CHAPTER TWENTY THREE:
HEAVEN KNOWS.

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"ARE YOU IDJITS ever gonna leave so I can finally get some peace and quiet around here?"

Birdie dropped her hand down at her side as she stepped into the kitchen, slowly blinking towards Sam and Dean who were casually seated at the table. Bobby was leaning against the sink, an exasperated expression on his face. Dean's hand was mid-reach towards an open bag of hot Cheetos that were technically Birdie's, his brows raised. Sam had a warm cup of coffee pulled up to his lips, the steam warming his nose as he held it there for a few moments. Bobby glanced over at Birdie when he saw her move out of the corner of his eye, not missing the offended look that had appeared on her face. "Don't you like us being back home?" Birdie wondered, placing her hands on her hips.

"Does it look like it?" Bobby retorted. Birdie huffed and made her way towards Bobby, smirking when she saw him suspiciously narrow his eyes the closer she got to him. "What do you think you're——"

Birdie just innocently grinned and wrapped her arms around Bobby's shoulders, holding him as tight as possible. Bobby grunted, his body stiffening in Birdie's arms. "I'm not letting go until you hug me back," Birdie said. "I got all day, Bobby."

"You're not serious," Bobby huffed.

"She is," Sam said, softly chuckling as he glanced over at Birdie and Bobby. He set his coffee on the table, a smile on his lips. "One time she hugged me for ten minutes and refused to let go until I finally hugged her back."

Dean snickered in amusement, leaning back in the chair with the front legs lifting a few centimeters off the ground. "Yeah, but she was always like when we were kids——"

"It was two weeks ago."

Dean's smile immediately faltered at those words. Bobby leaned his head back slightly, catching Birdie's eye. Birdie just nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders and innocently smiled in return. "C'mon, Bobby," Birdie said, catching how Bobby's lips were beginning to twitch into a smile. "You know you wanna."

Bobby rolled his eyes with a reluctant sigh, moving his arms and wrapping them around Birdie. Birdie's face visibly brightened when he did so, a perky smile lighting up her features. She caught Sam's eye when she stole a glance at him and Dean, playfully pointing her finger at him as she took a few steps to the side. "See what happens when you don't take forever to hug back, Samuel?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sam muttered, dismissively waving his hand as he took another sip of his coffee.

Birdie just let out a content sigh as she removed her arms from around Bobby, letting her hands flop down by her hips. He shook his head, but his warm smile still lingered on his lips. Birdie moved to the corner of the counter where the coffee pot was, picking up a nearby mug to pour herself a cup.

"You tell Kaiya you're back yet?" Bobby wondered, eyes focused on Dean.

Dean folded his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "I haven't had time," he replied. "With the angels, the Witnesses——"

"We could surprise her if you want," Birdie suggested, turning around to face them. She had a mug of coffee in her hand, a smile still on her face. "She's been kinda busy with work lately, but. . .seeing your face might just cheer her up——might."

Dean scoffed at Birdie's words, shooting Sam a glare when Dean heard him laugh under his breath. "Maybe? What the hell do you mean by that?"

"Exactly how it sounds," Birdie answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Dean opened his mouth to speak, but Bobby was quick to interject. "You're not doin' that bullshit right now. Besides, I got actual work to do."

"Like what?" Sam wondered, raising a brow.

"Like none of your damn business is what," Bobby retorted. Rumsfeld came bounding into the room from the living room, planting himself right beside Bobby with his tongue flopping out of the side of his mouth. "You kids gonna surprise Kaiya or am I gonna have some extra hands to help me fix the plumbing?"

"Kai's it is," Dean immediately said, hastily standing up from his chair.

Birdie took another gulp of her coffee and then placed it in the sink, her smile widening. "Sounds good to me."

Bobby shook his head, scoffing under his breath. "Go figure."

"Don't worry, Bobby," Sam said, standing up as well with a smile on his lips, "We'll be back before you know it."

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"She looks cute while she's sleeping, don't she?"

Sam curiously glanced over, chuckling under his breath when he saw Birdie's head was partially tilted to one side, her eyes peacefully shut. She was seated in between the boys in the front seat of Baby——much to Dean's chagrin——and had fallen asleep not even twenty minutes into the car ride. Music was faintly playing from the radio to keep the car from being in complete silence as they ventured towards Kaiya's work; the mixtape Birdie had made for Dean last Christmas was playing as faint thunder was heard outside every now and then. With the threat of more storms ahead of them, Birdie had opted to ride with the boys instead of driving her motorcycle to avoid any unnecessary issues. Sprinkles were already beginning to speckle the outside of the Impala as they grew closer, trickling down the windows while the wipers occasionally swiped them off the windshield.

"Guess she needed the extra sleep," Sam softly said, his smile lingering on his lips.

Dean let out a small sigh, adjusting his hands on the steering wheel. "You really mean to tell me that you two didn't——"

"Dean, come on."

"Not even once——"

"How many times do we have to tell you that we're just friends?" Sam huffed, shooting Dean an annoyed look over Birdie's head. He wasn't sure how many times he or Birdie would have to remind Dean, or anyone else, that they were nothing more than friends.

Dean simply shrugged it off, Sam's attitude unable to deter Dean's mood. "You're not trying to convince me when you two say it, you're tryna convince yourselves."

"Says who?"

"Says me, Sammy."

Sam scoffed, head turning towards the passenger window. "Come on, Dean. You——"

Sam's head sharply turned to the side when he felt something brush against his shoulder, realizing Birdie's head was now resting on him. He could already feel Dean's eyes burning into him, most likely waiting to see if he'd nudge her off of him or let her remain there.

Instead of meeting Dean's eye——which was no doubt joined with a cheeky smile——he turned his head back towards the window, Birdie's head still on his shoulder.

Dean snickered under his breath and faced forward, shaking his head. "You're wrapped around her finger, man."

"I am not," Sam grumbled with frustration.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Sammy," Dean replied.

Sam rolled his eyes but chose not to respond. He didn't see the point in trying to deny it when Dean refused to believe a word of what he said. So, he simply looked out of the window as Night Moves by Bob Seger began to play, watching the world around them pass them by in a haste.

"Sam, come on," Dean chuckled, tilting his head as he looked aside at Sam. "How fitting is this?"

"It's not fitting," Sam chuckled, meeting his brother's gaze.

Dean gaped, shaking his head. He started to move his fist, bopping his head as the song continued. "I was a little too tall, could've used a few pounds," Dean softly sang along, nodding towards Sam. "See? That's you. Tight pants points, hardly renowned."

"What? That's not——"

"Now Bird——"

"Dean——"

"She was a blonde haired beauty with big dark eyes," Dean sang, cutting off whatever Sam was about to say next. "And points of her own, sittin' way up high." Dean continued to move his fist as the song continued. A small smile was beginning to appear on Sam's lips despite his resistance, shaking his head. "Come on, Sam."

Sam shook his head, stealing another look out of the window. Then it reached the chorus, Sam faintly beginning to sing along with Dean. Dean laughed with triumph, smacking his hands against the steering wheel to the beat. He stole a look towards Birdie, almost expecting her to be trying not to smile, but her face was completely stoic; a sign she was truly asleep.

He faced forward along with Sam, the voices meshing together as they continued to sing. The corner of Birdie's lips started to tweak upwards just a few moments later, doing her best to stop her eyes from opening and giving away the fact that she wasn't actually asleep, and hadn't been for the last few minutes. And hearing the boys singing together. . .it made her feel the most peaceful she had in weeks.

Sam shifted slightly a few seconds later, Birdie's head moving into a more comfortable position with the movements. Birdie bit her tongue to stop herself from smiling any more than she already was, just barely tapping one of her toes along to the catchy beat.

It was definitely nice to have Dean back, completing their trio once again.

After just a few more hours, they finally reached Kaiya's house; they were planning on surprising her at work, but she should've already been on her way by the time they made it into town. Birdie had woke up a little over an hour ago——after she'd actually managed to fall asleep——with Dean still singing along to the songs while Sam just moved his head or his hands to the beat. Kaiya's car wasn't in the driveway when they arrived, a sign that she wasn't home from work yet. In order to actually surprise Kaiya, Birdie entered the garage code and allowed Dean to park inside since Kaiya didn't use her garage too often. Then they made their way inside, trying to figure out the perfect way to surprise Kaiya but also not prompt her to instantly attempt to kill Dean.

Birdie stopped beside the couch in the living room with her lips pursed together in thought, flinching when she heard the sound of glass breaking behind her. She heavily sighed to herself, lowering her head in disappointment. "I told you not to touch anything."

Birdie slowly turned around, eyes automatically focusing on Dean. The broken glass decorated the kitchen floor, most of the mess surrounding Dean's feet. Sam rolled his eyes in annoyance, running a hand along the sides of his face. "It's not my fault!" Dean protested, looking between Sam and Birdie. "It was on the edge and——"

"Just hurry and clean it up before she gets here," Birdie interjected, motioning her hand towards the closet near the hall where most of Kaiya's cleaning supplies were located. "She's already gonna have a heart attack when she sees you——she doesn't need to have another one after she finds out you broke her favorite vase."

Dean grunted but carefully stepped away from the mess he'd made, making his way towards the closet. Sam made his way over to the kitchen window that overlooked the front yard as well as the vacant street, peering through the curtains for any sign of Kaiya. Birdie silently came up beside him, curiously turning her head towards him. "You think she'll believe it's actually him?"

"No," Sam chuckled, meeting her gaze. "You've known him longer than she has and you almost tried to kill him."

"Yeah, but she's more optimistic than me," Birdie shrugged. "It might be easier for her to believe."

"Are you two gonna help me or are you just gonna stand over there and flirt until Kai gets home?" Birdie and Sam peered over their shoulders at Dean. Exasperation was evident on her face, brows raised with one of his hands held out at his side. The other held onto the broom, a dustpan on the floor to scoop the glass into to hide any sign of it from Kaiya.

Birdie scrunched up her nose. "That's your mess, not ours."

"That's not what you said the other night when you spilled some beer——"

"Guys," Sam tried, stealing a glance towards the window. Dean nor Birdie paid attention to him.

"It was your beer——"

"No, that one was yours——"

"Guys!" Sam hastily shouted, finally managing to capture Dean and Birdie's attention. "She's here."

Birdie's eyes instantly widened, discreetly peering out of the window behind her. In the driveway was Kaiya's jeep with Kaiya clambering out. Birdie huffed and whirled around, giving Dean a middle finger. He gaped, going to mimic the younger woman, but he quickly remembered he hadn't finished cleaning his mess.

"Dean! Hurry up!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!" he grumbled, frantically sweeping the glass into the dustpan.

"Guys, she's heading for the door," Sam briskly said, looking between Dean and Birdie.

"Hide, hide, hide!" Birdie whisper-shouted, shoving Dean down the hall just as he finished putting away the broom and the dustpan.

"I'm goin', I'm goin'! Stop pushin' me!"

The sound of the front door opening made Birdie sharply turn on her heel. She hurried back down the hall, plastering a smile on her lips just as Kaiya appeared. She jumped in surprise when seeing Birdie standing in her living room, eyes darting over to Sam who was casually sitting on the couch. She placed a hand over her heart, widened eyes flickering between the two hunters. "Jesus Christ," Kaiya breathed out, hand dropping back down. "A notice that you were here would've been nice."

"But then it wouldn't have been a surprise," Birdie cheekily replied. Kaiya sharply narrowed her eyes, slowly setting her purse on the kitchen table. Birdie's smile widened, tilting her head. "Right, Samuel?"

"Yeah, exactly," Sam agreed.

Kaiya scoffed, placing her hands on her hips as she fully faced Sam. "Excuse me, Sam, you're supposed to be on my side."

"No, that's not how this works," Birdie said. She walked towards the couch, plopping down on the other end. Kaiya shook her head while she fought back a smile. It was good to see the two of them again; it felt like it'd been forever. "Aren't you happy to see us, Kai?"

Kaiya lightly chuckled, plopping down on the opposite couch and propping her feet on her coffee table. Birdie mimicked her, folding her arms over her chest. "I'm always happy to see you guys. You know that," Kaiya replied, warmly smiling as she answered. "What brings you guys here this time?"

"Actually. . .we have a surprise for you——"

Kaiya loudly gasped, planting her feet on the ground as she sat up straight. Birdie shifted in the seat, lips smacking together at Kaiya's fast movements. "Oh my god, it's happening," she said, eyes growing wide along with her smile that didn't look like it could get any bigger.

Birdie cocked a brow, pausing to steal a glance at Sam. "What's happening?" she wondered, unsure what Kaiya thought they were going to say.

"You guys are finally together!"

"Wait what━━━" Sam started but was cut off.

"God, I can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this day."

"No, Kaiya, wait. We're not together," Birdie softly chuckled, shaking her head. Kaiya's smile immediately washed away and she slouched back into the couch. Birdie pursed her lips, sharing another look with Sam. Then she let out a sigh, turning her gaze back on Kaiya. "You don't have to act so disappointed. . ."

"I'm not acting," Kaiya grumbled, arms folded over her chest. "I am disappointed."

Sam snickered, giving Kaiya an apologetic smile when he caught her eye. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we do have something even more exciting to tell you."

"What could be more exciting than that——"

"I can think of one thing."

Kaiya's gaze immediately snapped to the hall when she heard the familiar voice, jaw dropping at the sight of Dean Winchester.

Birdie closely watched Kaiya's expression change at least a dozen times in just a span of a few seconds. Was that really Dean? How was he there? Thousands of questions were already zooming through her mind as she took in his nearly perfect appearance; she didn't know the entire story of how he died, but from how Birdie had described it, it hadn't been the prettiest sight. Yet, there wasn't a single scar evident on his body anywhere from what she could tell.

Kaiya's head darted towards Birdie's in question, silently asking if it was really him. Birdie couldn't help but grin. "It's really him," she said.

Kaiya carefully stood up, faintly shaking her head. Dean took a few steps closer, softly smiling at the younger woman. "Hey, Kai," he softly said.

"How. . .how is this even possible?" Kaiya wondered, cautiously moving closer to Dean as if she was afraid his eyes would suddenly turn black or he'd attempt to take a bite out of her.

"It's. . .kind of a long story," Dean chuckled, tilting his head as he answered.

Kaiya stopped in front of him, silently assessing him for any signs of him being a monster. Dean just raised a brow, a small smirk appearing on his lips. His eyes bored straight into hers, a familiar shine twinkling in his green eyes. "Holy fucking shit," Kaiya whispered. She quickly reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, yanking him into her tight embrace. Dean softly chuckled and hugged her back, the corner of his eyes crinkling. "It's really you."

"I missed you, too."

Kaiya took a small step back with her arms now back at her sides, turning towards Sam and Birdie. "You've checked him, though, right? Made sure he's not——"

"He's not a demon, shapeshifter, werewolf, vampire, wraith——"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Kaiya said, dismissively shaking her hand out in Sam's direction to get him to stop listing off all the different types of monsters. "But. . .I need an explanation, and not one of those half-assed ones you'd used to give me before I found out what you three actually did."

Birdie scooted towards the edge of the couch and planted her feet on the ground, a small smirk tugged on her lips. "You believe in angels, don't you?"

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Kaiya was completely silent as she absorbed their words. Birdie shared a concerned glance with Sam and Dean, eyes darting back towards Kaiya who was seated across from her at the kitchen table. As requested, she was given the full explanation of how Dean was saved from Hell. There were a few things that had been left out for Kaiya's benefit——such as Lilith still being a notable threat and the looming threat of the apocalypse hanging over their heads.

"Are you gonna speak or. . ." Dean wondered, his hand outstretched at his side and head tilted in Kaiya's direction.

Kaiya cleared her throat and blinked a few times after Dean's question registered in her head. "I. . .if you're gonna lie to my face, at least make it be a believable one."

Dean scoffed, brows knitting together. Birdie's lips parted in surprise, silently glancing aside at Sam to see he wore a similar expression. "What——that is the truth, Kai. We're not makin' this shit up."

"Yeah, okay," Kaiya scoffed in a mock tone, obviously still not believing any of what Dean, or Sam and Birdie said, was true. "And I have a good relationship with my——"

"Why don't you believe it?" Birdie interjected, resting her arms on the table in front of her. Kaiya's eyes darted towards her, lips tightly pursed together. "Just a few months ago you literally told me I should believe in angels——that just because I couldn't see them didn't mean they weren't there."

"I don't remember that," Kaiya said, suspiciously narrowing her eyes.

"Well, I do," Birdie said, giving Kaiya a stern stare.

Dean heavily sighed. He sat back in the chair, stretching his legs out under the table and folding his arms over his chest. "I didn't believe it at first either, but. . .there's no other explanation, Kai."

Kaiya's expression slowly softened as took in Birdie and the boys' expressions. There was no evidence of smiles on their lips, sinister twinkles in their eyes, or anything else that could have proven that they were all lying to her.

She licked at her lips and leaned forward, setting her elbows on the table. "You guys aren't fucking with me, are you? You're completely serious?"

"As serious as a dead guy."

Sam rolled his eyes, not bothering to glance in Dean's direction. "We wouldn't lie to you about something like this."

"I would hope not," Kaiya replied, shooting them each a playful glare as she stood up from the table. She made her way towards the fridge, scanning over the shelves for something that sounded appetizing. She scrunched up her nose at the few options and glanced over her shoulder. "You guys hungry?"

"Always."

"I'm fuckin' starving."

"I could eat."

Kaiya chuckled at each of their responses, not expecting anything else from the three of them. She closed the fridge with a small sigh and placed a hand on the island counter, a smirk curling on her lips. "What do you guys think about having some Chinese for dinner?"

"That sounds perfect."

An hour later and the group were well stuffed from dinner and were lazily lounging in the living room. Birdie was comfortably nestled on the floor in front of the coffee table, a neon blue controller in hand and an annoyed expression etched on her face. Dean was in the recliner, both feet firmly planted on the ground while his hands tightly gripped a sparkly black controller; he'd lost a game of rock, paper, scissors to Birdie and that was the controller he ended up with. Sam and Kaiya were seated on opposite ends of the couch, both greatly amused with their eyes focused on the TV in front of them.

"Fuck you, Mario!"

"Fuck you too, Princess Peach!"

On the TV, an enthusiastic Mario slipped past the other races, claiming first place with just one more lap to go. Princess Peach zoomed ahead on Birdie's side of the screen, scarcely avoiding bumping into the other racers or falling over the ledges of the daunting race track.

"C'mon, Bird! This is nonsense," Kaiya said, jerking her hand in front of her as she spoke, "You were in first place like one minute ago and now you're in bloody sixth!"

"That's because Dean fucked me over!" Birdie defended, unable to look away from the screen. "And everyone else keeps throwing those stupid fucking shells and goddamn banana peels at me!"

"They wouldn't hit you if you didn't suck," Dean commented.

Birdie angrily narrowed her eyes at the screen, her irritation increasing as Mario got further and further away. Birdie guided Princess Peach through the mystery boxes, perking up when she finally got the blue shell. She immediately used it, knowing who it would head straight for. Then she sped up in the game, passing up a few more racers as her frown began to shift into a smirk. She stole a glance aside, watching Dean's face crumble when he saw the blue shell collide with Mario. "No, no, no!" he shouted, grunting as he attempted to make Mario start to drive again before the other players caught up to him.

Birdie wickedly smirked, Princess Peach zooming right past a scrambling Mario and across the finish line. "Fuck yeah!" she cheered, leaping onto her feet. She triumphantly threw her hands up into the air, pumping them a few times as Dean wallowed in agony and self-pity. "Boom, bitch."

Dean sent Birdie a nasty glare, mocking her under his breath. He leaned forward and set the controller on the coffee table, purposely avoiding looking at Birdie. Sam chuckled from his spot on the couch, his smile never once faltering. Kaiya's smile noticeably widened, her attention falling on Dean. "She got you good, Dean," Kaiya teased.

"That, or he's the one who sucks," Sam chimed in.

"You're just saying that 'cause you like Bird more than me," Dean said, not bothering to look towards Sam.

Birdie giggled and sat the Wii controller on the coffee table beside the one Dean used. She rounded the edge of the table, plopping down on the cushion between Sam and Kaiya. Then she faced Sam, unable to stop the smile she felt appearing when Sam looked back at her almost instantly. "You really like me more than Dean?"

Sam softly chuckled. "Maybe."

"Just fuckin' kiss already!"

Sam and Birdie sharply turned their heads towards Kaiya, expressions almost identical to one another's. She just innocently smiled in return, acting as if she hadn't said a word. Dean snickered and leaned forward, picking up his beer from the table.

Birdie just pointed a finger at him. "Not one word," she said. Dean scoffed but didn't say a word, taking another drink of his beer. Birdie huffed and relaxed into the cushion, folding her arms over her chest. "Who's next?"

"Sam, you wanna see if you suck as bad as your big brother?" Kaiya taunted, cocking a brow as she picked up one of the controllers.

"You're on."

Birdie chuckled, lifting her legs and resting them on the coffee table like Kaiya. Kaiya exited the main screen, starting up a new game for her and Sam. Dean made himself more comfortable in the recliner, beer still in hand as he took another sip. Kaiya brought up the character menu, scrutinizing each option to see which character she wanted to play. Sam scrolled down and over a few, eventually settling on Luigi.

Birdie snickered. "Go figure."

Sam smirked, innocently shrugging his shoulders. "Mario would've been my first choice but Dean already picked him."

Birdie playfully rolled her eyes, giving him a look. "Yeah, okay."

Kaiya silently shook her head as she listened to Sam and Birdie. She turned and looked aside at Dean, wanting to see if he was seeing and hearing the same thing she was. He nodded and held his hand out. "I've tried, but they won't listen to me," he said.

"I bet you five dollars they'll be dating by Birdie's birthday," Kaiya quietly said, leaning closer to Dean to prevent Sam and Birdie from hearing her; not that they would have considering they were too engrossed in their own conversation.

"Seriously? I know they like each other, but——know what? I'll say Sam's birthday."

"You know that's sooner than what I said, right?"

"Yes, I know that," Dean defensively scoffed. "That's why I said it."

"Are you guys gonna keep flirting or are we gonna see if sucking at Mario Kart is genetically engineered into the Winchesters?"

At that comment, Kaiya quickly picked her player and started the first match. It was neck and neck until the very end, Sam swiftly passing by Kaiya and stealing her first place position. Kaiya just barely won the next round, taking it as a sign. However, in the third round, Sam won again. The fourth and final match started, but when there was just one lap to go, Dean's phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

He pulled it out of his pocket and flipped it open, shooting Sam a look as he stood up and moved into the kitchen. Kaiya frowned when she noticed and paused the game. Birdie, Sam, and Kaiya's gazes followed Dean s, listening as he spoke to whoever had called him.

"You sure? Yeah, alright. We'll check it out."

Sam quietly sighed, offering Kaiya an apologetic smile. "Rain check?"

Kaiya sweetly smiled in return. "Definitely."

Sam stood up from the couch just as Dean returned, the older Winchester stopping next to the recliner. He stuffed his phone in the pockets of his jeans, lazily tilting his head to the side. "Bobby thinks he found us a case," Dean said. He looked over at Birdie, raising a questionable brow. "You comin'?"

Birdie shook her head after a few seconds of thought. "I think I'm gonna stay with Kai for a bit," she answered. Kaiya warmly grinned in response. "But if you boys need me, give me a call."

"Will do, Big Bird," Dean teased. Birdie grumbled at the nickname, nose scrunched up with disgust. Dean chuckled and shrugged on his jacket hanging over the back of the recliner, Sam doing the same with his that was on the couch's armrest.

Birdie and Kaiya stood up and followed the brothers to the front door, lingering side by side. "You boys be careful," Kaiya firmly said.

"Always," Dean cheekily smirked. Kaiya playfully rolled her eyes, a smile evident on her lips. Then she opened up her arms, pulling Dean in for a warm hug. They pulled away a few seconds later, Birdie immediately smiling when Dean stopped in front of her. She grinned and hugged him tightly, holding onto him a few seconds longer than Kaiya. "Take care, Bird," Dean softly said. "Let Sammy know if you need us."

"Ha, ha. Very funny," Birdie murmured.

Dean laughed to himself and pulled away, patting Birdie's shoulder as he stepped back. Sam moved away from Kaiya, his dimples poking out on his cheeks as he stood in front of Birdie. "Seriously, if you need me——for anything——let me know," Birdie said, giving Sam a look that only he seemed to be able to understand.

He faintly smiled and nodded. "I will."

Then Birdie softly smiled, wrapping her arms around him. Sam quickly did the same, feeling Birdie bury her face in the crook of his neck. "Please be careful, Sammy."

"I will, Bird. I gotta kick Kaiya's ass when we get back."

Birdie giggled, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she warmly grinned. She removed her arms from around Sam, gently patting his cheek before she stepped away. Dean and Kaiya shared a knowing look again, but neither of them said anything; this time, that is.

Sam let out a faint sigh and turned towards Dean, nudging his head towards the door. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Dean said.

He opened the front door and they stepped out onto the front porch. Birdie and Kaiya stood side-by-side in the doorway, matching smiles brightening their features. "Don't take too long to come and see me again," Kaiya said, pointing a finger towards them.

"Wouldn't dream of it, toots," Dean winked. "Not even death can keep me away from you."

"Bye, boys."

"See ya," Sam said, waving at the two women as he trailed behind Dean. He walked around the front of the Impala, headed towards the passenger side. Dean swung open his door, flashing an overly ecstatic smile over his shoulder.

Birdie chuckled and shook her head. "He's something else, isn't he?"

"He sure is," Kaiya beamed. She coughed a little when she felt a tickle in her throat, clearing her throat after she did so. Birdie folded her arms over her chest, waving at the boys. Kaiya leaned against the doorframe while Dean backed out of the driveway, honking a few times before he headed down the street. "Think they'll be okay?"

"'Course," Birdie said, though she felt something uncertain stirring inside her stomach. She pushed it aside, turning to face Kaiya. "What do you say we play a few more rounds of Mario Kart? I haven't got the chance to kick your ass yet."

"As if," Kaiya scoffed. Birdie moved away from the door and Kaiya closed it behind them, making sure to lock it before she stepped away. Then she folded her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed on Birdie. "I'd have to be dead for you to be able to beat me."

"That can be arranged," Birdie teased, already headed for one of the controllers.

"You're a little shit." Birdie just innocently shrugged in response and handed the other controller to Kaiya. Kaiya lazily plopped down on the other side of the couch, tucking her legs under her body. Birdie leaned back against the cushion and placed her feet on the coffee table, crossing her ankles. "I'm so gonna kick your ass."

"The fuck you are," Birdie retorted.

"No time to die, Bird."

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Hi everyone! It's been a little bit since I updated this so I'm sorry! I've been spending most of my time making yet ANOTHER trailer for this (which is now posted on my youtube channel if anyone's interested!) But I finally got this chapter edited (tho there's probably still some mistakes as per usual 😅) and just in time for Sammy's birthday hehe!!

Also,,,,, there may or may not be some sadness in the next chapter soooo 👀😅

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