. "I can't."
"Excuse me?" John said.
Taylor side stepped out of the kitchen. "Now is not a good time."
John crossed his arms and gave Taylor a hard look.
Taylor pulled the neck of his t-shirt up to cover the bottom half of his face.
"Why are you acting like that?" John asked.
Taylor's ears turned a deeper shade of red. "Dad, it's not anything bad."
John didn't think Taylor was telling the truth based on the colors his face was changing.
Kate tiptoed into the room because she was curious about what Taylor did. She thought they had a pact not to screw up.
Taylor didn't know what to say. He had no business even asking about it. "I… your background check came back."
John looked toward the computer. "And?"
"Uh…. I looked at it." Taylor said.
"And?" John asked with a harsher tone.
"Dad?" Taylor asked. "What happened on July 20, 1993?"
John furrowed his brows.
"In Indianapolis," Taylor said.
John remembered and tried to keep his own face from turning red. "Why did you open my background check?"
"To make sure there weren't any big things that would make the police worry." Taylor said.
"Bobby or I can do that." John said.
"I'm sorry." Taylor said.
"What happened in 1993?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, what happened?" Kate asked.
John did not want to answer the question but knew he needed to if he expected the kids to be forthcoming about other things. "I got arrested."
"You've been arrested a couple of times." Dean said.
John shook his head and sat down. "I was hunting demons."
Dean was fully invested.
Pamela smiled and squeezed his shoulder. She too knew about what happened in 1993.
John took a deep breath. "I knew this young woman was possessed and wanted to get her away from other people to deal with her."
"What young woman?" Dean asked.
John shot him a glare.
"He got charged with soliciting a prostitute." Taylor blurted out. He clamped his hand over his mouth and stared at John with wide eyes.
Dean whipped his head around and looked at Taylor and back to John. "You picked up a hooker?"
Kate gasped. "Dad!"
"She was a demon." John said, firmly. "There was simply a misunderstanding by the police."
Dean wanted to burst into laughter but he didn't want to piss John off. "Uh, a misunderstanding? Was she possessed at the time?"
John narrowed his eyes.
Dean put his hands up to placate John.
Pamela sat down beside John. "Oh John, let the kids laugh. You were doing the right thing. It just looked wrong at the time. It is no different than them thinking you've beat someone up."
"Taylor." John said.
Taylor gulped. "Yes, sir?"
"Keep your nose out of other people's business." John said.
Taylor cringed. "Yes, sir."
"If you say anything else about this I am going to skin you." John said.
"Yes, sir." Taylor said. "Sorry, sir."
"Go make yourself busy." John said.
Taylor shuffled over to the door. He gave Dean a sheepish grin and slipped outside to find something to fix or clean.
Dean couldn't hold it back and cracked up.
John covered his face. "I don't want to hear anything about it. Kate, keep your mouth closed."
Kate whined. "I'm not the one that outed you."
"Katelyn." John said.
Kate sighed dramatically. "Fine." She ran up to her room to laugh behind John's back.
Dean snorted. "I can't not tell Sammy."
"If you value your life, you won't." John said.
Dean was struggling not to grab his phone. "It is funny. We will laugh and get over it."
"They can tease you and still respect you." Pamela said. "Kids like to know you are human and make mistakes."
"I suffered through being exposed about Tessa." Dean said.
John smirked. "I didn't sleep with the demon."
"See it isn't nearly as bad." Dean said. "This is a great lesson to approach subjects more discreetly."
John leaned his head back. "You were, what… 14 at the time?"
"Is that why you checked out for a week and Bobby said you were on a hunt and couldn't contact us?" Dean asked. He laughed. "I knew he was lying about that."
"Go help Taylor." John said.
Dean got up slowly. "Maybe you were hard on me as a teenager because you don't want me to make the same mistakes."
John snapped his head up. "And you still made them."
Dean grimaced. "A few."
John pointed to the door. "Go."
Pamela hugged John when Dean was gone. "Taylor meant no harm."
John rubbed his face. "There are things that I do not want to explain to them."
"This was an easy explanation." Pamela said. She kissed him. "Are you going to tell them about the sirens?"
John laughed. "Hell no. There is no record of that and absolutely no reason for them to find out about it."
The kids would stay quiet about it until Sam got back to Bobby's house and then all hell would break loose, giving them infinite ammo for when they were feeling brave enough to tease him.
(Nighttime- TJ)
TJ thrived with routine. He did the same thing every evening to settle down for the night. He would eat dinner, shower, brush his teeth, put on pajamas, tidy his room and pick out his clothes for the next day. His mom would read him exactly two books and his dad would come in to say goodnight. He would then get under his covers and lay on his back, looking up at the ceiling fan that his dad attached colorful lights to. His dad would turn off his light and shut his door, leaving a one inch gap so that the bathroom light, that was always left on, would cast a soft glow into his room.
Alyssa and her husband would finish up any remaining chores or tasks before watching a show. After the show was over, they would go to bed as well.
The only thing that varied from night to night was the sounds that kept TJ awake. It didn't happen every night but it only happened at night. He didn't hear it throughout the house and couldn't mimic the sound. He had woken his parents up several times during the past few weeks but they never found out what was causing him to wake up.
TJ had almost fallen asleep when the noise started again. He opened his eyes and looked around for the source of the noise. Nothing was different. The ceiling fan wasn't blowing against a stray piece of plastic or paper. The trees were not moving outside. He found himself becoming agitated and scared but tried his best to stay in bed. The noise never lasted more than an hour. He just needed to wait it out. He watched the digital clock beside his bed, counting down the minutes until the noise would be gone. Halfway through the hour, TJ sat up quickly and looked around. The noise was much louder. The sounds were far more frequent but he was certain it was the same noise. Suddenly, the noise went away. He quickly laid back down and tried to sleep. Why did it only last a short time? Why did it change? He couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
Just as TJ started to calm down and fall asleep, he crinkled his nose. Along with a heightened sense of hearing came a heightened sense of smell. A bad smell could make it impossible for him to function. He tiptoed to the lightswitch and turned on his light, looking around his room for what smelled weird. He jumped and sprinted to his bed, flinging his blankets over himself. The noise was much worse. His light flickered and his ceiling fan whined. The bathroom light flickered too. He wanted to run to his parents' room but was too scared to move. The light in his room stopped working, leaving him in darkness. The smell was overwhelming and made his throat tickle. He pressed his back against the wall next to his bed and sat forward. Was the wall hotter than usual? He covered his ears as the noise spread throughout his room. He couldn't make it to his parents' room for fear that the bathroom light would go out too. He remembered what Andy said about the angels and felt for the bracelet on his ankle. After a moment he heard a soft voice.
"TJ." The voice said.
TJ pulled the blanket from his head and stared at the stranger in his bedroom. Andy did say a lady would show up.
"Come with me. Your house is on fire." The woman said in a kind voice.
TJ took her hand and followed her through the darkness to the stairs. How did she know the layout of his house? How did she even get in the house? He remembered his parents and turned to go to them.
"It is not safe. My friend is going to wake them up." The woman said.
Outside, TJ could see flames engulfing the side of the house. He was wide eyed and on the verge of a meltdown.
The nymph that was with TJ soothed him. "It is okay. You called for help. We are going to help."
Not long after TJ made it out, a very confused set of parents ran out as well.
Alyssa gasped and ran to TJ.
His dad stared at the growing wall of flames. He hadn't grabbed his phone when he ran out.
A nymph approached him. "Help is on the way."
TJ heard the sirens in the distance and covered his ears. He couldn't fight the meltdown and fought against Alyssa's embrace, wanting to run away from the chaos.
Alssya got him safely in the car so that he couldn't run away and get hurt.
Firefighters rushed to the scene and began to fight the flames that had taken over half of the house. By the time the last flame was doused, the house was a total loss. The only thing not burned was the living room.
TJ's dad tried to answer questions the police asked him. Everything happened so fast. He looked around for the three mysterious women that had been present when they first got out of the house. They were nowhere to be seen.
Neighbors started to fill the street, likely because they were nosey. They weren't close with any of the neighbors because they were all older and not overly fond of TJ.
Alyssa started to worry about what they were going to do. TJ was so set on things he liked that staying in a hotel was going to be hell. She turned to talk to her husband and saw something odd draped over their mailbox. She approached it and tears filled her eyes. It was TJ's favorite blanket. She opened the car door and showed him the blanket. She had no idea how it got outside. She initially thought one of the firefighters could have grabbed it but it wasn't wet and smokey.
TJ quickly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around his body, leaving only a space for his eyes. He took in a few big breaths and let the scent calm his frazzled nerves.
A young police officer asked if they had family or anyone they could stay with that night. They didn't.
Alyssa told them that they really only knew two families, Andy and Owen's families.
"Oh, officer Mills?" The young officer asked.
"Yes." Alyssa said.
The young officer stepped away and spoke into his radio. He nodded and turned the speaker off. "She is working tonight."
Alyssa was relieved. She didn't know Jody that well but atleast Jody knew about TJ.
Jody rushed to their house and hopped out of her cruiser. She opened her arms and wrapped Alyssa in a hug. She asked what happened but noted that no one really knew.
"Uh, there were these three women that I think saw that the house was on fire and woke us up." TJ's dad said. "They left before we could get their names."
Jody thought that was odd. Why would they save the family and walk away? She spoke to a few of the other officers and told TJ's family that they could stay at her place overnight since she knew them. As an added bonus, Andy was having another sleepover with Owen and could help TJ process.
Sean met them at the door. "Here, come in, sorry I just woke up."
TJ looked around the house. It looked like a normal house and didn't smell weird.
Jody talked to Sean and decided that it would be okay to wake the boys up. No one would be sleeping right away.
Andy ran out of Owen's room and slid into the living room. He met eyes with TJ and immediately signed to ask him what happened.
The adults went to the kitchen to talk while the kids stayed near the couches.
TJ told Andy about the weird sound getting louder and then pointed to his ankle.
Andy whispered to Owen. "A nymph saved them. Long story I'll explain later."
Owen nodded.
Alyssa checked on TJ and was pleased to see how calm he was. She tried not to think about what would have happened had they not woken up.
An hour later, TJ was fast asleep on the couch with his favorite blanket.
Jody was still working so she left Sean in charge and went back to the station to see if anyone had updates on what caused the fire.
As the sun came up and an inspector checked out the torched house, they would learn that it was an electrical fire. The sound that TJ was hearing was caused by a short in a wire. The reason he only heard it on certain days and for an hour had to do with their weekly routines.
Every other day, Alyssa would put a load of clothes on to wash. She would sit down with her husband and watch their show until it was over. Then she would swap the clothes over to the dryer and go to bed. The laundry room sat directly below TJ's bedroom and the short in the wire was only a problem when the dryer was on. TJ didn't like how loud the machines were so Alyssa only used them when he wasn't home or when he was sleeping. The wire had been sparking for weeks and finally wore down enough to completely fail and start the fire that spread up the wall from the dryer's plug into TJ's room.
(The next day)
Dust settled on the charmed remains of TJ's house.
Caleb called Dean to tell him about the previous night and to ask for help. He took off work to help but needed a second set of hands. TJ's dad was busy with him and Sean was doing his best to keep the boys in line in between hauling items out of the house.
Dean was having breakfast and put Caleb on speaker. "How did they get out?"
"I don't know yet. It was too hectic last night to get a clear answer." Caleb said.
"What do you need help with?" John asked.
"They want to clear out anything that can be saved. There is a crew moving around beams and stuff so the house doesn't collapse. Then their stuff would need to go somewhere until they have a new place." Caleb said.
"Dean, Taylor, that sounds like a job you two can handle." John said. "I will go with you."
"Can I go?" Kate asked.
"If you want to." John said.
Kate wanted to see if she could communicate with TJ or if his thoughts were like how typical people spoke. It was also an opportunity to skip a day of school.
(TJ)
Owen and Andy got to stay out of school too because they were up late and were a source of comfort for TJ.
Around noon the families sat around a foldable table in April and Caleb's back yard. The boys played with the ants and jumped until a meal was placed on the table.
TJ's parents tried to explain everything in as much detail as they could remember. Meaning, not very much detail at all.
TJ heard Caleb ask about the strange women and ran over. He used his hands to try to tell them about the lady angel that showed up.
His parents caught some of what he was saying but he was using signs that they didn't know.
Andy approached and grinned sheepishly. "Uh, he got scared when the lights turned off and an angel rescued him."
Alyssa gave TJ a soft but sad smile. "I guess we did have an angel watching over us." She took the comment as a comment that just about anyone would make. If someone narrowly missed death, an angel had to be watching over him.
After lunch, Caleb and Sean helped bring trash and dishes back into the house.
Caleb motioned for Andy to join them so he could ask about the angel. He noted that Andy looked slightly guilty. "What really happened?"
Andy's face turned red. "Uh, I gave him my nymph splinter because he was so scared of the noises. I told him if he was in danger, he could ask and an angel would show up. I didn't tell him a nymph would show up. I just thought angel sounded better."
"So he used the bracelet to call a nymph?" Caleb asked.
Andy nodded.
"That is why you wanted the leather cord." April said.
Andy nodded again.
Caleb hugged Andy and kissed him on the head. "You saved their lives."
Andy stepped back. "You aren't mad?"
"I wish you would have told me or your mom just so we knew but everything makes sense now." Caleb said.
Sean let them have their moment and quietly told Jody the truth.
Jody was so grateful that Andy chose to give TJ that bracelet. She had spoken to the fire crew and was told that the family's escape had been a miracle due to how the fire burned. Had they waited a few minutes later, they would have been caught in the flames.
TJ's dad went to his car to make a phone call, leaving an opportunity to talk openly.
"Are you going to wallop him for it?" Dean asked.
Caleb shook his head. "Shut your mouth. This is a different situation."
Dean smirked.
"That took a lot of thought." John said. "He's a good kid."
"Makes me damn proud." Caleb said.
"I remember being proud of ours before they became delinquents." Dean said, loudly.
Kate skipped over to him. "You only see the bad in us."
Dean ruffled her hair and pulled her into a side hug. "It is 50/50."
April took Alyssa to Elsie's store to get TJ new clothes. She introduced Elisie and helped Alyssa sort through the stacks.
Alyssa broke down crying. She had held it together in front of TJ and it was finally hitting her.
April hugged her. "Let it out."
Elsie brought her some tissues and stepped away to give her some privacy.
Alyssa pulled it together and gathered several outfits for TJ to wear to school. She found not one but two sets of TJ's favorite pajamas in the correct size. They were a different print but the fabric was the same.
Jody knew what protocols were in place to help a family when they were displaced due to a sudden loss of their home. She handled the logistical side of things and tried to take as much weight off of their backs as she could.
With all hands on deck, most of the hard work was done and allowed TJ's parents to focus on being together and being alive.
Taylor was allowed to see Hailey for a little bit while the adults chatted.
Kate hung out with the younger boys. She was older so they thought she was super cool. She soaked in the admiration. She helped them strengthen their ant city and noted how TJ communicated with Andy. She could hear his thoughts. He did have an inner voice. He could speak so clearly in his mind and it hurt her heart that he couldn't articulate what he was thinking. She could understand the frustration. She felt the same way when her experience was too difficult to explain to John and Dean. She remembered an article from a journal she was reading and cleared her throat. "Do you have pictures to point at?"
TJ didn't realize she was speaking to him.
"Does the school have a board that has pictures he can point to? You know, like drink, food, bathroom." Kate said.
"There is a big one in the classroom." Andy said.
Kate was brainstorming. "TJ? Would you like me to draw some stuff for you so you can point to it? Things that are more complicated than food and drink."
TJ didn't quite understand what she was trying to say.
Kate told John what she was doing and went to the upstairs bathroom so she could nymph to Bobby's house and back. She returned with a drawing pad and a variety of pencils. She sectioned her paper into squares and drew in each one. A scared face with the word scared. A simple drawing of the human body with labels. Along the side were words like pain and itch. "Here, if your head hurts you can point to pain and head."
TJ looked at the drawings and pulled the notebook into his lap. He pointed to his mouth and opened it to show Kate his teeth.
"Do you want me to draw your mouth so you can point to where it hurts?" Kate asked.
TJ nodded.
Kate drew 10 pages front and back with words that TJ and Andy picked.
When Alyssa and April returned, TJ ran to her with the book. He showed her a drawing of a dog and flipped the page to point to the words happy and love.
"I thought you were scared of dogs." Alyssa said.
"He loves Riot." April said.
Riot bounded over after hearing his name.
TJ bent to hug him and pet his back.
"Maybe you can get a dog one day." Alyssa said. She looked sad. "I guess we need a house first."
Kate found a way to help people that wouldn't spiral out of control. She thought about the hospital and patience that were in a coma. She could help them. Maybe if she focused on helping people instead of hunting demons, the whine of the veil would go away for a little while.
Dean stood by the sliding glass door, watching the kids. "This is all going too well."
Caleb sighed. "I was thinking the same thing."