CHAPTER TWENTY ONE:
LAZARUS RISING.

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IT'D BEEN FOUR long and agonizing months without Dean Winchester. He wasn't there to make serious situations feel just a little less tense with his inappropriate and ill-timed jokes or make everyone else laugh to ease their buzzing nerves. He wasn't around to tease Sam and Birdie about liking the other when one of them wasn't around, or even to both of them in hopes that it'd make them realize that there might've been more to their friendship than they allowed themselves to believe. He wasn't around to help out on a hunt if Birdie got stuck or needed some backup——he was just gone. But, even though Birdie knew he was gone and wasn't ever coming back, she could still feel his presence. She thought about him at least twenty times a day, some days a little harder to deal with as she thought more and more about him only for her mind to remind her just exactly how he'd died.

The mere image of Dean's shredded torso made Birdie flinch as she entered the rundown motel, shaking her head to try and shake the gory image from her head. She puffed out her cheeks and started to walk, heading past the front desk towards her room on the second floor.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Antilles." Birdie stopped in her tracks, eyes falling on the pudgy woman seated behind the front desk. A warm smile was etched on her pink painted lips, gaze pinned on Birdie.

Birdie adjusted the bag of fast food she had tucked in one of her arms, returning the older woman's smile. "Oh, uh, hi," she quietly greeted the woman, faintly nodding her head after she spoke. "Afternoon."

"How are you and your husband enjoying your stay so far?" the woman wondered, head tilted to one side.

"It's, uh, really nice," Birdie said, forcing her smile to remain on her lips. She just wanted to get back to the room so she could eat her food that was beginning to smell even better as the seconds passed. "Thank you."

The woman nodded, her smile widening as she adjusted her position in the chair, picking up a romance mystery novel that was placed near the register. "Of course," the woman said. "If you and your husband need anything, feel free to let me know."

"Sure thing."

Then Birdie gave the woman one last smile, nodding her head as she started to head back down the hall and climbed up the stairs to the second floor. She quietly sighed as she walked towards the room at the end of the hall, using her free hand to fish her room key from her front pocket. She stopped in front of the door, puffing out her cheeks as she jiggled it in the door.

"Come on, fucker," she muttered, sighing as it finally unlocked. Then she pushed open the door, glancing down at the floor as she turned and closed the door behind her before. She moved towards the table off to the side without looking towards Sam, hearing him shuffling near one of the beds behind her. "God, you would not fucking believe the amount of dudes that were trying to ask me about Baby to see if I actually knew anything about cars. Can you believe that fucking bullshit? I mean, I remember a few things Dean taught me, of course, and that seemed to shut——"

Birdie froze when she turned around, her lips falling open as her eyes didn't just see Sam inside the small motel room, but Bobby. . .and Dean.

Dean.

The crinkled bag of fast food slipped from her grasp as it'd been partially hanging over the edge of the table with her hands just barely keeping it in place there, thudding against the wooden floorboards as her eyes tripled in size. Bobby was sitting on the rickety couch near the window, Sam seated beside Dean on the edge of the bed with their eyes pinned to the woman.

"Hey, Bird," Dean softly said, giving her a small grin as he started to stand.

"What the actual fuck?" Birdie asked in utter disbelief, brows furrowing together as she immediately started to reach for her gun that was fully loaded with silver bullets. "Who——"

Sam quickly got up from the bed, reaching for her arm to stop her. Dean's eyes widened, innocently holding his hands up. "No, wait! Birdie, Birdie, stop, it's him." Birdie's expression only shifted into more confusion, looking up at Sam as he gently held her arm. "It's Dean."

Birdie slowly blinked, her eyes moving from Sam and back at Dean. She slowly let go of her gun, Sam releasing her arm to let it fall down at her side. She let out a shaky breath, stealing a glance towards Bobby who nodded as if silently confirming what Sam had said. She faintly shook her head, taking a few cautious steps closer like she was soaking it all in.

But how was that possible?

Dean stood still in front of the bed, watching her cautiously approach him with his hands now lowered at his side. Birdie's eyes flickered over every single one of his features, tears blossoming in her eyes. She lifted her hands once she finally stopped in front of him, gently placing her hands on his stubbly cheeks. A smile started to appear on her lips, meeting his softened gaze. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah," Dean said, his smile widening along with Birdie's. "I missed you too, Bird."

Birdie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, yanking him into a tight embrace. Dean chuckled, instantly hugging her back with just as much relief. They held each other for a few moments, relishing in the fact that they were back together once again. Birdie finally let go a few seconds later, shaking her head as she took a small step back. She opened her mouth to speak, but Dean beat her to it. "What the fuck happened to your eye?"

"Oh, it's. . .I got it the night you. . ." she said, motioning with her hand as if to gesture towards him. His lips formed into an 'O', nodding his head in understanding. He remembered seeing all of the blood and the cut on her face that night, but he'd forgotten all about it until just then. It was rather noticeable, but he thought it made her look even more badass. "One of Lilith's minions gave it to me. . .but hey, less men talk to me so that's very nice."

Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "Yeah, I guess that's somethin'."

Birdie faintly smiled, running a hand through her hair as she continued to stare at Dean; she was partially expecting him to suddenly fade out of sight like she was just imagining him there, but he didn't. "Not, uh, not that I'm not happy you're-you're back and everything, but. . ." Birdie let out a sigh, raising her brows slightly, "What the actual fuck, Dean? How-how the hell is this even possible?"

Dean shifted and took a seat again, subtly sharing a glance with Sam and Bobby. "You mean you don't know?"

Birdie gave him a look, a frown appearing on her lips. "Am I supposed to?"

"Bird," Bobby softly sighed, "Did you do somethin'?"

Birdie glanced around at the men around her, folding her arms over her chest. "Wait. . .do you——you guys really think I had something to do with it?" she asked, jaw slacking in surprise.

They seriously thought that she brought him back somehow?

"Did you?" Dean bluntly asked.

Birdie huffed, pursing her lips together. "No, I did not."

"You sure about that, kid?" Bobby asked.

Sam walked over, standing off to the side of Birdie. "If she says she didn't do it——"

"Bird, you remember what you said at the funeral?" Bobby wondered, causing Sam to quiet. Birdie's eyes flickered over to the older man, eyes slightly narrowed. "That you'd do anything to get him back?"

Birdie scoffed, moving to sit on one of the beds. "I remember everything that happened at the funeral, Bobby. And. . .yeah, I said that, but I had nothing to do with this, okay? I wish I did, but I didn't. God knows how much I tried. . ."

"Tried?" Dean repeated, raising his brows as he tilted his head towards her.

Birdie sucked in a sharp breath, stealing a glance towards Sam. Then her eyes flickered back to Dean, twisting her lips as a tense silence filled the room. "Well, I. . .I might've tried to make a few deals——" Dean and Bobby's eyes noticeably widened, going to speak but Birdie was quick to continue, "But it didn't work, alright? No demon wanted anything I had to offer."

"Birdie——"

"But wait," Birdie interjected, waving her hand as she looked up at Dean, "You mean you don't know how you're back?"

"We were kinda hopin' you knew," Bobby said.

Birdie slowly nodded, but then she furrowed her brows and turned her head towards him. "Wait, you were hoping I sold my soul to get Dean back?"

"No, Birdie, you know that's not what we meant," Dean said, giving her a stern stare.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm gladdened that Sam and Birdie's souls remain intact, but it does raise a sticky question," Bobby said.

"If they didn't pull me out, then what did?"

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Birdie sat beside Bobby on the couch, her eyes constantly flickering over to Dean like she was making sure that he was still there or wasn't going to suddenly disappear into thin air. They each had a beer, a small box of greasy fries nestled between Birdie's legs as she leaned back on the couch, munching on the salty food while occasionally tossing some to Dean when he motioned his hand towards her. She usually would've ignored him, but she was just so grateful to have him back she didn't care that she was sharing her fries for once.

"Anyways, uh, me and Bird were checking these demons out of Tennessee, and out of nowhere they took a hard left, booked up here," Sam said, glancing around at the others as he explained what he and Birdie were doing so close to where Dean was buried.

"When?"

"Yesterday morning."

"When I busted out," Dean said, gaze flickering over to Bobby.

"You think these demons are here 'cause of you?" Bobby suggested, squinting slightly. Dean shrugged, twisting his lips. It was a possibility.

"But why?" Sam asked.

"Well, I don't know," Dean said, turning to look at Sam with a pointed look. "Some badass demon drags me out and now this? It's gotta be connected somehow."

"How you feelin', anyway?" Bobby asked.

"I'm a little hungry," Dean said, looking towards Birdie.

The woman rolled her eyes, grabbing the entire carton of fries and handing them over to Dean. "Just take 'em. You probably need them more than I do."

"No, I mean, do you feel like yourself?" Bobby clarified, shaking his head with a shrug as he spoke. "Anything strange, or different?"

"Or demonic?" Dean suggested, already knowing what Bobby was implying. "Bobby, how many times do I have to prove I'm me?"

"Yeah. Well, listen——no demon's letting you loose out of the goodness of their hearts." Dean looked away from the older man, rolling his eyes. "They've gotta have something nasty planned."

"Well, I feel fine," Dean said, taking another sip of his beer.

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

Bobby glanced between the Winchesters and Birdie, an idea popping into his head. "I know a psychic a few hours from here. Something this big, maybe she's heard the other side talking."

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

Bobby stood up, reaching for his phone in his pocket. "I'll be right back."

Birdie shifted on the couch as her eyes watched him start to leave the room as Dean stood up as well.

"Hey, wait," Sam said, standing up when his voice stopped Dean. He reached for something around his neck, removing a necklace he'd been wearing as Dean watched him. "You probably want this back."

He dropped it into Dean's hand, Dean seeing that it was the amulet Sam had given him many Christmases ago. Dean let out a quiet breath, peering down at it. Birdie softly smiled to herself as she stood up, too, moving towards her suitcase to change into something more comfortable. "Thanks."

"Yeah, don't mention it." Dean pulled the amulet over his head, Sam lingering in front of him like there was something on his mind. "Hey Dean, what was it like?"

"What, Hell?" Dean asked. Birdie paused, glancing over her shoulder at the brothers with curiosity. "I don't know, I-I-I must have blacked it out. I don't remember a damn thing."

Sam faintly nodded, almost looking relieved. "Well, thank god for that."

"Yeah," Dean said, nodding in agreement.

Birdie turned back towards her bag, frowning when she realized that something was missing. She turned her head, huffing when she saw it on the floor near one of the beds. Dean's eyes followed her, lips parting as he saw her pick up the bra he'd seen earlier——the one he picked up while giving Sam a look as he figured Sam had hooked up with someone——and stuff it back into her bag.

He immediately looked at Sam, going to speak but Sam quickly shook his head; he'd noticed, too. "No, it's not like that," he quickly said, voice low so that Birdie wouldn't overhear him.

A disappointed expression on Dean's face. "Wha——you're telling me you two still aren't——"

"You know, you guys aren't as quiet as you think you are." Sam and Dean simultaneously turned their heads to find Birdie's eyes on them. Sam shifted, stammering as he glanced from Dean and then back to the woman. "You never have been."

Dean huffed, sharing a quick glance with Sam before he looked towards Birdie again. "Well, I-I wanted you to hear me," he said, narrowing his eyes at the woman as he started to head towards the bathroom. "I set you guys up so nicely before I. . .and now——"

"Okay, okay," Birdie hastily interrupted, rolling her eyes as she held her hands up as she motioned him to quiet down. Sam bit back an amused smile. It felt like the old times already. "I get it, I get it. Just. . .I'm gonna go change——don't go anywhere without me."

Dean stepped to the side so Birdie could move past him and Sam, their eyes following her to the bathroom. She shut the door, but not before giving Dean a pointed look as she did so. Then he turned his head towards Sam, furrowing his brows together in thought. "She look taller to you?"

Sam chuckled, shaking his head as his dimples poked out. "Maybe you're just getting shorter."

It took them about four hours to reach the psychic, Pamela Barnes', house. They'd left during the night, reaching the white colored house in the early hours of the morning. Birdie stood to the right of Sam and Dean on the front porch, Bobby in front of the door as he knocked on it a few times.

A woman with curly black hair opened the door just a few moments later, her bright blue eyes landing on Bobby first. She wore a black tank top and blue jeans, a belt keeping the jeans up around her waist. A bright smile appeared on her lips when she saw Bobby, laughing as she reached out to him. "Bobby!" She pulled him into a tight hug, briefly lifting him off the ground.

Sam, Dean, and Birdie shared an amused look with each other, chuckling to themselves.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Bobby told the woman once she set him back down, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

Pamela took a step back, looking at Birdie and the boys. "So, these them?"

"Sam, Dean, Birdie," Bobby said, glancing at the three, "Pamela Barnes, best damn psychic in the state."

Dean smirked. "Hey."

"Hi," Sam said, awkwardly smiling at the woman.

"Hi," Birdie said, giving the woman a small smile.

Pamela hummed, briefly glancing towards Bobby. He tilted his head, giving her a look that Birdie couldn't quite gauge. Pamela breathed out a chuckle and looked at Dean. "Dean Winchester. Out of the fire and back in the frying pan, huh?" she asked. Birdie shifted, stealing a glance towards Dean. "Makes you a rare individual."

Dean made a face, briefly nodding. "If you say so."

Pamela smiled again, nudging her head towards the house. "Come on in." She stepped back into her home, letting them all inside. Once they were all in, she grabbed the door and pushed it shut.

"So, you hear anything?" Bobby asked.

"Well, I Ouija'd my way through a dozen spirits," Pamela answered, making sure that the door was shut. She moved closer to Bobby, folding her arms over her chest. "No one seems to know who broke your boy out, or why."

"So what's next?"

"A séance, I think," she answered. "See if we can see who did the deed."

"You're not gonna. . .summon the damn thing here."

Pamela smiled. "No. I just want to get a sneak peek at it," she said, starting to move past the older man. "Like a crystal ball without the crystal."

"I'm game," Dean said.

Birdie snickered, shaking her head. "I'm sure you are."

Dean just glanced over his shoulder to give her a smug grin. Then he followed Pamela into a seperate room, Sam right behind him. Birdie lingered in the foyer with Bobby, hearing him sigh to himself.

"Come on, kiddo," he said, gesturing for her to follow.

Birdie did so, following the others into a dining room of sorts. There was a round table in the middle of it with four wooden chairs tucked underneath. A large black cabinet was pushed against the wall to the right with some silver trinkets on top of it. A framed picture was hung above it, giving the room some character.

Pamela spread a black tablecloth covered in all different kinds of symbols over the table, moving towards a rectangular cabinet. Sam and Dean wearily looked at the cloth, seeing if they recognized any of the symbols.

Dean cocked his head as Pamela squatted in front of a cabinet, revealing a tattoo scrawled across her lower back that read Jesse Forever when her tank top rose up to expose her skin. Dean moved his arm, silently nudging his elbow into Sam. Then he nudged his head, motioning towards the tattoo. Birdie watched from the other side of the table, lips parting into surprise when she noticed it as well.

"Who's Jesse?"

Pamela loudly laughed, looking back at Dean. "Well, it wasn't forever."

Dean smacked his lips together. "His loss."

Pamela stood with three candles in her hands, stopping in front of Dean with a cheeky smirk. "Might be your gain."

When she walked away with her smirk still on her lips, Dean turned to Sam and lowered his voice. "Dude, I am so in."

Sam chuckled under his breath, amusement written all over his face. "Yeah, she's gonna eat you alive."

"Hey, I just got out of jail," Dean said. "Bring it."

Pamela walked passed again, stopping to look up at Sam this time. "You're invited too, grumpy," she said, giving him a wink.

Birdie's lips parted in surprise, making her way over to the boys. Sam's smile remained on his face, looking at Dean as he got close and pointed a stern finger at his little brother. "You are not invited."

Birdie came up next to Sam, eyes wide as she glanced between them. "Seriously?" she asked, focusing on Dean in particular. "You just got out of Hell and we don't even——"

"Hey, don't be a cockblock, Big Bird," Dean said, giving her a sharp glare.

Birdie gaped, narrowing her eyes on the older man a few seconds later. Sam shook his head, placing a gentle hand on her arm as she went to speak. Dean carefully watched them, noticing how she seemed to relax the moment Sam touched her. Maybe there was something different——

"You guys ready?"

They turned their heads, seeing Pamela smiling as she held a lighter in hand. Bobby was standing off to the side of her, eyes on Birdie and the boys. Birdie let out a heavy sigh, giving Sam a forced smile.

They were as ready as they could be.

Pamela, Bobby, Sam, Dean, and Birdie were seated around the small table, six candles lit in the very center. "Right. Take each other's hands," Pamela instructed. Birdie shifted in her chair, taking Bobby's hand in hers and then Sam's as she was seated in between them. "And I need to touch something our mystery monster touched."

Pamela slid her hand along Dean's inner thigh, causing him to jump. "Whoa," Dean said. "Well, he didn't touch me there."

Pamela chuckled, removing her hand. "My mistake."

Birdie sucked in a sharp breath, expression hardening as Pamela looked towards her. "Watch where you put those things," Birdie snapped.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Pamela said, tilting her head as she looked from Birdie over to Dean.

Birdie turned her head, seeing Sam's eyes were on her. "What?" she grumbled.

Sam just sighed, choosing not to verbally respond. He understood why she spoke up, but he didn't want to speak and cause any trouble. Pamela might've been their only way to find out how Dean was back.

Dean shrugged off the left sleeve of his flannel, pulling up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a large handprint that was branded into his arm. Birdie's eyes widened, her and Sam sharing a quick look as neither of them had seen it yet. Their eyes flickered to Bobby, the older man catching their eye. Then they looked at the mark again, watching Pamela carefully place her hand on the mark.

"Okay." All five of them closed their eyes as Pamela began the seance. "I invoke, conjure, and command you——appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you——appear unto me before this circle. I invoke, conjure, and command you——appear unto me before this circle." The television in the corner of the room flicked on, static appearing on the screen. Dean's eyes opened, seeing the TV had turned on. "I invoke, conjure, and command. . .Castiel?" Birdie opened her eyes, gaze immediately landing on Pamela. Her eyes were still closed, brows knitted together in concentration. "No. Sorry, Castiel, I don't scare easy."

"Castiel?" Dean repeated in confusion.

"Its name," Pamela answered, keeping her eyes closed to remain focused. "It's whispering to me, warning me to turn back." The static continued as a faint ringing began to fill the room, the table beginning to shake as she continued. "I conjure and command you——show me your face. I conjure and command you——show me your face. I conjure and command you——show me your face. I conjure and command you——show me your face."

Bobby opened his eyes as the noise started to become louder and the table shook even more. Birdie tightened her grip on Sam's hand, sharing a worried look with Bobby. Dean slightly winced, glancing around the table as his heartbeat quickened. Sam's eyes were widened, catching Dean's concerned gaze.

"Maybe we should stop," Bobby suggested.

"I almost got it. I command you——show me your face! Show me your face now!" Suddenly the candles on the table flared up several feet in the air and Pamela began to scream. Her eyes flew open and were filled with a white-hot flame, her screams filling the entire room as blood started to pour from the corners of her eyes. She collapsed from her chair seconds later as the rattling finally ceased to a sotp, the noise going away while the flames died out.

Birdie gaped in pure horror, seeing Bobby quickly moving to catch Pamela. He caught her in his arms and gently lowered her to the floor. "Call 9-1-1!"

Sam scrambled out of his chair, rushing towards his jacket to get his phone from his pocket. Dean crouched over Pamela with concern, Birdie coming over as Bobby carefully held Pamela in his arms. She was still conscious which was a good sign, heavily panting as her burned eyes continued to bleed, the dark red liquid trailing down her cheeks. Her eyelids flew open to reveal black, empty sockets that sent a chill down Birdie's spine.

Birdie gasped, never having seen anything like it before. "I can't see!" Pamela sobbed. "I can't see! Oh god!"

Dean and Birdie sat at a small table in Johnny Mac's Diner over an hour later, Sam in the hall as he talked to Bobby over the phone.

"Be up in a jiff," the waitress said, giving Dean a small smile as she walked away after he ordered some pie for all three of them.

Sam returned as the waitress walked behind the counter with Dean's order in hand, shutting his phone once reached the table.

"What'd Bobby say?" Dean asked.

"Uh, Pam's stable," Sam said, sinking into the chair across from Dean. "And out of I.C.U."

"And blind, 'cause of us."

"And we still have no fuckin' clue what we're dealing with."

"That's not entirely true," Dean said.

Birdie furrowed her brows together. "It's not?"

"We got a name. Castiel, or whatever. With the right mumbo-jumbo we could summon him, bring him right to us."

"You're fuckin' crazy," Sam said, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

"We'll work him over. I mean, after what he did?"

"Pam took a peek at him and her eyes burned out of her skull, and you want to have a face to face?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do," Sam said. "Me and Bird followed some demons to town, right?"

"Okay."

"So we go find them. Someone's gotta know something about something."

The waitress reappeared with three plates of pie, setting them down on the table in front of the group.

"Thanks."

The waitress wiped her hands on the apron around her waist, plopping down in a chair at the end of the table directly across from Birdie.

Dean oddly looked at the woman, smirking as he set his fork back down. "You angling for a tip?"

"I'm sorry. Thought you were looking for us." Her eyes turned black right after she spoke, looking directly at Dean, then Birdie, and then at Sam.

A man in a mechanic uniform stood up from the counter behind them, eyes solid black as well. The cook behind the counter stood perfectly still, black eyes boring into the trio. The one in the mechanic uniform made his way towards the door, locking it. He stood in front of it, meaning they had no way to escape with another demon blocking the emergency exit in the hallway.

The demon waitress wickedly smirked, eyes going back to normal as her focus returned to Dean. "Dean. . .to Hell and back. Aren't you one lucky duck."

Dean narrowed his eyes, lips twisting. "That's me."

"So you get to just stroll out of the pit, huh? Tell me. What makes you so fucking special?"

"I like to think it's because of my perky nipples," Dean cheekily replied. The demon just stared back at Dean, not at all amused by his response. "I don't know. Wasn't my doing, I don't know who pulled me out."

"Right. You don't."

"No. I don't."

"Lying's a sin, you know."

Dean tilted his head. "I'm not lying." the demon's eyes briefly flickered between Sam and Birdie, only receiving hateful glares from them. "But I'd like to find out, so if you wouldn't mind enlightening me, Flo. . ."

"Mind your tone with me, boy," the demon barked out. "I'll fucking drag you back to Hell myself."

Sam shifted in the chair to attack, but Dean held a hand up. Sam stopped, reluctantly settling back into his chair. "No, you won't," Dean said.

"No?" the demon said, raising her brows with a fake smile.

"No. 'Cause if you were, you'd have done it already. Fact is, you don't know who cut me loose. And you're just as spooked as we are." The demon looked towards Sam, glancing down at the floor as Dean continued to speak. He was right, but no demon would ever admit that. "And you're looking for answers. 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 jackshit. 'Cause whoever it was, they want me out. . . and they're a lot fuckin' 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 fucking fire hose."

"I'm going to reach down your fucking throat and rip out your lungs."

Dean leaned forward, a challenge burning in his green eyes. He threw a right hook at the demon, making her head snap to the side. Birdie raised her brows in surprise, sitting up straight in her chair. She expected the demon to lunge at him for doing such a thing, but she just faced him again without making any move on him. Dean threw another smack, but still the demon did nothing but glare at them in return.

"That's what I thought," Dean said. "Let's go."

Birdie and the boys simultaneously stood up from the table, leaving the demon at the table, fuming. Birdie glared towards the demon and walked around the table, waiting as Dean stopped next to the demon. He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket, carefully peeling off a ten dollar bill. He held it up and then dropped it on the table like an insult. "For the pie."

Then he walked away, the demon's eyes following him as they left the diner. Birdie stuffed her hands in her pockets, glancing over her shoulder at Dean as they started to walk across the street, tense and quick.

"Holy shit, that was fuckin' close," Dean said once they were a good distance away from the diner.

"We're not just going to leave them in there, are we, Dean?" Sam asked, stealing another glance back at the diner to make sure they weren't being followed.

"Well yeah, there's three of them, probably more. We only got one knife between us."

"Me and Bird have been killing a lot more demons than that lately," Sam said, the three of them making it across the street.

"Not anymore——the smarter brother's back in town."

"Oh, please," Birdie snickered, giving Dean a playful look.

"Dean, we've got to take 'em," Sam pressed. "They are dangerous."

"They're scared. Okay? Scared of whatever had the juice to yank me out," Dean said, a stern expression as he looked at his little brother. "We're dealing with a bad motherfucker here. One job at a time."

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Dean was fast asleep on the pullout couch with a large book open in his lap when night finally fell upon them, his head laid on a pillow that Birdie had tucked under for him after she noticed he'd fallen asleep. Every once in a while Birdie could hear soft snores escaping his lips, a reminder that he was asleep and she'd yet to be able to do the same yet.

Birdie looked away from Dean's slumbering figure and tiredly rubbed at her eyes, letting out a quiet yawn as she stuffed her phone in her pocket. She ran a hand through her curls, wincing when her fingers nearly got stuck in some tangles. She pursed her lips and removed the ponytail from her wrist, pulling her hair back into a low bun.

"You okay?"

Birdie turned her head towards Sam, giving him a small smile. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said. "I'm just tired s'all."

Sam sadly smiled, adjusting the collar of his jacket. "If you don't wanna come——"

"I'm not gonna let you go in there by yourself," she said, her smile lingering on her lips. "Besides, Sammy, you need me."

Sam raised his brows in amusement, watching her with a grin as she walked past him and exited the motel room. He let out a sigh, glancing over his shoulder to make sure Dean was still asleep; Dean's continued snoring was confirmation enough. Then Sam quietly left the room, nodding his head towards Birdie as she patiently waited for him in the hallway. They quickly walked down the hall, making their way towards the lobby. They hurried outside into the crisp night air, making their way towards the Impala. Birdie clambered into the passenger seat like she'd done over hundreds of times the last few months, sharing a silent look with Sam before he started the ignition.

"Let's go," she said, giving him a grin.

Sam returned it, backing out of the parking spot. He turned the wheel and left the motel, Birdie right beside him——just like she had been ever since Dean died; well, almost ever since then.

Sam and Birdie were still seated in the Impala twenty minutes later, staking out the diner that was still full of demons even hours after Birdie and the boys left the joint.

"Why do you think they're still here?" Birdie curiously wondered, eyes flickering towards Sam.

Sam let out a sigh, shaking his head as he turned to face Birdie. "I don't know, but whatever it is, it can't be anything good."

"Fuckin' demons," Birdie grumbled, glancing down at her lap. "Why's it always demons?"

"'Cause we attract 'em," Sam said, scoffing to himself. Birdie glanced over, a smile appearing on her lips when she noticed one of Sam's dimples poking out. "We are stoppin' a hell lot of them, though."

"Yeah," Birdie said, smile widening. "We are, aren't we?"

Sam's eyes flickered in front of the Impala, gaze falling on Birdie again when he saw her shift out of the corner of his eye. Her hair had gotten longer over the last few months, her curls becoming more prominent. Her hair would be even longer when she straightened it, but it'd been weeks since she did that due to accidentally burning one of her fingers. The scar she'd gotten the night Dean was killed was still as prominent as before, but it had healed quite nicely; it was still pretty visible, but there wasn't much Birdie could do about it even if she attempted to use makeup to try and conceal it. Her clothing style hadn't changed too much, but she was wearing less colorful clothing than before——whether it was because she simply didn't feel like wearing them anymore or if it was to make herself not stand out as much, Sam still wasn't sure. She was a lot more on edge, nightmares haunting her more often than not. Losing Dean and chasing after monsters was taking its toll, but Sam could tell she was beginning to do better; she looked the healthiest she had in months. A small smile crept on Sam's lips, sheepishly laughing when Birdie caught him staring at her.

"What?" Birdie chuckled, tucking some hair behind her ear.

"Nothin'," Sam softly answered, facing forward.

Birdie scoffed, rolling her eyes as she folded her arms over her chest. "Yeah, okay," she said, cocking a brow towards him.

Sam huffed, giving her a similar expression. "I was just thinkin', alright?"

Birdie hummed. "About?"

"Uh. . ." Much to Sam's relief, he was cut off by his phone ringing. Birdie shook her head and glanced out of the window as Sam picked up his phone. Some timing.

"It's Dean," Sam said, sharing a look with Birdie.

"You gonna answer?" Birdie wondered.

"Yeah," he said.

Birdie reached out, grabbing his hand. "Wait, put it on speaker," she said.

Sam nodded, flipping open his phone. "Hey," he greeted Dean, pressing the speaker button so that Birdie could hear Dean, too.

"What are you doing? You with Bird?"

"Yeah, we, uh, couldn't sleep," Sam said. "Went to get a burger."

"In my car?"

"Force of habit, sorry," Sam said, stealing a glance towards the diner. Birdie did the same, anxiously biting the inside of her cheek. "What are you doing up?"

"Well, uh, Bobby's back. We're going to grab a beer."

"All right, well, uh, spill some for me, huh?"

"Done, yeah. I'll catch you later."

When he hung up, Sam looked towards Birdie as he stuffed his phone back in his pocket. "You ready?" Sam asked.

Birdie nodded. "Yeah, are you?"

"'Course."

The two of them climbed out of the Impala, glancing around the area to make sure there wasn't anyone around. Birdie rounded the front of Baby, smiling to herself when Sam's hand went to the small of her back as he quickly guided her across the street and towards the diner. They stopped in front of the main entrance, Sam grabbing his lockpick set from his pocket. It didn't take long to get the door open, the eerie darkness greeting them as Sam slowly pushed it open.

They quietly snuck inside the building, Sam slipping his lockpick set in his shirt pocket as Birdie slowly shut the door behind them. A mid-tempo song was playing on the jukebox on the opposite side of the room, filling the tense silence as they suspiciously examined the small diner. Birdie's eyes fell on the cook from earlier, his body laid face-down behind the counter, hands covered in blood.

Birdie caught Sam's eye and nudged her head towards the body. He silently nodded and the two walked over. Sam crouched down and turned the man over to check and see if he might've still been alive. Birdie gasped when she saw his face. His eyes were burned out, dried blood caked on his chubby cheeks——it was the same thing that happened to Pamela. Sam slowly stood up with a shaky breath, his and Birdie's eyes still peering down at the body. Sam turned his head, grunting when he was suddenly tackled from the side, crashing into one of the tables behind them.

Birdie rushed over as the demon——the same one who'd pretended to be their waitress——straddled Sam, punching him in the face over and over. Birdie picked up a nearby chair, swinging it and knocking the demon off of Sam with it. She grunted and toppled off to the side, giving Sam the chance to get back onto his feet. Birdie dropped the chair with a heavy pant, watching the demon quickly clamber to her feet as well. The demon made a move for Sam, but Birdie swung her leg out, kicking the demon in the stomach. She keeled over at the pain, wheezing. Sam moved forward and prepared to swing, but when the demon lifted her head, both Sam and Birdie realized her eyes had been burned out like Pamela and the cook.

"Your eyes," Sam breathed out, keeping his fists raised as he stared ahead at the demon.

"I could still smell your souls a mile away," the demon said, arms still raised with shaky breaths escaping her lips.

Birdie shifted, briefly glancing at Sam before her eyes returned to focus on the demon. "Who was it?" she asked.

"You saw it," Sam said.

The demon nodded, sniffling. "I saw it."

"What was it?" Sam demanded to know.

"It's the end," the demon answered, sucking in shaky breaths like she was crying. "We're dead. We're all dead."

"What did you see?"

"Go to Hell," the demon sneered.

"Funny," Sam said. "I was going to say the same thing to you."

Birdie moved next to Sam, lowering her hands as her eyes stayed pinned to the demon. Sam stepped back and planted his feet, shutting his eyes in concentration. Then he extended his right hand towards the demon, suckingin a deep breath as he prepared himself.

The demon suddenly began to heave, spitting up black smoke into her hands. Birdie narrowed her eyes as more smoke poured from the demons mouth, hands going to grip her throat as she was unable to stop it. Sam furrowed his brows, concentrating more as Birdie silently watched next to him. The smoke pooled on the floor and the demon crumbled to her knees, collapsing onto her back a few seconds later. The smoke burned into the floor, disappearing as it was sent back to where it belonged.

Birdie hurried over to the woman, crouching down next to her. Sam opened his eyes as Birdie placed her fingers on the woman's neck, checking for a pulse. Birdie let out a disheartened sigh, looking up at Sam with a glum look in her eyes.

Sam lowered his head. "Damn it."

The kitchen door off to the side opened up, a dark haired woman coming out. Birdie and Sam looked up at the sound, spotting the woman approaching them. She had black hair that stopped just above her breasts in loose curls. She wore a black leather jacket over a plain purple shirt, blue jeans going to her ankles and covering part of the boots she wore. A smirk was on her lips as she came into Sam and Birdie's view, glancing between the two hunters.

"Getting pretty slick there, Sam. Better all the time."

Birdie stood up, letting out a sigh as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. Sam looked away from her, stealing another glance down at the body. "What the fuck is going on around here, Ruby?"

Ruby slightly shook her head. "I wish I knew."

"Well, that's not very helpful," Birdie said, helplessly looking towards the demon.

Ruby sighed, tilting her head towards Birdie. "I'm sorry."

"We were thinking some high level demon pulled Dean out," Sam said, looking between the women.

"No way," Ruby denied, knitting her brows together. "Sam, Birdie, human souls don't just walk out of Hell and back into their bodies easy. The sky bleeds, the ground quakes——it's cosmic. No demon can swing that. Not Lilith. . .not anybody."

"Then what can?"

"Nothing I've ever seen before."

Birdie pursed her lips, turning on her heel. Sam slipped into a booth near the main door, Birdie sitting beside him while Ruby sat across from them. "So. Million dollar question——you gonna tell Dean about what we've been doing?"

"Yeah, I just gotta figure out the right way to say it." Ruby gave him a look while Birdie pursed her lips together; she thought Dean should know, but she also knew how he'd react. It wouldn't be pretty. "Look, I just need time, okay? That's all."

"Sam, he's going to find out, and if it's not from you——either of you——he's gonna be fucking pissed."

Birdie sighed, folding her arms over her chest. "She's right."

Sam tilted his head. "Oh, he's gonna be pissed anyway. I mean, he's so hardheaded about this psychic stuff, he'll just try and stop me."

"Look, I'll just take a step back for a while," Ruby said, shifting in the seat. "I mean, I'm not exactly in your brother's fanclub. But he is your brother, and I'm not gonna come between you."

"I don't know if what I'm doing is right," Sam said. "Hell, I don't even know if I trust you."

"Thanks," Ruby sarcastically said.

"But what I do know is that I'm saving people, and stopping demons," Sam said, turning his head towards Birdie. She gave him a small grin, meeting his gaze. "And that feels good, but. . .you should keep your distance——just for a little while. I. . .I think we got it covered for now."

Ruby's eyes flickered over to Birdie as the woman continued to lean back in the booth. Ruby's dark eyes bored into hers, almost as if she was looking straight through her. But, then she nodded her head, glanced between Sam and Birdie.

"Okay," she said. Ruby slid out of the booth, peering down at the body nearby. "I'll clean up here and then. . .head off on my own, I guess." Birdie and Sam stood up as well, stealing another look at Ruby. "If you need me——"

"We know how to contact you," Birdie said, giving the demon a small smile.

Ruby pursed her lips, eyes flickering from Birdie and over to Sam. "Take care," she said, moving towards the woman's body on the floor. "I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is. . .it can't be good."

"Yeah," Sam sighed, fishing the impala keys out of his pocket. "You too."

With that, Sam and Birdie turned, heading out of the diner without sparing Ruby another look. Sam glanced back at the diner as they hurried across the street, letting out a shaky breath. "Do. . .do you think she should keep her distance?"

"You know I do," Birdie said, giving him a look as she rounded the front of the Impala. He stood by the driver's side, eyes watching her over the roof. "If we need her, we can reach her. But, I don't think we will——not for a while, anyway."

Sam nodded, stealing a glance to the side. Birdie's eyes lingered on him, twisting her lips as she held the door handle.

"When're we gonna tell Dean?" Birdie asked after a few seconds of silence.

Sam heavily sighed, shaking his head as he faced the woman. "I. . .I don't know. He's gonna kick my ass no matter when I do. . ."

"But it would be better to do it soon," she said.

"Yeah, I know," Sam softly said. "Let's just give it a few days——give him time to adjust."

"Alright," Birdie said, pulling open the door. Sam did the same, the two of them climbing into the car. Birdie got comfortable in the passenger seat, giving Sam a small smile. He returned it and started up the car, music beginning to play from the radio as they drove away from the diner. Birdie leaned back in the front seat, reaching up to touch the necklace that dangled around her neck, a small sigh passing through her lips.

They'd tell Dean when the time was right.

⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅

HERE IS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF ACT TWO HEHEE!!!

There wasn't toooooo much in this, but I hope you still enjoyed it!! I did my best not to give away too much, but I will say there will be some plot twists, adjustments to the season four plot line, and quite a bit of HEARTBREAK !!!!!! But what do y'all think will happen during this act??? I'm curious to see what y'all thank hehe 🥰

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