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SEASON 01, EPISODE 14, PART 01

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Delaney gasped as she shot up in her bed and looked around her. She was in her shared bed next to Dean who snored softly next to her and Sam was sprawled out on his own bed, his mouth open slightly. The nightmare that just flashed through her was so vivid it scared her because it hadn't been that bad since that night she dreamt of the family in her childhood home being in trouble.

These nightmares - or visions I guess were more accurate - were seriously starting to freak out. In this one a man was trapped in his car that was parked in his garage as the smoke from the tailpipe continued to spill in through the vents in the car eventually choking him to death. No matter what the man had did to turn the car off or get out, it all came up useless because nothing worked.

"Dean," Delaney whispered and shook her eldest brother awake who groaned and tried to swat her hand away. She threw a pillow at Sam who startled awake, falling out of his bed. She scrambled out of her bed and over to her dufflebag to get a change of clothes out.

"Della, what are you doing? It's the middle of the night," Dean grumbled groggily as he squinted at the now lit room thanks to Sam who switched on the lamp.

"We have to go," Delaney shortly replied before she rushed into the bathroom. She threw her change of clothes on and brushed her teeth in record time. When she exited the bathroom, Delaney saw both of her brothers in the same position she had left them. "Right now!"

Dean and Sam slowly got up, but neither moved to actually get dressed just yet. "Tell us why you're trying to get us to leave first."

Delaney huffed at her brothers and shoved her pajamas into her duffle. "I had another nightmare... or vision I guess? I'll explain more in the car, okay? Can we just go please?"

Sam frowned as he took in the sight of his exasperated sister and pushed Dean to get dressed so they could leave. The two brothers threw random clothes on before the three were in the car and driving off to where Delaney's nightmare took place.

"McReedy, Detective McReedy. Badge number 158," Delaney said into the phone as she sat up front with Dean and Sam was in the back. It was one of the rare times that Delaney got to sit up front because she had to guide Dean to wherever they were going. Sam abused the opportunity to lay across the back seat and relax against his jacket. "I've got a Signal 480 in progress. I need the registered owner of a two door sedan, Michigan license plate - M-F-6-0-3-7." 

Delaney paused for a moment to listen to the operator on the other end speak. "Yeah, okay. Just hurry if you can please. Thanks."

"Kiddo, can you relax? I'm sure it's just a nightmare," Dean dismissed.

Delaney scoffed and glanced at her brother. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"I mean it. A normal, everyday, naked-in-class nightmare," Dean argued, annoyed his sister dragged him out of bed at this hour of the night. "This license plate, it won't check out."

"It felt different, Dean - real... like when I dreamt about our old house and Will," Delaney countered, rubbing her forehead as the operator had still not gotten back to her yet. Seriously how long did it take to type some letters and numbers into a system then get the name. 

"Well, yeah that makes sense," Dean said. "You're dreaming about our house, your boyfriend. This guy in your dream, you ever seen him before?"

Delaney silently shook her head, knowing if she opened her mouth she would probably chew Dean's head off and none of them needed a Delaney/Dean showdown right now. Those never ended well for anyone. Last time that happened she ran off from her brothers and they almost got killed by a freakish scarecrow. Delaney didn't need another repeat of that.

"Okay... so then why would you have premonitions about some dude in Michigan?"

"I don't know," Delaney snapped.

Sam sat up in the back and leaned against the back of the front seat. "Dean, just let her be. If it's anything like last time, it's serious. So just let her be sure."

Dean grumbled something incoherently and continued to drive.

"Yes, I'm here," Delaney replied once she heard the operator come back. She shot Dean a smug look as she grabbed a pen and wrote down the information into their dad's journal that the woman rattled off to her. "Jim Miller - Saginaw, Michigan. Do you have a street address? Thank you."

Delaney hung up the phone and tossed it onto the seat between her and Dean.

"You know we're a couple of hours away from Saginaw."

"Drive faster," Delaney ordered and leaned back against her seat, getting comfortable.

Unfortunately when the three siblings arrived, the deed had already been done. Jim was dead and Delaney felt her heart shatter. She was too late. There was already a crowd outside the man's house when they exited the Impala and people were saying that it was classified as a suicide, which was the furthest thing from the truth. 

The woman Delaney had talked to relayed exactly what happened in her dream, she knew she wasn't going insane and it just proved to Dean that she was in fact right. It baffled the woman because Jim had gone to church every Sunday and seemed like any other person you would pass on the street. 

Delaney had to walk away, it all being too much for her. She pushed herself up onto the hood of the Impala and brought her knees to her chest, burying her face in her knees. She was too late. They were too slow. She should have rushed the boys more. She should have just dragged the both of them out by their ears and made Dean drive faster than he was. She felt like a failure and the more it set in, the tighter her heart got squeezed.

"Delly, we got here as fast as we could," Sam pulled himself up next to his baby sister and brought her into his side.

Delaney sniffled and hid her face in Sam's shirt, instantly soaking it with her tears. "Not fast enough." She felt Sam rub her back soothingly and she took a minute to calm herself down. Pulling her face away from Sam's chest, she wiped her eyes and looked up at Dean. "Dean, why would I have these premonitions unless there was a chance we could have stopped it?"

Dean felt his heart strings pull at the look of pure distress on Delaney's face. No one should ever go through what she was going through. She was practically still a kid in his eyes and no kid should carry the weight of seeing someone die just before it happens. 

Not once, but twice now Delaney couldn't save the people from her visions. She was one for three right now and he could see how heavily it weighed on her and there was nothing he could do about it, which literally killed him inside. He was so used to being able to swoop in any time Delaney was in trouble and help. Whether she had fallen outside and he was there to put a band-aid on her and kiss it better. Or when a boy in high school had shattered her heart and he cornered the kid, making him real sorry he had broken the most important girl in his life's heart. Delaney wanted to strangle him for scaring off any boy now that would want to go out with her, but he didn't care. He still helped her. Now... now he was just useless and helpless.

"I... I don't know, kid," Dean whispered and looked over to the house where the wife and son of the man stood on the doorstep of the house, the wife hysterically crying while the son didn't seem the least bit affected.

Delaney deflated, having some hope that Dean would have an answer like he always did. That didn't help make Dean's heart hurt any less, if anything, it made it squeeze even harder. "Is there anything that you think could have killed him?"

"Maybe the guy just killed himself," Dean suggested, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Maybe there's nothing supernatural here at all."

Delaney shook her head and looked between her two brothers who both looked doubtful about the whole thing. "Guys, I watched it happen. He was murdered by something. It trapped him in the garage."

"Like a spirit, a poltergeist? What, Delly?" Sam prodded.

"I don't know what it was," Delaney mumbled and leaned more into Sam's side. "I don't know why I'm having these nightmares. I don't know what the hell is happening to me. I'm... I'm scared."

Dean's already pitying and heartbroken expression just grew worse as Delaney confessed how she was feeling and when Delaney gave him a questioning look, he sighed. "I'm just worried about you, Della."

"Well, don't look at me like that!" Delaney snapped, hating how Dean was looking at her like she was some kind of glass doll.

"I'm not looking at you like anything," Dean argued and looked away from his sister. "You do look like crap though."

Delaney exhaled sharply and gave Dean a pointed look. "Thanks. You're the best big brother ever, Dean."

"Let's just pick this up in the morning," Dean said and walked over to the driver's side. "We'll check out the house and talk to the family."

Delaney slid off the hood with Sam and turned to face Dean. "Dean, you saw them. They're devastated. They're not going to want to talk to us."

Dean glanced over at the family again and his shoulders slumped as he realized Delaney was right. "Yeah, you're right." After thinking for a long moment, Dean smirked and looked over at Sam. "I know who they will talk to though."

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Delaney stared at her two older brothers in shock as she stood by the Impala. "This is a new low even for us." She took in the two boys' priest outfits and shook her head. "I can't believe I am actually letting happen." She tugged on her nun dress and groaned. "Seriously can't believe I am agreeing to this."

"It's the best plan," Dean defended and before she knew it the man in the house was opening his door and looked at the three siblings warily.

"Hi!" Sam greeted a little too cheerily. "I'm Father Freely and this is Father Simmons and Sister Elizabeth. We're all new over at St. Augustine's. May we come in?"

The man nodded and stepped back to allow the three in and Delaney gave a quiet sorry to the man for his loss. 

Dean, Sam and Delaney stood in the foyer and Delaney felt more and more awkward about impersonating a nun as time went on. FBI or detectives were one thing, but impersonating a religious official or a doctor were two things Delaney never wanted to impersonate. That was just too far.

"It's times like these when the Lord's guidance is most needed," Dean spoke after a long moment of awkward silence. 

"You want to pitch your whole Lord has a plan thing. Fine," the man huffed and crossed his arms. "Don't pitch it to me. My brother's dead."

Delaney frowned at Jim's brother, her guilt for being too late growing even more. She felt Sam squeeze her hand in comfort and she gave him a small smile that went unnoticed by the man in front of them.

"Roger, please," a blonde woman scolded as she stepped into the foyer. She held a platter of food in her hand and walked closer as Roger excused himself. "I'm sorry about my brother-in-law. He's just so upset about Jim's death."

Delaney closed her eyes and tried to keep the anxiety at bay. She felt it trying to claw its way out ever since last night when they were too late. Sam was still the only one who knew about her anxiety attacks and she tried so hard to keep it that way. Dean already started to treat her like a child again because of the nightmares returning and it would only become worse if he found out about this.

"Would you like some coffee?" the blonde woman - who Delaney figured out was Mrs. Miller - offered, breaking Delaney out of her thoughts. 

Dean nodded with a soft smile and they followed her into the living room where she poured the three some coffee while they sat on the couch. Delaney half wished the woman could spike it because she desperately needed it right now.

"It means so much that you three are here," Mrs. Miller said, placing the coffee pot back onto its coaster on the brown coffee table. "The support of the church means so much right now."

"Of course. After all, we're all God's children," Dean replied.

Delaney watched as the blonde woman exited the room and Dean sneaking a weenie that was set out on the table. She scoffed as her brother gave her an odd look. "Tone it down would you?"

The three went quiet again when Mrs. Miller returned and sat on the chair across from the siblings. "So, Mrs. Miller, did your husband have a history of depression?" Dean questioned.

Mrs. Miller shook her head, sniffling slightly and rubbed her red nose. "Nothing like that. We had our ups and downs like everyone, but we were happy." She paused as a sob escaped past her lips. "I just don't understand... how Jim could so something like..."

Seeing Mrs. Miller seemed to break Delaney and she had to excuse herself, rushing out to the Impala and leaning against it while she tried to get her heart rate to stop racing it like it was running a 5K marathon. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to take deep breaths, but every intake made it that much harder to exhale and she could feel the anxiety finally bursting free. It wasn't as bad as when she thought her and Sam wouldn't be able to save Dean before he died. However, it was still rough and it took her a few minutes to finally calm down.

Delaney shook herself out and wiped her face of the tears that fell before making her way back inside. She went to go back where her brothers were, but noticed Jim's son sitting alone in the corner. Might as well talk to him while the boys talked to Mrs. Miller so they could be out quicker. She stopped in front of him with small smile. "Hi, I'm Delaney."

The boy slowly looked up at Delaney. He looked to be around the same age as her, if not a year or two older. He looked completely indifferent about everything going on around him which made Delaney wonder if he was just trying to act tough by not showing he felt, or if there was something much deeper going on.

"Max."

Delaney pulled the chair next to her over and sat down across from Max. "What was your dad like, if you don't mind me asking."

"Just a normal dad," Max replied softly and leaned back against his chair, shrugging slightly.

"And you live at home now?

Max nodded and avoided eye contact with her by focusing on his hands. "I've been trying to save up for school, but it's hard."

Delaney was quiet for a moment as she tried to formulate her next question right. She didn't want to sound like she was prying nor did she want to sound insensitive. However, she needed her nightmare to be explained before she really lost it. "So, when you found your dad...?"

Max took a shuddering breath and sat up straighter in his chair. "I woke up. I heard the engine running. I don't know why he did it."

Delaney frowned as the tears finally showed in Max's eyes and that's when she knew he was just trying to be strong for everyone around him. He probably felt like since his dad had passed now that he had to be the man of the house so he didn't want to cry. She knew how he felt losing his father because she still experienced the effects of her mom passing. She was young, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt her just as bad as it hurt Dean and Sam. "I know it's rough losing a parent, especially when you don't have all the answers."

After another few minutes of talking, Delaney excused herself and searched for her brothers. She eventually found them upstairs and noticed Dean hiding the device he was using in his inner suit jacket pocket. He probably thought she was Mrs. Miller or one of the other family members that lingered downstairs.

"You guys find anything?"

Dean silently shook his head and she didn't miss the way he took a good look over her. She met eyes with Sam whose eyes practically screamed now you really need to tell him. She sighed, not looking forward to it.

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Sam left the motel they checked into so he could pick the three up some dinner. Before he left, he whispered to Delaney that she better talk to Dean because if she didn't, he would tell Dean himself when he got back.

Delaney sat on her bed and looked at Dean. He sat at the table in the middle of the motel room, cleaning all the weapons. He had been oddly quiet ever since they got back to the motel room and that scared her even more than him actually speaking. A silent Dean was never a fun Dean.

"So, are you ever going to explain to me what that was back there at the Miller's house?" Dean asked breaking the long silence that lingered in the room ever since Sam left. "Seems like Sam knows what's up because he didn't seem as shocked as me when you just rushed out of the room like it was on fire."

Delaney bit her lip and slowly stood up, walking to stand in front of the table of weapons. She felt guilty - she really did - for not ever saying anything to Dean about her anxiety. It was just something that she didn't need him knowing to treat her even more like a child. However, Sam unfortunately was right. Dean should know about it.

"Um..." Delaney trailed off, the thing she was about to tell Dean rearing its ugly head in her mind. The thought of having to tell Dean alone was enough to make her have to fight off the anxiety. It was nerve wracking to say the least. "I have this thing..."

"What kind of thing?" Dean prodded, placing down the weapon he just finished cleaning and giving his sister his full, undivided attention. "You know, besides the whole freaky psychic thing."

"I have anxiety, Dean," Delaney confessed before she could talk herself out of this conversation. Dean would be more pissed if this all came from Sam and not from her. It was bad enough she hid it from him, but if Sam were the one to tell him... Dean would not take too kindly to Delaney lying to him. "I've had it for a while."

Dean's eyes softened and she hated the look that Dean gave her. It was the same exact one he gave her the night previous when he saw how rattled she was from them being too late to save Jim. "Della..."

"It started in high school, to be honest. It wasn't as bad as it is now until I got to college though," Delaney explained and "When Dad told me not to come back if I went away for college, it just broke something in me, I don't know. Then trying to be a lawyer is a lot of pressure in itself. Now that I know what goes bump in the night, it just makes it even worse. I've been okay for a while until I thought you were going to die because Sam and I wouldn't be able to get you help. It's the only reason Sam knew about it."

Dean shook his head and walked around the table to stand in front of his sister. "Della, why didn't you ever tell me?"

"Cause of the way you're looking at me now," Delaney replied, gesturing to his expression. "I didn't want you to treat me like a fragile doll or something. Plus I thought you wouldn't trust me as much on hunts and I want to be able to help you and Sam. I don't want to sit back while you too search for Dad or this demon by yourselves. She was my mom too and my boyfriend died at his hands. I want to kill him as much as you guys."

Dean smiled softly at his sister and brought her into him, hugging her close to him. "I know, kiddo, I know. I would never keep you from helping us out. I know how much finding this demon means to you. You know you can always tell me anything, Della. I'm your big brother and I want to be there for you and help you anyway I can. I can't help you out with these nightmares but at least this I can help you out with. So if you ever feel like it gets too much, just talk to me okay? I'll talk you through it."

"I love you, Dean," Delaney mumbled, her cheek pressed against her eldest brother's chest as she inhaled his cologne and usual lingering smell from the Impala. "You're the best."

"I love you too, kiddo," Dean whispered, kissing the top of his sister's head and leaning his cheek on the top of it. Who knew it would be this easy to tell Dean? Stupid Sam was right again. 

AUTHORS NOTE

geez i love these siblings so much bye