(1) Metamorphosis (D. Winchester) **Coming Soon**

Chapter Three

Astrid takes in the demon as she approaches her. The calm and poised body language and the mocking confidence on her face. If this is what all demons are like then she is glad that she made the decision not to go on a hunt yet, she wouldn't feel confident enough to deal with something like this herself. She moves around the chair to stand behind it. She brings up her hands and holds them on either side of the demon's head.

"Astrid" Bobby starts, wanting to stop her, to protect her from any fallout that will come from the brothers.

"It's okay, Dad" She assures him and then closes her eyes as she takes a few deep breaths. When she opens her eyes, her pupils are glowing red and wisps of red mist seep from her fingers and into the demon's head. Sam and Dean step forward, surprised by what they are seeing here from her. The demon gasps and throws her head back, her eyes glowing red to match Astrid's own.

"What is she doing?" Sam asks. "How...?" Bobby doesn't answer him though, too busy watching Astrid, keeping an eye on her as she searches through the demon's memories to try and find out where John is. Astrid lets out a long breath

"An apartment building" She starts and tilts her head as she tries to focus. "In Jefferson City" She lets out a breath and more mist seeps from her fingers as she fights back against the demon. "Sunrise apartments by the river" She catches and draws her hands back. The mist disappears back into her hands. She glances across at the brothers who are both staring at her. Astrid clears her throat and shifts nervously where she stands. Bobby moves to her side and curls an arm around her shoulders to draw her in closer to him, protectively shielding her. Dean snaps out of the shock first and turns to Sam.

"Send it back to hell" He states and Sam nods dumbly as he opens the book in hand to a page with the right verse on it.

"You're gonna kill her" Bobby points out as the demon groans, recovering from Astrid's invasion of her mind.

"What?" Dean asks.

"You said she fell from a building. That girl's body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that demon inside. You exorcise it – that girl is going to die"

"We are not gonna leave her like that" Dean argues.

"She is a human being" Bobby defends, though it feels like it is more of an argument about Astrid at this moment.

"And we're gonna put her out of her misery. Sam, do it." Sam looks at his brother and then at Bobby and Astrid, not sure what's the right thing to do. He looks down at the demon. Hesitating. "Do it" Dean pushes. Sam takes a breath and then begins reading the exorcism rite from the book.

"Dominicos sanctae ecclesiae, terogamus audi nos, terribilis deus do sanctuario suo deus israhel. Ipse tribuite virtutem et fortitudinem plebi suae, benedictus deus, gloria patri...." The demon throws her head back and screams before a black mist violently erupts from her mouth, and spreads out in the protective circle in the ceiling before disappearing. The young girl slumps forward, blood dripping from her mouth.

Astrid moves out of Bobby's hold and he tries to stop her when she rounds the chair to check on her, just in case this isn't over yet. But she can feel it. The demon's gone. Astrid reaches out and curls her hand around her face, lifts her head to look at her face. The girl blinks, her eyes shifting to meet Astrid's.

"She's still alive" Astrid gasps and turns to Bobby. "Call an ambulance" She pleads. Bobby leaves the room to do as she's asked of him as Astrid starts to untie the girl from the chair. Sam moves closer to her to help whilst Dean watches the three of them with a frown, still processing what he saw Astrid doing.

"Thank you," The girl tells them, but Sam just shakes his head.

"Just take it easy" He assures her softly as he removes the last piece of rope around her ankle. There is the sound of bones crunching as Sam lifts her from the chair causing her to scream in pain. Sam lowers her to the floor where Astrid kneels, taking her in her arms to cradle her.

"It's okay. It's okay" Astrid whispers softly, comforting her, drawing her hand through her hair.

"A year" The girl manages to choke out.

"What?" Sam asks her.

"It's been a year" She explains through a shaky breath. She's very clearly in pain. Agony even. It's in her voice, written all over her face, in the way her body trembles.

"Shh, just take it easy" Astrid tries to stop her from continuing. She doesn't need to tell them this, she just needs to lay still until the ambulance arrives to take care of her.

"I've been awake for some of it. I couldn't move my own body. The things I did – it's a nightmare"

"Don't talk" Astrid stops her softly. "Just...rest" Astrid reaches a hand to her head and lets her powers flow, using her powers to block out her pain. The girl relaxes into Astrid's arm, staring up at her as tears roll down her cheek. Astrid's eyes water as she stares down at the young woman, and for a moment, only a moment, it's not her that she's holding, it's Erik in her arms. Dying in front of her. Bleeding and in pain. Astrid swallows hard and closes her eyes to hide from it. It's been eight years now and it still beats at her like this. Astrid's jaw trembles as she holds off her emotions. She doesn't want to cry in front of Sam and Dean. When Astrid opens her eyes, the girl's eyes have faded and she's stopped moving and breathing. Dead. Astrid lets out a breath and strokes her hair.

........

Later, Astrid sits on the couch, knees against her chest as she stares down at the body of the girl now covered in a blanket on the floor. But she can still see her. Can still see the pain etched into her face, the look in her eyes as she died. It's going to be hard to get rid of that image from her head. She's only ever seen two dead bodies, which for the life she is involved in is probably very low. After Erik, she never wanted to see anything like that again, it's why she became comfortable with her books and research, but here it is. It's in her home now. She closes her eyes and buries her head in her knees.

"You better hurry up and beat it. Before the paramedics get here" Bobby tells Sam and Dean who linger with him in the kitchen, all of them staring into the next room where Astrid and the body are.

"What are you gonna tell them?" Dean asks.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops? I'll figure something out" Bobby assures them and then hands the Key of Solomon book to Sam. "Here take this. You might need it"

"Are you sure?" Sam asks, though he isn't really asking Bobby, he assumes that the books are mostly Astrid's and he doesn't want to take it if it's going to add to why ever she is angry with them. Bobby nods and pats his shoulder.

"Thanks... for everything. Be careful, alright?" Dean asks of Bobby.

"You just go find your Dad" Bobby counters. "We'll be fine" He adds and glances over at Astrid. Whilst he will be fine, he is not sure about her right now. It's going to take her some time to get over this. This isn't her world. She devours books and knowledge from the comfort of the study. It's what she chose to do. And now she has been drawn into an actual physical hunt. And all those memories of her brother will be flooding through her. Sam nods and takes the book from the counter. He glances over at Astrid, wants to say something but she is already so angry with them that he doesn't think saying anything right now is going to help that or help her. He lets out a breath as he leaves. Dean pauses in the doorway, his eyes on Astrid who barely reacts to them going.

"Hey" He calls to her and she glances at him. "Thanks" He offers, she stares at him a moment before turning her eyes back to the body. Dean and Bobby then share a look before Dean follows after his brother. There are a few moments of silence as Bobby just watches his daughter, waiting for it to happen, for her to break, because it is coming. He knows her well enough to know that going through this will upset her enough that she will cry about it. And he wants to be there to comfort her when it happens. As the rumble of the Impala's engine breaks the silence, Astrid starts to shake and sniffle. Bobby moves to his daughter as she bursts into tears, burying her head into her knees. Now they are alone, she is freely able to let out how she feels. Bobby knows. Because he saw it too. Her sitting on the floor and cradling the girl, she saw her holding Erik too. He knows how this is going to hurt her. To upset her. Bobby sits at her side and curls an arm around her shoulders and pulls her closer, letting her sink into his side and cry it out.