Larissa is sitting at the map table and Athena is sitting on her lap. She's now two months old and loved even more each day by her three family members.
Athena can babble noises as her attempt to talk and she'll even react to her parents' and uncle's voices and she recognizes them. She can hold her head up for a few seconds during tummy time. If somebody gives her something small, she's able to hold it. She's somewhat able to hold her bottle, but still needs somebody to hold the end of it or else she drops it.
Athena smiles now, especially when seeing her parents or uncle. Larissa was thrilled to learn that Athena did indeed inherit Sam's dimples.
Despite Dean acting like he isn't interested in babies, Athena has a strange attachment to him, often seeking his cuddles and comfort. Larissa told him it's because since he acts like he doesn't care, Athena craves his attention more and wants him to focus on her.
Dean never turns the baby down when she does want him, just accepting the fact that he needs to hold his niece for however long.
Sam is sitting at the head of the map table and on his laptop. Dean is in the library and looking through boxes.
"What the hell is this? Spear of Destiny? What is this -- God's toothpick? You know, would it have killed these asshats to label these boxes in something other than hieroglyphics? It's ridiculous." Dean says. Neither other adult responds. "Hey. You two listening to me?"
Athena babbles at him.
"Yeah, thanks, Athy." Dean sarcastically smiles at her and seeing a smile on his face makes her smile. "The two who can talk listening?"
"Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, no, you're doing great, dude." Larissa says. Dean rolls his eyes, now aware she wasn't listening.
"Yeah. It's, uh... fascinating stuff. You should probably, uh, write it all down in your journal for the archives, you know?" Sam says, clearing his throat.
"Yeah, thanks. You guys are a lot of help." Dean remarks sarcastically. Sam coughs into a napkin. "Hey, Doc Holliday, you all right over there?"
"Uh, yeah. Um... I'm fine." Sam throws the napkin away. "Just, uh, wrong pipe." He glances at Larissa who is focused on feeding Athena, holding the bottle to the baby's mouth. Athena's tiny hands are on the bottle as she gulps down her drink until Athena takes it away so she doesn't choke.
"Well, hello." Dean flips through a magazine. "These Men of Letters weren't so boring after all. Konnichiwa. Hey, check this out." Dean walks over and stands next to where Sam is sitting.
"Dude, what is wrong with you?" Sam asks.
"What's wrong with me? You kidding me? This is a first edition, dude." Dean says. "You know what this would go for on eBay?"
"No. Why? Do you?" Sam asks.
"No. Maybe." Dean admits. "Shut up."
"Your uncle's disgusting." Larissa loudly whispers to Athena.
"I heard that." Dean says.
"Yeah, kind of the point." Larissa says.
"You find anything?" Dean asks his brother, sitting down.
"I did, yeah-- uh, dead bodies showing up all over the Midwest last week. Benton, Indiana; Downers Grove, Illinois, uh, Novi, Michigan; and then again last night in Lincoln Springs, Missouri." Sam says.
"And how is this us?" Dean asks.
"Because each of the victims had severe burns around their eyes, hands, and feet, puncture wounds through the backs of their hands, eyes, and internal organs liquefied." Sam says.
"That sounds like us." Dean says.
"Yeah. Also, no link between any of the victims. Uh, one was a real estate agent. Another was a local historian. Woman killed last night was a teacher."
"So, chupacabra. What do we got? Power tools gone rogue? Wait-- are we talking a "Mexican Overdrive" situation here?"
"I don't know. Worth a shot, though. I'll grab my gear. We should probably leave in five."
"Mm-hmm." Dean nods, looking at the magazine.
"Unless, of course, you need some more time with Miss October." Sam says.
"What? Oh, yeah. Yeah, make it ten." Dean says. Sam chuckles and leaves.
"At least have the alone time in your bedroom. There are children here." Larissa says.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Dean says. He looks down at the trash can, seeing a bloody napkin in it.
"Dean?" Larissa calls making him look at her. "You good?"
"Uh..." Dean watches her attention go to Athena after she makes a noise.
"Yeah? Yeah, more milk?" Larissa asks, holding the bottle to her daughter's lips and Athena resumes drinking.
"Nothing. No, no, I'm good." Dean says. He takes the trashcan and puts it somewhere else, not wanting to worry Larissa.
+++
It's been about a week and Larissa was made aware of Sam coughing up blood and that Cas had stated that the first trial broke Sam beyond an angel's repair. The worry in Larissa greatly increased, but Sam did his best to assure her that he'd be fine.
The four Winchesters get to Garth's boat and Dean pounds on the door.
"Kevin, open up!" Kevin opens the door, a large cast iron skillet in hand, the guy looking worse for wear. "Whoa! Whoa. Geez. What's going on? What's with the S.O.S.?" They walk in and Kevin shuts the door.
"It's him." Kevin states.
"It's who?" Sam asks.
"Crowley." Kevin says.
"What about him?" Dean asks.
"He's in my head." Kevin says.
"He's... in your head?" Sam asks.
"Do you know what that means?" Kevin asks.
"Yeah, it means we need to up your anxiety meds." Dean says, earning a slap on the arm from Larissa. "Kevin, you're dreaming. Look, if Crowley knew where you were, he'd do a hell of a lot more than mess with your head."
"All right, where's Garth?" Sam asks.
"On a case. Or the dentist. I don't know. I haven't heard from him." Kevin says.
"Okay, well, what did you want to tell us that you couldn't say on the phone?" Dean asks. "Would you put the frying pan down, please?" Kevin does so.
"I translated the second trial from the tablet." Kevin says.
"You... crazy prophet, you. Nice work!" Dean compliments.
"And if Crowley's in my head, he knows." Kevin says.
"Okay, he's definitely not in your head." Dean says.
"He's not in your head, Kevin. It's okay. Just... we know you're distressed. Just stay with us, all right? What's the second trial?" Sam asks.
"An innocent soul has to be rescued from Hell and delivered unto Heaven." Kevin says.
"What?" Dean asks.
"Unto. That's-- that's how God talks." Kevin says.
"Rescue a soul from Hell? Like actually... go to Hell? How-- how do you get a soul unto Heaven? I mean, how do you even get a soul out of Hell?" Sam asks.
"We're gonna need an expert." Dean says.
+++
They get out of the Impala and walk up to Ajay who is in the cab and reading a newspaper.
"Ajay. Need to talk to you for a sec." Dean says.
"You know my name." Ajay says.
"And what you do. We want to do business." Sam says.
"But you are mortal -- flesh and blood... and with a baby." Ajay says.
"But if we wanted to cross the border into Hell--" Sam says.
"Visitor's pass." Dean says.
"No one wants to get into Hell." Ajay says.
"But could a coyote like you do it?" Sam asks.
"It's possible. But I have special skills. I have overhead. It will be pricey." Ajay says.
"How pricey?" Dean asks.
"You all are resourceful. One day, you will owe me a favor." Ajay says.
"You say that like you know us." Dean says.
"Of course. You're the Winchesters." Ajay says.
"Sorry. Have we met?" Dean asks.
"I am the reaper who took Bobby Singer to Hell." Ajay says.
"Bobby's in Hell? We burned his bones. Once we did that, it was over. End of story." Sam says.
"Hmm... not necessarily." Ajay says.
"No, no, no, cause, see, Bobby was on the good side of things, and good guys go to the penthouse." Dean says.
"Usually, mostly. Depends on who you know, what palms get greased. If you're on the King of Hell's no fly list, you cruise the friendly skies." Ajay says.
"Crowley. Okay, let's do this. How much for two tickets down and three back?" Dean asks.
"Dean." Sam says.
"What?" He asks.
"Come here." The three hunters walk away from Ajay. "What the hell are you thinking?"
"You heard the guy. Bobby's in Hell. We're gonna spring him." Dean says.
"We've gone over this, Dean. I have to do the trials solo."
"This is Bobby we're talking about, Sam. Now let's face it -- you have not exactly been up to full speed lately, okay? We got one shot at this. We can't miss."
"I'm not gonna miss." Sam opens his jacket, showing Ruby's knife. "I'll bring him back."
"Just... can you handle this? I mean, is going to Hell not gonna bring back, like... some PTSD memories? I mean, I know you were in the cage so I don't know what all you saw or how Hell works, but--"
"Lissy, I'll be fine. I'll get Bobby and complete the second trial." Sam assures.
"Just... please be careful. Don't die." Larissa pleads.
"I'll see you later." Sam tells her. He kisses her before kissing Athena's cheek, the baby smiling at him. "Keep your mama relaxed, okay?" He whispers, tapping her nose, her smile only growing slightly.
Sam feels a bittersweet feeling fill him as she smiles. She's adorable and he wants to protect her with his life, but part of him feels like he may not be able to after these trials.
"I'm in, just me." Sam tells Ajay.
"Follow me." Ajay says.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. How does this... work?" Dean asks.
"Not to fret. He'll be back in exactly 24 hours time. Return for him then." Ajay says, leading Sam away.
"So?" Larissa asks.
"Back to the boathouse, I guess." Dean grumbles.
Athena babbles.
"I wish I had her level of understanding." Larissa says.
"You and me both." Dean scoffs.
+++
"Yo, Kev, it's me and Lissy and the baby!" Dean calls out, walking into the boathouse with some takeout.
"Are you ever gonna refer to her by her name?" Larissa asks.
"Eh." Dean shrugs.
"I believe the closet would be safest." They turn to see Kevin in the doorway of the closet. Athena babbles, seeing the somewhat familiar face of the prophet.
"Safe from what?" Dean asks.
"Crowley. He's in my head. And if he's in my head, he knows where I am! You know, we-we should move out. We'll find another place." Kevin says.
"Geez, Kev, would you chill out, huh? Have a burger. Come on. Don't lose it on me now, dude." Dean says and Kevin walks out of the closet. "There you go. That's it."
"Just tell me when this all ends. Cause that's the only thing I want to hear." Kevin says.
"No, like I told you before, this isn't going to end. Look, man, other guys, they got it easy, you know? It's all backyard BBQs and bowling teams, but you and me? We got to carry a little extra weight."
"I can't take it."
"Yes, you can. Hey, look at me. Now, this whole thing sucks. I know. But you suck it up and you push through because that's what we do. And when you get on board with that, the ride is a lot smoother. French fry?"
"I'm gonna-- I'm gonna be in my room. Let me know if there's a good day." Kevin grabs the tray of the remaining takeout food and goes back into the closet, shutting the door.
"That's my pie." Dean frowns.
"You are never giving my child a pep talk." Larissa says.
+++
"Hey, Kevin! Come in here and grab some of these eggs." Dean calls, but gets no response. "Kev! Come on, man. You can't hide in there forever." Kevin walks in through the front door. "Where the hell you been? What happened to being scared?"
"I am scared. So I made a preemptive move." Kevin says.
"So... made a what now?" Dean asks.
"I can't sit here with the tablet like a sitting duck and Crowley breathing down my ass. Getting rid of the tablet just takes off some of the pressure."
"Wait. Getting rid of it?"
"Temporarily. I hid it."
"What? Where?"
"If I tell you, it's not hidden, is it?"
"Kevin, tell me where the damn tablet is or I swear to you--"
"You'll what, Dean?" Kevin goes back in the closet.
"Kevin!"
"Kids." The two hunters turn to see a woman. Larissa's grip on Athena tightens protectively at the unfamiliar woman. "So cute when they're little." She looks at Athena who is staring at her, not recognizing her. Larissa grip tightens even more, holding Athena as tightly as she can without holding her.
Dean glances to his niece and sister-in-law and then back at the woman, ready to jump in if anything happens or he notices Larissa get too fidgety.
"Then they turn into teenagers, and the party's over. We haven't been formally introduced, Dean. My name is Naomi." She holds her hand out to him, but he only backs away from her.
"Oh, I know who you are. And I know what you did to Cas after he got out of Purgatory." Dean says. Knowing who she is now, Larissa holds Athena and walks over, standing behind Dean.
"After I rescued him from Purgatory, you mean, at the cost of many angels' lives." Naomi says.
"You screwed with his head and had him spy on us." Dean says.
"Well, it is true that I have spoken with Castiel many times, trying to reach out to him, trying to help him. Dena, you must have noticed how Purgatory changed him. I mean, he's been unstable in the past, but I was shocked at how damaged he is now."
"Stop, okay? Don't-- don't try to spin this. You think I don't know that you told him to try and kill me?"
"Hmm. Yeah, I suppose that is how he would hear it. When I learned of the angel tablet, I did tell Castiel to get it at any cost. That's my job -- to protect Heaven. I'm a warrior, just as you are. What would you expect? And now Castiel is in the wind with a hydrogen bomb in his pocket, and I-I'm scared, for all of us."
"Save it. See, I don't trust angels, which means I don't trust you."
"And yet you haven't warded this place against us. I know. You're hoping Castiel will return to you. I admire your loyalty. I only wish he felt the same way. I know you don't want to believe it, Dean, but we're on the same side -- shutting the Gates of Hell, bringing Castiel in from the cold."
"Take a moment. Think about what I've said. Oh. I know you've been doing business with Ajay. He did mention, didn't he, that his way into Hell is through Purgatory? I knew you'd want to know. You see, we can be of help to each other." She disappears.
"I'm going." Dean says.
"I'm going with you." Larissa says.
"No." Dean denies.
"Wha-- it's Sam." Larissa says.
"Well, I don't know where all this might go. What all could happen. It's better if you stay here." Dean says.
"Dean--"
"I already have to go find her dad. Don't endanger her mom, too." Dean says, nodding to Athena who is glancing between them as they talk.
"Okay." Larissa mumbles.
"I'll bring him back. Keep an eye on Kevin." Dean says, leaving.
"Just you and me, baby." Larissa sighs.
+++
Sam and Dean get back to the boat, walking in.
"Kevin? It's us." Dean calls. Larissa is standing in the middle of the room and Larissa is lying on a blanket on the floor. "He still in the closet?"
"He's gone." Larissa states.
"What? What do you mean he's gone?" Dean asks.
"I-- I took a nap with Thena and when I woke up, he-he was just gone. He took everything. Our stuff, his notes. He left." Larissa states.
"Okay, hey, you know it isn't your fault, right?" Sam asks, knowing she might feel guilty given she was here with him at the time.
"If I wouldn't have fallen asleep--" She starts.
"No." Sam firmly denies, shaking his head. "No. It's not your fault."
"It's always the fucking naps." Larissa whispers with a small scoff, her mind flashing back to when Sam had Lucifer in his head.
"Rissy, it isn't your fault." Dean assures. "I saw this coming. Finally freaked. Little geek made a run for it. Even if you were awake, you probably couldn't have stopped him."
Sam brings Larissa into his side, letting her hug him, her head resting against his chest.
"Where would he go?" Sam asks while stroking Larissa's hair.
Athena babbles, looking between the three. Dean picks her up, holding her, the baby resting her head on his shoulder.
"I'm just gonna translate that to "I don't know." Cause I don't know either." Dean says.