Jess and Libby are finishing up the cookie baking, having already set aside a plate for Sam for when he gets home.
Jess spreads some flour onto Libby's nose making the toddler giggle which causes Jess to smile in return.
There's a knock on the door and Jess picks Libby up, not wanting to leave her with the oven on. Jess opens the door, revealing Brady, and Jess kindly smiles at him.
"Hi, Brady." Jess greets. Libby smiles and Brady smiles back, looking between them.
"Hey. You, uh, you mind if I come in?" Brady asks.
"Sure." Jess steps aside, letting him walk in and shutting the door after.
"What are you guys up to?" Brady asks, following them into the kitchen.
"We are making cookies for when Sam gets back from his trip." Jess informs, smiling at Libby who displays her cute grin.
"Nice. Mind if I steal one?" Brady asks.
"Sure." Jess nods and Brady takes a cookie.
They hang out until Jess is finally able to put the last batch in a container.
"Excuse me, while I go put little one to bed." Jess says, picking Libby up. "Say goodnight, Libby."
"Nigh'." Libby waves at Brady who waves back. Something about his smile unsettles her and she cuddles into Jess more.
"Be right back." Jess tells Brady, walking to Libby's room. Jess gently tucks Libby into bed, kissing her forehead. "I love you, honey bunch."
"Wuv you." Libby mumbles. She pulls Jess' head down and kisses her on the cheek. Jess smiles fondly, placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek.
"Sweet dreams." Jess whispers. She turns Libby's nightlight on and turns the light off, keeping the door cracked open.
It's only about five minutes later when Libby hears her mom scream. There's more screaming and a few crashes. Libby hugs her stuffed bear to her tighter, letting out a small whine. Soon all the noise stops and Libby quietly gets up.
The toddler quietly makes her through the apartment until she reaches her parents' room. Libby looks around and looks up, freezing at the sight of her mother on the ceiling with red across her stomach.
Libby screams before feeling her hair be yanked and she falls to the ground. The last thing Libby sees before darkness consumes her is Brady's face.
+++
Dean pulls up in front of Sam's apartment building. Natalie is sitting in the backseat and Ophelia is lying across the seat and asleep with a blanket covering her and her head is on Natalie's lap. Natalie gently brushes through Ophelia's hair, looking down at her peaceful face that she won't see for who knows how long.
Sam gets out and gets his bag. Sam kisses two of his fingers before putting his fingers on Ophelia's head, gently scratching her head.
"Love you." He whispers to his niece. Sam leans down in the passenger window. "Call me if you find him?" Dean nods. "And maybe we can meet up some time. Schedule a play date or something." He chuckles.
"God, we're not gonna be those dads." Dean quietly groans and Sam lets out a hushed laugh.
Natalie smiles in amusement for a moment, but it quickly turns to a frown. Her father forced her to get rid of her baby. But Dean comes home with a baby after getting a call from a hospital and after a five minute fight, John just gives up on the fight, letting Dean keep his baby.
Part of Natalie despised Ophelia those first few months. It wasn't fair that Dean got to keep his kid, but she couldn't keep hers. She feels guilty for not liking her niece since she knows it isn't her fault she was born or that John's a dick.
But Natalie really hated John after it... and Dean. Dean, who had no issue following his father's abortion orders, agreeing that a baby and pregnancy would be a burden. But Dean fought against his father for his kid. So why couldn't he fight for Natalie?
"I'll see you later." Sam gently pats his sister on her shoulder, knocking her out of her trance. Natalie quietly clears her throat and nods.
"Yeah. Yeah, see you later." Natalie mumbles. Sam gives her a concerned look, but it turns into an understanding one when he remembers everything.
"Sam?" Dean calls and Sam turns back to him. "You know, we made a hell of a team back there -- all three of us."
"Yeah." Sam agrees.
"Yeah, sure." Natalie mumbles. Sam continues to return to his home as Dean drives off.
They're halfway to where Natalie lives when the radio turns to static. Natalie looks up from stroking Ophelia's hair and looks at the radio.
"That wouldn't happen to be a normal occurrence, would it?" Natalie asks.
"No." Dean answers. "Fuck." He makes a sharp U-turn which wakes Ophelia up.
~ ~ ~
Sam makes his way inside and shuts the front door behind him.
"Jess? You home?" Sam calls, making sure his voice isn't too loud as Libby should be asleep by now. Sam sees a plate of chocolate chip cookies with a note on top.
Missed you! Love you!
Sam looks at the little scribbles below it, knowing Libby is responsible for them and he chuckles. Sam takes a cookie and goes to his room, finding Libby asleep and lying sideways next to the pillows.
Sam leans down and brushes some hair out of her face. He gently kisses her cheek before looking towards the bathroom where he hears the shower running.
Sam sits at the end of the bed before resting on his back and shutting his eyes as he finishes his cookie.
Sam feels something drip onto his forehead making him flinch. It happens two more times and he finally opens his eyes, gasping in horror. Jess is pinned to the ceiling with a gash across her stomach.
"No!" Sam yells. Jess bursts into flames, the fire spreading across the ceiling.
"Sam!" Dean yells after kicking the door in, him and Natalie rushing in.
"Jess!" Sam yells, using one arm to protect his face from the flames and he scooted back so he's covering Libby. The young girl wakes up due to the sudden heat and looks up, screaming.
"Sam! Sam!" Dean yells. He stops short, seeing Jess on the ceiling. Natalie freezes, her jaw falling open at the sight of her best friend burning.
"No! No!" Sam yells.
Dean grabs Sam off the bed and pushes him to the door. Dean picks up the sobbing two year old up.
"Nat? Nat!" Dean shouts, shaking her. "Take her." He hands Libby to Natalie who is still half out of it, but she manages to grab her niece, holding her closely, the toddler sobbing.
Dean grabs Natalie's arm, dragging her out of the apartment as he shoves Sam out.
Once they get outside, there's already a small group of people out. Sam stopped struggling against Dean, watching the flames. Dean almost falls back when he feels a sudden weight crash into him. He looks down, seeing the top of his daughter's head.
Dean and Natalie had both told Ophelia to stay in the car before they rushed inside.
Dean comfortingly places his hand on top of his daughter's head.
"Libby. Libby. I need Libby." Sam says, looking at his brother before turning to his sister. He was aware that his siblings had gotten Libby which he is extremely grateful for. Sam takes his daughter from Natalie and is unsettled by her lack of crying, but looks at her only to find her mostly asleep.
"Libby?" Sam asks. There's no way she would be asleep right now. Sam's glances to her stomach, finding a red patch on her pajama shirt. His eyes widen and he lifts it up, revealing a cut on her stomach. "No, no, no." He whispers.
Sam looks to his siblings in alarm, the two also seeing the injury.
"Baby girl, go back to the car." Dean gently tells his daughter, not wanting to raise her anxiety.
"But--"
"Just go, sweetie. We're okay." Dean tells her. Ophelia goes back to the Impala and gets in, Dean making sure she's good. "Okay, put pressure on it."
"I-- with what?" Sam asks, still holding his daughter.
Dean takes his jacket off and holds it over Libby's wound, pressing down on it a bit. He looks at Sam who has tears racing down his face as he worriedly stares at his daughter.
"Hey, she'll be fine." Dean tries to assure.
The ambulance and firemen get there practically at the same time. Dean drags Sam over to the ambulance.
"Excuse me. Hey. We need help. She's been cut." Dean says, pointing at Libby. A few medics take Libby from Sam, the father struggling to let her go, but he stays right next to the gurney they place her on. They work on Libby while a cop questions Dean and Natalie on her injury and what happened.
Soon enough, the medics are able to assure that Libby will be fine.
"Noah isn't answering his phone. I've called him seven times, but nothing." Natalie says, feeling her fear and anxiety at a high level.
"Okay. Yeah, yeah, let's go." Dean says, leading her to the Impala. "Sam!" He calls. Getting the clear from the medics, Sam takes Libby and goes to his siblings.
They get to Natalie's place, the three adults getting out, Sam gently putting an asleep Libby down. Natalie was out of the car before Dean even pulled to a full stop, the brothers catching up, Dean ordering Ophelia to stay in the car with Libby.
Natalie gets to her place and unlocks the door.
"Okay, both of you stay here." Natalie orders.
"What?" The brothers question.
"Maybe he's completely fine and just asleep. And if he is, he doesn't need to wake up to three people." Natalie reasons.
"Nat, he's probably not--" Dean starts.
"He could be." Natalie insists, her eyes pleading for it to be true. "So stay."
"Natalie--" Dean says.
"Dean." She copies his stern tone. She makes her way down the hallway, slowing down when she sees blood along the wall. She feels the tears spring to her eyes, her steps slowing as she makes her way to the bedroom.
Natalie keeps her eyes on the ceiling as she pushes the cracked bedroom door open. Part of her relaxes when she doesn't find her boyfriend pinned to the ceiling. However, that relief soon vanishes as her eyes fall onto the bed.
Noah lays on top of the covers and is in his pajamas, blood coating the sheets and pillows from his slit throat.
Natalie lets out an ear piercing scream, her brothers immediately racing into the room. They stop when they spot Noah's body, eyes widening at the horrific scene.
"We should... we should go." Dean quietly says, knowing his sister's seen enough. "In case of-of fire or something. Come on. Come on, sweetheart." He puts his hands on Natalie's arms, starting to lead her out.
"No! No!" Natalie screams, crying out, her hands hitting Dean's chest as she tries to fight against him. "No! Noah! No!"
Dean's arms wrap around her waist, hauling her off the ground, her legs kicking in the air as she sobs. Natalie continues to sob and cry out for her dead boyfriend as Dean carries her out, another hand on Sam's jacket, dragging him out.
The roles reversed with Natalie screaming and Sam in a frozen state of shock.
Dean doesn't put Natalie down until the reach the Impala and Sam called the police to inform them of a dead body.
Ophelia watches with sad eyes as her aunt sobs.
"Natty. Natty, Natty." Dean tries to get her attention over her sobs.
"No! Let me go!" Natalie shouts, trying to go past Dean, but he stops her.
The screaming wakes Libby up and she's immediately searching for her dad. Sam opens the door, picking her up and holding her close to comfort her, despite still being in shock.
"No. Hey, hey." Dean says, holds her back.
"I need to get back to him!" She cries.
"He's dead!" Dean shouts. Natalie's cries go silent for a moment. "He's dead." He repeats quietly. A small sob escapes Natalie, quickly followed by more.
Natalie allows herself to fall forward into her big brother's chest, her knees not having enough strength to hold herself up. Dean's arms wrap around her securely, making sure he's able to keep her up, a hand placed on her head.
~ ~ ~
The police are at the apartment, other tenants of the apartment standing around outside to see what's going on.
Sam is standing at the trunk of the Impala, Natalie standing next to him, watching as he loads a shotgun.
Dean watches the crime scene before he walks over to the trunk, standing next to his sister. Dean peaks into the backseat where the two girls are asleep.
Dean looks at his sister, but her eyes don't leave the gun in Sam's hands. Dean looks at Sam who looks up, sighing and nodding. Sam tosses the shotgun into the trunk.
"We got work to do." Sam states before shutting the trunk.