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.

Before It's Too Late: Preview

Kyle calls up Sam and Dean when Alex goes missing. Meanwhile Alex is keeping a secret from Kyle and her worst fear is revealed. But will they find out either one before it’s too late?

A/N: Story takes place after Heaven and Hell. Link the song that helped inspire the story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR0i5Ep7xPY

FIB, Chapter 9

In the crowded parking lot of J&J’s sat a black ’67 Chevy Impala with two brothers. They were currently having a minor disagreement.

“Not yet,” Sam insisted.

“Come on. Do you really think it’ll make a difference if we go in twenty or five minutes before eight o’clock?” Dean asked.

“Kyle said to wait, so we’re going to wait.” Sam and Dean both stared at each, holding their ground.

“Fine,” Dean finally agreed, not wanting to hear his brother complain anymore. He sat there wondering what was going to happen at eight. A few possibilities ran through his head, but he couldn’t settle on one. Dean sighed and looked at the clock. Only five minutes had passed.

“Hey, Sam?”

“We’re going to wait,” he reminded his brother with annoyance.

“I know. I just… Don’t ask Alex about Hell, ok?” He turned to his brother, hoping Sam wouldn’t know that Dean remembered. He couldn’t let his little brother see him like that or know what he went through. It was just easier to pretend it never happened. At least that’s what he told himself after he’d wake up from his own nightmares about Hell. Knowing that Alex had very little experience with the supernatural, Dean knew seeing Hell would scare her more than him. “I mean, if it freaked her out enough to go into therapy, I just think it would be a bad idea to remind her,” Dean reasoned.

Sam shook his head. “I wasn’t planning on it.” Looking at his brother’s confused face, Sam explained, “I’ve caused her enough pain, Dean. Why would I want to remind her of that?”

Dean nodded and they both silently waited. Only nine minutes passed by before Dean got restless. “Can we go inside now? Or do you want to wait one more minute so it’s exactly five minutes before eight?”

Sam glowered at his brother who just grinned in response, but before he could say anything Dean spoke up.

“I guess you did want to wait,” Dean said as he got out of his car. As he closed the door Sam checked his watch. Exactly five minutes to eight.

Dean crossed the parking lot to the wooden building and entered through the glass doors with Sam not too far behind him. They both stood in the entry way and looked for Kyle through the crowd. There was a surprisingly large amount of people there for a Thursday night. They recognized a few of the locals that they have run into while they’ve been in town.

“Hey,” Sam nudged his brother’s arm, letting him know that he found Kyle. Sam hesitated, waiting for Dean to take the lead. He still wasn’t comfortable being around Kyle after what he had done to Alex.

Dean lead the way to the round wooden table Kyle was sitting at in the middle of the bar. He was facing the stage that was on the far left of the building with the bar to his right.

“Hey.” Kyle swallowed a gulp of his soda as he saw them approach. “You’re just in time. One minute sooner and you would have ruined the surprise.”

Sam looked at Dean with an “I told you so” look. Dean just shrugged in response and asked, “What’s this all about anyways?” He looked around the crowded bar as both him and Sam took a seat at the table.

Kyle looked at his watch. “You will find out in about a minute.”

Sam smirked as his brother groaned, “I hate waiting.”

Jerry walked on stage and introduced the night’s entertainment, “Alexandra Spencer.”

Dean and Sam looked at Kyle confused. "Wait, Alex-" Sam began to ask.

“Just watch,” Kyle smiled before taking a sip of his drink.

They saw Alex walk on stage with an acoustic guitar in her hands. Her hair hung over her right shoulder, as she wore jeans and a white button down shirt that glowed in the light against the navy blue backdrop. She sat down on a stool and adjusted the mike better. Jerry usually got the height right, but she still had to move the mike to where her mouth would be.

"Hi everybody. Um... I'm sorry. I'm not good at this sort of thing. If it’s okay with you guys, I'll just get started."

There were no objections, so she pulled a pick out her pocket and strummed the guitar once to check if the cords were at the right pitch. After taking a deep breath, she started playing the guitar.

"I didn't know she could play the guitar," Sam said, surprised at what he was seeing.

"Neither did I," Dean added still staring at the stage. "How long has she been playing?"

"She’s been performing here for about five months, but she’s been playing for a couple years now," Kyle explained. "She started after her mom's death. It helped calm her down."

Realizing what Kyle was implying, Dean looked at him and pointed to the stage. "You mean this is because of...?"

Kyle simply nodded. "It was the only thing that seemed to make her happy. And believe me, I tried everything.”

Both brothers saw the sorrow in Kyle’s eyes and knew how hard he tried to make her happy. Before any of them could make another comment, Alex started to sing. The song was soft and matched her personality; strong yet peaceful.

"Dude," Dean began in shock. "How come she's never told us about this?"

"She was nervous,” Kyle shrugged.

"But she's singing in front of all these people every Thursday,” Dean pointed out.

"Playing in front of strangers and drunks is different than singing in front of friends and family," Kyle explained.

"But she's good," Sam said as he watched the performance. "I mean, she's really good."

"That's what I tell her, but she says I say it because I have to say it," Kyle said and leaned forward in his chair. "She doesn't think she's that great. Karaoke, I think was the word she used."

They sat in silence for the rest of the song, listening to her singing. The fact that it wasn't a rock song didn't even bother Dean one bit. He enjoyed hearing her sing and knew that Sam did too. Although, it wasn't something that he would listen to, but she was his cousin and he liked seeing her do something that she enjoyed.

When the song ended, Alex introduced a band that was going to play next. Kyle excused himself from the table and walked towards the stage to great Alex.

“I can’t believe it,” Dean shook his head in astonishment and then turned to his brother. “Well, it’s nice to know that somebody in our family has a normal talent.”

Sam nodded in agreement, but didn’t look as enthusiastic as Dean. “Too bad she didn’t live a normal life.”

“You never know. Maybe someday we can get rid of this curse and her and Kyle can live happily ever after with Hana.”

Giving his brother a skeptical look, Sam asked, “Do you honestly believe that?”

“Honestly? No,” Dean sighed. “But I’m not going to let her think that.”

Tying her apron around her waist, Alex walked up to their table alongside her husband. Alex was relieved to see that Sam was ok, despite the white patch taped to his neck. When she was crossing the room, she couldn’t help but think of him yelling at her over the phone while he was drunk. She tried to ignore it and put on a smile. “Hey, how’d it go? Did you kill the… thing?” she asked as she stopped in front of their table. Kyle gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting back down in his chair.

“Fine for the most part,” Dean replied, looking at Sam before looking back at Alex. She nodded her head.

“Hey, you did great up there,” Sam said about her performance.

“Yeah, definitely not karaoke,” Dean added with a smile, keeping in mind what Kyle had mentioned. He still couldn’t believe his death had this much of an effect on her.

Alex blushed, looking down at the table. “Thanks.”

“Did you write that song?” Sam asked with interest.

Looking up at Sam, Alex nodded her head and explained, “It’s a hobby I do in my free time. I’m not real good at it though.” She rubbed the back of her neck, brushing her hair to the side.

“Are you kidding me? You were awesome.” Dean was happy to see Alex smile. With her hand still behind her neck, he could clearly see her bruise. It didn’t look too bad. It could have been worse, he thought, wondering if she heard him. “How’s your neck doing?”

On reflex Alex moved her hand to the spot on her neck where the small bruise was located. Even though Dean had told him about the mark, Sam was still shocked to actually see it on her neck.

“Its better,” Alex replied, shifting uncomfortably under Sam’s gaze. “Did you get your clothes?”

“Yeah, thanks for folding them up by the way.”

Alex nodded her head, “No problem. Listen, I have to get back to work. Did you guys want anything to eat or drink?”

“Um, I think I’ll have a soda,” Sam replied. He didn’t want to drink anytime soon around Alex. Once he said soda, he could see her shoulders relax with ease. It hurt him to know that she was that nervous around him.

“Yeah, me too,” Dean said.

“Ok, two sodas coming right up.” Alex walked over to the bar and knelt down to retrieve two bottles of soda from the mini fridge. When she stood up, she saw Sam standing there and almost dropped the bottles.

“Sorry,” Sam said, seeing her jolt before she quickly set the bottles down.

“It’s alright. I wasn’t expecting you,” she shrugged it off and went to grab the bottles again, but Sam stopped her.

“Um, can we talk?” he asked, hoping she would say yes.

“Uh, sure, I guess.” Alex let her fingers release the bottles and set her hands on the edge of the bar.

“Listen, I… I’m sorry about that phone call… I never should have said those things. I was drunk, but that was no excuse to say that to you. I really didn’t mean any of it. I was in a bad place and I’ll understand if you don’t forgive me. I was stupid.”

“You weren’t stupid. You were upset. You saw your brother get murdered. Anyone would be messed up after that. And I can forgive you for that, but…” Alex hesitated for a bit. Sam knew this was coming. “I’m not sure if can forget. I’m going to need some time.”

Dean watched Sam nod his head and knew what they were talking about. Seeing his brother do the right thing gave Dean hope that maybe someday everything will be ok between him and his brother. No more lies or secrets or running around behind each other’s backs. Then again that would mean he would have to tell Sam about what happened to him in Hell. Dean couldn’t let Sam know how about that or what he did. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing Sam’s face if he told him. Maybe it was easier to lie? Yeah, right. Look how that turned out.

“You know she worries about you guys,” Kyle said, noticing Dean looking at Alex and Sam.

Dean looked at Kyle confused, “She does? Why?”

Kyle just shrugged. “I’m not sure. I keep asking, but she’s never comfortable even mentioning it.” He shook his head, looking down at his drink. “Sometimes I wonder if she’ll ever feel comfortable.”

“You know we would help with this whole curse thing,” Dean began. “But we’re kinda in the middle of something right now.”

“I know,” Kyle nodded his head. There was a pause as a look of guilt came over his face. “Sometimes I feel like a horrible father for bringing my daughter into this world. Knowing that she could possibly die from one of those things out there… I just wish I knew she would be safe. Both of them.”

“Well, don’t sell yourself short. I mean, they are both alive, so you must be doing something right. And Alex may have demons after her, but I saw the symbols etched into your door ways and windows. They’re not getting in your house anytime soon. And Alex knows how to fight. She just needs the right training and nothing can stop her.”

“It’s only a matter of time though. I don’t believe in happy endings.” Hurt and anger were written on his face at the idea. Who did have happy endings anyways?

“Well, don’t be too optimistic,” Dean replied with sarcasm.

“Dean, has Alex ever told you what happened to my parents?” Dean turned to face Kyle. “When I was ten my parents took me and my brother on a camping trip. My brother and I shared a tent. One night Brad and I wanted to go to the lake and see who could throw rocks the farthest. It was so stupid, but we wanted to do it.” Kyle chuckled at the memory. “Brad never could throw as far as me without hurting himself.”

Dean smiled at that, but noticed the tense look on Kyle’s face.

“That’s when we heard the gun shots.” Dean opened his mouth, but he didn’t say anything. “We ran back to the campsite… There was blood everywhere. Our tents were torn to shreds…” Kyle said at length, thinking about the massacre. “And our parents were gone.”

“I’m sorry,” Dean spoke quietly.

Meanwhile, back at the bar Alex handed Sam their drinks. “I’m sorry about…” Sam gestured to their necks and Alex understood what he meant.

“It’s ok. You couldn’t help it,” Alex reminded him. “Just, do me a favor?”

“Yeah, anything,” he replied, getting ready to walk back to the table.

“Try to be more careful.” Alex gave him a smile and he smiled back.

Sam nodded, “You too.” He walked back over to the table with Kyle and Dean. Sam handed Dean his drink and sat down. Since Alex wasn’t on stage anymore, they were more spread out around the wooden table.

“So, what exactly happened when you went to get Alex’s file?” Dean inquired.

Kyle took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh. “Her doctor was a demon. I caught on to the signs a week ago when I was repairing something in the building. I had heard that her real doctor was in a car accident and made a miraculous recovery. I knew right away that he was a demon. I figure that’s when he took over the body. The look on her face when she would come home…She would avoid looking me in the eyes when she would speak to me. When I would catch a glimpse of her eyes, I could tell that she had been crying. I don’t know what he said to her, but I did know one thing. That bastard wasn’t going to live off of her pain. So I killed him.”

“Kill him?” Dean asked surprised. “With what?”

“I have a wooden stake that my grandmother found on a hunt back when my dad was just a kid,” he explained. “She said it could kill any demon.”

“Your grandmother sounds like she was quite the hunter in her day,” Dean replied with respect, taking a swig of his soda.

Kyle smiled. “She was. Still is actually.”

They continued talking about hunts and shared stories, keeping quiet when somebody would walk past their table. After a few hours the guys had finally finished up their drinks and waved good bye to Alex. Kyle headed to his grandmother’s house to pick up his daughter, while Sam and Dean drove off in the Impala.

“So, is Alex ok?” Dean asked as he kept his eyes on the road.

Sam looked down at his hands. “I messed up. I saw the way she looked at me tonight. She doesn’t trust me.”

Dean sighed, “Well, just give it some time. Alex is a forgiving person. It’s not like her to hold a grudge. I’m sure she’ll forgive you.”

“But she’ll never forget the way I treated her.”

Dean looked at his brother, but Sam didn’t look back. Sam stared out the window and knew there was only one thing he could do to make things right in the world: kill Lilith.

The End!

FIB, Chapter 8

Three hours later Dean pulled Alex’s Trans Am into her driveway as Sam pulled the Impala up the curb in front of the house. After he taking the keys out of the ignition, Dean sighed and got out of the car, walking towards the front door. As he walked along the cement path leading to the door, he noticed Sam was sitting by the back end of the Impala with the towel pressed up against his neck. Dean could tell his brother was feeling guilty, which was why he didn’t come up to the door with him.

After knocking twice, Dean waited and heard footsteps. The door opened and Dean saw not Alex, but Kyle, who was holding Hana.

“Hey, Kyle. Is Alex around?” Dean smiled when he saw Hana reaching her chubby little arm out to him.

“She’s at work,” Kyle hesitated for a minute while adjusting Hana in his arms. “Did you need something?”

“We, uh,”—he gestured to his brother—“wanted to talk to Alex. I know you’re mad at us… Especially Sam, but we need to talk to her… I need to talk to her.”

Kyle nodded his head, looking at Hana. When he looked over to where Sam was, he noticed the towel up against Sam’s neck and the blood and dirt all over his clothes.

“Is your brother all right?”

Dean turned to see Sam, who wasn’t looking so good. “He, uh, got hurt on the job. I think he might need a few stitches. I don’t know.”

“Bring him inside. I got something that will help,” he said as he started walking back inside his house.

“He’ll be fine, we’ll just drive over to that clinic and get him checked out.”

“I insist. Besides, Alex would want me to.” Kyle set Hana down in her playpen and walked to the bathroom to get some supplies, as Dean waved for Sam to come inside the house.

Sam slowly made his way to across the front lawn and up to the front door. “What’s going on? Where’s Alex?” Sam asked as he walked over to the couch and sat down.

“Work,” Dean explained as he closed the door. Seeing the look on Sam’s face, Dean continued, “Kyle offered to help patch you up.”

Sam was now even more confused, but when he heard Kyle coming, he tried not to show his discomfort.

Kyle had brought out a first aid kit and set it down on the coffee table in front of Sam. He pulled out some rubber gloves, which made both brothers share a glance.

“It’s easier to clean up. Otherwise I have to wash my hands before and after,” he explained.

Dean simply nodded in agreement.

“Let’s see,” Kyle nodded towards Sam’s neck.

Sam carefully removed the towel and let Kyle get a better look.

“Huh,” Kyle replied before he started digging through the box.

“Huh?” Dean asked,” What does that mean?”

“Nothing.” He shook his head and sighed. “It just looks exactly like the bruise on Alex’s neck, which means she was right, her nightmares are getting worse.” He opened an alcoholic wipe and started cleaning the area around the wound, causing Sam to hiss in pain. “Sorry,” Kyle mumbled.

Dean walked over to Hana, sitting down in a chair next to her. “Have you decided to tell her about the curse yet?”

Kyle paused for a minute as he held a needle in his hands. “I already told her.”

Dean and Sam looked at each other, a little surprised by his decision.

“When?” Dean asked.

“This afternoon.” Kyle shook his head in disappointment. “I should have told her a long time ago.” He looked at the needle and back up to Sam. “Ready?”

“Uh, yeah.” Sam still felt uneasy about the situation, and could tell Kyle did too. He felt the needle prick his neck and tried to keep his head steady.

“How’d she take it?” Dean asked, reaching a hand in to the playpen and picked up a rattle. He shook it a few times, making Hana giggle before he handed it over to her.

“Well, she wasn’t happy, but I’m still alive.” Kyle finished stitching Sam up in a few minutes and taped some gauze over the stitches. “I’m all done,” he told Sam.

“Thanks,” Sam replied.

Kyle nodded as he stood up and took off his gloves, tossing them into a wastebasket by the front door. He went back over to the table and cleaned up the mess.

“Alright,” Dean said, standing up, “I think we’re gonna head over to the bar.”

“Hey, don’t go there just yet.” Kyle picked up the first aid kit.

“Why?”

“There’s something you should see, and if you go too early you might not see it. Just make sure you get there a few minutes before eight, ok?”

Dean looked at his watch, seeing it was five in the afternoon. “Ok, what’s happening at eight?”

“Just trust me. I’ll meet you there.” Kyle started walking towards the bathroom with his supplies.

Dean turned to Sam, confused. “What could be so important on a Thursday night?” he pondered as he scratched his head.

Kyle came back from the bathroom, seeing the guys were getting ready to leave. “Hold up a second. Could you do me a huge favor? I just remembered that I have some errands to run, and I need somebody to watch Hana for me. You guys could stay here to make things easier,” he offered and then added, “We got some sandwiches in the fridge. You can help yourselves.”

“We’d be more than to happy to,” Dean grinned.

Sam looked at his brother and shook his head even though his neck was still sore.

“What? I love Hana,” Dean said and walked over and picked her up in his arms. “See? Love,” Dean said as he snuggled Hana up to his face with a cheesy grin.

“Right.” Sam knew his brother too well. Even though he knew Dean loved Hana, he knew the deal breaker was the free sandwiches.

Kyle left after he got his jacket and kissed Hana on the head. He took off in his jeep and pulled over on a secluded road, where hopped out and went to the back of his car. After double checking to make sure nobody saw him, Kyle unzipped his jacket and tossed it into the back. He then grabbed a black duffle and opened it up, pulling out a grey jumper. He slipped it on and zipped it up before closing up his trunk and climbing back into the driver’s seat.

Kyle drove to the next town over where he found the building he was looking for. After parking the car behind the building he grabbed a cap sitting in the passenger seat, and put it on his head. The words “maintenance crew” where printed in black, matching the letters on his jumper above the left breast pocket.

Kyle dug through his pockets and pulled out a badge with the name Jim Sprouse next to his photo, and clipped it on to his left pocket. He got out of the car and tucked the hat down lower as he grabbed a toolbox from the backseat.

Walking past the back door, Kyle found a black box and pulled out a set of keys that he had made when the owner had him fix the wooden railing to the second floor. Before he did anything else he pulled out a pair of gloves from his back pocket and slipped them on.

Kyle easily disabled the security system, including the hidden cameras. He was used to doing this sort of thing, and it came as second nature to him. He unlocked the door and closed it behind him, pocketing the keys as he walked down the long hallway. Knowing where he was going, he made a right where a flight of stairs where. When he reached the third floor, Kyle opened the door and entered another hallway. He stopped for a second to check the black board on the wall for the correct room number, before heading down the hallway.

About halfway down the hall, he turned left into a smaller hallway, where he checked each door for their room number. He came up to room 339, pulling his keys out again and unlocking the door. There was a small waiting room with two couches and two chairs lining the walls, along with a wooden reception desk. There, Kyle sat his tool box down and turned on the computer. He logged onto the computer and saw the password screen come up. Within minutes he was logged onto the computer with a satisfied smirk on his face. He found the patients files and found Alex’s and deleted everything, making sure no records of her where left on the computer. After he was done there and shut down the computer, he unlocked the main office and walked over to three black filling cabinets that were lined up behind a large wooden desk.

Not having the keys to unlock them, he opened the tool box and pulled out his lock pick. Kyle checked the labels on the cabinets and found the one he knew Alex’s file would be in. Once he unlocked it and found the file, he unzipped his jumper, folded the file in half and tucked it into an inner pocket before zipping back up.

Kyle sighed in relief and put his stuff away. While he was standing there, he heard the door to the waiting room open. He grabbed something out of the tool box and hid behind the door to the office. Kyle stayed silent and waited as he heard somebody enter the office and walk over to the desk.

“I hope you know who you’re dealing with,” the mystery man said as he looked inside Kyle’s tool box. “Or should I say ‘what?” The man turned around smirked at Kyle, his eyes going black.

Kyle smiled as he gripped the object in his hands tighter, “Oh, I know. In fact, I was hoping you would show up, Dr.Kingston.”

“Oh really? And why’s that? You have a death wish or something?” He took a step closer to Kyle.

“No. But I think you might.” Kyle aimed a gun at the demon and shot it with holy water. He borrowed Alex’s squirt gun, figuring it would come in handy.

The demon fell back against the desk in pain as Kyle shot him. Kyle moved towards the demon and kicked him to the ground hard and shot at him again. When he was close enough to the desk he grabbed something else out of his box. In his right hand he held a wooden stake with symbols engraved in the sides.

The demon got to his knees and punched Kyle in the gut. He went for a second blow, but Kyle was too fast. He plunged the stake into the demon’s heart and the body flickered and glowed as he struggled to breathe. “Sorry Doc, but we no longer need your services.” When the glowing stopped, Kyle pulled the stake out and pushed the body to the ground before standing up. Kyle walked to a sink that was in the back corner of the office where he washed the blood off of the stake. He packed everything back into his tool box and walked out of the office and eventually leaving the building. Before he got in his jeep, he went back to the black box and turned the security system back on. He smiled at a job well done and knowing his car was parked out of the range of the camera.

Kyle pulled the folder out of his jumper and set it down in the trunk while he took off his jumper and hat, stuffing them into the black duffle. After snagging his jacket and putting it back on, Kyle grabbed the folder and closed the trunk. He climbed into the driver’s seat, started up the engine and drove back home.

Sam heard a car pull in the driveway and checked his watch. Kyle had been gone for a little over an hour. Sam put Hana back in her playpen and walked over to the couch where he left his coat.

Dean was finishing off his can of soda that he drank with a sandwich he had earlier. Although now the only thing left were a few crumbs on his plate. “Is he back?”

“Yeah. You done?” Sam asked as he put on his jacket. He didn’t feel like sticking around, knowing Kyle was upset with him. Not that Sam could blame him. He understood why Kyle was mad and knew he deserved it.

“Yeah,” Dean stood up from a stool in the kitchen and set his plate in the sink right as Kyle walked in. “So, are you all done? Because we really should head back to the motel and get our things,” he explained to Kyle.

“Don’t worry; I got everything done that I needed to do,” he said as he dropped a folder onto the kitchen counter. “You are free to go.”

Dean and Sam both saw Alex’s name on the folder with a small drop of blood on it, and glanced each other before looking at Kyle.

“Something tells me you didn’t go grocery shopping,” said Dean.

“Let’s just say that we have a lot in common.”

Dean raised his eyebrows in surprise, as did Sam. “You mean, you’re a…”

“Yep.”

“Does Alex know?” Sam asked.

Kyle nodded his head. “Also told her that one today, too. But I would really appreciate it if you guys don’t tell anyone. I’ve been trying to lay low and live a normal life. Especially after we got married.”

Sam and Dean both agreed.

“How long you been a hunter?” Dean asked.

“A little over fifteen years. I started when I was eight. Alex’s dad told my grandma about Alex’s curse, knowing he wasn’t going to be around. He always came to her for research, so he knew if anyone could find a cure, it would be her. Hunters would come to her for advice or research. She used to be one of the best back in her day. But when she married my grandpa…” Kyle trailed off and cleared his throat. “She gave up that life. Now she only helps me mostly. My grandma taught me everything I needed to know.”

“So is Brad a hunter too?” Sam asked out of curiosity.

“No, but he knows about the supernatural. He just doesn’t want to fight it,” Kyle explained, “He’s a wimp like that.”

Dean chuckled, remembering Brad calling for his grandmother before Alex’s wedding, when Kyle threatened to punch him. Now Dean knew why.

“Alright, well, we’re gonna go. Thanks for the sandwich,” Dean said as he and Sam headed towards the front door.

“You’re welcome, and thanks for watching Hana for me. I really appreciate it,” he said as he followed them to the door.

“Anytime,” Dean said.

“Oh, and don’t forget-“

“J&J’s bar at eight o’clock,” Dean finished. “We’ll be there.”

“Actually, I was going to remind you that you had a pile of clothes in the laundry room.”

“Yeah, I got that already. See ya at eight,” Dean said before he closed the door behind him.

Sam and Dean left the house and got into the Impala. Dean put his keys into the ignition and turned to Sam.

“A hunter?” he asked in disbelief. “Alex married a hunter?”

Sam shrugged, “She could have done worse.”

Dean gave him a skeptical look.

“She could have married a serial killer.”

Dean paused for a minute and finally said, “Good point.”

“Besides, aren’t you a little relieved knowing that Alex has somebody to protect her that knows what they’re doing?”

“Another good point.” Dean started driving towards their motel. “Hey, Sam?”

Sam turned to his brother, the pain in his neck dulling down now that the aspirin was finally kicking in.

“What could possibly be going on at a bar on a Thursday night? Don’t people usually just sit around at home and watch TV or something?”