CHAPTER TWENTY NINE:
WISHFUL THINKING.

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SAM SCREAMING HER NAME louder than she had ever heard before still crept into her dreams at night. Some of those peaceful dreams twisted into gory nightmares that made her wake with a sudden jolt, breathing heavily as she momentarily forgot where she was or what was even going on.

Birdie was expecting it after everything that had happened in the last few months, but it'd been a few weeks since she dreamt of that night.

Sam, of course, was always there for Birdie and never left her side no matter what. He couldn't bare the thought of almost losing her again——not after he'd just lost Dean. Bobby nor Kaiya had been told about what had happened that night; they wouldn't understand, or why Sam and Birdie did the things that they did. Sam still struggled to wrap his head around the entire thing, but over the last few months, saving more lives than ever before with Birdie right at his side——things had been going quite well. But alas, Birdie did not get a peaceful night of sleep like she'd been hoping for after meeting angels that reminded her more of demons and dealing with a powerful demon named Samhain.

Birdie's eyes snapped open in alert, her heart loudly beating in her ears. Something shifted into her view, startling her as she started to scoot away. "Bird, hey, hey, hey, it's okay. It's okay," Sam's soothing voice assured her. Birdie blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the darkness that surrounded her like a blanket. She could faintly make out Sam's features in the moonlight streaming into the motel room, his face peering down at her with concern, body twisted around so that he was facing her. Dean wasn't in the opposite bed like he had been when they'd gone to sleep, leaving Sam and Birdie completely alone. "Birdie?"

Birdie let out a shaky breath as her heart rate started to return to a normal pace, silently peering at Sam. Then, without warning, she threw her arms around his neck. Sam quickly reciprocated, wrapping an arm around her. He carefully shifted in the bed, laying on his back. He tugged Birdie closer, her arms still wrapped around him with her head now laying on his chest. "It's okay, Bird," Sam whispered, gently stroking her back in a comforting manner that seemed to ease her. "I gotcha."

Birdie readjusted her head on his chest, closing her eyes as she focused on the sound of his heartbeat. "I'm sorry," she murmured a few moments later, feeling herself start to relax.

Sam shifted his position, his hand still trailing up and down Birdie's back. His warmth brought a sense of comfort to Birdie, easing her as she lay in his arms and she tried not to think about what had gone on inside her head. "For what?" he wondered.

"For waking you."

"You don't need to be sorry, Bird," Sam softly said, turning his head slightly to peer down at her. Birdie felt his eyes on her and she tilted her head upwards to face him. "Do you. . .wanna talk about it?"

Birdie sighed. "You can probably already guess what it was about, anyways."

Sam's brows furrowed together in thought. "The warehouse?"

Birdie nodded, moving her head as she curled further into Sam's comforting embrace. Sam tightened his arm around her, fingers circling on her lower back. "I think with everything going on. . .I just haven't really thought about it as much. I've just been so focused on Dean being back and. . .I guess I haven't truly processed it, but. . .that's nothin' new."

"It happens," Sam assured her. "And I'm always here to listen, and I'm sure Dean——"

"You want me to mention this to Dean?" Birdie wondered, lifting her head with her brows raised in disbelief. "I don't think he'd be happy to know that we're not working with one, but two demons, and one of them is using me as a meat suit."

Sam heavily sighed, giving her a pointed look. "I just meant about having nightmares. We've all had them and he gets it, too."

Birdie twisted her lips, silently nodding her head. "I know, but. . .this one's different. This one isn't just a nightmare. It really happened, and no matter what I do, I-I can't. . .shake it."

Sam's expression softened, feeling a pang of guilt strike his heart.

No matter what Birdie told him, he still blamed himself for what happened to her.

She almost died, and all because the demons wanted him.

"You know. . .it's okay not to be okay," Sam softly said.

"Sam, I don't have time to not be okay. There's——"

"Whatever you're gonna say to excuse it, don't," Sam said. Birdie sighed, lifting her head and resting it on Sam's chest so she was facing him. "Your mom's the one who taught you that——ingrained it into your head just like my dad did to Dean and me. But. . .Serena's not here anymore, neither of them are. You don't have to keep living by her standards. And hey, you've said it yourself, she fuckin' sucked. You don't need to try to make her happy. You just gotta make sure you're happy——that's what matters most."

Birdie softly smiled, a quiet laugh managing to escape her lips. "Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words?"

"Oh, that? That was nothin'," Sam chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes.

Birdie scrunched up her nose, tilting her head as she breathed out another laugh. "I know. . .I was just tryna be nice, but I take it back."

Sam gaped with offense, listening to Birdie giggle as she laid her head back down on his chest, still perfectly nestled against him; not that he minded it. "Thanks, Bird," he huffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Anytime, Samuel," she cheekily replied. Sam grumbled under his breath, making Birdie laugh even more. Her laughter died down after a few seconds, a comfortable silence washing over the two as the darkness loomed over them. "Hey, you know where Dean went?"

"Fuck if I know," Sam sighed. "Maybe he's with Cas."

"Castiel," Birdie said, faintly shaking her head. "What a dick, huh?"

"You're telling me," Sam scoffed. "I thought angels were meant to help people, but they were willing to kill a thousand people."

"I know," Birdie whispered, her sleepiness slowly starting to creep back up on her. "Doesn't sound very angel-like, does it?"

"No, not at all."

Birdie knitted her brows together, hand resting on Sam's chest beside her head. "I don't trust them, Sam."

"Is that just you saying that?" Sam wondered.

"It's me, but. . .Felicity agrees."

"That's not as comforting as you might think."

Birdie couldn't help but chuckle, lifting her head once more to catch his eyes. "When is anything ever a good sign?"

"Touché."

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Birdie offered the blond waiter who'd been tending to her and the boys a warm smile as he walked past her towards the bustling kitchen. He shot her a toothy grin as she shoveled a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth as she made her way back to the table after leaving the bathroom. As soon as she saw someone at another table eating some ice cream, she knew she had to have one for herself. (Did she steal one from the kitchen when no one was looking? Perhaps, but she wouldn't admit that to the waiter if he asked.)

"All right, so, where do we go from here?" Birdie heard Dean ask Sam. He glanced over when he saw Birdie approaching out of the corner of his eye, doing a double take when he saw the woman return with an ice cream in hand. Birdie plopped down in her seat in between the boys with a content sigh, her warm smile widening as Sam and Dean both stared at her oddly. "Where the hell'd you get that?"

"The kitchen. It's their ice cream extreme," Birdie happily answered, taking another bite. "Wanna try it?"

"Actually, yeah, I do. Thanks——" Dean started to reach for Birdie's spoon, but then she swatted his hand away. His face immediately fell, gaping at her.

Birdie smirked at his reaction, taking a large bite while she casually leaned back in her chair, one leg crossed over the other. "Well, too bad, Mr. I Keep Secrets."

Dean scoffed at that, rolling his eyes. Sam shook his head with a small smile, looking across the table at Dean. "I'm not sure what's next," he said, glancing between Dean and Birdie. "Uh, looks like it's been pretty quiet lately. No signs of demon activity, no omens or portents I can see."

Sam pulled his laptop from his bag by his chair, pushing it open as Dean took another drink of his beer. "That's good news for once," Dean said.

"Yeah, just the typical smattering of crank UFO sightings and one possible vengeful spirit. Here, check this out." Sam turned his laptop, holding it out for him to take so he could see the article for himself. Birdie scooted a little closer, taking another bite of her ice cream as she peered at the screen. "Uh. . .up in Concrete, Washington, eyewitness reports of a ghost that's been haunting the showers of a women's health facility." Dean choked on his beer when those words left Sam's lips, wiping at his mouth as he quickly pulled the laptop closer. Birdie shook her head with a snicker, eating her ice cream with contentment. "The victim claims that the ghost threw her down a flight of stairs." Dean closed the laptop, hastily fishing his hand into one of his pockets for his wallet. Sam dropped his hand, nodding his head as he spoke. "I can see you're very interested."

"Women, showers," Dean briskly said, combing through his wallet as he chewed on the last of his fries. He pulled out a ten and some ones, tossing them on the table as he looked between Sam and Birdie. "We gotta save these people."

The motel they were staying at in Concrete, Washington wasn't too far from Lucky Chin's Chinese Restaurant——the place Sam would be interviewing the woman who got pushed down the stairs at the women's health facility. While Birdie stayed behind at the motel, she only received a text from Dean that told her he and Sam were gonna check out a possible lead and asked if she wanted to come along since Sam was done with his interview, but she simply declined and didn't say anything else. She felt bad for being so short with Dean, but she could tell something was gnawing at him. With what she'd overheard Uriel tell Sam, it most likely had something to do with his torturous time in Hell.

She didn't need him to go into graphic detail, but keeping it bottled up inside wasn't going to help; it could make it worse. You're one to talk. Birdie rolled her eyes when she heard Felicity's voice echo inside her head, only shaking her head as a response to her words. She was thankful when Felicity didn't continue, letting out a breath of relief as she entered the Chinese restaurant. She purposely waited until she knew the boys were gone, but her eyes still curiously flickered around the restaurant as if she thought they might suddenly return.

And, after she overheard one of the maids at the motel talking about a magic wishing well at the Chinese restaurant, Birdie decided to check it out for herself.

She took a few steps forward, noticing a rather loved-up couple seated at one of the tables to the right. She turned her head, a small smile on her lips as she smelled the food cooking inside the kitchen in the far corner of the room. But, straight ahead of her was the fountain——the supposed magical wishing well.

Come on, Bird. You know you wanna.

"No," Birdie murmured, glancing around the room as she crept closer. She stopped in front of it, her hands tucked in her pockets as she peered down at the crystal clear water. There were a handful of coins already tossed inside, some of those wishes supposedly having come true in a matter of minutes, or so she heard the maid say. Birdie pursed her lips together, feeling a loose quarter fumbling around in her pocket.

At least you can see for yourself if it works.

'Yeah, and what about if it comes back to bite me in the ass?' Birdie thought in response.

I'll fix it like I always do.

Birdie couldn't help but scoff at that.

She let out a sigh a few seconds later, pulling the quarter out of her pocket. She sucked in a sharp breath, shaking her head. Sam and Dean wouldn't approve of what she was about to do, but they didn't need to know about it.

Birdie momentarily closed her eyes, letting out a sigh as she flipped the quarter into the fountain. She dropped her hand to her side as she heard the faint sploosh sound of it hitting the water, opening her eyes as she stole a curious look around the restaurant. Well?

Birdie faintly smiled, tucking her hands back in her pockets. "You're not supposed to tell what you wished for," she softly said, turning on her heel. "Only time will tell if it worked or not."

Asshole.

Birdie just hummed in response and exited the restaurant. She walked along the sidewalk, heading in the direction of the motel. She checked her phone in case one of the boys or Bobby might've tried to contact her, but there was nothing. She clicked on Dean's name, her finger hovering over the text option as she thought about texting him. She softly smiled to herself and hit it, sending him a text asking how things were going so far. Then she pocketed her phone and rounded a corner, grunting as something hard bumped into her side.

She staggered to the side, just barely catching her footing before she fell on her back. She sharply turned her head, expecting to see a burly man there, but all she saw was a little boy with blond hair looking at her. "Wha——did we just bump into someone?"

"No, you bumped into me, lady," the boy snapped, harshly glaring up at her.

Birdie scoffed, scrunching her nose at the little boy's attitude. "You? But you. . .it felt like I bumped into someone. . .larger. There's no way it was you."

"Yes it was."

"How?"

"I made a wish and tossed it in the well at the Chinese place," he answered, gesturing in the direction Birdie had just come from.

Birdie stood up straight, raising her brows in surprise. "Oh. . .and what-what did you wish for?"

"To be super strong," the little boy answered.

Birdie slowly nodded at his response, humming. "Well, okay then. Uh, you have fun with that."

She didn't wait for a response and began walking again, smiling to herself as the motel came into view.

Maybe her wish wouldn't turn out so bad.

Birdie jumped when the motel door opened nearly thirty minutes after she returned, but she instantly relaxed when she realized it was Dean. He raised his brows, not missing how she'd reacted. "Woah, just me, Bird," he softly chuckled. He walked further into the room, giving her a small smile as he raised a brow in her direction. He shrugged off his jacket, hanging it on the coat rack beside the door. "You know, you've been kinda jumpy lately. Wanna tell me what's goin' on?"

"I. . .I think it's just everything that's been going on. . ." she softly said, leaning against the wall as she sat on one of the beds. "Lilith——again——the seals, fuckin' angels. . .it's. . .it's a lot. I don't think my brain can process it all at once."

"Is that it?" Dean asked. Birdie knitted her brows together, staring across at Dean as he sat facing her on the opposite bed. Dean let out a tired sigh, giving her a look as he shifted on the bed. "It doesn't have anything to do with what happened a few days ago?"

Birdie glanced down at her hands, shaking her head. She knew exactly what Dean was referring to——Sam using his powers to stop Samhain after the angels told Dean to stop him. "Dean. . ."

"I thought you of all people would be on my side on this," Dean said. "I just don't get it, Birdie."

Birdie pursed her lips, slowly lifting her head to look at him. "We've gone through this already, Dean. Do you honestly think I'd support this if I thought it was too dangerous?"

"Yes, because it's Sam. Sam can do no wrong in your eyes," Dean sharply responded. Birdie blinked, sitting up straighter when she heard the tone in Dean's voice. Dean shifted on the bed, clearing his throat. "I just mean. . .you trust him a lot, and so do I, but Bird, come on, you gotta know this is wrong."

"Dean," Birdie started, looking Dean straight in the eye, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do," Dean instantly replied. "But this isn't about you, it's about——"

Dean was interrupted by his stomach suddenly gurgling; even Birdie heard it from where she was seated. Birdie raised her brows, watching Dean's eyes widen. "Dean? You alright?"

"No." He immediately darted from the bed, heading straight for the bathroom across the room. Birdie hastily shot up, her lips falling open when she heard him begin to puke.

"Dean?" Birdie called out, hurrying up to the bathroom. She knocked on the door, hearing no more sounds. "Are you——" Birdie instantly scrunched up her nose, hearing him puking once again.

He loudly groaned, coughing. "Bird, check-check the left pocket of my jacket." Birdie turned and walked over to his jacket, starting to rummage through his pocket. "There should be. . .a drawing——"

"Of a coin?" she asked, peering down at the small piece of paper she'd found.

"Yeah! See. . .see what you can find out about it."

"Okay. . .but Dean? Do you need anything?" Birdie wondered, her concern still laced within her voice.

"No, no. I'll be fine——" Dean gagged, coughing. "I'll get back to you on that."

Birdie frowned and made her way towards her bag, pulling out her laptop. She placed it on top of the desk across from the bed, sinking down into the chair. She set the drawing beside her and opened her laptop, quickly getting to researching. But, as she did so, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.

"Hey, Dean?"

"What?"

"You didn't make a wish at that Chinese restaurant, did you?"

Dean gagged again, grunting. "Yeah. So much for that, huh?"

Birdie heavily sighed, resting her chin on her hand as she closed her eyes.

Well, fuck me,' she thought to herself.

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Dean popped in and out of the bathroom due to the sandwich he'd wished for, doing his own research on his computer when he wasn't vomiting. He and Birdie went back and forth, eventually finding a website that actually gave them some answers about the coin. But, right then Dean was hurrying back into the bathroom to pour out even more contents of his stomach. Birdie stood up with her computer and sat it on the bed. She grabbed her bag from off the floor and placed it on the edge, digging inside. She pulled out a plain black shirt and a flannel, pausing as she examined the flannel. It certainly wasn't hers. She adjusted it so she could see the tag, features softening when she saw KO scribbled on it. It was Kaiya's.

Birdie sadly smiled and slipped off her hoodie, making sure the bathroom door was still shut. Then she slipped on the black shirt and then the flannel. The faint scent of flowers filled her nose, reminding her of Kaiya. She moved her bag and set it on the ground again, sighing as she took a seat on the bed. "You doin' alright, Dean?" Dean's only response was a pained groan. "If you need anything, let me know, okay?"

"Will. . .do."

Birdie scooted further on the bed to lay against the pillows, her computer still open in front of her. She looked up when she heard the door open again, offering Sam a small smile this time. He opened his mouth as if he was going to speak, but his lips smacked shut when he heard someone vomiting in the bathroom. "Dean?" he asked, his concern written on his face. "You all right?"

The toilet flushed and Dean coughed for a few seconds after. "The wishes turn bad, Sam," Dean answered in a strained voice. "The wishes turn very bad."

"The sandwich, huh?"

Dean coughed again, the toilet flushing once more. Sam walked further into the room, pausing when he heard the bathroom door open. "The coin was Babylonian. It's cursed. We found some fragments of a legend," Dean mumbled Sam looked towards Birdie who had her laptop open and in front of her. Dean gagged and turned towards the bathroom as if he was going to puke again, but then he popped back out, letting out a deep breath. "I'm good."

Sam faintly smiled back at Dean, taking a seat at the table. Birdie moved towards the edge of the bed and laid on her stomach, pushing her laptop over to Sam for him to see it for himself. "The serpent is Tiamat, which is the Babylonian god of primordial chaos," Birdie said.

Dean opened the fridge and grabbed himself a beer, making his way over to Sam and Birdie. He sighed and plopped down on the bed. "I guess their, uh, priests were working some serious black magic," Dean said.

"They made the coin?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, to sow the seeds of chaos," Dean said.

"Whoever tosses a coin in the wishing well, makes a wish, it turns on the well," Birdie explained, lazily resting her head on her hand. Sam picked up a book from the other side of the table, glancing at it. "Then it starts granting wishes to all comers."

"But the wishes get twisted," Sam said, turning his head towards Dean. "You ask for a talking teddy. . ."

"You get a bipolar nut job," Dean finished for him.

"And you get E. coli."

"Wait," Birdie interjected, "talking teddy bear?"

"Trust us, you don't wanna know," Sam said.

Dean huffed as if in agreement, opening his beer. Birdie shifted on the bed, twisting her lips in thought. How would her wish turn bad, though? It's not like she wished for something that could make her vomit or——

"This thing has turned more than one town upside down over the centuries," Dean said, his voice interrupting Birdie's thoughts. "It's even wiped a few off the map. I mean, one person gets their wish, it's trouble, but everybody gets their wish. . ."

"It's chaos," Sam said. Dean hummed in response. Sam leaned back in the chair, eyes flickering between Dean and Birdie. "Anyway to stop it?"

"One," Birdie said. "We have to find the person who made the first wish. Whoever dropped the coin in and made a wish, they're the only one who can pull it out and reverse all the other wishes."

"So for now, we've got a couple of nutso dreams come true, but once the word gets out about the well, things are just gonna get fuckin' crazier and crazier," Dean said.

Trying to find the first person that made a wish was proving to be just a little more difficult than the three of them were expecting. Dean had ended up falling asleep during the search, but Sam and Birdie decided to let him sleep when they noticed; he most likely needed it. Sam and Birdie softly spoke back and forth, a gnawing sensation eating at Birdie as the minutes passed.

You can't tell him.

I don't want to, but I need to,' Birdie thought. 'If it goes bad and he or Dean get hurt because of it somehow——'

Fine, have it your way then.

"Have it your way then," Birdie mocked under her breath.

"Huh?" She turned her head to see that Sam had overheard her. "Are-are you talking to me?"

"No," she confessed. Sam shifted in the chair, his expression an indication that he was expecting her to further explain. Birdie sighed and set her phone on the bed, taking a quick glance at Dean's sleeping figure. He most likely was asleep, but just in case. . .Birdie nudged her head towards the door, giving Sam a quick smile.

Sam nodded in understanding and stood up, quietly following her out of the room. Birdie looked from one end to the other of the hall, making sure that there wasn't anyone out there who might be able to hear their conversation. Sam casually leaned against the wall, arms folded over his chest as he remained quiet.

Birdie heavily sighed, glancing down at the ground. "I might have. . .made a wish," she said, whispering the last part.

Sam knitted his brows, leaning in a little closer. "You might've what?" Birdie lifted her head, pursing her lips together. Sam examined her expression, his face falling as if he'd already figured it out. "Birdie, no. Tell me you didn't——"

"I did," she sheepishly confessed, scrunching up her nose. Sam heavily sighed, running a hand along his face as he momentarily closed his eyes. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't think it'd actually work!"

"What'd you wish for?" Sam wondered.

"Nothing toooo bad," Birdie said.

"Bird. . ."

"Sam," she said, nervously peering up at the older boy, "What'd you think of my mom?"

"Oh, she was a fucking bitch. I hated her." Sam's eyes widened when he heard the words that came out of his mouth. "No, Bird, you didn't——"

"I-it just came into my head and I ran with it, I'm sorry," she meekly defended. Sam sighed again and shook his head, gaze falling to the ground. "I know I shouldn't have, I'm sorry."

"It's. . .it's okay. We're gonna figure this out, alright, Bird?" Sam said, offering her a small smile.

"Okay," Birdie said, returning the smile.

Sam nodded and placed his hand on the door. "Oh, but Sam?"

"Yeah?" he asked, pausing for a second.

"Have you ever thought I was attractive?"

"Definitely," Sam truthfully answered. "I still do." Birdie's lips parted in shock, eyes almost tripling after hearing his answer; though, her eyes weren't as wide as Sam's was. "Until we figure this out, no more questions. I mean it."

"Fine, fine," Birdie dramatically huffed. "But who knows? I might not even have to ask to get the truth——"

Sam sighed and shook his head as he opened the door. Birdie snickered and closed the door behind them, her smile lingering on her lips as she returned to her chair. Birdie didn't attempt to get any more secrets out of Sam as they continued trying to find the first wisher, though the thought did cross her mind a few times. Dean was still asleep on the bed, but small sounds were beginning to escape him.

Birdie curiously glanced over, frowning when he whimpered and his body jerked. Sam noticed, too.

"Dean, wake up!"

"What? I'm up." Dean abruptly shot up from the bed, blinking a few times to try and wake himself up some more. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, his back towards Sam and Birdie. "What?"

"Sleep well?"

"Yeah," Dean breathed out in response. He bent forward, picking something up off the floor by his feet. "Tan, rested, and ready."

Birdie shook her head when she spotted the small bottle of whiskey clutched in his hand, sharing a concerned look with Sam. "Dean, come on, man," Sam said. "You think we can't see it?"

"See what?" Dean turned, looking over his shoulder towards his brother and Birdie.

"The nightmares, the drinking. I'm with you 24/7—-Birdie almost just as much," Sam said. Dean's gaze shifted towards Birdie, seeing her nod in agreement. "We know something's going on."

"Sam, Bird, please," Dean heavily sighed, pushing himself up from the bed. He took a few steps to the side as he sat on the end bed so he was facing Sam and Birdie more.

"Uriel wasn't lying, but you are," Sam said. "You remember Hell, don't you?"

"What do you want from me, huh? What?"

"The truth," Birdie mumbled. Dean didn't hear her, but Sam did. Sam's eyes darted to Birdie, subtly shaking his head when he caught her gaze. He and Birdie did want the truth, but Sam didn't want him to answer because of Birdie's wish; if her wish followed the others, there would still be a drastic downfall to it.

"I mean, I'm your brother, and Birdie——we're a-a family," Sam continued, gesturing towards Birdie as he spoke. "We just wish you'd talk to us."

Dean cheekily smiled. "Careful what you wish for."

"Cute," Sam scoffed.

"Come on guys, can we stow the group therapy, huh?" Dean asked, noticing how Sam and Birdie weren't smiling along with him. He picked up a newspaper, gesturing with his hand as spoke while he glanced between Sam and Birdie. "We're on a job. I wanna work. What do you guys got?" Sam turned away, glancing down. Birdie sighed to herself, twisting her lips. "Please?"

Sam reluctantly sighed, Dean skimming through the paper he picked up from the coffee table. "We got teddy bear, uh, lottery guy, invisible pervert guy," Sam said. "They all must have wished sometime in the last two weeks. But who wished first, and how are we supposed to know who else wished for what when?"

Dean sat up straight. "Well, it helps when they announce it in the paper." He sat the paper in front of Sam and Birdie stood up, watching Dean point to a couple's picture under the engagement section. "Goes back a month."

"'Wesley Mondale and Ms. Hope Lynn Casey have announced their surprise engagement,'" Sam read aloud.

"Ah, true love."

Sam chuckled, looking up at Dean. "Best lead we got."

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They followed Hope Lynn Casey into the house she was now sharing with Wesley Mondale, spotting Wesley seated in a recliner in the living room. A show Birdie didn't recognize was playing on TV across from the man, but she paid little attention to it as she walked behind Hope with the boys. "Wes! You didn't tell me that you called the florists for the wedding," Hope said, placing her hands on her hips as she stood in front of him, a smile still prominent on her plump lips. Sam, Dean, and Birdie stood behind her, wearing fake smiles as they stared down at Wesley.

He looked just like he did in the paper. He had short brown hair that Birdie noticed was beginning to recede, black-rimmed glasses placed upon a large nose. He wore a faded button-up shirt and a pair of jeans, the TV remote placed in his lap with a few of the buttons missing.

"Huh?" Wesley said, confusion crossing his features as he glanced from the trio and to his fiancée.

"You're the best!" Hope cheerfully gushed. She grabbed the side of Wesley's face, leaning down to kiss him on the top of the head. "Ah! I'm gonna go get my folders."

"Uh, o-okay," Wesley stammered, managing to give her a small smile before she walked off to a different room. Birdie's eyes closely followed her, a frown now appearing on her lips. Wesley looked back at the trio, his smile faltering when he noticed their unreadable expressions.

"Wesley, how's it going?" Dean asked.

"It's Wes. . .s." Wesley, Wes, started to stand, sinking back down into the chair when all three of them stepped closer. "Aren't you two the guys from the health department?"

"Yeah," Sam answered, hands tucked in the pockets of his jeans as he turned towards Dean and Birdie. "And florists on the side with our friend here."

Dean turned towards Wes, mimicking Sam's stance. Birdie folded her arms over her chest, face hardened while Sam and Dean falsely smiled down at Wes. "Plus FBI," Dean said. "And on Thursdays, we're teddy bear doctors."

Wes tilted his head to one side. "Huh?"

"Doesn't matter who we are," Dean said. "What matters is what we know."

"So, coin collector, huh, Wes?" Sam queried, his bright eyes pinned to the collection of coins hung up on the wall beside Wes's recliner.

Wes turned in confusion, realizing what Sam had been looking at. "Oh. Yeah," he said, turning to face them again. "My. . .grandfather gave them to me."

"Did you happen to lose one of those coins lately?" Dean questioned. "And by lose, I mean drop it into a wishing well at Lucky Chin's and make a wish on it?"

Wes shook his head, pursing his lips together as if in thought. "No, I-I don't know what you're, uh, talking about."

Birdie's eyes narrowed on him. "Oh, you don't, do you?"

Sam stole a subtle look at her, but before anyone could respond, Hope returned with an armful of notebooks, folders, and loose pieces of paper. "Okay, now. I have a lot of ideas, but, you know, we don't have all the money in the world," Hope started, Wes now standing beside her with a small smile on his thin lips. "Wes is between jobs right now——which just means more time for me." Sam falsely smiled along with her, sharing a subtle look with Birdie. "You know, I'm thinking a Japanese-y ikebana kind of thing."

Birdie raised her brows, tilting her head as she noticed different examples of wedding themes. Dean and Sam wore identical expressions, brows slightly raised. "Yes," Dean nodded, looking toward Sam and Birdie again. "I can see it."

Sam forced out a smile. "Yeah. So, Hope, uh, tell us how you two lovebirds met."

"Oh," Hope breathed out, "best day of my life."

Birdie hummed, lips still firmly pressed together. "Oh, I bet."

"Yeah! It's the funniest thing. We both grew up here, but I never really knew who he was." Sam knitted his brows again, turning his attention to Wes who nodded with a small smile. "Not by name anyway." Hope breathed out a dreamy sigh, gaze pinned to Wes. "Until one day last month, it was like I just. . .I just saw him for the first time. He was just. . .glowing." Hope set her pile of wedding things on the table beside her, focusing solely on Wes. She reached towards him, gently resting her hands on his cheeks. "Oh, just glowing."

Wes shifted, not missing the way the trio were suspiciously looking between him and Hope. "Uh, babe, can you-can you get us some coffee?"

Hope instantly nodded. "Yes," she answered, leaning forward and kissing him on the lips. "Yeah." Birdie scrunched up her nose as Hope kissed Wes over and over again, not stopping until Wes nudged her back some like he was growing tired and uncomfortable with all of her kisses. Sam and Dean had their heads tilted together, unable to hide their surprise. Wes motioned towards the kitchen and Hope smiled again,
smoothing down her dark hair as she nodded. "Yeah."

She hurried past Dean and into the kitchen, a joyful bounce in her step. Wes cleared his throat once she was out of the room, touching his lips as he lifted his head when Sam cleared his throat.

"Wes, we know," Sam said, staring hard at the man with Dean and Birdie wearing identical expressions. "So, tell us the truth."

"My-my grandfather found the coin in North Africa, you know, World War II. And, uh, he brought it back," Wes explained, shrugging as he removed one of the frame pieces from the wall. He moved towards the trio as he continued speaking. "He, um, he said it was a real wish-granting coin, but that nobody should ever use it. Um. . .it was all I had, and when he died, I thought, well, you know what? Why not give the coin a shot?"

"Yeah, well, now you're gonna wish it back," Sam told him.

"Oh," Wes couldn't help but chuckle at that. He looked at them, noticing that they were completely serious. "Oh. Ha ha, no, I'm not."

"If you don't stop it, something bad's gonna happen," Dean said.

"Something bad——like us," Sam said.

Wes tilted his head, growing amused. Dean took a step closer, pulling his gun out of his waistband for Wes to see. "We really wish you'd come with us."

Wes's eyes tripled in size, eyes darting back to Dean.

"Yeah, yeah," Wes quickly nodded. "Uh, Hope, we'll-we'll be right back."

"You're leaving me?" Hope asked, rounding the corner with a pout.

"Just for a few minutes," Wes lied, smiling as she came to stand in front of him. "It's-it's. . ."

"It's just something for the wedding," Birdie lied, catching Hope's eye. "But it's a surprise, so, you can't see it just yet."

"Oh," Hope said, smiling faltering slightly. "Okay. But then you'll be right back?"

"Yes," Wes nodded.

Dean sighed, motioning towards the door. "Alright, c'mon," he said.

Hope passionately kissed Wes and Birdie rolled her eyes, turning on her heel to head outside. She heard footsteps a few moments later, glancing over her shoulder to see Sam and Dean. Wesley gave Hope one last kiss before he stepped out of the front door, assuring her he'd back before she knew it. Birdie scoffed and came to a stop beside the Impala.

"Hey, what's going on with you?" Sam quietly asked.

"Nothin'," Birdie murmured.

"I can see something's bothering you. You can't hide things from me, remember?"

Birdie huffed, looking up at Sam. "This is just fucked up, you know? He's taking advantage of her and——" Birdie smacked her lips when Wes reached the car with Dean, Birdie's dark eyes narrowing on Wes. "Nevermind."

Sam glanced aside, following Birdie's gaze. He sighed, taking one last look at Birdie. "I see why you don't like him. But, once he takes the coin back, this'll all be over."

"For his sake, he better fuckin' hope so."

"Do you want me to sit next to him instead?" Sam quietly asked. "I don't mind."

"No. If he fucks up, I wanna be the one to punch him."

Birdie climbed in the backseat with that, the other three getting in as well. Birdie sat as far away from Wes as she could, missing the way Sam stole a look back at her to check on her. Dean noticed but didn't comment on it, opting to hit the road.

The sooner Wes fixed his mess, the sooner they could get back to tracking down Lilith.

Dean quickly drove with Sam beside him, a tense silence filling the car.

"I don't get it. So, my wish came true," Wes complained after a few minutes, slouched in the backseat. Birdie rolled her eyes, shaking her head in pure annoyance. "Why does that have to be a bad thing?"

"Because the wishes go south, Wes," Sam firmly answered. "Your town is going fucking insane."

"Come on. You're gonna sit there and tell me that your relationship with Hope is functional, that it's what you wished for?" Dean asked.

"I wished she would love me more than anything," Wes said, leaning forward to rest his arms on the backseat of the front seat. Birdie scrunched up her nose, narrowing her eyes on him.

"Yeah, and, uh, how is that going?" Sam retorted. "That seem healthy to you?"

"Well, it's a hell of a lot better than when she didn't know I was alive."

Birdie scoffed, sharply turning her head towards Wes. "You fuckin' asshole," she snapped. Wes turned his head, lips parted in surprise at her words. "Wishing for her to love you instead of taking the effort to actually talk to her——" Birdie pointed her finger at him, smacking her lips shut as if forcing herself to keep quiet. Then she huffed, shaking her head as she turned to peer out of the window instead.

Sam and Dean shared a look with one another, but Sam silently shook his head. It was better if they didn't say anything to her; with the wishes going bad, who knew what they would say next.

"You're not supposed to get what you want, man, not like this. Nobody is." Dean said. Wes heavily sighed, slouching in the backseat again. "That's what the coin does. It takes your heart's desires and it twists it back on you. You hear of the whole, uh, 'be careful what you wish for?'"

"Careful what you wish for," Wes mockingly repeated under his breath. Sam and Dean shared another silent look, frustration building in their eyes. Sam was starting to understand Birdie's frustrations even more now. "You know who says that? Good-looking jerks like you guys," Wes said, sitting up again. "The ones who've got it so easy because you happen to be handsome."

"Easy?" Sam and Dean repeated in disbelief.

"Yeah. Women——women look at you, right? They notice you," Wes said, motioning towards Birdie. "You got a woman with you now!"

"Me being with them has nothing to do with the fact that they're handsome." As soon as those words left Birdie's mouth she instantly regretted speaking up. Dean raised his brow as he looked at her through the rearview mirror, an amused smile growing on his lips. "Not one fuckin' word, Dean. I mean it."

"Believe us, we do not have it easy," Sam said, choosing to change the topic much to Birdie's relief.

"We are fucking miserable. We never get what we want," Dean said. "In fact, we have to fight tooth and nail just to keep whatever it is we got."

"But you know what? Maybe that's the whole point, Wes," Sam firmly said, looking over his shoulder towards the man.

"Yeah, people are people 'cause they're miserable bastards, 'cause they never get what they really want."

"Right, yeah, you get what you want, you get crazy."

"Take a look at Hasselhoff," Dean suggested, raising his brows in Sam's direction.

"You know what? Hope loves me now——completely," Wes said. "And it's awesome."

"Bull fucking shit," Birdie said. "You made her love you——she didn't get a say in the matter. Here, let me ask you this——"

"Birdie, don't——"

"Do you regret what you did?"

"No," Wes immediately answered. His eyes slightly widened, surprised at how easily and quickly he'd answered the woman. "This——"

"Have you ever even talked to a woman before you made your wish?"

"Yeah, but——"

"Birdie!" Birdie turned her head, gaze landing on Sam. His eyes were wide, peering back at her along with Dean, who seemed to be realizing she also made a wish. "Stop asking questions."

"Look around then, you guys," Wes said, holding his hands out as he spoke as Dean came upon a stop sign, "Where's all this, uh, insanity you guys were talking about?"

Dean stopped, all four of them spotting a group of young boys cramped inside a car up ahead as they screamed in fear, a smaller blond boy——the one Birdie had bumped into earlier——standing outside of it. He bent his knees, partially lifting the vehicle up off the ground with his newfound strength.

"Well, that should fucking cover it."

The boy tipped the car over, the car flopping onto its side. Glass shattered and the boys screamed from inside in pure terror. Then the boy looked up, lifting his hands towards the bright blue sky. "Kneel before Todd! Kneel before Todd!" He moved forward, grabbing hold of the underneath of the car, forcefully rocking it back and forth.

Dean hurried to open his door, poking his head in the window to look between Sam and Birdie. Sam had moved to get out but stopped when Dean looked back inside, still hearing the boys scream. "All right! I'll handle Todd," Dean said. "You two get Wes to Lucky Chin's. Go!"

"Right." Sam scooted into the driver seat and Birdie slipped over the front seat, taking his former spot without a second thought. Wes leaned over the seat slightly, jaw slacking as he watched the little boy shake the car without even breaking a sweat.

Sam pushed down on the gas pedal, hastily rounding the corner. Birdie clenched her jaw and glanced over at Wes, but he was looking out of the back window where Dean was beginning to fade away as he got closer to the little boy. Sam turned one last time and parked right in front of the Lucky Chin's, quickly clambering out with Birdie and Wes.

"That-that-that kid turned over that car like-like it was nothing," Wes stammered in utter disbelief, his arm outstretched towards the direction they'd come from.

Sam rounded the front of the Impala, heavily breathing. "You should have seen the teddy bear. Now, come on. Fun's over," he said, motioning for Wes to follow him into the restaurant. "Time to pull the coin." Wes sighed, dropping his head low and tucking his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Wes!"

"Well, why can't we just get what we want?!" Wes shouted, tossing his hands out at his sides.

"'Cause that's life, Wes."

Before Sam or Birdie had a chance to respond, two bolts of lightning came out of nowhere, striking both Sam and Birdie. Wes jumped with a shout in surprise, watching them both drop towards the ground, unmoving.

With wide eyes, he rushed into the restaurant, leaving Sam and Birdie on the ground.

Birdie coughed a few seconds later, blinking a few times as she glanced around in confusion. "What the fuck?"

Someone just tried to fucking kill us!

Birdie groaned and carefully sat up on her elbows, an intense pain sizzling through her entire body. 'How come I didn't die?' she thought.

I would say you're welcome, but. . .I was only able to help you.

She quickly turned her head toward Sam at Felicity's words, gasping when she saw his unmoving body. She crawled over to him, pulling him into her arms as she rested her head against his chest to hear his heartbeat. There was nothing.

"Sam!" She screamed his name, shaking his shoulders in a desperate attempt to get him to wake up. However, he stayed unmoving as his eyes stayed shut.

He was gone.

Sam was gone.

"No, no, fuck!" she whimpered, feeling tears well in her eyes. "I can't lose you, too. Sammy, please!"

Sam sucked in a breath, his eyes thankfully snapping open. Birdie jumped in surprise, watching him glance up at her. "Birdie what the f——wait, what's wrong?" he asked, noticing the tears that were about to spill from her eyes.

Birdie breathed out a forced laugh, shaking her head. "N-Nothing. . .I'm-I'm just glad you're okay."

She grabbed one of his arms, helping him back onto his feet. He glanced around in confusion, turning his head back towards Birdie. "What the fuck just happened?"

"You-I. . .I'm not exactly sure but. . .I think someone tried to kill us . .with a lightning bolt," she answered. "But. . .it only worked on you."

Sam's eyes noticeably widened, examining Birdie's features. "Wait, you're-you're serious? Who would've done that?"

The door to the restaurant opened right after he spoke, the two spotting Hope stepping out. She silently walked past them, glancing between them as if trying to figure out if she knew them. Birdie and Sam shared a brief look, eyes darting back to the restaurant door just as Wes stepped outside. Sam heavily sighed, realizing Wes must've pulled the coin.

He noticed Sam and Birdie were upright again, lingering in the doorway for a few moments. Then Wes heavily sighed, reluctantly handing over the coin as he stepped in front of them. Sam reluctantly took it, not missing the glum expression on Wes's features.

"I know you must hate us," Sam said, causing Wes to face him, "But you'll find someone——someone who likes you for you."

Wes just silently nodded, walking off without another word. Birdie pursed her lips as her eyes followed him, sighing a couple of seconds later. Sam reached over and nudged her arm with his elbow, getting her to look at him. He offered her a small smile, a faint twinkle in his eyes. "Ask me something," he said. "It can be about anything."

"Have you ever thought I was cute?"

"Nope," he answered, cheekily grinning so his dimples poked out.

Birdie scoffed, playfully rolling her eyes as she gently swatted at his chest. Sam chuckled and fished the car keys out of his pocket. "C'mon, Dean's probably waitin' for us," he said.

Birdie opened the passenger side door, slipping in as Sam sat in the driver's seat. "You think Dean got his ass kicked by that little boy?"

"Oh, definitely."

Birdie glanced over her shoulder as she leaned against the railing of the pier a few blocks away from the Chinese restaurant, smiling to herself when she saw a little girl smile and wave towards Dean and he returned it. She had a dark brown teddy bear in her arms, a hole in the back with some stuffing sticking out while some red tape was placed over it to try and prevent any more stuffing from falling out. Birdie did a double take when she saw the parents, noticing their incredibly sunburnt faces and solemn expressions. Birdie winced and shook her head as Sam walked past the girl and her parents, Sam and Birdie both made their way towards the bench as Dean stood up.

"Well, uh, coin's melted down," Sam said, hands in his pocket as he looked between Dean and Birdie. "It shouldn't cause any more problems."

"Audrey's parents are back from Bali," Dean said, nodding toward the little girl. "Looks like all the wishes are gone. And so are we."

"Wait," Birdie said, causing Dean and Sam to look at her. A small smile appeared on her lips, tilting her head in Dean's direction. "Do you think I'm pretty?"

"No," Dean said, brightly grinning seconds later. Birdie huffed, playfully rolling her eyes. "'Course I do, Bird. Why do you ask?"

Birdie pursed her lips, stealing a glance at Sam. Dean followed her gaze, her smile faltering as he focused on Birdie. "Birdie. . .you didn't," he said. "You really wished for——"

"People to tell me the truth?" She finished for him sheepishly scrunching up her nose. "I did. I'm sorry."

Dean heavily sighed, shaking his head. "It's. . .it's alright. I should be more honest with you——both of you."

"What?" Sam asked with surprise.

"You were right," Dean said. "I shouldn't have lied to you guys. I do remember everything that happened to me in the Pit. Everything."

"So tell us about it," Sam said.

"No."

"Dean——"

"I won't lie anymore. But I'm not gonna talk about it."

"Dean, look, you can't just shoulder this thing alone," Sam said. "You gotta let us help."

Birdie's eyes softened as she peered up at the older man. "I know I'm not one for always sharing, but Dean. . .we can listen," she said. "We can help."

"How? Do you guys really think that a little heart-to-heart, some sharing and caring, is gonna change anything?" he asked with a hum. "Somehow. . .heal me? I'm not talkin' about a bad day here."

"We know that."

"The things that I saw. . .there aren't words. There is no forgetting. There's no making it better. Because it is right here. . ." Dean tapped his head, "Forever." Then he looked down, shrugging his shoulders. "You guys wouldn't understand. And I could never make you understand. So, I am sorry."

Dean walked off after that, leaving Birdie and Sam behind until they started to walk behind him. Birdie glanced over at Sam, catching his eye. He just shook his head, sadly sighing. Birdie puffed out her cheeks and stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jacket, walking a few steps faster to catch up to Dean.

"Birdie, I don't wanna——"

"No, I know. That's now why I'm walking beside you," she said.

"Why are you?"

"Because you're my friend?" Birdie said. Dean hummed, suspiciously narrowing his eyes as Sam came up on the other side of Dean. "It's not for a specific reason, Dean. You're my friend, and even though you won't open up, I'm still gonna be there for you, no matter what."

"Aw, you're gonna make me blush."

Birdie huffed, whacking his arm. "Shut up."

"What do you guys say we get some Chinese before we leave?"

"Are you kidding?" Sam asked, brows raised.

Dean loudly laughed, shrugging as they approached the Impala. "Worth a shot."

"You know what does sound good?"

"What?" Sam and Dean asked in sync.

"Biggerson's."

"Sold," Dean said, quickly nodding in agreement. "And just for that, you get to ride shotgun."

Sam gaped, holding his hands out. "What?"

"Sorry, Sammy," Birdie smirked, nudging him out of her way so she could grab the door handle, "House rules."

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

I know there's probably still some confusion as to what's going on, but I PROMISE more will be explained as the story continues!! But hey, at least y'all kinda know what's going on with birdie now hehehe >:) Plus, you all got more of a glimpse of Felicity and see how her and Birdie interact 👀

And when Felicity talks to Birdie in her mind, it'll be italicized (unless otherwise stated or something) while Birdie's thoughts/responses to Felicity will have ' ' at the start and end of it!! If there's any confusion about that, feel free to ask!!

I'm also sorry if I'm not explaining stuff as much as some of you might want, but there is a reason I'm dragging some stuff out so I hope y'all don't mind waiting just a little longer!! 🥹😅🫶🫶🫶

AND ALSO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO latte-to-go FOR READING THIS ENTIRE CHAPTER AND HELPING ME WITH IT!! 🥹 i truly wouldn't be as far in this book if it weren't for her <3 so, thank you so much amara!! 🫶

Anyways, please don't forget to leave your feedback in the comments and I hope y'all enjoyed!!