DEAR JACK,
Keep it together.
After tonight, I feel no different.
If you choose to go,
All I'll feel is lost forever.

❂

THE INVESTIGATION TO FIND JACK HAD BEEN TIRESOME WITH ALL THE HOOPS THEY HAD TO JUMP THROUGH TO GET A LEAD ON HIM. Visiting Derek Swans art studio, the three had discovered what they all ready knew-- Jack had been there. What they hadn't expected was to find that the man that was dead had been visiting worlds in his mind. A picture of the alternate universe that they had visited had been enough to have an understanding on why Jack had been there. According to Sam's findings, this man had been a dreamwalker, able to travel through worlds in his own mind.

Still failing to understand what they were dealing with, Rose lifted her head up in questioning. "Okay, so what's a dream walker again?" Leaning forward from the backseat, she stuck her head between the brothers.

"From what I know, dreamwalkers have these powers... Paula said it was like reportage from another universe. The lore on it is very inconsistent though..." Sam's voice trailed off as he passed his tablet back to Rose to read up on it while he flicked through his dads journal to see if he had any of the answers.

"Are we gonna talk about it?" Dean asked. Briefly giving a glance to the two, he gave a small shrug. "We all gotta be thinking the same thing here."

"Talk about what?" Sam asked. Still trying to understand it himself, he hadn't bothered pulling his eyes off of the journal. "The lore may be inconsistent but from Derek's email, he was talking to another dreamwalker named Kaia. We could get more answers from her."

"See if Jack is headed that way," Rose suggested Liking the sound of that idea, Sam had perked his head up, nodding his head in approval.

"No," Dean said loudly, "You both saw the painting. Looks like Jack is looking for Daddy Lucifer."

"First of all, we call no one daddy," Rose said sternly. "We don't know what Jack's intentions are here. I really don't think he'd kill for Lucifer. Maybe he came to Derek for help and..."

Dean instantly held his hand in the air to cut her off short. "Look, I tried to be supportive of Jack being good but this... this is something else. I don't want to be the I told you so type of guy but I said this from day one. I tried to believe he was good but if he's looking for Lucifer... This is worst case scenario. I hate this too, but we've gotta be prepared. Put the feelings and other crap behind."

"To kill him," Sam concluded quietly. "I get that, Dean. I really do. But we need more information first. I sat we go find this Kaia... Talk to her. See if she's talked to or even seen Jack. And figure out how dream walking even works."

Rose had fallen back into her seat. Dean was always so keen on killing Jack before he had gotten every answer. As long as he had viewed Jack as being potentially evil, it was enough. On the other hand, Sam had turned his head back to Rose as Dean had pulled the car out of the parking lot. With his distraction on driving, Sam and Rose gave one another a look that gave them the smallest bit of hope that this case would not lead to another's death.

❂

TRACKING KAIA HAD NOT BEEN DIFFICULT. Along the way to where Kaia was in the middle of her NA meeting, Sam had did all the research that he could on who she had been. Learning everything he could, he decided that filling in the other two when they had arrived was best. While Dean had tossed their fake badges into each of Sam and Rose's laps, they all soon climbed out of the car.

"Kaia never knew her father," Sam began as he tucked his badge away. "Her mom died in an accident when she was twelve, so her aunt took her in, and then she died— cancer. Been on her own since, until her O.D. and arrest."

Shielding the sun from her eyes, Rose took in the place before her. Kaia had clearly had a hard life starting at such a young age and to be stuck here of all places, she was certain her life still wasn't as great. Dean had seen this and gave a sharp pat on Rose's back. "Should've checked you in here years ago."

Pulling her hand down from her eyes, she sent him a small glare. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. You and Sammy. They gotta have an extra special program for people chugging blood, right?"

Thinking back to a time when the boys had discovered a way to cure a demon, just like her father, Rose had picked up an addiction to the injection of human blood just for the feeling of being a little bit more human. She decided to keep quiet while Sam had scolded his brother in a disapproving manner for such a comment. Dean didn't think it should've been the end.

With a gesture towards the two, Dean said what he had assume they were thinking. "I'm just saying, you two - lot in common. Checked into the crazy place for Hell related things then the obsession with blood... Looks like I'm not the crazy one around here after all, huh?"

Pulling open the front door, Rose allowed Sam in before she held a hand up towards Dean. "How about you stop talking before we check you in here, huh?"

Ignoring her comment, he had still decided to keep his mouth shut as he let himself into the building. Still, it hadn't stopped the two from mocking one another over every movement or word that came from the other as they had headed down another hall.

The only thing that could stop them, that was not Sam, had been the man laying on the floor, out like a light. Hearing the light snores coming from his mouth, they didn't bother checking for a pulse as he was loud enough to be able to tell. None had exchange a word since they all could tell that Jack was around.

Following down the hall, Dean had grabbed Rose and shoved her ahead of them. Almost as if he had been a scared child, he had hid behind her as they came up to a door that had been cracked open to lead back to the outside. Before opening it, she smacked his hand off her, "What are you doing?"

"Figure he won't blast us if he sees you," he whispered. "Now get out there."

Rolling her eyes, she didn't see the use in fighting. Dean was most likely right after all. Pushing the door open all the way and stepping out into the courtyard, she wasn't too surprised to see Jack. He had the opposite reaction. Still holding onto Kaia, Jack had grown wide eyed as a smile spread across his face, "Rose?"

However, his short second of happiness had disappeared the moment Kaia had kicked him in the back of the leg, sending him onto his knee and punching his in the face. Roses hand flew up to her mouth in surprise as Kaia had taken off running.

Coming to his senses, Jack had scrunched up his nose in surprise as he looked up to her. "She punched me."

"Yeah, well..." she reached out after the shock had warn off and held out her hand to him. The moment he had grabbed on, she pulled him back to his feet and straightened out his jacket for him. "Think you had it coming."

"I had it coming?" He questioned back. In response, Rose had balled up her fist and punched him hard in the shoulder. "Yeah, and you deserve that too."

Holding his shoulder, Jack had never felt more surprised by such violence in his life. Then it had fully hit him that Kaia had been loose. Ready to follow after her, he had been caught by Dean pulling him right back towards them. "We're not letting you anywhere near her until you tell us what's going on."

"I need her," Jack stated forcefully.

"Need her like you needed Derek?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Jack yelled. When the Winchesters had grown quiet, he looked around with a gleam of sadness in his eyes. "You don't... I'm doing this for you."

The three had given one another questioning looks. Last they had checked, there was no reason to be killing anyone that had been innocent. "You killed Derek for us?" Dean asked him.

"Derek's dead?" Jack asked quietly in return.

"Hold on," Rose said gently, taking Jack's attention. "Just tell us what's going on. But you have to tell us everything. Even the bad."

Confused on why there would even be any bad, Jack gave a shake of his head. "I left to try and get a grip on my powers. I wanted to prove to you that I'm good, to do one good thing." Pausing, he leaned in towards Rose, "You said I wasn't a monster. I had to do something good to prove that." Standing up tall once more, he flashed a nervous smile towards Sam and Dean, "So I did the thing you wanted most. I experimented, opening doors to other worlds. I could almost do it. I could get right to the edge. But I couldn't see. I could only feel around in the dark. I needed eyes. A seer."

"A dreamwalker," Sam whispered.

"So I researched, like you taught me. That's how I found Derek. I didn't know if it would work, but it did. He dreamwalked, and I joined him in apocalypse world. I could see what he saw. And I saw her."

Sam had felt hesitant. Her had been a vague statement. The hope he had held on to that his mom had still been alive had resurfaced once again. She was the only one they had lost that he had felt could come back to them but he felt the need to ask, even if he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear the answer. "Her?"

"Your mother," Jack whispered before a smile had broken out across his face. "She's alive but she's in danger."

"W-what does that mean? What kind of danger?" Sam rushed out.

"It's easier if I show you," Jack said. Holding his hands out towards each of the Winchester's, he motioned for them to come closer. Eager to see, both had leaned in, learning to fully trust Jack in this moment.

The second that his finger tips had hit their temples, gold had broken out across as their eyes emitted a bright gold. Watching as the brothers had been given their hope to keep fighting, Rose had looked over her shoulder where Kaia had ran off to. If she hadn't run off, Mary could already be with them by now but they never seemed to have a win so quickly.

A gasp had escaped Dean's lips as he had taken a step back after seeing his mom. Jack and Sam fell right into conversation on what had happened with Derek but Dean wasn't listening. Instead, he had reached out for Rose, grabbing her by her shoulders before pulling her into his chest tightly.