Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One: Back in Black

Most people would describe Ellen Harvelle as a strong woman. She was a fierce, take-no-prisoners person who hadn’t had the easiest life. She grew up in a family of hunters. But they were not ordinary hunters; instead, the things they went after were supernatural, evil beings. She never had the luxury of thinking that there was nothing to be afraid of. As such, she developed the skills she needed to keep herself and her loved ones safe. She married another hunter, who had died nearly twenty years earlier. If Ellen hadn’t been as tough as nails before, raising her daughter single-handedly while running a bar for hunters to congregate certainly had.

Ellen wasn’t a stranger to grief and loss. First, her best friend, Mary Winchester, had died, then her husband, and then there was the boy that she thought of as a son: Ash Teller. She had lost the entire bar at one point, burnt to the ground by demons, losing some great friends in the process. She had grieved for both Sam and Dean Winchester, Mary’s oldest two sons, but their deaths hadn’t stuck. The loss that she didn’t see coming was the death of Mary’s only daughter: Hailey. It wasn’t so much Ellen’s own grief that ate at her. It was watching Hailey’s brothers, her daughter, and Darren Whitman grieves that tore at her. She had known all those kids since they were infants, and now the youngest was dead. It wasn’t fair, but then again, the life of a hunter never was.

It had only been six months since Hailey had died, but the pain of her absence still lingered. Ellen and the others did what they could to keep themselves busy. The Winchester boys and the Whitman family even hunted while Ellen and Jo had built up a new roadhouse with much more protection than the previous one.

The New Roadhouse had only been up and running for two weeks now, but it had already gained quite the following. Throughout Ellen’s career as a barmaid, she had seen so many things that few things shocked her anymore. Living around hunters your entire life tended to do that too. At that moment, there was a vicious storm raging outside. People had already sought shelter inside, creating a cozy environment. When the front door was thrown open, slamming into the outside wall with the force of the winds outside, everyone jumped.

The waifish form of a young girl sauntered into the room, shutting the door behind her. Her face was hidden in the shadow of her hood, though it was evident that she was soaked to the bone. The jeans she wore clung tightly to her small frame; whether that was a style choice or the fact that they were wet was unclear, though judging from her male clientele, it was appreciated. Ellen had been running the bar in some form or another since her early twenties; she knew that it was no place for girls, especially one as fragile-looking as the one that had just strolled in.

The stranger in question threw her hood off, shaking out a mane of long, chestnut brown hair. The girl was small, but she also had a presence that seemed to enthrall everyone in the building. Her sapphire eyes swept around her new surroundings; as they landed on Ellen, she felt a wave of familiarity rock her to her core. Her deep intake of breath had her daughter glancing over at her.

“Mom?” Jo prompted. “Are you okay?”

Ellen spared her only child a glance and a small smile nodding her head carefully. The blonde seemed to accept the answer as she stepped to stand next to her mother.

“I got a call from Dean,” Jo announced, trying to break her mother out of the staring contest she was having with the mystery girl. “The Winchesters are about an hour out. Aiden’s hurt.”

“How bad?” Ellen asked.

“Dean said too much blood to tell,” Jo frowned. “He got thrown out of a third-story window and landed in a tree. They’re gonna need supplies at the ready.”

“Shit,” Ellen muttered before projecting her voice. “Okay, folks, closing time. If you’re staying the night, I suggest you make your way to your rooms.”

Ellen didn’t bother to look and ensure that her orders were followed; instead, she ran into the kitchen, filling the sink with hot water while Jo grabbed the Holy Water, alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and bandages. When both Harvelle women walked back into the bar room, the mystery girl sat at the bar counter.

“Did you not hear me, sweetheart?” Ellen asked. Her tone seemed friendly, but there was an underlying layer of steel.

“I heard you,” The girl replied, a ghost of a smirk on her face. “I just figured that it didn’t apply to me.”

Ellen’s eyebrows rose at the girl’s flippant remark. A comment that only a few would dare toss her way.

“I know you?” Ellen questioned, stopping directly across from the girl.

“You and my mom were best friends,” The girl began. “You knew my father and my brothers, and I practically grew up in the old roadhouse. It’s Hailey, Elle, Hailey Winchester.”

Ellen lunged across the countertop, grabbing the girl by her shirt and pulling her out of her seat with a clean collar-and-jerk.

“Mom!” Jo exclaimed.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but you’re not funny,” Ellen seethed. “Hailey Winchester was like a daughter to me, and I won’t have you throwing her death in my face.”

“That’s not my intention,” The girl responded, not bothering to free herself from Ellen’s grip. “I’m telling you the truth, Ellen. Hailey Winchester’s not dead; she’s right in front of you.”

“You look nothing like Hailey,” Ellen contradicted. “She’s also been dead six months.”

“After everything you’ve seen in this life, you still doubt this?” The girl retorted. “Dean was in hell for four months. Are you going to stand there and tell me that Dean isn’t who he says he is?”

“Dean still looks like Dean,” Jo snapped this time.

“My old body was destroyed,” The girl frowned. “The Fallen Angel carved sigils into our skin and bones; it makes it impossible to resurrect in the same body. Castiel freed my soul and put it in this body.”

“Prove it,” Ellen ordered, releasing the girl from her grip.

“Okay,” She shrugged. “I was born on December 13, 1989. I’m the only daughter of John and Mary Winchester, both of whom are deceased. You’ve known me since I was a baby. I was fourteen when I got my GED, which I got behind my father’s back. Before that, I had been to forty-five schools all over the country. Or, should I just say all over the continental United States because Dean’s afraid to fly, which he only confessed to when there was that possessed plane thing? The fact that we moved around so much brought frequent arguments between you and my father. Despite all this, you were one of Dad’s best friends; he trusted you. Ellen, you gave us a home, a real home, and you made sure we knew it was okay to come back whenever we wanted. Half the time I ran away, I ran to the roadhouse because I knew you’d listen before telling my father where I was. Most people don’t know this, but I know that you let Sam crash there for the breaks he had at school, at least when they closed the dorms. You were there for us, Ellen, and you didn’t care if you had to go behind my Dad’s back to do it.”

Both Ellen and Jo were gobsmacked by the information the girl possessed. Someone claiming to be Hailey was cruel, but this person actually proved herself to be who she said she was. It was impossible to believe, too good to be accurate, but she continued to prove herself.

“You always kept my brother’s and my room, even when you were booked to capacity. You made it known that those were our rooms and always will be. I might be going out on a limb here, but I bet that hadn’t changed. Ellen, you were fully capable of controlling my brothers, the Whitman kids, Jo, and me with ease. While my Dad would shout his head off, all you had to do was say one thing quietly, and we all would stop. Hell, half the time, you could silence us with a look. You would also make us run laps whenever we fought one another or broke something. Oddly enough, we ran a lot of laps around the compound.”

“Oh, my god,” Ellen whispered.

She exchanged a look with her daughter, similar to the one that they shared when they learned that Dean had come back. It was a weird mixture of relief, and how could this actually happen? Both Harvelle women, however, knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. If there actually were strings attached to Hailey’s resurrection, just like there had been strings attached to Dean’s, they’d handle that when the strings showed themselves.

“Oh, Hailey,” Ellen cried, rushing around the bar to gather the young girl up into a tight hug.

She hugged Ellen back, burying her face in Ellen’s shoulder. After a few moments, Ellen stepped back to allow Jo to embrace Hailey. Both young girls were crying, holding each other tightly.

Hailey’s Point of View

Resurrection was a weird and jarring thing; all the noises and smells, and sights were painful. Everything was too loud, too bright, too much. I couldn’t understand how I was suddenly alive again because dying young really didn’t matter much. What set me apart from anyone who died before they were supposed to? Shit happened, and people were fragile, much more delicate than we realized.

I had no idea how I had come back, only that I had. The first thing I had done was find clothes and file for credit cards. It took a week for the credit cards to come, so I hustled money in the meantime. I might’ve died, but I hadn’t forgotten what I had been taught. I laid low until I had gotten enough clothes, weapons, and money before I began to move around.

Hunting solo was something that had never been tolerated in the family; it wasn’t safe. The only people who seemed to be an exception to that rule were Dad and my cousin Charlie. When Dean died was the only time when the significant family rule was ignored. I always referred to the regulations as the Holy Trinity: we do what we do and shut up about it, shoot first, ask questions later, and no hunting alone. There were others, of course, but those three were the most important.

Once I had enough money, I found someone who made proper fake IDs, making sure to get one at each branch of the government and a few IDs at various colleges and universities. After I had finished that, I stole a car from an impound lot and drove to the new roadhouse.

Ellen, Jo, and I weren’t alone for long. It seemed like only five minutes had passed before I heard the familiar roar of the impala’s engine. The horn honked a few times, sending Jo and Ellen running towards the front door.

“Hailey, hide in the back,” Ellen ordered. “Jo will get you when it’s safe to come out.”

Instead of hiding in the back, I moved to hide behind the bar to hear everything that was going on. The front door was slammed back open as Ellen rushed to open the kitchen doors. Dean and Sam had Aiden supported between them. There was blood all over Aiden and Sam. Though, I think it was mostly Aiden’s blood than Sam’s.

“What the hell happened?” Ellen demanded as Sam and Dean laid Aiden down on the table.

“Poltergeist pushed him out of a third-story window; he landed in a tree,” Dean explained. “We found him dangling upside down after we purified the house.”

“Upside down?” Jo repeated.

“Yup, knocked out,” Dean shook his head. “Can’t tell if it was because of the poltergeist, or he just hit his fool head.”

Dean’s tone was reproachful yet fond as he looked toward Ellen.

“We didn’t know that he was hurt beyond that until he started bleeding,” Sam explained. “He has a graze on his side; we think it was the tree, judging by the splinters; he also has a deep cut in his hairline.”

“Hasn’t woken up yet either,” Dean noted

“Let’s take care of the splinters before we try to wake him,” Ellen ordered. “Sam, get started on that head wound.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sam replied.

Ellen and Sam worked efficiently side-by-side, quickly patching Aiden up, at least until Aiden woke up. After that, Dean and Jo had to hold him down to finish the stitches. When they were done, Aiden stayed on the table, already asleep. Somehow he had avoided a concussion, but he was still going to be woken up every few hours, just in case.

“Boys,” Ellen announced once Aiden had been settled. “I have someone you need to see.”

“Ellen?” Dean questioned.

“Come on out, sweetheart,” Ellen ordered. “I know you’ve been eavesdropping. No one ever could break you of that habit.”

I hopped up from my place behind the bar and walked into the kitchen. Sam and Dean took a step back and looked at me curiously. Ellen was also looking at me encouragingly.

“Hi, guys,” I whispered.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Dean questioned.

“Hay?”

Everyone’s attention shifted to Aiden, who, in turn, was staring straight at me. His eyes were surprisingly bright and focused.

“Ads,” I whispered.

“Missed you,” Aiden slurred.

Before I could echo the same, he had fallen back asleep, leaving a loud silence in his wake.

“Hailey?” Dean demanded.

“Hi, Dean,” I grinned. “Sam.”

“No way,” Sam shook his head. “This isn’t possible.”

“I’m sorry, were you just talking about a poltergeist?” I scoffed. “That’s possible, and I’m not. Dean came back. I can’t?”

“Actually, we were told you couldn’t come back,” Dean disagreed. “Castiel said that you couldn’t come back.”

“I believe I can shed some light on this,” Castiel proclaimed.

Everyone in the room jumped at the sudden appearance of the Angel. I guess we were so wrapped up in what was going on that we missed the telltale fluttering of Angel’s wings.

“Hey, Cas,” Dean greeted, sparing the Angel a glance. “So, is what she saying true?”

“Yes,” Castiel replied.

Dean’s eyes flashed green fire as he whirled around to punch Castiel square in the jaw. The Angel, not expecting the blow, stumbled back.

“Dean,” Sam censured, stepping between the two men to stop any further violence.

“You son of a bitch!” Dean hissed. “You lied to us. You looked me in the eye and told me that there was no way that Hailey could be brought back.”

“I lied for your own good, Dean Winchester,” Castiel retorted. “If we had brought her back, Beelzebub would’ve killed her again. And again. We had to protect her, so we did. She has been herself for two months.”

“Herself?” Sam, Jo, and Ellen repeated.

“Two months?” Dean growled.

“Thanks, Cas,” I mumbled. “Really. That was helpful.”

“I want an explanation,” Dean snarled, looking right at me. “Right now.”

“She doesn’t remember anything,” Castiel intervened. “We wiped her memory.”

Castiel strode over to me, quickly tapping his index finger against my temple. With a jolt, an onslaught of images flooded my mind. The past six months of my life were now accounted for.

Demons…ghosts…ghouls…poltergeists…werewolves…vampires. They were real; I knew that now, not something someone made up to scare others. It was a terrifying realization. One that had come too late, the apocalypse had begun; Lucifer was free to roam the earth. I had to get out of here; it wasn’t safe.

I had packed up all my clothing in two duffle bags, sneaking out of residential housing far more skillfully than I should’ve been capable of. I was next to my roommate’s car before I realized I had left my dorm. I didn’t have the keys, but it wasn’t something that was going to get in my way. I manage to unlock the door and climb in, moving with the ease of someone who had stolen cars before. I pulled out the wires that were connected to the steering wheel, stripping the red and green cables before bringing them together. It took a few tries, but the car started smoothly.

As I drove down the quiet streets, I glanced around at what my life once was, as if viewing it through the eyes of a stranger. As I crossed over into the next town, someone appeared in the middle of the street, seemingly out of nowhere, causing me to let out a frightened screech as I slammed on the brakes.

The car barely managed to stop; the man in a suit and a trench coat, both of which had seen better days, didn’t move, nor did he react. His blue eyes burned into mine with a calm that was far more intimidating than it should’ve been.

“Castiel,” I mumbled. The name had popped into the forefront of my mind. Quickly filling my brain with information regarding this man, including the fact that he wasn’t indeed a man. He was an angel.

“You’re starting to remember,” Castiel frowned.

I slid out from behind the wheel to stand next to him. “Why do I know you?” I demanded. “How do I know all these things?” My voice took on a hysterical edge as I snarled. “I stole that car! I don’t know how to do that. This shouldn’t be happening. I’m a fucking college student; I’ve lived in Lawrence all my life.”

“What you believe you know is a lie,” Castiel said. “You’re not a college student, and you haven’t stepped foot in Lawrence since you were a baby.”

“No,” I disagreed. “No.”

“Listen to me,” Castiel ordered. “Your name is Hailey Winchester; you died six months ago. I brought you back.”

“Died?” I yelped. “That’s impossible.”

“Oh, Hailey, nothing is impossible; you should know that by now,” Castiel sighed.

“Don’t call me that!” I protested. “That’s not my name. My name is Jade Campbell. You’re just a dream. I’m going insane.”

“Ramiel,” Castiel called. “This way isn’t working.”

Another figure appeared next to Castiel. He was dressed in a simple tee shirt and jeans. His hair was dark brown and shorn close to his head. Ramiel’s eyes were dark green and severe-looking in a way that only angels could manage. Before I could even begin to protest, he simply tapped his two forefingers on my forehead. After that, I wasn’t aware of the two angels letting me crumble to the concrete in an unconscious heap.

I didn’t know how long they left me lying on the concrete, but that was the least of my concern as I sat up with a groan. Both Angels still stood in front of me, looking down at me expectantly.

“What did you do to me?” I croaked.

“You know who you truly are,” Ramiel stated. “Don’t you?”

“I look nothing like that girl,” I protested. “I was an only child; my parents died.”

“Those were implanted memories,” Ramiel explained. “It was to keep you in hiding. Unfortunately, you can hide no longer.”

“Listen to him,” Castiel ordered. “Your name is Hailey Jade Winchester. Jade Campbell never existed.”

“If I’m Hailey Winchester,” I scowled, knowing that as I glared at the Angels that they were telling me the truth. “Why don’t I look like her…me?”

“Your body was destroyed; we were able to salvage your soul.”

“Holy shit,” I mumbled.

“The implanted memories were powerful; they didn’t begin to break down until a month ago, correct?”

“Yeah,” I grumbled, glaring at the unfamiliar Angel.

“The Apocalypse rages on-”

“I thought I already failed that part of the plan,” I growled, interrupting Ramiel. “I remember that much.”

“Your brothers need you,” Castiel tried to reason.

“There are better hunters,” I retorted.

“Yet we have use for you,” Ramiel growled. “You were born to be a hunter. The Trinity shouldn’t have fallen.”

“Have you brought Abby and Lucy back?” I asked

“No,” Castiel said.

“You brought Dean back because you said you had worked for him,” I mumbled. “Is that why you brought me back?”

“Yes,” Ramiel said.

“What happened to me being in danger?” I protested.

“Your brothers killed the demons who killed you,” Castiel stated. “That set of a tripwire we set up in your mind. You would begin to remember when you were safe.”

“That is one thing the Winchesters seem very good at,” Ramiel mused. “An eye for an eye.”

“You made me believe I was a college student?” I snapped, glaring at the Angel.

“You had to be protected,” Castiel explained. “You were the last to die, the only one we could save.”

“Can you maybe share with the class?” Sam snarked.

“Castiel made me think that I was a college student named Jade Campbell,” I growled. “I studied history at the University of Kansas. You know, the one in Lawrence.”

The two older Winchesters speared Castiel with dark looks. The latter of whom had the decency to look a little contrite.

“She’s known who she really is for two months,” Castiel retorted.

“How could you not have found us?” Sam asked. “We’ve been mourning for you. After we saw you in heaven-”

“What?” I interrupted. “Sam, I was never in heaven.”

“We talked to you, Hailey,” Sam disagreed.

“I was never in heaven,” I stated. “My soul was grabbed before I could cross over.”

“Zachariah, that fucking douche,” Dean growled.

“Should’ve known,” Sam huffed, his jaw clenched.

Castiel chose at that moment to disappear, leaving us alone. There was a sort of awkward silence that fell over the kitchen as they glanced at one another uncertainly.

“Who’s Zachariah?” I asked.

“Another angel,” Dean said. “A bigger douche than Uriel was.”

“Oh,” I scoffed. “Awesome.”

“What’s weird is you still look like Hailey,” Dean mused. “Your hair’s different, and you’re not as pale, but everything else is the same. Hell, you even act the same.”

“Thanks, Dean,” I mumbled. I then looked over to Sam, who was doing everything possible to avoid my gaze. “Sam? Are you alright?”

“I just need some air,” Sam whispered, quickly fleeing from the room before anyone could say a word.

Dean watched Sam go before turning to look at me, stepping closer.

“You forgave him in heaven,” Dean sighed. “Since that wasn’t really you. Sam still remembers you saying that you hate him the last time you saw each other.”

“Oh,” Hailey whispered.

“It’s good to have you back, Hails,” Dean stated, tucking me into his arms. “You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice and see you. Even if it’s different.”

“It’s good to be back,” I confessed. “When I heard the impala, I felt like I was home. I could recognize that engine anywhere.”

“That’s my girl,” Dean laughed, pulling away from the hug after squeezing me tight.

“Okay, you guys,” Ellen called. “Let’s get some sleep; it’s late.”

“Okay,” Dean agreed.

He walked over, kissing Jo softly on the lips before reaching Aiden, tapping the side of his face until the former opened his eyes, blinking blearily.

“D’n?” Aiden slurred.

“Hey, Ads,” Dean whispered. “Time for bed.”

“Already sleeping,” Aiden retorted, eyes already closing.

“Not in here, you’re not,” Dean scoffed.

He gently rolled Aiden off the table, putting Aiden’s arm over his shoulder and nearly dragging him towards the back room. Ellen and Jo had already disappeared into the apartment connected to the kitchen, leaving me alone. I cleaned up the kitchen before I followed Sam. Knowing that he and I had some things to settle.

Outsider Point of View

Sam was predictably leaning against the impala, his face tilted up towards the moon, seemingly lost in thought. The only thing that gave away that he was aware of Hailey’s presence was the tensing of his shoulders and his clenched fists. Like he was readying for a fight.

“Hi, Sammy,” Hailey greeted.

Sam glanced back at her, a guilty expression on his face.

“You know what I miss,” She began walking towards him.

“Hailey,” Sam whispered, pleading.

“I miss how you used to force us to talk,” Hailey continued. “You were the one who wouldn’t let us avoid our feelings. If there were problems, you wanted to fix them.”

“That was before I realized that I was the problem,” Sam scowled.

“You know that’s not true,” Hailey retorted.

“It isn’t?”

“Sam, you know that everyone is responsible for their own actions,” Hailey sighed. “If you have to feel guilty about something, feel guilty about that. Not what others have done, but what you have.”

“You really have grown up, Hails,” Sam noted.

“So have you,” Hailey replied.

Sam frowned as he turned to face her head-on. “It is my fault, Hailey. All of this is my fault. You didn’t trust Ruby from the beginning; she betrayed me. I kick-started the apocalypse that’s on me.”

“I’m not going to lie, Sam, I hated you for a long time because you trusted Ruby over Aiden and me. Over Dean.”

Sam winced at the emphasis Hailey put on their older brother’s name. He avoided eye contact because he knew what Aiden and Hailey knew, Dean was the most selfless of all of them. Dean had never put his needs above his siblings. Dean was the one constant the three of them had. When their father was in his war mode, Dean picked up the slack, almost no questions asked. Where his younger siblings were concerned, he never faltered; he never let them down.

The oldest Winchester boy might’ve been bossy and demanding, but he often did what he did out of love, acting on what he thought was right. Dean might’ve not seen things like shades of grey, but he would make an effort just because of Sam and Hailey. And considering the lifestyle that the Winchesters grew up in, shades of grey weren’t all that common.

“I know,” Sam whispered. “I know, Hailey.”

“You saw me in heaven?” Hailey mumbled.

“Yeah,” Sam coughed, rubbing the back of his neck with his left hand, “You looked good, Hailey, happy. We talked…”

“And I forgave you,” Hailey filled in.

“I know,” Sam interrupted. “It was too good to be true. The things I’ve done…what I did to you…It’s unforgivable.”

“You’ve always been too hard on yourself, Sam.”

“How can you even say that?” Sam demanded. “I hit you, Hails. I threw you through a goddamn table; I nearly killed Dean. I trusted Ruby over you. I took everything Dad and Dean ever taught us and threw it away.”

“That was your arrogance. Your belief that you knew what you were doing. That you were a better judge of character. That you saw something in her, we didn’t.”

“I know what it was,” Sam snapped.

“Sam, it wasn’t your fault,” Hailey stated.

“Stop it!” Sam yelled. “Just stop!”

In the face of Sam’s sudden rage, Hailey took a small step back, shutting her mouth. Sam shifted away from the impala, stalking over to her. He loomed over her, something that would’ve intimidated many people. That tactic had long ago stopped working for Hailey; it had been used too often.

“Stop trying to make what I did okay,” Sam whispered. “It’s not okay.”

“I never said it was,” Hailey shrugged. “I’m just saying that I forgive you.”

“You can’t.”

“Too bad,” Hailey scoffed. “I already have.”

Sam scowled at his little sister, who, in turn, looked completely unperturbed at the look. She leaned against the impala, the engine still warm from the drive here. She tilted her head up, looking at the clear night filled with stars.

“How can you forgive so easily?” Sam whispered, slouching next to her.

“Honestly, Sam, I’m tired,” Hailey confessed. “I’ve spent the past year and a half loving and hating you in equal measure. But you’re my brother, and I can’t forget that.”

“I hit you,” Sam said, repeating what he had already mentioned.

“And what?” Hailey rolled her eyes. “You forget that I hit you back?”

“I threw you through a table,” Sam said.

“I hit you with a lamp,” I retorted. “Seriously, Sam, the number of fistfights we’ve gotten into, you’re really gonna whine about you getting a few lucky punches?”

“You died because of me,” Sam replied.

“No, I died because some demon’s got the drop on me,” Hailey corrected. “It wasn’t your fault. Besides, it didn’t stick.”

“Castiel had to put your soul into another body.”

“At least he could get my soul,” Hailey frowned. “I don’t know what happened to Abs or Luce.”

That fact was something; Hailey had refused to dwell on. Knowing that if she thought about what had happened the night she was killed, it would unearth everything that she didn’t remember. Things that were murky at best. Something that she had an excellent feeling should remain that way. Still, the stubborn set of her older brother’s face had her rolling her eyes.

“You’re a real selfish prick sometimes, Sam,” Hailey growled.

Sam seemed surprised at his sister’s sudden 180, but simultaneously, the curl of his lips signaled amusement. The kind of smirk one gave their little sister. The aw-look-she’s-being-cute look. Hailey Winchester despised that look. Then it turned into the second look Hailey’s always hated the indulgent look. Sam made a go-on gesture, and it took all of her self-control not to deck him on principle.

“I didn’t just say that for reasons you might think. You’re projecting your issues with the apocalypse onto me. Like I need more reasons to hate you, or like I need your issues on top of my issues.”

“Hailey,” Sam began.

“No, Sam,” Hailey interrupted. “I’m talking.”

At that, Sam looks really surprised. He’s never heard that tone come out of Hailey before. It was the feminine version of the sound both John and Dean had mastered. The tone of wrathful authority and unspoken threat. And the fact that Sam towered nearly a foot over his sister did not take power out of that timbre.

“As I was saying, if you can’t take my forgiveness because you can’t forgive yourself, that’s fine,” Hailey continued, crossing her arms over her chest. “I should’ve figured that you’d do that. Typical Sammy Winchester, MO, but don’t you dare rehash history because I’m not treating you the way you think you should be treated.”

“I…”

“And I want that to be the last time we have this conversation,” Hailey stated. “I tried a nice way and the other way. But, both have one thing in common: I forgive you because you’re my brother, and if I held all the times you’ve been an insufferable asshole, we would’ve stopped talking a long time ago.”

“Thanks, Hailey,” Sam said with a laugh.

“No problem, big brother,” Hailey smirked.

Chapter Text

When Aiden Winchester woke up the next morning, he immediately groaned. His body ached, and he had the mother of all headaches. He got out of bed and stretched, wincing as his back cracked. Aiden saw that almost all areas of his body were black and blue.

“Terrific,” He mumbled. “Fucking poltergeists.”

He walked stiffly out of his room, entering the central area of the bar. Most people were still asleep, at least the people who had stayed overnight. The one person Aiden wasn’t surprised to see was Hailey. Looking at the girl who somehow looked like his sister but so very different was disconcerting. Aiden was half convinced that he had dreamed her up yesterday in that hazy mix of concussed and exhausted, but there she was.

“Still can’t sleep, huh?” Aiden asked, sliding into the seat next to Hailey.

“Apparently,” Hailey mumbled. “An insomniac no matter what. Lucky me.”

“So, Castiel pulled your soul out of your old body and did what? I mean, are you possessing someone? Is that actually your body?”

“It’s mine,” Hailey shrugged. “As far as I know, anyway. I’ve never really seen anything like this before. I mean, Sam and Dean came back, but they both hopped back into their bodies. Beelzebub did something to mine.”

“And your abilities?”

“Gone,” Hailey frowned. “It’s weird. This body feels like it’s been mine for my entire life. I’m not even freaked out when I see brown hair instead of blonde.”

“Our lives are fucking weird.” 

“Yeah.” 

“But, I’m glad you’re back,” Aiden confessed. “We weren’t working well without you around.”

Hailey glanced over at her brother, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. She could only imagine what the past few months had been like for them. She felt guilty for taking so long to get back home, but she had to make sure that what Castiel told her was the truth. She refused to put her family in danger just because she was the last surviving member of The Trinity.

She was saved from having to respond verbally to what Aiden had said by the creaking of the backroom doors opening. Neither Aiden nor Hailey had the time to turn around before Dean was already scolding. “What are you doing up?” Dean fussed, “Aiden, you were unconscious only a few hours ago.”

“It’s all good, Dean,” Aiden shrugged and then winced as his body protested the movement.

Dean caught the wince and scowled at his youngest brother, “Oh?”

“Yup,” Aiden said. He may have been hurt, but it wasn’t the worst injury he had ever had. He was upright; nothing was broken, so as far as Aiden Winchester was concerned, there was no cause for fuss.

 “There’s coffee,” Hailey mentioned noticing the standoff her brothers were doing.

Hailey was very much use to Dean’s mothering ways, especially when one of them was hurt. She also knew that out of all the siblings, Aiden was the least likely to tolerate it when he didn’t feel it was warranted. Of course, Dean could bully his way into caring for his siblings, but unlike Hailey, Aiden couldn’t be carried and manhandled into doing what he didn’t want to do.

Dean didn’t bother to speak because of all the things the roadhouse had on hand; coffee was always one of them. The oldest Winchester dropped into the seat on the other side of his sister and took a hearty swig of the hot coffee. Dean had hoped that Hailey would somehow find her way back to them, but he had given that up as a fever dream when Castiel had informed the brothers that it was impossible to bring back what wasn’t human. There had been a loophole that either Castiel neglected to mention or one even the Angel didn’t know about.

It all felt like things had come together a little too quickly. How had things have gone from impossible to not in the space of a few months? Either Castiel knew where Hailey had been this entire time and lied. Or the Angel was out of the loop when it came to the youngest Winchester. Either way, Dean was far from happy. That anger was only dulled by the fact that Hailey was alive and well.

The front door of the Roadhouse swung open, startling the siblings who had fallen into a comfortable silence. All swiveled around, prepared for a threat to find Darren Whitman, and his older siblings, Theo and Alex, were walking into the main room.

“Holy shit,” Alex gasped. “Aiden, what the hell happened to you?”

“Poltergeist,” Aiden shrugged.

“Hey, Alex,” Dean greeted. “Theo, Darren.”

“Dean,” Theo grinned before looking over at Hailey quizzically. “Who’s that?”

“It’s Hailey,” Aiden said.

“This a joke?” Darren spat.

“No,” Hailey responded, looking offended. “Of course, it’s not a joke.”

“Hailey?” Darren whispered, his eyes welling with tears.

Hailey broke away from her brothers to run into Darren’s open arms. For his part, Darren barely managed to catch her, skidding back a few feet with a breathless laugh.

“I don’t believe this,” Darren whimpered. “Is it really you?”

“In the flesh,” Hailey affirmed.

Darren seemed suspicious of the girl who was claiming to be his fiancé. But, he reasoned that nothing could snow the Winchester brothers as well as Ellen and Jo Harvelle. There was also something in his gut that told him that Hailey Winchester was in his arms, where she belonged. And, if nothing else Darren Whitman had learned a long time ago that you should never go against your gut, it’s your operational antenna. It had kept him alive more times than he could count.

There was also the fact that these last six months had been hell on earth. The fact that Hailey and Darren weren’t together all that long was irrelevant; if anything, it made everything hurt even more when she was gone. His eyes were damp as he took in the woman in his arms. The more he looked at her, the more she reminded him of Hailey. Though the light brown hair was somewhat disconcerting, the sapphire eyes were the same dark shade of blue.

The two young hunters were locked on each other’s eyes, which is how they didn’t notice when their siblings suddenly left the room, talking loudly about any upcoming hunts, how the apocalypse wasn’t raging as hard as they had anticipated. The end of days aside, Hailey and Darren couldn’t pry their eyes away from one another, as if they were afraid that if they looked away, the other would be gone.

“I can’t believe it,” Darren sighed.

“Come on, Dare, stranger things have happened,” Hailey smiled.

“Don’t,” Darren warned. “Please, just, don’t.”

If Hailey’s hurt by Darren’s tone, she hid it well. She figured that her death would hurt the ones she left behind. But, reconciling that idea with the actuality is enough to leave her breathless and in tears. She cuddled into his side, ignoring the way that Darren tensed before he relaxed almost a minute later. Then he was holding her like a lifeline.

When looking back on her life, there are a lot of moments Hailey never expected. Most of them are wrong, but this one where she’s holding on to her fiancé is something she never could’ve dreamed of. This one beautiful moment was something that makes this life worth it. When there was so much death around them, they had to pause and recognize the bright moments; otherwise, it was so easy to lose your mind.

“What brings you to the Roadhouse?” Hailey asked some time later.

The young couple had sprawled on the couches that separated the main bar from the private area that Jo and Ellen called home.

“We’ve caught wind of some demonic activity in Carthage, Missouri,” Darren shrugged. “Came back to rendezvous and heard that Aiden got hurt.”

“What is it with Carthage?” Hailey mused, curling further into Darren’s side.

The two lovers hadn’t been outside of touching distance since they were reunited only a few hours ago. Hailey pretended that she didn’t feel the desperation in Darren’s eyes whenever he looked at her.

“Battle of Carthage,” Darren says, even though they both are well aware of the lore.

It had been one of the reasons why John Winchester, as well as Meredith and Charles Whitman, had been strict about history. You had to know history, enough to recall it because it could save your life. The Battle of Carthage had been bloody and ruthless. The kind of battle that poisons the Earth and leaves a dark mark, a wound that supernatural entities thrived on. Witches could make more powerful spells with it, while ghosts and poltergeists gained strength. Carthage had been giving hunters problems for years.

“Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we weren’t hunters?” Hailey asked suddenly.

“Yeah,” Darren shrugged. “I did a lot when I thought you were dead. Things just didn’t seem worth it anymore.”

“Darren, I’m so…”

“Don’t,” Darren interrupted. “Don’t apologize, I know you fought. I know how hard you tried.”

“Still,” Hailey responded, placing the palm of her hand on his cheek, “I never wanted this to hurt you.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” Darren insisted. “Death isn’t something that happens to you; it happens to everyone around you. To the people, you leave behind. Things were hard, Hails, I won’t lie to you about that. But, I’m so, so glad that you’re here with me now. I still can’t believe it.”

Hailey shifted herself around, settling on top of Darren’s lap, her arms thrown around his neck as their eyes locked. “I’m not going anywhere. Ever again.”

Darren pulled Hailey closer, his hands wrapped in her now soft brown hair, and pressed his lips to hers. Hailey sighed happily, immediately deepening the kiss, her hands running through his short hair. Hailey ground herself down on Darren’s lap, grinning in satisfaction as he moaned into her mouth.

“I think we should go somewhere a bit more private,” Hailey suggested, once she broke the kiss.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Darren agreed.

Hailey placed her hands on his shoulders, using him as support to rise to her feet. Darren quickly stood up, grabbing Hailey’s hand and directing her to one of the Roadhouse’s bedrooms. Once they were in the room, Darren had turned and pushed Hailey against the now-closed door. This time the kiss was more forceful, desperate.

“Wait,” Darren panted. “Wait. One second.”

“What is it?” Hailey whispered.

“I just realized that I should give these back,” Darren said.

His hands went around his neck, pulling a chain over his head. On the necklace were two rings, the couple’s engagement rings. That engagement seemed so long ago now.

“You kept them,” Hailey breathed.

“Of course,” Darren replied.

He pulled both rings off the chain, placing them in Hailey’s open palm. Hailey gave her ring back to him before sliding his ring back on his finger. Smiling, Darren then slid her ring back on. She held it aloft with a smile. The ring meant as much now as it did the night Darren had given it to her. It was a Whitman family heirloom that he had given to her, and it meant everything.

Hailey turned, twisting the lock on the bedroom door before shoving Darren against the wall and pressing her mouth against his. He was surprised for a moment before taking control of the kiss, turning them so that her back was pressed against the wall. He grabbed her leg, right behind her knee, lifting it to rest on his hip as he pushed closer to her. Darren’s entire body was leaning against Hailey’s, keeping her flush against the wall. Her feet just brushed the floor as Darren had shoved one of his legs between hers.

“Dar-”

“I know,” Darren breathed, barely pausing to break the kiss. “Gotta be patient, baby.”

Hailey moaned when Darren moved from her mouth to her neck, biting down on the fragile skin. When he finally removed his hands from her arms, it was only to grab ahold of Hailey’s shirt and to rip it open, sending buttons flying. Darren didn’t wait for her to react, removing her bra, and the tatters of her shirt, and starting to unbuckle her pants before Hailey could even formulate a sentence. Snapping into movement, Hailey moved to pull off her jeans, toeing off her shoes before jumping back into Darren’s outstretched arms.

With a laugh, Darren pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek before he laid Hailey gently on the bed. She shot back up, hands flying to undo his belt buckle as Darren’s tongue slid into her mouth, and his hand palmed one of her breasts.

As they continued to make out, Hailey hadn’t realized that Darren had taken off the rest of his clothing until he crawled in between her spread legs, sliding into her with one quick thrust. Hailey gasped in surprise then moaned with pleasure as he pulled out only to slip back into her again. Hailey’s hands grabbed his shoulders for purchase as she threw her head back, allowing herself a few moments of peace and pleasure.

Aiden’s Point of View

“Are you guys out of your mind?” Alex snarled, looking fit to burst as he paced back and forth. “I know you guys miss Hailey, but that chick isn’t her. There’s no way.”

“Castiel said that it is,” Dean said, trying to soothe his best friend. “Out of all the horrible shit in our lives, you can’t believe the one good thing?”

“Too good to be true, man,” Alex shook his head.

“She knows things that only Hailey would know,” Sam said. “She even looks like she’d be a Winchester if she had more Dad than Mom in her.”

“You both came back from the dead and into your meat suits, your sister couldn’t?” Alex growled.

“Hay always has to be different,” I smirked. “Besides, Beelzebub did something to her body, made it so no soul could ever return.”

My words didn’t seem to have any effect on Alex as he continued to pace, his fists opening and closing.

“Alex, you need to calm down,” Theo ordered. “If you weren’t almost ninety percent sure that Hailey was Hailey, you wouldn’t have let Darren out of your sight.”

“Theo,” Alex began.

“Dude, if you’re not going to believe a fucking Angel of God, nothing we say is going to hold any weight,” I pointed out.

“Our lives are weird,” Alex whined.

“Just figured that out?” Theo rolled her eyes. “I knew you were slow on the uptake, but damn, brother.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Alex grumbled.

“All the facts are there,” I shrugged. “Either you see them, or you continue to try and delude yourself.”

“Well, I know one person who will definitely know if Hailey is who she says she is.”

“Yeah?” Sam snapped. “And, who’s that?”

The door to the roadhouse opened with a bang, startling both the Winchester brothers and the Whitman siblings as one confident, lilting voice answered, “Me.”

“Natasha Colson,” Alex smiled. “Just the girl I wanted to see.”

“You know, Alex, my abilities aren’t some parlor tricks,” Natasha scolded, moving further into the room. “Although, I’m pleased that you finally believe me when I say that I’m clairvoyant.”

“Sweetheart, after the things you told me, I believe you one hundred percent,” Alex responded. “So, is Hailey Winchester among the living once more?”

Instead of answering, Natasha strolled up to me with a smile.

“Taz,” I grinned lazily.

“You mind, sugar?” Natasha questioned, holding out her hand.

I had seen her do this to other people, my sister in particular, which is why I knew that she wanted to see what I had seen. I placed my palm in hers and watched as her eyes clouded over as she fell into a trance. I could feel her presence in my mind, and I showed her how Hailey looked now. After a few more moments, Natasha let go taking a step back. Her eyes regained focus before misting up.

“Castiel was telling the truth,” Natasha stated firmly. “The circumstances of her new body make sense, almost as if someone made her a whole new body, giving her her father’s hair and keeping her mother’s eyes and complexion. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“How could this happen, though?” Theo asked.

“I don’t know,” Natasha confessed. “It’s not natural, that’s for sure. As far as I can tell, the moment Hailey died, she was instantly reborn without her memory or her abilities. As far as I can tell, it’s predestined. Something knew that the Trinity was going to die the night Lucifer was released from his prison and had a backup plan in place.”

“What does that mean?” Dean asked.

“Honestly?” Natasha scoffed, throwing her hands up in the air. “I don’t know.”

“…But,” Sam started.

“Believe me, Sam, I realize exactly what I just said,” Natasha frowned. “Honestly, I can’t get a read on her; it’s like she was plucked from the ether. But it is Hailey. I can feel it in my bones.”

“What if you’re being tricked?” Sam asked. “What if we’re all being played?”

“It is not often, Sam Winchester, that someone or something can pull the wool over my eyes,” Natasha growled. “My word is my bond, and Hailey is amongst the living once more.”

“Jesus,” Sam mumbled.

“But, if she was reborn, shouldn’t she be a baby or something?” Theo asked.

“Like with everything the Winchesters have ever been involved in, I think that Hailey’s case is unique,” Natasha answered. “As in has never happened before, probably will never happen again. Something wanted or needed Hailey to be alive, and now she is. For what purpose we don’t know, but she is here. Now.”

“I am here,” Hailey agreed, opening the door to that hallway that led to all the bedrooms. “If there is a purpose, I haven’t been informed. My telekinesis is gone; the trinity’s prophecy was fulfilled. So, if we can find any answers to why I’m alive, I’d love to hear it. Because I don’t think I was resurrected out of the goodness of someone’s heart.”

Ellen came out of the hallway from behind Hailey. She moved past her dropping a dozen papers on the bar top. Sensing that something happened, the others in the room gathered around to look at the information assembled.

“Okay, kids,” Ellen said, interrupting the previous conversation. “We can’t keep beating around a bush that we don’t even know the details of. Sooner or later, we’re going to find out what brought Hailey back, and we’ll deal with it when that happens. Until then, we have to focus.”

“Ellen’s right,” Dean agreed. “We need all hands on deck here.”

“What’s the plan, then, Dean?” Sam asked.

“We have to figure out what’s going on in Carthage,” Dean replied, gesturing to the stack of paper. “Look at all these missing person reports.”

“There’s over twenty,” Ellen stated. “Just from the past week. Someone went to check it out; he missed the last check-in window. Something’s going on. Something big.”

“Lucifer rose,” Hailey wondered. “Has he done anything?”

“It seems like he’s putting a lot of things in motion,” Dean began. “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are real. We’ve dealt with War, wasn’t pretty. The other three haven’t made their appearance.”

“Well, shit,” Hailey mumbled.

“We’re moving out within the hour,” Dean ordered. “Anyone who wants to assist is welcome.”

“You’re not going out there alone, Dean,” Alex scoffed.

It seemed like a consensus that everyone was going to come out on this hunt. Whatever was going on, maybe having the numbers was the way to go. Hailey stood off to the side as everyone split up to pack up their things and get ready to go. She felt restless in a way she hadn’t since she returned to this life. The urge to hunt and do something was thrumming through her veins.

“What’s up, Hails?” Dean asked.

“I don’t have any stuff,” Hailey confessed. “Nothing that would help today anyway.”

“We never got rid of your things,” Dean replied.

“Thanks, Dean,” Hailey whispered.

“It’s good to have you back, Hailey,” Dean said. He pulled his sister into a hug, still blown away that his sister was in his arms that she was back. It was almost too good to be true.

“Well, let’s see if you still feel that way after this,” Hailey mumbled. “I’m probably rusty.”

“Somehow, I doubt that kid.”

Whether or not Hailey was rusty remained to be seen. Either way, she was not missing this hunt. Because of the injuries Aiden had sustained, he would be staying at the Roadhouse, along with Natasha. They would make sure that the Roadhouse stayed up and running while Ellen and Jo assisted on the hunt.

“You guys stay safe,” Aiden ordered as Sam, Dean, and Hailey circled the impala.

“Always,” Dean replied, handing Aiden his things. “Bobby should be on the way up, may need him on the horn.”

“You got it, Dean.”

The Winchesters all hugged before getting in the impala. With one last wave to Aiden, they drove off quickly, meeting up with Ellen and Jo in their station wagon and with the Whitman siblings in one of their mustangs. Dean drove past both vehicles putting the impala in the lead of the convoy.

It was about a six-and-a-half-hour drive from Madison, Nebraska, to Carthage, Missouri. A short road trip all things considered. The atmosphere in the impala was tense in anticipation. Sam, Dean, and Hailey didn’t exactly know what they would be walking into. In the life they led, not knowing a hunt put you on an uneven playing field.

“We found the Colt,” Dean announced. “Two weeks ago.”

“Really?” Hailey wondered. “Where was it?”

After Aiden had tried to shoot Castiel when we first met the Angel, it had been misplaced. The Winchester’s weren’t sure exactly how it vanished, but they had more concerning matters once Castiel had knocked Bobby, Aiden, and Hailey unconscious.

“A demon had it,” Sam stated.

“A demon handed over something that could kill them?” Hailey repeated. “Why would it do that?”

“Well, he figured that once Lucifer finishes exterminating the humans, the demons would be next. So, he told us to shoot the Devil in the face.”

“That seems like it’s going to be easier said than done,” Hailey mused.

“Probably,” Dean agreed. “Who knows what parlor tricks Lucifer has up his sleeve.”

“We’re going to need all the help we can get,” Sam sighed.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Castiel said, appearing in the backseat next to me.

With a gasp of surprise, Dean barely managed to keep the impala on the road.

“Cas, what the hell?” Dean demanded. “Haven’t we talked about this? No sudden appearances when I’m driving.”

“I apologize,” Castiel stated. “I agreed with Sam. Or do you not think my assistance would be useful.”

“How’d you even know I said that?” Sam demanded.

“There is power in names,” Castiel replied.

“What are you talking about?” Sam scoffed.

“I find your derision confusing,” Castiel stated. “Names have a meaning, magic if you will. Angels are in tune with that particular magic.”

“Meaning your just eavesdrop on people,” Dean snapped. “Just waiting to drop on in.”

 “Dean, I understand you’re upset with how we handled Hailey, but I was under orders.”

“We can talk about that later.”

“Maybe you should ride along with someone else, Castiel,” Hailey suggested.

“Just one more thing,” Castiel stated.

Before anyone could respond, he grabbed Hailey by her arm, yanking her close before touching a hand to the top of her head. He chanted quickly in Enochian. Both Winchester brothers shouted in alarm as Hailey let out a scream, arching her back, before slumping into unconsciousness.

Chapter Text

Hailey woke up twenty minutes later, her muscles aching along with her head. She turned to the side to find that Castiel wasn’t there.

“Hailey?” Sam called. “You good?”

“My head hurts and when I get my hands on Castiel, I might get a little slap happy,” Hailey grumbled. “What’ve I missed?”

“Just traffic,” Dean said. “You feeling okay? Whatever Cas did made you scream.”

“I feel fine,” Hailey shrugged. “I don’t know what he did. Did he say anything? Like why he put the whammy on me?”

“Nope,” Sam said. “He vanished when you lost consciousness.”

“Of course he did,” Hailey sighed.

“Whatever he did, we’ll deal with it later,” Dean stated. “We got a fight against the devil.”

“A fiddle of gold against your soul,” Hailey quipped.

“There’s a lot more than a fiddle of gold on the line,” Sam muttered.

The Winchester siblings fell into an uneasy silence as they contemplated the task ahead of them. Hailey’s mind was also on what could’ve possibly happened with Castiel. Whatever he had chanted had made Hailey’s body feel like it was connected to an electric current. Every nerve ending had been singing with energy.

“He’s coming back,” Hailey announced.

Before either Sam or Dean could say a word, Castiel did appear in the back of the impala. He did not stop to talk to the Winchester brothers instead; he grabbed Hailey and vanished once more.

“Honestly, what the hell is he doing?” Sam demanded.

“Does he not know how distracting that is?” Dean growled.

One minute Hailey was on a simple road trip with her brothers, the next she was in an abandoned field in the middle of nowhere. Hailey was furious whether it was from being rendered unconscious to being manhandled or both; it was hard to tell. Her fists were clenched and her brows were furrowed as she rocked on her heels. The arrival of another Angel did nothing to calm her ire, instead, it seemed to racket it up.

“Ramiel,” Hailey greeted coldly.

“You’ll mind your tone when you speak to me, girl,” Ramiel snarled. “Lest I rip your tongue from your skull.”

“I’d like to see you try,” Hailey hissed.

“Ramiel,” Castiel censured.

Ramiel glanced at his fellow angel before rolling his eyes and taking a step back.

“What’s going on, Castiel?” Hailey demanded. “I’m needed elsewhere.”

“I’m aware,” Castiel replied. “When you were placed in your new body, you weren’t supposed to lose your abilities. And you hadn’t. They were merely laying dormant. All they needed was a push.”

“I have my abilities back?” Hailey whispered.

“Not only that,” Castiel replied. “You were not supposed to faint, so I sought assistance. It turns out that the night the Trinity fell, not all of Abigail and Lucy were lost. Their own abilities left when they died and went into you in an attempt to save your life.”

“But that didn’t work,” Hailey said. “I still died that day. And you’re telling me I have both Abby and Luce’s powers? What because telekinesis isn’t enough?”

“It is not,” Ramiel snapped. “Not unless you want this world to fall.”

“Yeah, yeah the apocalypse, I know,” Hailey rolled her eyes, a dismissive hand waving in the other angel’s direction. “You know what, Castiel? I’m tired of getting dicked around here. Why bother giving me more power instead of getting Abby and Lucy back? Why me? Why is this happening?”

“The Trinity exists in you, Hailey,” Castiel sighed. “That is why Abby and Lucy are at peace.”

“At peace,” Hailey scoffed.

Somehow she was sure that the Angels were still not telling her everything. That was something that Hailey was very used to. Subterfuge and half-truths are the hunter's bread and butter. A language Hailey had been conversing in since she could speak. Still knowing that you were being kept out of the loop was grating. The ground began to shake under her feet as fire shot out of her fingertips.

Hailey and Abby had once discussed how similar their two abilities were. But, it wasn’t until Hailey was actively controlling the elemental powers that she realized how right both girls were. That worked in her favor, as she was able to quickly stop the earthquake and fire display.

“They were right,” Ramiel breathed. “Heaven’s greatest weapon.”

“I. Am. Not. A. Weapon.” Hailey roared, shooting a fireball in Ramiel’s direction.

Ramiel barely blinked, instead he waved the flame away before disappearing on the spot.

“As fun as this was I think I should be getting back to my brother’s,” Hailey grimaced.

“Yes,” Castiel nodded.

As Castiel moved to touch Hailey’s shoulder, the girl moved in a blur ducking the outstretched arm and putting a knife to his throat.

“Castiel,” Hailey’s voice began sweetly before dropping into a menacing purr, “the next time you attempt to do something to my body without my express consent, I’ll clip your wings. We clear?”

“You’d do well to remember your place, Hailey Winchester,” Castiel retorted.

This time Castiel moved quicker than Hailey could track, bringing her back to the impala and then moving into Ellen and Jo’s station wagon.

“Welcome back,” Sam scoffed. “Whoa, look at that face. What happened?”

“The Angels remain to be dicks,” Hailey hissed. “I have my abilities back along with Abby’s and Lucy’s.”

“Wait,” Dean crowed. “What?”

“They’re not telling me everything,” Hailey sighed. “But I just made the ground shake, I controlled fire. I’m even more of a freak. Lucky me. Heaven’s greatest weapon.”

“Don’t do that,” Dean rebuked. “Heaven doesn’t control you.”

“Tell that to the angels, Dean,” Hailey mumbled. “It seems like I don’t have much of a choice here.”

“Bullshit,” Dean snarled. “That’s bullshit, Hailey. If we don’t have a choice then Sam and I are going to be vessels no matter what. And I’ll be damned if that comes true.”

“Literally in my case,” Sam sniffed.

“That’s not funny,” Dean snapped.

“Like this whole thing isn’t some trap, Dean,” Sam complained.

“Trap or no trap, we got a chance, we gotta take it,” Dean retorted. “Besides it may not be a trap. Carthage is lit up like a friggin Christmas tree with Revelation omens.”

“There have been six missing persons reported in town since Sunday,” Hailey agreed.

“Maybe Hails and I should take lead on this,” Dean suggested, making eye contact with his sister from the rearview mirror.

“Why?” Sam asked. “Hails said it herself she may be rusty.”

“Look, we go against Satan and screw the pooch, we lost a game piece,” Dean explained. “That we can recover from. But, if you’re there then we are handing the devil’s vessel right to him. That’s not smart.”

“Since when have we ever done anything smart?” Sam snapped.

“He’s got a point, Dean,” Hailey laughed.

“I’m being serious,” Dean growled.

“So am I,” Sam grumbled. “If we’re gonna do this, we’re gonna do it together. It’s bad enough we had to leave Ads behind but we can get this done.”

While it was true that the Winchesters always hunted better as a family. They were wading out into uncharted waters. It was one thing to get rid of simple spirits and clean up after monsters. But, this was the end of days and it was clear that they were in over their heads. However, they had never let something like being outmatched stand in their way.

Working against two separate prophecies may prove to be difficult but, no one did head strong quite like a Winchester. Hailey was a bit concerned about how the Trinity prophecy could still be in play. With both Abby and Lucy dead and the devil walking around, she should be useless. And, yet, here she was. Now Dean was supposed to be Michael’s vessel and Sam was meant to be Lucifer’s?

It was all too much to wrap her head around. Why did stuff like this kept happening to the Winchester family? Every bad thing that had happened, they were seemingly in the middle of the storm.

It was clear that this hunt was would not be business as usual. From the second the Winchester, Harvelle, and Whitman convey rolled into Carthage, Missouri it was clear that things were going to be creepy. For a city of nearly fourteen thousand four hundred people, the town seemed deserted. As the impala rolled by a telephone pole, they saw that it was plastered with missing posters.

Dean drove slowly through the streets snorting at a billboard that said, “Anti-God is Anti-American.”

Sam shifted in his seat to pull his cell phone out of his pocket, “Anyone have a signal?”

“Nope,” Hailey sighed, glancing at her phone before leaving it on the seat next to her.

“No, nothing,” Dean replied. “Nice and spooky.”

Dean then cranked his window down waving the next car up. After the station wagon pulled up next to the impala, the mustang pulled up on the other side of the wagon.

“Place seem a little empty to you?” Ellen called.

“We’re gonna check out the PD,” Dean said. “You guys stay here, see if you can find anyone.”

“Okay,” Ellen nodded.

With that Dean drove the impala forward setting off to find the police department. The Winchesters were barely a block and a half away from the others when Hailey let out a startled shriek. Dean jerked the car to a sudden stop.

“What the hell?” Dean demanded.

“Reapers,” Hailey whispered.

“Whoa,” Sam called as Hailey slid out of the car. “Hay! Slow down a minute!”

Both brothers watched as Hailey’s eyes moved all over the place seemingly landing everywhere. It was then Sam remembered what Hailey had told them. The Angels had given both Abby and Lucy’s abilities to Hailey. Which meant that she now controlled the elements and she could see those that were no longer living. Including the agents of death: Reapers.

“How many are there?” Sam asked, gently.

“So many,” Hailey whimpered. “They’re just waiting.”

While the others waited to see whether Sam, Dean, and Hailey had found signs of life at the police station, Castiel had made a similar discovery.

“This town isn’t empty,” Castiel intoned. “Reapers.”

“Reapers?” Ellen repeated. “As in more than one?”

“They only gather like this at times of great catastrophe,” Castiel explained. “The Chicago fire, San Francisco Quake, Pompeii. Excuse me, I need to find out why they’re here.”

“Castiel, wait!” Darren protested. “Dean said to stay here.”

“I do not answer to Dean Winchester,” Castiel retorted.

Before anyone could say a word, the Angel had vanished. Both the Harvelles and the Whitmans glanced around at their surroundings. The whole city had seemingly been abandoned overnight. It was a disturbing prospect. People didn’t just vanish, certainly not entire cities. There was a stillness in the air that was impossible to find in a city.

The more they walked around, the more it was clear that something awful had happened here. The rumbling growl of the impala broke through the stillness, as the group stopped their movements. When the impala stopped the Winchesters hopped out, frowns in place. It was clear that they hadn’t found anyone either.

“Station’s empty,” Dean called.

“So is everything else,” Jo replied.

“Have you seen Cas?” Ellen asked.

“What do you mean?” Sam responded. “Wasn’t he with you?”

“Nope, he went after the reapers,” Ellen shrugged.

Dean, Sam, and Hailey exchanged nervous glances.

“Y’all don’t seem too surprised by that fact,” Theo noted.

“Hailey can see them too,” Dean announced.

“Come again?” Ellen demanded. “I thought you didn’t have abilities.”

“Long story,” Hailey huffed. “Short version: Castiel said some mumbo jumbo and then I got my old powers along with Abby’s and Lucy’s.”

“Jesus,” Jo mumbled.

“Yeah,” Hailey frowned.

“We haven’t even been in town an hour and we already lost the angel up our sleeve,” Dean huffed.

“You don’t think Lucifer has him?” Alex questioned.

“I don’t know what else to think,” Dean replied.

“There you are,” A new voice called.

The group spun around to see a woman in a leather jacket, purple top, and skintight jeans. Her brown hair was loose, moving in the wind. She had a huge grin on her face.

Hailey glanced at Dean confused. Whoever this person was, it was obvious her brothers knew her.

“Meg,” Sam hissed.

“Shouldn’t have come here, boys,” Meg tsked.

Hailey was in shock. Out of all the people that girl could’ve been. She hadn’t figured that it would be the demon that they had exorcised years ago. The one who took over the body of Aiden’s girlfriend and caused them a load of problems. She had somehow managed to crawl back to the land of the living.

“Hell, I could say the same thing for you,” Dean sneered, leveling the colt in her direction.

At the visible threat, Meg laughed, “Didn’t come here alone, Dean-o.”

The puddle near Meg’s feet rippled with the sound of growling, snarling, and barking dogs. Hailey swallowed a gasp, she could see the hellhound. The great big, hulking dog. It had red eyes and was solid black only black vapor was whisping off of it. It was also huge. Bigger than any dog, bigger than a wolf, it looked prehistoric. It radiated danger. This had gotten bad. Very bad.

“Hellhound,” Dean stated.

“Yeah,” Meg agreed. “Your favorite! Come along now, boys. My father wants to see you. And especially you, Hailey.”

Meg grinned widely at Hailey. She knew. The demon knew that Hailey could see the hellhound. She whirled around her stomach sinking as more hellhounds walked down the street.

 “I think we’ll pass on that,” Sam scoffed. “Thanks.”

“Your call,” Meg shrugged. It was clear the demon was enjoying the conversation, knowing that she had the upper hand. “You can make this easy or you can make it really, really hard.”

Dean spared the group a glance everyone gave a nod, already on the same page. He noticeably straightened his shoulders, turning back around. “When have you known us to ever make anything easy?”

A rumbling growl from one of the hellhounds punctuated Meg’s statement. A chill raced down, Hailey’s spine as the new hellhounds slowly approached the gathered hunters. Hailey raised her palms casting fire into her palm sending it soaring past her group to cut off a few of the hellhounds. Meg shook her head as Dean shifted, taking aim and firing at the air just above the puddle. Blood spurted signaling that Dean had hit the hellhound but he hadn’t killed it. Or there were others waiting to attack.

“Run!” Sam ordered.

The group took off as fast as they possibly could. It was chaos as the group broke toward one of the storefronts on Main Street. Hailey was running alongside Alex when she felt a breath on the back of her neck. Seeing the hellhound gaining on them, she tried to grab Alex and pull him along faster. Only the hellhound was faster, one second Alex was keeping pace the next there was a strangled cry.

“Alex!” Hailey cried. “No!”

Hailey pushed her hands forward sending a burst of force over Alex’s prone body. She had hit the beast but it was too late. Blood poured down a gaping wound on the side of Alex’s neck. The hellhound had torn his throat out. Hailey moved to go to him when Theo grabbed her hand. Theo’s eyes were glazed with tears but she pulled Hailey forward.

“We have to go,” Theo sobbed.

“Go!” Jo seconded the command, aiming her shotgun behind her and firing blindly.

Another spurt of blood indicated that she had hit something but it was clear that there were multiple hellhounds on their tail.  As the group ran, Dean got tackled to the ground. Theo and Jo turned back around, quickly coming to his aid.

“Dean!” Jo cried.

“Jo, stay back!” Dean retorted.

Instead of listening to her boyfriend, Jo fired her shotgun in Dean’s direction. Jo and Theo alternated shots with the shotguns both girls held. The hellhound was driven further and further back. A trashcan fell over a good distance away. But, it wasn’t over yet, as another hellhound lunged knocking Theo off her feet.

“Theo, no!” Darren yelled.

Darren groaned in pain as a hellhound ripped into one of his legs. While it wasn’t the worst a hellhound could do, the wound was bleeding freely as he rushed toward his sister’s side. The hellhound had already torn into Theo’s side as she screamed in pain. Jo and Sam turned to fire at the hellhound as Darren scooped up his sister and ran past those that were firing. Hailey stopped short, she was the closest to one of the stores. She chose a hardware store, and with a gesture, the doors were thrown open. She then pivoted on her heels, sending fire out of her hands and forming a circle around the group.

Sam was the first one through the door, with both Harvelle’s at his heels. Darren was next running in

“Hurry!” Hailey yelled to Dean.

Dean shot his shotgun a few more times as he ran at a dead sprint towards the hardware store. Once he was inside Hailey jumped through the doors, slamming them shut with her telekinesis. She leaned against it doing everything in her power to keep it shut as hellhounds attempted to get in.

“A little help!” Hailey called.

The hardware store was a flurry of movement, Jo, Ellen, and Darren were with Theo getting her situated further into the store. Sam came back quickly with a chain looping it over the doors as Dean poured salt around the door. Hailey stepped over the ring of salt, wincing as Dean shoved a five-pound bag of salt into her arms.

“Come on, Hails,” Dean prodded, “Every window. Every door.”

Hailey nodded and quickly moved into action, laying down thick lines of salt. Once the area was warded properly she wandered back to where the others were gathered. Theo was slumped against the counter, blood pouring out of a giant gouge in her side. Jo’s hands were slick with it, attempting to staunch the flow.

There was some luck on their side as there was a pretty sizable first aid kit in the store. Right now it was open as Jo worked as fast as possible to treat Theo’s wound. But, there were some things that gauze couldn’t fix, and binding it as tightly as possible would only help for so long.

Darren was holding his sister to the side that didn’t have the huge scratch on it, both were sobbing hard. Alex’s absence was noticeable and completely demoralizing. Ellen made soothing noises in her throat as she worked to stitch the giant scratch on Darren's leg closed.

“I know baby, I know,” Ellen whispered. “Careful, now, you gotta stay still."

As Ellen and Jo continued to apply first aid to Theo and Darren, the Winchester siblings went scouting for proper vantage points. Hailey quickly found Dean fiddling with something electronic.

“How’re we holding up?” Dean asked.

There was a long pause as Sam joined his siblings. “The salt lines are holding up.”

“Safe for now,” Dean whispered.

“Safe?” Sam scoffed. “Trapped like rats, more like.”

“You heard Meg,” Dean retorted. “Her father’s here. This is our one shot, Sammy. We gotta take it, no matter what.”

Dean’s eyes were wet with tears. It had been one of his best friends laying in the street dead, after all. There had been nothing anyone could do. That didn’t make things better. Especially when you could hear the inconsolable cries of Theo and Darren in the other room. There was a long pause, only interrupted by microphone feedback. Dean laid a heavy look at Sam before turning towards the CB radio. The eldest Winchester brother knew the cost of this hunt. It was being paid as they spoke. The weight of it threatened to suffocate but they had to keep moving.

“K. C. 5. Fox. Delta. Oscar, come in,” Dean said over the mouthpiece.

“K. C. 5. Fox. Delta. Oscar, go ahead,” Bobby responded.

Hailey felt calmer hearing her Uncle’s voice over the CB radio. If anyone could help them in their time of need it was Bobby Singer.

“Bobby, it’s Dean. We got problems.”

“It’s going to be okay, boy,” Bobby soothed. “That’s why I’m here. Is everyone all right?”

“No,” Dean replied, his emotions slipping through as his voice cracked. “Alex is dead. And….and…it’s…it’s Theo. Bobby, it’s pretty bad.”

“Okay,” Bobby said. “Copy that. So, now we figure out what we do next.”

“Bobby,” Dean whimpered. “I don’t think she’s…”

Dean couldn’t complete his sentence but Hailey knew where it ended. Theo had been hurt badly. And, unless a miracle happened it didn’t look like it was going to end in her favor. She glanced toward Sam, who seemed to be holding it together fairly well. As well as any of them could.

“I said, what do we do next, Dean?” Bobby prodded. No doubt realizing where that sentence was heading as well.

Hailey felt like she had lost countless friends and family in the field. But, Bobby had been in the game longer and knew what it felt like to lose one person after another after another.

“Right,” Dean agreed, straightening his shoulders. He then quickly launched into a synopsis of the events thus far, including Hailey’s sudden abilities and the reapers that were crawling all over the town.

“Before he went missing, did Cas say how many reapers?” Bobby asked.

“I don’t,” Dean huffed, “he said a lot of things. I guess. Does the number really matter?”

“Devil’s in the details, Dean.”

“There were a lot, Bobby,” Hailey said. “From what I saw, I bet Cas saw the same amount, maybe more. Probably around thirty? Maybe more than that.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Bobby muttered to himself.

The siblings could hear the sound of rustling papers as Bobby leafed through whatever books he had at his disposal.

“Nobody likes the sound of that, Bobby, but what…what does that sound like?” Dean prodded.

“It sounds like death, son,” Bobby replied. “I think Satan’s in town to work a ritual. I think he’s planning to unleash Death.”

“As in this dude and taxes are the only sure thing?” Dean quipped.

As if the Winchesters actually paid any taxes. Every thing they owned was free and clear, the rest of their money was run through credit card scams and hustling pool. In any other situation, Hailey would’ve brought that fact up. But it was neither the time nor the place. With Theo bleeding out in the next room, Castiel missing, and Lucifer roaming around, joking was the last thing on anyone’s mind.

“As in Death,” Bobby stated. “The horseman. The pale rider in the flesh.”

“Unleash?” Dean repeated. “That doesn’t make sense. Hasn’t Death been tromping all over the place? Hell, I’ve died several times myself.”

“Not this guy,” Bobby corrected. "This is the Angel of Death. Big daddy reaper. They keep this guy chained in a box six hundred feet under. The last time they hauled him up, Noah was building a boat. That’s why the place is crawling with reapers. They’re waiting on the big boss to show.”

“Shit,” Dean hissed. “You have any other good news?”

“I found out where the ritual might be held,” Bobby said. “During the Civil War, there was a battle so intense the soldiers called it the Battle of Hellhole. It went down on William Jasper’s farm.”

“Got it,” Dean nodded. “Aiden and Natasha are holding down the Roadhouse if you wanted to make a trip.”

“I might,” Bobby shrugged. “Y’all stay safe.”

Dean switched the CB radio off and walked back to the main room. Sam and Hailey followed after him, finding the main room somber. Theo was pale, exhaustion had stemmed her tears, but the tracks were still plain on her face. Her hand held her youngest brother’s in a death grip. Darren was faring better, he too had stopped crying but his face was set in a mask of stone. He was a smart man, he knew as much as every else did that they were not in a good spot.

“We know where the Devil’s gonna be,” Dean announced. “We know when, and we have the Colt.”

“We just gotta get past eight or so hellhounds,” Sam scoffed. “Then get to the farm by midnight.”

“We have to get you all out of here,” Dean stated.

Immediately Jo, Ellen, and Darren argued against leaving. Theo was still leaning against the register counter, wearing the same stubborn look that the rest of the party was wearing.

Finally, Theo seemed to tire of the arguing back and forth, “Guys. Guys!”

The sound of her voice halted all the other raised voices as everyone turned to look at her.

“Can we just stop, please?” Theo pleaded. “Let’s get realistic.”

“What are you talking about, Theo?” Darren asked. “We’ll rig you a stretcher and get you out of here.”

“Sweetheart, I’m not going anywhere,” Theo replied. Her smile was sad as she gazed at her youngest brother before her resolve steeled and she shared looks with the room at large. “I can’t move my legs. I can’t be moved. My insides are being held in with an ace bandage, and duct tape. We gotta get our priorities straight here.”

“Theo, stop talking like that,” Darren growled.

“Stop it,” Theo replied. “You can’t sugarcoat this. I’m not going anywhere but I’m not useless. We got propane, wiring, rock salt, iron nails, everything we need.”

“Everything we need?” Sam questioned.

“To build a bomb, Sam.”

“No, Theodora, absolutely not,” Dean disagreed.

“You got another plan?” Theo wondered. “Any other plan? Those are hellhounds out there, Dean. They have all of our scents. They’ll never stop coming after you. We let the dogs in, you guys hit the roof and make a break to the building next over. I’ll wait here with my finger on the button, rip those mutts a new one. I can give you at least a few minutes head start.

“No,” Darren whispered. “I won’t let you.”

“This is why we’re here, right?” Theo responded. “If I can get us a shot on the devil, we gotta take it. I may be at the end of the road but I ain’t just gonna lay down. No, I’m gonna go down taking those evil mutts with me.”

“No,” Darren stated. He didn’t bother to look at the rest of the group. His eyes were fixed on his sister. “No. Teddy, I can’t lose you too.”

“Darren,” Theo whispered.

What Darren had said clearly hurt her. In any other situation, Theo would move hell and earth to make sure her brother was safe from harm. After losing her older brother not even an hour ago, she had not made the suggestion of a bomb lightly. If there had been anything else she would’ve mentioned it first. She was not about to become a hindrance to something this important.

“This is my decision, Darren,” Theo replied, strongly, gripping her brother’s hand willing him to understand.

Darren bowed his head, leaning towards his sister. He placed his head against their held hands. The room was quiet for a few moments before he finally said, “You heard her.”

Dean, Sam, Hailey, Ellen, and Jo quickly followed his order collecting the materials necessary to assemble the bombs. They left the Whitman’s alone, knowing that if situations were reversed then they’d want their last conversations to be alone.

Once everything was assembled the group met back where Theo lay. People said their goodbyes as Theo cried. When it came time to say goodbye to Sam, neither could say much. Finally, Sam leaned forward and kissed Theo’s forehead.

“I’m so sorry,” Sam whispered.

“I know,” Theo sighed. “It isn’t your fault, Sammy.”

Sam nodded rising to his feet as he placed the trigger in her hand.

“We rigged a fan,” Jo explained. “You press the first trigger, it’ll blow the salt away from the door. After that, they’ll be able to get in. Then…Then…”

Jo struggled to finish her sentence, unable to verbally acknowledge the boom that would deal the killing blow to not only the hellhounds but also one of her best friends.

Theo sensed this saying, “Time to go, folks.”

“You’re sure about this?” Dean questioned.

Dean knew that Theo would not be changing her mind. The resolve showed clear on her face. Dean also knew if situations were reversed he’d make the exact same call. This life was not an easy one. There were certain situations that were going to be lose-lose no matter what circumstances you were walking into. That was what this life was. It had causalities.

“Dean, you take care of my brother,” Theo ordered. “Dare, look after Mom and Dad, let them know we tried…”

“I’ll tell them,” Darren stated. “They’ll understand.”

Darren, Jo, Ellen, Sam, Dean, and Hailey moved gathering up their supplies.

“Dean!” Theo called as people began to climb up the ladder towards the roof.

When Dean turned to look back she smirked. It was a paler version of her normal smirk but the attempt meant the world. “Kick it in the ass. Don’t miss.”

“I won’t,” Dean vowed.

With parting nods, Dean scaled the ladder. Once on the top of the roof, it was an easy jump to the neighboring roof. The group moved as quickly and quietly as possible, climbing down the fire escape as they moved through the back alley.

The explosion rocked the block interrupting the sudden peaceful stillness. Despite himself, Darren stumbled to a stop, a sob ripping its way out of his throat. There had been nothing he could do for his brother and now his sister was dead too. He would never see them again, just like that. This was not the time to grieve properly, he was grateful for Hailey’s small hand squeezing his as they were forced to keep moving.

When they’re about halfway to the farm, Dean stopped the group. He pulled his girlfriend aside, “I want you, Darren, and Ellen to head back toward the Roadhouse.”

“Dean,” Jo protested.

“Jo, please,” Dean requested. “Just do as I say. We’ve already lost too much today. I can’t lose any more people. Please.”

“We’ll wait just outside of town,” Jo agreed. “You come back to me.”

“Always,” Dean whispered, kissing her on the cheek.

Hailey turned to Darren, recognizing the far-away look in his eyes. She had lost family before, knew what it felt like, and knew without a doubt that Darren had to get out of Carthage before he was hurt.

“I’ll meet you back at the Roadhouse,” Hailey whispered.

Darren nodded but didn’t say a word. Instead, Hailey wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I’m so sorry, baby.”

“You kill that bastard,” Darren ordered. “And if you see Meg, kill her too.”

“They won’t get away with this,” Hailey agreed. “I swear it.”

“Stay safe,” Darren ordered. “I…I can’t lose anyone else.”

“You’ll never lose me again,” Hailey vowed.

Tears streaked down Darren’s face and Hailey reached out to wipe them away. She thought for a moment about what life could’ve been if they weren’t hunters. If people didn’t have to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. Why did that burden fall on them? Who chooses this life? There was nothing that Hailey could possibly say to make things better. 

“I’m so sorry, baby,” Hailey whispered.

Darren placed his forehead against Hailey’s as he sighed.

“Be careful,” Darren ordered.

“Always,” Hailey promised.

Chapter Text

Hailey didn't turn around as she ran toward her brothers. She knew that whatever was about to happen required all of her focus. It was a quiet walk through the streets on the way to William Jasper's farm. It was clear that whatever had happened to Carthage wasn't good. They had yet to see nary a person since arriving at the town, and Hailey kept seeing more and more reapers. They were standing around, waiting for something. Goosebumps shot down Hailey's neck as she followed after her brothers. Somehow it felt like they were walking into a trap. Where had Meg gone? Had they blown up all the hellhounds? She just hoped that Theo and Alex's sacrifice had not been in vain.

The phrase out of the frying pan came to mind. It was hard to believe that she had just been reunited with her brothers, that she had lost her old body, lost Abby and Lucy while gaining their powers. It was too much to comprehend. Shaking off the growing paranoia, she suddenly stumbled to a stop. They had found the former battleground for the Battle of Carthage. Dozens upon dozens of people were standing there, seemingly frozen in place, as they stared at something in the distance. Immediately all the Winchesters ducked down, scouting the area for visible threats. No one person had made a move; there was no growling from hellhounds. Despite the quiet, Hailey grew warier.

 "Guess we now know what happened to some of the townspeople," Dean whispered.

"Last words?" Sam said.

The three exchanged looks before they all shook their heads.

"I'm good," Dean stated.

"Yeah, me too," Sam and Hailey replied.

"Then here goes nothing," Dean shrugged.

With one last look forward one after the other, they started a slow, quiet descent through the farm. Lucifer was distracted, filling a hole with dirt. His distraction enabled them to get closer. Hailey ducked behind a townsperson standing near the Devil while Dean crept closer.

"Hey!" Sam called, standing a fair distance from his siblings.

Lucifer turned, dropping the shovel with a grin as he did so.

"You wanted to see me?" Sam asked, cocking the shotgun in Lucifer's direction.

"Oh, Sam, you don't need that gun here," Lucifer shook his head. "You know I'd never hurt you. Not really."

Whatever vessel was containing Lucifer looked reading to burst. It looked like the body was dying; it wasn't something Hailey or her brothers had ever seen. The skin was patchy and gray looking.

"Yeah?" Dean sneered. "Well, I'd hurt you."

Lucifer whirled around at the new voice, but his reaction was too late. Dean had already had the gun up and pointed at Lucifer. Dean pulled the trigger as their eyes locked, shooting the Devil in the middle of the forehead.

"So suck it," Dean growled.

Lucifer fell to the ground, and the Winchesters exchanged startled glances. That had almost been too easy. None of the townspeople had moved, yet Lucifer lay seemingly dead at Dean's feet. Suddenly, Lucifer inhaled with a gasp, shifting to a sitting position. Groaning in pain, the Devil rose to his feet. "Where'd you get that?"

Before Dean could answer or react, Lucifer lunged, punching Dean so hard he flew back into a tree, crashing against it and then crumbling to the ground. Hailey responded quickly, emerging from her hiding spot to light the soil around the Devil on fire.

"Hailey Winchester," Lucifer smiled. "I heard you died."

"Rumors that have been greatly exaggerated," Hailey retorted. "You know how demons love their gossip."

"No matter," Lucifer shrugged. "The Trinity prophecy has come and gone. Your life is meaningless, just like any other human."

With a flick of his wrist, Lucifer doused the flames and sent Hailey flying toward the same tree that had rendered Dean unconscious. Like that, the Devil and his destined vessel were alone to talk.

"Don't feel too bad, Sam," Lucifer stated. "There are only five things in all creation that particular gun can't kill. I happen to be one of them. Now, I'm almost done. If you'll, give me a minute."

With the Winchester's ace in the hole seemingly useless, Lucifer turned his back on Sam. Sam rushed over to check on both his siblings, finding their pulses were strong. Once again, Lucifer began to shovel dirt back into the hole. Lucifer turned on his heel, leaning against the shovel to regard Sam.

"I don't suppose you'd just say yes here and now?" Lucifer asked. "End this whole tiresome discussion. That's just crazy, right?"

"It's never going to happen!" Sam vowed.

"I don't know about that, Sam," Lucifer corrected, returning to filling the hole. "I think it will. And it'll happen soon. Within the next six months…in Detroit."

Sam shook with barely suppressed rage. "You listen to me, you son of a bitch. I'm gonna kill you myself, you understand me? I'm going to rip your heart out!"

"That's good, Sam," Lucifer grinned. "You keep fanning that fire in your belly. I'm gonna need all that rage."

With a visible exhale, Sam worked at unclenching his fists as he looked around the people assembled, who still weren't doing anything. They hadn't reacted to one thing that had happened in the field since the Winchesters arrived.

"What did you do?" Sam demanded. "What did you do to this town?"

"Oh, I was very generous with this town," Lucifer replied. "One demon for every able-bodied person."

"And the rest?"

"In there," Lucifer shrugged, gesturing towards the whole. "It's awful, I know. These horsemen are so demanding. So, it was women and children first. I know what you must think of me, Sam. But I have to do this. I have to. You, of all people, should understand."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sam snapped, visibly recoiling.

Sam knew that he wasn't normal. The boy with demon blood, as Castiel had said when they first met. He always felt like a black cloud was following him. To hear that he might have anything in common with Lucifer was almost too much to bear.

"I was a son," Lucifer explained. "A brother, like you, a younger brother, and I had an older brother who I loved—idolized even. Then one day, I went to him and begged him to stand with me. And Michael turned on me, called me a freak, a monster. He beat me down. All because I was different. Because I had a mind of my own. Tell me something, does any of that sound familiar?"

It did sound familiar. Sam knew he was the one who contested how his family lived. He wanted normalcy, but that was different from what he got. And, there would always be a tiny part of Sam that resented that fact. He understood why his father had done the things he had when Sam and his siblings were younger. But that was still a lot of rage to get through.

Lucifer also knew that his story had landed on Sam. That the two, indeed, weren't that different.

"If you'll excuse me, Sam. Midnight is calling, and I have a ritual to finish."

Lucifer walked towards the hole and started to chant. Turning to the assembled demons, he called, "Now repeat after me. We offer up our lives, blood, and souls to complete this tribute."

Dean and Hailey stirred, crawling as far away from Lucifer as possible. Sam stood before his siblings, shielding them as they got their wits back. Once they rose to their feet, they watched horrified as the demons flashed gold one by one and then crumbled to the ground, lifeless. As if feeling the extra attention, Lucifer glanced back at them.

"What?" Lucifer scoffed. "They're just demons."

When the last demon fell, the ground shook. Hailey flinched when Castiel suddenly appeared in front of the trio. He held a finger to his lips before reaching out to grab hold of them. One minute, whatever Lucifer had raised was about to walk the Earth; the next, they were safe and relatively sound at the Roadhouse.

"I think we have a problem," Dean said.

"You would be right about that, Dean," Natasha agreed. "The last horseman walks the earth. The apocalypse has truly begun."

Natasha's declaration did not go over well. Castiel had vanished to ensure that Ellen, Jo, and Darren returned safely. It didn't take long for them to come back. Soon the Roadhouse was buzzing with activity. There was a level of unease in the bar area. The hunters assembled didn't know what was going to happen. All they knew was all the horsemen walked the earth along with the Devil himself. So far, it felt like they were losing this war significantly.

When Darren emerged from one of the backrooms with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, Hailey stepped to meet him.

"I have to go," Darren whispered. "I have to tell my parents…."

"I'll go with you," Hailey stated.

"Hails," Darren started.

"That's not a trip you want to make yourself, Dare," Hailey responded. "You don't have to."

Darren sighed, his shoulders slumping forward. The world's weight was on the young man's shoulders. Hailey was at a loss; she had experienced the death of friends and family countless times, but frequency never dulled the keen sting of loss. She was especially losing not one but two siblings in a day. That was something that Hailey had never seen before.

She also knew that she owed Alex and Theo her life. Had it not been for their noble sacrifice, the entire group probably would've died last night. It may have been Theo and Alex's only choice, but it felt senseless. How did they not prepare for that? Why couldn't Castiel have been there to heal them? Why was it always on the Winchester's friends to take the short end of the stick?

"Let me just grab my things?" Hailey said, pausing in her movements to hug her boyfriend.

It was evident that Darren needed that hug, however minor the comfort was. The man was barely holding it together. Right now, he had a mission to go back to his parents. It would keep the emotional wounds at bay. But it wouldn't hold for long.

A few minutes later, the youngest Winchester had gathered her meager belongings and followed Darren to his car after informing Dean where she was off. It was a quiet drive to the Whitman farmhouse. But it wasn't the tense kind of quiet. It would've been lovely and serene in other circumstances. However, the loss of Alex and Theo hung heavy in the air.

Telling Meredith and Charles Whitman that their oldest children were dead was quickly one of the most challenging things that Hailey Winchester had ever had to do. It was something that Hailey and Darren had to do alone. The Whitman's Nebraska farmhouse had stayed the same for years. It was kept up and protected with every sigil one could imagine. However, there were some things that sigils couldn't protect you from. Meredith was smart as a whip, already waiting outside as Darren's mustang drove up the dirt road.

"What is it?" Meredith demanded.

Darren and Hailey had barely gotten out of the car. Hailey crossed over to the driver's side door, taking Darren's hand as the duo approached the Whitman matriarch.

"Mom," Darren began. Only to stop as his voice broke. With a deep breath, he started again. "Theo and Alex…They…they didn't make it."

"What are you talking about, boy?" Meredith growled. Her voice was cold with fury.

Darren flinched only to look his mother dead in the eye. He stared her down, waiting for what he said to sink in. He watched, heartbroken, as his words finally landed. Meredith stumbled back as if she had been slapped. If it had not been for Charles coming up behind her and steadying his wife, she would've been on the floor.

It was something that scared both Darren and Hailey. They had seen Meredith in all situations, and she had never lost her composure, never broke, never faltered. When Darren had been in the hospital, near death himself, she had her game face on the entire time. To see her falter made breaking the news ten thousand times worse.

Darren took a deep breath as Hailey grabbed his hand. Taking one more moment to compose himself, he began, "There were hellhounds. There were more than we thought, and then…then one got Alex. There was nothing we could do. Then Theo was attacked, I got her out of harm's way, but it wasn't fast enough. It was Theo's idea to build a bomb. Blow the hellhounds to kingdom come. They sacrificed themselves for us. For me. To get a shot at Lucifer."

"Then what happened, son?" Charles asked.

 "We couldn't complete the mission," Darren confessed, tears welling and spilling over ashen cheeks. "The last horseman has risen."

"Oh, Darren," Meredith breathed.

Hailey took a step back as mother and father embraced their surviving son. She moved away to give the family their privacy. Hailey felt her phone begin to ring. She pulled it out, glancing at the display. She walked further away to answer the phone without interrupting the grieving family.

"Hi, Dean," Hailey whispered.

"Hey, sweetheart," Dean replied. "How's it going?"

"I've had better days," Hailey confessed. It took her self-control to keep the emotional wobble out of her voice. However, she knew that Dean would hear it regardless.

One eye was trained on her surroundings; the other was focused on a grieving family. How often had she seen that same scene? When Dean died. When Sam died, when their father died, she assumed it was the same for her own death. It wasn't fair. The Winchester's seemed to have immunity to death, yet their allies weren't so lucky. What was it about Hailey's family that was so special?

"We're on our way out," Dean said. "Aiden's upright, walking stronger. Ellen's gathered everyone she could. Everyone should be there to pay respects."

"I'm not sure respect is what they want, Dean," Hailey sighed, looking at the broken family before her. Nothing was going to stem that bleeding.

Hailey stayed back, not wanting to intrude on the family. After a while, the Whitmans moved inside while Hailey stayed outside. The last time she had been a visitor at the farmhouse, they were mourning two other hunters. It was like a never-ending funeral procession.

She didn't know how much time had passed before the front door opened again. Meredith Whitman was a strong woman and had been since Hailey knew her. As Meredith closed the distance between them, it was clear that the older woman had been crying, but her eyes were full of rage, not grief.

"Is that really you?" Meredith asked. "Hailey?"

"It is," Hailey replied. "The Angels had me in hiding until Beelzebub was dead."

"Makes sense," Meredith nodded.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Hailey whispered.

"Thank you, baby," Meredith sighed. "Feels like it never ends, right?"

"I was thinking that," Hailey confessed.

"You rally around family," Meredith said. "Never forget why we're doing this. I raised my babies right."

"Yes, you did," Hailey agreed. "They were strong to the very last second. We tried to talk them out of it, but they made up their mind."

"I know," Meredith frowned.

"Everyone should be on their way up here," Hailey announced. "We don't want to leave you alone."

"Oh, baby," Meredith replied. She laid her hand on Hailey's cheek. "We're never alone."

Hailey moved out of the older woman's grasp, only to move into a hug. Meredith returned the embrace pulling the youngest Winchester into a tight embrace.

"I'm so happy you're back," Meredith confessed. "Darren wasn't handling your passing well."

"I'm not sure he'll be able to handle this well, either," Hailey frowned.

"You may be right about that, Hails," Meredith nodded.

The tense moment was broken by the familiar growl of the impala's engine, quickly followed by other cars.

"Ah," Meredith smiled. "I see the cavalry has arrived."

The women moved apart to watch car after car come onto the lot. The impala was leading the charge, which was no surprise to Hailey. Both Darren and Charles went out of the house to greet their guests. Despite the sad situation, spirits were relatively high.

It was the way that most hunters tried to mourn. Celebrate the lives of those who passed on. Honor their sacrifice and keep moving forward. That would come later. Now was a time to remember Alex and Theo and what they had selflessly given.

"Welcome!" Charles called.

Greetings echoed in kind as people stopped their cars and got out. Huge dishes of food and coolers appeared, and suddenly, people were in a flurry of movement to bring food into the farmhouse as people paused to give their regards to Darren, Charles, and Meredith.

Hailey moved over to her brothers, grimacing as Dean ruffled her hair. She shoved him away from her only to get picked up by Sam. After a quick hug, she was set back on her feet.

"Hay," Aiden greeted. "Good to see you."

"You've seen me loads of times, Ads," Hailey laughed, accepting his hug regardless.

It was clear that Aiden was healing quickly. The bruises littered all over his skin were starting to heal, which went a long way to settling her nerves. As people wandered into the farmhouse, things quickly dropped to a dull roar. Every so often, you heard crying. But there was also laughter as people tried to remember more of the good times than the bad. The farmhouse quickly had thirty people, but the sprawling property made things comfortable for everyone. It was easy to host hunters; as long as there was a flat surface, people could sleep, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, it was clear that people were starting to fall asleep after an emotionally exhausting day.

Hailey followed after Darren, knowing that the latter knew he was being followed. He opened the door and held it open for his girlfriend. Hailey shut the door behind her.

"I love you so much," Darren whispered, pulling her into a desperate hug.

"I love you too," Hailey replied. "I'm here, Dare; I'm not going anywhere."

Hailey held Darren tightly as he crumbled before her. She felt tears on her neck as Darren began to sob.

"I know," Hailey whispered. "I know."

Hailey led him over to the bed, pushing him into a sitting position. She helped get his sneakers and his sweatshirt off. Darren stood up momentarily to remove his jeans, leaving him in just a T-shirt and boxers. Hailey made herself at home, taking off her bra and jeans. She grabbed a different T-shirt pulling it over her head.

Once both were somewhat settled, they both climbed into bed. Darren laid his head on Hailey's chest as his arms locked tightly around her. Hailey brushed her fingers through his short hair, humming softly. Both were crying, taking comfort in one another's presence.

Hailey wasn't sure when exactly she had fallen asleep. She realized what had happened when she was startled awake very early the following day. She glanced over and saw that it was only five-thirty in the morning. With a groan, she rolled over, content to try and go back to sleep. Only a startled scream quickly axed that plan before she could even settle.

Darren jumped awake a half second after Hailey had sprung out of bed. She grabbed a gun from where her jeans lay, puddled on the floor. When Darren was similarly armed, they opened the door and ran down the stairs. Whatever Hailey had expected to find, she could never have imagined this. Standing in the foyer of the farmhouse were Theo and Alex Whitman. As if that wasn't bizarre enough, they weren't alone. Standing just behind the siblings was someone Hailey had never thought she'd see again.

“Dad?” Hailey gasped.

Chapter Text

Theo and Alex looked like they had a few days ago. Not a scratch on them; it was as if they had just up and decided to walk home. Even more surprising than that was the fact that John Winchester was also there. His hair had more gray, and he had age lines along his eyes and forehead as if he was alive and well this whole time.

Suspicion and anger were the primary emotions on every hunter's face; it was hard to know what had wandered through the Whitman's front door. The land was protected with every precaution imaginable. Demons, ghosts, ghouls, or other supernatural creatures couldn't just wander onto the property. The house was at a standstill. Multiple weapons were aimed at the trio.

"Do not move," Charles commanded.

"Charlie," John Winchester cajoled.

"Don't," Charles growled. "I don't know what you things think you're playing at, but you just made the worst mistake of your lives."

"We know that this is hard to believe," Alex whispered.

"But it's us," Theo replied. "Hailey just came back; why not us?"

Charles exchanged looks with the hunters assembled. Then he started barking orders, "I want rope, holy water, silver, and three chairs front and center. Now."

Immediately jumping to do the Whitman patriarch's bidding, Jo, Natasha, and Dean rushed off. The hunters that stayed did not relax their stance, not trusting the newcomers not to make any sudden movements. Once Dean, Natasha, and Jo were back with the items that had been requested, Charles nodded toward the chairs.

"If y'all don't mind," Charles grimaced, nodding to the chairs.

Alex, Theo, and John had no arguments as they sat in the chairs. Dean, Ellen, and Jo bound them quickly with the rope. Once they were adequately secured, Charles held up the holy water. He then moved from one person to the next, filling their mouths with some water; when the water didn't burn them, the remaining hunters relaxed.

The next test was silver. Instead of using the knife to cut, Charles just laid it on a patch of open skin. Once again, there was no reaction to indicate that it was a revenant or a shapeshifter. The last test contained information; they each said something that only Theo, Alex, and John would know. They each shared a fact easily and without hesitation.

"Unbelievable," Charles gasped.

"Nothing in our lives is unbelievable, pops," Alex laughed. "Can you untie us now?"

"My babies," Meredith whimpered.

There was a flurry of movement as all three were cut loose. Meredith was attempting to hug both Alex and Theo. Finally, all the Whitmans managed to get in one giant group hug.

Hailey joined her brothers, just staring at her father. He had been dead for at least three years, and now he was standing before his children as if no time had passed.

"Boys," John smiled. "Hay."

Aiden, Sam, and Dean seemed unsure of what to do. Maybe they were still in shock. Hailey, however, launched herself into her father's arms. John held his youngest in a death grip. One hand cradled her head as he caught his breath. The only thing on the Winchester patriarch's mind since waking up was finding his children.

And his children were all in one piece, except Hailey. Her former blonde hair was now a light brown; she was a bit taller and curvier. It reminded John a bit of his sister, Hilary. This would be what Hailey would've looked like if she had more Winchester genes; instead, she took after her mother's side. The one thing that she still had was her striking sapphire eyes.

"It seems like we have much to discuss," John stated.

He set Hailey back on her feet as he moved to hug each of his sons in turn.

"Let us find someplace quiet," John suggested.

John led the way into the farmhouse's basement. It was completely furnished and housed the Whitman's exercise equipment as well as their sparring mats. As Hailey followed her family, she noticed that most of the other hunters in the house had scattered once there was no threat. Hailey shut the basement door behind her, trailing quickly down the stairs. It was quiet for a few moments as each Winchester looked at the others.

"Not to look a gift horse in the mouth," Dean began. "But, how are you here, Dad?"

"All I remember was someone saying they had work for me to do," John shrugged. "Next thing I know, I woke up a few miles outside of Witchita. Alex and Theo were standing near me. Heard the same thing."

"Theo and Alex died not even forty-eight hours ago, though," Sam noted. "You've been dead for years-"

"But Theo blew herself up, and Alex got his throat ripped out," Aiden interrupted. "And we salted and burned your remains like you wanted us to do."

"I don't know what to tell you," Dad responded. "I fear I don't have much more answers than you do."

"People aren't getting resurrected outta the goodness of someone's hearts," Hailey mumbled.

"I agree with that," John sighed. "Now I have questions of my own. Hailey, what on earth happened to you?"

"I died," Hailey replied. "A demon carved sigils in my bones so I couldn't be placed in my old body. Meet Hailey 2.0. Though everyone seems to recognize me, which I can't figure out. Like everything going on lately, I blame the Angels."

"Where were you three?" John demanded.

"Dad, it wasn't their fault," Hailey protested. "It was a prophecy. Abby, Lucy, and I all died right before Lucifer rose. That should've been the end of it. But, the angels brought me back."

"Abby and Lucy, who?" John snapped. "What prophecy?"

"The Trinity," Hailey explained. "Three girls all born the same year had celestially given abilities. Azazel attempted to pollute our bloodline so that when the apocalypse began, we would choose Hell's side. When we didn't, we were murdered."

John scrubbed a hand down his face as he struggled with what his daughter had said. The fact that she died hurt more than John could ever imagine. The fact that she was standing before him only dulled the blow minutely. That, coupled with the fact that his youngest son looked like a walking bruise, did little to assuage his guilt over leaving his children alone.

"Why is Aiden beaten to hell?" John finally asked.

"Poltergeist threw me out a third-floor window," Aiden shrugged. "No big."

"A tree also broke his fall," Sam scoffed, glaring at his little brother. Finding him unconscious and covered in blood did not qualify as a no-big-deal situation.

"Yeah," Aiden said. Almost daring Sam to say something. "But I'm fine."

"You have to be more careful," John growled. "All of us do. This family has had too many close calls over the years."

"I'd say," Aiden muttered.

"Which means we have to be careful," John ordered. "No more running off half-cocked. No hunting alone. Until this apocalypse business is done, we watch our backs."

"Yes, sir," The Winchester siblings chorused.

The Winchester's settled back into a comfortable silence. They seemed apprehensive about having their father back yet relieved at the same time. It was nice to know that someone with all their father's knowledge about the occult was back.

The other hunters who had come to pay their respects had gone while the Whitman and Winchester family were reacquainted. If there was one thing all hunters had in common, it was a knack to know when they were no longer wanted. Ellen, Jo, Bobby, and Natasha were the only ones who stayed. The farmhouse was now quiet, with the lack of other people milling around.

"Shall we join the others?" John asked.

"Whatever you wanna do, Dad," Dean shrugged, speaking for all his siblings.

John smiled, clapping a hand on his oldest's shoulder, "You've done good, son. Kept this family together."

The praise had Dean fighting not to smile. Though he straightened up, his chest puffing out proudly. John went up the stairs first, quickly followed by Dean, Sam, Aiden, and Hailey. Once Hailey had climbed the stairs, she shut the door to the basement.

"John," Charles greeted. "It's been a long time."

"Thank you for watching my children, Charlie," John replied.

The two men shook hands before hugging. When they stepped away, John moved to hug Meredith. Then he hugged Ellen.

"I feel like I've missed a lot," John sighed. Can you catch me up?

"Not at all," Charles responded. "Come into the kitchen. We have a pot of coffee already going."

"My man," John laughed.

The four adults entered the kitchen, leaving their children in the living room. Hailey walked over to Alex, immediately throwing her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry," Hailey cried. "I tried to save you. It was just…I just…"

"Don't put that on yourself, sweetheart," Alex replied. "I knew what I was getting into. Like I told my brother, it wasn't your fault."

"Do you have any idea how this has happened?" Dean asked.

"Nope," Alex sighed. "Woke up in a field with Theo. Found your dad shortly after. We found clean clothes and hot-wired a car. The last thing we all remembered was moments before our deaths. Theo caught me up with what happened in Carthage."

"We should've been more prepared," Darren frowned.

"I should have seen this coming," Natasha replied. "I let you all walk into a trap."

No one got the chance to argue as Natasha's head snapped towards the front door. She rose and went to the door, swinging it open before Missouri could even knock. The older woman did not seem shocked by this. Instead, she grinned widely, pulling Natasha into a hug.

"Your gifts are growing stronger by the day," Missouri smiled.

"Yes," Natasha agreed. "Sometimes not fast enough."

"You were blocked in Carthage," Missouri told her. "As was I. There are powerful forces at play, baby. Something older than anything we have ever known."

"Who is that behind you?" Natasha asked.

A woman had appeared on the front porch from behind Missouri. She was tall and slender with long blonde hair and striking blue eyes. Hailey had gone to greet Missouri when she saw the other woman. Hailey froze in shock, realizing she had seen the blonde before, but only in pictures.

"No fucking way," Hailey gasped.

"Your mother. Yes, it is."

"Let me get this straight. We get our father back. I came back. Alex and Theo came back. And now my mother? Why? How?"

"I have answers for that," Missouri responded. "Now, where are the others? I'm not going to explain this more than once."

"They're in the kitchen," Dean stated.

Missouri nodded, striding in with her head held high. The others went to follow, but she held out a hand.

"Give me a moment," Missouri requested before entering the kitchen.

"I don't understand anything," Aiden sighed.

The others turned to look at Mary Winchester.

"Do you know who we are?" Sam asked.

"Of course I do," Mary replied.

"Mom, is that really you?" Dean asked.

"Yes, baby," Mary smiled.

Mary was close to tears as she looked at all her children. She had missed so much of their lives. So much of her own life. Whoever brought her back had the foresight to age her body to the age she would've been. Mary had grown up in this world and knew that whatever brought her back had done so with something specific in mind. This many resurrections were damn near unheard of.

Dean didn't look at his siblings as he went to his mother's side, quickly snatching her into a hug. Mary returned the hug with equal force. It seemed like Dean had to force himself to let go as he took a step back to let Sam hug their mother. Their reunion was just as emotional.

Hailey had gone closer to Aiden, sensing he would be on the same page out of all her brothers. Aiden had only been three when Mary died. He barely remembered their mother. Hailey, even less so. Watching Sam and Dean reunite with her awakened a longing that Hailey thought she had put to bed long ago. The hope for a mother and growing up in a house full of men had not been easy. At times, Hailey would've said it sucked. But that was the past, and she was the woman she is today because of her upbringing, for better or worse.

Sam also let his mother go after a few minutes, leaving her with the opportunity to walk over to her youngest. John and Mary had named both Hailey and Aiden after John's parents since Dean and Sam were named after hers. Unlike Mary's parents, John's died from natural causes.

"Aiden," Mary whispered. "Hailey."

Hailey glanced between her mother and Aiden, unsure of what to do. That made sense since the last time Hailey had seen Mary, she was a baby, and if it hadn't been for the occasional picture, she would have no idea what her mother even looked like. Aiden could sense his sister's unease, giving her an encouraging smile before moving to hug his mother.

As the tallest in the family, Aiden dwarfed their mother. She had a diminutive frame yet had a commanding presence. Still, Aiden nearly folded himself over, hugging his mother tightly. As they embraced, Hailey looked over to Natasha, who was watching the scene with everyone else. Knowing that her best friend had a question: if it really was Mary Winchester standing before her, Natasha held her gaze and nodded slowly.

It made no sense, and Natasha did not like not seeing something like this coming. As a clairvoyant, it was not often that she was surprised. And yet surprise seemed like a frequent state for her these days. She may have grown up in the supernatural world, but this was unheard of. Nothing that Natasha knew of had the power to raise the dead. The recently deceased, maybe. But, both John and Mary Winchester had been dead for years. And yet someone had taken the care to resurrect them and make them so that they would be the age of fifty-five as if they had never died at all.

All beings show themselves sooner or later. This was different from someone sending people forward in time. Time was a relative thing, yet messing with a timeline could have devasting ripple effects. Natasha wasn't even sure what it could be. All she knew was that sooner or later, she would know everything she needed to know.

Hailey didn't even realize that Aiden had stepped out of the hug and gone over to her until he pushed her in their mother's direction.

"Hailey," Mary breathed.

Now Hailey realized why her father refused to look at her some days. In her old body, she was a near mirror image of her mother. It had been a lasting reminder to her father of what he had lost. Standing across from her, Hailey stood frozen; they were nearly the same height, with the same blue eyes. Hailey's breath caught in her throat before she began to cry for everything she had missed out on. For all the moments a mother should share with a daughter. Almost sensing her daughter's grief, Mary lunged forward, pulling her youngest child tightly.

"I'm so sorry," Mary whispered. "So sorry."

There were some things that you couldn't be protected from. In this one instance, Hailey Winchester needed her mother, and there she was. Hailey's brothers had moved to go over to console their sister when Natasha held up a hand—warning them to wait. Hailey's sobs soon quieted into an occasional sniffle as Mary continued to hug her daughter murmuring words of comfort in her ear.

The others hadn't realized how quiet the room had gotten until the kitchen door swung open with an audible bang. John Winchester quickly strode into the room with Missouri on his heels, ranting about the Winchester Patriarch being a stubborn son of a bitch.

Having been on the receiving end of John Winchester on the warpath, Hailey was quick to spring away from her mother, almost hiding behind Aiden. Unlike in previous instances, John's fury extinguished when he locked eyes with his wife.

"It's her," John questioned, looking towards Missouri. "You're sure."

"Don't insult me, John Winchester," Missouri retorted. "I would know if someone was not who they said they were. The woman's last memory is of her baby and the fire."

When John continued to look unsure, Missouri blustered, "I could just slap you. That's your wife. She's been watching out for you you and your family for years. Now you're just being stubborn."

"Something new," Mary teased.

"Oh, Mary," John laughed.

That was the last thing John needed. He took his wife into his arms a second after that, nearly crushing her to his chest. Both husband and wife seemed overcome with emotion. This had been more than any Winchester had ever wished for. Something that defied all the rules in this world. It set every hunter in the room on edge, even as they were grateful to be reunited with their loved ones.

"Come on, you all," Missouri prodded. "Let's give these two a moment."

Together the Winchester siblings, the Whitman siblings, Jo, and Natasha followed after Missouri into the kitchen. As soon as the majority of the group was assembled in the Whitman's spacious kitchen, the conversation came to a halt. After all the grief the day before, to suddenly be reunited with friends and family was a little too much to take in. It was going from one extreme to the other.

When Castiel appeared in the middle of the room, everyone jumped. Hailey fought back a sigh and lost. She was getting a little tired of the Angel's sudden appearances, especially since it was evident that Castiel knew what was going on and refused to share.

Although Castiel was an angel, he possessed a human vessel, which was why his sudden appearance did little to startle Natasha Colson. Instead, she moved quickly, latching a hand around the Angel's wrist as her eyes turned white.

"Natasha!" Missouri cautioned. Reading a person was one thing; tapping into an angel was something few people could do. Seeing or hearing an Angel in its proper form could cripple you. The younger psychic knew the risk and moved to read the Angel anyway.

Castiel moved to push the woman off of him but found that he could not. His eyes looked at the room in confusion before he looked at Hailey. Hailey stood off to the side, one arm raised, keeping Castiel pinned to the floor.

"Hailey!" Castiel growled. "You don't know what you're doing."

"I know exactly what I'm doing," Hailey replied. "You won't tell us what's going on. Fine. We have other ways of getting information."

"Hay, maybe you shouldn't," Dean responded, noting the angry Angel.

Before, Hailey and Castiel had seemed friendly. Ever since she had come back, they were at odds. It was something that Dean had picked up on. It was a hard thing to wrap his head around. He trusted his sister with his life. Yet the Angel had saved his ass a lot in the past year.

Sensing her brother's conflicted feelings, she turned to look at Dean without releasing her hold on Castiel. "There's something wrong, Dean. The Angels are playing all of us."

“Yoshouldn't’t be able to do this!” Castiel shouted. "I'm a warrior of God. Your abilities are celestially given; they cannot be used on me."

Natasha had not reacted to the argument, having lulled herself into a trance. Latching on to Castiel's vessel's memories. Through that link, she could see everything, and when the connection broke, she stumbled away would'ved’ve crumbled to the floor had Aiden not caught h"r.

“You monster,” Natasha whispered.

“Natasha,” Castiel implored. "You don't understand."

"What did you see?” Missouri asked, sensing her protégé’s unease.

“I saw the end,” Natasha sobbed. “The end for us "ll.”

Chapter Text

Natasha was nearly hysterical as she got as far away from Castiel as possible. Aiden shielded his girlfriend reaching out to give her something to ground herself to. He had seen her in action when she allowed herself to see what other people saw. It took a lot out of her as she struggled with what she had seen. She grabbed Aiden's hand, taking a deep breath.

"What the hell, Cas?" Dean demanded. "What'd you do to her?"

"She knows not what she's seen," Castiel retorted. "You foolish child, meddling in the affairs of Angels."

Before anyone could react, Castiel moved swiftly, breaking Hailey's hold over him and sending her sprawling across the room. Hailey hit the far wall of the kitchen with a thud before falling to the ground.

"Just tell us what's going on, Castiel," Hailey pleaded.

"I can't," Castiel retorted. "I have my orders."

"You came here knowing what would likely happen," Missouri replied.

Conflict warred on Castiel's face as he looked at the people in the kitchen.

"Cas, you can trust us," Dean replied. "Please."

"Crowley is partnered with one of the archangels," Castiel finally said. "They are the reason why the dead rise once more."

"Crowley?" Sam demanded. "The demon, Crowley?"

"Pretty sure that's who he meant, Sam," Aiden scoffed. "It's not that common of a name."

Sam shot his brother a harsh glare, looking like he was ready to offer a biting retort. Dean, having sensed an argument in the making, chose to cut it off at the source.

"A demon's raising hunters?" Dean scoffed. "Yeah, right, Cas. That makes loads of sense."

"Nothing happens accidentally, Dean," Castiel retorted. "If you don't see where they are going with this, you soon will."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Dean demanded. "We need some answers here."

"What you need, Dean Winchester, is not to concern yourself with our business."

Before anyone could respond, the Angel vanished on the spot. Everyone exchanged startled glances looking between Hailey, Natasha, and Dean.

"What was that?" Aiden asked.

Aiden still held Natasha cradled against his chest. The clairvoyant, for her part, was still crying quietly. Sensing that she was not up for the third degree, attention shifted to Missouri Mosely.

"I'm not sure what Natasha saw," Missouri confessed. "I only caught flashes of death and destruction. The Angels are up to something, and it has something to do with Lucifer and the prophecies you Winchesters are caught up in."

"So, there's no coincidence that our parents are suddenly alive?" Sam scoffed. "How surprising."

"There's no coincidence in this life," Charles reprimanded. "Until we have an idea why exactly people are getting resurrected willy nilly like there's no sense in driving ourselves crazy over it."

"Charles is right."

The door to the kitchen had opened only a moment ago as heads turned to look at the newcomer. It was Mary Winchester, with John on her heels. They both had the sharp senses of a hunter, so they had caught what had happened. It was bizarre for everyone involved that the Winchester family was together in its entirety. Something that had yet to occur in nearly twenty years.

The kitchen had fallen into an uneasy silence, broken only when Ellen threw herself into Mary's arms. Mary stumbled back before returning the hug with equal force. Soon both women had dissolved in a flood of tears. Ellen and Mary had grown up together, both born into hunting families and sharing that burden of responsibility together.

The two had drifted apart when Mary broke away from the hunting world. There had been many arguments between the former close friends before they stopped speaking. Then they were only told of what was going on in one another's lives through Mary's sisters: Tess and Trixie. Mary had died before either woman could salvage their friendship. That burden had rested on Ellen's shoulders for years. Seeing one of her closest friends alive had improved Ellen's morale. Seeing all the kids, as well as John and Mary Winchester, had given Ellen hope where she was beginning to lose it. Hope was the last thing on anyone's mind when death clung close.

A few minutes later, Dean managed to catch his sibling's eyes, tilting his head towards the back door. Getting the message, they all slipped out of the kitchen and onto the rear patio. Dean came out last, shutting the door behind him as he ensured everyone else was still in the kitchen.

"What's up, Dean?" Hailey asked.

"Did Castiel seem sketchy to you?" Dean replied. "He talking the way he did when he first popped up."

"You think Heaven reprogrammed our angel?" Aiden wondered.

"It would make sense," Hailey shrugged. "He was never quite forthcoming, but he's never been this much of a dick before."

"Other than to Sam anyway," Aiden snickered.

"Shut the fuck up, Ads," Sam grumbled.

"He looks scared," Hailey said, redirecting the conversation back to the topic at hand.

"I don't want to meet the thing that scares an Angel," Aiden grimaced.

The Winchester siblings all shuddered. Angels were warriors of God and had seen what the world was like before God created man. If Castiel was scared of something, they should also be wary.

"Why would a demon and an angel work together in the first place?" Sam wondered. "Last I checked, they smote first and asked questions later."

"Better question, why are the people they're resurrecting all hunters?" Dean replied. "That is in no way a coincidence."

"No, it's a pattern," Hailey agreed. "One that we have to investigate further. We're all out of our depth."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Hay," Aiden sneered.

Hailey shrugged her shoulders as if to say, "What can we do?"

"Time to hit the books," Dean sighed.

"We should go to Bobby's," Hailey suggested. "If anyone has the background on this shitshow, he would."

"The man does have a lot of books," Sam agreed. "But he's in the living room with everyone else."

"He gave us keys to the place," Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, and I'm sure he'll love us rifling through his stuff when he's a few states over."

"That leads to an important question," Aiden interrupted. "How are we gonna get past the others?"

"Should we be keeping anyone out of the loop?" Hailey wondered. "This impacts both our family and the Whitman's."

"Hailey has a point," Dean frowned. "There are also our parents to consider."

"We're not orphans anymore," Aiden laughed.

"Yeah, but we're not kids anymore either," Hailey protested.

"Has that ever worked with Dad?" Dean scoffed.

"The man was barely around," Sam sneered.

"And now mom's back," Hailey sighed. "Who knows how things are gonna end up now."

"Our lives are fucking weird," Aiden complained.

Noises of agreement followed the complaint as the siblings stood in a half circle. Not knowing the next course of action was frustrating the youngest Winchester. She could feel herself getting restless before she finally announced, "I'm taking a walk."

"Hails, it's not safe," Dean protested.

"Story of my freaking life," Hailey mumbled. She waved a hand dismissively, pulling up the back of her sweatshirt to reveal a gun. She also had three knives, one silver, one iron, and one just for throwing. Hailey had learned her lesson about not being fully prepared the hard way; now, she always had something to protect herself with. Besides that, the Whitman grounds covered nearly every mark a hunter could use for protection.

Hailey was mildly surprised that her brothers did not make more fuss as she wandered off. And she was stunned that one hadn't followed after her. Hailey was twenty years old, but that had never stopped her brothers from being overprotective. Not that she was going to demand a shadow, she didn't want it. Her thoughts were racing enough as it was.

She couldn't believe that her parents, both her parents, were alive. It seemed almost too good to be true. It probably was an Angel and a Demon working together was unprecedented and dangerous. If they had found a mutually beneficial partnership, the whole world could be at risk. Once again, the Winchesters were caught up in it.

Hailey could scarcely imagine how her life would change from here on out. She was in a new body and no longer an orphan. How would the family work together? Would her mother rejoin the 'family business' after she had fought tooth and nail to get out of it some thirty years before?

The Youngest Winchester was so caught up in her thoughts; she didn't even notice that she had gone off the Whitman's property. Hailey felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end; her only warning was that she was no longer alone. A girl, maybe a year or two younger than her, suddenly appeared directly in front of Hailey.

"Who the hell are you?" Hailey demanded, an iron knife already in her hand. It wouldn't give her the safety of distance that a rocksalt round afforded her, but it could do in a pinch.

"You can see me?" The girl retorted.

Hailey tilted her head, taking in the girl's appearance. While she looked solid, her attire was not from this century. The girl wore her hair in a tight bun with a dress covering her from neck to toe. It was a plain gray dress that would fit in with a Renaissance festival.

"You're dead," Hailey whispered.

"Yep," The girl replied. "You're not."

"Who are you?"

"Katie," The girl replied. "Well, Katherine. Katherine Colt."

"Colt?" Hailey repeated. "As in Samuel Colt."

"The very same," Katie grinned. "We would've run in similar circles; I'm guessin'."

"You're a hunter, too," Hailey smiled.

"Behind the scenes, yeah," Katie shrugged. "I heard your thoughts, Hailey. This has happened before."

"When?" Hailey demanded. "What happened? Who's doing it? Why?"

"The answers are in my brother's journal," Katie stated. "I'm bettin' that it's the same demon's handiwork too. Crowley a crossroads demon. He gets a bit high and mighty every few centuries."

"There are angels involved," Hailey whispered. "Lucifer walks the earth."

"Lucifer will be dealt with in his own time," Katie said. "Raphael, the archangel, is the one you must worry about."

"He's behind all this?" Hailey replied. "Why?"

"A soul is worth more than you know," Katie explained. "The more souls, the stronger whoever owns them gets."

The spirit began to flicker, fading in and out. "Find my brother's journal," Katie ordered. And just like that, she vanished from sight. Hailey waited a few moments to see if she'd be coming back. When it was clear that she wasn't, Hailey continued her walk, suddenly having much more to think about. If Katie was telling the truth, they could get on top of things. If something like this had happened in the past, then it was clear that someone had stopped it once.

Getting out undetected was proving to be easier said than done. Everyone was on edge, and it was beginning to wear on Hailey's nerves. She had managed to pack her duffel bags without anyone realizing what she was doing.

She was going down to the media room to find Darren when Dean came around the corner.

"After everyone's asleep," Dean muttered, continuing on his way as if he hadn't spoken.

Hailey still needed to figure out if leaving without telling anyone was the best option. However, Dean was the one who called the shots so she would defer to him. Hailey entered the media room, sitting next to Darren as they watched whatever movie was on television. Alex and Theo were sitting on the other couch. It was quiet as people trickled in and out. Inevitably a football game was put on. Still not interested in any sports, she excused herself. She was getting changed into a baggy teeshirt and a pair of sweatpants.

"What's going on, Hails?" Darren asked.

Hailey jumped in surprise, not even hearing Darren come into the bedroom. She pivoted on her heel, not even trying to hide that she was packed and ready to go.

"My brothers and I are heading to Bobby's," Hailey explained. "We may have a lead."

"And you're not going to tell anyone?" Darren questioned.

From the sound of his voice, the question was rhetorical. Hailey sighed, already knowing that Darren disagreed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Hailey grumbled. She tried to keep the frustration out of her tone, and by Darren's stubborn look, she had failed in that.

"You're not the only ones affected, you know," Darren shrugged.

"I know that," Hailey responded. "But we have to figure out how and why. I mean, my father's alive? And my mother? Fucking hell, Dare, I never thought I'd see my mother, and yet she's in your kitchen talking to your parents and my dad like nothing had happened. What could this have caused? What ripples did this set?"

"My brother and sister are suddenly alive," Darren retorted. "And so are you. Why are you looking at all this like a bad thing."

"Because I doubt we just got lucky," Hailey growled.

She runs a shaking hand through her hair, agitation written in her stance and how she seems to be shaking as if she doesn't know whether to flee or fight. What Samuel Colt's sister had said echoed in her head. If this had happened before, it could have been stopped. But they needed information. And if any person had information, it was Bobby Singer. They had to find that journal and see how this could be stopped. But, if they did stop what was going on, what was to say that the newly living would stay that way?

"I don't want to fight," Darren whispered. "But we can help. You don't have to do these things alone."

"I know," Hailey replied. "I know."

A dozen arguments lie on Darren's tongue. Any of them go to the same place, don't leave me out of this. This is my fight too. Sensing her boyfriend's struggles, Hailey dropped the shirt she had been folding into her duffle bag as she walked over to him. Darren snaked an arm out, snagging Hailey around the waist and reeling her into his side. She reached up, winding her arms around his neck.

They're both older now. One is in a different body, but one thing remains the same. Hailey's loyalty is to her family. Whether it was a born Winchester trait or something that has been trained into her, it remains hard to shake. She loves Darren and the rest of the Whitman family. She loves the Harvelles, Natasha Colson, Missouri Mosely, and Bobby Singer. Family doesn't end with blood, but when push comes to shove, she goes with her brothers. It's instinctual—a force of habit. And Hailey can't decide if that is what makes her feel guilty. That her boyfriend takes a backseat to the clusterfuck that is her life or that he seems okay with it. He has the same sense of loyalty she does.

"I'm sorry," Hailey whispered.

She is. She wishes things were different. She wishes that Darren would be the first person in her life. The one she goes to when push comes to shove. But he's not, and it bothers her. And what bothers her more is that he isn't angry about it. He's understanding, willing to step aside.

"We don't know how deep this goes," Darren whispered.

"Or how long it lasts," Hailey responds.

Darren stiffened in her arms, realizing she had considered something he hadn't. He had hoped that whatever brought his brother and sister stuck, and god damn if that isn't a rookie mistake.

"You can't leave us out," Darren said sternly.

"Once we find out more, we'll bring everyone in," Hailey stated.

"You promise?" Darren demanded.

"I promise," Hailey swore. "No one is taking our family from us. Never again."

The Whitman farmhouse sat on a substantial lot. The backyard was sprawling greenery in all directions. A pond was a little way down, and a pool with Jacuzzi was off to the side. It was a cool night, perfectly average. At least it would've been if John Winchester hadn't just come back from the dead. He sat on one of the chairs on the back porch, his eyes cataloging what changed and what hadn't in the time he had been away. To John's side was his wife. Words he never thought he'd think, let alone say again.

"Seems we have a lot to catch up on," Mary finally said.

Once upon a time, Mary was perfectly content to wait John Winchester out. Let him think through what he needed to. Now was a different story.

"You're a hunter," Mary accused softly.

She's furious in a way she never imagined herself being. Her poor babies were forced to lead a life that she hated. She had run from the second she was able. Fate was a cruel mistress. Mary thinks things might have been different if she hadn't turned her back on what she knew and if she had told John what was really going on. Should've, could've, would've. It's enough to drive her to violence. Instead, she wills herself to calm down, sits next to John, and stares him down.

"You were gone," John replied. "And I couldn't just let that go."

"I wish you had," Mary whispered.

"Never," John hissed. "I found you pinned over Hailey's crib. No one believed me. I thought I was seeing things. Until your sisters came around and finally told me what you never did, why didn't you?"

"Because this is no life," Mary growled. "I hated it. I hated my parents, hated that this world kept me from being normal, so I found normal and left it all behind."

"Only it didn't leave you behind," John said. "It found you and left us wide open. Left us weak."

"It's my fault I died?" Mary snapped. "That it? I should've known better."

"That's not what I'm saying," John back peddled.

"We both know that it is," Mary whispered. "I thought I could leave it behind. Be safe, but I only put my family at risk and got myself killed. That's something I now have to live with."

"I couldn't let your death go unanswered," John said.

"I know," Mary replied. Her palm rested on John's cheek, her eyes welling with tears.

John's hand rested on Mary's as he locked eyes with hers. Never did he let himself hope for a moment like this. To lay eyes on his wife just one more time. To hold her, and now he had gotten his wish. Though whoever saw fit to grant it was no friend of his.

"There's a lot I wish I could change," John confessed. "Raising the kids in this life, them knowing what lurks out there, is a two-sided sword. They're better protected but more at risk. There are a lot of people who want to hurt them just because their last name is Winchester."

"I know what that's like," Mary replied. "The Campbell family is widely known for the same things. It was why I wanted out. Couldn't ever get far enough."

"Can't fight fate," John sighed.

Mary hummed in agreement. She was nearly overwhelmed with everything that had happened. Now that she was alive, there was no yearning for a normal life; she only wanted her family to be safe. She frowned softly when she had died; her babies were young, now they were fully grown, and she had missed a lot. How does she even begin to be a parent when she has been absent for so long?

"They're not going to stay," Mary stated.

"What do you mean?" John responded.

"You know they're not going to stay here," Mary said. "They're going to try to find information."

"They wouldn't leave without me," John stated.

"Sweetheart, you've been gone for years," Mary replied. "They're used to dealing with things alone now."

"They'll just have to get used to it," John grumbled.

"They're as stubborn as their father," Mary teased lightly.

John grunted in acknowledgment of what his wife had said. He knew that things would not go back to the way things were. But, he'd be damned if they just tried to go off without them.

"Where are you going?" Mary asked as John rose to his feet.

"I'm making sure they don't leave without us," John stated.

Mary sighed, knowing that her hard-headed husband would probably not wait for their children to readjust to their presence. Instead, he would bulldoze his way through the situation and take charge. Knowing that a softer approach may be warranted, she quickly followed after John.

Instead of confronting one or all of their kids, John went to the front of the house where all the cars were parked. Mary leaned against the front door's threshold, watching as John popped the Impala's hood and unscrewed something. Mary shook her head fondly, remembering how she had almost lost her shit when she sent John to get a family car, and he returned with the 1967 Impala. John closed the hood before making his way back over to her side.

"Now they definitely won't be going anywhere."

Getting out undetected was proving to be easier said than done. Sneaking out of a house full of hunters would already be a tall order for anyone. But with the whole house on edge after the confrontation with Castiel and Natasha's meltdown, however, warranted it might've been, sneaking out was going to be an ordeal if they got out at all. Hailey's nerves were fried from talking to her first ghost to the minor argument with her boyfriend; she was beginning to think this day would not be going anyway in her favor.

Despite feeling the plan was already doomed, she packed her duffel bags, storing them near Darren's window. After that task, she opened Darren's bedroom door, peering around the corner. She didn't see anyone on this level as it was mostly bedrooms with one communal bathroom. The master bedroom encompassed the entire third floor, leaving Darren, Alex, and Theo's childhood bedroom on the floor she was currently on.

Hailey shut Darren's door behind her; she walked down the stairs taking a right towards the entertainment room. She was halfway there when Dean came around the corner. "After everyone's asleep," Dean muttered, continuing on his way as if he hadn't spoken.

Hailey still needed to figure out if leaving without telling anyone was the best option. However, Dean was the one who called the shots, so of course, she would listen to him. Hailey entered the media room, sitting next to Darren as they watched whatever movie was on television. Alex and Theo were seated on the opposite couch. They were passing a bowl of popcorn back and forth, sodas within easy reach.

It was a routine between the siblings. She was so happy to have Alex and Theo back. Hailey just had to be sure that whatever had brought them back wouldn't rescind that gift. Castiel told them an archangel was behind this, and he had no reason to lie. However, it had to be one strong Angel to pull this off. And Crowley was not to be underestimated either. All Hailey knew was that they needed information, and they needed it quickly.

Hailey couldn't even begin to say whatever movie was playing on television. She curled into Darren's side, watching as person after person turned into the night. The look her father leveled at her as he said goodnight sent up a warning flag. The old man knew they were up to something he must have. Still, Dean had locked eyes after their parents had gone up to sleep, making it clear that they were proceeding with the plan.

Eventually, Darren and Hailey both declared that they were going to sleep. Alex and Theo didn't look like they suspected anything as the young couple went upstairs. Darren shut the door behind him, looking over his girlfriend.

"You sure you still want to do this?" Darren whispered.

"Worth a shot," Hailey replied.  

With a curt nod, Darren let it go changing for bed. He climbed into the center of his bed, not bothering to go under the covers. Hailey joined him, curling once more into his side with a sigh. Darren pulled her closer, pressing a kiss against her temple.

Hailey didn't know how long she waited for the coast to be clear. Finally, she heard the low whistle signaling they were ready. She got to her feet, kissing Darren's forehead before she grabbed her duffle bags and opened the window.

"Hailey!" Darren hissed.

Hailey turned around from where she was straddling the window sill, half in and half out of his room.

"Yeah?" Hailey replied.

"We're on the second floor," Darren pointed out. "We have a front door."

"The floorboards before the stairs squeak," Hailey shrugged. "This is easier."

"You're out of your mind," Darren shook his head.

With a wicked grin, Hailey climbed out of the window the rest of the way. She didn't have to look behind her to know that Darren had left bed to watch her. With a wink, Hailey broke into a run leaping into the tree a few feet away from the house's roof.

"God damn it, Hailey!" Dean hissed loud enough to be heard. But not the yell he would've used otherwise. "That was not part of the plan."

"Relax, Dean," Hailey retorted.

Dean's eyebrows damn near shot off his forehead before he narrowed his eyes. Sam and Aiden stood a little away, watching their sister effortlessly climb down the tree. A foot from the ground, Hailey ran out of branches to climb down, and before anyone could say another word, she dropped, landing in a crouch.

"What're we waiting for?" Hailey asked as she walked over to the Impala, dropping her things in the trunk.

"Just get in the damn car, Hailey Jade," Dean growled.

With a shrug, Hailey opened the passenger door sliding to one end so that Aiden could climb in after her. It took careful maneuvering not to make noise entering the Impala. Once everyone was inside, Dean twisted the car keys expecting the car to start up. Instead, the Impala spluttered, the ignition not catching.

"What in the hell?" Dean demanded.

 A hand knocked against the window startling the siblings from their stealth mission. Standing on the other side of the car was John Winchester himself. He was holding the ignition cap with a furious expression.

"Fuck," Hailey mumbled.

"I'm sorry. Did I interrupt something?" John growled.

"Hey, Dad, fancy seeing you here," Hailey smiled.

"Cut the shit, Hailey," John barked. "Where do you all think you're going at this time of night?"

"Just a nice drive," Dean replied.

"With all your stuff?" John questioned. "A drive that required everyone sneaking out in the middle of the night?"

"Just trying to be considerate to the other people in the house," Dean shrugged.

"That's nice of you, Dean-o," John sneered. "All of you get out of the car."

Knowing that there was really no other choice, the Winchester siblings got out of the Impala, lining up across from where their father was waiting. The Winchester patriarch, for his part, was staying with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

"I want the truth," John ordered. "Right now."

"We're going to Bobby's," Hailey replied.

"Why?"

"Because all the resurrections going on right now aren't a coincidence," Hailey stated. "A ghost told me it happened before; the events are in Samuel Colt's journal."

"A ghost?" John repeated. "You can talk to ghosts now?"

"I have all the powers of the Trinity," Hailey whispered. "Telekinesis, elemental control, and I'm a medium."

"And you're just now telling me this?" John demanded. 

"You never asked," Hailey shrugged.

"Say again?" John barked, taking a step to tower over his daughter.

"It must've slipped my mind," Hailey responded, not being stupid enough to say what she originally had again.

"Slipped your mind," John repeated. "You mentioned a prophecy; you said nothing about abilities."

"You already knew of my telekinesis," Hailey mumbled. "When I was resurrected, I didn't have abilities until Castiel gave them back. All of them."

"So a ghost told you this happened before, and you decided not only to believe it but go off half-cocked. Doing what?"

"To look for Samuel Colt's journal," Sam said. "We figured Bobby might have it, or he'd know someone who would."

"And you were going to break into the man's house?" John snapped. "Why not ask him yourself?"

"I don't think we had thought about that," Aiden whispered.

"Yeah, no shit, Ads," John groused.

"Enough!" A stern, feminine voice shouted.

John whirled around as Dean, Sam, Aiden, and Hailey jumped. While Hailey was sure that this family disagreement was far from quiet, people didn't usually jump into the fray. When John Winchester was a warpath, it was best to get away, not leap into things.

At least, that's how it had gone in the past. Now, Hailey realized, as she watched their mother quickly close the distance between herself and the rest of the family, a whole new dynamic was at play.

"Mary," John began.

"I don't want to hear it," Mary interrupted. "I told you that they would do this. Now we can all talk about this in the morning. Guys, it's clear you're not going anywhere tonight or without us. Now it's far too late for this. Get into the house, and go to sleep."

The Winchester sibling's eyes were round as saucers in all their plans for how tonight would go. They hadn't anticipated their mother coming in a commandeering the situation. While Sam and Dean had been aware that their mother had no problem pushing their father to the side to take control of a situation, those memories had faded. Now they came roaring back.

"Am I clear?" Mary demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," Dean, Sam, Aiden, and Hailey stated quickly.

"Then shall we?" Mary replied.

Hailey couldn't help but still be slightly shocked at what had just happened. Mary Winchester was a tiny woman, but she had the same presence of self that both Meredith Whitman and Ellen Harvelle possessed. It didn't matter how tall she wasn't; she had a spine of steel. It was clear that things had changed in the Winchester family. While Hailey and her brothers were adults, their parents weren't about to leave them to figure things out by themselves.

Chapter Text

When Hailey woke up the following day, she was surprised that she had slept through what was left of the night and had slept far later than she had planned. Rolling over, she wasn’t surprised that Darren was no longer in bed. With a sigh, she got to her feet and then dressed. Hailey changed into a blue tank top and jeans.

“Hailey?” John’s voice preceded the opening of the door.

“Hi, Dad,” Hailey greeted.

“We’re leaving in twenty,” John stated. “I would give you more notice, but you’re all packed up.”

Hailey winced at the raw anger in her father’s tone. The Winchester Patriarch’s frustration over last night’s events couldn’t be helped. John had died years ago. The kids he left behind were young and wet behind the ears in this life. Green, as one could get growing up as a hunter’s children. Now, they were used to how things went. Hardened by loss and the violence of this life. Thinking that things could or would go back to how everything had worked before was foolish. If John was expecting any of his children to apologize for last night, he was mistaken.

“It would seem that we all have much to discuss,” John stated. “We’re going to Bobby’s.”

“Yes, sir,” Hailey responded.

She assumed her Uncle Bobby would follow them back to his house. While Hailey wanted more privacy for any family disagreements that would most likely occur, at least only Bobby would witness it. The man had seen all manner of Winchester throw-downs and was probably fully aware of what would happen once they reached his compound.

Even though there was still a lot to talk about, John turned on his heel and walked back out of the room. It seemed Darren was waiting in the hall because only a few moments after John left, Darren came through the door.

“Reminds me of old times,” Darren smirked.

“What, my brothers and I in trouble?” Hailey scoffed. “Yeah, we thought for sure that we’d get out okay. It seems the old man’s instincts are as sharp as ever.”

“It appears that way,” Darren laughed.

“And Mom got involved before the Winchester temper got sparked,” Hailey replied.

“That’s new,” Darren said.

“Dean and Sam didn’t seem surprised,” Hailey shrugged. “It was new for Aiden and me, though.”

“I think you’re all in uncharted waters,” Darren replied.

“Just my luck,” Hailey scoffed. “We’re heading to Bobby’s to see if we can dredge up anything.”

“You need a hand?” Darren questioned.

“Not right now,” Hailey sighed. “I’ll keep you in the loop.”

“Please,” Darren requested, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You’re not alone in this.”

“I know,” Hailey said, kissing him firmly.

“Hails!” Dean called up the stairs. “Shipping out!”

“That’d be my cue,” Hailey shook her head.

Darren moved before Hailey could, grabbing his girlfriend’s bags and heading downstairs. Hailey followed quickly after him. Everyone had gathered to say goodbye. Once Hailey finished her goodbyes, Darren followed the Winchesters to the cars, dropping Hailey’s bags in the Impala's trunk.

“Thanks, babe,” Hailey smiled.

Darren gave her a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek, mindful that her family was right there. It wasn’t so much her brothers that gave him pause, but now that John Winchester was back, it made him nervous. The man was intimidating, especially when he was dating his only daughter.

John and Mary were riding with Bobby since the Impala lacked space. Bobby’s house was a crucial stop; not only had Bobby kept John’s trunk, but with the number of reference books, it was a no-brainer.

Hailey grinned at her boyfriend, following his gaze to where her parents stood, murmuring to Bobby. She seemed amused by his nervousness. He glared at causing her grin to widen further.

“Brat,” Darren muttered lowly.

“You love me,” Hailey laughed.

“Time to get going, Hails,” Dean stated.

“Yeah, okay,” Hailey nodded.

She turned to Darren, “I’ll call you when we get to Bobby’s.”

“Okay,” Darren replied. “Stay safe.”

“You too.”

With a last look back at her boyfriend, who the others had joined to say goodbye, Hailey hopped into the backseat of the Impala. Next to her was Aiden. Sam and Dean were in their usual spots, and with a final wave, they were off to Bobby’s.

The rock music was playing at its average loud volume, not to be drowned out by the lulling roar of the Impala’s engine. With a small, contented sigh, Hailey sunk into her seat, feeling at peace. She was with her brothers in the one place that had always felt like home. Aiden was recovering quickly from his injuries, and it was nice to have all her brothers together in the car, riding together again.

Hailey realized that she must have fallen asleep at some point because she sprang awake as the Impala was slowing to a stop. Cracking her eyes, she glanced at her surroundings, taking in sky-high cars. They had arrived at Bobby’s compound.

Hailey got out once the Impala rolled to a stop next to Bobby’s car. She felt Dean at her back as he walked around her to open the trunk. The ease of routine made each sibling grab the duffle bag full of clothing and the one that contained their weapons before walking up the steps and into the house.

Pausing in the foyer, Hailey took in the house, pleased to note that nothing had changed. Though there may have been more books in Bobby’s living room, it was hard to tell.

“Don’t just stand there, girl,” Bobby called, snapping Hailey out of her reverie. “Drop your stuff off in your room.”

With a nod, she quickly did as she was told, returning to the study where her brothers had already started looking through the library.

“Where’s Dad, Mom, and Bobby?” Hailey questioned. It had only taken a minute or two to put her things away.

“Basement,” Aiden said. “Bobby’s calling in favors, checking sources. Mom and Dad are helping.”

“We don’t even know what we’re looking for,” Hailey mumbled, approaching one of the stacks of books.

“Yeah, well, we’re sorting them,” Sam huffed. “Seeing if anything pops out as we do so.”

“But…” Hailey began.

“Dad’s orders,” Sam interrupted.

“That’ll take hours,” Hailey complained.

Dean, Sam, and Aiden all shot their sister a glare. It wasn’t like sorting the library had been high on their to-do list. Well-versed in the moods of John Winchester; however, they knew when to pick their battles, and with their father already angry with them, it didn’t seem bright to try to argue with the man.

Catching Hailey’s mutinous expression, Aiden frowned, “Hay…”

“We have no other leads,” Hailey shrugged. 

That was the only reason why she fell in line, choosing one side of the library and beginning to organize the books she encountered into sections. Bobby’s library was extensive and covered a wide array of topics. Unfortunately, the man’s organizing capabilities didn’t seem all too high on his to-do list. It made a fitting, busy work chore. It never failed to take a few hours to get the place into some semblance of order.

“It’s not a good idea,” John grumbled.

The sound of the basement door opening and closing captured the Winchester siblings' attention.

“You don’t think I know that?” Bobby retorted grouchily. “She’s the best lead we got.”

“She a two-bit crook,” John snapped.

“I agree with John, Bobby,” Mary replied. “The Bennett family is nothing but liars and manipulators. They know what lurks out there and instead make money off it.”

“And they have connections out the ass,” Bobby replied.

“Aren’t they based in England?” John questioned.

“Most of them are,” Bobby explained. “The kids came across the pond, and the oldest daughter owes me.”

“I don’t like it,” John grumbled.

“Your complaint’s been noted,” Bobby scoffed.

Ignoring John’s scowl, Bobby wandered into the kitchen to use one of his disposable cell phones. He knew how the Bennett family operated, which made the Bennett offspring easier to track down than most. Some of those who knew about the supernatural world used that knowledge for monetary gain. They liked to refer to themselves as mercenaries, liberating items to sell to the highest bidder.

It made the entire Bennett clan unliked by most hunters, hated by most. However, their connections made them a necessary evil. At least, that was how Bobby Singer felt. Others like John Winchester would instead make a deal with a devil than work with any Bennett.

“Bobby Singer,” A lilting feminine voice greeted. “Never thought you’d make use of this number.”

“Desperate times, Fíona,” Bobby replied.

“Aw yes, the apocalypse is nigh and all,” Fíona scoffed.

“You sound skeptical,” Bobby noted.

“Well, according to the internet, the world should’ve ended loads of times, and yet here we are,” Fíona laughed. “Besides, if the world is ending, that just means my business is going to be booming.”

“You’re a smart kid, Fíona; why don’t you put the knowledge of what truly lurks in this world to good use?” Bobby questioned. “Instead of using it to line you and your Daddy’s pockets?”

“You have your way, and I have my own,” Fíona responded, a hint of a growl in her tone. “I may have stepped out from under my father’s shadow and done things differently than he would like. However, the man taught me everything I know.”

“What you know is how to cheat people,” Bobby stated.

“Oh, yes, hunting is quite the lucrative career,” Fíona snapped. “Now, is there a reason for this call? Or are you just trying to guilt me onto the straight and narrow?”

“I’m in the market for a journal,” Bobby admitted. “Samuel Colt’s journal.”

“I’ve heard of it,” Fíona replied. “What’ll you give me for it?”

“You owe me a favor, kid,” Bobby growled.

“My work doesn’t come for free,” Fíona said sharply. “Favor or no favor.”

“How about the next time one of your clients requests something, and you need a lead? I’ll send you in the right direction,” Bobby replied.

“Fine,” Fíona sighed. “I’ll put my feelers out and get back to you.”

Bobby placed the burner phone back in the drawer with one more person looking for Samuel Colt’s journal. He looked through the kitchen’s sliding doors and into his study, where the Winchester family went through his collection. Mary had started to help her children, sorting through the books while John seemed lost in thought.

Bobby knew that the old marine did not like change. And coming back from the dead had changed everything. His kids were a few years older, no longer used to jumping to his every order. Dean, Sam, Aiden, and Hailey had all grown as hunters, making a name for themselves in their own right. They were making it so that having their parents back would be like navigating a minefield.

The house remained quiet, with tension still in the air. It didn’t seem like John would tear his children a new one. However, the Winchester siblings traveled around the house as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Four days later, that shoe fell, and its name was Fíona Bennett.

+

As he woke quite suddenly, Bobby had a feeling that his day had already gone to hell in a handbasket. Not bothering to change, he put on the clothes he had been wearing yesterday before throwing open his bedroom door. He winced as the raised voices only got louder.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Hailey Winchester snarled.

Shaking his head, Bobby started walking down the stairs seconds before the rest of the Winchesters appeared out of their rooms. Of course, the youngest still had to be an insomniac. And, of course, Fíona Bennett would choose the ass crack of dawn to make her appearance. 

“I’ll have you know I was invited,” Fíona retorted. Her posh English accent only serves to make her tone sound colder.

“Like hell you were,” Hailey scoffed. “You stole a new identity, and if you want to survive to take another one, you’ll get the hell out of this house.”

“Or you’ll what?” Fíona laughed. “Gonna shoot me, Hailey?”

Hailey opened her mouth to no doubt issue what would be a scathing retort; only Bobby had finally had enough, “Shut up! The both of you!”

The youngest Winchester whirled around, her lithe body shaking in fury, “What the hell, Bobby? What is she doing here?”

“Excuse you,” Fíona growled. “I’m standing right here.”

“She was invited, Hailey,” Bobby sighed. “I take it you know each other?”

“I would call it a pleasure…” Fíona began.

“But it fucking wasn’t,” Hailey interrupted.

“Clearly,” Bobby sighed.

“No fucking way,” Dean growled from the stairs.

Hailey looked past Bobby, knowing she had at least one person on her side. If anyone were more angry with Bobby’s house guest, it would be Dean.

“Bela Talbot,” Dean sneered. “Come to procure more unique items for what was it? A select clientele.”

“You’re right about that last part, Dean,” Fíona grinned. “Except Bela Talbot was just another alias.”

“How do you know her, Dean?” Bobby asked.

“Hailey and I were working a case in Massachusetts about five years ago,” Dean explained. “Remember, Dad? You sent Hailey and me up there while you dealt with the rawhead in Nevada?”

“Aiden and Sam were in Stanford by then?” John responded.

“Yeah, it was just the three of us,” Dean said. “And the rawhead was taking kids left and right while the ghost in Massachusetts was killing with a vengeance, so we split up.”

“That’s where we ran into Bela,” Hailey said. “She conned Dean and took the one thing that could stop the ghost. It was a hand of the glory of all things. Gross looking thing. She would’ve sold it to the highest bidder if the ghost hadn’t turned on her.”

“As fun as this trip down memory lane has been,” Fíona sneered. “Can we focus on the present?”

“Including the fact that you’re lucky you even have a present, you duplicitous bitch,” Hailey sneered. “The amount of blood on your hands.”

“You’re one to talk,” Fíona responded. “Trevor Moore. Lucy Mackenzie. Abigail Chase.”

“Aw shit,” Dean sighed. “Hailey, don’t.”

Dean’s plea came too late as Hailey tackled the mercenary brutally, slamming her to the ground. Without bothering to wait, she punched Fíona dead in the face, bloodying her nose. The youngest Winchester was about to do far more damage when Dean finally closed the distance between himself and his sister, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up and away.

“Calm down,” Dean scolded.

However, Calm was the last thing on Hailey Winchester’s mind as she clawed at her brother’s restraining grip. She flailed and squirmed, but nothing broke the hold her eldest brother had on her waist. Hailey was a woman possessed, with only one thing on her mind.

“I’ll kill you, you bitch,” Hailey snarled.

“Dean, get her out of here,” John ordered sharply.

“God damn it, Hails, watch where you’re swinging your feet,” Dean grunted, as her feet had come dangerously close to the family jewels. He placed Hailey back on her feet before frog-marched his sister out of the room.

“If we can get back to why you’re here?” Mary asked.

“I’m here at Bobby’s request,” Fíona stated. “You needed Samuel Colt’s journal? I tracked it down. My brother and sister are on their way.”

“And the reason you came by yourself is?” Aiden responded.

“Because I remembered your brother and sister and figured whatever fireworks our reunion wrought, it was best served without my siblings bearing witness. They’re protective. I’m sure you understand.”

“Last I heard, you stepped away from your family,” Bobby said.

“My siblings have seen the light,” Fíona shrugged. “Big sister leading the way to redemption. Last check, they were about an hour away from Sioux Falls.”

“Lovely,” Bobby scoffed. “There’s still a trailer out back for you to freshen up, Fíona.”

“A trailer?”

“Calm down, princess,” Bobby laughed. “I just figured you didn’t want to tangle with Hailey again.”

Fíona’s collected mask fell for a moment, displaying the rage underneath. The next, it was gone as she dabbed a tissue to the blood slowly trickling out of her dainty nose. Turning on her heel, Fíona flung Bobby’s front door open, storming into the dusty yard. Her red hair looked like fire in the morning light, matching the Brit’s temperament.

Fíona walked into the trailer, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Her family had been wealthy all her life, and separating herself from her father had placed her in new environments. Some were worse than others, however. She wandered into the bathroom, using the lowly hand towel to wash the blood off her face. Hailey Winchester had a right hook like a freight train and was no slouch when dealing blows. The bitch.

Her cell phone ringing interrupted the small pity party that she had been in the process of throwing. “Fíona Bennett.”

“Fi, we’re here,” Her brother Bellamy greeted.

“You found it?” Fíona questioned.

“Of course we did,” Bellamy scoffed. “Where are you?”

“Trailer out back.”

She ended the call, ensuring no more blood was on her face before she walked out of the trailer to meet her siblings.

“Hello there, stranger,” Bellamy smirked.

“Bell,” Fíona grinned.

Bellamy closed the distance between them to hug her tightly. It had been a few months since she had last seen her little brother. Bellamy sighed into the hug, feeling calmer now that she wasn’t alone against the Winchesters. He knew of their reputation. Or at least Dean and Hailey Winchester’s reputation; they were lethal and held grudges. After Fíona’s run-in with them years ago, Bellamy went out of his way to avoid the rest of the family. Because if the rumors were true, John Winchester was worse. If the rumors weren’t true, the entire hunting community seemed to agree that he was not a man to be trifled with.

“Where’s Ro?” Fíona wondered.

“Scoping the place out,” Bellamy shrugged. “The Winchester’s reputation precedes them. Speaking of who hit you?”

“Bellamy, it’s fine,” Fíona sighed.

“Doesn’t answer the question, Fi,” Bellamy noted.

Before Fíona could tell him to back off, Bellamy grabbed her chin, tilting her head to the side to angle it closer to the light. His gaze darkened as he took in the bruise that was undoubtedly beginning to develop over her eye.

“Who hit you?” Bellamy demanded.

“You might as well answer his question, dear sister,” A new voice suggested. “You know he won’t drop it until you do.”

“Hailey did,” Fíona growled, swatting his hands away to turn to greet her sister. “Good to see you, Rowan.”

“Good to see you too,” Rowan replied. “Though I don’t understand why we must drop everything to do Bobby Singer’s bidding. Dad isn’t his biggest fan, you know. And he’s also had run-ins with John and Mary Winchester, who are back from the dead.”

“They’re not the only ones,” Fíona replied. “Hunters are getting resurrected all over the place. This favor puts us in the know about what’s going on, if it’s permanent, and what’s doing it. It’s the smartest play.”

Both Bellamy and Rowan contemplated their big sister’s words. They were following her example in separating themselves from their father. Still, the Bennett patriarch had a firm hold on all his children. How he maneuvered in the supernatural world made a lot of enemies and damaged many people. Moving out from his shadow was for the best. But, the people that Raymond Bennett ran up against and lost made the siblings wary—most notably the Winchester family and their associates.

Meanwhile, in Bobby’s kitchen, Hailey Winchester was still fuming. Dean had chosen to sit at the table, observing his sister. She had the shakiest hold on her temper, and Dean knew that if their father decided to confront his youngest, there would be fireworks. Honestly, at barely seven in the morning, Dean believed it was too early for this shit.

“Why the fuck would Bobby even reach out to her?” Hailey growled. “The fact that there’s a family of Bela Talbots? Fucking hell.”

“The hunting world is big, Hails,” Dean sighed. “You know this. The number of people we saw come and go from the roadhouse when we were younger should’ve cleared that up for you.”

Giving her eldest brother a dark look, Hailey snapped. “She’s not a fucking hunter. She’s a murderer, a thief.”

“It’s been years.”

“Why are you defending her, Dean?”

“I’m not,” Dean replied. However, he was quickly losing what little patience he had. Especially when it felt that she would stay mad no matter what he said.

“Then why-”

“Hay, come on,” Aiden called, entering the kitchen through the swinging door. “The man hasn’t even had his coffee yet.”

“And you almost kicked him in the nuts,” Sam answered helpfully, walking in on Aiden’s heels. “Speaking of coffee, is there some on?”

Hailey and Dean rolled their eyes at Sam’s less-than-subtle conversation change. Especially since Bobby always had coffee on, he was as good as the Roadhouse for being prepared.

“Dean wouldn’t have almost gotten kicked in the nuts if he had stayed out of my way,” Hailey muttered crankily.

“Screw you, Hay,” Dean retorted.

“Oh, spare me,” Hailey sneered.

“Hay,” Aiden scolded.

“No, Ads,” Dean said, rising to his feet and turning to meet his sister. He took note of her tense posture, her fists clenching and unclenching. She was spoiling for a fight, and if she kept picking at him, then Dean was obliged to give her one. “You got something to say, little girl? Say it.”

“Don’t treat me like a child, Dean,” Hailey growled. “I’m not some damn kid having a temper tantrum.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Dean replied sharply.

If anything, Hailey became even more combative, her eyes becoming sapphire pits of fury, “The amount of shit that bitch put us through? The rabbit’s foot? The hand of glory? She almost killed you.”

“I know, Hailey,” Dean scowled. “But this whole thing is beyond personal feelings. Everything we’re dealing with? We need all the help we can get.”

“Help?” Hailey scoffed. “The only ‘help’ that bitch knows is how to help herself.”

“You think I trust her, Hailey?” Dean demanded. “Last time I checked, she shot you, and every run-in we had with her left us in the cold, scrambling to save people. I don’t like her, but she has connections we don’t. And if Bobby has her on the hook for a favor, that’s all the better!”

“Dean Winchester is defending my honor; how sweet,” Fíona laughed through the unlocked back door.

“That is not what I did,” Dean snapped.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Hailey muttered.

“You know, Hailey Jade, I’m getting really fucking sick of your attitude,” Dean hissed.

Her eldest brother was saved from whatever Hailey’s response was as their father entered the kitchen. He took note of his daughter’s demeanor and frowned. He grabbed her arm and unceremoniously dragged her out of the kitchen and through the back door.

“Get off me!” Hailey snarled, shaking out of her father’s grip.

“Control yourself, Hailey Jade,” John ordered.

The last thing Hailey wanted or needed to hear was more orders. No one seemed to understand where her rage was coming from, treating her like a kid trying to be at the adult table. At twenty years old, that treatment was far from soothing. Still, John Winchester was the last person to start screaming at. Hailey sighed, knowing that John wanted to go back to the way things were. But it was more complicated than that. Hailey and her brothers had their way of doing things. The whole family was on shaky ground as they tried to find a new equilibrium.

“I understand,” Hailey stated. “If everyone could stop treating me like some child.”

“Why don’t you go for a run?” John suggested. “Burn off excess energy.”

“Dad,” Hailey started.

“I don’t know what that girl did to you,” John replied. “But showing her how much she affected you is not how you maintain an edge. Lock it up.”

“Yes, sir,” Hailey frowned.

She was still dressed in short, terry cloth shorts and one of Aiden’s old Stanford shirts. Pausing only to grab a pair of tennis shoes, Hailey took off towards the back entrance of Singer Salvage. A quick mile run calmed her down, loathing Hailey was to admit. She also knew that her father was right. Giving Fíona the knowledge she had gotten to her was giving her too much power.

Hailey slammed her way back into Bobby’s kitchen. It seemed that everyone had once again settled back into the study. After grabbing a glass of water and drinking it, Hailey maneuvered back into the study. There was a new book based on Fíona’s smug look; it must’ve been Colt’s journal.

Scanning the room became a habit years ago; even in a safe place like Bobby’s, it was a habit that wouldn’t break. It was only when she locked eyes with a familiar face that Hailey felt herself stumble.

“Bellamy?”

“Hailey?” The man in question exclaimed. “I’ll be damned.”

His voice was different, taking on the posh accent of his older sibling. But Hailey knew that tanned skin, dark-haired, and devil-may-care grin anywhere. The last time she had seen Bellamy Blake, obviously partially an alias, was in Spenser Academy. He had been a junior to her sophomore, though her father had put her in the school to keep her safe. Hailey had found a case; unfortunately, Bellamy had been tailing her.

It had been her lucky day that he had known what had gone bump in the night. He had been willing to keep her sneaking out of Spenser’s grounds a secret from her cousin and his friends. He had been working on something even Hailey hadn’t known about Americanizing his accent and using an alias.

“You’re British?” Hailey laughed. “Why did you hide that?”

“It’s good practice,” Bellamy shrugged. “Fi’s not the only one who wanted to break out from the family.”

“And what? Rowan felt like tagging along?” Hailey asked. She shifted her attention from Bellamy to Rowan.

The girl in question looked up and smiled, “Hey Hails.”

The petite redhead seemed content to let her elder siblings run the show. The younger girl had been the year behind Hailey in Spenser and kept her head down, not making any waves or drawing attention to herself.

“So, Blake is Bennett?” Hailey asked.

“Yep,” Rowan said. “And you seem to have met our older sister.”

Seeing the resemblance between Rowan and Fíona and even the same mannerisms between all three siblings, it was almost impossible to reconcile the fact that they were related.

“Blake was our mother’s maiden name,” Bellamy shrugged.

“How do you three know each other?” Dean asked. He was frankly dizzy at the one-eighty in his sister’s attitude.

“Spensers’,” Hailey shrugged. “Bellamy was the year ahead; Rowan was the year behind.”

“What are the odds,” Dean frowned.

“There’s no such thing as coincidence,” John growled.

“Ordinarily, I’d agree, sir,” Bellamy replied. “Except Ipswich is a haven for everyone. Supernatural, hunter, or my family. The witches keep the peace.”

John looked suspicious and narrowed his eyes at Bellamy before glancing towards Aiden. “Junior, call Reid.”

“Yes, sir,” Aiden replied.

Aiden quickly moved out of the room, flipping open his phone. Hailey watched the Bellamy; if he was offended by John not taking him at his word, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stepped closer to his sisters to lean against the wall.

“Enough of this!” Bobby grumbled. “Everyone take a deep breath and chill out. The enemy is not in this room. Now, Fíona, do you have what I asked for?”

“Of course I do,” Fíona scoffed.

“Samuel Colt’s journal as requested,” Rowan said, pulling a weathered, leather-bound book out of her pocket.

“Thank you,” Bobby said, taking the book out of Rowan’s hand.

“Why did you need it?” Fíona asked.

“That’s none of your concern,” John growled.

Fíona was about to say something when Aiden returned, interrupting the eldest Bennett before she could say a word, “Bellamy’s story checked out.” Aiden replied. “Reid didn’t seem thrilled about that knowledge being common.”

“Now that our story checks out, please tell us what’s happening?” Bellamy asked.

“Honestly?” Hailey shrugged. “We don’t know.”

“That’s comforting,” Bellamy grimaced.

“All I know is that it happened before,” Hailey said.

“And you know that how?” Fíona asked.

Hailey spared Fíona a look before purposefully turning away. While Hailey liked both Bellamy and Rowan, it was clear that the youngest Winchester still held a grudge. Bellamy turned to look at his older sister, noting that being ignored hadn’t sat well.

The youngest Winchester took the offered journal, looking deep in thought. She tapped Aiden’s shoulder, and they both walked out of the room together.

“Family of little words,” Fíona groused.

“Something like that,” John said. “Aiden, stay sharp.”

“Yes, sir,” Aiden replied, following his sister out of the house.

It seemed strange that the other Winchesters didn’t seem concerned that their youngest members were leaving. If anything, the entire family appeared on the same page. Bellamy wondered what it was like to have a tight-knit family.

Though it didn’t make sense. How could they work this well together when John and Mary Winchester returned from the dead? Instead, if you hadn’t known any better, you would think it had always been this way.

Chapter Text

As he woke quite suddenly, Bobby felt that his day had already gone to hell in a handbasket. Not bothering to change, he simply put on the clothes that he had been wearing yesterday before throwing open his bedroom door. He winced as the raised voices only got louder.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Hailey Winchester snarled.

Shaking his head, Bobby started walking down the stairs seconds before the rest of the Winchesters appeared out of their rooms. Of course, the youngest still had to be an insomniac. And, of course, Fíona Bennett would chose the ass crack of dawn to make her appearance. 

“I’ll have you know I was invited,” Fíona retorted. Her posh English accent only serves to make her tone sound colder.

“Like hell you were,” Hailey scoffed. “You stole a new identity, and if you want to survive to take another one, you’ll get the hell out of this house.”

“Or you’ll what?” Fíona laughed. “Gonna shoot me, Hailey?”

Hailey opened her mouth to no doubt issue what would be a scathing retort, but Bobby had finally had enough, “Shut up! Both of you!”

The youngest Winchester whirled around, her lithe body shaking in fury, “What the hell, Bobby? What is she doing here?”

“Excuse you,” Fíona growled. “I’m standing right here.”

“She was invited, Hailey,” Bobby sighed. “I take it you know each other?”

“I would call it a pleasure…” Fíona began.

“But it fucking wasn’t,” Hailey interrupted.

“Clearly,” Bobby sighed.

“No fucking way,” Dean growled from the top of the stairs.

Hailey looked past Bobby, knowing she had at least one person on her side. If anyone were angrier with Bobby’s house guest, it would be Dean.

“Bela Talbot,” Dean sneered. “Come to procure more unique items for what was it? A select clientele.”

“You’re right about that last part, Dean,” Fíona grinned. “Except Bela Talbot was just another alias.”

“How do you know her, Dean?” Bobby asked.

“Hailey and I were working a case in Massachusetts about five years ago,” Dean explained. “Remember, Dad? You sent Hailey and me up there while you dealt with the rawhead in Nevada?”

“Aiden and Sam were in Stanford by then?” John responded.

“Yeah, it was just the three of us,” Dean said. “And the rawhead was taking kids left and right while the ghost in Massachusetts was killing with a vengeance, so we split up.”

“That’s where we ran into Bela,” Hailey said. “She conned Dean and took the one thing that could stop the ghost. It was a hand of glory of all things. Gross-looking thing. She would’ve sold it to the highest bidder if the ghost hadn’t turned on her.”

“As fun as this trip down memory lane has been,” Fíona sneered. “Can we focus on the present?”

“Including the fact that you’re lucky you even have a present, you duplicitous bitch,” Hailey sneered. “The amount of blood on your hands.”

“You’re one to talk,” Fíona responded. “Trevor Moore. Lucy Mackenzie. Abigail Chase.”

“Aw shit,” Dean sighed. “Hailey, don’t.”

Dean’s plea came a moment too late as Hailey tackled the mercenary with brutal force, slamming her to the ground. Without bothering to wait, she punched Fíona dead in the face, bloodying her nose. The youngest Winchester was about to do far more damage when Dean finally closed the distance between himself and his sister, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her up and away.

“Calm down,” Dean scolded.

However, calm was the last thing on Hailey Winchester’s mind as she clawed at her brother’s restraining grip. She flailed and squirmed, but nothing broke the hold her eldest brother had on her waist. Hailey was a woman possessed, with only one thing on her mind.

“I’ll kill you, you bitch,” Hailey snarled.

“Dean, get her out of here,” John ordered sharply.

“God damn it, Hails, watch where you’re swinging your feet,” Dean grunted, as her feet had come dangerously close to the family jewels. He placed Hailey back on her feet before frog-marching his sister out of the room.

“If we can get back to you, why are you here?” Mary asked.

“I’m here at Bobby’s request,” Fíona stated. “You needed Samuel Colt’s journal? I tracked it down. My brother and sister are on their way.”

“And the reason you came by yourself is?” Aiden responded.

“Because I remembered your brother and sister and figured whatever fireworks our reunion wrought, it was best served without my siblings bearing witness. They’re protective. I’m sure you understand.”

“Last I heard, you stepped away from your family,” Bobby said.

“My siblings have seen the light,” Fíona shrugged. “Big sister leading the way to redemption. Last check in, they were about an hour away from Sioux Falls.”

“Lovely,” Bobby scoffed. “There’s still a trailer out back for you to freshen up, Fíona.”

“A trailer?”

“Calm down, princess,” Bobby laughed. “I just figured you didn’t want to tangle with Hailey again.”

Fíona’s collected mask fell for a moment, displaying the rage underneath. Next, it was gone as she dabbed a tissue to the blood slowly trickling out of her dainty nose. Turning on her heel, Fíona flung Bobby’s front door open, storming into the dusty yard. In the morning light, her red hair looked like fire, matching the Brit’s temperament.

Fíona walked into the trailer, wrinkling her nose in distaste. Her family had been wealthy all her life, and separating herself from her father had placed her in new environments. Some were worse than others, however. She wandered into the bathroom, using the lowly hand towel to wash the blood off her face. Hailey Winchester had a right hook like a freight train and was no slouch when it came to dealing blows. The bitch.

Her cell phone ringing interrupted the small pity party that she had been in the process of throwing. “Fíona Bennett.”

“Fi, we’re here,” Her brother Bellamy greeted.

“You found it?” Fíona questioned.

“Of course we did,” Bellamy scoffed. “Where are you?”

“Trailer out back.”

She ended the call, making sure that there was no more blood on her face before she walked out of the trailer to meet her siblings.

“Hello there, stranger,” Bellamy smirked.

“Bell,” Fíona grinned.

Bellamy closed the distance between them to hug her tightly. It had been a few months since she had last seen her little brother. Bellamy sighed into the hug, feeling calmer now that she wasn’t alone against the Winchesters. He knew of their reputation. Or at least Dean and Hailey Winchester’s reputation, they were lethal and held grudges. After Fíona’s run-in with them years ago, Bellamy went out of his way to avoid the rest of the family. If the rumors were true, John Winchester would be worse. If the rumors weren’t true, the entire hunting community seemed to agree that he was not a man to be trifled with.

“Where’s Ro?” Fíona wondered.

“Scoping the place out,” Bellamy shrugged. “The Winchesters’ reputation precedes them. Speaking of who hit you?”

“Bellamy, it’s fine,” Fíona sighed.

“Doesn’t answer the question, Fi,” Bellamy noted.

Before Fíona could tell him to back off, Bellamy grabbed her chin, tilting her head to the side to angle it closer to the light. His gaze darkened as he took in the bruise that was undoubtedly beginning to develop over her eye.

“Who hit you?” Bellamy demanded.

“You might as well answer his question, dear sister,” A new voice suggested. “You know he won’t drop it until you do.”

“Hailey did,” Fíona growled, swatting his hands away to turn to greet her sister. “Good to see you, Rowan.”

“Good to see you too,” Rowan replied. “Though I don’t understand why we must drop everything to do Bobby Singer’s bidding. Dad isn’t his biggest fan, you know. And he’s also had run-ins with John and Mary Winchester, who are apparently back from the dead.”

“They’re not the only ones,” Fíona replied. “Hunters are getting resurrected all over the place. This favor informs us on what’s going on, if it’s permanent, and what’s doing it. It’s the smartest play.”

Both Bellamy and Rowan contemplated their big sister’s words. Following her example of separating themselves from their father, Still, the Bennett patriarch firmly held all his children. The way he maneuvered in the supernatural world made a lot of enemies and damaged a lot of people. Moving out of his shadow was for the best. But the people that Raymond Bennett ran up against and lost made the siblings wary. Most notably, the Winchester family and their associates.

Meanwhile, in Bobby’s kitchen, Hailey Winchester was still fuming. Dean had chosen to take a seat at the table, watching his sister carefully. She had the shakiest hold on her temper, and Dean knew that if their father chose to confront his youngest, then there would be fireworks. Honestly, at barely seven in the morning, Dean was of the opinion that it was just too early for this shit.

“Why the fuck would Bobby even reach out to her?” Hailey growled. “The fact that there’s a family of Bela Talbots? Fucking hell.”

“The hunting world is big, Hails,” Dean sighed. “You know this. The number of people we saw come and go from the Roadhouse was younger, should’ve cleared that up for you.”

Giving her eldest brother a dark look, Hailey snapped. “She’s not a fucking hunter. She’s a murderer, a thief.”

“It’s been years.”

“Why are you defending her, Dean?”

“I’m not,” Dean replied. However, he quickly lost his patience, especially when it felt that she would stay mad no matter what he said.

“Then why-”

“Hay, come on,” Aiden called, entering the kitchen through the swinging door. “The man hasn’t even had his coffee yet.”

“And you almost kicked him in the nuts,” Sam answered helpfully, walking in on Aiden’s heels. “Speaking of coffee, is there some on?”

Both Hailey and Dean rolled their eyes at Sam’s less-than-subtle conversation change. Especially since Bobby always had coffee on, he was as good as the Roadhouse prepared.

“Dean wouldn’t have almost gotten kicked in the nuts if he had stayed out of my way,” Hailey muttered crankily.

“Screw you, Hay,” Dean retorted.

“Oh, spare me,” Hailey sneered.

“Hay,” Aiden scolded.

“No, Ads,” Dean said, rising to his feet and turning to meet his sister. He took note of her tense posture, her fists clenching and unclenching. She was spoiling for a fight, and if she kept picking at him, then Dean was obliged to give her one. “You got something to say, little girl? Say it.”

“Don’t treat me like a child, Dean,” Hailey growled. “I’m not some damn kid having a temper tantrum.”

“Could’ve fooled me,” Dean replied sharply.

If anything Hailey became even more combative, her eyes becoming to sapphire pits of fury, “The amount of shit that bitch put us through? The rabbit’s foot? The hand of glory? She almost killed you.”

“I know, Hailey,” Dean scowled. “But this whole thing is beyond personal feelings. Everything we’re dealing with? We need all the help we can get.”

“Help?” Hailey scoffed. “The only ‘help’ that bitch knows is how to help herself.”

“You think I actually trust her, Hailey?” Dean demanded. “Last time I checked, she shot you and every run in we had with her left us in the cold, scrambling to save people. I don’t like her, but she has connections we don’t. And if Bobby has her on the hook for a favor, that’s all the better!”

“Dean Winchester defending my honor, how sweet,” Fíona laughed, coming through the unlocked back door.

“That is not what I did,” Dean snapped.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Hailey muttered.

“You know, Hailey Jade, I’m getting really fucking sick of your attitude,” Dean hissed.

Her eldest brother was saved from whatever Hailey’s response was as their father entered the kitchen. He took note of his daughter’s demeanor and frowned. He grabbed her arm and unceremoniously dragged her out of the kitchen and through the back door.

“Get off me!” Hailey snarled, shaking out of her father’s grip.

“Control yourself, Hailey Jade,” John ordered.

The last thing Hailey wanted or needed to hear was more orders. No one seemed to understand where her rage was coming from, treating her like a kid trying to be at the adult table. At twenty years old, that treatment was far from placating. Still, John Winchester was the last person to start screaming at. Hailey sighed, knowing that John wanted to go back to the way things were. But it was more difficult than that. Hailey and her brothers had their ways of doing things. The whole family was on shaky ground as they tried to find a new equilibrium.

“I understand,” Hailey stated. “If everyone could stop treating me like some child.”

“Why don’t you go for a run?” John suggested. “Burn off excess energy.”

“Dad,” Hailey started.

“I don’t know what that girl did to you,” John replied. “But showing her how much she affected you is not how you maintain an edge. Lock it up.”

“Yes, sir,” Hailey frowned.

She was still dressed in short terry cloth shorts and one of Aiden’s old Stanford shirts. Pausing only to grab a pair of tennis shoes, Hailey took off towards the back entrance of Singer Salvage. A quick mile run did calm her down, loath Hailey was too ashamed to admit. She also knew that her father was right. Giving Fíona the knowledge she had gotten was giving her too much power.

Hailey slammed her way back into Bobby’s kitchen. It seemed that everyone had once again settled back into the study. Taking a minute to grab a glass of water and then drinking it, Hailey maneuvered back into the study. There was a new book there; based on Fíona’s smug look, it must’ve been Colt’s journal.

Scanning the room became a habit years ago, even in a safe place like Bobby’s, it was a habit that wouldn’t break. It was only when she locked eyes with a familiar face that Hailey felt herself stumble.

“Bellamy?”

“Hailey?” The man in question exclaimed. “I’ll be damned.”

His voice was different, taking on the posh accent of his older sibling. But Hailey knew that tanned skin, dark hair, and devil-may-care grin anywhere. The last time she had seen Bellamy Blake, obviously partially an alias, was at Spenser Academy. He had been a junior to her sophomore, and though her father had put her in the school to keep her safe, Hailey had found a case; unfortunately, Bellamy had been tailing her.

It had been her lucky day that he had known what had gone bump in the night. He had been willing to keep her sneaking out of Spenser’s grounds a secret from her cousin and his friends. He had been working on something even Hailey hadn’t known about, Americanizing his accent and using an alias.

“You’re British?” Hailey laughed. “Why did you hide that?”

“It’s good practice,” Bellamy shrugged. “Fi’s not the only one who wanted to break out from the family.”

“And what? Rowan felt like tagging along.” Hailey asked. She shifted her attention from Bellamy to Rowan.

The girl in question looked up and smiled, “Hey, Hails.”

The petite redhead seemed fully content to let her elder siblings run the show. The younger girl had been a year behind Hailey in Spenser and kept her head down, not making any waves or drawing attention to herself.

“So, Blake is Bennett?” Hailey asked.

“Yep,” Rowan said. “And you seem to have met our older sister.”

Seeing the resemblance between Rowan and Fíona and even the same mannerisms between all three siblings, it was almost impossible to reconcile the fact that they were actually related.

“Blake was our mother’s maiden name,” Bellamy shrugged.

“How do you three know each other?” Dean asked. He was frankly dizzy at the one eighty in his sister’s attitude.

“Spensers’,” Hailey shrugged. “Bellamy was the year ahead, Rowan was the year behind.”

“What are the odds?” Dean frowned.

“There’s no such thing as coincidence,” John growled.

“Ordinarily, I’d agree, sir,” Bellamy replied. “Except Ipswich is a haven for everyone. Supernatural, hunter, or my family. The witches keep the peace.”

John still looked suspicious. He narrowed his eyes at Bellamy before glancing towards Aiden. “Junior, call Reid.”

“Yes, sir,” Aiden replied.

Aiden quickly moved out of the room, flipping open his phone. Hailey watched Bellamy. If he was offended by John not taking him at his word, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stepped closer to his sisters to lean against the wall.

“Enough of this!” Bobby grumbled. “Everyone, take a deep breath and chill out. The enemy is not in this room. Now, Fíona, do you have what I asked for?”

“Of course I do,” Fíona scoffed.

“Samuel Colt’s journal as requested,” Rowan said, pulling a weathered, leather-bound book out of her pocket.

“Thank you,” Bobby said, taking the book out of Rowan’s hand.

“Why did you need it?” Fíona asked.

“That’s none of your concern,” John growled.

Fíona was about to say something when Aiden returned, interrupting the eldest Bennett before she could say a word, “Bellamy’s story checked out.” Aiden replied. “Reid didn’t seem thrilled about that knowledge being common.”

“Now that our story checks out, can you please tell us what’s going on?” Bellamy asked.

“Honestly?” Hailey shrugged. “We don’t know.”

“That’s comforting,” Bellamy grimaced.

“All I know is that it happened before,” Hailey said.

“And you know how?” Fíona asked.

Hailey spared Fíona a look before purposefully turning away. While Hailey liked both Bellamy and Rowan, it was clear that the youngest Winchester still held a grudge. Bellamy turned to look at his older sister, noting that being ignored hadn’t sat well.

The youngest Winchester took the offered journal, looking deep in thought. She tapped Aiden’s shoulder, and they walked out of the room together.

“Family of little words,” Fíona groused.

“Something like that,” John said. “Aiden, stay sharp.”

“Yes, sir,” Aiden replied, following his sister out of the house.

It seemed strange that the other Winchesters didn’t seem concerned that their youngest members were leaving. If anything, the entire family appeared on the same page. Bellamy wondered what it was like to have a family that tight-knit. However, it didn’t make sense. How could they work this well together when John and Mary Winchester returned from the dead? Instead, if you hadn’t known any better, you would think it had always been this way.