NO TIME TO DIE◦𝒔𝒂𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓

chapter forty seven.

They could've had a normal life.

They could've moved to the suburbs. Reese could've traded in his gun for a briefcase, or even a guitar or something as he did love to make music. Birdie could've gone to college━━━majored in art or music and turned it into a career if she wanted. They could've made friends, ones that didn't know about the monster life and could make them forget about their old life. It was possible their old life would come back to haunt them, but there was also a chance it wouldn't. A new life was a possibility of a fresh start, a chance to heal from all the things they'd endured.

That was exactly what Reese wanted to do for his daughter after Serena died. . .but things didn't go as he planned.

As Birdie's thoughts frantically raced inside her head, Reese just patiently waited for her to speak up again. He didn't want to push her if she wasn't ready. She had a chance to get away, yet she was still sticking around which hopefully meant there was a chance she believed him, or was beginning to. Reese glanced between Birdie and the floor, taking another look at his daughter as he tried to figure out what was going on inside her head.

Birdie shook her head, looking at Reese again. "No, you-you can't be my dad," she said, a harsh look on her face. Reese frowned, standing up. Birdie held her hand out and Reese held his hands up, slowly sitting back down on the bed. He had no desire to freak her out or make her run, so he would do whatever she wanted even if it meant keeping some distance between them. "You're-you're not him. . .because my dad. . .if he was actually still alive, he would have told me by now. He-he wouldn't have waited seven fucking years to come back."

Reese looked down as he heard Birdie's sharp words, solemnly nodding his head. He understood her sadness, her anger. He'd been gone for years, leaving his little girl to continue growing up without a father━━━a father that was meant to be there whenever and wherever needed. But, where was he when she needed him most?

Not there.

"So, who the hell are you? Huh?" Birdie demanded to know, her glare burning into the side of Reese's head. He let out a sigh, turning his head to look at her with tears lingering in his eyes. Birdie simply ignored it, anger igniting her brown eyes. "Fucking answer me!"

"I'm sorry," Reese said, his bottom lip wobbling as he tried to keep his tears at bay. "I am so sorry, Birdie."

Birdie gulped, shaking her head as she took a few steps back.

No. It couldn't be.

That couldn't be her father.

Reese Fowler was dead.

Reese sniffled, hesitantly standing up from the bed despite the weariness that radiated off of Birdie. She closely watched him walk closer, staying completely still as he stopped a few inches in front of her. Birdie's brows were knitted together, her tears teetering on the edge of spilling over and trickling down her face. Her eyes raked over her father, watching a few tears run down his cheeks.

Being so close to him, actually seeing the guilt in his eyes. . .it was her father.

"Why?" That was all Birdie could manage to ask.

"I. . .I thought if I. . .if everyone thought I died that night. . .maybe you could finally have a chance at a normal life, the life you deserved to have instead of the life your mother and I forced on you. You-you could stop hunting monsters and━━━" Birdie clenched her eyes shut, her tears finally escaping as she listened. They raced down her face, dropping down from her chin and landing on the floor. Reese felt his heart ache at the sight, biting the inside of his cheek to stop his lips from wobbling. Birdie opened her eyes a few seconds later, catching her father's gaze again. "These last few weeks. . .I just had this awful feeling inside. I-I don't know how to describe it but. . .I decided to try and find you, just to check on you. I found you with the Winchesters and. . .and I followed for a while. I lost track of you and the boys a couple days ago. . .but then I tracked you down to that barn and I. . .I. . .when I walked inside and saw. . ."