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SEASON FOUR, EPISODE ONE
❝ 𝗟𝗮𝘇𝗮𝗿𝘂𝘀 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 ❞

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Back forced against the wall, Emelie Winchester fights against the invisible force holding her in place as she watches with wide eyes. Dean Winchester lays back with Hellhounds tearing into his chest and stomach, his yells made Millie's eyes fill with tears as she gasped for air. Sam Winchester's own eyes were filled with tears as the two watched with heartache as their older brother was being torn apart, his soul dragged to Hell at the hands of Lillith.

Lillith smirked as she turned to the younger Winchester twins, Millie didn't have the energy to glare at the pitiful demon standing before her. Lillith raised her hand with a smile before a bright white light filled the room, Millie squeezed her eyes shut ready to accept death; she could only hope and pray that she'd be with her brothers in death.

Millie opens her eyes when the light dulls, Sam and Millie are both on the floor in front of a confused Lillith. "How?" Lillith asked but neither of the twins knew what had happened. Lillith immediately left the body that formerly was possessed by Ruby leaving the twins behind.

Millie turned to Dean's body and let out a cry, she crawled over to him and wept as she cupped his face in her hands. "Wake up, Dean... please, wake up... I need you... I need my big brother... please," Millie pleaded and begged as Sam made his way over, wrapping his arms around his twin before pulling her into his chest where she cried.

Suddenly, the lights went dark and Millie was no longer in Sam's embrace. She stood up as Dean's body faded leaving her in the empty environment. "Dean! Sam! Bobby!" Millie shouted but the words simply echoed into the vast environment, her heart began pounding as she spun in circles before a bright light appeared in front of her.

Her eyes widened at the shape that stood before her, six large angel wings flared out in a shine of blue; The glow of the wings prevented Millie from seeing the face of the angel standing before her. "Who are you?" Millie asked though her eyes were wide with wonder, the glow reflecting off of her brown eyes. "Dean Winchester has been saved," A soft voice echoed.

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Dean gasps awake in a dark place, he breathes heavily as he flicks his lighter taking notice of the confined space he is in. Dean pounds on the wood above his head; dirt rains down on his face as he continues to pound on the top of the coffin. In the middle of a grassy field, a simple wooden cross is planted with a single red tulip stuck to it along with a leather bracelet attached.

A hand bursts out of the dirt followed by another, Dean crawls his way out of the ground, groaning and gasping for air. He lies on his back, panting before he stands, looking around in the glaring sunlight. Around his headstone is a perfect circle of dead trees, lying on the ground as if an unearthly powerful blast had knocked them down.

Dean looked at the wooden cross and frowned, he immediately spotted the leather bracelet that his younger sister had made for him when they were kids. He carefully undid the bracelet from the flower and tied it back onto his wrist, running his fingers over the slightly rough material and the small pendant tied in of the impala.

"I'm coming home, little sister," Dean whispered before he looked around again deciding in which direction to go. Through a hazy heat, Dean walks down an empty road and approaches an abandoned gas station. He pounds on the door but receives no response making him realise that the place was closed.

Dean rolls up his outer shirt over his right hand and breaks the glass on the door, reaching in to unlock the door before opening it. He heads straight to the back fridge and grabs a water bottle, he gulps the water down feeling refreshed from his thirst. He finds a newspaper and takes notice of the date; Thursday, September 18th.

"September," Dean mutters realizing that he had been gone for four months though to him, it felt a lot longer. He makes his way into the bathroom, washing the dirt from his face in the dingy sink before he looks up at his reflection. He wears a tight black t-shirt but he frowns as he lifts it to expose his healed chest, flashes of his chest being torn apart by hellhounds hit him.

A tingle in his left shoulder prompts him to lift the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a large, raw handprint brand that both confuses and freaks Dean out. He walks back out into the mart of the gas station, he pulls snacks and energy bars from the shelves, along with several bottles of water, and stashes them in a plastic bag.

Stopping in front of a magazine stand, he grins slowly before reaching for a magazine; Busty Asian Beauties. He picks it up, smirks, and flips through it before stuffing it in the bag too. He spots a familiar chocolate bar and smiles as he reaches to grab a couple of them for his sister before walking over to the cash register.

He sets down the bag and hits a single button on the register, snapping his fingers in satisfaction when it pops open. As he's looting the cash, the TV to his left flicks on, showing only static. He shuts it off, only to have a radio to his right turn on to white noise.

Not wasting another moment, he goes to another shelf grabs a carton of salt, opens it, and begins to pour it along the windowsill. A high-pitched single tone begins and Dean clutches his left ear in pain as he continues to pour salt with his right hand. As it continues, he drops the salt and crouches to the floor, groaning in agony. 

The window above his head shatters as the sound continues, he covers his head from the glass before he leaps to his feet to try and escape but more glass on the ceiling and walls shatters before the sound finally comes to a stop relieving Dean's head. He looks around the space cautiously before grabbing the bag from the counter and heading to a nearby payphone in hopes of reaching out to someone.

Dean dials a number and hears only an alert tone, "We're sorry. You have reached a number that has been disconnected." Dean hangs up the pay phone and inserts another coin, dials another number recieving the same response. He takes a chance at another number, it rings once, then is picked up.

"Yeah?" Bobby Singer's voice came through the phone. "Bobby?" Dean's raspy tone replied with hope in his voice. "Yeah?" Bobby asked a second time. "It's me," Dean told him. "Who's 'me'?" Bobby asked him. "Dean," Dean answered him however, a dial tone sounded causing Dean to realize that Bobby had hung up on him; Dean hung up the receiver and dialed again.

"Who is this?" Bobby asked the moment that he answered. "Bobby, listen to me," Dean pleaded but Bobby wasn't listening, "This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill ya." The dial tone sounded again so Dean hung up the receiver with a defeated sigh, he turned to see an old, beat-up white car parked outside prompting his eyes to light up with a plan.

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Millie gasped as she sat up straight from the desk, she wiped away the stray tears from her cheeks before running her fingers through her hair. She reached for her glass and downed what was left in it before she pushed the book in front of her aside, "Pops?" Millie got up and walked downstairs to see Bobby sitting at his usual desk, a bottle of scotch in reach along with a couple of books in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Bobby asked Millie, he noticed the puffiness of her eyes and immediately wished he could take her pain away. "Just another sleepless night... Managed about an hour or so of sleep," Millie answered him truthfully before walking into the kitchen.

"Are you okay, Pops? You seem off," Millie asked Bobby who sighed though the ghost of a smile appeared hearing what she referred him as before pouring himself another drink, "Just a couple of prank calls." Millie frowned before turning to the fridge. "I might have to do a milk run, we're running low," Millie told Bobby before closing the fridge, She turned to him when someone knocked on the door.

Bobby and Millie looked at each other before Bobby made his way over to the front door, Millie stayed hidden in the kitchen considering neither of them was expecting anyone. Bobby opens the door to see Dean standing there looking winded and apprehensive, he smiles cautiously as Bobby looks at him suspiciously.

"Surprise," Dean says with a smile. "I, I don't..." Bobby stuttered out. "Yeah, me neither," Dean entered the house, "But here I am." Behind his back, Bobby takes a silver knife and as Dean approaches, Bobby lunges forward and slashes at him. Dean grabs his arm and twists it around; Bobby breaks the grip and backhands him in the face.

"Bobby! It's me!" Dean shouts gaining Millie's attention, her eyes go wide as her dream hits her and she rushes out into the main room where Bobby and Dean are standing off. "Dean?" Millie whispered gaining his attention but Bobby was too suspicious of Dean. "Stay back, Millie," Bobby warned while Dean had tears forming at the sight of his little sister.

Dean shoves a chair between himself and Bobby, he holds his hands out, "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Your name is Robert Steven Singer. You became a hunter after your wife got possessed, and... you're about the closest thing I have to a father. Bobby. It's me." Bobby lowered the knife as Millie fought the urge to run and hug her older brother, she knew there was a risk here and it all could be fake but seeing Dean standing there alive made her blind.

Bobby stepped forward and placed his hand gently on Dean's shoulder before he slashed again but Dean quickly subdued and disarmed him. "I am not a Shapeshifter!" Dean shouted at Bobby. "Then you're a Revenant!" Bobby snapped back, and Dean shoved Bobby away, having taken the knife that he held out in front of him.

"Alright. If I was either, could I do this... with a silver knife?" Dean asked before he rolled up his sleeve, and, grimacing, sliced his arm above the elbow with the knife; a line of blood appeared. "Dean?" Bobby breathes out as he begins to believe that Dean is himself. "That's what I've been trying to tell you," Dean replied with a smile, Bobby broke and grabbed Dean, pulling him in for a tight hug. Dean returns the hug with enthusiasm, relief on his face before they pull apart.

"It's... It's good to see you, boy," Bobby told him. "Yeah, you too," Dean said before looking towards his little sister. Millie had a tear fall down her cheek before she rushed over and wrapped her arms around his torso, Dean's arms wrapped around Millie's shoulders as she snuggled against his chest; Dean's hand holding her there as she focused on his beating heart that proved he was alive.

"But... how did you bust out?" Bobby asked as he watched the siblings embrace each other, Bobby knew how much Millie was missing her big brother; especially after Sam disappeared by himself leaving her alone without even saying goodbye. It had been hard, Emelie had only known a life with Dean by her side through it all.

"I don't know. I just, uh, I just woke up in a pine box..." Dean replied as Millie pulled back from Dean only to splash his face with holy water. "I'm not a demon either, you know," Dean said while Millie looked up at him with an amused smile. "Sorry, Dean. Can't be too careful," Millie told him before Dean simply smiled and kissed the top of her head as he followed Bobby to the desk in the dining room.

"But... that don't make a lick of sense," Bobby told him as he walked around the desk. "Yeah. Yeah, you're preachin' to the choir," Dean replied to him as Millie sat down on the edge of the desk, she was happy to see her brother alive after trying so hard to find a way to bring him back.

"Dean..." Millie spoke softly, "Your chest was ribbons, your insides were slop. And you've been buried for four months. Even if you could slip out of hell and back into your body--" Dean nodded at his sister, "I know, I should look like a Thriller video reject." Millie tilted her head slightly before she sighed fighting the images from that night that threatened to plague her mind.

"What do you remember?" Bobby asked Dean. "Bobby..." Millie muttered with a shake of her head, she wouldn't want Dean to remember his time under, and nor did she want him to feel forced into telling them what he experienced. "Not much. I remember I was a Hellhound's chew toy, and then... light's out. Then I come to six feet under, that was it."

Bobby sat down while Millie sent her brother a sympathetic smile as he continued, "Sam's number's not working. He's, uh... he's not..." Millie shook her head but it was clear she held some anger with him. "Oh, he's alive. As far as we know," Bobby replied to Dean who furrowed his brows hearing that. "Good... Wait, what do you mean, as far as you know?" Dean asked the two of them.

"We haven't talked to him in months," Bobby answered him. "You're kidding, you both just let him go off by himself?" Dean asked them. "He was dead set on it," Bobby argued with Dean. "Bobby, you should've been looking after him," Dean told Bobby before glancing at Millie who sighed, if only Dean realized.

"I tried. These last few months haven't been exactly easy, you know. For him or Millie or me," Bobby told Dean while Millie laughed quietly. "He left in the middle of the night, Dean. No goodbye, no note. And when Bobby called him, Sam said he didn't want me around," Millie told Dean with a shrug, "So when he left, I just... We had to bury you, Dean."

Dean was unhappy with Sam for leaving Millie behind and he'd be talking to him about that, he was just glad that Millie stayed with Bobby. "Why did you bury me anyway?" Dean asked making Millie turn to Bobby who raised a brow at her. "I wanted you salted and burned. Usual drill. But... Sam and Millie wouldn't have it," Bobby said causing Dean to look at Millie.

"Well, I'm glad they won that one," Dean said while Millie let out a breath. "They said you'd need a body when he got you back home somehow. That's about all he said," Bobby informed Dean who turned a glare onto his sister. "Don't give me that look, Dean. I tried everything to bring you back but nothing worked... So I came back here and worked a few jobs," Millie explained to Dean who sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"And what about Sam?" Dean asked. "He was quiet. Real quiet. And then he just took off. Wouldn't return our calls. I tried to find him, but he didn't want to be found," Bobby answered him. "Oh, dammit, Sammy," Dean muttered. "What?" Bobby asked him while Millie sighed.

"Oh, he got me home okay. But whatever he did, it is bad mojo," Dean told Bobby who shared a look with Millie. "What makes you so sure?" Millie asked her brother. "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," Dean explained before revealing the handprint brand on his left shoulder.

"What the hell?" Bobby muttered while Millie climbed off of the desk and stepped closer, she lightly trailed her fingers across the mark before pouting up at her brother. "What the hell did Sammy do?" Millie muttered. "It was like a demon just yanked me out. Or rode me out," Dean told them before resting his arm on Millie's shoulder, she didn't bother to push him off after missing him for the past four months.

"But why?" Bobby questioned. "To hold up their end of the bargain," Dean suggested. "You think Sam made a deal?" Bobby questioned him. "It's what I would have done," Dean replied but Millie shrugged. "I tried deals with demons, Dean. They were all pretty set on keeping you down under," Millie told her brother truthfully, she had sent a fair few demons to hell due to their constant tormenting. "Only one way to find out," Dean said before he moved to locate Sam.

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After locating Sam in Pontiac, Illinois, the trio got into Bobby's car and immediately headed in that direction. Millie sat in the back of the car, she rambled about the hunts she had been doing during the last two months and he was happy to hear that she had managed herself well in the cases. Soon enough, they reached their destination and headed into the Astoria Hotel where the three of them reached the door with the number 207 inside of a red heart.

The door opened by a young woman with dark hair, wearing only a tank top and underwear. She looks at them expectantly, "So where is it?" Millie furrowed her brows in confusion, her instincts telling her to be wary of the woman in front of her. "Where's what?" Dean asked after sharing a look with Bobby.

"The pizza... that takes two guys and a girl to deliver?" She replied to him with a confused expression. "I think we got the wrong room," Dean told her before Sam stepped into the light, grim and focused but thankfully, he was wearing a grey t-shirt and jeans. "Hey, is..." Sam trailed off spotting Dean standing between Bobby and Millie.

He swallows, shocked, his eyes flicking between the three standing in the doorway. "Heya, Sammy," Dean says as he steps into the room ignoring the stranger who steps aside to let him in, Bobby and Millie move into the room too. As Dean gets close, Sam pulls a knife and lunges at Dean causing the stranger to let out a scream as Dean blocks Sam's attack.

Bobby and Millie pull Sam off of Dean, Bobby gripping him around the shoulders as Millie stands between the brothers with her hands raised defensively. "Who are you?" Sam shouts as he struggles in Bobby's hold. "Like you didn't do this!" Dean snapped at Sam. "Do what?!" Sam shouted back. "It's him. It's him. We've been through this already, it's really him," Bobby reassures Sam while Millie nods her head.

"He's here, Sammy. It's Dean," Millie added when Sam looked to her for confirmation. Bobby lets go of Sam who looks on the verge of tears as he steps forward and pulls Dean into a desperate hug. They embrace for several seconds, heavy with emotion, as Bobby looks on with tears in his eyes, his arm around Millie's shoulders after she leaned into him.

Sam pushes Dean back to arm's length as the stranger looks on with a confused expression on her face before she speaks, "So are you two like... together?" Millie's eyes widened as she bit back a laugh, Sam turned to her with a bewildered expression. "What? No. No, he's my brother," Sam told her receiving a nod. "Uh... got it. I... I guess. Look, I should probably go," The stranger spoke before she got dressed and left.

Sam was sitting on the edge of the bed tying up his shoes, Dean was standing above him with his arms crossed. He and Bobby were both looking at Sam suspiciously while Millie looked around the room, her gut instincts had eased upon the stranger leaving and it made her feel uncertain about what her brother may be up to.

"So tell me, what'd it cost?" Dean asked Sam who laughed and looked up at his brother. "The girl? I don't pay, Dean," Sam replied with a smile. "That's not funny, Sam. To bring me back. What'd it cost? Was it just your soul, or was it something worse?" Dean asked Sam. "You think I made a deal?" Sam asked, glancing at Millie who sent him a look.

"That's exactly what we think," Bobby answered him. "Well, I didn't," Sam replied to him. "Don't lie to me," Dean told him intensely. "I'm not lying," Sam replied and Millie could tell he was being truthful about that, she could always pick up on her twins' lies. "So what now, I'm off the hook and you're on, is that it? You're some demon's bitch-boy? I didn't want to be saved like this," Dean said to Sam as he advanced towards him.

"Look, Dean, I wish I had done it, all right?" Sam replied as he stood angrily. "There's no other way that this could have gone down. Now tell the truth!" Dean shouted as he grabbed the front of Sam's shirt. Sam broke Dean's grip, "I tried everything. 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. Four months... I couldn't stop it. So I'm sorry it wasn't me, all right? Dean, I'm sorry."

Millie took in a deep breath as she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed. "It's okay, Sammy. You don't have to apologize, I believe you," Dean told Sam with a reassuring look. "Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam's soul remains intact, but it does raise a sticky question," Bobby told them causing Millie to sigh. "If Sam didn't pull Dean out, then what did?" Millie asked with a worried gaze, she felt Sam's eyes but ignored him.

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Dean, Bobby, and Millie are seated on the couch, Sam enters and passes out bottles of beer before he sits across from Dean. "So what were you doing around here if you weren't digging me out of my grave?" Dean asked Sam. "Well, once I figured out I couldn't save you, I started hunting down Lillith, trying to get some payback," Sam answered him.

"All by yourself! Who do you think you are, your old man?" Bobby asked accusingly while Millie sent Sam a disappointed look. Dean, however, spots something and frowns before he crosses toward it. "Uh, yeah, I'm sorry, Bobby. I should have called. I was pretty messed up," Sam replied to Bobby.

Dean picks up what he'd seen a pink flowered bra and holds it up, "Oh yeah. I really feel your pain." Millie shook her head as Dean tossed the bra aside. "Anyways, uh, I was checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked it up here," Sam explained to them ignoring Dean's comment. "When?" Dean asked. "Yesterday morning," Sam answered him.

"When I busted out," Dean replied, sharing a glance with Bobby. "You think these demons are here 'cause of you?" Bobby asked Dean while Millie nodded. "But why?" Sam questioned. "Well, I don't know ─ some badass demon drags me out, and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow," Dean answered him.

"How you feelin', anyway?" Bobby questioned Dean. "I'm a little hungry," Dean answered making Millie smile, admittedly she felt hungry right now too. "No, I mean, do you feel like yourself? Anything strange, or different?" Bobby asked. "Or demonic? Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?" Dean replied to him with a serious look.

"Yeah. Well, listen. No demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts. They've gotta have something nasty planned," Bobby explained to Dean matching his serious look. "Well, I feel fine," Dean told him with a tone of finality, his eyes flickered to his little sister who seemed dazed as she clearly tried to work out any answers about their situation.

"Okay, look, we don't know what they're planning. We got a pile of questions and no shovel. We need help," Sam spoke up with Millie nodding. "We definitely need to start looking into this," Millie added as she stood up straight and crossed her arms. "I know a psychic. A few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking," Bobby spoke prompting Millie to perk up with a smile.

"It's been a while, it'll be nice to see her again," Millie said making Bobby smile. "Hell yeah, it's worth a shot," Dean stated. "I'll be right back," Bobby informed them before heading out to make a call. Dean stands as if to leave but Sam stops him, "Hey, wait. You probably want this back."

Sam reaches into his collar and pulls out a cord. It's Dean's amulet, he places it in Dean's hand. Dean looks at it, he smiles softly at the sight of the familiar amulet. "Thanks," Dean told him while Millie looked down. "Yeah, don't mention it," Sam said as Dean put the amulet on. "Hey Dean, what was it like?" Sam questioned Dean.

"What, Hell? I don't know. I... I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing," Dean told Sam but Millie saw the way the light in Dean's eyes darkened, she knew he remembered but she wasn't going to push him to talk about it; she'd just let him know she is there for him no matter what.

"Well, thank God for that," Sam said with a nod while Millie made her way toward the door but Sam stopped her. "I'm sorry, Millie," Sam told her as Dean watched. "For what part, Sam? For abandoning me when I needed you? Or for when you didn't even bother to check in so I had no idea if you were alive or dead," Millie asked him as she looked up at him with watery eyes, anger present in them.

"Millie..." Sam trailed off when Millie shook her head. "It'll take more than an apology, Sam. You gotta earn that back and so far... It's not looking pretty," Millie told him before she walked out of the room. "You got work to do," Dean told Sam harshly before following after the youngest Winchester. It was obvious that Millie was the favoured Winchester.

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Bobby leads the Winchester trio down a set of steps toward the cars in the parking lot. "She's about four hours down the interstate. Try to keep up," Bobby told his kids before getting into his own car. "I assume you'll want to drive," Sam asked Dean as he tossed Dean the keys to the Impala, Millie had missed the car she grew up in; she still felt a little resentful towards Sam for taking the car without hesitation.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Dean said as he lovingly ran a hand across the car. "Hey, sweetheart, did you miss me?" Dean asked the car while the twins watched him with amused smiles. Dean gets into the driver's side and settles in as Sam gets into the passenger seat, Millie climbing into the back seat with a fond smile.

Dean spots an iPod plugged into the stereo and gives it a dirty look before glaring at Sam who raises a brow, Millie shaking her head. "What the hell is that?" Dean questioned Sam. "That's an iPod jack," Sam answered him while Millie lay across the back seat, placing her arm behind her head and closing her eyes.

"You were supposed to take care of her, not douche her up," Dean told Sam with a shake of his head. "Dean, I thought it was my car," Sam replied to him. Dean sneers, sighs, and turns the key in the ignition. "Vision" by Jason Manns begins to play, Dean rolls his eyes and glares at Sam again, looking pained. Even Millie winced, though she didn't mind the song, she definitely preferred classic rock and such like her eldest brother.

"Really?" Dean questioned him, Sam shrugged innocently before Dean ripped the iPod out of the jack and tossed it in the back seat. "Ow!" Millie shouts when the iPod jack hits her in the stomach, she rubs the point of impact. "Sorry, Millie. Next time, I'm leaving the Impala with Emelie," Dean told Sam who sighed.

"Hell yeah!" Millie cheered before pouting, the blanket that was usually in the backseat for her was gone. "Where's my blanket?" Millie asked Sam who turned to her. "Oh! Hold on a minute," Sam quickly got out of the car and grabbed the blanket from the boot, he handed it to her and smiled as she wrapped herself in it.

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"Millie..." Dean spoke softly as he shook his sister slightly, she opened her eyes and yawned seeing Dean's green eyes; she was startled for a moment before remembering what had happened. "We're here," Dean told her, Millie nodded before sitting up and running her fingers through her messy hair. They approached the door and Bobby knocked, Pamela opened the door and smiled.

"Bobby!" Pamela greets him before pulling him into a hug, lifting him briefly off the ground as Sam and Dean share a look. "You're a sight for sore eyes," Bobby told her as she stepped back. "Emelie Winchester," Pamela greeted before grabbing Millie's hand and pulling her closer, the two shared a kiss making Sam and Dean raise their brows in stunned surprise.

"I've missed you too," Millie told Pamela once they pulled away, Pamela looked at Sam and Dean, openly looking them up and down appraisingly. "So, these the boys?" Pamela asked Bobby. "Sam, Dean. This is Pamela Barnes, the best damn psychic in the state," Bobby introduced with Millie nodding in agreement. "She's saved my ass a bunch of times," Millie added making Pamela smile.

"And what a fine ass it is," Pamela commented making Millie grin. "Hey," Dean said in a flirty tone. "Hi," Sam asked in a more awkward tone. "Mmm-mmm-mmm. Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh? Makes you a rare individual," Pamela commented.

"If you say so," Dean replied to her. "Come on in," Pamela motioned for them to follow her inside, they followed her into her main room. "So, you hear anything?" Bobby asked the woman with a hopeful tone. "Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits. No one seems to know who broke your boy out or why," Pamela explained to Bobby.

"So what's next?" Millie asked her. "A séance, I think. See if we can see who did the deed," Pamela answered her. "You're not gonna... summon the damn thing here," Bobby asked her. "No. I just want to get a peek at it. Like a crystal ball without the crystal," Pamela assured him. "I'm game," Dean said, everyone agreeing.

The five of them sat around the circular table once Pamela had set it up, six candles lit around the center of the table. "Right. Take each other's hands," Pamela instructed, Millie sat between Pamela and Bobby, she took their hands in hers. "And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched," Pamela added before sliding her hand along Dean's inner thigh.

"Whoa. Well, he didn't touch me there," Dean told her while Millie laughed, she had always admired Pamela's forward nature and had even found it attractive. "My mistake," Pamela told him with a smirk on her face. Dean looks around, nervous, then takes off his outer shirt, and pulls up his left t-shirt sleeve to reveal the brand. Sam stares at it, shocked before looking at Bobby.

Pamela lays her hand on the brand, "I invoke, conjure, and command you, appear unto me before this circle." Pamela continued to repeat the chant another three times, and the television flicked on to static as she did. "Castiel? No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy," Pamela suddenly said gaining the table's attention.

"Castiel?" Dean asked while Millie began to feel uneasy, she didn't like this idea anymore; something screamed for her to stop Pamela. "It's name. It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back," Pamela explained to Dean. White noise and static continue, and the table begins to shake as Pamela continues her chant.

"We need to stop... Pam, please, we need to stop," Millie said with fear in her eyes, Dean noticed the genuine fear in his little sister's eyes and he wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay but he was frozen. "Maybe we should stop," Bobby added. "I almost got it. I command you, show me your face! Show me your face now!" Pamela commanded.

Suddenly, the candles flare up several feet in the air, the room rattling with noise and Pamela begins to scream. Her eyes fly open and are filled with white-hot flame. She collapses; the rattling, white noise, and flames die out. "Call 9-1-1!" Bobby orders as Millie helps Pamela lay on the ground, tears falling down her face.

Sam scrambles out of his chair and into the next room to call an ambulance. Dean crouches over Pamela, she is conscious, but bleeding and burned. Her eyelids fly open to reveal black, empty sockets. "I can't see! I can't see! Oh, God!" Pamela sobbed making Millie feel immense regret for letting the woman do this.

"I warned her... I told her to turn back..." A voice softly echoed through Millie's head, she closed her eyes and let Bobby take Pamela into his arms. Millie stepped back and Dean pulled her into his arms, the two stayed silent as they waited for the ambulance to show up; both feeling guilty for what happened to Pamela.

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Millie sat at the table in Johnny Mac's Diner with her head in her hands, Dean placed his hand on her shoulder. "She'll be okay, Mills," Dean whispered to her. "I hope so. I need to tell you something, Dean. I heard--" Millie was cut off by Sam approaching them. "How is she?" Millie asked Sam as he sat down across from Dean. "Pam's stable. And out of I.C.U," Sam answered her making Millie let out a breath of relief.

"And blind, because of us," Dean added. "And we still have no clue who we're dealing with," Sam continued as Millie leaned back in her seat. "That's not entirely true," Millie said. "No?" Sam questioned. "Right. We got a name. Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo, we could summon him, bring him right to us," Dean explained.

"You're crazy. Absolutely not," Sam said shaking his head. "We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?" Dean said to Sam. "Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face-to-face?" Sam asked Dean like he was insane. "You got a better idea?" Dean asked him, he was eager to get the answers he needed.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do. I followed some demons to town, right?" Sam asked him. "Okay," Dean entertained his question. "So, we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something," Sam replied to him, the waitress reappeared with two plates of pie, she set one in front of Dean and one in front of Millie.

The waitress then plops down in a chair across from Millie, Dean looks over at her with a smirk and raised brows. "You angling for a tip?" Dean asked her while Millie furrowed her brows, something about the waitress seemed off. "I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us," The waitress, Flo asked him.

Her eyes overlap with pure black for a moment before she blinks them away, a uniformed man by the counter and a cook behind the counter also show their demon-black eyes before the uniformed man goes to the door, locks it, and stands in front of it preventing anyone from leaving or coming in.

"Dean. To Hell and back. Aren't you a lucky duck?" Flo questioned him but it was clear that she was angry with him. "That's me," Dean responds to her while Millie sits up straight, her eyes flitting around the room at the demons prepared to fight. "So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so special?" Flo asked him with a sneer.

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples. I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out," Dean explained to the demon who didn't seem to believe him. "Right. You don't," Flo mocked him. "No. We don't," Millie added with a stern tone.

"Lying's a sin, you know," Flo teased Millie who glared back at her, Everyone knew that Millie was more like Dean than Sam; which made her both impulsive and a real threat in a fight. "She's not lying. But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo..." Dean leaned closer to Flo with raised brows.

"Mind your tone with me, boy. I'll drag you back to Hell myself," Flo threatened making both Sam and Millie tense up, they both were ready to defend their older brother. Dean holds a hand up and the twins stop, settling back into their seats. "No, you won't," Dean told her. "No?" Flo asked her with a smirk, Millie watched Dean closely. "No," Dean reiterated, "Because if you were you would have done it already." Millie agreed with Dean, the demons would have attacked them already but they were on edge.

"Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are. And you're looking for answers," Dean said to her with an amused expression, his jaw tense as he spoke, "Well, maybe it was some turbo-charged spirit. Or, uh, Godzilla. Or some big bad boss demon. I'm guessing at your pay grade that they don't tell you squat. Because whoever it was, they want me out. And they're a lot stronger than you. So go ahead. Send me back, but don't come crawling to me when they show up on your front doorstep with some Vaseline and a fire hose."

"I'm going to reach down your throat and rip out your lungs," Flo threatened but even Millie knew it was an empty threat. Dean leans forward, a challenge in his eyes. He throws a slap at her, which she takes before he throws another. She still does nothing but glare at them, looking more and more nervous by the second which was amusing for Millie to see.

"That's what I thought. Let's go, Sam, Millie," Dean said, the three of them stood up as Flo stayed seated, fuming. Dean pulls out a roll of cash and carefully peels off a ten-dollar bill, he holds it up and drops it on the table like an insult. "For the pie," Dean told her before they left the diner.

· · ─────── ·✦ʚɞ✦· ─────── · ·

Emelie, Sam, and Dean stalk out of the diner and across the street, tense and quick. "Holy crap, that was close," Dean says as he shakes off the adrenaline, it was clear that he was uneasy about what had just happened. "We're not just going to leave them in there, are we, Dean?" Sam asked Dean while Millie raised a brow.

"Sammy, there's three of them, probably more, and we've only got one knife between us," Millie replied to Sam. "I've been killing a lot more demons than that lately," Sam argued making Millie roll her eyes. "Not anymore, the smarter siblings are back in town," Dean replied to him making Millie grin.

"Dean, Mills, we've got to take 'em. They are dangerous," Sam told them. "They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out. We're dealing with a bad mofo here. One job at a time," Dean expressed to Sam with Millie agreeing with him. "Let's just head back to the Motel for now, huh?" Millie suggested and the two agreed, though Sam was reluctant.

Once the Winchester trio made it to the motel, Dean dozed off on the couch with a large book open in his lap while Millie had her head on her arms sitting at the table in the room. Sam sneaks out, checking to make sure Dean or Millie doesn't wake before leaving the Motel.

As Dean sleeps, the television flicks on to the now-familiar static, and the radion starts whining as well. It wakes Dean, who rubs the sleep out of his eyes and rolls quickly to grab a shotgun lying by the bed as Millie wakes up. Dean looks around cautiously, glances at Sam's bed, and sees that it is empty which Millie notices next.

The painfully high-pitched noise begins again, and he grabs his right ear, keeping the weapon up in his left hand. Millie watches her brother in confusion as she hears a soft voice calling Dean's name rather than the pitched frequency that Dean is hearing. A mirror on the ceiling shatters and rains broken glass down on him as he covers Millie from the sharp pieces, all the glass in the room shatters explosively as Bobby enters the room.

· · ─────── ·✦ʚɞ✦· ─────── · ·

Millie, Bobby, and Dean left the Motel and headed to a warehouse where the three of them put up every ward, trap, and sigil they knew of on the walls. "That's a hell of an art project you two have got going there," Dean told Bobby and Millie, the latter smiled at Dean as she walked over to him; all that time reading everything she could access was helpful in the life of a Hunter.

"Traps and talismans from every faith on the globe. How you doin'?" Bobby asked Dean. "Stakes, iron, silver, salt, knife. I mean, we're pretty much set to catch and kill anything I've ever heard of," Dean replied to him. "Let's hope something works against him," Millie voiced with some concern in her tone.

"This is still a bad idea," Bobby informed them. "Yeah, Bobby, I heard you the first ten times. What do you say we ring the dinner bell?" Dean asked him. Bobby nods reluctantly, he goes over to another desk, takes a pinch of some powder from a bowl, and sprinkles it into a larger bowl, which begins to smoke; He chants in Latin.

Millie sighed as she climbed up onto the table, she crossed her legs and looked bored as she used her knife to pick dirt out from under her fingernails. "You sure you did the ritual right?" Dean asked Bobby, They had been waiting for a while now, and Bobby sent Dean a look. "Sorry. Touchy, touchy, huh?" Dean said rhetorically.

As if on cue, a loud rattling shakes the roof. Dean and Bobby arm themselves with shotguns and take positions at the far end of the warehouse, Millie climbed off of the table and held her knife tight in her grip. "Wishful thinking, but maybe it's just the wind," Dean said as Millie moved to stand next to him. The door bursts open and a handsome man in a business suit and trenchcoat stalks in, Millie pieced it together and knew that it had to be Castiel.

The light bulbs above his head shatter in a shower of sparks as he passes them. As he approaches, Dean and Bobby both open fire, but the shots do not even slow him down. Dean takes the Demon Knife as Castiel gets close, Millie looks him up and down with furrowed brows, not a single injury.

"Who are you?" Dean asked him in a deep tone. "I'm the one who gripped you tight and raised you from perdition," Castiel responded with a small smile. "Yeah. Thanks for that," Dean replied making Castiel's smile widen. Dean rears back and plunges the Demon Knife into Castiel's chest and hits his heart without any effects.

Castiel looks down unconcerned and pulls it out, drops it to the floor. Behind him, Bobby attacks; without looking, Castiel grabs Bobby's weapon and uses it to swing him around. Castiel touches Bobby on the forehead with his fingertips and Bobby crumples to the ground before he turns to Millie, reaching out and doing the same to her.

· · ─────── ·✦ʚɞ✦· ─────── · ·

After checking on Bobby, Dean leans over Millie and checks her pulse, relief flooding through him feeling her strong heartbeat. "Your friend and sister are alive," Castiel assured Dean, his gaze lingering on Millie with furrowed brows due to the energy coming off of her. "Who are you?" Dean asked with a glare. "Castiel," Castiel replied to him. "Yeah, I figured that much, I mean, what are you?" Dean demanded.

"I'm an Angel of the Lord," Castiel told him, Dean scoffed in disbelief. "Get the hell out of here. There's no such thing," Dean snarked back at him. "This is your problem, Dean. You have no faith," Castiel replied to him, glancing at Millie who did have the faith Castiel hoped Dean would carry.

Lightning flashes through the warehouse, and on Castiel's back great shadowy wings appear, stretching off into the distance; The light goes out and the silhouette disappears. "Some Angel you are. You burned out that poor woman's eyes," Dean said to Castiel. "I warned her not to spy on my true form, I warned Emelie too. It can be... overwhelming to humans, and so can my real voice. But you already knew that," Castiel expressed.

"You mean, the gas station and the motel. That was you talking?" Dean asked receiving a nod from Castiel before Dean continued, "Buddy, next time, lower the volume." Castiel sighed, "That was my mistake. Certain people, special people, can perceive my true visage. I thought you would be one of them, much like Emelie, but I was wrong."

"Emelie can see and hear your true visage?" Dean asked as he glanced at his sister, he remembered back to when she tried to tell him something but was cut off by Sam; And he remembered what Sam mentioned about Lillith's power not working on Millie either, a strange glow had formed around her to protect her.

"Emelie has many special... qualities. But yes, your sister can perceive my true visage," Castiel answered him. "And what visage are you in now, huh? What, holy tax accountant?" Dean questioned him. "This? This is... a vessel," Castiel informed him causing Dean to look up at him. "You're possessing some poor bastard?" Dean asked in an accusatory tone.

"He's a devout man, he actually prayed for this," Castiel assured Dean but it didn't ease Dean's Hunting instincts. "Well, I'm not buying what you're selling, so who are you really?" Dean questioned him making Castiel frown. "I told you," Castiel said to him. "Right. And why would an Angel rescue me from Hell?" Dean asked him, his expression of confusion and self-doubt.

"Good things do happen, Dean," Castiel said to him. "Not in my experience," Dean argued back. "What's the matter? You don't think you deserve to be saved?" Castiel questioned Dean. "Why'd you do it?" Dean asked him ignoring Castiel's questions. "Because God commanded it. Because we have work for you," Castiel answered him.

· · ─────── ·✦ʚɞ✦· ─────── · ·

· · ─────── ·✦ʚɞ✦· ─────── · ·

Rosemary's Word of God;

Welcome to Wayward Winchesters.
This is a book that was being heavily pre-written but I couldn't help myself and had to release it. Emelie is a character I have grown to love and adore with my heart and soul.

Also want to point out this chapter is almost 8k words which is honestly my longest chapter I've written for a book so... that's gonna be the standard for this book; updates will be slow due to this.

She will have multiple interests but I plan to have her endgame be Gabriel himself; So yes, the story will have script changes in regards to Gabriel's deaths.

Anyway, I do hope you enjoy this book that I started back in early August. It follows an online script which played a major role in how I wrote this book. Please leave a vote and comment!

And I'll see you in the next chapter!

Edit Dec '24 ──── I have changed ocs name from Amelia to Emelie. If you see the name 'Amelia', please let me know so I can eventually edit it.