Don't Forget About Me

11

"Cat, you weren't supposed to hear that." says Dean, an apologetic look on his face.

"What happened to my mother?" I ask, now furious.

"I think she was killed." says Cas.

"Killed by who?"

"Not who. What."

"What was it."

"I think it was a demon. It wants you, so its trying to get to you. By killing your family."

"We need to kill it." I say. I knew it was true.

"Wait, wait, wait. No. You are not killing this thing. We will take care of it."

"No. I'm helping. You need to teach me."

"Teach you what, exactly?"

"To hunt. Teach me everything you know. Look, Dean, I know you are trying to protect me and all, but as long as I don't know anything about anything, I am vulnerable."

"Dean, she has a point. If this thing finds her, she needs to know how to defend herself."

Thank you, Castiel

Dean stands, considering this.

"Okay," he finally says. "I'll teach you. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"You don't go after this thing. Not alone, anyway."

"Done. When do we start?"

"Now."

... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

We head out to the back of the Impala. Dean opens the trunk, digs around, and hands me a gun.

"This is yours now. Don't shoot unless you have to."

I turn it over in my hands. It's heavy.

"How does it work?"

"Safety on, safety off. This to load, this to shoot. Got it?"

"Yeah."

I point it at the target he'd made, a piece of fabric with three circles drawn on it tied to a tree.

Breath in, aim, shoot, breath out.

I hit dead center, first try.

"That's my daughter, alright."

I smile.

"Nice shot!" Says Sam, walking over to us.

"Not surprising, though. You know, with me being her father and all."

"Yeah? Let's see you do that." I say.

I hand him the gun, and he fires it twice.

One hits just inside the second ring, one outside the third.

"It's the, um, the wind. You know, always changing." He clears his throat.

Sam and I exchange a look, and burst out laughing.

It feels good to laugh.

It feels good to belong.