Stronger Than Ever Δ SPN [3]

076. JACK'S GONNA DIE

The four Winchesters and Nathan went to meet up with an old friend after her brother died, her having invited them to the funeral. They mostly went since the brothers helped the two siblings on a case back when they were younger.

"Caitlin?" Dean asks.

"Dean." Caitlin stands up.

"Hey." Dean greets.

"Hey. Sam. Thanks for coming." Caitlin tells them.

"Yeah. Uh, this is my daughter, Libby." Sam introduces, Libby offering the woman a wave.

"This one's my kid, Ophelia." Dean puts his hand on top of Ophelia's head.

"And you...?" Caitlin looks at Nathan.

"Oh, uh, Nathan. The boyfriend." Nathan says. "Her boyfriend." He clarifies, pointing at Ophelia.

"Sorry, um... you know, about your brother." Sam tells Caitlin.

"Yeah." She whispers, the group sitting down.

"How you holding up?" Sam asks.

"Crying a lot. Blaming myself a lot. Long story. Travis, he... after you left, he had a pretty rocky life. Drugs, couldn't hold down a job. I encouraged him to get help for years. Finally, he took my advice. Started therapy. It was great at first. It... it really seemed to be helping, and then..."

"Then...?" Sam asks.

"His doctor started prying. About that winter... what happened here. Travis said he needed to face his tears. His doc called it "immersion therapy." To heal. He checked in to room 214."

"214? Is that where he...?" Sam asks and Caitlin nods.

"Well, look, whatever you need us for, we're here, okay? Help with the funeral--" Dean offers.

"The funeral was last week." Caitlin states.

"What?" Dean asks.

"I'm sorry. I thought you said..." Sam says.

"I know. I'm sorry. I needed to be sure that you would come." Caitlin says.

"Come for what?" Dean asks.

"Caitlin... why do you want us here?" Sam asks.

"I think she's back. You remember that winter, how it started. She came for Travis first." Caitlin says.

+++

"Well, the coroner's report is open and shut. Travis' fingerprints were all over the broken glass." Dean says.

"I know how this seems... how I seem. But my brother, he wouldn't have killed himself." Caitlin insists.

"Well, I know they cleaned the place out already, but I looked everywhere. No symbols, no hex bags, nothing that's... our kinda thing." Sam says.

"Caitlin, I know it's hard, okay? But you said it yourself... that this immersion therapy was making things worse. Maybe coming here... sent him over the edge." Dean says. "I'm sorry, Caitlin, but that thing, it's not here."

"You've changed. Back then, you believed him, even before I did." Caitlin says.

"Well, this is different." Dean says.

"Uh, Dean, we don't know what happened." Sam says.

"The thing preys on kids... only kids. Are there any missing or dead kids in town?" Dean asks.

"No." Caitlin answers.

"Right. I know it's hard. But that has to be what happened because that other thing, I killed it. I'm sorry." Dean says.