>WHAT IS AND WHAT SHOULD NEVER BE<

You fascinated me

Cloaked in shadows and secrecy

The beauty of a broken angel

I ventured carefully

Afraid of what you thought I'd be

But pretty soon I was entangled 

Karoline sped down the highway, searching the surrounding area for what they were hunting. She had gone alone because, one Dean was feeling a little under the weather and Sam and Alayna were too busy researching, trying to figure out what the hell they were hunting. So far they had zip, except for the fact people kept going missing. Suddenly her phone rang out and she turned down the music before answering, not even having to look at the caller ID to know it was Alayna. "What'd Dean do?"

"Nothing," Alayna assured her, chuckling slightly when Dean gave a muffled shout of protest in the background. "Sam wanted me to let you know there's a cop car outside the motel."

"Is it coming for you and Dean?" She asked not the least bit worried, they had ditched their plates, credit cards, everything and started fresh.

"I don't know," There was silence except a light shuffling. "No, they're leaving. Told you there was nothing to worry about." Alayna spoke pointedly to who Karoline could only assume was Sam.

"Yeah, being fugitives? Friggin dance party." She heard Sam retort and Alayna gave a small laugh.

"Hey man, chicks dig the danger vibe." That time it was Dean who spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

"Find anything yet?" Alayna asked, and Karoline could almost hear the eye roll in her voice.

"No, the 50 miles of real estate you and Sam-squatch are making me drive through here is empty as far as I can tell." She replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "What about you?"

"One thing, actually," Alayna said and Karoline perked at the news. "I'm 99% sure we're dealing with a Djinn."

Karoline blinked rapidly as she processed what her little sister had just told her. "A genie?" Then something piqued her interest. "You think they can grant wishes."

"Sam, thinks their powerful enough," Alayna replied easily. "So, I guess. I mean, Djinn have been feeding on people for centuries."

"Like Barbara Eden in Harem?" Karoline asked, turning a corner as she came up to it.

"Sort of." Alayna agreed.

"Alright," Karoline nodded as she took in all the information. "So, where do these suckers hole up?"

"Ruins," Alayna answered easily and Karoline's eyebrows shot up. "Bigger the better. They like having more places to hide."

"Ruins," She repeated, something tugging at her brain. "I think I saw a place just a few miles back. I'll check it out." Karoline was turning the car around before Alayna could even respond.

"No!" Alayna tried to stop her even though she knew it was no use. "Come get one of us first."

"It's fine, it's probably nothing. I'll just pop in and take a look around." She shrugged, hanging up before Alayna could protest again.

She reached the old, beaten down warehouse she had saw awhile back within ten minutes, pulling the car up under a tree and putting it in park. She popped open the trunk and grabbed a flashlight, scanning her dark surroundings before slamming the trunk closed and heading into the building. "Alright, let's check this place out." She muttered, swinging open the door with a loud creak.

As she walked through her flashlight beam landed on scattered papers, and a couple cabinets that she didn't bother to check. All of them were too small to fit anything.

"Nothing," She sighed, turning with the full intention of leaving only to come face to face with a man. His eyes a glowing blue and tattoo's covering his body. She raised her hand, not knowing what she was going to do, but knowing she needed to do something. She never got the chance, instead the Djinn pressed his palm against her forehead and Karoline's eyes rolled back, turning blue.

Karoline shot up in bed, breathing hard as another boom of thunder rang out. She shifted slightly, first noticing that she was in a bed and not the hard floor of the old warehouse she had been searching, then she realized she was naked. She glanced to her right to see 'The Hills Have Eyes' playing quietly in the background. There was a heavy breathing that certainly wasn't her own and she slowly turned her left to see a man lying on his stomach, his face turned sideways so she couldn't see his face.

"Uh..." Her eyebrows rose in confusion, that's when the man shifted, turning so Karoline could get a clear view of his features. When she did her eyebrows shot up so high they nearly molded with her hairline. "Dean?" She whispered, looking from him and then down at herself in confusion.

This is weird. She slipped out of the bed, careful not to wake Dean up not wanting another argument like the last time they hooked up. She slipped on a pair of sweat pants and a long AC/DC shirt before heading out of the room and down a set of stairs. She flicked on the lights to illuminate the cozy looking living room, where the hell was she? Her eyes zeroed in on the land line set up on the counter.

"Kari?" Alayna picked up on the first ring and Karoline let out a sigh of relief.

"Alayna?"

"What's going on?" She questioned, her voice confused which only confused Karoline more.

"I don't know. I don't know where I am? Or-or," She rushed her words, her hand flying up to tangle into her hair.

"Wait, what happened?" Alayna asked, her voice shifting from confused to worried.

"The Djinn. It attacked me." Karoline frowned, desperately trying to think back to what had happened after that, but she got nothing.

"Gin?" Now Alayna sounded vaguely amused making, Karoline's frown deepen. "You and Dean drinking Gin?" Her voice never lost it's amused tone.

"No, smart ass," She snapped, annoyed at her sister's poor attempt at a joke at a time like this. "Djinn. You know, the monster we were hunting. It put it's hand on me and then I woke up in a bed next to Dean... and we were naked." She relayed, the last part changing her voice to convey how weird that was.

"You know, you are dating, so that's not surprising." Karoline's eyes shot open at that, her eyes snapping back to the staircase she had just come down.

"What? Dean and me? Dating?" She echoed dubiously.

"Are you drunk?" Alayna stated more than asked. "You're drunk-dialing me, aren't you?" Karoline frowned at the phone again in confusion and annoyance.

"Alright, you had your fun, now quit screwing with me," Karoline snapped.

"It's late. Just go to sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Dean I said 'hey'."

"Wait!" She cried desperately, but it was too late. Alayna had already hung up. She scanned the room, trying to find anything that might give her any clue about where the Hell she was. That's when she noticed the stack of envelopes on the coffee table. She snatched them up quickly, her eyes landing on the first one in the stack.

Karoline Van Allen

53 Barker Ave

Lawrence, KS

66044

"Lawrence," She flipped through the pile, seeing they all had the same address. "What the-" She muttered, frowning in confusion.

"Kare-bear?" Her head whipped around, and her eyes fell on the man standing at the bottom of the staircase, regarding her with concerned eyes. "What're you doing?" She quickly put the envelopes back onto the table as he approached her.

"Dean, uh," She looked around the room quickly, before landing back on him with a strained smile. "I was, uh..."

"Can't sleep?" He guessed, his hands going to her hips to pull her closer.

"Yeah," She agreed with a light chuckle as she studied his face. She wanted to tell him everything, but stopped herself. What it he reacted the same way Alayna had. He'd think she was insane.

"Why don't we go back upstairs, see if I can help with that." He dipped his head to brush his lips teasingly against hers, making her breath hitch. For a moment, she forgot. Forgot where she was, what had happened. And then it all came crashing back and she turned her head away from him, trying to clear her mind of him and what he was doing to her. "Okay, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," She shook her head, turning back to face him. "I-" She broke off abruptly when she caught sight of the photograph resting on the shelf behind Dean. She brushed passed him, crossing to the shelf quickly and leaving him to follow. She picked up the frame, scrutinizing every inch of the picture in her hands.

"That was prom, your senior year, I think," Karoline's eyes flicked up at Dean for a brief moment before they were back on the picture of the smiling couple. "You insisted on having this huge photo op before we went." Karoline couldn't help the small smile that pulled on her lips, it sounded like her. She had her hair pinned in a perfect side bun, having left a small amount of her bangs out, wearing a gorgeous, strapless, off-white, mermaid, dress; designed with little gold and silver beads. Dean, in the picture, was all dressed up in a dashing suit, his arms around her waist, and she was leaning back on his shoulder, smiling widely. Her eyes were closed and her head was tilted back to rest her forehead against his, their noses touching and their lips inches apart.

"Senior year," She whispered, running her fingers lightly over the glass protecting the photo. She never even started her senior year. She had dropped out. "We've been together since senior year?" She turned to him in disbelief, and his eyebrows drew together in concern as he took the photo back and set it on the shelf.

"Junior." He corrected, and her smile dropped to a frown. That's when they had hooked up, and then Tom took her and Alayna away. "Are you okay?" Before she could answer, something else caught her eye, and her entire body went stiff.

She slowly walked towards the photo, in a trance, and picked it up gently like it could break under the slightest pressure. It was her. That was impossible. It slipped through her fingers and shattered on the ground as she turned and grabbed Dean's arm, dragging him out the door with her, ignoring his protests.

Her eyes landed on her Buick and she let out a deep sigh of relief, at least something was normal. She floored the gas as they sped through the streets of Lawrence Kansas, towards the place Karoline never thought she would see again. She didn't even bother parking the car before she through open the door and rushed up to the house ignoring Dean calling her name. She could've swore she rang the doorbell a hundred times before the door opened to reveal a blonde, older woman.

"Kare," She greeted her daughter with confused eyes.

"Mom?" The word came out barely above a whisper, and her eyes widened as she took in her mom's seemingly healthy state.

"Kare-bear?" Karoline looked passed her Mom to see her Dad come into view with a confused face. "What are you doing here? You okay?"

"I have no idea," She answered truthfully, the words feeling sticky against her throat.

"Dean?" Karoline turned around at her Mom's questioning voice to see Dean coming up behind her.

"Hey, Han," Dean chuckled slightly, glancing at Karoline concerned. "Mind if we come in for a bit."

"Of course," She agreed easily, both her and Tom stepping aside to let them through.

"Can I ask you something?" Karoline spoke up as she came in turning to her Mom with wide, child-like eyes. "When I was younger, what song would you play every night before we all went to bed?"

"Kare, what's this about-" She started, but Karoline just shook her head.

"Please, just answer." She cut Hannah off abruptly, making her Dad and Dean glance at her; worried.

"'Can't Help Falling In Love' by Elvis," She answered, and Karoline let out a disbelieving laugh, that might've been a half sob, she couldn't tell. It was her. It was really her. Without a word she pulled herself into Hannah's arms tightly, not having hugged her in twenty-one years. Hannah looked over her daughters shoulder, worriedly at Tom then Dean.

"Sweetheart, you're scaring me," Karoline pulled out of the hug, raising a hand to her mouth to keep her emotions at bay as her parents and Dean watched her. "Now, what's going on?"

"Do you think that wishes can - that they can really-" She broke off, barely daring to hope as she glanced back at Dean then at her mother.

"What are you talking about, Kare?" Tom questioned uneasily.

"Never mind," She shook her head, giving her mom a quick hug again. "I'm just... happy." She decided, looking from her parents back at Dean, who despite the worried look on his face, was smiling, happy. She reached her hand out and took his, her eyes not leaving his. "Really, happy." She corrected herself, that this.... this is what she wanted. The Djinn - it could have granted her wish. "Hey, when I was younger, was there a fire here?"

"No," Tom shook his head to answer his daughter's question.

"Must've been a dream," Her eyes raked over the photographs that doted the whole house. That's when one in particular caught her eye. It was her Dad and John in a baseball uniform, smiling as John held a baseball and Tom held a baseball bat in an over dramatic pose that brought a smile to her face. "You and John are on a softball team?" She questioned, picking up the framed picture. "You and John are on a softball team," She repeated, like she couldn't believe it. "That's just..." She trailed off with a laugh at how... normal it was.

"He loves it," Tom grinned, slipping the photo out of the blonde's hands. "He keeps telling me we need to have another game when he gets back in."

"Back in?" She shook her head confused, that's when another photo caught her eye. This one was just John, in a Military uniform. Marines.

"Yeah, he got deployed a couple weeks back." Dean answered and her blue eyes tore from the photo to look at him.

"Right, I'm just a little... fuzzy." She decided, shaking her head for emphasis.

"How many drinks did you give her last night?" Tom turned his narrowed eyes on Dean, Hannah putting a hand on her husbands arm to stop him.

"None," Dean insisted and Karoline shook her head in agreement with his statement. "We should get going-"

"No!" Karoline exclaimed earning three pairs of wide eyes on her. "I mean, why don't we stay here tonight?" She turned to Dean with wide, hopeful eyes. He looked over her shoulder at Hannah and Tom, the blonde watching her daughter worriedly and Tom giving a slight nod.

"Okay, yeah," He rubbed her arms gently. "Can I ask, why, though?"

"I just..." She looked around, her eyes flicking from her parents to the photos. One of herself, Dean, Sam, and Alayna when they were younger. Then of John, Mary, Hannah, and Tom all together with beers and a birthday hat on Tom's head. Finally one of all of them together, Karoline in a graduation gown. "I miss the old place."

"Alright, well we're gonna head back to bed," Tom tucked a kiss into his daughters hair before he and Hannah headed back upstairs. She looked around the house and this wave of nostalgia hit her, she wanted this. God, did she want this. All her life whenever she thought to what her life might be if she never became a hunter - she saw a boring life, stuck at home, not seeing the world. But this was her world. Her parents. John and Mary. Alayna. Sam. Dean...

"Hey," She glanced up when Dean took the open spot on the couch next to her. "You feeling okay?" He asked gently, slipping an arm around her shoulders, she immeadiatly leant into the touch, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm fine, just..." She closed her eyes when she felt Dean's lips press against her head. "I feel like I'm in a dream."

"If it is, it's a pretty nice dream," He trailed his fingers up and down her arm, the goosebumps rising on her skin at the touch. "You should get some sleep." Karoline could only nod, and follow him up to one of the bedrooms upstairs, as soon as the lights flicked on she recognized it to be her bedroom. It was different from when she was younger. It still had the lavender walls, but instead of her small race car bed it was a large queen and pictures doted the walls. "Hey," She looked up, only just now realizing she had froze in the door way.

"Sorry," She apologized distractedly, letting him pull her into the bed with him, and she rested her head on his bicep, her hand playing with the necklace around his neck. She frowned when she realized it wasn't the amulet that Sam had given him all those years ago, but brushed it off easily.

"I love you," Her whole body went rigged at the words, her heart beat picking up, she tilted her head to look up at him, his green eyes shining brightly in the dimly lit room. She stayed silent, just offering him a small smile, resting her head back on his chest.

***

"Well, I don't think I've seen you in my class before," The professor peered at Karoline through his thick glasses from where he was lunging behind his desk.

"You serious, Professor?" Karoline shook her head like he was telling her the funniest joke in the world. "I live for your lectures." He narrowed his eyes unsurely, but gave in with a heavy sigh.

"So, what can I do for you?" He questioned, readily.

"What can you tell me about Djinns?" The man looked at Karoline funny before shrugging and pulled a few books off the bookshelf, opening them on the table for the blonde to see.

"A lot of Muslims believe the Djinn are very real. They're mentioned in the Koran-" He began telling Karoline what she already knew.

"Yeah, I got that. What about the wish part?" She inquired, hurrying the professor along.

"What about it?" The professor frowned at Karoline in confusion.

"You think it's real?" Karoline asked, glancing at the professor with genuine curiosity and hope in her eyes. "That they can really grant wishes?" The professor stared back at her like she'd grown a second head.

"Um... uh, no. No, I don't think they can really do it," Karoline glanced back down at the books in thought as the professor continued in a cautious voice. "You understand these are mythic creatures."

"Yeah, of course," Karoline shook her head, suddenly realizing how crazy she must've sounded. "But, in the stories - Say you had a wish, a wish you never said out loud, a wish you didn't even realize you wanted. Like a loved one not dying, or something terrible never happened, or that you got the guy..."

"Supposedly, yes," Karoline wished desperately for his words to be true. "I mean, they have godlike power. They can alter reality however they want - past, present, future,"

"Why would it do that, though?" Karoline remembered the victims and kidnappings. "Self-defense? Or are they just not evil like everyone thinks?" Karoline leaned her weight on the table, talking more to herself than to the professor.

"Darling?" Karoline made a small noise of acknowledgment, but didn't look up from the books. "You been drinking?" The questioned irritated her, causing her to snap her gaze to him.

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" She muttered, glancing at the books briefly before straightening. "Anyway, thanks for helping me." He grinned briefly as Karoline turned and walked out the door. Once outside, she crossed the street to where she'd parked the Buick and popped open her trunk expecting her vast arsenal that her and Alayna had built up over the years only to see it completely empty, save a few food wrappers.

"My Love, what happened?" She trailed her hand over the fuzzy carpet before letting the trunk slam close. She glanced back across the street to see a woman standing there, just staring at her eerily. She was dressed in a solid white dress that looked dirty and raggedy. Karoline frowned as goosebumps rose on her arms and she slowly made her way across the street.

The loud sound of a car horn honk distracted her, causing her to back away from the car in surprise. When she looked back to where the woman had been, there was nothing. She looked around confused before going back to her car and drove back to her parent's house, greeted by Dean with a soft kiss as soon as she walked in.

"Where were you?" He asked curiously as they made their way into the dining room.

"I just had a few errands to run." She brushed it off, her attention being caught by the fact their wasn't just one older woman in the kitchen.

"Kare," Karoline's eyes widened slightly when Mary turned back to her with a wide smile. In her mind she knew Mary was alive in this world, but it was nothing compared to seeing her in person. "I heard you weren't feeling well so, I made you something." Her eyes dropped to the pie in Mary's hands and she could feel the smile pull at her lips.

"Cherry pie." She breathed out, pulling Mary into an equally tight hug like the one she gave Hannah.

"You're favorite." Karoline took a seat next to Dean while Mary set the pie down in front of her and Hannah brought over some forks. This woman's pie was the reason why Karoline was so obsessed with the desert. She didn't hesitate to dig into the treat and let out a moan of satisfaction.

"This is literally, my obsession!" She called to the woman who was like her second Mom through a mouthful of pie.

"Thank you," She responded, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Slow down there," Dean chuckled, eating some of the desert himself.

"Mm, so I tried getting ahold of Alayna earlier, but it went to voicemail," Karoline began conversationally to Dean. "Sam too. Where are they?"

"They should be hear soon." Dean shrugged like he could care less making Karoline frown slightly. "Babe, I'm uh, sure Han and Tom love that you're hanging around here all the sudden, but don't you have a premiere tonight?"

"Premiere?" Karoline echoed uncomprehendingly.

"For your new movie," at his words Karoline nearly choked on her food. "You been talking about it none stop since they let you take the lead on the production."

"I-I'm a producer?"

"Producer, director, screen-writer, you do it all," He frowned at the astonished smile on her lips. "Are you sure, you're okay?" He asked gently, grabbing her hand in his. Her attention snapped down to their clasped hands, watching his thumb rub the back of her hand gently. "You seem a little different."

"I'm fine, just... I'm really happy," She repeated her words from the other night smiling at him, not being able to stop the grin that pulled on her lips when she saw the dopey grin on his. Her attention shifted to her Mom and Mary in the kitchen to see them laughing as they made a whole assortment of little snacks. Small sandwich wraps and pigs in a blanket, and stuff like that. "Do you need help?" Both woman and Dean looked at her in disbelief.

"You wanna cook?" Karoline shrugged at the astonished tone in her Mom's voice.

"Why not?" She grinned in excitement. She never got to cook, mainly because that was always something Alayna did, that and she didn't know how to cook that well. But, why not try now. She missed the look both woman shot Dean and his shrug as she headed into the kitchen. "So, what're we making?"

"You can make the deviled eggs," Hannah told her. "Their already boiled, you just gotta peel, cut, and fill." Karoline nodded. Simple enough.

Not so simple. Karoline had figured that out when she ended up getting the filling all over herself instead of in the eggs she had split open. Mary and Hannah had taken the reigns after seeing the mess she had gotten herself into, letting her head out to the front yard where Dean was with two beers.

"Here." She handed him one before taking the open spot next to him and cracking her own open. Before she could say anything else her attention was caught by a distant rumbling, it got closer and closer until a motorcycle pulled to a stop and two people got off.

"No way." Karoline muttered in shock, not caring as she dropped her beer into the grass and rushed over to the couple. Daryll let out a grunt of surprise as Karoline hugged him tightly, nearly laughing with joy that he wasn't dead.

"Good to see you too, Kare." He laughed slightly as she pulled out of the hug with a bright smile on her face.

"Look, at you two," She raised her hands to her mouth to contain her wide smile. "Together. Healthy." Daryll looked back at Alayna who shook her head, silently telling him not to question it. They all sorta just stopped asking why she was acting so weird. "Hey, remind me again. You two met... Where?"

"High school." Alayna answered.

"And you've been dating how long?"

"Almost four years." Daryll took that question sending Alayna a look that basically said 'you weren't kidding'. She chose to ignore it, instead turning her attention to the car that had just pulled up and the couple that got out. Sam and Jess.

"You made it," Daryll bumped his fists with Sam's. "Nice to see you, Jess." He grinned at the blonde and she smiled back. Both missing the longing look Sam and Alayna sent each other.

"Hey, Sam." Alayna waved with an awkward smile and he just nodded at her. Before Karoline could comment Dean came up next to her, slipping an arm around her waist comfortably.

"Looks like the whole gang's here." Dean joked and Karoline laughed, looking up at him with a smile as he sipped casually on his beer. This was it. Her perfect life. She just hoped that it was real.

"So, how was the flight?" Alayna questioned Sam and Jess conversationally, while Karoline leant back into Dean's chest ever so slightly.

"Rough." Jess laughed slightly and Dean opened his mouth to say something, but Karoline beat him too it.

"Flight?" She echoed, confused.

"They flew in from California." Dean bent down to whisper to her, noticing the four frowns turned on the blonde.

"Right," Karoline's eyes widened as it clicked. "Stanford." She looked at Sam with a slight smile. "Law school, right?"

Sam rolled his eyes slightly, "Yeah," Then his eyes dropped to the beer in Dean's hand. "So, I see you two started off Hannah's birthday with a bang."

"Like always." Dean shrugged like it was no big deal, tipping the tip of his bottle at the four.

"Mom's birthday? That's today?" Karoline's eyebrows rose in surprise as Alayna stared at her incredulously.

"Yeah, Kari. That's why we're all here," Alayna replied, frowning in disbelief. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Of course she did." Sam muttered causing Karoline's attention to snap to him. When did Sam become such an ass.

"She didn't forget." Dean protested before Karoline could, his arm pulling her in closer. "She was just making one of her bad jokes."

"I'm hilarious," She protested, making Dean smirk at her slightly. "Comedy gold is just brewing up here." She gestured to her head earning a deep chuckle from Dean.

"Right, and I'm Robin Williams." That earned a chuckle from both Alayna and Daryll. Karoline shot them a pointed look that didn't last long as a small smile tugged at her lips.

"We should head inside." Jess suggested and they all did just that.

***

"See, now that looks so much better than mine," Karoline commented as Mary brought over the plate of deviled eggs to the counter that was filled with all sorts of little finger foods. Mary let out an amused chuckle before joining the rest in the living room, taking the open spot next to Hannah. It was nearing eight at night, and the nine of them were all in the Van Allen living room celebrating Hannah's birthday with a little get together. Mary and Tom had been planning this evening for almost a whole month, knowing Hannah wouldn't have wanted anything fancy.

"To Hannah," Mary raised her beer as she toasted to her best friend. "Happy birthday," The words were echoed around the room as they all clinked their beers together. Karoline smiled at her sister's happiness as she saw Daryll dip down to kiss her lovingly. Then she caught Sam's look of jealousy before he turned away from the scene.

"So, you feeling better yet?" Karoline turned her attention to Dean, who was looking at her with a small, concerned frown.

"Great," She replied, glancing around the room. "Really, great." This time she meant every word of what she was saying Everything was perfect. "I'm just..."

"Happy." He supplied with a slight chuckle that brought a smile to her lips. "I got that."

"Yeah," She agreed with a light laugh of her own. "So, later. Wanna pick up some Cheeseburgers?" She asked, glancing down at the food with a certain look. They were good just not... filling.

"Oh, God, yes," He agreed wholeheartedly, and Karoline laughed softly at his enthusiasm. "How'd I end up with such an amazing woman?" He asked her, and she pretended to ponder the question for a moment.

"I guess I just have low standards." She shook her head in mock pity, making Dean chuckle before leaning in to press his lips to hers. Karoline was the one to break it, not being able to hold back her smile.

"All right," They both raised their heads as Daryll spoke up from across the small coffee table on the love seat him and Alayna were in. "Alayna and I actually have another surprise for Hannah's birthday," Daryll turned back to Alayna with a wide, loving smile and Alayna wore the same expression. "You should tell them, their you're family."

"What? Tell me what?" Hannah grew excited as her eyes flicked back and forth between Alayna and Daryll. In answer, Daryll held out Alayna's hand, flashing the diamond, engagement ring on her left finger.

"Oh, my God!" Hannah's joyful exclamation was echoed by both Jess and Mary as they clapped and rose form the table to hug Daryll and Alayna. Karoline's smile dropped as she caught Alayna glancing over at Sam who had risen from his seat and headed away from all the commotion. Karoline slipped out from the room and over to where Sam was, brooding, like usual. At least that didn't change.

"What're you doing?" He looked up confused at both her question and why she was talking to him. "With Jess? Don't think I can't see those desperate, longing looks you two send each other." Karoline teased and Sam scoffed.

"Just drop it, okay?" He turned away from her, but she quickly caught his arm.

"Hey," She frowned at his annoyed look. "Come on, I can tell you with 100 percent certainty, that if you were to tell Alayna how you feel, she'd drop Daryll, like that." She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

"100 percent?" He echoed, turning back to her with a roll of his eyes. "You haven't had one real conversation with Alayna in almost four years."

"What?" Karoline muttered uncomprehendingly.

"If it doesn't have to do with whatever new movie you're working on, you just forget about it," Sam snapped and Karoline's frowned deepened. Was she really like that? "I'm surprised you even showed up here today."

"Sam, I'm sorry." She apologized, even if it wasn't really her, he thought it was. It wouldn't be her perfect life if everyone she loved thought she was some... conceded bitch. Before she could say anymore she caught sight of the same, dirty, raggedy girl from earlier on the other side of the room. She brushed passed Sam to go up to her, but someone grabbed her arm before she could.

"Hey, we're just about to start with the cake." She turned back to look at Dean confused, then peeked back over her shoulder to see the girl was gone. Again.

"Yeah," She breathed out, shaking her head to clear her mind. "Okay." They finished the night without another incident and Hannah had joined Tom and Mary in the kitchen to help clean up, despite their protests. Jess and Sam were in the living room, talking with Daryll and Dean.

"So, what were you and Sam talking about earlier?" Alayna questioned her sister as they finished putting away all the leftovers. Karoline followed Alayna over a little ways away from Mary, Hannah, and Tom who were in a deep conversation.

"Oh, just that you're in love with him." She said casually, a small smile breaking out on her face at Alayna's blush.

"I am not!" She insisted, nudging her sister away. "Besides, I'm with Daryll."

"Alayna, you know I love Daryll. He's a sweetheart, but come on," She urged, nearly whining. "Sam is like your soulmate."

"Well, I had a lovely birthday," Hannah spoke, causing all of them to turn to her. "Thank you. But, I think I'm gonna retire for the night," There was a chorus of 'good nights' as she and Tom headed upstairs.

"Me too," Mary told them, collecting her stuff. "Congratulations again to the two of you," Mary smiled as she looked between Alayna and Daryll. The whole group waved as the older woman left.

"Yeah, well, I'm beat. Ready to turn in?" Sam questioned, his eyes on Jess, who nodded with a small shrug.

"Sure, she replied, and the two rose from their seats.

"Wait!" Karoline stopped them. "Come one, it's not even eleven. Let go out, have a drink or something." She tired, but it was no use.

"Maybe another time." Alayna answered with a tight lipped smile.

"Come on, Layna. I know, you're not a big drinker, but we're all together," She looked around the group with a smile. "We should use this time."

"Can we talk?" Alayna implored quietly causing the blonde to frown. "Alone?" She looked back at Dean and the others before following her sister out onto the back patio.

"What?" Karoline asked, not understanding the tone in Alayna's voice as her younger sister closed the sliding glass door.

"What's up with you?" Alayna turned to face her sister, an uncertain look on her face.

"What do you mean?" Karoline shook her head, genuinely confused.

"Everything. Kari, you've never missed premiere. Now, all the sudden you're this big, friendly, family, warm, fuzzy person." She elaborated.

"I'm just happy 'Layna," She declared, Alayna taking a few steps back.

"Yeah, okay. And since when have you called me 'Layna'?" Karoline just stared at her uncomprehendingly. "Karoline, we haven't had a decent conversation in years. You say, like, two words to me on the holidays -the ones you bother to show up to- and that's it." Karoline's frowned deepened. Sam wasn't kidding.

"I haven't?" Karoline raised her eyebrows, the awkward greetings Alayna gave her and the cold stares Sam had been giving her all evening. "Well, I'm sorry. You're my sister and I should put in more of an effort."

"'You're my sister'?" Alayna repeated the words, her face shutting down into an irritated mask. "You know, you said the same thing when I asked you to come to my graduation. Then you got a promotion. Same thing, for my birthday, you got put on this new movie project."

"Alayna..." Karoline began softly, but Alayna just held up a hand to stop her.

"I'm not asking you too change, just... we don't have anything in common." Alayna shrugged, moving around her sister to leave, but Karoline caught her arm.

"What're you talking about, yes we do." She insisted, causing Alayna to frown.

"Name one." Alayna challenged, and for a moment, Karoline's judgment lapsed.

"Hunting," She said like it was obvious, she instantly regretted her words when she saw the look on Alayna's face.

"Hunting?" Alayna repeated, more confused than ever. "I've never been hunting in my life, Kari. And neither have you."

"Yeah, well..." Karoline trailed off not knowing what to say. "We should, one day. We could bring Dean, and Sam. Daryll too."

"Get some rest." Was the only response Alayna before turning and leaving. Karoline followed after a moment's hesitation, heading through the house and out the front door, stopping short when she saw Dean and Alayna standing on the walkway to the lawn, arguing.

"Come on, She's trying, Alayna." Karoline shrunk back to press herself against the wall beside the door, so she could hear what they were saying without being seen.

"Like she tried to not crash my motorcycle the day after I got it? Or maybe when she tried to smuggle some candy in my book bag and got me arrested when I was only 14?" She snapped, her voice dripping with attitude and a hand on her hip. "Look, Dean, I just can't forget everything." Alayna turned and got onto the motorcycle, fixing her helmet and wrapping her arms around Daryll's torso, leaving Dean to sigh in irritation as he watched them drive off.

"Hi," Karoline came up behind him and he turned with a slight smile.

"You ready to go?" He questioned, slipping an arm around her waist.

"Yeah," She agreed, nodding, and they made their way to the Buick. Karoline tossing him the keys, too tired to drive.

"You're gonna let me drive?" She looked up at his incredulous voice. "You never let me drive."

"Yeah, well, today's just full of surprises." The next thirty minutes went by in a blur, one moment she was in the car the next thing she knew she was in the living room of 'her house'.

"Here," Karoline turned to see Dean handing her a glass filled with amber liquid. It took her half a second to realize what it was.

"Bourbon. My favorite." She commented, accepting the glass from his hand as he took a seat next to her. "Even in this world you know me pretty well, huh?" She muttered to herself as she took a sip, not having expected Dean to hear her.

"This world?" Dean echoed, frowning in confusion, but Karoline just shook her head dismissively. "I know I've asked you this about a dozen times now, but are you sure you're okay?" Karoline silently set the glass on the counter, her mind drifting to other, more important things.

"'Layna and I - we don't get along," Her lips tugged downward at the thought. It had always been Karoline and Alayna. Alayna and Karoline. Now... it was all so different.

"It's not like either of you exactly try to get to know each other." He pointed out with a certain look and she sighed. "If it helps, she doesn't know what she's missing out on." Dean joked, trying to lighten the mood as he pulled her closer. He only succeeded in bringing a small smile to her face that immeadiatly fell.

"I can fix things," She stated, nodding as she grew surer and surer of that fact. "With Alayna, and Sam. And then I can hook them up and everything will be normal."

"What's gotten into you lately?" He asked her, and she could hear the uncertainty in his voice. "I mean, it'd be great. The four of us all buddies again, but you've been acting strange. And don't give me 'happy' as an answer."

"This is gonna sound crazy," She shook her head as she turned her eyes to his green ones.

"Try me," He responded with a slight smirk.

"I had this wish. And it came true, and now it's like I've been given a second chance," She explained in the shortest way possible. "I just don't want to waste it."

"What're you talking about?" Dean asked, his voice betraying how confused he sounded.

"What if I told you that the Supernatural were real." She began, taking his hands in hers, trying to convey how much she needed him to believe her just through her eyes.

"Kare, that's-"

"Crazy, I know," She finished for him. "But, it's true. Ghosts. Demons. Werewolfs. Vampires. They're all real, and I need you to believe me cause I don't know what to do?" Dean stared at her in disbelief, of course he did, she knew how crazy she sounded, especially to someone who wasn't a hunter. But, this was Dean and she need him to believe her. She needed him.

"Okay, alright, what is it?" He relented, his concern for her outweighing how crazy he thought she was.

"There's this ghost and I think it's haunting me, I don't know why or what the connection is," She shook her head, her mind three steps ahead of her mouth. "It's like my old life is coming back to haunt me."

"Old life?" Her attention snapped back to him at his incredulous tone.

"Never mind that..." Karoline's eye widened when she realized something. "We need Alayna and Sam."