chapter one, act two
lazarus rising

Time passed around her, but for Freya everything froze at the very moment her eyes met Dean's lifeless body. The shock of losing Dean had hit her hard, more that she had imagine, and she found herself moving through life on autopilot, simply going through the motions of each day without truly living.

At first, she tried to be there for Sam, to be there for him in what she knew were the worst days of his life. She also tried to stand by her father and her worried little brother side. She tried to help Carter, Maddie and young Harper get their lives back to normal. But every second that passed was like a dagger of pain piercing her body.

Two weeks after Dean's death, Freya disappeared. She left without a word. She received millions of calls from her family, Maddie and Bobby but they all ended up on voicemail.

Freya tried to keep busy by hunting and not think about the pain that constantly weighed down on her. But no matter what she did, the pain was always there, a constant, dull ache in her chest.

She couldn't breathe.

The days were endless and agonizing, so much that she found herself withdrawing more and more, isolating herself from the world and from others. She didn't want to be around people who were happy and carefree; it only made her own suffering much more unbearable.

Nightmares haunted her every night, replaying the image of Dean's lifeless body in her mind over and over. It was a torturous cycle, one that left her feeling weak and shaken to her core. But it wasn't only the dreams that haunted her.

Lilith's possession of her body and mind had left its mark. Even now, she could feel the demon's presence lingering within her, a constant reminder of the evil that had touched her.

The world seemed to lose its color, fading into shades of gray. Every sight, sound, and feeling was tainted by sadness, and the only way Freya felt she could cope with it was to drown her tears in alcohol. It was the only thing that brought her any comfort. At night, as she closed her eyes, she hoped that her dreams would transport her to a better place, a world where Dean was still alive and by her side.

She fell into a routine. Hunt, sleep, drink and repeat. All while looking for some way to bring Dean back to life.

Meanwhile, trying to adjust to the routine of living with his father, away from his sister and Maddie, Peter was trying his best to reach out to them. Maddie had decided to sell her mother's house and, following Bobby's invitation to stay with him, was now helping the hunter with research. Freya barely answered her phone, if she wasn't hunting or drinking, she was sleeping or just didn't want to talk to anyone.

Harper was another mystery to the boy, the mystery in which he had decided to refuge in the absence of his older sister and the shock of discovering that he also had an older brother. Carter had disappeared from the map after that night, so Peter had only Harper to rely on.

It wasn't just curiosity that drove Peter's interest in Harper, but also a deep sense of empathy. After all, he understood what it was like to be a young person trying to find his place in the world, especially in such unusual circumstances. But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to her story than met the eye.

Harper Kenner, daughter of Grant Kenner, had lived nearly fifteen years trapped within herself, without aging more than a couple of years and unable to control her own body and mind. That would leave its mark on anyone. Peter longed to know what supernatural being had possessed her. His initial theory had been a demon, but the compassion she exuded and her apparent powers didn't align with typical demonic behavior.

Now Harper lived with Bobby and Maddie, hiding under a different name and trying to make sense of everything that had happened to her over the past years. While also trying to grasp what her father's death while possessed by the demon Dorian meant to her and her now new life.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

September 18th, 4 Months After Dean's Death

A new day awaited Freya while she was still asleep, curled up in that musty motel room. The bed was particularly comfortable compared to the other motels she'd been in, but that hadn't helped for her night to be peaceful and free of nightmares.

When the harsh sunlight hit her face, she woke up grunting and wincing. Her head ached from the alcohol she had consumed the previous night, and every one of her senses felt heightened and painful. She knew she had a tough hunt ahead of her, but all she wanted to do was stay in bed and ignore the world. Still, she knew from experience that trying to rest would only bring memories of Dean to her mind. So, despite her wishes, she forced herself out of bed and stumbled towards the bathroom to take a hot shower.

The coffee at the motel wasn't the best, but it did its job of waking her up completely so she could get to work on that case involving a nest of vampires. She had been chasing them for several weeks from Florida, to Nashville, Tennessee, when Freya finally felt she could take them down once and for all.

She sat at the small table in her room, looking over everything she had researched as she finished her cup of black coffee and prepared her weapons. It was the ringing of her phone that brought her out of her thoughts. Thinking it was Peter, Freya didn't even bother to look its screen as she ignored the call, but when it rang once again, Freya decided to answer as she let out a sigh.

"What is it?" Her voice came out sharp and full of annoyance, but there was also a trace of concern. Freya didn't want to be bothered, but if it was an emergency and her brother was in danger, she would leave everything for him.

However, no one answered on the other end of the line. The only thing Freya could make out was the shaky sound of someone's breathing.

"Hello?" Confused, Freya pulled the device away from her ear to look at the caller. It wasn't her brother, her father or anyone she knew, it was a completely unknown number. Frowning, Freya spoke once again. "Hello?"

The lack of response from the other end of the line only increased her unease. In a burst of anxiety, she ended the call without a second thought.

Barely a minute later, that unfamiliar phone number called her again. With her jacket on and ready to go hunting, Freya answered in exasperation.

"Listen, if this is a joke, it's not funny. Stop calling me or I swear I'll come after you." She stated firmly before hanging up.

The person on the other end stared at the phone in astonishment at her aggressiveness. That was't the Freya he remembered.

Surely Freya wasn't the only person Dean had called from that empty gas station after waking up in his own grave in the middle of a perfect circle of dead trees, laying on the ground as if an unearthly powerful blast had felled them. But at least with Bobby he had managed to open up and tell him what had happened, but the man hadn't believed a single one of his words.

Upset with himself for not being able to talk to Freya and frustrated that Bobby didn't believe him, Dean found himself forced to steal a car to travel to Sioux Falls, where Bobby's house was located.

Things there were very different compared to how Dean remembered them. Bobby's house used to be an uncrowded place. Bobby hardly had any visitors or guests other than the Winchesters, but now Maddie and Harper occupied his only other bedroom. Having them with him was like a breath of fresh air despite the hard time the hunter was going through with Dean's death and Sam and Freya's departures. Bobby didn't have children, but those two girls were certainly becoming his family.

On top of that, Peter had shown up at his door the night before, backpack over his shoulder and a tired expression on his face. The Holloway boy had run away from home, tired of watching his father lock himself in his office and practically ignore him to avoid the big elephant in the room which he still hadn't wanted to talk to him about his brother Carter.

Maddie's food had improved Bobby's eating. He could cook, but if it weren't for her love of photography, Maddie might as well be a chef. Meals were also the only time Harper talked to them at all, since most of the time she was quiet, lost in thought or reading one of Bobby's supernatural lore books.

Due to the long trip from San Francisco, Peter had spent the morning sleeping in, missing even lunchtime. When he finally awoke, overcome by a nightmare, Peter descended the stairs. The house fell into an uneasy silence, sending a shiver down his spine with each step he took.

"Bobby? Maddie?" He called, peering into the kitchen, which was impeccably clean and empty. "Bobby?" He called once more, walking into the living room. "Don't ask me why, but I think my sister needs our help."

Peter stood speechless as he walked up to the entrance of the house. There was no sign of Maddie and Harper, and Bobby seemed too calm considering the other person there. Across from the young Holloway stood Dean Winchester, in the flesh, and breathing.

"I thought you were supposed to be in a pine box?" Peter stared at him in shock, eyes narrowed and body slightly tense. Dean couldn't help but chuckle at his playful comment. He hated to say it, but he had missed Peter's smart-ass comments and their little bickering relationship.

"Yeah, it surprised me too." Dean admitted, turning back to Bobby. "You had to bury me, really?"

"I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill. But... Sam wouldn't have it." Bobby explained.

Dean nodded as he looked back at Peter, who was scrutinizing him with his eyes while tilting his head to the side.

"How do we know you're not a demon or a shapeshifter or a...?"

"He already passed all the tests." Bobby said, cutting him off.

"All?" Peter raised his eyebrows.

"Yeah, all."

"It's me, kid." Dean assured him.

"If that's true, then we should tell Freya."

"Yeah, sounds good." Dean nodded, not wanting to wait another second to see her. "What were you saying about her needing help, by the way?"

Peter shrugged.

"I don't know. I just woke up with this strange feeling."

"Let's take it one step at a time." Bobby said, walking into the living room. "Dean. Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your meat suit-"

"I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject." Dean noted. Peter chuckled as Bobby nodded.

"What do you remember?"

"Not much." Dean shrugged. "I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... lights out. Then I come to six feet under, that was it. Sam's number's not working. He's, uh... he's not..."

"Oh, he's alive. As far as I know." Bobby sat down.

"Good... Wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?"

"I haven't talked to him for months."

"You're kidding, you just let him go off by himself?"

"He was dead set on it."

"Bobby, you should've been looking after him."

"I tried. These last months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For him, for Freya or me." Bobby looked down. "He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. Wouldn't return my calls. I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found. Same with Freya."

Dean's face fell as he took in the words. His heart ached as he thought about Freya, struggling alone and refusing any help. He couldn't imagine what she must have gone through, how much pain and confusion she must have felt. The thought of her struggling and alone, not wanting to be found... it was almost too painful to bear.

He felt a pang of guilt and regret for being gone, for not being there for her. He could only hope that now that he was back he could find a way to make it up to her somehow.

Still, Dean tried his best to shake off the flood of emotions that had come over him at the mention of Freya's struggles. Right now, his priority was Sam. He needed to find him and make sure that he was safe.

"Oh, damnit, Sammy." He muttered.

"What?" Bobby looked up at him.

"I don't know what he did for me to be back, but whatever he did, it is bad mojo."

"What makes you so sure?" Peter frowned.

"You should have seen the grave site. It was like a nuke went off. And then there was this... this force, this presence, I don't know, but it, it blew past me at a fill-up joint. And then this." He added, stripping off his jacket to roll up his sleeve and reveal the handprint burn on his left shoulder.

Peter's eyes widened as Bobby stood up.

"What in the hell?" The man asked.

"It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out." Dean explained.

"But why?" Peter asked, confused. That didn't sound like the topical demon behavior.

"To hold up their end of the bargain." Dean answered.

"You think Sam made a deal." Bobby assumed.

"It's what I would have done." Dean admitted.

Minutes later, Peter sat on the porch of the house with a comic book in his hands. His attention however wasn't on the comic but on Harper, who now sat in one of the cars in the junkyard reading another of Bobby's books.

She and Maddie had returned from running errands shortly after Dean had shown up. Their reactions were completely different. Harper didn't know Dean, but she knew he had been a sore subject at Bobby's house. Maddie had barely spent any time with him, but during her time as Peter's babysitter she had grown very fond of Freya and the two hunters who accompanied her, knowing how much they meant to her.

Maddie's caring nature and empathy made her drop the shopping bags all at once and throw herself into Dean's arms to wrap him in a tight hug. The girl couldn't help but think how happy his return would make Sam and Freya, also selfishly hoping the two of them would get back in touch.

When the door behind him opened, Peter rose quickly to his feet, directing his gaze toward the two men now descending the porch steps.

"Did you find Sam?" He asked. Dean nodded.

"Sam's in Pontiac, Illinois."

"Isn't that where you...?

"Yeah, right where I popped up." Dean replied as he walked behind Bobby toward his car. "Hell of a coincidence, don't you think?"

"I wasn't going to say that, but it's certainly weird." Peter said, putting away his comic book. "I'm going with you."

Dean stopped in his tracks, turning on his heels to look at him. Peter looked so much like Freya it hurt to have him in front of him. The memory of the girl's voice echoed in his head, reminding him of the pain and exhaustion in her tone.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Maddie offered, but you and Harper are better off here."

"You don't even know Harper. You don't know what happened that night. We can handle whatever happens." Peter assured him.

"You'd help more by finding out what the hell possessed Harper."

"As if we haven't been looking for that the last four months." Peter snorted in annoyance.

"Then find your sister." Dean pleaded, holding him by the shoulders. Peter took a deep breath of air, ready to argue, but the look Dean was giving him was a completely new one. Dean used to display this arrogance and that easygoing attitude, but now that look was completely gone and it had turned into one of desperation. Peter couldn't say no.

"Fine." The boy agreed.

Dean sighed with relief.

"Thanks, kid." Dean cracked a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Peter nodded in silence as he watched him go.

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

The reunion with his brother wasn't what Dean had expected. He was taken aback to find a half-naked girl accompanying Sam in his motel room. Dean's joy at reuniting with his brother was tainted by his concern for him and the dangerous and reckless act he had likely performed to bring him back to life.

And for Sam, even after Bobby had assured him that the tests had confirmed it was really Dean, he couldn't shake off his confusion.

"So tell me, what'd it cost?" Dean asked, standing above him, arms crossed as Sam sat down.

Sam smiled, taken aback by his question.

"The girl? I don't pay, Dean."

"That's not funny, Sam." Dean replied. "To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?"

"You think I made a deal?" Sam frowned.

"That's exactly what we think." Bobby nodded.

"Well, I didn't."

"Don't lie to me." Dean asked, looking at him with suspicious.

"I'm not lying." He scoffed.

Despite his insistence, Dean didn't quite believe his words.

"So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy?" Dean asked, walking towards him. "I didn't want to be saved like this."

"Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?" Sam stood up, angrily.

Upset and confused, believing his brother was lying to him, Dean grabbed him by the front of his shirt.

"There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!"

"I tried everything." Sam assured him, breaking Dean's grip. "That's the truth. I tried opening the Devil's Gate. Hell, I tried to bargain, Dean, but no demon would deal, all right? You were rotting in Hell for months. For months, and I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Sammy." Dean took a step back, believing his brother. "You don't have to apologize, I believe you."

"Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question." Bobby spoke.

"If he didn't pull me out, then what did?" Dean said.

Taking a deep breath, Sam sat back down.

"Have any of you talked to Freya?" He asked, looking up at them.

Bobby and Dean share a look and shook their heads.

"She wouldn't have made a deal." Dean assured.

Sam chuckled.

"She was even more determined than me to do so. It hadn't past even a few hours before she started looking for ways to get you back."

Dean sighed.

"So, what? We have to travel all the way out to California?"

"No need. Freya disappeared two weeks after you died. She's been driving around the country focused on hunting all kinds of supernatural beings. And her father's nearby, as a matter of fact. He has a conference in Chicago on Greek mythology tomorrow. Maybe he knows where she is." Bobby told them.

"We can also call her." Dean suggested. "She answered my call yesterday."

"So you did talk to her." Sam noted with a frown.

"Not exactly." Dean replied. "I... Bobby didn't believe me and when I heard her on the other end of the line... She didn't sound like herself."

"If she'd gotten you out of hell she'd be expecting a call from you." Bobby said. "Maybe it was something else or someone else that got you out of there."

"Yeah, right. What?"

Bobby shrugged. "Don't know. But maybe Freya could help us. Henry must know where to find her."

"I doubt it." Sam said. "I called a week ago, Peter answered, but he assured me they hadn't heard from Freya for about a month."

"I asked him to look for her while we were here. Maybe he found something or got in touch with her." Dean noted.

"Okay, I'm on it." Bobby nodded, pulling out his phone to call Peter.

"So what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?" Dean looked back at his brother.

"Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lilith, trying to get some payback." Sam explained.

"All by yourself. Who do you think you are, your old man?" Bobby glared at Sam.

"Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called. I was pretty messed up." Sam sighed. "Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here."

"When?"

"Yesterday morning."

"When I busted out." Dean sighed.

"You think these demons are here 'cause of you?" Bobby asked.

"But why?" Sam asked.

"Well, I don't know – some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow."

"How you feelin', anyway?" Bobby looked back at him with concern.

"I'm a little hungry." Dean shrugged.

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?"

"Or demonic?" Dean raised his eyebrows. "Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

"Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well, I feel fine." Dean assured.

"Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning. We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help." Sam noted.

"Maybe we can do something about that." Maddie spoke through the phone, for she had been listening to their conversation since Bobby had called. "It's good to hear your voice again, Sam."

Sam smiled slightly at the sound of the girl's voice.

"Same here, Mads."

"Have you heard from Freya?" Dean asked.

"No, but Peter can find her." Maddie answered.

"I've been studying magic behind my dad's back with some of his books, I think I can do a quick and easy locator spell." The boy explained.

Dean shifted uncofortable. The idea of using magic, good or bad, wasn't really something he liked.

"I don't know... Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I just need something from her or her blood and I've got both, so."

"This is a really bad idea." Harper muttered in the distance.

"If you don't like it you can always call your friend." Peter said in annoyance.

"How many times do I have to tell you she's not my friend?" Harper complained.

"Surely you care about her or you would have told us who and what the hell she is by now. She possessed your body for years, you have to know who she was."

"I told you it's not important. Forget it."

"Forget it?" The boy scoffed. "Lilith possessed my sister that night, I found out I had a brother and that a demon was the one who killed my mother. I can't forget, Harper, that being was the only one who tried and helped me."

"That being let my father die at your brother's hands after promising to protect us." She argued, annoyed at his insistence. Dean, Sam and Bobby couldn't help but share a glance at her response. It was the first time in four months that Harper had said anything about who had possessed her and it certainly wasn't what they had expected.

"Demons lie, Harper, shocker." Peter rolled his eyes.

"It wasn't a demon."

"So what was it?" He looked back at her.

"Will you two stop arguing?" Maddie complained before Harper could said anything else. "It doesn't matter now. Peter, find your sister."

"Okay." The boy nodded.

"It matters if she knows who got me out of hell." Dean said. "Harper..."

"I told you I don't know anything." She interrupted him.

"If she didn't keep her promise, why are you protecting her?" Maddie frowned, looking back at Harper.

"I'm not. It's just..."

"I got it." Peter interrupted her, gaining everyone's attention. "Freya's in Nashville, Tennessee."

"Didn't you just say you were in Tennessee chasing some demons?" Dean turned to his brother.

"I was, but not in Nashville. She must be there hunting something else."

"There are records of people missing around Nashville." Maddie announced, looking at her laptop. "It looks like a vampire case. Several hospitals are reporting loss of blood supplies and people with piercing wounds on their necks."

"I know a psychic. A few hours from Nashville." Bobby spoke. "Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking. We go find Freya and then we go talk to her."

"Hell yeah, it's worth a shot." Dean nodded.

"I'll be right back" Bobby said, taking his phone before exiting the room.

Finding himself alone with his brother, Sam finally decided to ask him the question that he had been pondering since their reunion.

"Hey Dean, what was it like?" Sam tried to remain calm and not sound insistent as he looked back at Dean.

"What, Hell?" Dean asked. Sam nodded. "I don't know, I, I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing."

"Well, thank God for that." Sam sighed.

"Yeah." Dean replied looking down. "There's still one thing that's bothering me."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, the night that I bit it. Or... got bit." He chuckled at his own wit. "How'd you make it out? I thought Lilith was going to kill you."

"Well, she tried. She couldn't." Sam answered.

"What do you mean, she couldn't?" Dean frowned.

"She fired this, like, burning light at me, and... didn't leave a scratch. Like I was immune or something."

"Immune?"

"Yeah. I don't know who was more surprised, her or me. She left pretty fast after that." Sam explained. "Next thing I heard she possessed Freya, even with her anti-possession tattoo, and 'threatened' Ophelia. She didn't say anything explicit, but Ophelia ran away when she saw her in Freya's body."

"That's odd."

"Yeah." He sighed.

"How did Freya take it?" Dean asked with concern.

"I don't know. She didn't say anything to me. You should ask Peter, but I think Freya's been distant even with him these last few months."

Dean nodded as his concern for Freya only seemed to grow by the second.

"Huh. What about Ruby, where is she?" Dean asked after a few seconds.

"Dead. For now."

Dean bit his lower lip, as if he wasn't sure whether he wanted ask the next question.

"So you've been using your, uh, freaky ESP stuff?"

Sam turned back to him, confuse.

"No." He assured.

"You sure about that?" Dean raised his eyebrows. "Well, I mean, now that you've got... immunity, whatever the hell that is... just wondering what other kind of weirdo crap you've got going on."

"Nothing, Dean. Look, you didn't want me to go down that road, so I didn't go down that road. It was practically your dying wish."

"Yeah, well, let's keep it that way."

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

Bobby stood in front of Freya's motel room, next to him, leaning against the wall were Sam and Dean, each feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness as Bobby finally knocked on the door. After a few moments, it creaked open, revealing a disheveled and battered Freya on the other side.

Seeing him, her eyes widened in confusion. "Bobby. How... How did you find me?" She whispered.

"Peter tracked you down." He answered. "We need to talk."

Freya's shoulders slumped slightly, and she leaned against the doorframe.

"We have nothing to talk about." She said, crossing her arms on her chest. "I told you I needed time."

"I heard you, but things have changed, Freya."

"What do you...?" Her words trailed off as Sam appeared next to Bobby. Her confusion quickly turned to disbelief, especially when her gaze landed on the green-eyed man next to him. "Dean?" She mumbled.

Dean took a step forward, his eyes drinking in the sight of her. He reached out a hand hesitantly, as if trying to convince himself that she was really there. Dean tried to take another step forward, his eyes pleading her to believe him, but Freya's gaze narrowed.

"Don't come any closer." She warned, her voice hoarse from disuse as she took a step back.

Dean froze, his outstretched hand hovering in the air.

"Freya, it's me." He said, his voice laced with heartbreak.

Freya's breath hitched, and her eyes widened with disbelief. "That's impossible." She whispered, her voice laced with shock. "You're dead."

Bobby and Sam watched anxiously as the tension thickened in the air. Dean took another tentative step forward, desperation in his eyes.

"I was." He gulped, his voice hoarse. "I woke up in my on grave two days ago. I don't know how or why, but I'm here. It's me."

Freya's breathing grew ragged, her body shaking with a mixture of emotions. She leaned heavily against the doorframe, her eyes flickering over Dean's face and body as if searching for some sign that he was lying.

"How?" She asked, her voice cracking. "How is this possible?"

"We don't know yet. We were actually hoping that you would have some idea on how." Bobby replied.

"You think I made a deal?" Freya raised her eyebrows, looking back at him. "No. I... I tried, God knows I did, but they wouldn't have it."

Sam and Bobby shared a look at her response as Freya continued to watch Dean with doubt in her eyes. Dean looked back at her, noticing her clear exhaustion defined by the dark circles under her eyes.

Suddenly, Freya's expression hardened, and she pushed herself upright, her body tense and alert. "Prove it." She then spit. "Prove that you're really you."

Dean's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and hurt at her hostile tone, but he understood her distrust. He raised his hands, palms up, in a gesture of surrender. "How?" He asked gently. "What can I do to prove it?"

Sam and Bobby exchanged worried glances as they watched the standoff. Freya's eyes flicked from them back to Dean. "Tell me something only you would know." She asked.

Dean let out a breath, wracking his brain for something he and Freya had shared that would convince her he was truly him. After a moment, he spoke. "You have a tiny scar on your right hip, shaped like a star." He said quietly. "You got it when you were five and fell off a swing."

Freya's eyes widened in shock, and her tough exterior wavered for a moment. She remembered the accident vividly and had never told anyone but him about the scar. The realization that only the real Dean could know something that personal rattled her. But she still wasn't fully convinced.

Dean seized on the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, taking another slow step forward.

"And your favorite movie is Dead Poets Society." He said gently. "You cry every time you watch it."

"He passed all the tests. It's really him, Freya." Bobby assured her.

Tears welled up in Freya's eyes as the memory of watching the movie together came flooding back to her. She had never told anyone that either. Dean's words hit her like a freight train, and her defenses crumbled slightly.

Dean took another couple of steps toward her, his expression earnest. "Please, Freya." He pleaded. "You know me. You know it's really me. I don't know how or why I'm back, but I am. I'm here, and I'm real, and I'm not going anywhere. Not ever again."

Freya's eyes flickered over his face, her heart at war with her head. Seeing and hearing him after thinking he was dead for so long was overwhelming and impossible to comprehend. But the details he had given her, things only she and him knew, they were undeniable proof he was telling the truth.

She took a shaky breath, her voice barely more than a whisper. "It's really you?"

Dean nodded, his own eyes glistened with unshed tears. Tears barely perceptible, except to the girl in front of him. "It's really me."

Unable to hold back any longer, Freya rushed forward and threw herself into his arms, hugging him fiercely. Dean stumbled back a step, but he quickly recovered and wrapped his arms around her trembling figure.

Freya buried her face in his chest, inhaling his familiar scent, trying to convince herself that he was truly there. For a moment, all was silent except for the sound of her shaky breathing and the steady thump of his heartbeat.

Bobby and Sam felt relief as they watched the emotional reunion unfold before them.

Dean held her tight, his own emotions swirling in his chest. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. As she pulled back, Freya's eyes roamed over his face as if memorizing every detail. A mixture of shock and joy danced in her gaze.

"How is this possible?" She asked, her hands still gripping the fabric of his shirt tightly. "You were gone. I saw your body... I mourned you. How are you here?"

Dean's expression darkened as he remembered the strange circumstances of his resurrection. "I don't know." He replied. "Believe me, I've been trying to figure it out since waking up. But, either way, I'm glad I'm back."

A smile tugged at Freya's lips as she replied. "Me too."

Dean pulled back further, suddenly noticing the injuries on her skin and the exhaustion etched into her features. His hands dropped to her sides, and a frown tugged at his lips.

"You look tired." He murmured, his voice soft. "And wounded. What happened to you?"

Freya, who had been caught up in the intensity of the reunion, suddenly became aware of the stinging pain in her own body. She winced as she shifted her weight. Freya sighed and let her hands slide from his waist, but she kept her gaze fixed on him.

"I'm fine." She said, though he could tell she was lying. Sam and Bobby exchanged knowing glances, silently cursing themselves for not having noticed her injuries earlier. Freya caught their looks and shrugged, attempting to downplay her pain. "It's just a scratch."

Dean's eyes widened as he noticed the blood that was staining her shirt.

"It doesn't look like 'just a scratch' to me." He said firmly, stepping forward to examine the wound.

Reluctantly, Freya lifted her shirt, revealing a deep gash in her abdomen. Dean sucked in a breath, his face paling as he saw how serious the injury was and how recent it looked.

"What the hell happened?" Dean asked, gently running his fingers over the wound.

"It's not that bad." Freya protested, but the pain in her was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Dean shot her a frustrated look. "Not that bad? You have a gash the size of a dinner plate in your stomach. That's worse than 'not that bad' in my book."

Freya opened her mouth to protest again, but her knees buckled suddenly, the pain becoming too much for her to bear. Dean and Sam were quick to catch her, propping her up between them.

"All right, that's it." Dean said firmly. "We're getting you patched up."

He and Sam each took one of her arms, carefully guiding her toward the bathroom. Bobby followed closely behind, already gathering supplies for makeshift stitches.

In the small bathroom, Freya leaned against the counter as Dean examined her wound more closely. Sam stood nearby, his brow furrowed with worry. Dean doused a piece of cloth with antiseptic, readying himself to clean the wound.

"This is going to hurt." He warned her.

Freya braced herself, gripping the edge of the counter tightly.

"I can handle it." She replied through clenched teeth.

Dean began cleaning the wound, his touch firm but gentle. Freya winced, her eyes squeezed shut, but she didn't pull away. Sam watched silently, his hands clenching and unclenching as he tried to contain his worry and anger.

Once the wound was cleaned, Dean took the needle and thread that Bobby handed to him. He began stitch the gash, his fingers steady and precise as he worked. Freya bit her lip to try and stifle the pain as best she could, her knuckles turning white from gripping the counter.

Dean's focus was completely on the task at hand, his brow furrowed in concentration as he continued to stitch the wound. Bobby stood nearby, his concern gaze flickering between Freya and the Winchesters.

Finally, with one last stitch, Dean tied off the last stitch.

"All done." He announced, stepping back. Bobby handed Dean a roll of gauze, and he began wrapping it around Freya's abdomen to secure the stitches. As he worked, he couldn't help but ask. "So, you gonna tell us how you got this injury in the first place?"

Freya exhaled deeply, the pain already lessening now that the wound had been properly treated.

"I got it fighting a nest of vampires." She said, her voice slightly raspy from pain.

Sam and Dean exchanged surprised glances, their expressions a mix of concern and disbelief.

"A nest?" Sam echoed. "You took on a nest of vampires by yourself?"

Freya shrugged nonchalantly.

"I've handled worse." She replied, though her weariness suggested otherwise.

Sam sighed in frustration as he stepped out of the bathroom, feeling inevitably responsible that Freya had ended up like that. After all, he hadn't stopped her from leaving, nor had he looked for her afterwards.

Dean shook his head. "You're lucky you didn't end up worse off. Or dead." He scolded, finishing up the bandage.

As Dean finished wrapping the bandage, he noticed the look in Freya's eyes, a haunted acceptance of her own mortality. It was a look he knew all too well.

"You didn't care whether you lived or died, did you?" He asked, his voice gentle, but layered with concern.

Freya shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

"You were dead. I didn't care about anything else."

Dean's expression darkened at her blunt response, both pained and frustrated with her dismissal of her own well-being.

"That's stupid. You had Peter, your father, Maddie, Sam and Bobby" He grumbled, carefully helping her off the counter.

"They didn't matter without you here. Nothing mattered."

"So that's it, then? You just stop caring about everyone if I'm gone?" He asked, the pain of her words stabbing through him. "You'd just throw your life away like it doesn't matter to anyone else?" Dean's jaw clenched at her admission, a storm of anger and hurt swirling within him. "You don't get to throw your life away like it's nothing." He continued, his voice rising. "Dammit, Freya, you matter. You've got people that care about you. People that need you."

"I need you."

Dean's breath caught in his chest at her words, the raw honesty sending a shiver down his spine.

"I'm here now." He said softly, his anger fading.

Freya's eyes welled with unexpected tears at his gentle response, the weight of her own loneliness and grief finally catching up to her.

Dean pulled her gently into his arms, holding her tightly.

"I'm here now." He whispered, burying his face against her hair. As he held her, he could feel the tension slowly leave her body, her head resting on his shoulder. Neither spoke for a few moments, both lost in their own thoughts.

Sam and Bobby, now standing just outside the bathroom, watched the tender scene unfold. Bobby's expression softened as he observed the moment between Dean and Freya.

As the moment stretched on, reality slowly began to intrude once more. Sam cleared his throat, and both Dean and Freya looked up, a mixture of embarrassment and tenderness filling the small bathroom.

"You guys gonna come out any time soon?" Sam called out, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Dean rolled his eyes, reluctantly releasing his hold on Freya. She looked up at him, her expression a mixture of embarrassment and vulnerability.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming." Dean called back, shooting a annoyed look at Sam as he gently guided Freya out of the bathroom.

"Feel better?" Bobby looked at Freya.

"Yeah. Much better." She replied as Dean guided her to sit down on the couch.

Dean shot Sam a sharp look when he saw his amused smiled.

"Shut up, or I'll shut you up." He grumbled, taking a seat next to Freya on the couch.

Freya, too tired to protest, leaned her head back against the couch, closing her eyes.

Sam took a seat in a chair across from the couch, a smirk still on his face. "Just saying, I never thought I'd see the day my brother turned all sappy over a girl." He teased.

"Keep it up, and I'll show you sappy with my fist in your face."

"All right, you idjits, enough. Save the fighting for the monsters." Bobby spoke, crossing his arms.

Freya, half-dozing on the couch, opened her eyes just enough to speak. "Shut up, all of you." She mumbled, her voice tired. "Trying to sleep here."

Bobby raised an eyebrow at her words, his expression becoming serious.

"Sorry, kid. No time for rest."

Sam nodded in agreement, his humor disappearing as he remembered the gravity of their situation.

"Yeah, we need to know who got Dean out of hell"

Freya sighed. "Right. So what's the plan?"