Before It's Too Late: Chapter 6

Sam closed the website he was in and went into another, hoping to find something more useful than what the last page had to offer. A little over an hour had passed since he hung up on his brother, and he still had yet to find anything that could help Alex.

He sighed and pushed back his chair to take a short break and stretch his aching muscles. He was still sore from being thrown through that glass door yesterday on that hunt they just finished when Kyle had called them up. And even though his arm was still in searing pain, Sam was trying to let it not bother him. At the moment he was more focused on Alex’s problem.

“Sam!”

Quickly, he got up and rushed into the living room. “What’s wrong?” Sam asked, walking up to Alex, who shook her head.

“I—I’m sorry,” she quickly apologized, feeling guilty that he thought something was wrong. “I didn’t mean to—nothing’s wrong. I just tried calling you, but you didn’t hear me, I guess… Sorry.”

Sam let out a small sigh of relief and gave Alex an apologetic look. “Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry that I didn’t hear you. I should have been paying more attention.” He mentally kicked himself for that. Their dad always taught them to keep focus and concentration when they were on hunt. No matter how much it had bugged him as a child, deep down he knew his father was right. And with Alex’s current condition he knew he had to be more alert and focused.

Alex stood up and rolled up the flannel sleeves of the doll pajamas she was wearing, and frowned at how loose they seemed. She didn’t bother responding to what Sam had said. She didn’t want Sam to feel guilty, but at the same time it bothered her. As long as she was tiny, Alex needed help with pretty much everything and couldn’t be left alone for too long. Just like Hana, Alex thought.

“Did you sleep alright?” Sam asked as he knelt down in front of the recliner, slightly worried about her silence. “Dean mentioned that you had a rough night. Why didn’t you wake me?”

Alex shook her head and shrugged. “It was nothing I couldn’t handle. And, yeah, I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“It was a nightmare. I was asleep and I couldn’t wake up.” Alex threw her arms out to her side, looking up at Sam, her tone suddenly more sharp. “What do you want me to say?”

Sam was taken aback by her reaction, but before he could say anything Alex apologized.

“Sorry,” she muttered. This time she looked away. “I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.”

“You know, my offer still stands if you want to talk about your nightmares,” Sam reminded her of what he said the first time she told him about her nightmares. “Believe me, I understand.”

Alex sadly shook her head, still not looking up at Sam and spoke quietly. “No, you won’t. Not this time.”

Now Sam was really curious about that dream. He had seen a lot in his lifetime and, yet, there was something in Alex’s dream that he wouldn’t understand? But before Sam could question her, Alex shut her eyes tight and grabbed her head, hissing in pain.

“Alex?” Sam quickly held his hands out to her sides, keeping her trembling body steady. “What’s wrong?” Sam watched as Alex’s knees gave way. He caught her before she fell and held her in his hands. “Alex, tell me what’s going on. I can’t help you if I don’t know what’s wrong.”

“Th-This will show them… Need to be taught… L-Lesson…” Alex struggled between breaths with her eyes still closed.

“Lesson? What—Alex?” Sam watched as he finally felt Alex begin to calm down in his hands. “Hey, are you alright?”

Alex groaned as she rubbed her head and blinked a few times. Looking up at Sam, she weakly nodded her head. “I think so.”

“What just happened?” Sam asked, almost afraid to hear an answer.

Now Alex shook her head, looking scared and confused. “I don’t know… I… That’s never happened before.”

Sam looked at the door when he heard the Impala pull into the driveway. After hearing the car door creak shut, he looked back down to Alex. “You said somebody needs to be taught a lesson. Do you know what that means?”

Alex shook her again. “No.”

“Did you see anything when you closed your eyes?”

This time she nodded.

At that moment Dean walked in through the front door. After he closed the door behind him, he paused seeing his brother was holding Alex. “Something going on?”

Sam looked at Alex before turning towards his brother. “I think she might have had a vision.”

“A what?!” Dean’s eyes widened. Not again. Not with Alex, too. Come on, can’t she have a normal life?

Sam looked back to Alex and carefully set her back down on the chair. He shifted to his right to give her some breathing room.

“What’d you see?” Dean asked, walking over to them as he took off his jacket.

“Trees. I was in the woods… I wasn’t tiny…” Alex trailed off, trying to make sense of what just happened.

“Anything else?” Sam asked as his brother sat down on the edge of the couch near them.

“There was a figure.” Alex walked over to one of the armrests and folded her arms as she leaned against the soft cushion. “I don’t know what they looked like, but I know somebody else was there. They weren’t human, either. I don’t know how I know that, but I just do. I can feel it.” She put her head in her hands and wiped them through her hair.

“Maybe you’re starting to remember what happened to you?” Sam suggested. “Was there anything else you saw?”

Alex closed her eyes trying to remember the blurred vision that flickered and faded in and out. After a while she shook her head. “There was some sort of movement, but other than that, nothing.”

“Alex,” Sam carefully began. “Is there anyone you know that would want to teach you a lesson?”

“No. Not that I’m aware of…” Alex trailed off, trying to think. “Maybe a drunk that I refused to serve anymore alcohol to or I had to kick out at closing time… Sorry.” Alex shrugged.

Sam nodded in understanding. “That’s alright. We’ll still figure this all out.”

“Hey, I thought I heard you say something when I was unlocking the door?” Dean asked, directing the question towards Sam.

“When she had the vision she said something about somebody needing to be taught a lesson. Sounded like more than one person,” Sam explained.

“A lesson?” Dean thought about that for a minute. “So, if she really is getting her memory back, then it sounds like she was being targeted, which means she might be the only victim.”

The boys both looked at Alex, who swallowed as she slid down into a sitting position. “Which will make it harder to figure out how to get me back to normal,” Alex quietly said.

“Hey, everything is going to be alright,” Sam assured her and glanced at his brother.

“Yeah, we’re going to fix this in no time.” Dean smiled, masking his own doubt for Alex’s sake.

“Alex, what did you want me for, anyways?” Sam asked, suddenly remembering why he was over by her in the first place, instead of doing research.

Alex shrugged, “I just wanted to know if you could you get me my clothes and maybe a little something to eat?”

“Sure,” Sam said, immediately standing up, “but your clothes aren’t clean yet. We still need to figure out how to wash them.”

“Speaking of which,” Dean said as he dug through his pocket and pulled out Alex’s sweater. “I found this in the woods.” He extended his hand towards Alex and held it out between his fingers for her to take.

“My sweater?” Alex grabbed the familiar clothing and checked the pockets.

“Is something missing?” Dean asked, noting the troubled look on Alex’s face.

“I was just wondering what happened to my cell phone.”

Dean and Sam looked at each other, both wondering the exact same thing.

A short while later Dean was sitting on the couch, flipping through an old book from their library, as Alex munched away on some bread that Sam spread a little jelly on for her. Dean rubbed his chin as he heard his brother clicking away at the computer on the table in the dining room. The day was going by slow, and he was hoping to find something to cheer up Alex.

Meanwhile; Alex wiped her mouth off on the piece of napkin that they ripped off for her, before she took another sip of milk out of the bottle cap. She took her time, knowing there wasn’t anything else she could do to help them with their research. She had told them everything from the vision, and Sam got to searching different leads on the computer, hoping his luck would change. Other than that, she couldn’t do a thing to help them.

“Dean?”

He looked up from his book to look at Alex. “What?”

“How…” Alex trailed off, not completely sure that she was ready to ask what was bothering her. So, she changed the question. “Have you found anything yet?”

Dean sighed and glanced at the pages. “Not really.” When Alex didn’t say anything else, he looked over at her again. Her head was down, eyes closed, jaw clenched tight, and her fists were digging into the cushion of the chair. “Alex?” He watched as she took a deep breath and finally looked back at him. “Are you okay?” he asked, suddenly more alert. “It wasn’t another vision, was it?”

Alex shook her head, sighing as she looked up at Dean. “No.”

“Then what?”

“I’m just… trying to get used to all of this.” Alex bit her lip, looking away from him. After that Alex didn’t say anything for the rest of the night until Kyle came home.

“Hey, how’d it go?” Alex asked. Her face fell when she watched Kyle sadly shake his head.

“I’m sorry. There’s still a lot more we need to dig through. It might be a while before we find a cure of some sort,” he carefully explained, while watching her reaction.

Alex simply nodded her head and quietly asked, “How’s Hana?”

“Good. She misses you.” He gave her a small smile, but she didn’t say anything else. Kyle let her be and walked over to Sam and Dean in the dining room to discuss what they had found. They both filled him in on what happened to Alex with her vision.

“So somebody did do this to her,” Kyle realized. “So much for searching through all of those books today about cursed objects.” He shook his head at his wasted time.

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up over this. She’s not dying. You have plenty of time to figure this out,” Dean reminded him.

Kyle nodded his head. “I know. Thank god for that.”

An hour later, Kyle walked into the living room as Dean was setting up the couch to sleep on, letting Sam have the bed in the basement that night. Kyle knelt down in front of Alex to say goodnight to her, but she just nodded her head and pulled the blue blanket up to her chin and hooking her arm under the folded up cloth she used as a pillow. Reluctantly, Kyle stood up and walked to their bedroom for the night, worried for his wife.

The next morning Alex woke up to the all too familiar feeling of her heart pounding in her chest. She sat up in the chair and looked over to the couch where Dean was watching her.

“Well?” He was leaning against the armrest of the couch, supporting his head in his hand. “How bad was it?”

“How bad was what?” Alex sat there and pushed up the sleeves of the doll pajamas, but they just slipped back down into place. “Stupid doll clothes,” she muttered under her breath.

“Alex, don’t pretend everything is alright. I saw you tossing and turning all night in your sleep. I even heard you say my name.” Dean moved his elbows to his knees as he leaned forward. “I know you had another nightmare, and I know I was in it, so please, just tell me.”

Alex slowly nodded her head and then looked up at Dean. “Why were you awake all night?”

Dean opened his mouth, and realized that she knew he, too, was having nightmares. Dean cleared his throat. “I was worried about you.”

“You were worried about me?” Alex asked, not believing him.

“Yeah, now what did you dream about?”

Alex took a deep breath and slowly started to explain. “I… I was small… and I was lost outside. Then I heard you come along. I heard you looking for me… But you were angry. I tried hiding, but then you found me, and…” Alex swallowed hard and looked away from Dean. “Then you kicked me, sending me flying into a rock. I broke my ribs and then,” she continued on with a shaking voice, “You stomped on me.”

“Alex, I would never do that to you. You know that, right?” Dean watched as Alex nodded her head, still not looking at him. Although he was still curious, he decided it would be best not to ask Alex about the other nightmare. Dean closed his eyes, sighing and making a mental note not to get angry around Alex when she was this size. He then looked back to Alex and stood up. “Orange juice?” he asked.

Alex nodded her head and Dean took off to the kitchen. He was back a short while later with her juice and another old book that Kyle had brought back from his grandmother’s house. While Dean started reading the worn out pages, he heard Sam make his way up the basement stairs and into the living room.

“Hey,” Sam said to Alex as he walked up to his brother’s side. “How’d you sleep?”

Alex rolled up her sleeves as she stood up to stretch, only to have the sleeves fall down her arms again. “Fi-“ Alex stopped, seeing Dean glance up from his book to give her a knowing stare. “I had another nightmare,” she confessed.

“Are you okay?”

Alex just shrugged, knowing it was no use lying and saying she was fine.

Sam nodded in understanding, and then paused as he looked at her standing there. Something about her seemed off. It was that same feeling he had when they were all in the kitchen yesterday morning. Sam’s eyes suddenly went wide. “Holy crap.”

“What?” Dean asked, noticing the look on Sam’s face.

“We have a problem,” he stated, stilling staring at their cousin.

Dean looked at Alex and then back to Sam. “Really? It took you two days to notice? Wow. And here people think you’re the smarter one.” He shook his head and went back to his research.

Sam stopped staring at Alex and glared at his older brother.

Sensing his brother’s glare, Dean took a glance at Sam, confirming his suspicions. “Hey, don’t look at me. You’re the one who’s oblivious to the obvious,” he chuckled as he flipped the page.

“I meant she shrunk… Again.”

“What do mean by ‘again’? What, the fairy thing? Yeah, I know. You two shrunk when we were in Wisconsin.” Dean finally looked up at his brother, studying his face. “Seriously, are you feeling ok? Did you hit your head or something when you got out of bed this morning?” Dean saw that his brother was getting more upset, but that just added fuel to the fire. “I mean you are freakishly tall. I’m actually surprised you don’t-“

“Dean,” Sam finally cut him off, “she’s smaller today than she was yesterday and the day before that.” Sam stared at his brother, determined to get Dean to understand. “She is still shrinking.”
Sam watched as Dean quickly looked at Alex again. Dean’s mouth fell open as the realization hit him. “Now who’s the oblivious one?”

“Still you,” Dean said as he pointed to Alex who was staring wide eyed at the taller armrest. “While you were too busy gloating, I noticed that she didn’t move an inch.” Dean paused for a minute and thoughtfully replied, “…Or a centimeter?”

“I’ll go get Kyle.”

Before It's Too Late: Chapter 5

Alex ran through the woods, panting as she trekked through the thick leaves and broken branches. Growling echoed through the vast woods in the midst of thundering footfalls, as Alex ran past tree after tree. After a while everything grew quiet. Alex slowed down and looked behind her, no longer seeing the beast that was chasing her. As she stood there, looking around the woods, trying to figure out which way was home, she heard a heavy footfall behind her. Slowly turning around, Alex saw the giant towering monster, drooling and waiting for her next move.

Frozen in fear all she could do was watch as the creature sniffed her out with his huge muzzle. After letting out a slight ‘huff’ the beast barred his big, strong, and sharp yellowed teeth. He growled low before letting out a thunderous, threatening bark that snapped Alex out of her fears as she stumbled backwards from the sound.

Not knowing where she was going, Alex made a run for it. She had to get away if she didn’t want be some hellhound chew toy. God knew she was big enough.

Out of nowhere a broken tree branch caught her foot, sending her down to the ground. Alex quickly looked behind her and saw that it was too late. The giant dog leapt for her, both enormous paws landing on either side of her, shaking the ground beneath her and rattling her bones. He looked down, let out a low growl, and snapped his head forward, widening his gaping maw.

Alex screamed as she opened her eyes, panting. She stared up at the ceiling as tears of relief rolled down her face. The nightmares always felt like reality until she would finally wake up in her own bed. Only this time, she knew she wasn’t in her bed. Alex looked to her right and didn’t see Kyle. Instead, she saw the coffee table and the television on the far side of the room.

Suddenly, realizing she screamed, Alex looked over to the couch, wondering if Sam had heard her, but he wasn’t there. Alex sighed with relief. “Thank God.”

Once her heart rate slowed back to normal and her breathing was even again, Alex decided to get off of the recliner. But before she did that, she glanced around, trying to locate everyone. Nobody else was walking around that she could see. She figured Sam got up early to take a shower since she could hear water running in the distance.

Alex slid down to the floor, lightly landing on her feet. As she straightened out her clothes, it was then that she realized her hands were still shaking and she knew exactly why. Alex looked up at the coffee table and everything else in the room. “I need to talk to Dean,” Alex finally reasoned. She knew Sam was more open and willing to talk, but she wasn’t ready to talk to him just yet. What about Kyle? Her conscience knew why, but always reminded her: you married him because you trust him and love him. So talk to him!

“If he really loves me than he should already know what’s wrong,” Alex whispered. That shut up her inner thoughts as she started walking through the dining room past the wooden legs of the table and chairs. She turned into the hallway and walked up to the basement door that was cracked open. Just as she was about to slip through, she saw a shadow moving up the stairs, followed by heavy footsteps on the wooden panels. Alex quickly backed away and up against the wall next to the door. She hugged the wall with her back, not wanting to get stepped on or kicked as Dean opened the basement door.

Craning her neck back, Alex stared way up at Dean’s towering form and gulped. Still want to tell him? Alex saw Dean rub his eyes as he closed the basement door and started walking away to the kitchen. Alex didn’t even come close to being eye level with Dean’s knees as he passed her by.

Dean walked into the dining room and suddenly remembered why they were there, and looked over to the recliner. Seeing the empty makeshift bed, Dean turned around to look down the hallway, wondering where Alex had slept, but something on the ground caught his attention. When he looked down he realized it was Alex. “Hey. Sleep well?”

“Yeah,” Alex muttered, looking down the hallway as she heard the water in the bathroom turn off.

Dean glanced down the hallway trying to figure out what she was looking at, but he saw nothing and looked back down at Alex. “Did you eat?”

“Huh?” Alex turned around, remembering the nightmare she just woke up from moments ago.

“Breakfast,” Dean clarified. “You know, it comes before lunch. Usually in the morning and there’s food involved.”

“Oh. Yeah. Right. No.” Alex rubbed her forehead.

“You feeling alright?” Dean tilted his head, taking a step closer as he tried to study Alex’s face. “You seem a little… out of it.”

Alex nodded her head, dropping her hand to her side as she looked up at Dean. “Yeah, sorry. I’m just really tired. I’m not a morning person.”

“And that is why they invented coffee,” Dean smirked.

Alex made a face. “Yuck.”

“Still don’t like it?”

“No,” Alex shook her head. “Just give me a glass of orange juice and I’m all set.”

“Yeah, well, I think we might have to improvise on the glass.” Dean turned to walk into the kitchen, but stopped when he caught a glance of Alex’s smaller and slower pace out of the corner of his eye. “Do you, uh, need a hand? Er, help?”

Alex looked up at Dean, who seemed so much farther away even though he had only taken two steps. “Oh, right,” she said, suddenly realizing she couldn’t eat on her own either. “Um… Sure. I guess.”

Dean took a few steps towards her and knelt down next to Alex, holding out his hands. Using the method he saw Kyle use the night before, Dean carried Alex into the kitchen and carefully placed his hands on the countertop, letting Alex get off of them. He watched as she slowly walked along the counter and looked around the room, taking everything in at once. Not sure what to say, Dean rubbed the back of his neck. As he was looking at Alex sitting there, rubbing her head, something occurred to him.

“You had a nightmare,” Dean stated and watched as Alex stopped walking. “Are you okay? I mean… Did you… You know?”

“Did I die?” Alex stared at the sink and shook her head, “No. I woke up right before.”

Dean was relieved to hear that, but he still didn’t think Alex was okay. Still having his own nightmares about Hell, Dean knew that Alex wasn’t all right. He knew what it was like to feel pain in your dreams and what it was like to die over and over again. But at the same time he didn’t know what it was like to feel the pain after you had awakened. “How bad was it?”

Alex folded her arms and shrugged. “It was fine, I guess.”

“Fine? Since when are nightmares fine? I’m no expert or anything, but I’m pretty sure they’re called nightmares for a reason.”

“I will be fine.” Alex looked up at Dean. “Is that better?”

Dean opened his mouth to say something, but Kyle beat him to it as he entered the kitchen. “Morning,” he said as he walked over to the corner of the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee. He turned around and looked at Dean. “You want some?”

“Uh, sure.” Dean looked at Alex, but she looked away.

“Here,” Kyle held out a mug for Dean and he took it, taking a big gulp of coffee. Dean sighed with relief as he felt the warm liquid run down his throat.

“So, what’s the plan?” he asked as he leaned against the counter top so he was able to look at both Kyle and Alex who were across the small room from each other.

Kyle swallowed the coffee in his mouth. “I was going to stop by my grandmother’s house for a while and pick up a few books and see how Hana’s doing.” Kyle looked at Alex to see her reaction, but she just stood there staring at the countertop.

Dean nodded as he took another sip of coffee. At that moment Sam entered the kitchen, hair wet, dressed and ready for the long day ahead of him. Dean watched as Sam rubbed his left arm, but his gaze shifted when he caught sight of Alex out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to have noticed Sam’s gesture, too.

After sensing she was being watched, Alex cleared her throat and walked over to the edge of the counter and sat down with her legs hanging over the side. As she sat there, she risked a glance up at Dean only to find that he was still looking at her.

Dean shook his head and looked away as he gulped down more coffee.

“Were you guys still going to check the woods out today?” Kyle asked as Sam poured himself a cup of coffee.

“Yeah,” Dean answered, looking at Kyle. “I was thinking Sam and I could-“

“Actually, I was thinking I would stay here with Alex,” Sam chimed in. “That way I could start searching the internet and see if this sort of thing has ever happened before.” Sam looked over to Alex and along with Dean and Kyle, making sure she was okay with that decision.

For the first time that morning Kyle was able to get a good look at Alex. Whenever he would see her in the mornings he would always give her a kiss. It was just something he did to make her mornings easier. Seeing her wake up exhausted and distraught from her nightmares always made him feel helpless, and the kiss seemed to lessen that pain. Now here they were in the kitchen of their house and he couldn’t bring himself to kiss her. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, because he did. More than anything he wanted to kiss her. But now it just felt uncomfortable with Dean and Sam in the room, and the obvious size difference.

“I don’t care, that’s fine with me,” Alex shrugged. “But, um… can I get something to drink?” Alex replied, looking up at them like a shy child. “Please? My throat’s really dry.”

After hearing what she had to say, everyone in the room suddenly felt guilty. Here they all had cups of coffee in their hands and none of them didn’t even bother to get Alex anything or even offer. They just weren’t used to having to take care of her. Dean was going to help her out after he set her down on the counter, but he got side tracked by the conversation he had with Alex about her nightmare, which he still planned on talking to her about later that day.

But out of all of them, it was Kyle who felt the most guilt. He should have known she wouldn’t be able to help herself. Knowing he messed up on this one little thing, he started to question how good of a father he was with Hana.

It was Sam who finally found something she could use as a cup: a bottle cap. He filled up the cap and carefully handed it to her, and waited to make sure she was able to drink out of it without much trouble.

“Thanks, Sam,” Alex said after swallowing some of the drink.

Sam smiled and picked up his own coffee. But before he took a sip, he paused, studying Alex for a minute. Sam looked at her with a feeling that something was different. Of course she’s different. She shrunk, he thought to himself. Sam shook off the feeling and went back to drinking his coffee.

After they finished up their coffee, Dean and Kyle both left the house. Dean went to search the woods, while Kyle was getting ready to head off to his grandmother’s house. As Kyle walked back into the kitchen, he glanced at Alex still sitting on the counter, watching Sam make himself something to eat.

“Hey,” Kyle began, not really sure what he was going to say. Sam and Alex both looked at him. Realizing Kyle wasn’t looking at him, Sam walked over to the fridge to give them some space. “Alex…” Kyle sighed, looking down at his shoes. He shook his head and looked back up at her tiny body sitting on their kitchen counter like a doll. “I’ll try to be back before lunch.”

“Okay.” Alex stared at Kyle for a minute, wondering what was going on, but he didn’t say anything. “Give Hana a kiss for me?”

“Absolutely.” Kyle relaxed a little and walked over to the garage door to leave. “I’ll see you later,” he said over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

Sam walked back over to his plate of waffles, carrying a bottle of syrup. “Want some?”

“Um…” Alex thought about it for a minute. “No thanks.”

“You sure?” Sam asked as he set his plate up on the raised section of the counter where the stools were sitting on the other side.

“Yeah,” Alex sighed. “I’m not too hungry at the moment.”

“Well, when you do feel like eating, just let me know, okay?”

“Okay.” Alex let out a yawn.

“Do you want me to put you back on the chair so you can go back bed?” Sam offered noticing how tired she looked.

As she thought about it, Alex looked over to the living room and the now open curtains. “Uh, sure.” Alex saw Sam about to pick her up, but she quickly stopped him with his hands already outstretched. “I can wait.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Alex smiled to show her sincerity. “Now go eat before your food gets cold.”

Sam smiled back as he walked around the counter to where the stools were and sat down. “Something tells me you’re not going to let Hana have desert until she eats all of her vegetables.”

“You know it.” Alex walked over to the raised section of the counter and folded her arms on top.

Sam picked up his fork and knife and cut off a piece of the waffle. Just as he was about to stab the food with his fork, he glanced at Alex. “Are you, uh, going to be alright?”

Alex looked up at Sam confused.

“I mean,” Sam began, feeling a little uneasy, “the first time this happened, last summer, you seemed a little uncomfortable whenever Dean ate anything around you. And with that nightmare you had about him…” Sam sighed. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay with me eating in front of you?” For some reason Sam had a feeling that this was going to be a bad idea. “I just don’t want you to freak out.”

“Well, I appreciate your concern. But,” Alex paused and shook her head. “Honestly? I’m not sure. But, then again, you don’t eat like a barbarian.” She gave a little shrug.

Sam looked down at his meal and then back to Alex.

“Sam, seriously, just eat your food. If I feel uncomfortable, I’ll just look away. Besides, it’s not like I’m going to stare at you while you eat.”

With reluctance, Sam began eating his food. For a while he would glance at Alex, making sure she was alright. But by the time he was done eating, setting his fork and knife on his plate, he noticed that Alex was no longer standing up against the raised section of the counter. He quickly looked around and didn’t see Alex anywhere.

“Alex?” Sam got up and walked around the counter.

“What?”

Sam spotted her sitting down against the wall of the upper counter, looking tired. “Are you okay?”

“’M fine,” Alex muttered.

“You sure about that?” Sam watched Alex nod her head and he smiled, “You want to go back to sleep now?”

“Bathroom first if you don’t mind.” Alex let out a yawn.

“Of course.” Sam carefully slid his hand under Alex and carried her into the bathroom.

A few minutes later Sam was waiting for Alex to finish up washing her hands. As she went to climb out of the sink she lost her footing and slipped, catching herself before she got hurt. The last image from her nightmare flashed through her mind again.

“Whoa!” Sam quickly reached in and gently guided her out of the bowl.

Once she was on the counter and Sam pulled his hands away, Alex sat there on the cool surface for a minute. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearing her head of the horrible thought.

Sam could tell that something was wrong. “You alright?”

“I’m fine,” Alex lied, “Just tired.”

“Here, come on. I’ll take you to the living room.” Sam held out his hand and let Alex climb in the middle. Although he didn’t believe she really was fine, Sam didn’t push the subject.

By the time Sam reached the chair Alex slept on, she had practically fallen asleep in his arms. While being very careful, Sam slowly lowered Alex down on the blanket, and gently wrapped it around her. As he looked at her, Sam decided that it would be a good time to call up Dean and see if he made any progress. Sam pulled out his cell phone, dialed his brother’s number and waited for Dean to pick up.

“Everything okay?” Dean asked upon answering his phone.

“Yeah,” Sam said, glancing at Alex. He walked into the dining room where his laptop was sitting on the table. “How’s the search going?”

“Do you have any idea how hard it is trying to search the woods in the middle of autumn for clues? There are leaves and branches everywhere. I’ll be lucky if I can spot the ground,” Dean complained.

“Do you remember where you guys found her?” Sam opened up his laptop and booted it up.

“Yeah, I’m headed there right now.” Dean watched where he was stepping, making sure he wouldn’t miss anything. “I can’t believe this happened. Again. I mean, what are the odds of Alex shrinking twice? I’ve never even heard of anything like this. And I know you haven’t either.”

“I’m more worried about what did this to her,” Sam admitted. “You killed the fairy, so there’s no reason this should have happened. Unless there’s something else out there that can cause this, and we don’t know about it.”

“Well, something had to cause it, right?” Dean recognized the area and walked around for a bit. “So, there has to be a way to turn her back, or some other clue so we can stop this from happening again.”

“Dean, last time we got lucky. There might not be a cure this time around.”

Dean stopped walking. “Please tell me you did not say that in front of her.”

“Don’t worry, she’s sleeping.” Sam glanced at the chair again just to make sure.

“Sleeping, huh?”

“Yeah, why?”

Dean sighed. “She had another nightmare last night. She claimed that she was fine.”

“She’s been saying that a lot lately,” Sam noted.

“Yeah, and I’m not buying it.” As he walked along the river, Dean suddenly noticed something among the leaves. “Hey, I think I found something.” He crouched down and plucked the grey item up between his fingers.

“What is it?”

“It’s Alex’s sweater.” Dean stared in awe at the tiny piece of clothing, still amazed with this whole situation.

“Hey, is her cell phone in the pockets? Kyle said she never answered her phone,” Sam reminded him.

Dean carefully pinched the pockets, but didn’t feel anything. “No.” Dean glanced around the woods. “Hang on. I’m going to call her phone, see if I can find it.” After he hung up on his brother, Dean dialed Alex’s number. The phone kept ringing, but all Dean could hear in the woods was silence. When the voicemail picked up, he closed the phone. Dean sighed. “That can’t be good.”

Before It's Too Late: Chapter 4

“I have no idea. I mean, I haven’t noticed anything strange going on around town. Have you?” Kyle ran his hand through his hair, listening to what his grandmother had to say. “Great. That’s what I thought,” Kyle sighed. “Can you keep looking for me? Please?”

“Of course. Just keep an eye on Alex. She needs you, you know?”

Kyle leaned up against the desk. “I’m not sure she wants to see me now,” he spoke quietly. “She’s barely said anything to me. I’ve never seen her like this before.”

“Just be patient and give her time. Let her know that you’re there for her.” Knowing her grandson too well, Anna continued. “Kyle, she knows that you love her. She may not be talking to you, but she married you for a reason. You care about her and keep her safe, and she knows that. She’s probably just trying to deal with this first and get used to it before she talks to you.”
“
Yeah, you’re probably right.” Kyle stood up and walked around the desk, looking at the scattered papers. “I don’t suppose you can watch Hana for us? At least until we get this all figured out. I just have a feeling that Alex isn’t going to want Hana to see her like that.”

“I understand. Hana’s more than welcome to stay here. Maybe it’ll make Brad more responsible.”

Kyle smiled a little. “Speaking of Brad, could you not tell him what happened? Just let him know that Alex isn’t feeling well and doesn’t want any visitors.”

“I can try, but you know how your brother is.”

“Yeah,” Kyle sighed, knowing all too well how his brother was. “So you’ll call me as soon as you find anything?”

“Absolutely.” He could hear the smile through her voice. “Everything will be fine, dear. Take care.”

“You too.” Kyle hung up the phone and sat down in the chair, staring at the wooden doors and thinking about what was on the other side. He could hear the movie playing and decided it would be better not to bother them. So instead, Kyle turned around, looking at the bookshelf and grabbed the first one that came to mind and started flipping through the pages, searching for anything to help Alex.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Alex had moved to Dean’s shoulder for a slightly closer and better view of the movie. Dean could feel her resting against the side of his upper neck as she got more and more tired, so he kept as still as possible. Just as Alex was about to drift off to sleep, the front door suddenly opened followed by quick and heavy footsteps, making both Dean and Alex jump. Unfortunately the sudden motion caused Alex to lose her balance and fall off of Dean’s shoulder and tumble down his chest. Thinking on his feet, Dean quickly pulled the popcorn bowl up against his shirt just in time for Alex to land in the salty and buttery snack.

Hearing a small yelp, Sam looked over towards Dean and saw some popcorn fly out of the bowl. Sam slowly closed the door, feeling guilty for scaring his cousin.

Dean looked down at Alex, who was lying in the middle of the bowl, surrounded by popcorn. “Comfy?” he grinned as he pulled a kernel off of her chest and ate the small snack.

Alex looked around at the yellowed food and then up at Dean, who was chewing on his snack. Seeing the muscles in his jaw flexing as they crunched up the popcorn, Alex immediately looked away. “Not really.” Of course not! And if he knew why, he would help you! Alex wanted to tell Dean what was wrong, but she just couldn’t bring herself to say the words. Instead, she decided to work on getting herself out of her current situation. As she maneuvered her legs to stand up, she slipped on a puddle of butter and fell back down, this time getting buried in the popcorn. Alex felt the bowl lightly vibrate from Dean’s laughter. Which is exactly how he’ll react if I do tell him, she argued as she looked around her popcorn prison.

Sam walked over to them, slightly amused at the situation. Knowing his brother, he could tell that Dean was trying not to laugh at their cousin. “Uh, Alex? You ok?” Sam asked as he set a bag down on the coffee table.

They both heard a muffled response followed by a tiny hand poking out from between the kernels of popcorn. Dean plucked kernels away until he could finally see Alex’s face.

“Need help?” Dean asked, seeing the defeated look on Alex’s face.

After spitting grains of salt out of her mouth Alex said, “Yes.”

Carefully, Dean wrapped his fingers around Alex and pulled her out, setting her down on the coffee table. As he looked at her hair and clothes he made a face. “Yikes.”

“What?” Alex looked herself over. There were grains of salt sticking to her jeans and black shirt, which were covered in a glossy butter. The dirt on her jeans and the cut on her left arm just added to the mess. Alex groaned realizing how messy she was. “And these are the only clothes that will fit me.”

“I think I can help with that.” Sam began digging through the plastic bag and ripped open a box. “Here, I got you something to wear for the night.” Sam set a pair of a flannel doll pajamas down next to her side.”I figured you would want to get out of those clothes for a while, so I got you these.”

Alex smiled, looking at the clothes. “Thanks, Sam.”

“You might want to take a bath before you touch those,” Dean warned her as he popped another kernel in his mouth.

“That’s a good idea, but… how?” She looked up at them, waiting for an answer.

Sam looked at Dean, who stared back at him with the same lost look. Finally, Sam turned to Alex with an idea. “The bathroom sink?”

“Like as a bath?” Sam nodded his head and Alex shrugged in response. “I guess that could work. But, um… No offense or anything, but I would prefer it if Kyle could take me. You know… Less awkward.”

“Yeah, of course,” Sam nodded and Alex pointed to the library. Sam stood up to his full height, walked over to the wooden doors and knocked three times.

When Kyle opened the doors, Sam explained to him what had happened, putting a smile on Kyle’s face. When Sam was done explaining the situation, Kyle walked over to Alex and bent down, holding his hand out flat. The other hand picked up the flannel pajamas and pocketed them.

“Come on. I’ll give you a lift.” Alex didn’t say anything again, she just sat down on his hand and he held her close as he walked to the bathroom, lightly wrapping his other hand partially around her back to keep her safe.

Dean turned to Sam and stared at him. “What?” Sam asked, knowing his brother was up to something.

“You bought Barbie doll clothes?” Dean asked, holding back a grin.

“I bought clothes for our cousin,” Sam clarified, but knew it wouldn’t make a difference to Dean.

“Yes, but to buy her the right size you had go down the pink toy isle and pick out-“

“Yes, Dean. I bought doll clothes. But you know what? You’re the one who bought doll furniture, remember?”

Dean’s face fell as he went silent for a minute, but as quickly as it fell; it curled up into a grin. “True. But I just grabbed the first set I saw, when it looks like you actually had to go through the different kinds and pick them out. You think I didn’t notice that they were flannel? Or the other clothes that you bought?”

“They were on sale,” Sam muttered.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once they were in the bathroom, Kyle set Alex down on the sink and closed the door. He adjusted the water, making sure it was warm, but not too hot before plugging up the sink drain. “How’s your arm?” he asked as he watched her take her shoes off.

Alex looked at her left arm, observing the cut two inch long (to her) cut. She looked back up at Kyle who looked worried. “It’s ok. I’ve been through worse.”

“Are you sure?” he asked as he sat down on the closed toilet to be closer to her level.

Nodding her head, Alex reassured him, “Yes, I’ll be fine.”

Kyle hesitated for a minute as he watched Alex take off her other shoe and both of her socks. “Do you remember how it happened? The cut I mean.”

Alex paused as she set one of her socks down next to her shoes. She stared at the water in the sink and nodded her head slowly.

“Alex?” Now more worried by the distant look on Alex’s face, Kyle leaned in closer, setting his hand on the edge of the countertop. “What happened?”

“After I crawled out of my coat I wanted to try and find my way back here. On the way I realized how hungry and thirsty I was, so I decided to go to the river bank,” Alex explained, remembering the bitter cold air that threatened to push her in the freezing water. “I had to climb over a few rocks to get there, and on my way I slipped on a leaf that had landed in the water. My arm hit this sharp edge on one of the rocks as I went down. I caught myself before anymore damage could have been done.” Alex placed her feet in the warm water as she sat on the edge of the sink.

“Was that right before we found you?” Kyle wanted to learn more about what happened, hoping he would find just one helpful clue. He couldn’t stand not knowing why his wife was so small.

“No,” Alex shook her head. “But I was trying to get another drink when I heard Dean call my name. He was actually pretty close to me when he walked up to the river bank.” Alex swirled her foot around in a circle in the water, thinking about how scared she was that Dean was going to step on her. His worn in boot had landed just on the other side of the rock she was leaning on as she took a break from walking. “Can you turn the faucet off? Please?” she asked, breaking her own train of thought.

“Sure.” Kyle reached across the counter and accommodated her request.

“So who were you on the phone with earlier?”

“My grandmother. I was just filling her in on what happened. She’s going to watch Hana until we can figure this whole thing out.” He leaned closer again, folding his arms on the sink and resting his head on them as he looked at Alex.

Alex nodded her head in understanding. It was easier for both of them not to worry about forgetting Hana during something like this. Alex knew Hana was in safe hands. “Does Brad know?”

“No. As far as he’s concerned you’re just sick.” Kyle smiled.

“Good.” Alex’s gaze wandered around the room before settling on Kyle again. “Kyle?”

“Hmm?”

“Do you… Do you think I’ll remember what happened?” Once she said the words, she wondered how he would take the question.

Kyle looked down at the countertop. “I hope so,” he said, making eye contact again, not wanting to let her down. “You are our biggest clue.”

“What if… I never remember? Do you think you will still be able to figure out what happened?” Alex hesitated, not sure if she really wanted to know the answer.

Seeing the look on her face, Kyle sighed. He stayed silent, waiting for the solution to the problem to pop into his head, but nothing came to mind. “I don’t know,” he finally whispered.

This time it was Alex’s turn to look away. “Could you get me the shampoo and conditioner? Just set them sideways with the caps open, I can do the rest.”

Kyle did just that and waited for Alex to do something, but she didn’t. He knew what she really wanted. “I’ll be back in ten minutes to check on you,” he said as he stood up and fished the doll clothes out of his pocket, placing them on the counter next to a small towel. Giving her one last long look before leaving, Kyle could see that Alex was upset. He wanted to stay and make her talk to him, but he knew that would never work, so he decided to wait until she was ready to talk.

Just as Kyle was about to close the door, he heard Alex speak up. “Could you make it fifteen?”

Kyle paused in the doorway and turned around to look at her. “Whatever you want.” He gave her small smile and left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked down the hallway and into the living room where Sam and Dean were sitting.

Sam, who had his laptop out and was already doing research, looked up at Kyle when he entered the room. “How is she?”

“Not good. She doesn’t think she’ll remember what happened to her.” Kyle sighed as he sat down on the couch next to Sam, and ran his hands through his hair. “I have no idea what to do,” he sadly admitted. “I’ve never even heard of anything like this. And neither has my grandmother, who I used to think knew everything. I can’t tell Alex that.”

Sam looked over at Dean, who was still sitting on the floor in front of the recliner. “Then we don’t tell her,” Dean said. “Tomorrow Sam and I can go into town, see if anything else has happened. We can check the woods for footprints or something. As long as we keep looking, she will be okay. I mean something did this to her, right?” Kyle shrugged in response. “Then that means she can be normal again, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Okay.” Kyle stood up and walked over to the library. “I’ve got books in here that might help if you guys want to check them out. I’m gonna get some more from my grandmother tomorrow.”

Sam nodded. “Okay.” Once Kyle walked into the library and closed the doors, Sam turned to his brother. “Do you really believe that?”

“Believe what?”

“What you just said. That there’s nothing to worry about? Since when do solutions just fall into our laps?”

Dean sighed. “Yeah, you’re right. It’s never that easy.” Dean turned around, and picked up Alex’s cup of popcorn which was still pretty full. He figured she had maybe two pieces at most and realized how little she could eat.

“I hope she doesn’t mind being this way,” Sam said while looking at the cup of popcorn. “I think it’s going to be a while until we figure this all out.”

“She seemed pretty fine to me. I mean, she has gone through this before.” Sam nodded in agreement. “I think right now the more important question is: who’s going to sleep where? There’s only one bed in the basement.”

“You can take the bed. I’ll just sleep on the couch I guess.”

“Where do you think Alex will sleep?”

“I don’t know. But by the way she was acting I have a feeling she’s not going to want to sleep with Kyle tonight.”

“You noticed that too, huh?” Dean got up and sat down on the recliner.

“I’ve only seen her act that way once. Which was the last time we…” Sam trailed off and looked down at his feet. He still felt guilty about what he did to Alex, and even though Dean knew exactly what he was thinking, he said nothing.

“You think she’s keeping something from him?” Dean questioned, changing the subject for his little brother.

“I don’t know. It’s not really our business if she is, you know?”

Dean nodded. “I think I’m gonna hit the hay.” Dean stood up, walked towards the hallway and stopped to face his brother. “You’ll wake me if anything happens?” he asked, pointing to the bathroom.

“Yeah. See you in the morning.” Twenty minutes later Sam heard footsteps and turned around to see Kyle walking into the living room, carefully carrying Alex the same way he carried her to the bathroom. Kyle looked at Sam for a second before looking back at Alex, making sure she was safe. Very slowly he placed her on the recliner, letting her make herself comfortable. Sam watched as Kyle glanced at him again, looking back to Alex.

“Are you sure about this? I mean,” Kyle sighed not understanding Alex’s decision. “You know I wouldn’t let anything happen to you. I promise I-“

“I know.” Alex looked around the room and shook her head. “But I’m just not ready to sleep in there yet.”

Kyle closed his eyes and gave quick nod. “Right.” He opened his eyes and gave her small smile. “I guess I’ll see you in the morning then.” Alex nodded her head. “Good night. I love you.”

“Love you too.” As Alex watched Kyle stand up and walk away, leaving the room, she exhaled the breath she didn’t know she was holding. Hearing the sound of blankets moving, Alex looked over to the couch where Sam was making his bed for the night. “Are you going to be comfortable there?”

Sam stretched himself out along the couch, his head being on the end closest to the recliner. He looked at Alex as he pulled the blanket up his chest, “are you going to be comfortable?”

Alex stayed silent for a minute. Finally she looked over at the couch and said, “Good night, Sam.” Alex bundled herself up in the light blue blanket that kept her warm and cozy during the chilly November night. The fire place had been put out, leaving the room dark and quiet.

Before It's Too Late: Chapter 3

The doorbell rang, making Kyle and Alex briefly panic.

“The pizza’s here,” Sam explained, putting everyone at ease as he turned towards the door. He reached into his back pocket for his wallet as he opened the door.

Dean stood up to go to the kitchen. “You got any beer?” he asked Kyle, who had turned around so he was sitting in front of Alex, blocking her from the front door.

“Yeah. Top shelf behind the ketchup.”

Dean nodded his head. “Wait. Behind the ketchup?”

“I rarely drink,” Kyle explained with a shrug.

Dean was about to take off to the kitchen when he caught a glimpse of the pizza delivery girl. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail that went through the back of her company hat.

As Sam handed her the money and grabbed the pizza, she looked over to Dean and gave him a wink. Dean grinned back in response. I am so getting her number before we leave town. Dean looked at her long slender legs that were covered by her tight, black jeans. I hope she’s not a friend of Alex. Snapping out of his train of thought, Dean continued to walk back to the kitchen.

After the pizza girl left, Kyle turned around to face Alex. He saw her tiny hands gripping her head with her eyes closed.

“Hey, are you ok?” he asked, placing a hand by her side, even though he wanted to put it on her shoulder or on her back and give her a hug. Now those simple gestures would not feel the same.

Alex shook her head. “Headache.”

Feeling helpless and not knowing what to do or say, Kyle just said, “Oh.”

“I just need some food and I’ll be fine.” She sighed, dropping her hands on her chest to look up at Kyle.

“Well, the pizza just got here. I’ll cut you up a piece, ok?” He gave her a warm smile. At least I can help her out that way.

“We didn’t have food before?” Alex looked away, putting a hand back to her head.

Kyle was taken aback by her question. Alex not only sounded, but looked irritated with him. That’s not like her, Kyle thought. What’s going on in that head of yours, Alex?

“Sorry,” she muttered and he was barely able to hear her. “The pain is just getting to me, that’s all.”

After nodding his head, Kyle stood up and looked down at her, still wondering if it really was because of her headache. “I’ll get your food ready.”

As Kyle walked away to the kitchen, Dean watched as Alex tried to sit up by putting her arms to her sides and pushing on the soft blanket. She would get herself halfway up and end up falling back down. The blanket was too soft for her to get a good grip, so her hands would sink down and away from her. It didn’t help that she was still weak and had no food in her system to give her energy. She tried again and came up with the same result. This time when she fell she grabbed her head again, groaning in pain.

“Hey, take it easy,” Dean told her as he walked over to the chair she was on. “Here, let me help you.” Bending over, he offered her a hand for support.

“It’s ok, Dean. I got it.” Alex attempted to try again, but a force held her down. She looked down and saw Dean’s giant hand easily covering her middle, lightly pinning her down. Alex looked up at Dean’s face.

“No.” He warned her. “It’s not ok, Alex.” Dean knelt down, being closer to her eye level. “You haven’t eaten anything in twenty-four hours. Your body is weak. You need to get your strength back first. Let me help you.” He removed his hand and turned it over, palm side up.

Alex sighed and looked at his hand before looking up at Dean. Finally she nodded her head, “Fine.”

Seeing as she was barely able to move on her own, Dean slid his long fingers underneath her back. He maneuvered his thumb under her right arm, wrapping it across her stomach like a safety bar on a roller coaster ride. “Is this ok?”

“Uh huh,” Alex nodded her head and Dean pulled her up against the cushioned armrest. She raised her arm, letting Dean pull his hand out from behind her back.

“This situation seems a little familiar, huh, Alex?”

“Yeah,” she nodded her head again. “Lucky me.”

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dean offered after a moment of silence.

“Not really. I mean, what’s there to talk about? I can’t remember anything.” Alex looked away from Dean. Feeling her hands shaking from the nerves running through them, she quickly folded her arms across her chest where she held them tight.

Dean nodded his head in understanding as he watched her look away. He knew she would need time to deal with this. Sure she was in a room full of people she loved, but she was all alone in this situation. None of them could truly understand how she felt at that moment. Well, except for Sam, who remembered exactly what it felt like to be tiny. But then again Sam was still his freakishly tall self and was over six times Alex’s current size.

As Dean tried to think of something to say, he sighed. Nothing came to mind. Looking at Alex, he thought about the last time this had happened to her. “Hey, at least you’re taller this time.” Dean smirked, hoping to lighten up the mood. Instead, the only reaction he got from her was Alex shrugging her shoulders.

Dean scratched his head and looked around, not knowing what else to say. Spotting Kyle walking over to them with a plate and a drink, he stood up and walked into the dining room, deciding to give them their space.

“I believe this belongs to you,” Sam said as he handed over the receipt to Dean.

“What? You want me to pay you back or something?” Dean looked at Sam confused.

“Flip it over.”

Doing as he was told, a huge grin formed on Dean’s face. There on the back of the receipt were seven digits.

“I swear only you could manage to get a girl’s number without saying one word to her.”

Dean laughed triumphantly as he pocketed the paper. “You’re just jealous that she didn’t give it to you.”

Ignoring his brother’s ego like he’s done so many other times before, Sam changed the subject. “Do you think we should go search the woods now?” Sam asked, watching his brother take a swig of his beer.

Setting the beer down, Dean shook his head. “No,” he said as he grabbed a slice of the pizza. “It’s too dark out to see anything now. We’ll have a better chance in the morning. Besides, I think the more important thing right now is getting her to remember what happened.” Dean nodded towards Alex.

“If she can remember,” Sam relied doubtfully.

“Right now she’s our biggest clue and she can’t remember a thing. All we do have is a bunch of unanswered questions. Story of our life, huh?” Dean took a big gulp of beer followed big a large bite of his pizza.

“Yeah,” Sam laughed bitterly, looking down at Alex’s coat that Dean had placed on the dining room chair. “Is that blood?” he asked once he noticed the dark stains.

Swallowing his mouth full of pizza, Dean nodded his head. “Another mystery that still needs to get solved. And I don’t think it was from the cut on her arm either.”

Sam widened his eyes. “She got cut?”

Dean nodded his head. “I caught a glimpse of it when we first saw her.”

“So something must have attacked her then,” Sam said thoughtfully.

“Yeah, but for all we know she could have been caught in the middle of a bar fight. Or she just tripped and fell. Which is very possible, I mean this is Alex we’re talking about here. The girl is a magnet for anything supernatural and I’m starting to believe anything horrible in general.”

“Hey, you don’t think her curse has gotten any worse, do you?”

Dean shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. I mean if it did, wouldn’t she have told us or Kyle at least?”

“Maybe.” Sam drank some beer, looking over at Alex. He had just finished his second slice of pizza when he got an idea. “Hey, I’m gonna go to the store real quick. There’s something I need to pick up. Do you need anything?”

Dean pulled out the receipt from his pocket and waved it at his brother. “I got everything I need right here.” Dean grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

Sam rolled his eyes, put on his coat and walked over to Alex and Kyle. The entire time he had come back with food, they barely spoke a word to each other and were relieved to see Sam step up to them. “Kyle, do you mind if I borrow Alex for a minute?”

Alex straightened, wondering what Sam wanted as Kyle nodded his head. “I was going to go make a phone call anyways,” he said as he stood up, taking the empty plate and cup with him.

“What’s up?” Alex asked once Kyle was gone.

“This is going to sound a little strange, but, uh, I need to measure you.”

Raising an eyebrow, Alex nodded her head in agreement, “You’re right. That does sound strange.”

“Just… trust me… Please?” Sam said awkwardly as he gave her a small smile.

“All right.” Alex sighed, “What do you want me to do?”

“Well, first I need a tape measure or a ruler.”

“There’s a ruler in the top desk drawer in the library,” Alex explained, pointing to a pair of white wooden doors adjacent to the front door.

Sam quickly went into the room and retrieved the wooden ruler. He placed it down next to Alex’s side. “I think it would be easier if you lay down.” Alex nodded her head in agreement and did just that. She stretched along the side of the ruler and looked up at Sam, who sighed.

“Well? What’s the verdict?”

“…Eleven inches tall,” Sam hesitated as he pulled the ruler away.

“More like eleven inches small,” Alex muttered.

Sam set the ruler down on the table, next to the recliner. “Try not to think about it.” He watched as Alex nodded her head, pulled herself up against the armrest again, and made herself comfortable. “I’ll be back in a bit.” Sam stood up and left the house.

After Sam left the house, she heard footsteps and watched Kyle go into the library, still on the phone before he closed the doors behind him.

“I heard him on the phone with his grandmother.”

Alex looked to her right some more and saw Dean walking into the living room. She opened her mouth, wanting to talk to him. He’s like an older brother to you. You can tell him anything, you know that. Alex closed her mouth. Come on! Just speak! He’s not going to laugh at you. Look at him. Alex looked up at Dean who gave her a warm smile before he sat down on the couch. Closing her eyes, Alex shook her head. I can’t.

“Something wrong?” Dean asked, snapping Alex out of her thoughts.

“You mean besides the obvious? No.” Alex sighed, deciding to stand up and stretch. She stood up on wobbly legs, holding onto the armrest to keep from falling over.

“Hey, be careful.” Dean leaned forward, getting ready to catch her if she toppled over the edge. “You’re a klutz, now is not the best time to be doing anything risky.”

“Standing up is risky?” she challenged. Letting go of the armrest to fold her arms over chest, Alex stared at Dean, proving she would be all right.

“For normal people? No. But for you? Yes.” Seeing Alex’s reaction, Dean knew right away that he made a mistake in his choice of words.

“So, I’m not normal? What, I’m some sort of sideshow freak now? Are you going to put me in an aquarium and charge people fifteen dollars per person to see me?”

If it wasn’t for the fact that Alex looked seriously upset, Dean would have made a joke about charging extra to watch her sing and dance. Right now he knew better than to mess with her emotions like that. He figured he would allow her to get used to her size before teasing her this time around. “I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry. I just meant you tend to get hurt a lot, and now that you’re… smaller, it’s easier for you to get hurt,” Dean explained. “I’m just looking out for you.”

Alex couldn’t help but smile just a little at his consideration. “Thanks. I appreciate your concern and everything, I’m just…” she trailed off as she looked up at him, waiting patiently for her to continue. “I’m just bored. I needed to look at something other than this chair.”

“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” Dean glanced at the television opposite of Alex’s chair.

Alex thought about it for a minute. “Sure.”

“All right,” Dean placed his hands on his thighs and pushed himself up. “I’ll go get the popcorn while you think of a movie for us to watch.” Dean was about to go into the dining room, when a thought came to him. He turned around and pointed at Alex. “And no chick flick movies.”

Alex smiled as she watched Dean leave the room. As she was standing up, she turned around and faced the armrest. She folded her arms and leaned against the big cushion as she stared at the contents sitting on the table. Alex marveled at the size of everything that could once fit comfortably in her hands. Now she would only be slightly taller than them.

In the kitchen, Dean was pouring the freshly cooked popcorn into a large bowl for himself and a small cup for Alex. Dean set the bag down on the counter and picked up the bowl and cup, carrying them into the living room. Upon entering the living room, he paused for a minute, seeing Alex staring off into space. He almost didn’t want to interrupt her thoughts, but he figured maybe it would be a good thing. She could use a distraction, he thought. Alex held a hand up to her head and Dean took the opportunity to let her be aware of his presence. “Everything ok?” he asked as he walked over to the couch, setting the bowl on the coffee table.

Alex nodded her head. “Yeah. But I just realized that I can’t show up for work tomorrow. And they’ll probably want to know why I didn’t show up for work last night.”

“You went to work last night,” Dean explained as he walked over to her. “Kyle called them to see if you were still there when you didn’t come home this morning. They said you were there for your entire shift.” Dean crouched down in front of Alex, seeing the confusion on her face. “You don’t remember that either, do you?”

“No,” Alex shook her head.

Dean thought about it for a minute, not wanting Alex to worry any more about the idea that just came to him. Dean cleared his throat and scratched his head. “So, did you pick a movie out?”

“Yes, I did. I was thinking we could watch The Great Escape. Or is that too much of a chick flick for you?”

Dean smirked at that. “Where’s the DVD?” Alex pointed to the cabinet that the TV was sitting on. Dean looked back at Alex. “I think you have the best spot.”

“You could sit on the floor in front of me if you want?” Alex offered.

“Uh, sure,” Dean said after a moment of consideration. “Before I forget, here’s your popcorn.” He went to hand her the cup, then realized that it was almost half her size.

“It’s ok,” Alex reassured Dean, surprising him a little. He watched as she looked around the chair before looking up at him again. “You can put it between the cushion and armrest,” she said, pointing to a spot off to her right.

Impressed by her quick thinking, Dean wedged the cup between the two cushions, where it fit perfectly. Once it was tucked in, he went over to the TV, set up the movie, and went back over to Alex’s chair and sat down in front of her. Dean looked over his shoulder and realized they were both higher than the actual chair, blocking Alex’s view. “Sorry.” Dean looked over at the couch and reached for a couple of pillows, which he tucked under his back. He then slouched down, until his neck was resting against the front of the chair. “Better?” he asked, turning his head slightly, to look at her.

Alex nodded her head. “Yeah, thanks.”

Dean pressed play and they sat in silence as the movie began.

Before It's Too Late: Chapter 2

Dean and Sam arrived at the house ten minutes to six o’clock. Kyle let them in the house and explained what he knew. “I called her work; they said she left sometime after one thirty. I asked Brad if he’s seen her, but he hasn’t and neither has my grandmother.”

“What about her friend? Cody?” Dean asked.

Kyle shook his head. “No. Cody moved a few weeks ago to North Carolina.”

Dean sighed, “Great.”

“So what do you want us to do?” Sam asked.

“I wanted to search the woods behind our house. I’m hoping if we find anything, it’ll be there.” Because that’s all I have right now, Kyle thought. Hope.

Dean turned to his brother, “Why don’t you take Hana to Brad’s place and check around town. I’ll go with Kyle.”

Sam nodded his head and went to Hana’s room, while Dean and Kyle headed out to the Impala. Dean dropped Kyle off at J&J’s bar to start searching the woods. Dean and Kyle decided to meet in the middle.

After arriving at the house, letting Sam use the car to drive around, Dean walked into the backyard, turning on his flashlight. The sun had set and the sky was getting darker, making their search harder. Half an hour passed by and so far Dean came up empty handed. He sighed, hoping Kyle was having better luck.

Kyle walked along the river, searching the shadows for some sort of clue as to what happened to Alex. As he stepped over a fallen branch, crunching the leaves under his feet, he caught a glimpse of something behind a tree. He shined his flashlight on the object and quickly rushed over to it, realizing it was Alex’s coat. Kyle aimed his light around the area looking for a shoe print or something, but there was nothing.

“Alex!” he called out, hoping that she could hear him. Kyle waited and listened, but there was nothing to listen to, just crickets. He called up Dean on his cell phone to tell him what he found.

“Hey, did you find anything?” Dean asked as he crossed the bridge.

“Yeah. I found her coat. It was lying by the base of a tree near the river.”

“Are you sure it’s hers?”

“Positive.” Kyle aimlessly shined his light around the woods, not really sure where else to look. “Dean, I searched the area, but there’s nothing.”

“Did you check the coat?” Dean could tell that Kyle was having a hard time focusing on staying calm, but Dean needed his help.

“Hang on.” Kyle knelt down next to the jacket and examined it closer. Spotting something dark by the collar, he carefully reached his hand for it and touched the spot. He pulled his hand up to his face, shining the flashlight on his finger. His eyes went wide at what he saw. “Oh no.”

“What is it?” Dean asked more alarmed by the tone of Kyle’s voice.

“There’s blood.”

Dean started walking along the river, trying to find Kyle’s location while searching for Alex. “How much? A lot?”

Kyle shook his head, looking at the jacket. “Looks like a nose bleed maybe. It’s hard to tell.” The crimson color was blending in with the black coat, camouflaging the smaller spots of blood.

“Well, let’s just keep looking. There’s gotta be something else around here that will help us out,” Dean encouraged him, wondering if what he said was true.

“Ok,” Kyle hung up his phone and picked up the jacket.

The guys soon met up. “You find anything?” Dean asked spotting the coat in Kyle’s arms.

“No.” Kyle’s face fell as he sighed. “What about you? Any luck?”

Dean shook his head, “No.” Noticing Kyle’s distraught face, Dean spoke up again. “Don’t worry, we’ll come out here tomorrow when it’s daylight and search every inch of these woods. We’ll search the entire town if we have to.” Dean watched as Kyle simply nodded his head. He didn’t say anything. Dean sighed and decided to check the surrounding area to prove that he wasn’t going to give up. As he did, Kyle was looking at the blood on his wife’s coat. “Alex,” Dean called out as he approached the river’s edge. The water glistened as he shined his light from one end of the river to the other. Even though the current was weak, Dean still wondered if Alex somehow fell in the river.

While looking at the jacket, Kyle heard a noise. Something low to the ground was coming towards him. Thinking fast, he quickly aimed his light at the ground and was shocked at what he saw. “Dean,” he breathed. “We have a problem.”

Dean quickly turned around, pulling the gun out of the back of his pants as he walked past a tree to see what Kyle was looking at. “Not again,” Dean groaned as he slowly walked up to Kyle’s side. He lowered his gun and ran his hand over his face. “Please tell me that I’m seeing things,” he begged as he looked down at the ground, where Alex was staggering towards them, no bigger than a house cat.

Before Kyle could say anything, Alex fell to her knees, catching herself with her hands. Both men were now more worried about Alex’s health than the obvious size issue. Sitting hunched over, barely able to hold herself steady, she looked weak and tired. Her clothes were dirty, her shirt had a rip on her left sleeve that was as long as the width of a finger nail. Dean had barely caught site of it at first.

“Alex?” Kyle handed her coat over to Dean and rushed over to her, instantly wanting to get her somewhere safe. Very carefully he picked her up in his arms and held her close. He looked down at her small form as her eyes cracked open, gazing up at him.

Dean came up to Kyle’s side and looked down at Alex. Her skin was pale and there was dirt on her clothes. “We should get her home.”

“Yeah,” Kyle nodded, feeling Alex shake in his arms. As they started walking home, Kyle pulled his own coat around both of them. He kept it open so he was able to look at Alex. The entire time he barely took his eyes off of her as she rolled over, snuggling up against his chest, soaking in the warmth that emanated from his chest. She clung onto his shirt, pulling his closer to her. He couldn’t blame her. The night was cold and her coat was too big for her to wear. Why is it still normal, Kyle wondered.

Following Kyle, Dean pulled out his cell phone and called his brother. Sam answered his phone and Dean explained what happened. “We found her, but we have a problem.”

“What’s wrong? Is she hurt?”

“I’m not sure. But do you remember when we were with her in Wisconsin and you two got glitzed by Talia the psycho fairy?” Dean waited.

It took Sam a moment to realize what he was talking about. “You don’t mean…”

“That she pulled an Incredible Shrinking Woman on us? Yep.”

“How is she?” Sam asked as got into the car. He had just finished searching an alley when Dean called him.

Dean sighed and Sam knew it was bad. “Not good by the looks of it.”

“Is there anything you guys want me to do?”

“Turn the fireplace on,” Dean said feeling the cool breeze. “And get a blanket.”

“Hey, Dean? How small is she anyways?”

Dean caught up to Kyle and glanced at Alex. “About a foot tall. Give or take an inch.” He spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Alex.

“Did she say what did it?”

“No. She hasn’t said anything yet. She nearly passed out before we could ask her anything.”

“You know she probably hasn’t eaten anything since yesterday. She might need food when you guys get back,” Sam reasoned, feeling bad for Alex.

“Yeah, I was thinkin’ the same thing.” Dean glanced over at Alex again and shook his head.

“Alright, well I’m heading back now. I’ll get everything ready for you guys.”

“Yeah, ok. See ya in a bit.” Dean hung up his phone as they crossed the bridge. He kept an eye out for anything unusual incase whatever did this to Alex was still out there.

Sam arrived at the house and started the fireplace up first. Once he got the fire going, he searched the house for a blanket, finally settling on a light blue blanket of Hana’s. He grabbed another blanket, folding it up on one of the fold out chairs to use as a mattress. After setting the blanket down, he went over to the phone book and ordered two pizzas. When he was done ordering and hung up the phone, he heard Dean and Kyle come in through the back door.

“I set up a bed for her on the chair in the living room,” Sam explained to Kyle who nodded his head and went straight to the chair. Sam caught a glimpse of Alex and sighed.

Dean closed the back door and shrugged out of his coat, setting it on the back of a chair in the dining room. “Did you get her food?”

“Ordered a pizza. Should be here in about ten minutes,” Sam replied as he checked his watch.

“Good. I’m starving.” Dean absently put a hand on his stomach as it grumbled.

“So what do you think?” Both of them looked into the living room where Kyle gently placed Alex down on the impromptu bed. She had fallen asleep on the walk home and was still resting.

Dean shook his head. “I have no idea, man. Last time was weird enough.”

“Well, it can’t be the fairy. I mean you did kill it…” Sam’s face scrunched up in confusion as he turned to his brother. “Didn’t you?”

Dean looked at Sam, offended by the accusation. “Of course I killed it!”

“How? I don't remember you packing any weapons into your duffel before you left, just a bag of marshmallows and your lighter."

"It's complicated," Dean said trying to avoid the subject.

"How's it complicated?" Sam knew what Dean was doing and was starting to get worried by way his brother was acting.

"Okay, fine.” Dean gave in and confessed, “I didn't actually do anything."

"What?! I thought you said that you killed her?" Sam yelled at Dean, earning everyone a stare from everyone.

Alex stirred a little, groaning as she rolled onto her side. Kyle placed his arm around her back, stroking her shoulder through the blanket with his thumb.

"I did,” Dean spoke softly in a defensive tone. “I said, 'I don't believe in-' "

"Fairies?!” Sam too lowered his voice as he stared at his brother in shock, not believing what he was hearing. “Are you serious?"

"It worked in Peter Pan!"

"You're joking, right?" Surely he could not have heard his brother right. Dean Winchester using children’s stories to help solve a case? He wouldn’t, Sam thought. But his suspicions were confirmed when Dean looked around the room nervously. Oh my God, he did! "Dean, that was just a kid’s story!"

"Hey!” Dean pointed his finger at his brother, threateningly. “I thought it was created by a bunch of children from that one orphanage, which would make a lot of sense that saying those words would kill it! “

Sam sighed, looking around the room before looking back at his brother again. “Did you at least do any real research on fairies?”

“Yes, I did do research. And you know what I found? Crap. Oh and by the way. Talia went up in flames after I said that."

“I’m sure she did, because I distinctly remember that happening in Peter Pan,” Sam replied sarcastically with a straight face, annoyed with his brother. “I’m sure the adults let all the children in orphanages read about Tinker bell, the combusting fairy.”

Dean shrugged. “Maybe that’s what happens in the Grimm Brother’s stories?”

Sam just glared at his brother.

Over in the living room Kyle lowered his head, watching Alex as she slowly started to wake up. “Hey,” he soothed as he continued stroking her small arm. “I was worried about you.”

Alex blinked, looking him over. The whole day she had wanted to see his face again, to be near him. Now she was closer than ever to him, finally safe, but she didn’t feel right. She knew what had happened to her. That was obvious when she woke up in the woods, crawling out of her zipped up coat. No, something else is wrong. I just know it.

“Are you ok?” Kyle asked, noticing the confusion on her face.

“No.”

“Are you hurt?” he asked with more concern. He looked her over, still wondering about the blood that was on her coat.

“No,” she said again. Alex kept staring at him, trying to get over his size or rather her size.

“Then what’s wrong?”

Sam and Dean walked into the living room after they heard Kyle talking to Alex. They stayed silent, waiting for Alex to speak.

Alex shook her head and swallowed the lump that was forming in her throat. “I don’t remember.”

“What do you mean? You don’t remember what’s wrong?”

“Kyle?” Her voice was shaking. Now he was getting worried. “What happened to me?”

“You mean, you don’t remember how you shrunk?” Dean asked as he walked closer to them.

Alex shook her head as she looked up at him, holding back the tear that threatened to fall. “No. I don’t remember anything.”

Everyone stared at Alex. Sam was the first to speak up. “What’s the last thing you do remember?”

Alex thought back. “Um, walking to work. After that it gets a little fuzzy.”

“What do you mean?” Dean asked kneeling down next to Kyle.

“I don’t know. I feel like there’s something I should know, but I don’t know what.” She held her head in her hands as she rolled onto her back, trying to remember everything that happened. “All I remember is one minute I’m walking to work and I see the bar, and the next I’m waking up, drowning in my coat, and feeling incredibly dizzy.”

“Dizzy?” Dean watched her nod her head. “Anything else?” This time she shook her head. “Great.”

Dean looked at both Kyle and Sam, knowing that it would be harder, if not impossible of figuring out what happened. They didn’t know why she was tiny, how she became tiny, or what did this to her. But Kyle knew one thing for certain. “We’ll figure this out,” he assured her, as he slowly brushed her hair out of her face. “I promise.”

Before It's Too Late: Chapter 1

Alex looked at her reflection in the mirror, staring deep into her eyes. Only she knew what was going behind them. The thought made her sigh as she filled a plastic cup with water in her bathroom sink. Once the cup was filled, she raised it to her lips and gulped it down. A shudder ran down her spine and she held a hand up to her head.

“Get a grip, Alex,” she told herself as she turned the faucet on. “Focus.” She then splashed some water on her face, wiped it clean with a towel and looked at her reflection again. “Just tell him already,” she whispered, but shook her head, knowing that she wouldn’t.

Alex opened the bathroom door and turned the light off. She passed Hana’s room, where her daughter was sound asleep in her crib. Walking into the living room, Alex saw Kyle sitting on the couch with piles of books and papers all over the coffee table. She paused for a minute in the dining room, taking a deep breath.

Finally she got her bearings together and continued to the living room.

“Hey.” Kyle smiled at Alex as she walked up to his side.

“Hey. What, uh, are you looking up?” she asked as she studied the pile of books on the table.

Kyle looked at the mess and then back up to his wife. “Research. For Dean. He thinks there might be a case in Indiana. He would do it himself, but he’s actually working on another case in Minnesota right now. Guess he wants a heads start. I offered to take care of it myself, but he refused.”

“Oh,” Alex’s expression fell as Kyle looked down at the books again.

When he looked up he noticed the forced smile on her face. “What is it?”

Alex shook her head. “Nothing.”

Kyle knew she was lying. “I know you don’t like me hunting, but if I don’t help out in some way then more people are going to die. I have to save them, I can’t just ignore it, Alex.”

This time she nodded her head. “I know. Believe me I know. I just wish…” Alex stared at Kyle as he waited for her to finish. She knew he loved her and she did not want fight with him. “I just wish it was easier.”

Kyle was confused by what she meant, but before he could ask about it, she cleared her throat.

“There’s a load of laundry in the washing machine. Can you put it in the dryer in about an hour?”

“There’s another load?” Kyle was surprised considering they just did a load that morning.

“Yeah. That’s what happens when you have a kid,” Alex explained with a shrug. “They’re messy.”

Kyle studied her face for a minute. “Right.”

“I always am,” Alex smiled. “I have to get going. I don’t want to be late for work. I might work later tonight, so don’t wait up for me.” She bent down and gave him a kiss before heading towards the back door. As she was about to leave the house she gave him a small smile that faded as soon as she closed the door.

It was mid November and the sky was dark and cold. Alex walked through the woods wearing her black winter coat, crunching leaves and twigs under her shoes on her way to work. The sun shined through the trees casting shadows across the woods. The leaves shined and sparkled where the sun reflected off of the drops of water from the morning rain.

Upon reaching the bar, Alex took in a deep breath of the cool fall air, sending chills down her spine as it touched her lungs. She walked into the building and started her shift.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


Later that night Kyle finished folding the last item in the laundry basket; Alex’s grey shirt. Before setting the shirt down, he looked at it again. When Alex had left for work she was wearing a black shirt and her jeans, but he thought she had worn the grey one that morning.

She did mention Hana giving her a hard time at lunch, he thought to himself. Kyle looked at the pile of clothes on the table and saw an outfit of Hana’s. Kyle chuckled, shaking his head for being paranoid about something so common.

Kyle placed the shirt on the small stack of clothes and carried them into their bedroom. On his way back into the living room he checked on his sleeping daughter. He walked over to her crib and leaned on the rail, looking down at her with a smile on his face. Slowly, he reached his hand into the crib and pulled her blanket up to her shoulders for extra warmth. Seeing Hana at peace in her dreams put Kyle at ease and made him forget about all the evil things he read during his research.

“As long as I’m around, you have nothing to worry about,” he whispered. It wasn’t just a statement, it was a promise. If anything happened to her or Alex, he would never forgive himself. He knew he would have failed them both.

Kyle looked at his watch. Alex would be coming home within the next hour or so. Wanting to cheer her up he decided to make her something to eat. He went to the kitchen and found a recipe for a simple meal and waited half an hour before he started cooking the noodles. He wanted to make sure that they were fresh and warm when she got home.

Time passed by and the noodles were cooked and the sauce was heated up. He left them sitting on the stove with their lids on them to keep them warm. As he sat down on the couch and waited, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier. He didn’t want to fall asleep, knowing Alex would leave him be on the couch once she got home, so he swore he wouldn’t fall asleep…Too bad his body didn’t listen to him.

Kyle woke up to the sounds of someone crying. Immediately his eyes snapped open and he frantically looked around the room. His eyes fell upon the baby monitor and he sighed. Checking his watch, he noticed that it was well after eight in the morning. Listening to the monitor he waited for Alex’s footsteps, but there was nothing.

“Probably still sleeping,” Kyle reasoned as he stood up, stretching his stiff back. He rubbed the back of his neck as he walked into Hana’s room. “Somebody hungry?” He smiled as he reached down into the crib and picked her up. Hana was still crying, so he held her up against his shoulder and rubbed her back. “It’s ok. We’ll get you some breakfast.”

Kyle walked into the kitchen and placed Hana in her baby chair next to the kitchen table. Once he entered the kitchen, he froze. The pans were still sitting on the stove. It’s not like Alex to leave these sitting out, Kyle thought as he looked around the house. Out of curiosity he walked down the hallway and up to their bedroom door, pushing it open.

His heart jumped into his throat as he stared at the empty bed that was still made. Calm down, she’s probably in the bathroom. Kyle looked in the bathroom, which was also empty. Ok, maybe the basement. Kyle ran to the basement door and flicked the light switch as he rushed down the stairs. Staring at the empty basement, Kyle’s chest filled with panic, but he wasn’t about to give up.

Searching everywhere for her purse, shoes and winter jacket, Kyle found none of them.

Kyle walked back into the dining room where Hana was crying again. Coming up with an idea, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed Alex’s cell phone. The phone rang and rang until finally Alex’s voice was heard on the other end. Kyle’s heart sank realizing it was just her voicemail. He closed his phone and sighed as he looked out the door to their backyard. “Where are you, Alex?”
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

In a small motel in Millerville Minnesota, Dean was stitching up a cut on his right forearm. The spirit that they had just destroyed moments ago had taken a beating on both him and Sam. They were bruised and cut up all over. Sam was thankful that he hadn’t broken any bones when the spirit threw him through the glass door of the building and down the small flight of stairs that lead up to them. Having a few gashes here and there was much less painful and quicker to heal than a broken bone.

“Dean, I think we should let Kyle take care of the Indiana case,” Sam said as he finished wrapping up his forearms where some glass had stuck into his skin. The cut on his lip however was just going to have to heal on its own like it usually did.

“No way. Kyle’s a family man. We can’t risk it. Alex has lost enough people in her life. No need to add to the body count.” Dean cut off the end of the thread and wrapped his arm up nice and tight.

“But he offered to help.” Sam stood up and took off his shirt and changed into a fresh one that wasn’t currently stained with blood. “And he’s experienced, so it’s not like he’s going to get himself killed.”

“Sam. We’re experienced. We’ve gotten ourselves killed,” Dean pointed out as he looked across the room at his brother.

Sam glared at him, but he couldn’t argue with him there. It was true and there was no denying the facts.

As they started cleaning up the mess they made when they stumbled into the room, Dean heard his phone go off. He patted down his jean pockets, but it wasn’t there. “Where did I put…?” Dean looked around the room and finally found his phone in the mess of papers and medical supplies on the small table.

Dean answered his phone, “Hello?”

“Dean,” a voice came from the other end.

“Oh, hey, Kyle. I was just about to call you. Did you find out what was killing—“Dean stopped talking, the smile dropping from his face. “What? Since when?”

Sam looked at his brother, knowing something was wrong by the worry on his face.

“No, I haven’t talked to her since last week… I don’t know, I’ll ask.” Dean turned to Sam. “Have you talked to Alex recently?”

“No, what’s going on?” Sam asked as he crossed the room.

“She never came back from work last night and she’s not answering her phone,” Dean explained to his brother, who was now worried about Alex.

“Dean, I have no idea where she could be,” Kyle replied over the phone. “What if a demon got to her and she’s being tortured right now and there’s nothing I can do to stop it because I have no clue where she is?”

"Alright, Kyle, try to calm down. Sam and I will drive to Watseka. We’ll be there before nightfall and we’ll help you look for her.” Dean snapped his fingers at his brother, silently telling him to start packing their stuff.

“You don’t have to. I’ll just call up—“

“Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s no trouble at all. Really. Besides, she’s family, it would be wrong not to help.”

“Thanks,” Kyle replied already sounding defeated.

“Hey, don't worry, we'll find her," Dean reassured him while packing his clothes and weapons into the appropriate bags.

“Yeah, I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling about this,” Kyle confessed as he walked into Hana’s room. Being in her room gave him some comfort, knowing that he could protect their daughter.

“Well, try not to worry too much. We’re gonna need your help finding her when we get there.”

“I know,” Kyle spoke quietly, wishing they could get there sooner.

“In the mean time you can watch out for Hana and keep her safe. We’ll try to get there as soon as we can.” Shortly after, Dean hung up his phone and shook his head.

“What?” Sam noticed the smile on his brother’s face, which confused him considering the conversation he just had on the phone.

“Leave it to Alex to disappear.” Dean chuckled in disbelief remembering everything that had happened to her since they met. “I swear her luck is as bad as ours.” He doubled checked his shot gun to make sure it was loaded before tucking it into inner coat pocket. “So far every time she’s gone missing, something bad happens.”

“Well, let’s just hope she comes back in one piece.”

“Hey, I’m just hoping we find her alive at this point.” Grabbing his bags, Dean looked at his brother. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” Sam said, pulling the strap of his laptop bag over his shoulder. They cleared the room and loaded up the Impala.