"If I eat one more IHOP pancake, I'm gonna barf."

"Are you guys listening to me?" Katherine sighs, shining her flashlight on copies of papers she snagged from city hall.

"Yeah, yeah, Elizabeth and her victory garden," Dean grumbles.

"Well, not only that, but she's jumped quite a few tax brackets, won almost too many raffles...and your favorite, Renee Van Allen, won a quilting contest." Katherine lets out a huff. "Along with every other crafting contest she's entered in the past three months."

"A regular Martha Stewart," Dean chirps. "Minus the Devil worship."

Katherine nods. "So either those women we just are hiding a damned cursed rabbit's foot on their person—"

"Or they're our coven," Sam says. Katherine nods. "Minus one member."

"Amanda."

"She was clearly going off the rez," Sam scoffs. "Think they killed her to keep up with appearances?"

"I wouldn't call it a long shot. They seem like the appearance kind of crowd."

Katherine's eyes flit to Dean's face in the rearview mirror. He seems torn. "If they killed a nut job, should we thank them, or...what?" He looks to Sam briefly before turning his eyes back to the road.

"They're using black magic, too," Sam points out. "They need to be stopped."

"Stopped," Dean repeats, glancing to his left, and raises his brows. "Like...stopped, stopped?"

"If we can't persuade them," Katherine hums.

Dean looks at Katherine in the rearview mirror, bewildered.

"Okay, Donovan Darko, I wasn't thinking murder." Sam shrugs a bit.

"I don't see the harm in it," he says.

Dean gawks this time. "Wha—Sam, they're human."

"They're murderers."

Slowly, Dean nods. "Burn, witch, burn," he says. "KD, would it be, uh...kinslaying if you go after these broads? Considering...you're technically a witch. Even if you're Glinda."

She doesn't have the time to come up with a smart-ass response. The engine sputters and slowly stops turning over, and the headlights shut on and off. "What the hell?"

"Who the freaking hell is that?" Katherine asks, staring out of the windshield. Average height, blonde hair... "Ruby."

The last time either she or Sam saw the demon, they were in Sophia's house, in the study. Sam was looking into the deaths of his mother's friends and family, per Ruby's direction.

Dean grits his teeth and steps out of the car.

"Ruby," Sam greets.

"Sam, listen to me," the demon rushes. "There's no time."

"What are you talking about?"

"You have to get out of town."

"So this is Ruby, huh?" Dean hums, and pulls back on the hammer of the Colt, quickly pointing the sights at the demon. "Never had the pleasure."

"Dean!"

"I was hoping you'd show up again," the eldest growls.

"Point that thing somewhere else," Ruby snaps.

"Ha, ha, ha—right!"

The demon turns her attention back to the youngest Winchester. "Sam, please. Get in the car and don't look back."

Sam shakes his head. "Why? I don't understand."

"Hey, Hot Stuff," Dean calls. "We can take care of a few kitchen witches—thanks."

"I'm not talking about witches, you jackass. Witches are whores." Ruby looks to Katherine, and the huntress glowers.

"Dean, can I hold that for a minute?" Katherine hums. "Just wanna test it."

"I'm talking about who they serve," Ruby continues.

That hangs in the air for a moment.

"They get their power from demons," Katherine murmurs.

"Took you long enough," Ruby gripes. "There's one here, now."

"Oh, what, besides you?" Dean asks, re-positioning the Colt.

"Sam, it knows you're in town, and it's gonna come after you, and it's way more than you can handle."

"Heellooo!" Katherine bellows. "In case anyone needs a refresher, I'm a new-age Lorraine-fuckin'-Warren! We can gank the witches and the demon."

"You're an idiot—" Ruby begins, and Dean lays into her. Katherine doesn't even know what was said, but the argument escalated so much he actually shot off the Colt, but Sam shoved his arm, throwing the bullet, and Ruby disappeared.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Dean snarls. Katherine sighs, shrugging her coat off.

"What?" Sam asks. "What the hell was I thinking? What the hell were you thinking?"

"She's a demon, Sam! Period, all right? They want us dead, we want them dead!

"Oh, that's funny! Remember that demon chick in Ohio—Casey? You didn't want her dead!"

"Yeah, well, she wasn't stringing me along like a fish on a hook." Dean throws his jacket onto his bed, and Sam glowers at the wall for half a second before he explodes.

"No one is stringing me along!" Even Katherine gives him a flat expression. Sam lets out a heavy sigh. "Look. I know this is dangerous—she's dangerous. But like it or not, she's useful."

"No!" Katherine cries. "We kill her before she kills us! Somethin' ain't right with her, Sam—"

"Kill her with what?" Sam snaps. "The gun she fixed for us? Guys, if she wants us dead, all she has to do is stop saving our lives." Dean rolls his eyes and turn away from Sam. "Look, we have to start looking at the big picture. Start thinking in strategies and moves ahead. It's not so simple—we're not just hunting anymore." Katherine crosses her arms, leaning against the wall, as Dean presses cold water to his face. "We're at war!"

"Sam, I've been in this goddamn demon war my whole life," Katherine says. "And it ain't gonna end—ever! Unless someone with in good with literally Satan who is also in good with us says, "You know what, boss? Maybe we should keep the demons off the Earth."" Sam glowers at her, and she throws knives back at him, nostrils flares in rage, mockery oozing off of her tongue like silver. "Oh, wait. Ain't gonna happen!" She runs her hand through her hair and sighs, eyes softening as she holds her hands out, appeasing. "Look, are you—are you feeling okay?"

Sam groans, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Why does everyone keep asking me that?"

Katherine's eyes blow wide and she starts gesturing with her hands. "I—well, for one, you're starting to take advice from demons, and you seem less and less worried about offing people. It used to eat you up inside."

"Yeah, and where has that gotten me?" Sam asks, turning his glare to Katherine. She stiffens a bit, pushing herself off of the wall, and crosses her arms. Sam was expecting a tongue-lashing, but he was met with a gentle tone.

"I—well, nothing, but it's what we do, you and me. We worry about the people and...Dean goes in with whatever he's got. We try and reign in the crazy."

"So you're mad because I'm starting to agree with Dean? You suggesting killing the witches first!"

Katherine glances between the two brothers. Dean raises his eyebrows. "Well, I—not mad," she scoffs. "Worried is the better word, Sam, because you're not acting like yourself."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm not. I don't have a choice."

"There's always a choice, Dumbo, now what are you goin' on about?"

"Look." Sam lets out a heavy sigh and runs his hand down his face. "Dean...is leaving. And I'm gonna be left alone in this shitty world." Katherine holds a finger up. "You're married and pregnant."

Dean swings his head to look at Katherine, pale. She gawks. "I am not!" She cries. "Who said I was pregnant?!"

"Or about to be!" Sam cries, throwing his hand towards her in exasperation.

"I am not!" Katherine shrieks, narrowing her eyes. "You're either pregnant or you're not, idiot, and I'm not—"

"All of that is to say," Sam shouts over her. Katherine keeps going. "Katherine shut the fuck up!"

"You shut the fuck up!" But she plops onto the second bed with a grimace. "Pregnant."

Sam squares his shoudlers to her, wearing a flat expression. "So you're telling me after Dean dies, you're gonna keep hunting? Charlie is gonna let you stay in that car with me and drive you wherever the hell?" Katherine runs her tongue over her teeth. "Thought so. My point was, you have a family to look out for now. So if I'm gonna fight in this war after you two are gone, then I've gotta change."

Dean glances between the two, something like guilt weighing him down, holding him fast in his position at the sink. Katherine's eyes are sad, but her expression his hard, jaw crooked and set as she tries not to rage cry. Sam is just sad, staring at the floor. He taps his finger against the arm rest.

"Did you say I was pregnant because I look chubby?" Katherine whispers. "I'm just bloated—"

"No, Katherine—"

"—day two is always the worst—"

"Katherine, shut the hell up."

She sighs heavily and wipes at her eye.

Dean stares at his reflection, listens to his slow heartbeat in his ears. He wants to throw up. It's anxiety, guilt, fear...sadness.

He made that deal to save Sam. He'd do it every day for the rest of eternity if it meant keeping his little brother alive. And he did it for the woman he loves, to find her...but he's leaving him all alone...Katherine would fight like hell to stay with Sam, but who knows how long that would last?

It doesn't sit like normal. It makes his skin crawl, sends alarm bells to his brain that it isn't right. Something is at work here. A higher power, whether he really acknowledges it or not. There has to be a God, right? If there's evil?

Whatever he felt for Katherine didn't seem to be his own choice. It was planned by someone else, determined, but not entirely effortless. It was decided for them. The timing was impeccable. And he fought it like Hell, but nothing seemed to shake that feeling that it was just right. He never had to fall in love with her, because being with not someone like her, but being with Katherine herself, was so damn easy. She's easy to love, baggage and all.

When they met for the first time as adults, she was happy. Smiled, cracked jokes, had a little less dark humor about her. But in recent days, the circles under her eyes have darkened, she smiles a little less. Hearing her laugh is like hearing the word of God, it's so rare.

And it all went away because of him. In more ways than one. So maybe it'll be better this way, with him gone. Better for her, anyway. She'll have her couple of kids, she'll have Charlie...maybe they'll get a dog together. But she'll be happy without him. The corners of her eyes will wrinkle, the little apostrophes around her mouth will reappear...and she'll laugh with her whole body again. Make stupid tree jokes.

"You don't have to change into Dean to fight this war, Sam," Katherine murmurs, twiddling her fingertips. "You know...just being you, it's good. We can do it." Dean grunts, keeling over a bit, and Katherine watches him press a hand to his stomach. She looks at his hand placement, mind switching into 'medical' gear. Lower left, not appendix. "Dean? What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he says through his teeth. "Something's wrong. It's—like a buncha knives inside me."

Katherine rolls onto her feet, moving quickly for Dean, and he drops to the floor. "Dean!"

"It's the coven!" he cries. "It's gotta be the coven!"

"Look for hex bags!" Katherine runs back into the main room and pulls the mattress off of the frame, searching underneath the bedskirt, and Sam does the same to the other bed. They turn the room upside down looking for the thing, but they find nothing, and Dean's condition is rapidly declining. Blood drips from his mouth, pools on the tile. Sam grabs the Colt. "Sam, what are you doing?"

"Stay with Dean," he says, and rushes for the door.

"Sam!"

Dean cries out, rolling onto his side, and Katherine turns her attention to him. Her throat is cold, hands are numb and trembling, and her stomach is flip-flopping. She'd been hexed once, working a case with Bobby and Rufus down in New Orleans. It wasn't pretty.

And just like then, she can't do anything now. She doesn't know any counteractive spells, or even what the hell's going on. So she grabs a towel and her med school training kicks in. Comfort the patient, keep them stable. Dean watches her keep her cool, admiring her through the pain that's more than that. It's agony. And he can't help but realize what a gem she is, blue eyes like glittering sapphires in the shitty motel lighting, and she's calm. He'd be a red-faced mess, sweating and panicking and not knowing what to do. But she's always been this cool.

There's a lull in the pain, like the tide receding. He squeezes her fingers tighter, and she lifts those pretty blue eyes to his. "I know," she says. "I wish I could make it stop."

"Remember—couple years ago—" He grits his teeth. "Hunt went south, wound up with my own knife in me?"

Katherine's brows knit together, but she nods. "Yeah, of course. It went right between your liver and your stomach—still don't know how you didn't bleed to death."

"Guess I had a pretty good doctor."

A small smile twitches at Katherine's lips, but it's nothing like his favorite smile. "Dean, if you're...pushing through all this pain just to compliment my lackluster stitchery, I think I can do without."

"You smiled at me," he continues, and Katherine gently drags the bloodied rag across the stubble of his jaw. "Brighter than a thousand suns. Made me warm and fuzzy."

Katherine's nose twitches. "Shut up. You're not fuckin' dying on me right now."

Dean sighs, nodding a bit. "You were snarky, too. Guess some things don't change." Another wave crashes into him. He tenses and cries out through gritted teeth. His grip on her hand is almost enough to snap the little bones, and she feels like they might. His breathing is shallow and rushed. It kicks her heart into panic mode, beating at the rate of his breath. "When did you realize you could tolerate me enough to hold my hand?"

Katherine sits back on her heels and another wave of pain tears through his stomach. He rolls forward, crying out, squeezing her hand, and the door breaks down. It's Ruby. Katherine goes cold with panic. Does she leave his side to take care of her?

"You wanna kill me, too?" Dean growls. "Back of the line, bitch."

Katherine doesn't have any holy water on hand, and exorcising in her predicament would be a toughie. She's completely off guard.

"Relax, Lorraine Warren," Ruby says. She pushes Dean onto his back, ignoring the beginning of Katherine's protest, and dumps a whole flask of watery, black fluid into his mouth.

"What are you doing?" Katherine demands.

"A lot more than you are." Ruby leans away from Dean with a huff. And then he's fine. No convulsions or stomach-gripping, wincing expressions. He's passive Dean, carefully appraising the demon in the room. "Now stop...calling me bitch," she pants. "And the next time you point that gun at me, I'm gonna do a lot more than just disappear."

Katherine's blue eyes are like stones as she stares at Ruby. It may look threatening, but it's inquisitive, frantic. "What did you give him?"

"God, it was ass," Dean grunts, dragging the rag across his mouth. "It tasted like ass."

"It's called witchcraft, shortbus," Ruby says, glancing between the two.

"You're the shortbus," Dean mutters as she leaves. "...shortbus."

"Where the hell is Sam?" Katherine asks, pulling her phone from her back pocket.

"Didn't he...go get her?" Katherine blinks at Dean, looking positively aggressive. "Don't—" He holds a finger up at her. "Don't look at me like that. I know you're about to say something shitty."

"Don't ask dumb questions." She picks up a pillow and smacks the side of his head with it as she holds her phone to her ear. "Idiot."