NO TIME TO DIE◦𝒔𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓

chapter forty-three.

XLIII. COMING UP FOR AIR.

☽ ༓ ☾

A HUNTER'S FUNERAL wasn't something Birdie had seen or been a part of very often growing up. She would occasionally attend a funeral with her father when one of his "somehow friends" died, but it'd been many years since then. Her mother never went to any of the funerals; she considered them a waste of time. However, Birdie assumed it was actually because her mother didn't have any friends though Serena always claimed she did. But, seeing how often Birdie was around death, she didn't mind it when her father went without her. Adam and his mother weren't hunters, nor were they ever aware that monsters actually existed, but they'd both been given a hunter's funeral.

It was at the same place they'd taken "Adam" to practice shooting, the large pyre engulfed in flames along with Adam and Kate's bodies. They'd buried the ghoul bodies a few yards away, not wanting the bodies to be found at the Milligan house and it somehow point back to the boys or Birdie; Birdie didn't doubt that the waitress, Denise, would be more than happy to inform the police that "Adam" had met with some strangers just a couple days before him and his mother both disappeared. That wasn't another thing they needed on their plate. As for Adam and Kate's bodies. . .going back to the tomb and busting open the door, it made Birdie's heart ache. Considering the state the bodies were in━━━something that deeply hurt Sam when he saw them for himself━━━it wasn't easy. Instead of attempting to even get the bodies out, they'd cut the inside fabric of the coffins, using it to carry the bodies out that way. Then they wrapped some white sheets around them, placing the bodies on top of the wood.

As the bodies burned, it truly dawned on them that the ghouls didn't fake the pictures, or what was in John's journal. Adam was Sam and Dean's brother.

He and his mother had died like hunters, and they deserved to go out like them.

Sam had suggested maybe they could get a hold of Castiel, call in a favor to see if he could somehow bring Adam back. However, Dean denied the suggestion. He said Adam was in a better place, and somehow they all believed that.

"You know, I finally get why you and Dad butted heads so much," Dean had said to Sam after a couple of minutes. Birdie fought the urge to look over at the boys, keeping her focus on the burning pyre in front of her. "You two were practically the same person." Sam looked over at Dean, brows slightly furrowed. "I mean, I used to worship the guy, you know? I-I dressed like him, I acted like him, I listened to the same music. But you were more like him than I ever could've been and I see that now."

Sam slowly nodded, looking at Adam's burning body again. "I'll take that as a compliment," he said after a few seconds.

Dean glanced at Sam, and then back at Adam's body. "You take it any way you want."

That was two days ago and Birdie and the boys were back at Bobby's once again.

When Dean told him about Adam and all that happened, Bobby thought he was joking. But, after seeing the glum expressions on their faces━━━most likely picturing Adam and Kate's mangled bodies again━━━he realized they were telling the truth. He didn't remember John ever mentioning a Kate Milligan, though he doubted John would've told him about her in the first place. Reese never said anything about her or working some of the case with John, which probably meant he didn't know about her either. Nothing else was said about it after that, however Birdie and Bobby could see that Sam and Dean were still thinking about their brother they never actually got the chance to meet.