Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I finished the warding sigils and hid behind a pillar in the house. I heard a door open and voices filled the room.

“I-I’m sorry, Sam,” I heard a deep voice say.

“It’s okay, Cas.”

“Well, if you ever need to talk, I’m here.”

“Thanks.”

All too late, I stepped out from behind my hiding spot, finding a tall, blonde woman in the room, her hand dripping with blood. I snuck up behind her and altered the sigil, knowing I would be sent away as well, although not very far. Sam and Castiel had walked right into her trap. Lady Antonia Bevell thrust her hand to the wall and the room was filled with a heavenly glow. I felt myself whisked away, and I woke up in a field. I sat up groggily.

“I hate those damn angel sigils,” I muttered angrily. I felt a sharp pain in my side and I lifted my leather jacket. A deep gash ran from the bottom of my ribs to my hip. I pulled the long knife from my pocket and found it covered in my own blood. “Son of a bitch!”

I heard a sigh from behind me and I whirled around. I found Castiel lying in the field with me. He saw me and dropped an angel blade from the sleeve of his trench coat, his eyes wide.

“Cool it with the blade.” My vision swam in front of me and I put a hand to my side, trying to staunch the blood flow.

“Who the hell are you?” Castiel asked. I stood up and turned to him.

“My name is Rae. Rae Winchester.”

The man leapt to his feet and tackled me, holding the angel blade to my throat.

“A Winchester? Damn it,” he said. I brought my hand up to his chest and pushed, throwing him a couple feet away from me.

“Oh, shut up!” I snapped, lifting my bloody hand away from my side. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath in. I put my hand back on my wound and concentrated. My hand lit up into a blue-ish glow and I felt my wound start to stitch together. I whimpered and then let out a scream. My healing process was never easy, and was always painful. I fell to my knees, breathing heavily.

“Are-are you a Nephilim?” Castiel asked, stowing his angel blade. I nodded.

“You aren’t supposed to have these powers. How is this possible?”

I pulled myself to my feet and replied, “I promise that I will explain everything later. But Sam needs our help – now.”

Castiel nodded and we teleported into the bunker, surprising both Sam and Antonia Bevell.

Sam was held up against the wall in shackles, blood leaking from a bullet wound right above his hip.

“How-how did you come back? I banished you!” Bevell cried.

“That sigil you used didn’t work very well, did it? Might want to take a closer look at it,” I suggested. She narrowed her eyes and took a look at the altered sigil. She screamed and aimed her gun at me, taking a shot. I leaped out of the way and use telekinetic powers to wretch the gun out of her grasp.

“Who the hell are you?” she asked.

“I’m Rae. Dean Winchester’s daughter.”

“’Dean Winchester’s daughter?’ You’re lying,” Bevell accused but Castiel took a step forward.

“She’s not. She’s Dean’s legitimate daughter,” he informed her.

I smiled sweetly, then contorted my face in anger. “You shot my uncle. You’re going to pay that. Since Dean isn’t here to kick your ass, I guess I’ll have to.”

Bevell let out a laugh. “Sam? This…abomination? He does more harm than good.”

“You bitch,” I snarled, lunging at her. I tackled her to the ground.

“He’s a hero!” I snapped, punching her. She pushed me off and popped me in the nose with a sickening crunch. Blood started flowing from my nose and I wiped it away with the back of my hand. Bevell lunged at me, pushing me to the ground. She reached for her gun and held it to my throat.

“You – really – think – that’ll do anything?” I gasped, smiling.

She pulled the trigger, firing a bullet into my throat. I made a gurgling sound and reached up, pulling the bullet out. Her eyes widened as I shoved her off of me and stood up.

“N-no,” she cried. “That’s impossible.”

I started walking slowly towards her and she ran. I went to follow her, but all of a sudden, the room started spinning and I started to fall forward. The last thing I remembered was two arms reaching out to save me.
***
I woke and found myself in a bed. Both Castiel and Sam were sitting in chairs next to the bed. I sat up, startling them.

“Hey! Hey. Take it easy,” Sam exclaimed, reaching out to me. I put a hand to my throat and found it healed. I looked at Castiel.

“You saved me,” I said in disbelief. He nodded and gave me a half-smile. “But I’m Nephilim!”

“You’re their family,” he replied.

“You’re putting yourself in danger,” I warned, but he shrugged. I smiled at him. “Well, thanks. So, what the hell happened?”

“You started to fall – presumably from the blood loss, seeing as you’re part human – so I caught you. Antonia Bevell made a run for it as I healed you. Sam was losing a lot of blood, too, so I healed him and released him from the shackles,” Castiel explained.

I threw the sheets back on the bed and swung my legs over the side. “She’ll be back. She’ll have an army next time.”

“We can’t worry about that now. We have more pressing issues,” Sam said, turning to me. I raised my eyebrows and he told me, “I got a phone call while you were out. Dean’s alive.”

“I’m sorry – he was dead?” I asked.

“That’s what we thought,” Cas remarked quietly and I rested my hands on the top of my head in thought.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“A motel in Colorado. He said he had someone else with him but he ended the call after that.”

“Well, let’s go,” I said. “Can we stop by a motel room on the way, grab my stuff?”

Sam nodded. “Uh, yeah. Yeah. Which motel?”

“One here in town. How far away is the motel Dean’s at?”

“About four hours or so,” Sam replied. I nodded.

“I’ll follow you in my car,” I said.

Sam laughed and asked, “You have a car? How’d you pay for that?”

I smirked and said, “I won it in a pool game.”

Sam gave me a surprised look and said, “Like father, like daughter.”

Sam led the way to the motor pool, where I had stashed my car a couple hours earlier.

“Oh, hello, Darlin’!” I exclaimed, running over to my ’67 Chevy Nova.

“Darlin’?” Sam asked. “You named your car?”

I put my hands on my hips. “It’s perfectly normal to name your car!”

He scoffed and I rolled my eyes, getting into my car. I twisted the key in the ignition and listened to the purr of the engine before peeling out of the motor pool. I saw Sam following me in a ’67 Impala.

“Must be Dean’s car,” I commented to myself. I sped away from the bunker and down the street, pulling into a parking lot in a run-down motel area. I parked in front of my room and Sam parked the Impala into a space next to me. Him and Cas got out of the car and I shut my door.

“Will you help me with my stuff?” I asked Sam, opening the door to my motel room.

“Yeah, sure.”

He followed me into the room and stared at the walls. “W-wow. Are those yours?” he asked, staring at the information posted on the walls. I’d spent years tracking Sam and Dean,
trying to find my family.

“I’ve spent years tracking you guys,” I admitted. “It hasn’t been easy.”

“I can tell,” he said.

I grabbed a couple duffel bags and told Sam, “I know that this is kind of insane. This whole thing. And-and I promise that I’ll explain once we find Dean.”

Sam grabbed a bag and replied, “We’ve seen some pretty insane things. This situation might be crazy, but certainly not insane.”

I laughed and followed him out the door. I opened the trunk of my car and we threw my bags into the trunk. Sam got back into the Impala, I got into my Nova, and I followed him out of the parking lot.
***
After a couple gas and restroom breaks, we made it to Colorado. Sam slowed the Impala down and pulled into a parking lot of another crappy motel. I pulled in behind him and steered my car into a parking space. I joined Sam and Cas at the door, standing behind them. Sam knocked and I took a deep breath, straightening my leather jacket. The door opened and Sam and Cas walked into the room. I followed them in and found two people: a man and a woman staring at us. Sam steadied himself on a wall.

“M-mom?” he stuttered.

“Hey, Sammy,” the woman said softly. Sam staggered over to the woman, sinking into her embrace. “Hey, baby.”

“Mom, what are you doing here? How-how are you alive?” Sam asked, tears pooling in his eyes. I sank into a chair at the table.

“She was resurrected,” Dean spoke up and Sam turned his attention to his brother.

“Dean!” he exclaimed, getting up and wrapping his arms around his brother. “You’re okay! What the hell happened?”

“Chuck and Amara made up and Chuck ‘disarmed’ me,” Dean explained as him and Sam broke apart.

“How is Mom here?”

“Amara said I gave her what she wanted, so she gave me something I wanted in return.”

Dean looked over at Cas and grinned. He walked over to him and pulled him into an embrace. “Cas, man, it’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too, Dean.”

Dean and I locked eyes and he let go of Cas. I stood up and he slowly walked over to me. We stood a couple feet apart. I exhaled sharply.

“Hey, Dean,” I choked out.

“Who are you?”

“My-my name is Rae. I’m your daughter.”

Dean stared at me in disbelief for a few moments, looked at Sam and Cas, and back to me.

“I-I’m – I’m gonna – gonna sit down,” he stammered. He pulled out a chair and sank down into it, burying his face in his hands. He looked back up at me.

“You’re my daughter?” he said finally. I nodded.

“Who’s your mom?”

“Anna Milton,” I replied, and he looked at me in surprise.

“The angel?” he asked, and I nodded again. “Sam and I met her, like seven or eight years ago. How old are you? Cause you sure as hell ain’t eight.”

“I’m 17. It’s a long story.”

Dean threw a hand up in the air. “We’ve got time.”

I nodded and sat down at table, across from Dean. I blew out a breath.

“Okay. So you and Mom, uh, hooked up,” I started uncomfortably. “She found out she was pregnant a few days later, and she knew that she’d be in a lot of trouble if anyone else found out.”

“Why?” Dean asked.

“I’m Nephilim. Half-angel, half-human. I-I’m an abomination.” My voice cracked and I laughed sarcastically. “Anyways, she didn’t trust any angels, so she hired a witch. The witch performed a spell on her, speeding up her pregnancy. I was born three days later. Mom wanted me to keep growing, so the witch kept the spell going.”

“What? Why would she do that?”

“I wasn’t inhabiting a vessel – this is my body. The angels would’ve been able to tell whether or not I was in a vessel. It took a little bit longer for me to grow, though, even with the spell. Then Michael ganked her. The witch, I guess, felt bad for me and took me in, stopping the spell.”

“Why did she stop the spell?” Sam interjected.

“She told me she missed having a child. She left hers a long time ago and wanted to raise me as her own. But she ended up leaving me, too.”

“Who was the witch?” Dean asked.

“Her name is Rowena.”

Dean, Sam, and Cas all exchanged looks with each other.

“What? Wait a minute? Do you know her?”

“Unfortunately,” Sam said, a bit uncomfortably.

“Son of a bitch,” I muttered.

“So, you’ve just been on your own since?” Dean asked, changing the subject. I nodded. “How long?”

“Three or four years. I’ve just been hiding in the shadows. And ratty motel rooms, trying to track you guys down.”

“How did you know that Antonia Bevell was going to be at the bunker?” Cas asked, after a beat of silence. I smirked, and replied, “I have my sources, like everyone else.”

“Mmm.”

“Who’s Antonia Bevell?” Dean asked.

“She’s part of the Men of Letters, located in London. They’re tracking you as well. Bevell was sent to terminate you both, but Cas and I handled it,” I said, nodding at him. “Besides, they won’t be able to get back into the bunker next time.”

“Why is that?” Sam asked.

“I discovered a way to use sigils to ward against everything, including humans,” I stated smugly. Everyone’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“How the hell did you do that?” Dean asked.

“Enochian spells. I was messing around with them and created a sigil that blocked humans. I have a journal full of different spells and sigils.”

Dean smiled at me proudly. “Good work.”

I looked at the woman sitting next to Sam – my grandmother. She hadn’t said a word while I was telling my story. I pushed my chair back and stood up, slowly walking towards her. She followed suit and we stood a few inches apart, just looking at each other. She broke out into a smile and embraced me.

“My granddaughter,” she said when we broke apart. “Another girl in the family.”

I laughed. “Some estrogen in the midst of all the testosterone.”

My grandmother laughed. “My name is Mary. Mary Winchester.”

“Rae.”

“What a beautiful name,” Mary mumbled, putting her hand on my cheek. “What a beautiful girl.”

I blushed. “Whatever. I wish I looked like you. You’re so pretty.”

Mary pulled me into another hug and looked at Dean. “You treat her right, you hear?”

He laughed and told her, “Okay, Mom.”

I looked at Mary and asked, “Do you already have a room?”

She nodded, so I asked, “Mind if I share with you?”

“Not at all.”

I grinned and took my car keys out of my pocket. Mary handed me her room key, and I went out to my car, grabbing my stuff. I picked up my bags and jumped when I saw Dean.

“Is this your car?” he asked, rubbing his hand along the door. I swatted his hand away and replied, “Hey! You’re going to scratch something.”

He chuckled. “That’s my girl. Can I help you take something?”

“Uh, yeah.” I handed him a duffel bag. “Can you take this?”

He grabbed the bag and headed to the room next to his. I opened the door with the key and we headed inside, and Dean dropped the bag on the bed.

“Thanks,” I told him, somewhat awkwardly.

“No problem.” He paused. “So, I thought that we could all go out to dinner. Grab some burgers. You game?”

“Totally. I’m starving.”

“Awesome.”

Dean left the room and I threw the rest of the bags on my bed. I took a gun from my bag and shoved it in the back waistband of my pants. I grabbed some cash, stuffed it in my pocket, and left the room. Everyone was outside, hanging around the cars.

“Rae, is it okay if my mom goes with you? Cas, Sam and I have some stuff we need to talk about,” Dean said.

“Of course.”

I unlocked the car and climbed into my seat, Mary climbing in on the passenger side. Dean sped out of the parking lot and I followed him, gunning the engine.

“So, what-what happened?” I asked Mary, breaking the silence. “How are you here?”

“I’m not sure. One moment, I was in my Heaven. The next moment, I’m in a random forest in Colorado, blinking and breathing.”

“Amara must have brought you back to life. For Dean. That must have been what he wanted,” I said, thinking out loud, remembering what Dean had said.

“How did you find my boys?” she asked.

“Different sources. I’ve been, well, torturing information out of demons and monsters for years,” I admitted. Mary nodded thoughtfully.

“Very resourceful,” she told me, and I smiled.

“Thanks.”

Dean pulled the Impala into a lot of a small diner, and we both parked. We all went inside and sat down at a small table. Sam went up to the counter and ordered burgers and fries for Dean and me and salads for Mary and himself. We all sat quietly and uncomfortably until the food came. I bit into my burger and sighed, enjoying the savory taste of the sandwich. I looked up and saw Dean staring at me with a grin on his face and I blushed.

“What?” I asked with a mouth full of food.

“Nothing,” he replied, throwing his hands up in defense. I laughed, and he joined in. All of us starting laughing, and Cas even cracked a smile. We started telling funny stories, some about Dean when he was little, some about the things I’d witnessed. Cas told a joke in Enochian and I laughed hard, mostly at the look of confusion on everyone else’s face; I was the only one who understood it. We finished the night off with milkshakes and I got everyone in to take a picture on my phone. A couple hours later, Dean and I drove everyone back to the motel. Mary opened the door to our room, and held it open for me. I heard rustling in the bushes, and turned around, looking for the glinting of eyes. My heart beat in my chest, but I shook off the bad feeling, going inside the room and locking the door.

Chapter Text

“Rae? Rae, time to get up.”

I blinked my eyes a few times and a woman’s face came into focus. Mary Winchester. My grandmother. I sat up and stretched, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. I stood up and grabbed my duffel bag, hoisting it onto the sheets. I pulled out jeans, a maroon shirt, and a grey military jacket. I went into the bathroom and changed. I had put my hair into a braid the night before, and I took it out, combing my long brown hair. I put my hair into a ponytail and walked out of the bathroom, shoving my long t-shirt into my duffel bag. Mary was sitting on her bed, putting on a pair of shoes.

“Oh, I like that outfit,” she remarked. “You know; I was kind of disappointed that Dean was a boy when he was born. I wanted a girl to dress up.”

I smiled and replied, “I’ve heard boys are easier to deal with than girls, though.”

“Not your father!” Mary laughed, and I sat on my bed, pulling on a pair of black ankle boots. “He was a big Mama’s boy. I was always picking him up.”

“Awww,” I laughed, then went somber. “I wish things could’ve been different for me. I wish I would’ve been able to grow up with him.”

“I wish I would’ve been able to see him grow up,” Mary said. She pulled me into a hug. “But we’re here now. Let’s make use of the time we have.”

I nodded and grabbed my bags. Mary grabbed hers, and we headed out to my car. I popped the trunk and we put our stuff in. The door to Dean and Sam’s room opened and they walked out of the room. Dean smiled at the both of us and said, “You girls ready to go?”

“We were ready before you!” I teased. Dean rolled his eyes and I grinned. Dean turned to Mary and asked, “Mom, will you ride with Sam and me?”

Mary looked at me and I said, “You should ride with them.”

Mary looked at Dean and said, “Is she going to be riding by herself?”

“I’ll ride with her.”

The four us whirled around and found Cas leaning against my car. I lit up and said, “Really? You’ll ride with me?”

He nodded. “Dean’s driving makes me uncomfortable.”

Sam, Mary and I chuckled and Dean remarked, “What? My driving is fine!”

“C’mon,” I said. “Let’s get going.”

I opened the door and slid into my seat, closing the door. Cas climbed in on the other side and I started the car, pulling out of the parking lot after Dean. He pulled onto the
highway, going at least 20 miles over the speed limit. I looked over at Cas, who was staring at the road.

“So, uh, Dean’s driving makes you uncomfortable?” I asked.

“Well, that wasn’t the only reason I wanted to go with you, but yes. He drives way too fast.”

I smirked and slowly pressed down on the accelerator, building up speed. Cas gripped the seat and I laughed.

“I regret riding with you,” he told me and I laughed again.

“So, what’s the real reason you wanted to ride with me?”

“To talk about your powers.”

I gave him a confused glance and replied, “What about them?”

“You have abilities of both angels and demons. You aren’t supposed to.”

I shook my head and followed a bend on the highway. “I guess the spell Rowena used on me had some side effects.”

“What abilities do you have?” Cas inquired.

“Uh, increased strength, telekinesis, teleportation, healing; like you said, basically anything an angel and demon can do.”

“Interesting,” Cas said. “And this was due to Rowena’s spell?”

I nodded. “I could come in handy one of these days.”

We sat in silence for a little while. I turned on the radio, but there was nothing but static, so I turned it off again.

“So, Cas. What’s your deal with Dean?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Uh, the awkward staring? You take turns looking at each other when you think the other one isn’t looking?”

Cas rubbed his neck. “I don’t know what you’re referring to.”

“Uh huh, sure.”

“Just drive,” he remarked, and looked out the window.

I snickered and sped up.

A couple hours later, we arrived at the bunker. Dean pulled up into the motor pool and I pulled in next to him. Him and Sam grabbed all bags while Mary and I grabbed our bags
from my car. Sam went over to the door, but wasn’t able to get past the invisible barriers from my sigils.

“What the hell?” he muttered. I pushed past and whispered, “Aperta ad dominum.”

I walked to the door and opened it up, smiling.

“Latin incantation as a password,” I stated smugly.

“Nice touch,” Sam said, nodding proudly.

“Why, thank you,” I said and held the door for everyone. They all filed in and I brought up the rear, whispering, “Abscondite nos a malo.”

The spell was put back into effect and I nodded at my job. Sam showed Mary to a room and Dean showed me to one. I smiled and went in, setting my stuff down on the bed. I
opened the duffel bags and put my clothes in the drawer. I put my make-up, curling iron, and other toiletries in the bathroom and put up a picture of Anna and me on the desk in the room. I shoved the duffel bags in the closet and flopped on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. I heard a knock at my door and saw Sam standing in the doorway.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey.” He pointed to the bed. “Can I come sit?”

“Of course,” I replied, patting the space next to me.

Sam cleared his throat. “I just wanted to thank you. For saving me.”

“We’re family. That’s what family does.”

Sam pulled me into a hug. “You know, you saved Dean, too.”

We broke apart and I asked, “What do you mean?”

“He’s lost two kids already,” Sam said quietly. “He’s already happier with you around. He’s smiling more, singing. He needed you.”

“Good thing I need him, too,” I laughed. Sam chuckled softly and left the room. I looked at the picture of Anna and me on my desk, and then pulled up the picture of all of us from last night on my phone.

“Amara gave him a family,” I said softly. “That’s what he needed.”

I left my room and wandered into the kitchen, where I saw Dean making quesadillas.

“Something smells good!” I exclaimed. “When did you get all of this?”

“Mom and I went shopping yesterday, while we were waiting for you guys,” Dean said, flipping a quesadilla onto a plate and sliding it in front of me. “You hungry?”

“I’m starving,” I replied, grabbing the plate. Dean grabbed his plate and placed salsa, sour cream, and sliced-up tomatoes in front of us. I noticed that we took the same toppings: a dollop of sour cream and a few tomatoes on top of each piece of quesadilla, but no salsa. I bit into a piece and said, “This is really good.”

“Thanks.”

We ate in silence, looking everywhere but each other. Sam and Mary wandered in and Dean said, “Your quesadilla’s are in the oven, to stay warm.”

“What a good cook you’ve grown up to be,” Mary remarked, ruffling Dean’s hair, and Dean smiled.

“Uh, Dean. I caught wind of a case,” Sam told Dean, taking a bite of a quesadilla.

“What is it?”

“Well, not a case, case. Actually, uh, Garth called. He said there’s a vamp’s nest outside of Tupelo, Mississippi.”

“Garth called?”

Sam nodded. “I was surprised by that, too.”

“Who’s Garth?” I interjected, finishing another piece of quesadilla.

“Another hunter we know,” Dean answered, and turned his attention to Sam. “We’ll go as soon as we finish eating.”

“Can I go?” I asked, and both Sam and Dean looked at me in surprise.

“Oh, hell no,” Dean said, but Sam said, “Sure.”

Dean looked at Sam in disbelief. “Dude, really? She could get hurt!”

“I’m pretty sure she can take care of herself, Dean. She’s been doing it for a few years.”

“’She’ is sitting right here,” I pointed out. “C’mon, Dean. Please? I promise to be careful.”

Dean sighed. “Fine. But you will follow all orders at all times.”

I saluted. “Yes, sir!”

Dean’s face contorted into an expression I couldn’t decipher. “Don’t call me that,” he said quietly, and shoved his plate away from him.

I looked over to Sam. “Did-did I do something wrong?”

“No, no, no.” Sam shook his head. “Our dad had Dean call him that at a young age and he hated it. That’s not your fault.”

Mary looked over at Sam. “John did that to him?”

Sam nodded, his face a bit sad.

Mary’s face fell.

“Sam! Rae! Let’s pack up!” Dean shouted, his voice echoing into the dining room. Sam and I pushed our plates back and got up. I took a look at Mary, who had buried her head in her arms.

“Rae, pack some clothes and whatever weapons you have,” Dean ordered.

“Alright.”

I took a duffel out of my closet and through in some pants and shirts. I grabbed my toothbrush, toothpaste and hairbrush, threw them into my bag and slung the bag over my shoulder. Sam and Dean were waiting outside the door. Cas came down the hallway – I had forgotten about him.

“Where are you guys going?” he asked.

“We have a case,” Dean replied.

“You didn’t ask me to go along?” he asked, looking dejected.

“Actually, Cas, we’re taking Rae along. On her first hunt.” Sam told him. I smiled at Cas and said, “You and I can go on one without them, ‘kay?”

Cas smiled a little and replied, “Alright. I’ll stay here and keep everything safe.”

The three of us left. I hopped in the back of the Impala after whispering the incantation. Dean started the engine and roared out of the vicinity of the bunker, speeding down the street.

“Try to get some shut-eye,” he told me. “We need you ready when we get there.”

“Okay.” I leaned my head against the door and fell asleep.
***

When I woke up, it was dark outside and Sam was in the driver’s seat. Dean was lightly snoring with his head against the door, and I sat up and stretched. Sam looked at me in the rearview mirror.

“You’re up,” he said.

“What time is it?”

“About one in the morning,” he replied.

“How long have you been driving?”

“A few hours,” Sam replied. “You’ve been sleeping the whole drive.”

I yawned. “How long was the drive?”

“13 hours or so. We’re almost to the nest.”

“Are we just going to go in there knifes a-blazin’?”

“Yep.”

“Alright.”

Sam drove a few miles and turned onto a road surrounded by trees. About half a mile down the road stood an old, abandoned house. Sam parked the car in a nook in the trees and shook Dean, waking him up. Dean sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. We all got out of the car and Dean went to the trunk, opening it. I joined him as he rifled through his arsenal. He handed me a machete wrapped in a sheath. I attached the sheath to my leg, Sam and Dean doing the same thing. I started to head for the house, but Dean caught the back of my jacket.

“What do you think you’re doing?” he whispered.

“Walking to the house?” I whispered back.

“Um, behind the two of us,” he ordered. I rolled my eyes, but hung behind them. We crept silently to the house. Dean and Sam pulled their machetes when we got closer to the house, and I followed suit. We made it to the front door, and Sam pushed it open slowly, the hinges creaking. I tried to step as lightly as I could. The door closed behind us and Sam and Dean examined the room. Dean pointed to the left and Sam nodded, creeping off in the direction Dean was pointing. Dean turned to me and pointed up the stairs to the right and I nodded, following him. The stairs groaned under our weight, and I held onto the railing as we climbed up. We made it to the landing with still no sight of a vampire. I stood by the stairs and Dean poked his head in a room. All of a sudden, a hand covered my mouth. I let out a muffled scream and Dean turned to me.

“Rae!” he shouted, and three vampires emerged from the rooms. One grabbed me, and two latched onto Dean. The vampires attacking me shoved me to the wall, ripping the machete out of my hand. Their teeth sank down from their gums and they hissed, coming toward my neck. I kicked them away and swatted them to the wall with my telekinesis. They struggled against my hold. I looked over to the vampires attached to Dean and forced them away from him. We both grabbed our machetes and dragged the blade through the neck of each of them. I panted and let the bodies fall to the floor with a loud thud. I rubbed my arm where one of the vampires had grabbed me.

“Are you alright?” Dean asked. I nodded.

“Dean!” we heard Sam shout. We looked at each other in alarm and raced down the stairs. Sam was surrounded by six vamps, all ready to snap. I leapt off the bottom stair and swung, my machete connecting with the flesh of one of the vamps. My attack surprised the others, allowing Sam and Dean to take out the rest of them. One-by-one, the vamps dropped. We stood in puddles of blood, and I stooped to wipe my blade off on a shirt of one of the vampires.

Sam looked at me and told me, “Nice sneak attack. You’re a good hunter. Right, Dean?”

Dean nodded thoughtfully and I felt my chest swell with pride.

“So, was that it? Was that the case?” I asked, looking down at the dead monsters.

“Uh, yeah,” Sam answered as he headed towards the door. “It was a quick process since we already knew the location and what monster we’re dealing with.”

“We get some cases based off of weird stories that we find in the news. That’s a longer process, because we have to do research and figure out what we’re up against,” Dean explained as we walked back towards the car. I handed my machete back to Dean and looked at myself in a window of the Impala. My face and clothes were specked in blood and Sam and Dean looked similar to me.

Dean closed the trunk and turned to Sam. “Want me to drive?”

Sam nodded and I told him, “I can sit in the front if you want to lay down in the back.”

“Sounds great. Thanks,” Sam said, smiling gratefully.

We got into the car and Dean started the engine, driving back the way we came. Sam settled in, and within five minutes, he was fast asleep. Dean glanced at me and asked, “Want to look through my music? You might find something you like.”

“Okay.” I opened the glove box and took out a box of tapes. “Oooo, all the classics!”

Dean grinned at my enthusiasm. I found a tape labeled “Pour Some Sugar on Me” – Def Leppard and said, “This one.”

I put the tape into the stereo and a guitar started.

“Def Leppard,” Dean said approvingly. “Good one.”

Dean started singing the first verse and I laughed. I joined in on the pre-chorus.

“’C’mon, take a bottle, shake it up’,” we crooned. “’Break the bubble, break it up.’”

I started to sing the chorus. “’Pour some sugar on me/Ooh, in the name of love.’”

Dean joined back in, “’Pour some sugar on me/C’mon, fire me up/Pour your sugar on me/Oh, I can’t get enough/I’m hot, sticky sweet/From my head to my feet, yeah.’”

Dean pulled onto the highway and sped up, the both of us still singing the song.

Chapter Text

Dean maneuvered the Impala in front of the bunker and we all got out of the car tiredly. We had all switched off on driving back from the vampire hunt, making it back in just under 11 hours, but we were all exhausted. I grabbed my duffel bag and slung it over my shoulder. I walked up to the bunker and disabled the spell, allowing us to go through. I reactivated the spell and dragged my feet to my room, dropping my bag to the floor. I flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.
***
I woke some time later and sat up. I was still in my bloody clothes from the hunt. I grabbed a clean outfit and took it into the bathroom, starting the shower. I stripped out of my dirty clothes, throwing them into a pile on the floor. I took my hair out of its ponytail and stepped into the warm water, wetting my hair. I washed my hair and my body, and turned the water off, stepping onto a bathmat. I dried myself off and put on my clothes: dark blue jeans, a grey undershirt, and an army-green shirt, the sleeves rolled up to my elbows. I put on dark grey ankle socks and turned my attention to my hair. I rubbed most of the water out of it and combed it back, taking care with the knots. I pulled half of it into a ponytail, then curled it.

“Rae! We need you!” Sam yelled, and I rushed out of my room.

“Where are you?” I yelled back.

“Library!” came the answer.

I rushed to the library and found Sam, Dean, Cas, and Mary crowded around a cell phone.

“Crowley, say that again,” Dean said into the phone.

“Crowley?” I mouthed at Sam.

“King of Hell,” he mouthed back. I shot him a surprised look.

“My mother has disappeared,” the voice on the other end of the line, Crowley, stated, and Dean looked at me.

“Rowena is Crowley’s mother,” Dean explained. “She’s missing.”

“Like that’s anything new,” I snorted.

“Squirrel, who’re you talking to?” Crowley inquired.

“None of your damn business, Crowley!” Dean shouted into the phone.

“What do you want us to do?” Sam spoke up.

“What do you think, Moose? We need to stop that ginger whore before she can do some real damage.”

Cas leaned over the phone and suggested, “We could summon her.”

The line was quiet, save for Crowley’s breathing. “Not a bad idea, Castiel. I’ll meet you in an abandoned warehouse in Belleville, Kansas in an hour.”

The line clicked dead and Dean looked at us all.

“Let’s go,” he said, rubbing his hands together.

With all five of us going, we split up, taking both of our cars. Sam and Cas went with Dean, and Mary was back with me.

“Okay. So Crowley is the King of Hell. The witch who took me in is his mother, and we are going to summon her? That’s our plan?” I asked Mary, following Dean.

“Apparently so. Crowley’s worried about the damage she’ll cause on her own, and Sam and Dean need information on the London chapter of the Men of Letters, and they want
Crowley to post his demons in various posts. He agreed, under the condition that Rowena is found and kept under his care,” Mary told me. I groaned.

“I was perfectly fine with that bitch out of my life,” I complained.

“Did she just leave one day, without an explanation?”

I nodded. “I assumed she was dead. I found out she was alive just the other day.”

“Mothers should never do that to their child,” Mary said quietly, her head down.

“Mary, you don’t think that you abandoned your children, right?” Mary didn’t answer. “Mary, come on. That was not your fault.”

“They grew up the opposite way I wanted them to,” she whispered. “I wanted them to be afraid of the dark, not pointing a gun at it.”

“Mary,” I said softly, tears pooling in my eyes. “You were dead. They would’ve gone with you if John hadn’t trained them to be hunters. They’ve helped so many people. Don’t you dare say that you abandoned them.”

“You’re truly a gift, honey,” Mary told me, tears running down her face.

I laughed and told Mary, “You know, having another girl in the family may not be the best thing. All these hormones.”

Mary and I laughed. Dean pulled off of the highway and sped down a bumpy road to an abandoned warehouse. I parked the car and the two of us got out of the car to join the boys. We walked to the entrance of the warehouse and Sam slowly opened the door. Sam, Dean, and I grabbed a gun from the back waistband of our pants, Cas dropped his angel blade, and Mary grabbed a knife from her boot. She winked at me and I grinned. Sam and Dean took the lead, and we followed them.

“Crowley! Where the hell are you?” Dean yelled.

“Took you all long enough,” came a voice from behind us. We all whirled around. Crowley stood there, dressed in all black. I raised my gun and Mary raised her knife. Crowley looked at Dean in surprise and asked, “Who are these lovely ladies?”

Dean signaled at us to drop our weapons and replied, “My mother and my daughter.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I thought your mum was dead. And a daughter?”

“Crowley, it’s a long-ass story, and I really don’t want to tell it to you,” Dean said, annoyed. Crowley looked offended. “Fine. Let’s get this summoning started.”

Dean and Crowley set to work to set up the summoning spell. They created a symbol and put candles at the corners. In the middle of the symbol, Dean placed a metal bowl. Crowley dumped in different ingredients: various bones, grassy things, and a couple of weird-looking rocks. Dean took out a knife and held his hand over the bowl.

“Wait!” I exclaimed, rushing over to him. I grabbed the knife from him. “Allow me.”

Before he could say anything, I stuck the tip of the knife into my palm and dragged it through the skin, letting my blood drip into the bowl. Dean lit the candles and said the incantation. A bright flash erupted from the bowl, and Rowena stood before us. She set her eyes on everyone in the room, and rested them onto me, doing a double take.

“Rae? Sweetheart?” she cried. I stood up, towering over her. She rushed over to me and I flung her against the wall. She cried out in pain and I advanced on her. I threw a punch, feeling my fist collide with her nose.

“You little bitch,” I said sweetly. “You left me to fend for myself!”

I hit her again and again. Dean and Sam rushed over to me, pulling me away from Rowena. Rowena had blood running steadily from her nose and bruises already forming under her eyes.

“I…deserve…this,” she said slowly. “She’s right. I left her. My beautiful baby girl.”

“I’m not your ‘baby girl!’” I screamed at her. Rowena was still trapped under my hold and she hung her head.

“Rae, when your mother came to me, I knew I’d be paid handsomely. So, I did the task. And then you were born. I held you in my arms and I remembered what it was like to hold a child. I wanted to stop the spell then. I did. But your mother tortured me, and it broke my heart to keep it going. It hurt you so much. You would cry out in agony, and I would pull you into my lap and sing to you until you fell asleep.” Rowena broke down into tears. I relaxed, loosening my hold on her. She looked at me gratefully.

“Mom – Mom tortured you? To keep me growing?” I asked. Rowena nodded. “I never knew that.”

“I’m sorry, Rae. For forcing you to grow up too fast. For hurting you. And most of all, for leaving you.” Rowena came over to give me a hug, but I held my hands out.

“I can’t hug you, Rowena. I’m sorry.”

Rowena hung her head, but nodded.

“Well, this little sob fest has been quite lovely, but we need to get down to business,” Crowley interrupted, looking annoyed. He turned to Sam and Dean. “Seeing as though you two got my mother back, I will hold up my end of the bargain.”

He snapped his fingers and about ten demons filled the room.

“I will position these demons, and more in various places around the United States and in London. They will report any information they receive directly to me, which I will then report directly to you,” Crowley said.

“Good,” Dean stated. “Then we’re done here.”

“What are you going to do with Rowena?” I blurted out. Crowley looked at me in surprise.

“And you are?” he asked.

“I’m Rae. Dean’s daughter.”

“Ah. Well, Squirrel Jr., my mother here will be locked up until she can learn to behave,” he told me, shooting a pointed look at the witch.

“But-” she started to protest, but Crowley cut her off.

“Don’t do that. Please,” I begged. Dean dragged me to the side.

“What are you doing?” he asked quietly.

I straightened up and replied, “I’m defending my mom.”

“That bitch isn’t your mom, Rae,” Dean told me gently. “She’s deceitful and nasty. You need to stay away from her, or you’re going to get hurt.”

I glared at Dean and walked away, going to stand by Mary. I crossed my arms and avoided eye contact with my father. He sighed and said, “Don’t lock her up.”

Rowena, Crowley, and I all looked at him. “You can’t be serious,” Crowley scoffed.

“Does it look like I’m kidding?” Dean replied.

“Fine. The evil skank won’t be locked up.”

I saw Rowena smirk and my blood ran cold. I knew that smirk – hell, I gave that smirk.

“Run!” I bellowed, and Mary, Cas, Crowley, and Sam followed my order. Dean ran towards me, but it was too late. Rowena screamed a curse and I felt unimaginable pain in my stomach. Dean and I both dropped to the floor, coughing up blood.

“What the hell did you do to us?” Dean sputtered between coughs.

“Oh, it’s only a wee hemorrhage, dear!” she laughed. I growled and repeated the incantation and Rowena’s eyes bulged. She started to cough with us, dropping to her knees.

“What – what did you do?” Dean wheezed.

“I gave her a taste of her own medicine,” I coughed. “Rowena, reverse the spell! Once you stop it for us, I’ll stop it for you.”

“How – how did you do this?” she rasped.

“You shouldn’t have taught me your tricks!”

Rowena coughed up another mouthful of blood. “Fine! I’ll stop.”

She said another incantation and the pain stopped. Dean and I stood up slowly. Rowena curled into a ball on the floor, still spewing blood.

“I stopped!” she cried. I held up my pointer finger, and then repeated the incantation. Her hemorrhage was stopped and she stood up, bracing herself against the wall.

“I see you’ve done well for yourself,” she panted.

“Shut your mouth.”

Crowley peeked his head in the door. “All done now, are we? Good.”

“Crowley?” I spoke up. He turned to me. “Lock this bitch up where she belongs.”

Crowley smirked and replied, “Will do.”

Rowena looked at me hopelessly, but I turned away from her. Crowley grabbed Rowena and disappeared. Sam and Mary started walking away from the room. Cas hung back and asked, “Are you guys coming?”

“We’ll be right there, Cas,” I said. Cas nodded. I turned to Dean.

“Dean, I’m sorry. I was wrong,” I apologized. He pulled me into a hug, and I buried my face in his jacket.

“It’s alright, kiddo. I just want to protect you. I don’t want to see you get hurt,” Dean said softly, resting his chin on my head. We broke apart and headed to the cars.

“Let’s go home,” Dean said.

“Race you to the cars!” I shouted, and took off running. I beat him to the cars and stuck my tongue out at him. He laughed and got into his car. We started up the cars and sped off down the road, back to the bunker; back home.

Chapter Text

The wait was torture. We were constantly pacing the corridors, waiting for something, anything. Sam and Dean waited by their phones around-the-clock and were trying to figure out what we were potentially up against. Mary and I busied ourselves with shopping and cooking. Every week, we went out for groceries, and Mary taught me how to make different dishes and desserts. My favorite one to make was pie, to Dean’s content. I brought him a slice of pie every day. He smiled at me and dug in, moaning with delight. One day, Cas wandered into the kitchen.

“This is excruciating,” he muttered.

“The boys are doing everything they can, but it’s still not enough,” Mary agreed.

“Cas, do you want to bake with us?” I piped up.

“Why not?” the angel replied. I looked at Mary and grinned.

“First and foremost,” I said. “Lose the trench.”

Cas grabbed his coat and shucked it off. I grabbed an apron from inside the pantry and draped it over his neck.

“Turn around,” I instructed. He followed my directions and I tied it in the back for him.

“What are we making?” he asked.

“Key lime pie,” Mary answered.

Mary and I spent the next hour helping Cas make the pie. He learned fast, and was very proud of himself when he took the pie out of the oven and slid it into the fridge.

“That was very entertaining,” he remarked, smiling. Mary went to the fridge and said, “Uh, oh.”

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“We’re running out of space in here,” she replied, and I laughed. “There are too many pies!”

“What about pie?” Dean asked, walking into the kitchen with Sam. Mary and I held the refrigerator doors open and showed him all of the pie. He whistled, and came over to the fridge, taking a pie.

“I guess we better start eating them,” he said with a mouth full of pie. We all laughed.

“Cas, are you wearing an apron?” Sam asked. Cas nodded and blushed self-consciously.

“He was helping us bake!” Mary exclaimed. Dean turned to Cas and nodded at him.

“Good, man. It’s an important skill,” Dean remarked.

“Have you guys found anything?” Cas asked, changing the subject.

“There is virtually nothing on the Men of Letters in London,” Sam sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We’ve looked online, in various books, and have found nothing.”

“Have you heard anything from Crowley?” I asked, wiping my hands on a towel.

“No,” Dean said. “It’s been a week and there’s nothing. It’s like they disappeared.”

I rubbed my face with my hands and thought hard. I looked to Sam. “Sam, what have you guys been searching online?”

“Uh, Men of Letters in London?” he replied. I rushed to my room and grabbed my computer, pulling up my search engine. I typed in Lady Antonia Bevell.

“Now we’re gettin’ somewhere,” I muttered. I clicked on the top result and read out loud, “’Lady Antonia Bevell is one of the most driven women London has ever seen. She is now the proud owner of more than half of the factories in London, and is currently making an enormous profit. She will be donating one million dollars to various charities around the world.’”

I looked up from the computer in confusion.

“Are you sure that’s her?” Cas asked, narrowing his eyes.

I clicked on her picture and showed it to him. “Yeah. That’s her.”

“Can I see that?” Sam asked. I handed him the computer.

“This is the most-recent article, but it was published a month ago,” he said, handing the computer back to me.

“So, we’re right back to where we started,” I said, shaking my head.

“What are we going to do?” Cas questioned.

“We do what we normally do,” Dean spoke up. “We work a case.”

The five of us gathered in the library, scouring the news for any weird articles. Cas and Dean were looking on one computer, Sam was on his, and Mary and I looked on mine.

“Uh, I think I got one,” Sam said, and we all crowded around him. “It’s in Ogden, Utah.”

“’ A whole gas station full of people murdered,’” Dean read.

“’Weird symbols drawn on the doors with the blood of the deceased?’” I questioned.

“Well, let’s get going,” Dean said. He turned to Mary and me. “We’re going to need to get you some FBI clothes.”

We loaded up the cars, mine now fully stocked with my very own arsenal in the trunk and decked out with demon traps, and headed to the nearest department store. Mary and I
walked around, looking for clothes. I tried on tight, black dress pants, a white blouse, and a black jacket. Sam and Dean nodded in approval. Mary was approved with a black skirt, a white blouse, and a peach-colored sweater. Dean and Sam then took us to Kinko’s where we had our fake FBI badges made. I shoved mine in my jacket pocket, and we headed on down the road. We arrived in Utah the next day, checking into a motel. We changed into our fed clothes and headed to the crime scene, which was still marked off in bright yellow DO NOT CROSS tape. I had parked my car a couple blocks back, hidden from the officers. Mary was stationed there in case there was an issue with the “credibility” of our positions. Dean steered the Impala into the crime scene, and the four of us climbed out of the car., walking up to the sheriff.

“Morning, Sheriff,” Dean greeted him. “Agents Smith, Davis, Adams, and Cooper.”

We all flashed our badges, and the sheriff looked at me suspiciously. “Aren’t ya a little young to be an FBI agent?”

“Youngest one to become an agent,” I lied, acting proud.

“Uh huh,” the sheriff muttered. “Let me call your supervisor.”

“Certainly.” I held out a card with Mary’s number on it. He dialed the number.

“Yes, hello. Agent Michaels? I wanted to see if you had sent out agents Smith, Davis, Adams, and Cooper to work this case. Uh huh. Yes, ma’am. Sorry to bother you, ma’am.”

He handed the card back to me. “Come on in.”

I breathed a small sigh of relief and followed the sheriff into the gas station. I wrinkled my nose at the scent of all the blood spattered throughout the building.

“This was brutal,” the sheriff said. “Severed limbs, bloody bodies hanging from the ceiling, you name it.”

“Was there any security footage?” Sam asked, but the sheriff shook his head.

“The cameras were disabled.”

As Sam, Dean, and Cas questioned the sheriff, I wandered to the back of the store, to the freezers. There were three freezers, each door painted with a different sigil.

“What the hell?” I muttered, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I snapped pictures of the three sigils. Above the freezer doors was a single word: MANNDRÁP.

“I know that word,” I said, trying to think. I took a picture of the word and re-joined the guys.

“Well, I hope you boys can figure this out,” the sheriff told them as I walked up. He tipped his hat to me and I smiled. I shook my phone and said, “Let’s go.”

“What?” Sam asked. “But we just got here.”

“Well, while you guys were yappin,’ I got pictures of the evidence. Whoever did this-” I gestured to the blood around the gas station. “-left behind a message. We need to crack it,
before it’s too late.”

The guys were all speechless when I led the way out the door.

“How do you know all this?” Dean asked, catching up to me.

“Years with Rowena and picking things up as I go,” I answered, sliding into Dean’s car. He dropped me off at mine and sped off towards the motel. I flipped my car around and
sped off behind him.

“How’d it go?” Mary asked.

“I got pictures of the evidence. It’s some sort of code. I swear I’ve seen it before.”

I pulled into the parking lot and ran into my room, grabbing my computer and journal. Mary knocked on Dean’s door, and he let us in. I plopped down at the table and pulled up
the pictures on my phone. I typed the word MANNDRÁP into the search engine and clicked on the top option: an English to Old Norse translation PDF.

“Norse!” I shouted, saving the PDF to my desktop.

“Uh, bless you?” Dean said.

“No, no, no. It’s Icelandic. They used the language of Old Norse to leave the message.”

I looked up Norse Sigils and matched the three sigils to the ones online. Everyone crowded around me.

“See these sigils here?” I asked, referring to one with two stars with an e and one with flourishes. “They chose these to tell us to be afraid. And this one,” I said, referring to one
that was a straight line with a triangle and line protruding from the left side and two triangles protruding from the right. “Is supposed to symbolize peace. But they put an X
through it, which is basically saying that this isn’t going to be peaceful.”

I looked up at them all and found them all staring at me with their mouths slightly agape.

“What?” I asked.

“That’s genius,” Sam said, impressed.

“You sure you’re my daughter?” Dean joked. “This is incredible.”

“What does this word mean?” Cas asked, pointing to the picture of the word.

“Manslaughter,” I said quietly. “It explains the gruesome deaths.”

“What the hell are these people doing?” Dean muttered.

“I don’t know,” Cas replied. Sam’s phone started ringing, and he picked up.

“Hello? Ah, hello, Sheriff. What? Okay. Thank you so much. Bye.” Sam looked at us.

“Get packing. There’s been another attack, identical to this one.”

“What?” Mary asked.

“Where?” Cas inquired.

“Mannford, Oklahoma.”

We quickly packed, shoving our bags into the cars. Dean and I sped down the highway. The next day, we hit Mannford, Oklahoma, and checked into a motel. We followed the same process as last time, having Mary stay behind in my car, although no one hassled us this time. I texted Mary, telling her that we were all good. The deputy of this county showed us inside.

“From what I can tell, it’s just like what happened in Ogden. I hope you fellas can find something different,” he said.

While they guys chatted with the deputy, I took a look at the back freezer, taking pictures. The sigils were the same, but the word was different: BANI. I walked back over to the deputy.

“Excuse me, Deputy. How many bodies did you all find in here?” I asked.

“About ten in total, Miss.”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

“Anything different here?” Sam questioned.

“The word. I found a PDF with Norse translations on it. I saved it to my computer. I’ll check it once we get back to the car.”

We met up with Mary and I pulled my computer from my bag, pulling up the PDF.

“It means death,” I announced. I turned to the guys. “Were there any awful deaths?”

“Gunshot wounds, mostly,” Dean answered. “Why?”

“Whoever’s doing this is telling us what they did,” I explained. “The first attack was ‘manslaughter,’ with the gruesome deaths. This one was just death.”

“Why’re they telling us this, though? What’s the damn point?” Cas wondered aloud.

Suddenly, I remembered something from Rowena’s teachings.

“Oh, boy,” I muttered, biting my thumbnail. I grabbed a notepad and a pencil from my bag.

“Rae, what’s wrong?” Mary inquired.

I muttered to myself as I drew out the sigils in the middle of the page. I wrote down MANNDRÁP in one corner of the paper, BANI in another, and filled in the last two corners with the words HATA and LÍK. I connected each word until it made a box, then drew a line from each word to the sigils in the middle.

“It’s a damn spell,” I explained.

“What are those last two words?” Cas questioned.

“’Damage,’” I told him, pointing at HATA. “And ‘corpse,’” I said, pointing at LÍK.

“What happens when the spell is complete?” Dean asked. I raised my head to look him in the eyes.

“All hell breaks loose.”

Chapter Text

“’All hell breaks loose?’” Dean repeated.

“What does that mean?” Sam asked.

“I don’t know,” I told them. “Nothing good.”

“You don’t know?” Sam burst out.

“I’m sorry!” I shouted. “I learned about this spell years ago! I’ve been a bit preoccupied, trying to stay alive and all!”

“Come on, guys,” Mary said. “We need to work together on this, not fight.”

“She’s right,” Cas agreed.

“Let’s go back to the motel. We’ll do research and figure out what the hell is going on,” Dean suggested, and we all agreed.

We met up at the hotel, the five of us in Dean and Sam’s motel room. Dean and Sam sat on their beds, while I sat up against the foot of Dean’s bed, the three of us on laptops. Cas and Mary went over my drawing of the spell, looking through different spell books. I created a copy of the spell and saved it to my computer, then searched the internet for Old Norse lore. I found an article about the mythology of Norse, tying it back to the Vikings and their sea voyages. It’s all I could find on Norse, and I shut my computer in frustration. I looked at Sam and said, “Sam, what are you looking at?”

“The similarities between the two cities that were attacked,” he told me. “The biggest thing I can find is the fact that they’re river towns.”

River towns echoed in my head, and I saw the article about Vikings. I shot up and ran over to my bag and grabbed my notepad and pen. I wrote down Norse=Vikings=travel by water=river towns. I showed my notepad to Sam.

“You’ve got it!” he exclaimed, scooping me up into a hug.

“What is it?” Cas asked.

“They’re using the rivers to cover their tracks,” I explained. That’s why we thought they had disappeared – because they had learned to cover tracks really damn well.”

I turned to Dean and brought the notepad over to him. “It’s also why they’re using the Old Norse language. It ties back to the Vikings, and get this: they got around by sailing.”

“So, we know they’re hitting river towns,” Mary said. “That doesn’t narrow it down all that much.”

Dean started typing on his computer, and I looked over his shoulder. He had pulled up a map of the US. “Here’s Ogden and Mannford. Both cities are pretty insignificant cities compared to the major cities.”

“So, are they going after small cities with a river?” Cas wondered.

I pulled up a map of rivers on my computer and zoomed in. “I don’t think so,” I said. “If they’re going down the river, they’re either heading northeast towards Tennessee or southeast towards Louisiana.”

“That still doesn’t help,” Dean pointed out. “We don’t know which way they’re gonna go.”

“Maybe we do,” Sam said, observing a map of the US. “They started in Ogden, right? And went downstream to Mannford? Well, if they follow this pattern, like they’ve followed every other pattern, then it makes sense that they’ll trek upstream, towards Tennessee.”

“That means we need to leave – now,” I said, throwing my notes and computer into my bag. Mary and I went next door, grabbed our bags, then sped off behind Dean. After about 11 hours of driving, we pulled into a motel parking lot. It was the middle of the night, and we were thoroughly exhausted. I grabbed my bags from the trunk and threw down once I stepped through the door. I kicked my shoes off and flopped onto a bed, falling fast asleep.
***

“Mom! Rae! Get up!” I heard Dean’s voice through the door. He pounded on the door and I opened it. He was up and dressed, but not in his suit.

“Cas tracked down all the gas stations in the city. There’s four of them. We’ll split up and guard them to keep these bastards from completing the spell.”

I nodded tiredly and shut the door. Mary was still fast asleep and I shook her awake.

“Come on, Mary. We gotta go,” I said, my speech slurring from exhaustion. I changed into clean clothes and pulled my hair back into a braid. Mary was ready a few minutes after I was, and we met the boys outside.

“Mornin,’ sunshine!” Dean exclaimed when he saw my face. I scowled at him and he chuckled.

“Okay, so there are four gas stations located here in Cumberland,” Cas stated. “We’re all going to split up and stand watch at each station. Mary, Sam and I will each take one, and Dean and Rae will take the last one. Rae and Dean will take Rae’s car, and Sam will take Mary and me to our stations in the Impala.”

We all split up, Dean sliding into the passenger side of my car. I backed out slowly and started heading towards our assigned station. It was only about five minutes from the motel, and I pulled in around back, putting the car into park. Dean and I got out, tucking guns into our pants. Dean led the way into the gas station and we nodded at the cashier. I headed for the magazines and grabbed one, angling myself so that I could see the front door from where I stood.

An hour and a half had passed, and there was still no sign of violence. All of a sudden, Dean’s phone started ringing. He answered it.

“Cas? What the hell is that noise?” The blood drained from his face. “Are you okay? Alright. We’re on our way.”

“What the hell happened?”

“Cas was jumped. We need to go.”

The two of us ran to my car and jumped inside. I gunned the engine and sped out of the parking lot.

“Turn left here,” Dean directed. I hooked a hard left, tires screeching.

I drove up the way a little and started to see smoke rising through the trees.

“That’s not a good sign,” Dean said. I sped up. As I did, the column of smoke rising into the sky got bigger and bigger. I rolled to a stop at what used to be a gas station. Dean and I slowly got out of the car, pulling out our guns. Cas came stumbling through the trees, his face bloody.

“Cas? Cas, are you alright?” Dean asked, jogging over to him. Cas nodded and gestured over to the gas station.

“Look what’s still standing,” he said. We looked over and found the freezers still standing; this time, the word HATA written above the sigils.

“Damn it,” I groaned, kicking a rock in the dirt. I heard gravel crunching and turned to see the Impala pull up. Sam and Mary jumped out of the car and jogged over to us.

“Oh, no,” Mary whispered. We all stared at the rubble for a couple minutes, and then I headed back to my car.

“What are you doing?” Sam asked.

“We should get going. They’re probably hitting Georgia next – that’s where the river leads. We need to try and get ahead of them.”

“Good idea,” Dean said. We all jumped in the car and drove back to the motel momentarily – just to grab our bags. Yet again, we jumped onto the highway. Dean and I went at least 20 over the speed limit, trying to get ahead of the killers. A couple hours later, we made it to River City, Georgia. I called Dean and he picked up on the third ring.

“Just pull into a rest stop. We’re wasting time with a motel.”

“Okay. There’s one is a couple miles.”

We pulled the cars into a rest stop and I pulled in next to Dean, rolling down the window. He followed suite and I yelled over, “There are only two gas stations here in town. You take one, and we’ll take the other.”

He nodded and we parted ways. I drove carefully over to one of the gas stations, positioning the car. Mary and I took turns dozing and keeping watch. During my turn to keep watch, my phone rang. I saw that it was Dean and I picked up.

“There was a third gas station in town!” he shouted over the phone. I started my car and shouted back, “Are you serious?”

“Sam and I are on our way now. I texted you the address. Hurry!”

I threw the car into drive and gunned out of the parking lot. I checked the address on my phone and took a right turn. Mary woke up and saw the look of worry on my face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked anxiously.

“I’m an idiot,” I replied. “There was a third gas station.”

“Don’t blame yourself,” she said.

“Who else am I supposed to blame?” I yelled. “I was the one who checked the gas stations!”

I pushed my foot down hard on the accelerator, pushing 70, 80, 90. I slammed on the brakes when we got to the gas station and I launched myself out of the car. I ran inside. Sam, Dean and Cas were bound and gagged in one corner of the room. A tall, blonde haired woman stood at the sigils, holding a knife to a man’s throat.

“For the love of God,” she groaned. “Another freaking Winchester.”

“Good to see you, too, Antonia,” I stated coldly. I slowly pulled my gun from my pants, holding it behind my back. My eyes flicked to the word above the sigils: LÍK.

“This is it,” Bevell stated, closing her eyes. “I’m going to drink this moment in.”

“What the hell are you doing?” I asked her. “This is crazy!”

“Oh, but you’re wrong!” she exclaimed, her eyes snapping open. “After this spell is completed, I’ll have unimaginable power! I will be unstoppable!”

“What are you talking about?”

She smirked at me. “You mean your dear old mum didn’t tell you?”

“Huh?”

Bevell cackled. “This spell is Rowena’s design. After I sacrifice this man, she’ll return to full power. And when she does, she’s going to train me to be her right-hand man!”

I went numb. Rowena’s design? Of course. That’s why I remembered the spell. She was training me to complete this spell one day. I wanted to be sick. The room spun, and I saw Bevell raise the knife, plunging it into the man’s chest. He gurgled and dropped to the floor. The sigils started to glow red, lighting up the word: LÍK.

“’Corpse,’” I whispered. The whole room started to glow, and I was blown backwards. Reddish-black clouds engulfed the store and Rowena materialized out of thin air. She took a deep breath in and flexed her fingers. She snapped her fingers, and Antonia Bevell disappeared.

“Oh, it’s so good to be back!” she yelled, and laid her eyes on me. The sides of her mouth turned up into a nasty smile. “Hello, Rae, darlin.’ Guess what?”

“What?” I spat.

“Today is the day!” she sang out.

“The day for what?”

“The day I kill you and your whole family!”

Chapter Text

Rowena giggled with delight as she forced Sam, Dean, and Cas to their feet. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mary creeping up to the door. I tried to motion for her to get out of here, but it was too late. Rowena spotted her.

“Ooh, another one!” she squealed, grabbing Mary and forcing her over to the boys. Rowena grabbed the gun I had dropped and cocked, aiming for Sam’s head.

“No!” I cried. “Don’t do this!”

“You’re right,” Rowena said, lowering the gun. She pulled a knife from her dress and threw it, hitting Sam in the leg. He screamed through the gag and Rowena started cackling.

“You blasted Winchesters!” she screamed. “You’ve been a pain in my ass for too long.”

I ran over to Sam and yanked the knife out of his leg. Rowena cast me aside, sending me tumbling into a shelf. The witch sauntered over to Dean and yanked the gag out of his mouth.

“You evil skank,” he spit out. “You’re going to pay for this.”

Rowena just smiled and bent down, picking up the knife. She dug the tip into his arm and dragged the blade across the skin, a long, crimson line following. Dean gritted his teeth in pain, and I pulled myself up using the shelf. I held out my hand and closed my eyes, concentrating all my power on throwing Rowena through a window. She started to slide and looked over to me in alarm.

“Really, sweetheart?” she laughed. “Is that all you got?”

She tried to move me, but I stood rooted to the spot. I started pushing her faster and felt my feet start to give. I took a step forward, trying to move against the hold. Rowena tried my strategy and we both put forth a burst of power. I couldn’t hold on any longer; Rowena and I both went flying backwards. I went through a window at the front of the shop. Rowena wasn’t so lucky; she went through a wooden door. I lay on the ground, feeling little pieces of glass dig into my back. I vaguely saw Dean’s face as he ran towards me, and everything went black.
***

I woke up groggily and panicked a little, unaware of my whereabouts. I sat up and found Dean driving my car. I was stretched across the backseat, and Dean swiveled in his seat. He pulled over to the side of the road.

“Hey. Hey, you alright?” he asked, turning around to face me. I sat up and winced.

“I think so. What happened?”

“You and Rowena were pushing against each other, and then all of a sudden, you both flew backwards. You went through a window. I stitched up your back and wrapped your head.”

I felt the bandage on my head and looked at Dean. “You had to stitch my back?”

He nodded. “Why?”

“Why didn’t Cas heal me?”

“He couldn’t. He tried, believe me. Your body rejected his healing.”

I bit my thumbnail in thought. “What happened to Rowena?”

“The bitch disappeared,” Dean sighed. I heard a knock on the window. Sam stood outside and I opened the door.

“Are you okay?” he asked and I nodded.

“Guys, I am so sorry. This whole thing is my fault,” I apologized, tears running down my face. Sam lifted my chin and said, “It wasn’t. Don’t blame yourself, okay?”

I threw myself into his arms, sobbing. His arms squeezed around me.

“We’ll figure it out, kiddo,” Dean said. “Come on, let’s go home.”

I climbed into the front seat and Dean started the car.

We got home the next day, hauling all of our bags in. I walked slowly, trying not to rip the stitches in my back. I plopped my stuff on the floor and sat down on the bed, rolling to my stomach to try and alleviate the pain.

“Rae?” I heard Cas say.

“Yes?” I replied, my voice muffled in the pillows.

“Do you mind if I come in?”

“No.”

Cas came into the room and I turned my head to face him. I smiled and rolled to my side.

“I wanted to see if I could try to heal you again.”

“Sure.”

I lifted up my shirt, revealing cuts crisscrossing up and down my back. Cas rested his palm on my lower back. Nothing happened. I twisted to face Cas and said, “You can start now.”

Cas just shook his head. “Your body still isn’t allowing me to heal you.”

I sighed and pulled my shirt down. “Thanks for trying.”

“I’m sorry.”

I shrugged. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault.”

Cas put a hand on my shoulder. “Are you in pain?”

“Not really,” I lied, and winced.

“You’re lying.”

I laughed a little and said, “Cas, it’s not that big of a deal, okay? I’ve had worse.”

“Okay,” Cas said. “Take it easy.”

“I will,” I replied, rolling back onto my stomach. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps in my room. I felt a something cool on my lower back and I turned gingerly, finding Sam sitting on my bed with some ice packs in his hands.

I sighed and said, “That feels really good. Thanks.”

“Here, sit up,” he said and I sat up. He pressed an ice pack to my lower back and asked, “Can you hold this here?”

I nodded and held the ice pack. Sam unraveled a bandage and wrapped it around my waist, securing the ice pack. He did that twice more and I laid on my back, feeling relief from the ice packs.

“Does that help?” he asked.

“Yeah. It helps a lot, actually.”

All of a sudden, shouts echoed throughout the hall. Sam helped me up and we walked slowly down the hallway and into the library. Dean stood with his back to us.

“Crowley, you son of a bitch!” he shouted into the phone. “Where the hell have you been?”

He obviously didn’t appreciate Crowley’s answer, because he slammed his hand on the table, causing Sam and me to jump. “Your whore of a mother attacked my daughter! How the hell did she get out of Hell? You had her chained, right?

“You didn’t know – I swear to God, Crowley, I’m going to kill you. Figure out how your mother escaped your freaking dungeon and get back to me.” Dean slammed his phone down on the desk and sank into a chair, his back still to us. Sam slowly walked over to Dean and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” Sam asked and Dean looked up at him.

“Yeah. Yeah, uh, I’m good.” He ran a hand over his face. “Remind me why we’ve let Crowley live these past few years.”

“What happened?”

“Crowley’s men were killed once the spell was finished. Rowena basically waltzed out of her cell.”

“There weren’t any other guards around to stop her?” Sam asked and Dean shook his head.

“According to Crowley, Rowena annihilated anyone who got in her way before the spell transferred her to that gas stations.”

“Does Crowley have demons tracking Rowena?”

“Yeah. But I have a feeling that it’ll be the same deal with the Men of Letters. We haven’t heard anything about them. And that one chick from the Men of Letters disappeared after Rowena appeared.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I spoke up, walking over to them gingerly.

“Oh, hey, Angel,” Dean said, then laughed. “Get it? Cause you’re-”

I raised my eyebrows and he stopped talking. “That was such a Dad-joke,” I told him.

“Well, it is my job now. To make awful jokes.”

I rolled my eyes and Dean grinned. I grinned back. Mary came into the room, saying, “I have lunch ready, if you’re hungry.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Dean said, getting out of the seat. Dean and Sam walked ahead of me, and I used the chairs and tables to brace myself as I followed them. Dean turned around and saw me struggling. He jogged over to me and scooped me up into a fireman’s carry.

“Thanks,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck. He carried me to the dining room and set me down by a chair. On impulse, I gave Dean a big hug – the first hug I’d ever given him. He hesitated, and then pulled me in close.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered into my hair. “I’m your dad. I’m supposed to protect you. I haven’t done a very good job. I’m so sorry.”

“I’m still alive, right?” I half-joked. “You’re a good dad, Dean.”

I looked up and saw Dean wipe a tear from his eye.

“Oh, God. No chick-flick moments,” I said, starting to cry, too. Dean laughed and sat down at the table. I pulled out a chair and eased myself into in. Mary brought out different dishes of Chinese food and we all dug in, shoveling food into our mouths. Cas came in halfway throughout dinner and I handed him a plate.

“I don’t need to eat,” he said, but I put a spoonful of fried rice onto his plate.

“You’re a Winchester, man,” I told him. “Eating copious amounts of food, well. It’s in the job description.”

Cas took the plate from me with a small smile and took a bite. I grinned at him and finished my food. Mary brought out a couple pies from the fridge and placed them on the table. Dean and I reached for the same pie, but I was too far away from the pie to grab it. He smirked triumphantly and I used telekinesis to drag the pie to me. It was my turn to smirk, and I celebrated my victory by taking a big bite of pie. Everyone laughed at the expression on Dean’s face. He got up and grabbed his fork, attacking the pie. I pushed him away and we fought for the pie, everyone cracking up. When the pie was done and everything cleaned up, Dean helped me back to my room. I brushed my teeth and stretched myself across my bed, turning to my lamp. I pulled the string, turning the light off, and snuggled into my pillows, falling fast asleep.

Chapter Text

I woke up to the sounds of footsteps echoing throughout the halls. I sat up slowly and stumbled over to the door. I saw Sam and Dean walking down the hallway and I followed them, leaning against the wall for support. My back was slowly healing, but I was still having problems. The boys had set their bags on a table in the library and were leafing through books, setting them inside the bags.

“Where are you guys going?” I asked, obviously startling them both.

“You’re up early,” Dean remarked.

“I heard you guys walking through the halls,” I said. “So, where are you guys going?”

“Uh, we’re going on a hunt,” Sam answered.

“Just the two of you?”

“Cas is going with us,” Dean answered and I gave him a hurt look. “Rae, you need to stay here and rest. You’re still healing.”

“Oh, fine,” I pouted. “What are you guys dealing with?”

“Probably a wraith,” Sam said, slinging the bag over his shoulder. Dean followed and they headed towards the garage. Cas came into the library and joined them.

“There you are, Cas. You ready to go?” Dean asked.

“Yes,” Cas answered and they started walking again.

“Guys, wait!” I exclaimed and hurried over to them, giving each of them a hug. They all looked surprised and I said, “Come back soon, okay?”

“Don’t worry,” Dean told me. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

I nodded and watched them walk out the door. I walked into the kitchen and went to the fridge, grabbing an apple pie and a fork. I sat down at the table and stuck the fork into the pie, taking a big bite of it. I kept eating until the pie was finished and I was staring at the bottom of the pie tin. Mary came into the kitchen, rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes. She saw me siting at the table with an empty pie tin and poured me a glass of milk, setting it in front of me. I smiled, saying, “Thanks.”

“Are you okay?” she asked.

“Yeah,” I replied. “The boys just left for a hunt, and I guess I wanted to go with them.”

“What are they hunting?”

“A wraith.”

“Oh, they’ll be fine. They’ve dealt with worse, I’m sure. And it’s three-on-one. That wraith doesn’t stand a chance,” Mary told me, smiling. I smiled back and replied, “I guess you’re right. There’s no use in worrying about it.”

“That’s right. Now, how about we do some cleaning around here?” Mary suggested, wrinkling her nose at the state of the bunker. “I don’t think the boys have done any cleaning in here.”

I laughed and replied, “Sure. It’ll be a good distraction.”

“Okay. I’ll go grab the cleaning supplies.” Mary left the room and I threw the pie tin into the trash can and placed my glass in the dishwasher. Mary came back with a bucket of chemicals, a broom, a mop, and a bunch of rags.

“Let’s get going!” she exclaimed, and I grabbed a spray bottle and a rag, clearing everything off the table. I sprayed the table and started wiping it up, getting every inch of the table and the chairs. I moved onto the counters, scrubbing all the food off the surface. Mary started sweeping the floors as I wiped down the fridge. Mary mopped the floor and we stood by the sink, admiring our handiwork.

“Okay. One room down, about a hundred more to go!” I exclaimed, and Mary laughed.

A few hours later, we had made significant progress in cleaning the bunker. We had hit all the hallways and the kitchen, and each of our rooms. We met in the library, our hair strewn about. I sat down in one of the chairs and remarked, “I’m gonna whack those boys when they get back.”

“I think I should ground them,” Mary agreed and I laughed.

“I’m making them clean the rest of the bunker,” I said. “I think we should go see a movie or something.”

“Good idea. Let’s leave in 45.”

I nodded and put away the cleaning supplies. I took a quick shower, angling my stitches away from the water. I put on tight jeans, a peach colored cashmere sweater, and tan wedges. I tied up the laces on my shoes and went into the bathroom. I braided my hair and brushed my teeth. I then waited for Mary in the hall outside of her room. She emerged a few moments later, and we headed to my car. Mary slipped into the passenger seat as I reactivated the protection spell. I drove out of the garage and sped off towards the nearest movie theater. We got tickets for the new horror movie and grabbed a bucket of popcorn. I took the popcorn over to the butter dispenser and drowned the popcorn in butter.

“Dean always loved popcorn that way,” Mary laughed. “You really do resemble your father.”

“You know, when I first met him, I didn’t think we’d have anything in common,” I began, and we went into the dark theater. “We’re more similar than I ever would’ve thought.”

Mary smiled at me and we found seats towards the top of theater. The previews passed by and the movie started, the lights dimming. The movie showed a stereotypical “haunted house” and I sighed. A figure emerged from the shadows, lunging at a passerby. People in the audience screamed, but Mary and I looked at each other, snickering. The movie was a basic horror movie – kids accidentally summoned a demon, a few died, and everyone in the audience thought it was horrifying.

“Not gonna lie,” I told Mary. “That was pretty lame.”

She agreed. “It was too predictable.”

People gave us weird looks as they overheard our conversation, and I just smiled at them, throwing our trash away. Mary and I went back to my car and I pulled out my phone, checking the time: 4:47.

“Are you hungry?” I asked Mary, pulling out of the parking space. She shook her head and I said, “Me either.”

“What time is it?”

“Almost five.”

“I think I’ll go back home and read a book,” Mary told me.

“I think I’ll do the same.”

By the time we got back to the bunker, it was five. I pulled into the garage, and we got out of the car; Mary headed to her room, but I went into the library, looking for information on wraiths. I scoured through the library, finally finding a folder. I sat down at the table and opened the folder, taking out the contents. I looked at one of the articles, and read:
Wraiths feed on brain fluids through spikes in their wrists. Their true form can be seen in a mirror reflection, and silver burns them badly. A silver knife or bullet will kill them.

“What the hell?” I said to myself. “These things are nasty.”

I got up and kept looking through the shelfs, picking out information about wraiths and other monsters, absorbing as much information about the different types as I could.
***
A while later, I woke up to my phone ringing. I was laying on a piece of paper, which stuck to my face as I bolted upright. I swatted the paper away and answered the phone.

“Hello?” I said sleepily.

“Rae?”

“Cas?” I asked, confused.

“I need your help. It’s urgent.”

My heart started to beat faster. “What’s wrong?”

“It wasn’t just a couple wraiths – it was an army. They took Sam and Dean,” Cas said quietly, and I smacked my forehead.

“Dammit, you guys!” I muttered. “Where are you?”

“764 Malcom Drive. It’s in Bentonville, Arkansas.”

“I’m on my way,” I stood up, pulling the phone away from my ear to hang up. I heard Cas’ voice on the other end and I put the phone back up to my ear. “What?”

“How are you going to get here?” he asked.

“I’m teleporting.”

“No. Rae, your body isn’t ready for tha-”

I hung up the phone and slipped it into my back pocket. I rushed to my room, wincing at the sharp bursts of pain running up and down my back, and grabbed a duffel bag out of my closet. I shoved in a silver knife and a gun filled with silver bullets. I opened a drawer in my dresser, revealing a bunch of weapons. I grabbed different supplies, for just in case. I put a couple pairs of spare clothes as well and slid the bag over my shoulder. I rifled through my things and found a notepad and pencil. I scribbled a quick note to Mary and left it on my bed. I took a deep breath and concentrated, feeling my body whip through the atmosphere. I landed on my knees in front of Cas. I stood up slowly and he glared at me.

“I told you not to do that,” he growled, spinning me around. He put his hand to my back and brought it away, turning me back around. He held out his hand and I saw it dripping with blood.

“You ripped your stitches!” he exclaimed, and I shrugged. “Rae, quit being so damn irresponsible!”

I scowled and shot back, “My family needs help! I don’t care if it rips me apart!”

“Dean cares! He’s your father. Do you know what this would do to him?” Cas said angrily.

I rolled my eyes and stalked past him. “Let’s go.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

I turned around and brought myself up to full height, looking Cas in the eye. “You called me here. Well, I’m here. So. Let’s. Go.”

Cas gave me a dirty look but led me down the dark hallway. I looked around at my surroundings, finding myself in a run-down, old home. The paint was peeling off the walls, and there were mice and different bugs running around our feet. I gagged a little, but followed Cas quietly. I was only slightly aware of blood oozing out of the cuts on my back. Cas pushed me against the wall, turning to me.

“They’re through this door,” he told me, eyeing my bag. “What’s in there?”

I dropped the bag and pulled out a long, silver dagger, and handed it to him. I pulled out the gun, checking the chamber for silver bullets.

“They’re silver. It’ll kill the wraiths.”

Cas nodded and led the way into the room. He hid behind a bookcase and I heard voices floating throughout the room. I peeked through the shelves and saw about nine or ten wraiths surrounding Sam and Dean. They were covered in cuts and bruises. I saw a female wraith approach Dean and stroke his face with her hand. He nudged her away and she grabbed his collar, snapping his head back.

“I have no problem killing you,” she snapped, and I saw Dean grit his teeth.

“Why are all of you together?” Sam asked. “This isn’t normal behavior for you freaks.”

A bunch of the wraiths laughed evilly. The female by Dean said, “Since we’re gonna kill you, we’ll tell you.”

One of the other wraiths stepped forward. “The witch, Rowena, is back in power. She’s recruited monsters across the globe to track you down and kill you and your family,” he said simply.

“Cas,” I breathed out.

“What?”

“I’ll grab a few of them silently and you get them with the dagger.”

He nodded and we crept behind the bookcase. I willed four of the wraiths to slid this way, their throats suddenly seizing up on them. Cas struck them with the dagger from behind, and I caught the bodies, laying them down on the floor quietly. I saw Sam’s eyes widen in surprise, and I tried to signal to him to pay no attention to us. It was too late. The wraiths spotted us, and came rushing at us. I raised my gun, hitting one, two, three wraiths. Only three remained, and Cas stuck one and rushed over to Sam and Dean, starting on Sam’s ropes. I started over to Dean, but the wraiths made it to him first. They cut the ropes and grabbed him, jumping out the window. Sam ran over to the window.

“Dean!” he shouted, and turned to us. “We’re two stories up!”

“Cas, throw me the dagger,” I ordered. “Sam, move.”

“What’re you-”

“Get out of the way!” I screamed. “Cas, the dagger, please!”

He threw me the dagger and I caught it by the handle. I started running and dived out of the window, free-falling. I landed on the asphalt, creating a crater. I stood up, the blood flowing faster out of my back wounds. I advanced on the wraiths, a murderous look in my eyes. I forced one to me, stabbing him with the dagger. I turned to the other one, who had extended their wrist spike. He started to slid it into Dean’s head.

“No!” I screamed, tackling the wraith. The monster tried to stab me with the spike, but I snapped it in half. Blood started spurting from the spike, spraying my face. I raised the dagger and brought it into the monster’s chest, over and over. I stood up and kicked the wraith’s body away, and knelt by Dean, cradling his head in my hands. I ripped part of my sweater off and held it to his head, watching it fill with blood. His chest rose and fell, but slightly. I pressed my ear to his chest, listening to his heart.

“Come on, Dean. Come on. Snap out of it,” I whispered, but he didn’t stir. “Dad? Dad, come on!”

I pressed my ear to his chest again, hearing his heart start to slow down.

“Dad?” I cried, my voice breaking. “Dad!”

Chapter Text

I sat by Dean’s bedside. His head was wrapped up in layers of bandages, his chest rising and falling slowly. I buried my face in my hands, holding back tears. When I looked up, I saw Sam, Cas, and Mary hovering in the doorway.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Mary said softly. “Did-did you get some sleep?”

“No,” I replied in a gravelly voice.

“Why don’t you go lay down?” Mary suggested, but I shook my head.

“No. No, I need to be here when he wakes up,” I said, and looked at Cas. “Cas, will you try to heal him again?”

“No, Rae,” Cas told me.

“Why not?” I asked, starting to cry.

Sam cleared his throat. “Rae, for some reason, Dean’s body isn’t susceptible to Cas’ healing. Neither is yours.”

“Why not?” I demanded again.

“We don’t know,” Sam answered. “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head and rested my head on my hands, staring at Dean’s unresponsive body.

“Can we get you anything?” Mary asked, but I shook my head, not even looking at her. They all left the room. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey from underneath the bed and uncapped it, taking a long swig. I felt myself start to relax as the liquor made its way through my bloodstream. All of a sudden, Sam came back into the room. He spied the bottle in my hand. He crossed the room in a few quick strides and wretched the bottle from my grasp.

“What are you doing?” he asked in disbelief.

“What does it look like?” I slurred a little. “I’m drinking my feelings.”

Sam inspected the bottle. “You drank half of this?”

“Yeah? So?”

Sam looked at me with a sad expression on his face. “Come on, Rae. Let’s go get some sleep.” Sam went to pick me up but I shook my head. He grabbed me and I struggled against his hold.

“Stop it!” I screamed, over and over. “Stop!”

Sam fought against me and I curled up my hand into a fist, throwing it into Sam’s face. I heard a crunch and saw him holding a hand under his nose. He brought it away and I saw blood gushing from his nostrils. He rushed to the bathroom and stuffed his nose with paper towels. I burst out sobbing and buried my face in the sheets. I felt the chair give way under my weight, and I sunk to the floor, feeling myself lose consciousness.
***

I woke up in my bed. The sheets were sweaty and I had an awful headache. I saw Sam standing in the doorway and I turned away, ashamed of my actions earlier.

“Hey,” he said gently. He gestured to my bed. “Mind if I sit?”

“No,” I croaked. He smiled, then slammed my door. I winced as my head throbbed, and he opened the door again. He said, “That’s for being a jerk.”

“I already got you for being a bitch,” I said, and we both laughed.

“Is he awake?” I asked, my attitude turning somber.

Sam shook his head sadly. Tears welled up in my eyes and I blinked, letting them fall down my cheeks.

“Damn it,” I whispered, sitting back up. I let out a sharp breath as I shifted my weight on the bed. Sam had re-done my stitches, and they were still causing me a bit of pain.

“He’s going to pull through,” Sam mumbled, but I think he was trying to convince himself. He looked at me. “Do you want some aspirin?”

I nodded and he left the room. He came back a few minutes later with a bottle of aspirin and a glass of water.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the glass and the bottle. I swallowed a couple pills with a sip of water. “Sam, what are we going to do about Dean?”

Sam looked down at his lap. “I don’t know.”

I buried my face in my hands. My body shook with sobs and Sam wrapped his arms around me. I felt his body shake, too.

“I’m going to go sit with him,” I mumbled, struggling to get up. Sam helped me up and brought me to Dean’s room. We were both surprised to see Cas sitting there, looking at
Dean with a sad expression on his face. He didn’t look at us when we went into the room.

“Cas?” Sam asked quietly and Cas looked up.

“Hello, Sam.”

“Are you okay?” I asked as Sam helped me into a chair.

“Yes. Yes, I-I’m fine,” he answered, without looking at us.

“I want him back, too, Cas,” I said quietly, and he finally looked at us. I saw tears glistening in his eyes.

“Why can’t I heal him?” Cas muttered, going back to looking at Dean’s body. I furrowed my brow and looked over at Sam.

“Do you have a knife?” I asked, and he pulled a knife from his pocket, handing it to me. I stuck it into Sam’s arm and dragged it down, his sleeve starting to soak with blood.

“Ah! What the hell?” Sam shouted, yanking the knife out of my grasp. He tore off his shirt and pressed the fabric to the wound. I held out my hand to him but he backed away, a frightened look on his face. I turned to Cas.

“Try to heal him,” I said. Cas gave me a strange look but went over to Sam, placing his hand on Sam’s arm. Nothing happened.

“So, I can’t be healed either?” Sam gasped. Cas shook his head.

“What does this mean?” Sam asked, to which I replied, “It means you don’t do anything stupid.”

Sam glared at me in frustration and gestured to his arm. I smiled apologetically and shrugged my shoulders.

“I’ll stitch you up, Sam,” Cas said, and they both left the room. I sat down beside Dean.

“None of us can be healed, Dad,” I told him. “That means you need to fight this. You need to fight!”

My voice had elevated into a scream and I slammed my palms down on the bed beside him. I broke down again, sobs wracking my body. I sat there, my face in my arms, for a couple hours. The others came in to check on me, but eventually gave up and went to bed.

It was starting to get late. Dean was still unresponsive, and I decided to go into the library to try and find a way to cure him. I looked through folder upon folder, but still, I found nothing. I threw a chair across the room in frustration. I went over to a shelf and pulled out another folder, flipping through it. My eyes settled on some useful information, and I immediately bolted to my room, leaving the folder titled Crossroads Demon out on the table. In my room, I filled a duffel bag full of holy water, spray paint, and a picture of myself and Rowena. I ripped off the half of Rowena and threw it to the floor. I also grabbed my journal, where I had written an exorcism spell. Quickly and quietly, I slipped throughout the halls and to the motor pool. I started the car and roared out of the bunker.

I drove for a few hours before I arrived at a crossroads. All throughout the drive, Sam and Cas had been calling, but I ignored their calls. After getting to the crossroads, I set up a Devil’s Trap in the gravel and dug a hole in the center. I shoved in the right summoning ingredients and I heard a crunch in the gravel behind me. A boy my age stood there, his eyes a black and red swirl. He blinked and his eyes were a soft brown. He smiled at me and looked down at the trap.

“Oh, come on now,” he drawled. “Do we really need this?”

“You tell me,” I responded coldly. “You going to use your demon tricks on me?”

The demon put a hand to his heart. “I’m offended at your lack of faith in me.”

I rolled my eyes and he laughed, his eyes passing over my body. “You are?”

“My name is Rae Winchester,” I said, and the demon laughed again. “Must be my lucky day. Snagging a Winchester and all.”

“Shut up,” I snapped. “I’m here to make a deal.”

“Typical,” the demon said. “You Winchester’s are famous for it.”

I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes. The demon stared back at me expectantly. “So, what is it? Saving Sam or Dean for your soul in Hell? A ten-year contract? Well, sorry if that was your expectation, sweetheart, because I’m not going to give you that deal.”

“I don’t want it,” I told him, and he looked at me in surprise. “Dean is dying. I want him healed. Now”

“And in return?”

“You can take my soul to Hell immediately after you prove to me that he’s alive and well,” I said, my voice breaking. The demon smiled at me evilly.

“It’s a deal.”

“And we-we seal it with a kiss?” I asked, my voice faltering. He nodded and walked up to me, looking me in the eyes. I pressed my lips to his, sealing the contract. The demon smiled and looked over my shoulder. His eyes widened in fear and I whipped around, finding Crowley standing there. He snapped his fingers.

“The deal’s off,” he told the demon, and Crowley snapped his fingers again. The demon disappeared. He turned to me.

“Well, well, well. Look who we have here.”

Chapter Text

Crowley raised his eyebrows at me.

“Rae, what are you doing here?” he asked.

"Where did the demon go?" I demanded. "What did you do?"

"I called off the deal," he replied.

"What? Why?"

He sighed.

"Crowley?"

"Your uncle called. He's tracking your phone and is on his way here."

I rolled my eyes. Of course he was. He was going to try and talk me out of making the deal.

"Why are you here?" Crowley asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"To make a deal."

"Obviously," he said. "For who?"

"For Dean. He-he's dying and I don't know what else to do." I started crying again and Crowley looked around awkwardly.

"Get your angel to heal him."

"He can't. None of us can be healed."

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "We don't have any idea."

"Hmm," he said, furrowing his brow.

I heard the roar of an engine and I turned around. Sam shined the lights of the Impala in my eyes. He shut off the engine and him and Cas literally launched themselves out of the car. Sam's face was livid and scared all at once. He crossed over to me in a few long strides and towered over me. I smiled at him apologetically and he slapped me across the face.

"Ah! Hey!" I shouted, cradling my cheek.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Sam yelled at me. "Are you out of your mind? Selling your soul?"

"We're out of options!" I screamed back at him, shoving him to the ground. He stared up at me in surprise, but I continued my spiel. "You don't understand! He's my dad! I couldn't save him, and he's going to die because of that!"

I sank to the ground. "My life isn't worth much. I'll give it up to save Dean."

Cas crouched down next to me.

"Do you think Dean sees you as worthless?" he asked quietly. "Because he wouldn't want you doing this. He needs you as much as you need him."

"What was the deal?” Sam interrupted and I looked at the ground, refusing to look him in the eye.

“Well?” he said after a couple seconds.

“My soul would be taken to Hell once I saw that Dean was healed.”

“So, you’d basically be trading spots with him,” Sam said.

“Crowley called off the deal,” I snapped, and scrambled to my feet, standing up to my uncle. “You know what, great job, Sam. You ruined our one chance to save him.”

“We’ll find a different way, Rae,” Cas told me, taking Sam’s side.

“No, we won’t,” I replied hotly. “I spent hours going through folders. There’s nothing.”

“That may not be the case,” Crowley interjected, and we all looked over to him, eyebrows raised. He snapped his fingers and a cage appeared, a hamster running on a wheel. I approached the cage.

“This is your answer?” Sam asked Crowley. “A hamster?”

I scrunched my face together, observing the hamster. I noticed a strange power coming from the animal, the same power I used to feel around Rowena.

“It’s a witch,” I said aloud. Crowley nodded at me.

“Nice work, Squirrel Jr.,” Crowley remarked. “This is Olivette. She was cursed by my mother.”

“Can you change her back?” Sam asked, but Crowley shook his head.

“Only a witch can reverse her curse,” Crowley explained.

Sam slapped a hand to his forehead and Cas rolled his eyes, shooting a glare at Crowley. I, on the other hand, kept my eyes glued to cage.

“I can turn her back,” I announced, and everyone looked at me in disbelief.

“What?” I asked defensively.

“How?” Cas asked.

“I’ve performed the spell countless times. Behind Rowena’s back, of course,” I added. “She did this to my bullies and any friends she didn’t like.”

“That’s my mother for you,” Crowley said.

“I stole her spell book and performed the counter-spell. It’s really easy – I just need the ingredients,” I added, with a pointed look at Crowley.

“What do you need?” he asked.

“I’ll need the spell book,” I replied. “Meet at the abandoned warehouse about an hour outside Lebanon tomorrow. Bring the witch and I’ll bring the spell book.”

Crowley nodded and he disappeared, taking the hamster cage with him. I nervously looked over to Sam and Cas. No one said anything, and Sam avoided eye contact with me. I rushed over to my car before they could see the tears running down my face. I started the engine and gunned it, speeding back to the bunker.
***

I made it back to the bunker as the light pink streaks of dawn stretched across the sky. I bypassed the spell, pulling into the motor pool. I dragged my tired body through the hallways and into my room, flopping onto the bed. I heard a knock at the door and rolled over, finding Mary in the doorway. I turned away, my face flushing in embarrassment. She came and sat on my bed.

“Hey,” she said softly, stroking my hair. I didn’t answer.

“You scared us,” she told me, and I sat up.

“I doing it for Dean,” I replied. “We’re totally up against the wall.”

“I know,” Mary sighed. It hit me then that I had never asked how she was. “Mary, are you okay?”

“I have to have faith in you and your uncle. And the angel that seems very fond of this family,” she said, giving me a small smile. We heard voices down the hall and saw Sam and

Cas pass my room, most likely heading down to Dean’s room.

“Is he any better?” I asked quietly, but Mary shook her head.

“I think he’s getting worse, sweetheart,” she told me.

“Not for long,” I told her, and I stood up. I marched into Dean’s room, startling Sam and Cas.

“Listen to me, and listen good,” I began, and they looked up at me. “We will try the witch. If she can’t heal Dean, I’m going back to the Crossroads Demon, and I’m going through with the deal.”

“No, you’re not,” Sam told me. “Don’t you see what would happen? Dean would sell his soul for you. It’d do no good.”

I gripped the arms of the chair, getting into Sam’s face. “Then you do everything you can to stop him from doing that. The world doesn’t need a freak like me. They need a hero like Dean.”

On that word, I walked out of the room and back into mine. Mary had left and I rifled through my drawers, looking for my spell book. I pulled out the old book, feeling the familiar hum as I touched it. I shoved it into my bag, which was still full of holy water, my journal, and spray paint for the Devil’s Trap. I closed the door and changed my clothes, putting my dirty ones in a pile underneath my desk. I went into the bathroom, observing my face in the mirror. I was surprised by the black-and-purple rings that hung under my eyes. I put up my hair and brushed my teeth. When I walked out of my room, I was surprised to see Sam and Cas lurking outside.

“What are you guys doing?” I asked, starting towards my car.

“We’re going with you,” Cas said, walking alongside me.

“Alright,” I said simply, too tired to argue.

Sam opened the door to the Impala, and we all slid in. He started the engine, driving off to the warehouse. We got there in a little under an hour, thanks to Sam’s speeding. I tucked a gun in my pants, just in case, and got out of the car, dragging my bag across the seat. I followed Sam and Cas into the warehouse. We found Crowley standing in one of the rooms with the hamster cage. We all filed into the room.

“There you are,” Crowley said, sounding a bit impatient. He turned to me. “Do you have the book?”

I rifled through my bag and pulled it out. “It’s here.”

“What ingredients does the spell require?”

I flipped through the book and held it out to him.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

Crowley disappeared and I walked over to the hamster cage.

“You’ll be back to normal in no-time, Olivette,” I said to the hamster. It squeaked in response.

Crowley returned shortly with my desired ingredients. He dumped them on the floor and I got to work. I set up the symbol on the floor, placing a bowl in the center. I put in the ingredients, sacrificed a bit of my blood, and set the hamster in the middle of the symbol, next to the bowl. I chanted the Latin incantation inscribed in the book and lit a group of matches, throwing them into the bowl. Sparks flew and smoke drifted into our faces, causing us to cough. When the smoke cleared, we found someone standing in front of us – Olivette.

“Ah! Freed from my furry tomb!” she shouted, and looked at me. “Rae?”

“Hey, Aunt Olivette,” I said and she squealed, embracing me.

“You’re all grown up!” she exclaimed, then spotted Sam. “And you’re working with the Winchesters.”

“They’re helping us find Rowena,” I told her. “She completed her spell.”

The blood drained from Olivette’s face. “She’s back to full strength?”

I nodded and she fanned herself with her hands. “Is that why you transformed me?”

“Not quite,” I told her. “I need your help to heal Dean Winchester.”

She hesitated, and I gave her a pleading look. “Please? You’re the only witch I know that’s powerful enough to do it.”

“Alright. But only because I consider you family,” Olivette told me, pinching my cheek.

“Thank you!” I exclaimed, giving her a hug. I turned to Cas.

“Will you teleport into the bunker and grab Dean and Mary?” I asked Cas, giving him a pleading look. He nodded and disappeared. He returned a few moments later with Mary and Dean’s limp body. Cas and Mary gently placed Dean’s body on the floor. Olivette crouched by Dean, observing his comatose state.

“How ironic,” Olivette stated, turning to the ingredients. “You have the right ingredients to do the spell.”

She busied herself into prepping the spell while the rest of us stood around impatiently. Crowley disappeared, claiming that he had some business to take care of. I went over to Mary and she put her arm around me. Olivette started chanting and threw in matches, sparks flying. All of a sudden, Dean bolted upright, taking a huge breath in. We all shouted and knelt by Dean’s side, smothering him. I looked at Olivette and mouthed a silent thank you. She nodded and walked out of the warehouse. Dean looked around at us wildly. His eyes settled on me.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, and we held our breath. He looked around at all of us and replied, “Who are you?”

Chapter Text

Dean’s words echoed in my brain: who are you?

Sam’s face fell.

“What are you saying, Dean?” he asked.

“W-who’s Dean?” Dean asked, turning to Sam. Mary started crying. Cas pulled me aside.

“What did that witch do to Dean?” he growled, and I shoved him away.

“I thought she healed him!” I shot back. “Do you really think I wanted this?”

Cas looked away. “Of course not,” he responded quietly.

I looked at Dean, who was now on his feet. I ran my fingers through my hair and slapped my hand to my side with a sigh.

“What are we supposed to do?” Cas asked.

“I don’t know, Cas,” I told him. “I don’t know.”

Cas and I walked over to Dean, Sam and Mary. Dean was concentrating on what Sam and Mary were telling him.

“So, you’re telling me that all the things that go bump in the night are real?” Dean asked, looking skeptical.

“That’s right,” Sam responded, nodding enthusiastically. “And we fight them.”

“Right,” Dean said, stretching out the word. He turned to Mary. “So, you’re my mom.”

Mary nodded at him and Dean looked at Sam. “And you’re my brother.”

Sam smiled at the recognition. Finally, Dean turned to Cas and me. “Who are you guys?”

I smiled through the pain vibrating through my bones. “I’m Rae. Your daughter.”

Dean smiled and remarked, “I’m married? And a father?”

“You’re not married,” I told Dean, and his face fell a bit. “Dean, you don’t remember anything?”

“No. I’m sorry,” he told me, turning away. I turned away and ran out of the room, storming down the hallway. I found a room and went inside, slamming the door so hard that I shook the warehouse. I went about destroying the room in fatal blows: I tore machinery off the walls and threw it across the room. Before I knew what was happening, my body started convulsing and I collapsed to the floor. I was thrusted upwards, my body pulled this way and that, my body surrounded by a blue-ish glow. With one final convulsion, I dropped to the floor. I stood up shakily and looked around the room. It was completely destroyed. Nothing was intact. I walked around in the rubble, looking for my family. I searched for a while, my heart beating while I looked everywhere. I started to panic and ran outside to the Impala. I found everyone crowded around the car and I coughed a sigh of relief. Everyone looked at me as if I was a monster.

“Was-was that you?” Dean asked, obviously shaken.

“Uh, y-yeah,” I admitted and he sank to the ground.

“I-I’ve never seen anything do that. What the hell are you?”

“A Nephilim,” I replied, somewhat impatient.

“A-a N-n – a what?”

“Half-human, half-angel,” I snapped and my body started glowing again. I felt unimaginable rage at is amnesia and I rose into the air once again, my eyes glowing blue. I heard shouting and jerked my head down. Sam was shouting at me and had grabbed my ankle. My body relaxed and I floated back to the ground.

“What’s happening to me?” I shrieked, my body shaking. I advanced towards Sam, but he backed away from me.

“S-Sam?” I squeaked, but he just shook his head. I turned away from him to mask my pain and watched as Cas swung a board into my face.
***

I woke up in a dark room, laying on my face. I stood up and tried to move, but I was stuck with my arms behind my back. I tried bringing my arms in front of me, but they were trapped in chains, which were bolted to the floor.

“What the-” I rattled the chains. “Damn it!”

I couldn’t believe it. They had chained me, like an animal. I shook the chains, louder and louder, until a couple doors pulled away and light flooded into the room. I squinted my eyes and saw the silhouettes of Sam and Cas. I gave them the coldest glare I could muster under the suffocating feeling of betrayal.

“You locked me up?” I screamed at them.

“You’re unstable,” Cas explained and I scoffed.

“You’re delusional!” I shouted, and I felt my body start to rise again. Unfortunately, the chains prevented me from rising high, and I was slammed to the floor. I started to get really angry, and my body rose, only to be smashed against the floor due to the chains. I let out a terrifying screech and I felt a ball of energy surge inside me. I rose once again, breaking through the chains. I landed on the floor and looked at a petrified Sam and Cas.

“C-Cas?” Sam asked shakily, and they started backing away.

“Yes, Sam?”

“She escaped the chains. Am-am I seeing this right?”

“You are.”

“Huh.”

They both ran out of the room. I ran after them, following them through the twists and turns of the bunker. They ran into a hallway with a dead end and locked themselves inside a room. I chuckled and kicked the door down with a loud crash. Sam raised his gun and Cas his angel blade.

“Don’t come any closer!” Sam shouted.

“Or what? You’ll shoot?” I taunted. “Do it.”

Sam lowered his gun. “What?”

“I said ‘do it’!” I screamed. “I’m a freak. My own dad doesn’t even know me. He doesn’t know anything about himself. It’s better this way.”

“Rae,” Sam said gently. I lunged at him, knocking the gun out of his reach. His eyes bulged as I closed my fingers around his throat, cutting off his air supply. I threw his body against the wall, knocking him out. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cas swing his arm with the angel blade at me and I caught his wrist. I twisted it around and grabbed the angel blade. His knee came up and I jumped, kicking Cas’ head back. I flipped gracefully in the air and landed on my feet. Humming to myself, I tucked Sam’s gun into my waistband and grabbed Cas’ angel blade. I waltzed out of the room and heard footsteps echoing throughout the hall. I ducked into an empty room and saw Mary and Dean rushing into the other room. I heard Mary gasp and I jogged down the hallway. I ran into my room, slamming the door. I yanked my duffel bags out of my closet, throwing everything inside. I left a note, but I didn’t specify where I was going – what did it matter? My family, the ones who actually remembered me, was terrified of my newfound power. All I wrote was:
You’re going to need me to fight Rowena. Call when you come to your senses.

I left it on the bed and went to the motor pool, loading my bags in my car. I started the engine and squealed away from the bunker. I got on the highway, heading towards Colorado. I drove for a few hours, checking back into the hotel where I had met Dean the first time. I set my bags down on the floor and sat on my bed. Without warning, tears started flowing down my cheeks and I buried my face in my pillows. I let out great sobs until I felt drained. I changed into an oversized t-shirt and short shorts, flopping on one of the beds. I turned on the T.V. and started watching an old movie. I heard a knock at the door and I got up, groaning. I opened the door and my blood ran cold. Rowena stood at my door, and she gave me a smile. I knew better, though. I could see the bloodthirsty look in her eyes.

“What are you doing here?” I said, trying to disguise my fear. “How did you find me?”

“I’m a talented witch,” she responded.

“More like cranky bitch,” I muttered and she slapped my face. I moaned at the fire-hot pain on my cheek and I looked her in the eye.

“You’re gonna regret that,” I growled and she let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Real scary!” she exclaimed mockingly. I chuckled and focused on my anger. I felt my body shudder and shoot up into the air. I saw the blood drain from Rowena’s face as she experienced my new form. Then I saw her smile. My eyebrows knitted together in confusion and I saw a blade dig deep into my side. I dropped like a rock, shoving the blade deeper into my flesh.

“What-what’s going on?” I stuttered.

“This is all part of my spell,” she told me. I yanked the blade out of my body. “The spell brought me back to power, and is slowly taking away all humanity you possess.”

“What good does that do?” I asked in a raspy voice.

“You’ll be all-powerful. You’ll be my secret weapon!” Rowena exclaimed, and I used the doorframe to hoist myself up.

“You misjudged something,” I told her, and took my bloody hand away from my body discretely. I began painting a sigil on the wall next to me.

“And what is that?”

“That I. Will. Never. Work. With. You!” I spit out through clenched teeth. I slammed my hand to the sigil and it began to glow. Rowena’s surprised look was the last thing I saw before she disappeared. I dropped to the ground, placing my hands back on my wound to keep the pressure going. I felt the warm blood slip through my fingers and black patches started to cloud my vision. I faintly heard the roar of the Impala. Through my hazy vision, I saw Sam and Cas rush over to me, rolling me over to assess the damage to my side.

“Oh, God,” I barely heard Sam say, and he ripped off a part of his shirt. “Cas, grab me a needle, floss, and some whiskey from the trunk.”

Cas rushed to the car, grabbing the supplies for Sam. He pushed my shirt up and poured whiskey over the wound to clean it. He quickly stitched it up and helped me to my feet. My hands were covered in blood, and there was a large bloodstain on the floor. Sam still had the whiskey bottle in his hand and I grabbed it, taking a long drag. He pulled the bottle away from me and I gave him a small smile.

“Would you take it easy on your uncle?” Sam said, sitting on the bed next to me. "I'm getting to old for this."

“I’m sorry,” I told him, holding out a bloody hand. He took it, giving me a reassuring squeeze. Cas brought over a damp towel.

“Hold out your hands,” he instructed, and I did as he said. He wiped the blood off my hands.

“Thanks,” I told him. “How-how’s Dean’s memory?”

Sam and Cas looked at each other sadly.

“It’s gone,” Sam broke to me. “I don’t think it’s coming back.”

“How did you obtain your wound?” Cas interrupted.

“Rowena,” I answered.

“What?” they asked in unison. I shrugged. “I don’t know. She’s probably tracking me. That’s what she did when I was younger.”

“Did she say why she wanted you?” Sam asked. I nodded and replied, “She wants me to fight for her. Her spell is, uh, ‘taking away my humanity,’ turning me into the perfect weapon.”

“So, your angelic grace is expanding in your body?” Cas questioned, but I shrugged.

“I guess so.”

“Are you in pain?” Cas asked, and I shrugged again. “A little. Why?”

“I’m just trying to determine your outbursts.”

“Teenage hormones,” Sam said. “Her human hormones are probably mixing with her transformation.”

“We’ll find someone to try and reverse the spell,” Cas said, and I nodded. I yawned.

“Come on,” Sam said, helping me up. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter Text

We made it back to the bunker with Cas driving my car.

“You be careful with my Darlin’,” I had told him, pointing a finger at him for emphasis. He chuckled and nodded, saying, “I promise.”

When we arrived at the house, Sam carried me in while Cas grabbed my bags. I was still in a bloodstained t-shirt, but I didn’t care. Sam gently set me down onto the bed and I
smiled gratefully at him. Sam and Cas left the room, and Mary entered, holding an apple pie and a glass of milk. I laughed and took them from her, sitting up.

“We still have a fridge full of those things,” Mary informed me, and I took a huge bite and replied, “I guess I’m gonna have to eat them all.”

“Your father is helping with that.”

“Dean,” I corrected her. “That’s not my dad anymore.”

Mary’s smile faded and I felt bad. After all, it was her son, too. I put my hand on hers, but she pulled away and left the room. I sighed and fell back against my pillows. I heard a ringing from down the hall and I got up slowly. I walked into the library and discovered Sam, Cas and Mary sitting around a table. Dean’s cell phone was in the middle of them, yet Dean wasn’t present.

“Crowley? Are you there?” Sam yelled into the phone. There was some feedback, and suddenly it was clear.

“Squirrel?” came Crowley’s voice from the other end. Sam rolled his eyes and replied, “It’s Sam.”

“Where’s Dean?”

“He’s gone,” I cut in.

There was silence on the other end of the line.

“What do you mean? Didn’t Olivette’s spell work?”

"No," I replied flatly. "His memory is completely wiped."

"Shame," Crowley said. "Anyways, I have news."

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"My mother has teamed up with the Men of Letters in London and she’s adding all the monsters to her army."

"Army?" Cas questioned.

"Yes."

We all looked at each other with questioning glances.

I shifted my weight and asked, "Why does she need an army?"

There was silence on the other end.

"Crowley?" I pushed.

"World domination. Basically the apocalypse all over again, minus Michael and Lucifer's infamous battle."

“Great,” I muttered, running my hands across my face in exasperation. “How big is her army?”

“She’s convinced all the monsters out there. Wraiths, wendigos, vampires, werewolves…you name it. She’s even managed tp convince some of my demons.”

“Not surprising,” I said. “She can be very persuasive.”

“Yes, well. She needs to be stopped.”

“Obviously,” I replied. From the other end, Crowley told me, “You know, I think I finally like you.”

I pursed my lips. “Okay, Crowley. Thanks for the information.”

Sam hung up the phone and we all sat in silence.

“Well,” I began. “This is certainly…something.”

Sam snorted sarcastically. Cas looked at me and said, “Rae, this is serious.”

“Sue me for trying to have a little fun,” I retorted, and upon looking at the confused look on his face, explained, “It’s an expression.”

Mary looked at Sam. “Sweetheart, are you okay?”

He looked up and said, “Uh, yeah. I’m just-just a little worried about what’s heating up.”

“Why are you worried?” I asked.

He gave me a funny look. “You’re not?”

“Not really.”

Sam scoffed and replied, “That’s great. See, what I heard was ‘world domination.’ Like Crowley said, this is basically the apocalypse all over again.”

“So? You beat it last time. You’ll beat it again.”

Sam laughed sardonically. “It wasn’t that simple. I died. I was tortured by Lucifer in his Cage. I came back to Earth without a soul! I ended up losing my mind, unable to discern the difference between real and not real! And during that time, I had Dean! Dean is gone!”

“You think I don’t know that, Sam? I was right there when that wraith stuck its spike into Dean’s head. I was two seconds away from saving him, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. Do you know the guilt I’ve been carrying since that whole ordeal? Not to mention the fact that I messed up, big- time, while trying to stop Rowena from finishing her spell. And because of that, Rowena’s trying to take over the world and my dad is gone.”

I stalked out of the room, wincing at my side wound and my nearly-healed back. Angry tears clouded my vision and I blinked them away. I passed by Dean’s room and stopped. He was sitting on his bed, shifting through a big box. I stood there, watching him, for a couple minutes. He looked up.

“Oh. Hey,” he smiled, setting the box on the floor next to me. His eyebrows knit together in concern as his eyes passed over my blood-stained t-shirt. “What the hell happened to you?”

“I was stabbed,” I said, shrugging. He gave me a funny look.

“And you’re still alive?” he asked. “How?”

“I…honestly don’t know.”

“Well, I’m glad you are,” he told me, and patted the bed next to him. “Here, come sit down.”

“Um, alright.” I went over and sat down next to him. He pulled up the box and pulled out a scrapbook – one, actually, that I had made.

“I’ve been going through this. Everyday.” He held the book out to me.

I gave him a small smile and took the book. It wasn’t filled with much, yet, but he had walked in on me working on it. I was sitting at my desk, finishing a page with him and me sharing a pie. In one picture, we were grinning from ear-to-ear. In the other one, we were fighting over the pie and laughing. I had heard a soft chuckle behind me and I had whirled around, finding Dean looking over my shoulder.

“Hey!” I protested, but I laughed.

“Is that a scrapbook?” he had asked, and I nodded proudly, handing it to him. He had flipped through it and declared, “I’m taking this.”

“But I’m not done!”

“Make another one! I want this one to myself,” he had smirked, ruffling my hair.

“Oh, fine!”

I smiled at the memory as I gazed at that last page.

“You don’t remember any of these moments, though.” It wasn’t a question or accusation, just a statement. Dean shook his head sadly. “I don’t. I’m trying so hard to access the memories, but I-I can’t.”

“Don’t worry about it, Dean.”

Dean looked sideways at me. “You’re-you’re not gonna call me Dad?”

“Dean, with all due respect, you’re not my dad. Not anymore.” My heart broke as his face fell. Eventually, he nodded.

“You’re right. I’m not your dad anymore.” I saw him trying to hold back tears. “Just like I’m not, uh, uh, what’s his name?”

“Cas?”

“No.”

“S-Sam?”

Dean nodded. “Yeah. Sam. Just like I’m not his brother anymore, not really. I not really part of this family anymore.”

Dean’s words shattered my heart. No, he didn’t have any of his memories. He wasn’t the father I had grown to love. But he was still part of our family, possessing a huge place in all of our hearts. I opened my mouth to tell him that, but he stood up.

“I-I think I just need some time to think,” he told me, motioning for me. I closed my mouth and nodded, leaving his room. I wanted to cry, to scream. But I couldn’t. I was so emotionally drained that I couldn’t relieve myself of my emotions. Instead, I walked to my room, a blank look on my face. I pulled out a gun, loading it with bullets. I made my way into the shooting range. I aimed my gun at the target, shooting a straight line from the top of the head to the stomach. I kept shooting, long after the chamber had emptied and I was just making clicking noises. I heard footsteps, but I didn’t turn. I kept pulling the trigger. I saw large hands take the gun out of my hands and set it down. I finally turned and, to my surprise, found Cas standing there.

“What are you doing?” he asked, looking concerned.

“Shooting,” I replied flatly.

“Your gun is empty.”

I shrugged.

“Look, Rae. I get it. I want the old Dean back, too. But this,” he gestured to me. “Isn’t going to make things better.”

“I know,” I sighed. “I haven’t had a great life. Far from it. That is, until I was a part of this family. With you, and Dean, and Sam, and Mary. You guys are my whole life.”

Cas held out his arms awkwardly. I walked into his embrace. He wrapped his arms around me and I gave him a squeeze.

“I consider you my family, too,” he told me.

“You do?” He nodded in response. I smiled, then frowned.

“Cas, do you think Sam hates me?”

Cas looked at me in surprise. “Why would you think that? Of course not.”

“I do so many things that disappoint him. I make him so angry.”

“No, no, no. Sam only reacts that way because he cares so deeply about you.”

All of a sudden, we heard footsteps echoing inside the shooting range. Sam came around the corner, straight to me.

“You really think I hate you?” he asked. I shrugged and he shook his head. “Rae, you’re my niece. I have a responsibility to keep you safe. I don’t want to lose you.”

“I’m sorry. I just want a family,” I said. “It’s all I ever wanted.”

Sam embraced me and looked over to Cas.

“Come here, Cas.”

Cas came over and joined our hug. We stood there until we heard someone clear their voice. Dean came over to us, a duffel bag draped over his shoulder, one in his hand.

“What is this?” Sam asked, gesturing to the bags.

“I’m, uh, I’m leaving,” Dean said, clapping Sam on the back. Sam and I looked at each other and then at Dean in horror.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m no use to this family anymore. I can’t remember jack, no matter what I do. I’d be worthless in a fight.”

“No,” Cas growled, crossing over to Dean in three long strides. He pushed Dean to the wall. Dean dropped his bags in surprise. Cas put his hands on Dean’s shoulders, saying, “Don’t you ever say that. You mean more to this family than anything.”

“Ah, Cas!” Dean whimpered, pushing Cas away from him. Dean’s left shoulder began to light up. He groaned in pain and ripped of his jacket and plaid shirt. He pulled up the sleeve on his t-shirt, revealing a glowing handprint.

“What the-?” Dean managed to choke out before the room was filled with a blinding light.

Chapter Text

The room filled with a blinding light and the sound of Dean screaming. The light faded and Mary came running into the room. Dean was crumpled on the floor, moaning, and we all looked at each other. Cas knelt down beside Dean and Dean grabbed onto Cas’ arms to steady himself. He looked up at Cas and croaked, “What the hell is going on?”

“Are you okay?” Cas asked him, helping him up.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine.” Dean rubbed a hand over his face.

Sam took a tentative step towards Dean.

“Dean, what do you remember?” he asked.

Dean gave Sam a weird look and replied, “I-I remember going on a hunt – hunting wraiths. They grabbed me, and I can’t remember anything past that.”

I covered my mouth with my hand. His memory was back.

“Dad?” I squeaked, and he turned to me, giving me a weak smile.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said, and I ran into his arms. “Oof! You miss me?”

I buried my face in his shirt and nodded, letting a couple tears slip down my cheeks.

“So, what happened?” Dean asked, leaning against the wall.

“One of the wraiths attacked you,” Sam said, rushing over Dean to prop him up. “You almost died.”

“How did you guys save me?”

“We had a witch perform a spell. Her name is Olivette. She was like an aunt to me, and Rowena turned her into a hamster,” I explained.

“The hamster cured me?” Dean asked teasingly.

“Hehe,” I replied with a sneer, then muttered, “Smart-ass.”

“Always at your service.”

“Would you like me to finish the story?” I asked, crossing my arms. He held his arms up in a defensive gesture and I continued.

“So, I transformed the hamster back into a witch and asked her to perform a spell to heal you. She did the spell and left, and you woke up. But your memory was gone. You were about to leave until Cas put his hands on your shoulders. The room started to glow and you got your memory back.”

Sam helped ease Dean onto his bed. He pulled up the shoulder of his shirt to look at the handprint again. It was an angry shade of red. Cas was standing by, half in the shadows.

“Cas, why are you moping?” I asked, going over to him. “You brought back Dean’s memory!”

“I’m not…’moping,’” he told me. “I’m thinking.”

“Thinking about what, Cas?” Dean spoke up, adjusting his body position on the bed.

“Wait, Dean,” Sam interrupted. “Cas gave you that handprint when he pulled you out of Hell, right?”

“Yeah?”

“That was before you lost your grace, right, Cas?” Sam asked. Cas nodded.

“An angel can leave a mark, or a-a brand on a soul,” Cas explained.

“But only at full power,” I added, and everyone looked at me.

“How do you know that?” Mary asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

“Well, I am part-angel,” I reminded her. “I know the lore.”

“Cas, I think you got your mojo back!” Sam exclaimed, shooting Cas a smile.

Cas didn’t answer. He dropped to his knees. I rushed over to him, helping him up. He pushed me away and I landed on my butt. I stood up with an indignant look, ready to fight, but Cas started to glow. His eyes shined a brilliant blue and his vessel lifted into the air, glowing. His large, black wingspan covered a large area behind him, the feathers sleek and new. We all sort of ogled at him; he was beautiful, the picture of angelic.

“Well, buddy, how does it feel?” Dean asked, wincing as he shifted in the bed.

“Strange,” Cas murmured. “I feel off-balance.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Dean said, and Cas nodded in agreement.

“Rae, you can teleport,” Sam remarked, turning his attention to me. “Do you have wings?”

I shook my head. “It’s more like the way demons teleport.”

“Her powers are due to Rowena’s spell,” Cas explained as he flexed his fingers. All of a sudden, he disappeared and reappeared.

“Oh, great,” Dean whispered to me. “He’s probably gonna just ‘pop in’ one day and give us all a frickin’ heart attack.”

I snickered and replied, “Better hope you’re not showering.”

He laughed a little and told me, “Smartass.”

“It’s in my job description.”

“I bet.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“I’ll be back soon. I need to see someone,” Cas told us, and was gone.

The rest of us stood awkwardly around, looking at each other. Mary walked out of the room, telling us that she was going to make some food. Sam and I pulled chairs up to Dean’s bedside. He looked at me as if he had just remembered something.

“So, I’ve been doing some thinking,” he began.

“Well, that’s never good,” I teased.

“Shut up, this is serious,” he said. “How long has it been since you’ve been in school?”

“What? No, no, no,” I protested. “I’m not going to school.”

“Rae? How long has it been?”

“Like, four years.”

“Good. You start tomorrow.”

I opened my mouth to protest some more, but Dean cut me off with a look. I rolled my eyes and replied, “I don’t have any supplies.”

“Oh, I bought some for you,” Sam cut in. “A while ago, actually. Dean and I had talked about it before the whole wraith accident.”

“Fine. I’ll be the most un-educated junior in the whole damn school,” I said angrily. “I hope you two are happy!”

“I’ll go grab your school supplies,” Sam announced, leaving the room in a hurry. He obviously didn’t want to be in the same room as me.

“Rae, I’m just doing what’s best for you.”

“Screw you.”

“Hey, knock off your attitude!” Dean exclaimed in a gruff voice. I shot up angrily, my chair flying across the room. Before I could register anything, I felt the familiar rage boil my blood and I balled up my fist, attacking the drywall. I punched a wall so deep into the drywall that I felt my face smash up against the wall. My arm had gone all the way into the wall.

“What the hell?” Dean asked. “Sam!”

Sam came running into the room and saw me trying to get my arm out of the wall. He rushed to help me and pulled me out. I felt a sharp pain in my hand.

“Ah!” I exclaimed, shaking it. “I might’ve broken it.”

“Let me see,” he said, and I extended my hand to him. He probed the joints and I let out groans of pain.

“I think it’s just sprained. We’ll go wrap it. What happened?”

“She completely freaked and went all Hulk-Smash on my wall!”

“That damn witch,” Sam muttered and Dean said, “Excuse me?”

“Rowena’s spell, the one we tried to stop. It’s doing something to Rae, and we aren’t sure what.”

“Sending me to school may not be the best thing,” I pointed out.

“We’ll figure something out,” Sam said.

A couple hours later, my hand was bandaged and we all had some food in our systems. Sam dropped my school stuff in my room and I organized it, dreading the next day. I was already enough of a social outcast – I didn’t need it rubbed in my face. I heard a loud commotion coming from the library and it snapped me out of my thoughts. I made my way to the library. Cas was back, along with someone I recognized.

“Chuck,” I said simply, and he turned to me, smiling.

“You must be Rae,” he said warmly. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“T-thank you.”

“So, Father, can you help?” Cas asked, and I cocked my head in confusion.

“’Father?’” I questioned, and the realization hit me. “You’re God!”

“That’s right, Rae. My son here has come to me in time of need.”

“So, you think you can help?” I asked hopefully. He nodded thoughtfully, and motioned for me to sit in a chair. I obliged. He put two fingers to my forehead, but suddenly, a sharp pain in my side made me drop to the floor. I groaned in pain and Sam came to my side, a concerned look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. I pulled myself upright and lifted my shirt. I faintly saw the outline of something pushing against me. It pushed harder and harder until I saw the outline of a hand. I screamed.

“Was that a hand?” Dean asked. He and Sam shared a nervous look.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked in a strained voice. “Ah!”

Dean limped to my side, helping Sam pull me up. Chuck slowly moved back in front of me, putting two fingers to my forehead. He closed his eyes his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

“No, this can’t be possible,” he said, removing his fingers.

“Well?” Dean urged.

“There are many souls moving around inside her,” he replied.

I gagged. “Excuse me?”

“How’s that even possible?” Sam questioned.

“Can you fix her?” Dean asked at the same time. Chuck shushed them and closed his eyes, putting his palm on top of my head. Dean shouted and tackled Chuck to the floor.

“You’re not killing my daughter!” he snapped.

“What?” Chuck sputtered. “I was going to absorb the souls!”

“Oh.” Dean got up, pulling Chuck up. “Sorry.”

Chuck put his palm back on top of my head and closed his eyes. I felt a presence leave my body. I blinked a few times.

“Those souls were in her due to a spell,” Chuck said. “From those who died in the process of completing it.”

“Why?” I asked, my voice a bit croaky.

“Someone wanted to turn you into a power source,” Chuck replied.

“What, like a bomb?” Dean asked and Chuck nodded.

“Similar to what you were when you tried to stop Amara.”

“But why?” Mary spoke up.

Chuck shrugged. “I’m afraid I don’t know. I’m sorry, I must be going. Rae, you shouldn’t have any more outbursts now.”

“Thank you,” I said, getting up to give him a hug. He gave me a smile, then disappeared. Dean and both turned to Cas.

“Good thinking,” Dean told him.

“Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” he said, a bit sheepish.

Sam cleared his throat. “Well, I think we had enough excitement for one day. I suggest we get some sleep. Rae, you have school tomorrow.”

“Ugh. Don’t remind me.”

He laughed. “Goodnight, everyone.”

We all left the library. I went into my room and Dean knocked on the door.

“What?”

“Can I come in?”

I nodded. He came over to me and gave me a hug. “Don’t stress. It’ll all be alright.”

“If you say so.”

He chuckled. “Goodnight, kiddo.”

“’Night.”
***

I woke up in the morning after a restless night’s sleep. It was early and the bunker was eerily quiet. I took a quick shower and got dressed. I padded to the kitchen, my backpack slung over my shoulder. A sticky note was stuck to the fridge, a note scrawled on it.

Have a good day, kiddo. Food is in the fridge. See you after school. We love you.
~Dad and Uncle Sammy

I chuckled and grabbed the paper bag out of the fridge. I shoved it in my bag and went out to my car. I started the engine and gunned away from the bunker as pink and orange streaks stretched across the blue sky.

Chapter Text

The sun was just beginning to rise as I pulled my Nova into the school parking lot. I caught other students gawking at my car and I smirked.

“Suck it, bitches,” I muttered. “I have a better car than all y’all.”

I pulled into a parking space at the very back of the lot and shut off the engine. I took a deep breath and leaned my head against the steering wheel.

“Okay. I can do this. I can do this,” I whispered, trying to motivate myself. “You fought frickin’ vampires, why are you so scared? March your ass in there and show them you can do this!”

I grabbed my backpack and my keys and shut the door, locking my car. I walked into the school, past the many stares I elected from my peers. I avoided their gaze and went into the front office. The secretary looked up at me and smiled.

“Hi! How can I help you?”

I cleared my throat. “Hi, um. I’m a new student. Rae Winchester. I’m here to pick up my schedule.”

“Yes, I spoke to your father and his partner on the phone,” the secretary smiled, leafing through some papers until she found my schedule.

“Thanks. Wait, uh, his ‘partner?’”

“Dean Winchester, and his partner, husband, Sam Winchester. I’m not sure what you refer to their relationship as,” she replied awkwardly. I laughed in disbelief.

“Dean is my dad and Sam in my uncle,” I told her and her face turned bright red.

“Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry,” she apologized, obviously flustered. I nodded and walked out of the room without saying another word. I shook my head and muttered, “Great start to the day. Just frickin’ perfect.”

I took a look at my schedule. US history, Calculus, English 11, Physics, Spanish, and Photography. I had two free periods, lunch and seventh period. It was five minutes until the final bell and I headed to my history class. I pushed open the door and everyone’s head turned to me. The teacher, a tall, white haired man crossed the room to meet me.

“You must be Rae,” he said. “Welcome. My name is Mr. Henderson.”

“Hi,” I said quietly. Henderson looked around the room and found a seat on the other side of the room.

“Here, I’ll show you to a seat,” he told me, and I followed him. I slid into the seat and looked around the room. I locked eyes with a guy a few rows down. He smirked at me and I had this weird feeling of déjà vu. I broke the eye contact and stared at my desk. All of a sudden, my mind traveled back a couple weeks, when Dean was in the coma. I saw the face of the crossroads demon, and I snapped my attention back to the guy.

“No way,” I muttered. “How is that even possible?”

Before I could think more, the school bell rang and Mr. Henderson started the class.

“Alright, people. The Civil War,” he began, and leapt into the lesson. I found myself glancing over at the demon. He would look back at me, studying me.

“Rae,” Mr. Henderson snapped me out of my thoughts. “Quote a line or two from President Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address in 1861.”

“’We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection,’” I quoted. Henderson looked impressed.

“Well done. You really know your history.”

I shrugged. “I guess.”

“Where did you learn that?”

“I read a lot of books, I suppose.”

Henderson nodded. “Well, keep it up.”

He turned back to the board and I snuck a glance at the demon. He was smiling.
***

The bell rang, signaling that first period was over. I shoved my books into my bag and rushed out of the classroom. I had second period off and I rushed to my car. I sat on the hood and took a deep breath.

“This can’t be happening. What the hell is going on?” I muttered. “That was my crossroads demon. What is he doing here?”

“It has become my personal goal in life – well, death, – to torture your very existence.”

I whirled around and found the demon standing behind me. I jumped off my hood.

“Why? I haven’t done anything to you.”

“You did, actually. When you made that deal. I was a crossroads demon. I was only a few ranks away from being his right-hand man. Then you came along,” the demon snarled. “Every demon in Hell knows that the King has a soft-spot for you blasted Winchesters. When he brought me back to Hell, he demoted me, telling me ‘I should’ve known better than to make a deal with one of you.’”

“Well, it seems to me that this is on you,” I told him in a shaky voice. The demon pursed his lips and lunged at me, pushing me up against my car. I let out a gasp.

“What are you doing?” I choked.

“I don’t know whether to kill you…or kiss you,” he whispered in my ear. “You’ve been driving me crazy.”

“W-what?” My heart was beating in my chest. “Get away from me!”

The demon came closer and our lips touched. I recoiled at his touch, then relaxed. He brought his hands down to my waist and I pushed him away.

“Stop,” I told him in a croaky voice, then reached up to kiss him again. I felt him smile against my lips and he broke away.

“I’ll see you later,” he smirked.

“What makes you so sure?” I asked. He just smiled at me and started walking away.

“Wait!” I called out. He turned. “What’s your name?”

“The meat suit’s name was Hunter Carrillo. I’ve adopted it as my own.”

Hunter walked off and I slumped against my car, resting my head in my hands.

“Ohhhh, I am so, so screwed,” I whined. “Dad’s gonna kill me if he finds out.”
***

I ran into Hunter in both my English class and Calc class. My face burned up whenever I saw him, so I tried to avoid eye contact with him. It wasn’t easy. I was the first one out of the classroom at the end of both classes and I rushed to the next one. I was beyond grateful to hear the final bell at the end of the day. I hurried to my car and hopped inside, slamming the door shut. I took a deep breath and went to shove my key into the ignition.

“Miss me?” came a voice from the backseat. I dropped my keys on the floor and turned around. Hunter was leaning against the seat and I let out a growl. He climbed over the seat and plopped down next to me. I slugged his arm and he laughed.

“Very feisty, Princess,” he teased.

“Don’t call me that,” I replied, picking my keys up off the floor. I started the car and turned to the obnoxious demon. “Get out of my car.”

He stretched, putting his hands behind his head. “No thanks, Princess. I’m too comfortable.”

“Get out of my frickin’ car!”

“Aww, you’re so adorable when you’re mad.”

I rolled my eyes and pulled out of the parking lot. I had planned on heading back to the bunker, but I couldn’t with Hunter in the car.

“Hey, pull into that diner over there,” Hunter instructed.

“Why should I-”

“Just do it!”

I was startled by his abruptness and I pulled into the parking lot diner. Hunter got out of the car and I followed him inside. It was quiet, with a jukebox playing Elvis in the corner. It was decked out in 50’s-themed everything; from the stools to the décor.

“A 50’s-themed diner,” I said. “What’s so special about it?”

Hunter slid into a booth. As I slid across from him, he told me, “It’s the location of our first date.”

“Woah, woah, wait. We-,” I pointed at the two of us. “-are not a thing.”

“Au contraire, Princess. We are indeed a thing.”

“How do you figure?”

Before he could answer, a waiter walked up to the table to take our order. Hunter ordered two hamburgers and a strawberry milkshake. I narrowed my eyes at him.

“It’s not poisoned, I promise.”

“Those are both my favorites,” I said. “How did you know?”

“I think we’re just meant to be, Princess.”

“Would you quit calling me that?”

He smiled as another Elvis song started drifting across the room. “Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Hunter said, and started singing.

“Stop it.”

He kept singing. I will admit that he was pretty good.

“Hunter. Seriously.”

“Okay. Fine.”

The waiter came back with our order and I dug in, grateful for an excuse not to talk. I focused on keeping my mouth shut while chewing and thought, Quit trying to impress him!
But I couldn’t help it. I was slowly starting to fall for him, and the thought terrified me. I went to take a sip of the milkshake as Hunter did, our lips closing over our straws simultaneously. I blushed and finished taking a sip. Hunter swallowed a bite of hamburger and asked, “So, how do you know so much about history? And English, and Calculus? I’m pretty sure you’ve never been in school before.”

I scowled at him. “I don’t know. I just do.”

“Well, you’ve got me impressed. And Henderson.”

“Mmm.”

I went back to eating and tried to ignore the fact that he was staring. After a couple minutes, I snapped.

“What is it, Hunter? Why are you staring at me? Why have you taken an interest in me when you should just hate me? Why’d you bring me out to a date at a diner?” A lot of questions flew from my mouth and Hunter leaned back against the chair.

“I’m admiring you, Princess. These…feelings. It’s very complex.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Demons don’t really have feelings. The mushy feelings of love and happiness. But I’m starting to feel them. I’m starting to feel…human. Because of you. And this is my favorite diner. Don’t you like it?”

I was quiet, trying to process everything. The waiter came a final time, placing the check down on the table. I pulled a twenty from my pocket and threw it on the table. I stood up and looked at Hunter.

“Thanks for the date.”

I rushed to my car and stopped outside. I don’t know why I stopped, but I did.

“Damn,” I muttered as I went back inside and sat down. Hunter didn’t show any emotion. He just grinned at me.

“I’m feeling things, too,” I admitted. “But that doesn’t make you any less infuriating.”

“Yeah. Cause you’re a real peach, Princess.”

“I’m better than you.”

He laughed. “Let’s get out of here.”

“And go where?”

“Let’s go have fun.”

Chapter Text

Hunter refused to tell me where we were going.

“You’re on a need-to-know basis, Princess,” he told me.

“I’m driving the car. I’m need-to-know.”

“Touché.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Turn left up here.

I turned and drove down the road a little. I saw the faint outline of a large plot of land. I was confused until a drive-in movie appeared.

“There we go!” Hunter smiled triumphantly.

“Oh, fun. A drive-in movie.”

Hunter turned to me. “Yes, Princess. A drive-in movie. Haven’t you ever been to one before?”

I shook my head. “I have not.”

“What’s wrong with this generation?” Hunter teased.

“What’s with the olde tyme dates?”

“I’m old-fashioned.”

“You’re definitely old.”

“Watch it, Princess.”

“Make me.”

This time I smirked at him. I pulled into a spot at the theater and Hunter hopped out of the car to put the speakers on my car. I turned on my stereo as he opened the door and slid back in the car.

“What movie are we seeing?” I asked as I settled into my seat.

“’Back to the Future,’” Hunter said. “Ever seen it?”

“Of course. It’s my favorite movie.”

“Hey! Mine, too! We are so alike.”

“No, we’re not. We can’t be.”

“Why not, Rae?” Hunter turned my head to face him. “Why can’t you just accept the fact that we can be together?”

“I’m a Winchester, for God’s sake! How am I supposed to tell my dad and uncle that my boyfriend is a demon? Do you think that’ll go over even remotely well?”

Hunter didn’t answer; instead, he just looked at me with his stupid grin.

“What?” I asked defensively.

“You just called me your ‘boyfriend,’ Princess.”

“What?” I blushed. “No, I didn’t.”

“You did. The label has stuck,” he told me.

The movie started playing through the speakers and I turned my attention to it.

“Shut up and watch the movie.”

Hunter chuckled. “Make me.”

I pressed my lips to his, taking him by surprise. “Okay.”

He took my face in his hands, kissing me gingerly. I pressed him against the seat and he kissed me harder. He pulled me into his lap, wrapping his arms around my waist. I looped my arms around his neck, the movie audio playing in the background. My phone started vibrating in my back pocket. I grabbed it and threw it on the seat. It started vibrating again and I sighed, exasperated. I checked the caller ID.

2 missed calls from Dad, 1 voicemail.

“Uh, oh,” I muttered and checked the voicemail.

“Hey, it’s Dad. I’ve called twice now. Are you okay? Call if you get this.”

I rolled my eyes and smiled.

“What?” Hunter asked.

“My dad. He’s such a helicopter parent,” I laughed. “Who knew?”

I redialed the phone. Dean picked up on the second ring.

“Rae? Are you okay?” came Dean’s panicked voice through the phone.

“Dad. Breathe,” I said. “I’m fine.”

“Where are you?”

I looked at Hunter and lied, “I’m at the library. I lost track of time. I’m sorry. I’ll be home in, like, seven minutes, okay?”

I could hear Dean sigh a breath of relief and Sam say, “See, I told you. She’s fine.”

“Shut up, Sam,” was Dean’s response.

“Bye,” I said, and hung up the phone.

“You have to leave?” Hunter pouted. “Our movie isn’t done.”

“If you want my dad to kill us both, fine. I don’t want to die today,” I replied, climbing back into my seat. “I’ll see you at school tomorrow, anyways.”

“Alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He gave me another kiss and disappeared, taking the speakers off my car. I smiled to myself and gunned out of the parking lot. Speeding the whole way, I made it back to the bunker in four minutes. I pulled into the motor pool and grabbed my backpack, turning my car off. I slung the backpack over one shoulder and walked into the bunker. Dean hugged me from behind, startling me.

“I’m hom- oof! Dad!”

“You’re okay,” he murmured and I pushed him off.

“I’m fine, Dad,” I told him.

“I know. I’m sorry. I was just worried.”

“Why? I was just at school.”

“I-I don’t know. God, I’m a helicopter parent.”

“That’s what I thought!”

Dean ruffled my hair. “Smartass.”

“At your service.”

Dean laughed and we headed towards the dining room. Sam, Cas and Mary were sitting at the table, eating a casserole.

“What time is it?” I asked in surprise.

“It’s about 5:30,” Dean replied, sitting next to Sam.

My stomach growled and I dropped my backpack onto the counter. I sild onto the chair next to Mary and she handed me a plate. I smiled gratefully and spooned food onto my plate.

“How was school?” Mary asked. I swallowed a bite of food and replied, “Eh. It was okay.”

“Did you meet any new friends?”

“No.”

“What about your teachers? Do you like them?”

“Um, my history teacher’s pretty cool.”

“Do you like your classes?” Sam asked.

“Yeah, I guess. They gave me a lot of homework to catch up on. And the secretary this morning thought you and Dad were together.”

Dean choked on his food. “What?”

“Yeah,” I responded. Dean looked at Sam and remarked, “Why does everyone assume we’re gay or together?”

Mary and I chuckled. Mary said, “You’re being really defensive about it, honey.”

“Mom!”

I laughed and shoved a bite of food in my mouth when Dean glared at me. Mary and I shared a smile and Sam shook his head. I finished what was on my plate and took it to the dishwasher.

“I’m going to go do some homework,” I announced, grabbing my bag. I walked back over to the table, giving everyone a hug. I hugged Cas last, and everyone laughed at the expression on his face.

“Why are you wrapping your arms around my neck?”

“It’s a hug, Cas.”

“Oh.” He reached up to pat my arm, but he patted the side of my face. I laughed and shoved him playfully. “You dork.”

I walked into my room and threw my bag onto my desk. I took off my jacket and put it on my bed. I sat at my desk and pulled out a stack of history assignments. I got to work, my eyes scanning the page in rapid bursts, my pencil moving with the speed of my eyes. I heard a soft knock at the door and saw Sam standing there. I finished my last assignment and placed it on top of the completed stack.

“Oh, my God. Are those all done?”

“Yep,” I smiled proudly. He pointed to them. “Mind if I check them?”

I shook my head and he took a couple, scanning them. He whistled.

“The answers are all right. How’d you get it done so fast?”

I smirked. “I’m a special child.”

He chuckled. “You’re something special, that’s for sure.”

“He he. Someone thinks he’s funny.”

We both laughed and Sam said, “Well, I came to see if you needed any help, but I think you’re good.”

“Thanks, Uncle Sammy.”

Sam turned at the door and said, “That’s the first time you’ve called me that.”

I smiled and replied, “You’re not gonna cry on me, are you?”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

He shook his head. “Just like your father.”

“Unfortunately,” I laughed. There was a commotion down the hall and Dean came walking briskly down the hallway with Cas by his side.

“Hey, Jody called. She’s got a situation on her hand,” Dean told Sam.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Alex. She needs help.”

“I’ll grab my coat,” Sam said and rushed to his room.

I stood up. “Can I go?”

“You have all that school work to catch up on.”

“I can finish it in five minutes. Please?”

“No, Rae. Go to school, be a normal kid. You don’t want this life.”

“Dad, that’s not your call. It’s my life. And I want to spend it hunting with you guys. Saving people, hunting things,” I started.

“The family business,” Sam finished, coming up behind us.

“Why do you want this life, Rae?” Dean asked.

“I didn’t choose the thug life,” I joked. “The thug life chose me.”

Cas looked confused and said, “But you’re not a thug.”

“It’s a quote, Cas,” I explained. “Dad, you’re not helping ‘Alex’ anymore by arguing with me. Please let me go.”

He growled. “Fine. You have five minutes to pack and do your homework.”

I squealed. “Thank you!”

He stalked off and Sam grinned at me behind his back. I mouthed, “Thanks,” and he nodded at me. I transported all around my room, packing and doing homework at the same time. I was walking down the hallway as Dean was coming to get me.

“You ready to go?”

I held up my keys and replied, “Yep.”

“Let’s go.”

Mary was dressed and standing by the door. She grinned at me and we all walked into the motor pool. Sam and Cas went with Dean, and Mary joined me in my car. Dean and I started our engines and sped towards Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Chapter Text

It took us about six hours to get to Sioux Falls. It was around two in the morning and I was focusing on keeping my eyes open. I followed Dean to a house in the suburbs, pulling in on the street opposite the house. Mary and I got out of the car and I shook my head, trying to wake myself up. Dean, Sam, and Cas were already at the door and Dean raised his fist to knock.

“Wait,” I whispered, and they all turned to me. “Shouldn’t we just find a motel and come back in the morning?”

“I bet you Jody’s still up,” Sam said. “She’s probably worried out of her mind.”

Dean knocked on the door. There was no answer. I smiled smugly as Dean tried the door again. Sam pushed deal out of the way and knelt down, eye-level, at the door. I heard clicking and the door swung open.

“Did you just pick the lock?” Mary asked in surprise. Sam nodded sheepishly.

“You two are just regular criminals, aren’t you?” I asked in a low voice, shaking my head.

“Hey,” Dean said. “I didn’t choose the thug life. The thug life chose me.”

I rolled my eyes and he grinned. We all filed in behind Dean as we crept into the house. I heard the low murmur of a T.V. and saw a woman lying on the couch, a shotgun on the floor beside her.

“Jody,” Dean whispered, and the woman bolted upright, aiming the gun at us. Mary and I jumped back and I pulled my gun from the waistband of my pants. Mary pulled a knife from an ankle holster. Jody looked from Sam, Dean, and Cas to Mary and me. The confusion was obvious on her face as her head swiveled back and forth.

“Who are you?” she asked us.

“Jody, this is my mom and my daughter,” Dean explained. Jody’s expression transformed from confused to bewildered.

“W-what?”

“It’s a long story. What’s wrong with Alex?”

Jody shook her head and responded, “I-I got a distress call. I couldn’t hear anything but ‘help me, Jody!’”

She sat down on the couch. “I hope she’s okay.”

“She’ll be alright,” Sam comforted, sitting next to Jody. “Is Claire here to help?”

Jody nodded. “She’s sleeping right now.”

I had lowered my gun, but I heard sounds behind me and I turned, raising my gun. It was a girl about my age. She was rubbing her eyes and looked at me in surprise.

“What the-” she looked at Jody. “What the hell is going on?”

“Claire, this is Dean’s mom and daughter,” Jody told the girl, Claire.

“What?”

“I don’t know either. Just go with it.”

“O-okay.”

I looked at Mary and she motioned to lower my gun. I nodded and tucked it away. Claire walked past us and went to sit on the arm of the couch.

“Jody, I managed to figure out what Alex was saying in her message,” Claire said. She left the room and returned with a laptop. She opened it and pulled up a sound-reading program. She pressed play, and through the static, we heard a rough voice say, “You stupid girl! You shouldn’t have done that!”

A girl shrieked, “Help me, Jody!”

Before the line cut off, we heard the sharp slap of a palm-on-skin. We winced.

“Claire, can I see your laptop?” Sam asked. Claire passed it to him and Sam went to work, the keyboard clacking. In a couple of minutes, he had traced the call.

“It’s from Duluth, Minnesota,” Sam said, putting the laptop on the coffee.

“Well, let’s go!” Jody exclaimed, standing up.

“Hold on, Jody,” Dean said. “We don’t know what we’re dealing with. We need a plan.”

“Dean, I adopted Alex as my daughter. What if it was your daughter out there? What would you do?” Jody retorted.

“I wouldn’t go in with my guns blazing. That would be a great way to get someone killed.”

Jody glared at him but responded, “Fine.”

“Okay. We-” Dean pointed at the five of us, “-are going to head to a motel and getting some sleep. Cas will stay here in case someone tries to hurt you.”

Cas looked at him in surprise. “I am?”

“Yeah. Thanks, man,” Dean said as he clapped him on the shoulder. Cas looked very disgruntled and Claire looked kind of uncomfortable. Mary and I looked at each other and I said, “Cas, what’s with you and Claire?”

“Um…I kind of took her father as my vessel.”

“Oohhhh,” I bit my lip.

“We’re actually fine now, thanks,” Claire told me icily.

“Good for you,” I retorted. I started to walk out of the room, and I heard her mutter, “What a bitch.”

I transported to her side. She looked at me in confusion and fear as I shoved her against the wall. I used my angelic powers to read her mind and I smiled coldly.

“Aww, poor thing. All you can see when you see Cas is Daddy.” I gave an exaggerated gasp. “Oh, you thought that maybe, just maybe, Cas would adopt you. You’re just jealous that I got what you didn’t. And that involves having Cas as part of my family.”

Claire struggled against my hold. I felt bad – I did, but the demonic part of me from the spell tended to make an appearance. Hanging out with Hunter didn’t help.

“You’re crazy,” she choked out. “I’m not jealous of-of you.”

“Right,” I snorted. “I can see your soul – all of your desires, your fear. You’re scared of being left by your family, and it kills you every time Cas is involved with you, because you can’t help thinking that he wants to have you as a daughter.”

Claire spat in my face. I wiped it off and concentrated on keeping her against the wall. I backed away and smiled. She gave me a scared expression as I slammed her to the floor. I brought her up and slammed her to the floor again. Dean, Sam, and Mary rushed over to Claire, trying to break the connection. I shoved them all away and knelt down. I grabbed Claire’s collar and whispered in her ear, “Don’t cross me again. You don’t want to be on my bad side.” Cas pulled me up and dragged me out of the room, into their dining room.

“What is wrong with you?” he growled. “I took everything from her. I can’t look at her with still seeing the hurt look in her eyes. You need to be nice to her.”

“No! You didn’t see her glares? Or hear her call me a ‘bitch?’ She’s being pathetic. Jody gave up everything for her and she still doesn’t appreciate it, and she doesn’t trust her!”

“I’m not gonna tell you again. Get along. You don’t want to be on my bad side, either.”

“I’m not scared of you,” I said boldly, and Cas grabbed my arm. We transported to a dark alley and his fist connected with my face. I saw a bright light and crumpled against the wall.

“Quit acting like the world belongs to you!” Cas shouted as he threw me against the wall. Through my hazy vision, I threw a punch and Cas went sailing into the opposite wall. We went at each other, smashing our fists into each other’s face and slamming each other into the ground.

“Stop!” I shouted. “Why are you doing this?”

“You were insulting Claire.”

“That’s not what this is about. You’re angry at yourself, not me. Because you put her in this situation. You’re just taking it out on me because you’ve had the same thoughts, and you feel guilty.”

Cas blinked and looked down. “You’re right.”

“Cas, you gotta stop feeling guilty. She’s got a pretty good life going, if she’d snap out of her state of self-pity. It’s okay. She forgives you.”

He looked up at me, holding out his hand. I grabbed it and pulled him into a hug. He hesitantly returned it and said, “Thank you. I’m sorry about this.”

“I’ve had worse,” I smiled, and let him go. “Let’s go back. Dean’s gonna kill us.”

Cas grabbed my arm again and stood there. He looked at me with a concerned look.

“I’m powerless,” he muttered.

“Here, stay right here,” I instructed, and focused on trying to push him. He didn’t budge. I tried again, and still, nothing.

“Oh, boy,” I remarked. “I’m powerless, too.”

I quickly drew my phone from my coat pocket and called Dean. He picked up and basically shouted into the phone, “Rae? Where are you? Are you and Cas okay?”

“W-we had a fight, but we’re okay. But we have a different problem.”

“What is it?”

I opened my mouth to answer but Cas shouted, “Rae!”

Something hit me from behind and I dropped the phone. I screamed, “Dean! Help us!”

The figure flipped me upright and shoved a fist in my diaphragm, cutting off my air supply. I wheezed as he crushed my phone. I couldn’t see his face, even with the illumination of the street light. Two guys ganged up on Cas, pinning him to the ground, face-first.

“Oh, sweetheart. Your daddy’s gonna have a hard time finding you,” the figure told me.

“You,” I coughed. “You took Alex.”

“And we’re gonna kill you two like we did to that whiny little bitch.”

He pulled out a scarf, trying to tie it around my eyes. I bit his hand in the process and he let out a strangled scream. He slapped my face and I held back a groan. Ropes entangled my entire body and I was lifted into the air. I was thrown into what I think was a trunk, and I heard another thud beside me.

“Cas?” I mumbled. They neglected to gag me.

“I’m here.”

“I think we might be screwed.”

Chapter Text

The road was bumpy and Cas and I bounced in the trunk.

“You sons of bitches are gonna pay for this!” I screamed as I went flying into the roof of the trunk. “Ow!”

“Why are they targeting us?” Cas asked as our bodies collided.

“I don’t know. All I know is Sam and Dean are gonna gank their sorry asses.”

The trunk torment lasted what seemed like an eternity. The already bumpy road became even more rough, and we were tossed around like flour sacks. Finally, the road evened out, and Cas and both breathed a sigh of relief. The car stopped and we heard the trunk open. I was yanked roughly out and thrown to the floor. I was then dragged against the cold concrete. As I was put upright, my blindfold was tugged off. An older man towered over me. He cut my ropes and I took a deep breath, which was cut short as he brought his knee into my gut. The wind was knocked out of me and I collapsed. The man took the opportunity to grab my arms and attach them to a rope dangling from the ceiling. The tips of my toes grazed the floor as I lightly swung back and forth, trying to regain my breathing. Cas was dragged in, the same as me, and the man and a couple of his followers hog-tied Cas’ hands to another rope. They removed his blindfold as well and we looked at each other. From across the room, we heard the high-pitched whimpering of a young girl.

“H-help me,” she croaked, breaking into tears.

“Shut up, you stupid girl!” the man shouted, slapping her hard.

“Leave her alone!” I screamed and the man turned to me.

“Ooh, lookie here, boys!” he taunted. “We’ve got one with a mouth on her!”

They all jeered and I felt rage building in my stomach.

“Tsk, tsk, sweetheart. We’ll have to fix that attitude of yours.”

“Shall I bring the cart out, sir?”

The man nodded. The younger boy disappeared and returned with a cart full of torture supplies. My heart started to beat faster, but I tried to control my facial expressions. I had a plan formulating – I just needed the right moves. The douchewad picked up and angel blade. He curled his lip and dragged the tip down the side of my face. I let out a screech as the wound emitted an angelic glow.

“A Nephilim,” he murmured. “The rumors are true. What powers do you have?”

“Shove it up your ass.”

The man got angry and plunged the knife into my arm. I screamed again and tears ran down my face.

“Stop hurting these girls!” Cas demanded. The man laughed. “Or what, pretty boy?”

“I’ll smite your ass.”

“That’s cute.”

Keep distracting him, Cas, I thought. With my left hand, I found the handle of the angel blade. I quickly pulled the blade from arm, gritting my teeth. Unfortunately, the blade clattered to the floor.

“Stupid girl,” one of the flunkies laughed, and reached down to grab the blade. I smiled and grabbed the rope, mustering all my upper body strength to pull myself up. I wrapped my legs around the guy’s neck, and he swung the blade wildly, trying to get me off. I lifted him off the ground with him still waving the blade. He caught the ropes binding me to the ceiling. We both dropped to the floor. The angel blade clattered to the floor and the man and I both dove for it. I slid under him, snatching the knife. I jammed it into the flunky I had used to escape. His body – vessel, actually – lit up in orange and he fell to the floor.

“Demons,” I muttered as the other lackey rushed at me. I felt his presence behind me and I turned, running him through with the knife. I cut Cas down, helping him up. The man stood over by the girl – Alex. His hand was cupping her chin. He flicked his wrist and her neck snapped with a loud crack.

“No!” Cas and I shouted. The demon cackled and disappeared. Cas and I ran over to the girl. I sliced the ropes, lowering Alex’s dead body to the floor.

“Is there any way we can bring her back?” I asked. Cas shook his head sadly.

I threw the angel blade across the room in anger. “We’re still powerless.”

“If we destroy the house, we’ll destroy the sigils blocking us,” Cas said. “It’ll suppress us no matter the distance we put between us and the sigils.”
I nodded. He scooped Alex up in his arms and we left the house. Thankfully, no other demons showed their faces; if they had, I would’ve ripped their throats out with my bare hands. While Cas carried the body outside, I searched the house for gasoline. I found cans of propane and I knocked the metal parts off of them. I put them in the center of the house, set up in a circle. I found some rope as well, and I ripped off different pieces, attaching them to each propane tank. I tied the smaller pieces together and attached it to one long strand of rope. I started unrolling it, grabbing matches and stuffing them in my pocket. Cas met me back at the house, still cradling Alex’s dead body.

“You ready?” he asked. I pulled the matches from my pocket.

“When the rope lights, we run. There are five or six tanks of propane in there. It’s going to do some serious damage.”

“Okay. Light the rope.”

I took the group of matches and struck them all at once. I lit the end of the rope and the flame started traveling. Cas and I started running. The cold night air refreshed my senses and motivated me to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The explosion of the house stopped the both of us in our tracks and we turned to it. The force of the explosion and the force from the destruction of the sigils blew us backwards. We all went tumbling, Alex’s body included. I groaned as I sat up. A magnificent fire lit up the surrounding fields.

“Cas! The field is burning!” I shrieked as flames came barreling towards us. Cas grabbed Alex’s body once more and he grasped my arm, transporting. We landed in front of a pair of headlights. I braced my body for impact, but the tires screeched and the car slammed to a stop before it could hit us. I recognized the car as Dean’s Impala. Mary was driving my car, and her, Jody, and Claire got out of the car while Sam and Dean rushed over to us. Dean wrapped me in his arms and I returned the hug, sobbing into his shirt.

“It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Alex?” Jody’s voice cracked. Cas layed her on the hood of the Impala gently. Jody pushed him out of the way and checked for Alex’s pulse.

“I’m sorry, Jody,” he said. “We couldn’t save her.”

Jody broke into tears. Sam pulled her into a hug.

“What killed her?” she sniffled after a couple moments.

“Demons,” I replied.

Dean and Sam looked at each other in surprise.

“Are you sure?” Sam asked and Cas backed me up.

“Three of them. They must have been rogue.”

“Not under Crowley’s demands, though,” Dean said. “So, who’s?”

We were all silent, until I spoke up, “Rowena. She’s been organizing groups of monsters for her world domination. When she was with Crowley, I bet she managed to pressure some demons into following her.”

“She had them take Alex because she knew you’d come to the rescue,” Claire added. “And she was going to kill you all.”

“That sneaky bitch,” Dean remarked. “Getting the monsters to do the dirty work.”

“We need to find a way to stop her,” Sam said, and we all agreed.

“We need to honor Alex, first,” Jody said, wiping her nose.

“We’ll give her a hunter’s funeral,” Sam said quietly.
***
Alex was wrapped nicely in linen, her alter burning up in flames. Jody had Claire wrapped in her arms and Dean had an arm resting on my shoulder.

“Rowena’s never going to hurt you again,” he whispered to me. “I’ll make sure of it.”

We all stood there, watching the smoky remains of Alex’s fire drift up into the ashy dawn sky.

Chapter Text

Jody let us crash at her place before we drove off. We slept for a couple hours before setting out on the road. We got back to the bunker around two in the afternoon and we were beat. As soon as I got in my room, I collapsed on my bed and fell back asleep.
***
I woke up to the smell of chicken frying. My stomach growled and I searched my pockets for my phone, and remembered that it was crushed by that demon. I sighed and sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. I ventured into the kitchen were Sam and Dean were helping Mary make dinner. I leaned against the doorway, watching and smiling.

“Okay, careful with the chicken. We want it crispy and light,” Mary instructed as she chopped up cabbage to make coleslaw. Sam was cooking baked bean while Dean fried the chicken. Mary tossed the coleslaw together and placed it in the fridge. None of them saw me watching. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned to see Cas standing next to me.

“Hey, Cas,” I said.

“Hello, Rae. Follow me. I have something for you.”

I followed Cas away from the kitchen and into the library. There was a small, wrapped box on the table, with a red bow on top.

“What’s this?” I asked. Cas smiled at me.

“It’s a present. For you.”

I walked over to the table. “Why’d you get me a present?”

“Just open it.”

I grinned at him and unwrapped the gift. Inside the box was a silver locket. I opened it with shaking hands. It was the picture of us all together at the diner, the first day I met them.

“Cas…” I said. “This is beautiful.”

“Here, let me put it on.”

He fastened the chain around my neck. It fell perfectly on my chest.

“Thank you,” I whispered, and gave him a hug. This time, he didn’t hesitate. “What’s it for, though?”

“It’s a promise and an apology,” he told me. “I’m sorry for what I said and how I acted back at Jody’s. And I promise that I will never hurt you again. I also promise to always look out for you. You’re a part of my family, and nothing will ever change that.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks and Cas furrowed his brow in concern. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “Cas, you’re such a sap.”

He ruffled my hair and someone cleared their throat. We turned and found Dean leaning against a bookshelf.

“Hey,” he said, and asked Cas, “Did you give it to her?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see it?” he asked, turning to me. I held it up and he opened the locket, smiling at the picture.

“You knew about this?” I inquired. Dean nodded, replying, “He was hell-bent on getting it for you. I just helped him out.”

Dean held up his pointer finger. “Oh, that reminds me. You were out for a long time, so I went out and got you this.”

He pulled a new phone from his pocket. “Here. You’re gonna need it.”

“Thanks,” I replied, grabbing the phone, slipping it into my back pocket. My wrists twinged with pain and I rubbed them, wincing.

“What’s wrong?” Dean asked, going into Mom-mode.

“Just my wrists, from the ropes,” I told him, shaking my hands. “I’m fine.”

“When we find that demon, I swear I’m going to rip him apart,” Dean growled.

“Dinner!” Mary announced, snapping Dean out of his revengous state.

“I’ll race you,” he said, and took off. I grinned and transported into his chair at the table. Sam and Mary jumped, and laughed at Dean’s expression when he found me sitting in his chair.

“You cheated.”

I put my hand to my chest, mock-incredulous. “I did no such thing!”

He tried to pull me out of the chair, but I kept myself glued to the seat using my powers. We all laughed, and even Cas cracked a smile.

“Okay, quit messing around,” Mary scolded lightly. “Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

I got up to help carry plates and silverware. Sam sat next to me, offering the plate of chicken. I smiled and grabbed two pieces. I grabbed the beans and piled them high on my plate. I did the same with the coleslaw and everyone stared at me.

“Do-do you want my food, too?” Sam asked, holding his plate out to me.

“Well, I mean if you’re offering,” I joked, reaching for his chicken. He swatted my hand away and I stuck my tongue out at him, smiling. I swatted him back and it turned into a full-on chick fight. I swiped his chicken while he wasn’t looking, hiding it in the napkin on my lap. I grinned a know-it-all grin and he looked at me strangely. He glanced at his plate and found his chicken missing. He rolled his eyes and pursed his lips.

“You stole my chicken?”

“Maybe…”

He reached onto my plate and grabbed both pieces of chicken.

“Hey!” I protested, and dropped his chicken on his plate. “Alright, I surrender.”

“Ha, ha!” he shouted triumphantly and took a big bite of his chicken. He gave me my chicken back and we all laughed. I bit into the chicken, saying, “Mmm. That’s good.”

“Your old man is a pretty good cook, huh?” Dean bragged. I pursed my lips thoughtfully.

“I wouldn’t say that I’d put this chicken on a gold platter and hand-deliver it to God, but yeah, you’re alright.”

“Oh, this just got real,” Mary said, and her, Sam, and I laughed. Dean glared at us all and I smirked.

“C’mon, Dad. Surely you’re not gonna let me win.”

Dean was at a loss for words, then muttered, “You win.”

“Oh, I-I’m sorry. What?”

“You win.”

I nodded. “That’s what I thought you said.”

“Smartass.”

“At your service.”

We all chuckled and ate the rest of our dinner. After cleaning up, I announced that I was going to finish some homework and go to bed. I made my way to my room and shut the door, grateful for the quiet. I took a quick shower and sat down at my desk, flipping through my assignments. My phone started vibrating and I grabbed it, looking at the caller ID: Hunter.

“Oh, boy,” I muttered, and answered. “Hey.”

“I didn’t see you at school today.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Where the hell were you?” he demanded in a rough voice.

“Working a damn case, Hunter. It’s actually none of your business, but whatever.”

“I heard you were kidnapped. By Aaron Arevedo. One of Hell’s most popular torture master.”

“So that’s who that douchebag was.”

“He did that to get back at me.”

I furrowed my brow in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

I heard Hunter sigh. “I’ve had, uh, ‘personal relations’ with both you and Alex. I pissed Arevedo off a few years ago, and now Rowena has hired him to kill whoever he wants. He didn’t know you were a Winchester, only that you and I are together. He’s targeted you.”

A flood of emotions washed over me: jealously at the thought of Hunter with someone else, panic due to being on a torture-master hit list, and anger at Rowena, for being a grade-A bitch.

“I can handle myself.”

“Rae, quit being so stubborn! Arevedo won’t stop until your dead. Bottom line.”

“I won’t let that happen. And neither will Dean.”

I heard him give a low growl on the other end of the phone. “Meet me outside of the library. Now.”

“What?”

“Rae!”

“Fine!” I hung up the phone and opened my door slowly. No one was in the hallway. I closed the door gently and grabbed a hoodie, pulling it over my head. I focused on the library and transported. I opened my eyes and found Hunter pacing in front of me. He saw me and ran over to me, pressing his lips to mine feverishly. He broke away and I blinked, standing frozen in my spot.

“Thank God you’re okay,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to mine. My anger slowly ebbed away. I pulled him into a kiss, remembering our first date and the feel of his arms wrapped around me.

“I was so scared that he was going to take you away from me,” Hunter told me, his voice breaking.

“He didn’t. I’m here with you,” I replied, burying my face in his neck.

“Arevedo is so dead,” Hunter growled, and his eyes flicked to black. I jumped, backing up. Hunter saw the scared expression on my face and his eyes changed back. “Sorry.”

“I-it’s okay. I just don’t want to see you angry.”

“I’m sorry. I’m just pissed.”

He wrapped his arms around me once more and I rested my head on his shoulders. Suddenly, bright headlights blinded me from the side. I recognized the sound of the muffler. It was the Impala. Sam and Dean stepped out of the car. Hunter and I broke apart and Hunter tried to move, but he couldn’t. Sam clicked a lighter and threw it to the ground. A Devil’s trap light up, and Hunter’s eyes flicked to black again. Dean and Sam turned to me, disappointment and hurt in their eyes.

“You can’t lie to professional liars, Rae,” Dean said.

“A demon? Really?” Sam asked. “I’ve been down that road. It doesn’t end well.”

“Yeah, well it’s not like I’m guzzling demon blood,” I shot back. I faced Dean. “And, really? You’re lecturing me after you were a demon? For God’s sake, the King of Hell is your bitch!”

“We aren’t mad, Rae,” Dean said. “We’re just hurt that you didn’t tell us, that’s all.”

“Wait, what? You’re okay with me dating a demon?”

“We want to you be careful. But we also want you to be happy,” Dean said. “But I swear to God, demon, I will gank your sorry ass if you hurt her.”

Hunter held his hands up in defense. “I won’t. I promise.”

Chapter Text

I started spending more and more time with Hunter, as did Sam, Dean, and the rest of my family. We would go out to dinner, but I saw Dean’s hand clenched around his knife. I was killing it in school; I was sitting in the number one spot with my GPA, and I had been going out on hunts. I’ve completed almost all my high school credit requirements, and I was just told that I was graduating early. To celebrate, we all went out for milkshakes.

“I would like to make a toast,” Sam said, raising his milkshake. “To the smartest person I know.”

“Oh, Sammy. Thank you,” Dean teased, and Sam swatted his shoulder. Sam nodded at me and we all clinked our glasses together.

“She’s also the best-looking,” Hunter winked at me, and Dean stiffened as Hunter leaned in for a kiss. Cas put a hand on Dean’s shoulder, as if restraining him.

“We are all so proud of you, honey,” Mary smiled warmly at me.

“Thank you, guys. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“I couldn’t have done it,” Dean told me. “I don’t know where you got your smarts, but it sure as hell ain’t me.”

“Oh, shut up, Dad,” I replied. “You’re plenty smart. You’ve taught me so much.”

He gave a half-grin and I added, “Not laundry, or cleaning, or, you know, the important things. But a lot.”

“Smartass.”

“At your service.”

We all laughed and Hunter said, “I’m gonna hit the road. I got some work to do.”

“Okay, babe,” I responded, and gave him another kiss. He disappeared and I went back to my milkshake, sucking up the last of it. “Thank you guys for a great night.”

“Of course. We’re so proud,” Sam said.

“I think we should go, though,” I announced, and in a low voice, muttered, “Poughkeepsie.”

We all tensed as we slid out of the booth. Two burly guys got up and blocked the door.

“Well, well, well. One big, happy Winchester family,” he sneered. A set of fangs covered his teeth as he grinned evilly. Rowena will be so pleased to hear that we’ve caught you.”

My lips curled into a smile, and the vamps’ heads tilted. I pulled a long dagger from my leather jacket and decapitated them in a few quick moves. The rest of the diner was silent, and then several growls echoed throughout the diner. Mary pulled a silver knife from her ankle, and Cas pulled out his angel blade. Three werewolves lunged at us, and we fought hard, sticking our blades in the hearts of the bastards. Sam and Dean stood off to the side in awe.

“H-how did you know?” Dean asked.

“Spidey senses,” I replied. “We need to wipe the security cameras and clear our prints before the cops come.”

Mary nodded and headed to the back, coming back with a few rags. She tossed one to me and I wiped down the door handles and our table. Sam handled the security cameras and we were out of there in ten minutes. Mary jumped into the car with me and I sped off.

“How did they know who we are?” Mary asked in a shaky voice.

“Must be Rowena’s,” I replied, checking my rearview nervously.

“They are,” came a voice from the backseat. I jumped, accidentally swerving the car. I saw Hunter’s face in the mirror and he shot me a stupid grin. “Hey, Princess.”

“You suck,” I said, trying to calm my heart down.

“Sorry.”

“Why’d you leave early, back at the diner?”

“One of my sources brought me news,” Hunter told me. “About Aaron Arevedo and the other rogue demons.”

“There are more?”

Hunter nodded, but remembered I couldn’t see him. “Yeah. A lot of them.”

I rounded a corner and Mary asked, “Why?”

“Rowena’s offering them…benefits. Wealth, power, sex. They’re basically free-range demons.”

“What about Arevedo?” I asked.

“He’s her second-in-command. A torture specialist.”

Mary and I looked at each other. “Great,” I said.

Hunter stared out the window and said, “They’ve got your scent. They’re coming. Soon. You guys need to find some allies.”

He disappeared. I looked around and swerved back into my lane.

“Who are we going to get as allies?” I wondered. “It’s not like we have a lot of friends.”

“I have a bad feeling about all this,” Mary murmured and I agreed. I pulled into the motor pool of the bunker and shut off the ignition of the Nova. Dean, Sam, and Cas were gathered in front of the Impala.

“We need to talk,” Dean said, and we all followed him inside to the library.

“This is starting to look bad for us,” Dean began. “Sam and me, we’ve never seen attacks like this.”

“Something big is coming,” Sam added. “We need to be prepared.”

“What do you want us to do?” I asked.

“We’re going to train. Mentally and physically,” Dean answered. “We all need to learn different fighting styles and be ready when Rowena and her army strike.”

We nodded and an idea struck me.

“Dad,” I said, and Dean looked at me. “I need to contact Olivette.”

“What?” Sam interjected. “You can’t be serious. We don’t know if we can trust her.”

“She hates Rowena,” I protested. “And without her, Dad would be dead.”

Sam didn’t look convinced. I pulled my best puppy-dog face and he finally succumbed.

“Alright. Fine.”

I smiled triumphantly and Dean looked at me. “What do you need to contact her?”

“I need Crowley to grab the supplies.”

Dean nodded and dialed his phone.
***
A couple hours later, we were all gathered around in abandoned strip mall. I sketched the symbol on the asphalt and placed a bowl in the center, combining different ingredients. I pulled a knife from my pocket and dragged the blade across my forearm. I let a stream of blood trickle into the bowl before I wrapped my arm with a rag. I lit a group of matches and threw them into the bowl. A loud bang erupted, accompanied with a bright flash of light. Olivette stood before us.

“Rae,” she said. “What are you doing?”

“I needed to talk to you, Aunt Olivette,” I replied. “What’s wrong?”

“I’ve been in hiding. Rowena’s been hunting me.”

“She’s been hunting us, too,” Sam said. “Who else is she hunting?”

“Anyone and everyone. Hunters, monsters, etcetera. She just wants power.”

“What else do you know?” Dean asked.

“Antonia Bevell, that bitch from London, is just as powerful as Rowena,” Olivette said, and I nodded.

“Right, because of Rowena’s spell,” I said. “We knew that much.”

“Then you have a good handle on her plans,” Olivette told us. “Do you have a battle plan?”

“No,” I admitted. “We need allies.”

“You can count on me,” Olivette said. “I can’t wait to see that bitch torn to shreds.

I grinned. “Thanks, Aunt Olivette.”

“Of course, my dear. I’ll go stockpile my supplies.”

With another flash of light, Olivette was gone. I turned to my family and Crowley. “There’s one ally – a powerful one.”

“Crowley, can we count on you and an army?” Dean asked and Crowley nodded, pondering.

“I’ve wanted to see my mother destroyed for many years. I’ll give you anything you need.”

Crowley snapped his fingers and was gone. I cleaned up my summoning ritual, placing my supplies neatly into my duffel bag.

“Well, I feel better,” I announced.

“I don’t,” Dean said. “I don’t feel good about anything of this.”