Circle of Life (Book Three / The Life Series / Supernatural)

Lazarus Rising

It had been a few months since Dean had died.

Been a few months since Sam had gone radio silent, a few calls after his death, but no contact for a while.

Dad and I had kept hunting, even after what happened, but it wasn't as easy to do as it was before.

I was still working at TJz, giving out drinks, having a drink of my own. The phone on the wall nearby rang. I walked toward it, answering. "TJz."

"Ness?"

"Yeah."

"It's me."

"Who's 'me'?"

"Dean."

I hung up, walking away.

The phone rang again.

I stopped, turning to the phone, hesitating, walking toward it, answering. "Who is this?"

"Nessie, listen to me."

"This ain't funny. Call again, I'll kill you."

I hung up, going back to work.

~~~

I went home after work.

There was a knock on the door behind me.

"Ness, can you get that?" Dad called.

I sighed, shaking my head, turning to the door, opening it, revealing Dean.

Dean looked winded and apprehensive, smiling cautiously. "Surprise."

I looked at Dean suspiciously. "I-I don't..."

"Yeah, me neither," Dean told me, walking in. "But here I am." I drew a silver knife from behind my back, convinced that it wasn't really Dean. Dean walked closer. I slashed toward him. Dean caught my arm, twisting my arm behind my back. "Ness!" Dad heard the commotion, walking in, stopping in shock. "Ness, it's me!"

I twisted my arm out of his grip, backhand punching Dean in the face.

Dad walked closer with his own silver knife. "My ass."

Dean backed away, putting a chair between us and him, holding his hands out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Bobby, your name is Robert Steven Singer." He looked at me. "Ness, yours is Vanessa Claire. You became hunters after your mother got possessed and tried to kill you. Your dad saved you. Guys. It's me."

I pushed the chair away, placing a hand on his shoulder, hesitant to believe it but hoping. Dad tried to stab him with a silver knife. Dean caught his arm, twisting it behind his back. "I am not a shapeshifter."

"Then you're a revenant," Dad told him.

Dean took the knife away from Dad, pushing him toward me. "All right. If I was either, could I do this with a silver knife?"

Dean took a deep breath, rolling up his left sleeve, cutting his own arm with the silver knife, proving to us that his skin didn't burn, groaning in pain.

I looked at Dean in shock, starting to believe it. "Dean?"

Dean raised his arms in a shrug. "That's what I've been trying to tell you."

I sighed, wrapping my arms around him.

Dean returned the hug in relief.

I pulled away.

"It's... It's good to see you, boy," Dad told him.

"Yeah, you, too," Dean told us.

"But... how did you bust out?" Dad asked.