CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR:
HOW TO SAVE A LIFE.

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THERE WAS A slight pang of guilt inside Birdie when she didn't go along with Sam and Dean to check out a possible case Bobby found. She knew they would've been just fine on their own like the other hundreds of hunts they'd done without her, but a small part of her wondered if she should've stayed with them just to be sure that nothing went wrong. But, she also felt like they might've needed some brotherly time together without her around to make up for some of the time they'd lost. Though, a nagging thought echoed in the back of her mind as she slept beside a snoring Kaiya that night.

What if Dean finds out? You can't keep those secrets hidden for long.

She tossed and turned throughout the night, forcing herself to stop fidgeting so she wouldn't disturb Kaiya anymore than she probably already had. Dean's not gonna be happy. Birdie deeply frowned, dark brown eyes gazing up at the dark ceiling of Kaiya's bedroom. There wasn't any sound inside the room except for an occasional snore from Kaiya, sometimes the blankets ruffling together when Birdie or Kaiya changed positions. The TV had been turned off a few hours ago when they finally decided to head to bed after one too many rounds of Mario Kart, only the faint light from the hall creeping underneath the door. The clear skies overhead allowed for dozens of stars to take turns twinkling down, but Birdie was unable to see them as the curtains were fully closed over the lengthy windows; something Birdie had noticed that Kaiya started to do in the last few months.

Birdie couldn't blame the woman after what had all happened to her; if anything, Birdie felt like she'd added even more to Kaiya's growing paranoia and fear after the demon managed to sneak into her home all those months ago.

Birdie sourly twisted her lips and rolled onto her side, facing the closed door. Her and Kaiya were back to back, the shared comforter keeping them both warm as the weather outside grew colder with the winter months still upon them. She slipped a hand under the thin pillow beneath her head, fingers glossing over the gun she'd tucked underneath before Kaiya returned from the bathroom. Her eyes bored into the door across from her, brows knitted together as one thought from another whizzed into her mind. You should've gone with Sam and Dean. You're putting Kaiya in danger being here. Birdie tightened her jaw, clenching her eyes shut. Go to sleep, go to sleep. She pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, turning her head so it was partially pressed into the pillow. You know I'm right. Sam needs you now more than ever.

It wasn't until an hour later that her mind had quieted and she finally felt herself start to relax. She welcomed the sleep with open arms, dreaming of being with Kaiya and the boys while not a single monster daring to threaten their happiness. She and Sam sat across from each other at Kaiya's kitchen table, Kaiya and Dean in the other seats. A bottle of red wine was placed in the middle of the table, but only Sam had decided to drink some of it. Dean opted for a simple beer as did Kaiya, the two sharing cheeky grins with another. Birdie glanced down at the drink in front of her with a smile, a faint gasp slipping out of her lips when she saw that her lemonade was no longer a faded yellow. It was dark red. No, wait. . .it wasn't even lemonade anymore. It was——

Birdie's eyes snapped open, immediately wincing as the sun streamed directly into her eyes. She softly groaned and turned away, holding a hand over her face to shield it from the sun. She used her other hand and picked up one of the pillows, lazily placing it over her face. A few seconds later, she lifted a corner of the pillow to take a peek at the other side of the bed only to find Kaiya was no longer there. Birdie frowned and tossed the pillow aside, skeptically glancing around the bedroom.

Kaiya's laptop was closed on her desk, chair neatly tucked in. Her TV was still turned off, a glare now on the screen since the curtains were pulled back to let the sunshine in. Some clothes were strewn about on the floor; the pajamas Kaiya had been wearing amongst them. The sound of running water finally reached Birdie's ears, causing her to sit up on her elbows in confusion.

"Kai?" Birdie called out, eyes flickering to the door that was now wide open. The sound of water stopped, footsteps padding down the hallway. "Kaiya?"

Kaiya entered the room a few moments later, wearing a warm grin. Her black hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail, wearing a Queen shirt Birdie immediately recognized as her own and a pair of black leggings. "Mornin', sleepy head," Kaiya snickered. She took a seat at her desk, turning it around to fully face Birdie. She leaned back in the chair and propped her feet up on the edge of her bed, amusement on her features. "I thought we could go eat breakfast somewhere once you woke up, but it's about dinner time now."

"Bullshit," Birdie scoffed, carelessly tossing the pillow next to her at Kaiya. Kaiya laughed and easily caught it, tucking it under her arms instead of retaliating with it. "What time is it really?"

"A little after noon," Kaiya honestly answered. "I was actually gonna try to surprise you with breakfast, but I'm out of eggs. . .and bread. . .and most things you need in order to make breakfast, or anything, really."

"Guess you better go shopping then," Birdie chuckled. She fully sat up in the bed, lazily leaning back against the cushioned headrest with her gaze still on Kaiya.

Kaiya raised a brow, tilting her head. "I better go shopping? No, you're comin' with me."

"What? Why?" Birdie whined.

"Because I don't wanna go alone," Kaiya replied, standing up straight as she spoke. She tossed the pillow onto her bed as she took a few steps into her room, firmly placing her hands on her hips. "Please, Bird? I'll even let you drive Luna this time. And I'll have a surprise for you when we get back that I think you'll really like."

"Fiiiiiine," Birdie dramatically answered, tossing her head back and throwing her arms out at her sides.

Kaiya cheerfully beamed and walked over to Birdie, playfully ruffling her messy head of curls. Birdie grumbled in annoyance and gently swatted her hand away. Kaiya just laughed and then headed out of the room, claiming that she was going to go to the bathroom real quick before they left. Birdie sighed and begrudgingly climbed out from under the blanket to make her way over to her duffel bag. She placed it on the end of the bed and unzipped it, going to pick out an outfit when she heard Kaiya's phone chime. She walked around the bed towards Kaiya's nightstand, picking up her phone to see who it was.

She squinted as she pulled up the text and brought the phone closer to her face.

This is serious. Pick up.

Birdie twisted her lips and cautiously glanced towards the door. Kaiya was still in the bathroom, the running water an indication that she was most likely brushing her teeth. Birdie looked back down at Kaiya's phone, curiously clicking on the previous message.

Leave me alone.

Then the one before that.

I need to talk to you Kaiya.

And the one before that.

Stop calling me.

The texts continued on and on, Birdie unable to figure out who Kaiya was texting until she finally got to the first few messages that were sent a little over a week ago.

Who is this?

Darius.

"Darius?"

"Find anything interesting?"

Birdie jumped in surprise, unable to do anything but stare at Kaiya. She'd been caught snooping in her phone and there was no way to hide it. Kaiya had obviously seen what she was doing, the unreadable expression on her face making Birdie falter. "Uh. . ." Birdie awkwardly looked between Kaiya and the woman's phone, lips opening and then smacking together as she fumbled for words. She had no excuse for what she did nor did she see the point in attempting to lie. "I'm sorry, Kai. I should've just——"

"It was Darius again, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," Birdie confessed, sheepishly holding Kaiya's phone out to her. Kaiya reached across the bed and took it into her hands. She scrolled down to the most recent message, scrunching up her nose. "So. . .do you wanna talk about it or. . ."

"There's nothing really to say," Kaiya said, sadly smiling. "I'm not answering his calls, and when I do text him, I just tell him to leave me alone."

"Do you know what he wants?"

"No, and I don't care."

Birdie wasn't surprised by Kaiya's response. Growing up, Kaiya hadn't had the best relationship with her older brother, Darius. Truthfully, her oldest sibling, Hiro, was the only sibling that Kiaya really had a relationship with anymore. But in recent years, Kaiya and Kenjij's relationship had become nearly non-existent with the constant trouble he found himself in. Their parents didn't exactly acknowledge his issues, making one excuse after another that made it seem like it wasn't ever Darius's fault or was only a simple mistake that he wouldn't dare to repeat. When Kaiya sided with Hiro whenever he said Darius needed to be held accountable for his actions, her relationship with Darius as well as her parents became strained. But, in a way, she didn't mind it. She wasn't exactly happy it had turned into that, but there wasn't much else she could do if her parents refused to see what was right in front of them.

"Come on," Kaiya said, nudging her head in the direction of her bedroom door. "I wanna get back here soon so I can finally kick your ass at Mario Kart."

Birdie breathed out a laugh, shooting Kaiya a cheeky smirk. "You can try, but I'll just win again."

Kaiya mimicked Birdie under her breath and started to head for the door, pausing to glance back at Birdie. "You comin' or what?"

"Yeah, yeah," Birdie replied. She went to the other nightstand and grabbed her phone, smiling when she saw a text from Sam as well as Dean, both of them saying that they didn't think there was really a case, but they were staying the night since their room was already paid for. She had a text from Bobby as well, checking in to see how Kaiya took the news of Dean being back from Hell. She smiled to herself as she quickly replied to all three of them, telling Bobby she'd give him a call so Kaiya could give him the details herself. Then she pocketed her phone and met Kaiya near the front door. Birdie's purse was slung over her shoulder, a grin already on her lips as Kaiya patiently waited for her. Her smile brightened when she saw Birdie, holding out her keys for the younger woman.

"Thank you," Birdie chirped, happily snatching the keys from Kaiya's grasp. Kaiya chuckled and opened the door, locking it as she stepped out behind Birdie. She trailed down along the sidewalk towards Luna, Kaiya right behind her. "Which store do you wanna go to?"

"Target," Kaiya answered.

Birdie climbed into the drivers seat, raising a curious brow in Kaiya's direction. "Target? Since when do you go to Target?"

"Since one just opened up almost ten minutes away and is closer than any other store in the area. Aaaaand It's by that Biggerson's place you and boys like," Kaiya answered. Birdie hummed and nodded, starting up the jeep. Kaiya reached over, swatting Birdie's arm when she went to start backing out of the driveway. "Hey, seatbelt."

Birdie playfully rolled her eyes, reaching around for the seatbelt. "Can't forget that, can I?"

"Never," Kaiya huffed.

"No time to die," Birdie cheekily said, laughing when Kaiya shook her head with a small laugh. "C'mon Kai, you know you wanna say it."

"No time to die," Kaiya dramatically sighed, raising her brows at Birdie. "Happy now? Can we get going?"

"I guess," Birdie teased, starting to back out of the driveway. "And you know, dying in a car accident isn't the way I wanna go out."

A strange sound reverberated out of Kaiya's throat, head sharply turning in Birdie's direction. "You say that like you've put actual thought into it."

Birdie made a turn, beginning to make her way towards the highway that would lead them to Biggerson's, and the new Target. "It's kinda hard not to when you deal with monsters who wanna either just kill you, or eat you, or, even both." Kaiya's lips curled downward into a frown and Birdie noticed. "Wait, before you say anything, I know. . .I know how that sounds, but. . .it's just hard not to think about it, you know."

Kaiya offered Birdie a sad smile when she caught her eye. "Birdie——"

The sound of Kaiya's phone ringing cut off what she was about to say next.

She huffed in annoyance, expecting it to be work. She snatched her phone out of her purse, her reaction already answering Birdie's question about who it was. "Are you gonna answer?" Birdie wondered. "I could——"

"No, no," Kaiya heavily sighed, shaking her head side to side. "I. . .he's not gonna stop until I do so I might as well just get it over with. Maybe he'll finally leave me alone then."

"Kaiya——"

"What do you want, Darius?"

Birdie quietly sighed, adjusting her hands on the steering wheel. She headed towards the stop sign ahead, trying to distinguish what Darius was saying through the phone, but she couldn't exactly make out his jumbled words.

"No, absolutely not," Kaiya harshly snapped. Birdie subtly looked aside, noticing the scowl on Kaiya's lips; it didn't take Darius very long to get that kind of reaction from his little sister. "I don't give a shit. You got yourself into that and I am sure you can find a way to weasel out of it just like usual."

Birdie pulled up to the stop sign, twisting her lips. The car in front of them turned to the right, allowing Birdie to move forward. She inched ahead, hearing her phone begin to ring as she did so. She glanced around, making sure there weren't any other cars in sight as she pulled her phone out of her pocket.

"I said no."

Birdie flipped her phone open, a small smile appearing on her lips. "Hey, Samuel," Birdie said, letting off of the brake pedal to continue heading straight. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Bird. We think the——"

"BIRDIE!"

Birdie turned her head towards Kaiya just in time to see a truck plummeting straight for them. But, by then, it was already too late.

The truck rammed straight into Kaiya's side of the jeep, sending it tumbling onto its side. Tires screeched across the asphalt in a feeble attempt to stop, but it was no use; there was no stopping it. It skidded along the road and rolled onto the roof, one of the front tires knocking off and tumbling down the steep hill behind them. Shards of jagged glass had gone flying, tearing at anything it touched. Metal crunched together due to the impact, bending and twisting in ways that it wasn't supposed to. The radio was still silent, but as everything finally stilled, everything was now silent.

"Birdie? Birdie, what happened? Birdie!"

Birdie coughed, her eyes fluttering open. Her arms dangled down past her head, the seatbelt thankfully keeping her secure in the drivers seat. Her head was throbbing, feeling like the little drummer boy was putting on a concert inside her skull. Something was trickling down her cheek, the tiny droplets dripping down onto the disfigured roof below her. Her lips felt wet, a red smudge in the corner of her mouth. Birdie softly moaned when she felt a sharp jab in her ribs, hissing as she turned her head and it made her neck ache.

"Kai?" she weakly whispered, frowning when she saw Kaiya motionless in the passenger seat.

Her arms dangled down like Birdie's, fingers grazing along the roof. A stream of blood trickled down both of her arms, some more smeared across the side of her neck. There was a deep gash on the right side of her forehead, tiny pieces of glass stuck in her hair. Her phone was nowhere to be seen, not even the panicked sound of Kenji being heard by either of the women.

"Kaiya," Birdie whispered again, panic striking her heart. She grunted and reached for the seatbelt, ignoring the pain in her head. She gritted her teeth together and frantically pushed at it, doing her best to free herself. It finally released and she dropped to the ground. She hissed as she landed on her arm, feeling shards of glass and broken metal beneath her; some of which imbedded itself into her skin. "Kaiya. . ."

"BIRDIE!"

"Kaiya, hey," Birdie murmured, weakly reaching up to Kaiya's face. "Please, Kai——"

"Birdie, please, answer me!"

Birdie blinked and turned her head, seeing her phone near her shattered window. She reached over, grunting as her arm ached with the stretch. She picked it up with her red-glazed fingers, shakily breathing. A heavy feeling started to weigh over her, the thought of closing her eyes becoming rather appealing. "Sam. . ."

"Birdie, hey, what happened? Where are you?" Sam frantically asked.

"I. . .we. . ." Sirens wailed in the distance, the flashing red and blue lights appearing through Kaiya's broken window. Birdie closed her eyes, her head lulling to the side as she managed to say one last thing. "Sam. . ."

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  There's nothing else I can do. I'm sorry.

Birdie's eyes fell on Kaiya, her heart instantly breaking at the sight of her frail body. Birdie's lips were parted, frowning again as she slowly crept closer to the bed. A white bandage was wrapped around Kaiya's head, a thick white cast on her left wrist. There were tiny bandages along her arms from where shards of glass had sliced through her skin, some already in need of being replaced. Birdie could partially see some bandages near the nape of her neck, peeking out from underneath the hospital gown she now wore. A thin blanket was pulled up to her stomach, neatly tucked in beside her legs. Birdie's eyes flickered to her face, seeing Kaiya's head tilted to the side with her eyes peacefully closed.

"Kaiya I. . ." Birdie let out a shaky breath, examining the cuts on Kaiya's arms. She could see some bruises beginning to form, a few on her face as well. She twisted her lips, feeling her bottom lip start to tremble. "Kai. . .I'm so sorry. . ."

She slowly reached out, sniffling as she carefully grabbed Kaiya's hand, taking it in her own. She listened to the heart monitor off to the side, hearing it count each beat of Kaiya's heart.

"There has to be something," she whispered. "She can't die. . .I-I won't let her."

"Birdie?"

Birdie's head perked up, eyes widening when she saw Kaiya's eyes were partially open. "Kaiya, oh my god," she stammered. "I——do you need me to get——"

"Birdie," Birdie paused as Kaiya softly said her name again, frowning as she looked into Kaiya's eyes. "What. . .what happened?"

"There, uh, there was an accident," Birdie softly answered. "We. . .we were both hurt, but we're gonna be okay."

Kaiya weakly smiled. "Yeah, you've got an angel watching over you now."

Birdie sadly smiled, tightening her grip on Kaiya's hand. "You're gonna be okay, Kaiya. I'll make sure of it."

Kaiya coughed, forcing a smile onto her lips. "No, I'll make sure you're okay."

"Kaiya——"

"I love you, Bird," Kaiya smiled.

Birdie's faint smile turned downward into a frown. "Kai, please, don't talk like that."

"I'll take care of you. . .and the boys."

"Kai——"

Kaiya's head lulled to the side, her smile leaving her lips just as the monitor on the side started to flatline. Birdie's eyes widened in horror, scrambling to her feet. "No, no, no," she whispered. She maneuvered around the chair, darting towards the door and throwing it open. "Help! Someone! Help!"

Two nurses and a doctor came rushing down the hall and Birdie stepped back into the room, hand falling limp at her side when she saw Kaiya was completely still on the bed. The monitor was still making the flatline tone, causing Birdie's heart to sink to the deepest pit of her stomach.

Birdie felt a hand grab hold of her left arm, trying to pull her out of the room. "Ma'am, please," an urgent voice said, but Birdie wouldn't budge from where she stood. The doctor and one of the nurses hurried to both sides of Kaiya's bed, calling out to other nurses and doctors, but Birdie didn't understand what they were all saying as she solely focused on Kaiya. "Ms. Miller, you need to go back to your room. You shouldn't even be out of your bed yet. There's——"

"No! I-I Can't leave her! I won't leave her!" Birdie shouted, feeling the woman start to pull her away, carefully holding Birdie's arm so as not to injure her or put pressure on the bandages on her arms. More medical staff rushed into the room, bringing in equipment while they quickly spoke to each other. One of them adjusted Kaiya so she was leaning against the pillows, head facing the ceiling as the monitor failed to pick up a heartbeat. "KAIYA!"

"Ma'am, please——"

A man came around, his lips moving as he spoke to Birdie, but Birdie didn't register anything as her eyes solely focused on Kaiya. All of the frantic voices meshed together, just snippets of the words now reaching her ears. Her bottom lip wobbled and the man guided her out of the room, Birdie fervently shaking her head in protest. "No, please, I have to stay!"

Birdie shrugged the woman's arms off of her just as they reached the doorway, ignoring the pain that shot through her arms when she did so. The woman went to guide her into the hall, but when one of the nurses shouted for her, she left Birdie alone in the doorway. Birdie didn't leave the room, but she didn't try to move any closer either.

The doctors and nurses frantically worked together, pulling out the defibrillators as a last resort. One of the doctors counted as a nurse held the defibrillators in her hands, pressing them down on Kaiya's chest when instructed.

There was nothing.

They did it again, but there was nothing. The nurse who'd moved Birdie out of the way stole a look over her shoulder, seeing tears trailing down Birdie's cheeks as she helplessly watched them.

Birdie's face fell when the nurse put the devices back down, solemn expressions on each of their faces. "No, wait, you have to save her," she said.

The nurse sadly smiled, coming up to Birdie. "We're terribly sorry, Ms. Miller, but there's nothing more we can do. We'll give you a minute. . ."

Birdie blankly stared at the end of Kaiya's hospital bed, not bothering to move out of the way as the doctors and nurses stepped out of the room. They each offered their condolences as they slipped past her, but Birdie didn't pay any attention to them. She just waited until they were all gone before returning to Kaiya's side.

More tears trickled down her cheeks as she gazed down at Kaiya, grabbing hold of her hand just like before. Part of her hoped Kaiya would squeeze her hand, hold it tight in reassurance and then her eyes would open. She would softly smile and utter Birdie's notorious saying as if neither of them had almost died in a car accident. Sam and Dean would come by to check on them and they would all smile and laugh, and then they would head back to Kaiya's——most likely to have a Mario Kart competition like promised.

None of that would be happening now.

Kaiya was motionless on the bed, the thin white blanket stopped right under her chin; something Birdie didn't realize one of the nurses had done. Her eyes were peacefully shut once again, the heart monitor on the opposite side of the bed turned off so it was no longer making the flatline tone.

Birdie tightened her grip on Kaiya's hand, silent tears cascading down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry, Kai," she whispered. She sniffled, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. This. . .this is all my fault."

Birdie didn't bother to wipe her tears away, unable to tear her gaze from Kaiya's unmoving body.

"It should've been me," she murmured, the guilt gnawing at her heart with persistence. "You had your whole life ahead of you, and now it's-it's gone. . .because of me. . ."

Birdie clenched her eyes shut, lowering her head as she felt all of her emotions bubbling to the surface. She sniffled and slowly pulled her hand away from Kaiya's. She wiped at her eyes with the short sleeve of her hospital gown, thickly swallowing the bile that suddenly rose up in her throat. "I-I'm sorry, Kaiya. . ."

She stood up and turned on her heel, quickly making her way down the dimly lit hall. She ignored one of the nurses who called out to her and offered to escort her back to her own room, but Birdie had no intention of going back there. She needed to get out of the hospital.

She couldn't be in there any longer; not when she knew it was the last place Kaiya took her last breath. . .because of her.

She weaved around other patients and hospital staff, not caring if they saw her red eyes or the wet splotches on her cheeks. She didn't pay attention to the signs ahead to see where she was going, her feet simply guiding her wherever they wanted. Her heart was racing in her chest, her sock clad feet beginning to move faster until she was jogging down the hall and out one of the side exits. She slowed to a stop when she found herself near an almost vacant parking lot. She glanced around the dark area, not a single person in sight.

Birdie let out a shaky breath, watching her breath fan out in front of her in the cold air until it disappeared. She lifted a hand, running her fingers through her tangly hair. "Why'd it have to be her?" she whispered, closing her eyes as the crisp night air nipped at her exposed flesh. "Why not me?"

Kaiya's perky smile flashed inside her mind, making Birdie involuntarily flinch. She lifted a hand and tried to wipe at her tears, but only more started to fall. She stepped to the side, a sob managing to slip past her lips despite her best efforts to hold it in. I'm sorry.

Birdie sobbed, sinking to her knees. She pressed her face into her hands, unable to stop the images of Kaiya's smiles, the sounds of her laughter——any memory of Kaiya——from popping into her mind and reminding her of what she'd lost. Birdie shook her head and dropped her hands down, an agonizing yell spilling from her lips and piercing the night air. Her sobs echoed around her and she leaned forward, teardrops falling on the ground beneath her.

Something warm touched her shoulder a few seconds later, making her flinch. She quickly looked to the side, spotting Sam and Dean kneeled beside her with matching concern on their faces. "Sam? Dean?" Birdie whimpered. "How'd-how'd you——"

"What happened?" Sam softly asked, his hand still lingering on her shoulder. He took in Birdie's appearance, panic already coursing through him after hearing the scream he'd instantly recognized as Birdie's. There were some bandages on her cheek that were keeping a cut secure. There were some tiny gashes along her neck and along her temples, dark bruising marking parts of her arms and parts of her legs.

Birdie just closed her eyes to avoid seeing his expression. Sam frowned and moved to sit beside her, not caring that the ground was still partially wet. Birdie fell into his arms, her thick tears seeping into his shirt.

Dean shifted to sit on the ground in front of her, sharing a silent look with Sam. "Bird. . .where's Kaiya?" Dean wondered.

Birdie sniffled, wiping at her eyes though she knew her tears weren't going to be stopping anytime soon. She picked her head up from Sam's shoulder, her wobbly lip and tears only adding more to Dean and Sam's fears of what her answer would be.

They knew the answer, but they couldn't believe it until they heard it outloud.

"She's. . ." Birdie shook her head, forcing herself to look at Sam and Dean as she answered; they deserve that much. "She's. . .she's dead, and it's all my fault."