In My Time of Dying.

"Wait--can you see me?"

The young blonde whips her head around and her eyes land on the auburn-haired girl at the bottom of the stairwell. The blonde's eyes widen, "Yeah."

Athena raises her brows and quickly walks up the stairs, she trips over one step and stumbles. Athena lets out a yelp and the blonde jumps. The auburn-haired girl, grabs the railing, catching herself. She straightens her back and clears her throat. "Hi."

The blonde blinks, "H-Hi...?"

Athena scratches at her neck, "Uh, what's your name?"

"I'm Honor."

Athena nods her head, "Pretty name."

Honor smiles, "Thanks."

"Uh, I'm Athena."

Honor nods her head, "Pretty name."

Athena smiles, "Thanks."

Athena rubs her arm and looks off to the side.

"So...what's happening to me?"

Athena looks back at Honor, she slightly opens her mouth; trying to find a way to approach the situation. Athena was always blunt. But with a subject like this, she had to ease into it.

"Am I dead?" Honor asks.

Athena snaps out of her thoughts and a chuckle of relief escapes her lips. "Yes!"

Honor jumps from Athena's laugh.

"Well..." Athena tilts her head from side to side. "It sort of depends."

Athena looks at Honor, "Where...where are you? I mean, you as in your body."

Honor swallows thickly, and she guides Athena through the hospital. "So, are you new to this whole...dead but not dead thing too or...?"

Athena slightly opens her mouth, "Oh, well...I am but I'm not."

"What..." Honor chuckles. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, I'm new to me being dead, but not dead. But I'm not new to other people being dead, but not dead." Athena explains.

"I see..." Honor looks at the ground. "How old are you?"

"11."

"12." Honor says.

"Wow...is it different?" Athena asks.

"Oh, yeah!" Honor laughs. "I mean, one more year and I'm 13. Also, I just started my period, so...that's kinda different--scary, but different."

Athena blinks, "Wow, that sounds scary."

"Wait, do you...not know what a period is?" Honor asks.

Athena looks at the ground, "Well, I heard my brother talk about it before." she holds up her pointer finger. "He was relieved a girl had it...so I thought they were a good thing. But, now you're saying it's scary..."

Honor's eyes slightly widen, "Oh! I'm sorry for freaking you out." she chuckles. "I meant, it was scary when I first got it. I knew what it was, but my mom was at work and I was alone."

Athena slowly nods her head. "But, everything worked out, right?"

"Yeah! My mom came to my rescue. Rushed all the way home, her arms full of pads." Honor laughs.

Athena pulls her brows together. She didn't know what a pad was, but hearing Honor laugh made Athena start laughing too.

"Your mom seems nice," Athena says.

"Yeah, she is." Honor smiled softly. "What about your mom? Why didn't she tell you about periods?"

Athena's smile lessens. "Uh, I don't...my mom didn't want me." she hugs herself.

Honor looks at Athena. "Oh, I'm sorry."

Athena chews the inside of her cheek. "It's okay, I mean...it was years ago, I have to move passed it."

"Says who?"

"My dad."

Honor lets out a huff. "Your dad sounds like a dick."

Athena chuckles, "He is."

Honor stops in front of a room and looks into it. Athena stops and turns toward the room. Her eyes land on Honor's lifeless body in the bed while a woman holds her hand. Honor slowly shakes her head.

"I don't understand..." Honor whispers. "...I just came in for an appendectomy."

"You must have terrible luck." Athena shakes her head.

Honor lets out a huff, "You have no idea."

"This...this is just a dream. That's all." Honor starts to walk away and Athena pulls her brows together.

"I mean, this dream is way more vivid than normal, but...it's a dream." Honor nods her head and starts to shake the nerves out of her hand.

"Yeah..." Athena watches Honor pace back and forth. "...this isn't a dream."

"Then what else could it be?" Honor looks at Athena, stopping in front of her.

"You're a ghost." Athena shrugs.

Honor deadpans, "Be serious."

"I am!" Athena holds her hands out. "You...are a spirit right now, teetering between life and death."

"It's got a lot of different names." Athena scratches the side of her neck. "Bilocation, Crisis Apparitions, Fetches."

"I am 100% sure it's happening to us." Athena sighs. "And if it is, then I'm right--obviously. And we're spirits...and we're close to death."

Honor looks back at her body and she takes a deep breath. "We're gonna die, aren't we?"

"No." Athena pulls her brows together. "Not if we hold on. Our bodies can get better...at least yours can."

"Well, what about you?" Honor looks at Athena.

"That's...complicated." Athena scratches her arm. "For me, it's not my body, but it's my...brain. I might need a bigger push to help me come back."

"And that is?"

Athena inhales a breath and a small smile of hope forms on her lips. "My brothers."

☆

Athena keeps her eyes on Honor, who was bouncing up and down the stairs while humming softly. She tilts her head and pulls her brows together. "Are you okay?"

Honor stops on one of the stairs and looks at Athena. "Uh--what?"

"I mean..." Athena stands up. "Most people in your situation would be sobbing uncontrollably and freaking out. But you're taking this pretty well."

The blonde presses her lips together. "Maybe my little kid brain can't comprehend it."

"Well, I can comprehend it pretty well..." Athena stands up from one of the steps and makes her way over to the girl. "...and I'm younger than you."

"Then why aren't you freaking out?" Honor cranes her neck forward.

Athena places her hands on her hips. "Because I deal with stuff like this all the time. I'm like a death expert." she shrugs.

Honor blinks and Athena's shoulders sag.

"I realize now that's not something to brag about."

Honor smiles softly, "Look, don't get me wrong--I was pretty freaked at first. But now I don't know. Maybe I'm dealing."

Athena squints her eyes, "So, you're okay with this? Dying?"

"No!" Honor lets out a chuckle. "Of course not."

Honor presses her lips together and shrugs a shoulder. "I just think whatever's gonna happen is gonna happen."

Athena tilts her head, the gears in her head turning.

"It's out of my control. It's just fate."

The auburn-haired girl slowly nods her head. "Right...well, that's crap."

Honor slightly pulls her face back as Athena starts to stretch.

"My fate is waking up." Athena sighs. "Because I am waking up."

"I'm just saying...I don't want you to be heartbroken if you don't wake up." Honor voices.

Athena turns to the blonde and touches her shoulders. "And I appreciate that. But you always have a choice and my choice is to keep fighting. No matter what."

Panicked voices rise behind the two girls. Athena turns her head, seeing the nurses rush down the hall. Honor shifts her eyes to the auburn-haired girl and she scrunches her brows.

Athena follows after the nurses.

"Wait--Athena!"

"I'll be right back," Athena says, running down the hall. She pivots around the corner and rushes down the other hall. Athena makes it to the room and inhales a deep breath. Her eyes widen, seeing the same spirit looming over a little girl's lifeless body.

"Get away from her!"

The monitor starts to flatline and Athena's breath hitches as the spirit disappears.

"All right. Let's call it." The doctor announces.

Athena walks over to the girl in the bed, "No..."

"Time of death--5:11 p.m."

"At least she's not suffering anymore." One of the nurses voices.

Athena shakes her head, "Why would a spirit want to collect lives..." she keeps her eyes on the girl's lifeless body. Athena closes her eyes and starts to tap her fingers against her thigh. A low volumed hum comes from her mouth. Athena opens her eyes and she raises her brows. "Unless it's not a spirit!"

Athena turns around and her face hits the wall. The auburn-haired girl stumbles back and she groans. "Aw, man..." she touches her nose. "I was on a roll too."

Athena lightly touches the wall, "Sorry about that."

She then runs out of the room.

Athena makes it back to her room and sees her brothers already there. Sam was holding a brown bag.

"Hey, Athena." Sam starts. "We think you may be around and if you are, don't make fun of me for this, but, there's one way we can talk." he pulls the ouija board out of the bag.

Dean runs a hand through his hair. "I still can't believe we're doing this."

Athena raises her brows, "Do these actually work?"

"I mean, how do we know these actually work?" Dean asks.

Athena points at Dean, her point being made.

"We're about to find out," Sam says. He walks over to the empty space in front of the hospital bed and sits on the ground. Sam sets the ouija board up and looks at Dean, who was still standing in the doorway with his arms folded.

"Sam--"

"We have to find out if that was her, and unless you have a better idea..." Sam shrugs his shoulders.

Dean looks at Athena's body in the bed and sighs. "All right, fuck it..." he walks over to Sam and sits beside him.

Sam inhales a breath, "Athena, are you here?"

Athena claps her hands, "I've never done one of these before, y'know?" She sits in front of her brothers. "Kinda excited." she places her hands on the planchette. As soon as the girl felt the object touch her fingers she slightly pulls her hands back.

Her mouth hangs open and she quietly giggles. "No way, dude..."

Athena rolls her lips into her mouth to contain her laughter. She places her hands back on the planchette and moves it to 'yes'. Sam and Dean's eyes widen.

"Holy shit." The brother's chorus.

"I know, right!" Athena exclaims and starts to rock back and forth.

Dean exhales laughter with tears welling in his eyes. "Oh, thank God..."

Sam inhales a breath with a smile on his face. "It's so good to hear from you."

"It hasn't been the same without you, Athena."

Athena raises her brows. "You're telling me. You guys haven't been able to hear any of my jokes."

Athena moves the planchette again and Sam pulls his brows together.

"Athena, what is it?"

The brothers watch the planchette move across different letters.

"Hunt," Dean says, watching the word get spelled. "Are you hunting?"

The planchette moves to 'yes'.

"Athena, it's in the hospital, what you're hunting?" Sam asks. "Do you know what it is?"

Athena closes her eyes, her brain starting to scramble. "Ah, I can't handle the multiple questions." she shakes her head. "One question at a time..."

The auburn-haired girl inhales a soft breath and starts to move the planchette again. "When I saw the girl die. I thought that the spirit was doing it, but now...I don't think so."

"I don't even think it's a spirit."

"I think it's just doing its job. Taking people when their time is up."

Sam's eyes widen, "Reaper."

Dean's back straightens and the same thought crosses through each brother's mind. "Athena, is it after you?"

Athena swallows and she moves the planchette to 'yes'. Dean's shoulders sag and Sam's breathing hitches.

"If it's here naturally, there's no way to stop it." Sam states.

Athena scratches the side of her neck. "Yeah, you can't kill death." she lets out a soft breath and swipes her tongue across her lower lip. "I'm screwed..." Athena lets go of the planchette and her breathing quickens. The information finally hit her.

"There's gotta be a way," Sam says.

Dean looks at his brother and Sam looks at him.

"Right, Dean?"

Dean cracks a small smile and touches the back of Sam's neck. "We're not letting her die, Sammy."

Sam and Dean stand up.

"Dad will know what to do."

Athena inhales a deep breath. "As much as I hate to say this, I really hope he does."

...

"Hi, Athena."

Athena inhales a deep breath and curls her hands into fists. "Hi, Honor. If that's really your name."

The blonde laughs softly and swings her legs back and forth from the edge of the hospital bed. "It is."

"You know, you read the most interesting things." Athena walks into the room. "And by 'you' I mean 'me'. I read the most interesting things."

Honor rolls her lips into her mouth and laughs. "Thanks for the clarification."

"You're welcome." Athena nods. She pulls her brows together and shakes her head, noticing she was getting sidetracked.

"Reapers can alter human perception." Athena states. "Now that I think about it...it's so obvious." she bunches her shoulders. "They can make themselves appear however they want. Like, a nice...pretty girl named, Honor."

"You think I'm pretty?" Honor chuckles.

Athena shakes her head. "Of course, everybody's pretty."

The blonde looks to the side. "I was wondering when you'd figure it out." She bunches her shoulders. "It usually takes people a few days. But you...you're different."

Athena presses her lips into a firm line. "Thank you."

She then points at Honor, "Earlier. When you were talking about 'accepting fate'. I knew there was something weird."

Athena pulls her brows together. "The mother and the body...was that a part of your perception?"

"It's my sandbox." Honor states, shrugging a shoulder. "I can make you see whatever I want."

"Why?" Athena lets out a soft chuckle. "Is this some sick joke to you? Messing with my head?"

"You didn't give me much choice." Honor replies. "You saw my true form, and you freaked out--"

"You put your hand in my chest!" Athena holds her arms out. "Sorry, if I got freaked out."

Honor looks at the ground. "I apologize for that."

"I knew this was the only way I could get you to talk to me."

Athena's eyes soften. "I wasn't...freaked out by your real form, y'know? Just kinda big on consent is all."

Athena rocks back and forth on her heels. "What did you want to talk about?"

Honor pats the bed next to her, "How death is nothing to fear."

Athena scrapes her teeth against her upper lip. "Believe it or not, I'm not afraid of dying." she presses her lips together. "But I am afraid of what is going to happen if I sit next to you."

"It's your time to go, Athena."

Honor hops off the bed and walks over to Athena. The auburn-haired girl pulls her face back as Honor touches Athena's arm. A painful pit forms in the girl's stomach and she scrunches her brows. Athena pulls her arm out of Honor's grip and the pain eases. "If that's what it feels like going with you, I am all good."

"You're already living on borrowed time already."

Athena squints her eyes, "We can talk. But...just don't touch me, okay?"

Honor presses her lips into a small smile. "All right."

☆

Sam and Dean found nothing in John's journal. Not only that, John wasn't even around to help them. The brothers were slowly falling into the pit of hopelessness. All they could hope they could do was hope for Athena to pull through by herself. Sam and Dean were both sitting beside Athena's bedside.

"Hey, Athena..." Sam starts, breaking the deafening silence. "I don't know if you're here right now. But, we couldn't find anything in the book."

Sam inhales a shaky breath and blinks his tears away. "We don't know how to help you."

"But, we're gonna keep trying," Dean says, lifting his head up so he could look at her. "As long as you keep fighting, we'll do the same."

Sam exhales a soft chuckle. "You can't leave me here...especially with dad. We'll kill each other."

"And if you haven't noticed..." Dean starts. "...dad and I haven't been getting along recently."

"We miss your...confused look every time we make a joke." Sam voices.

"And your explanations when you tell a joke," Dean adds.

"We just...miss you. And we need you to hold on." Sam says. "We just started being siblings again."

"I've still got a lot of making up to do." Dean chuckles softly, but it just sounded like he was in pain. "And there is a lot of making up I have to do."

"Well, that goes without saying," Sam murmurs.

Sam and Dean manage to share a small laugh.

...

Athena keeps her good eye on her fingernails. "You probably hear this all the time, but..." she shakes her head. "You--you have to make an exception."

Honor looks away from the desperate girl. Athena follows the reaper's gaze.

"You got to cut me a break," Athena begs softly.

"Stage 3..." Honor looks back at Athena, meeting her tearful eyes. "...bargaining."

Athena slightly raises her arms and drops them to her side. "I'm serious. My family is in danger--"

"Athena, I'm sorry. Truly--"

"Stop, stop..." Athena shakes her head. "Don't apologize to me, if you're just gonna end up taking me anyway!"

"I..." Athena wipes at the tears in her good eye. "I haven't even got to live."

"I mean, I haven't been able to live a good life." Athena inhales a shaky breath. "Can't I get that?"

"Some people are just born to fail." Honor admits.

Athena's chest tightens. It hurt to hear, but it was true. Athena knew that, but she didn't want to hear it.

"Athena, your fight is over--"

"No, it's not!" Athena snaps, her agitation rising.

"It is for you." Honor tilts her head. "You're not the first child I've helped cross. Especially, one who's been through hell."

Athena closes her mouth and swallows.

"They all try and give me various reasons as to why they should stay." Honor sighs. "They can't leave, Someone they care about needs them, they haven't lived. But they're wrong."

"Life goes on without them."

Athena shakes her head, "B-But, my brothers. They could die without me."

"Maybe they will. Maybe they won't." Honor raises her brows. "There's nothing you can do about it."

Athena wipes her nose and shakes her head.

"It's an honorable death, a warrior's death." Honor tries to reassure the girl.

"Right, me dying in a car crash is so honorable." Athena shrugs. "I wasn't awake when it happened."

"I don't even think there's such thing as an honorable death." Athena bunches her shoulders and lets out a dry chuckle. "My corpse is either gonna rot or burn and my family is going to die."

Athena slowly starts to shake her head. "I can't--I'm not going with you."

"Athena--"

"I'm not." Her tone was more firm than before.

Honor presses her lips into a small smile. "Well, there's always a choice." she shrugs. "I can't make you come with me."

Athena exhales softly.

"But, you're not getting back in your body, and that's the truth." Honor's voice was soft. "So, of course, you can stay. You'll stay here for years--disembodied, scared. And over the decades, it'll probably drive you mad. Maybe you'll even get violent."

Athena slightly tilts her chin up. "I'll become an angry spirit."

Honor nods her head, "Yeah."

"You're gonna become the same thing you hunt." Honor states. "Do you really want that?"

"I don't want any of this!" Athena cries. She leans against the wall and slides to the ground with her hands tangled in her hair. Honor cautiously walks over to the girl and sits next to her.

"You've had a hard, Athena." Honor says.

Athena looks at Honor. The blonde gives her a small smile of reassurance. "Don't you want to rest?"

...

"It's very unseemly, making deals with Devils." The yellow-eyed Demon keeps his cautious look on John's.

"How do I know this isn't just another trick?"

"It's no trick." John keeps his eyes on the Demon's. "I will give you the Colt and the bullet. But you got to help Athena."

Azazel takes a dramatic step back. "Athena?" he cranes his neck forward. "Like, your daughter, Athena?"

John clenches his jaw and looks off to the side. Azazel looks around, "This has to be a joke, right?--"

"You got to bring her back." John cuts off Azazel's taunting.

Azazel stops laughing and tilts his head. "Why, John, who knew that you were a sentimentalist?" the demon places his hands on his hips. "Especially, for the...uh, what was the name you gave her--oh! the 'half-blooded burden'."

John looks at the ground.

"If only your daughter knew how much her daddy loved her." Azazel squints his eyes. "Except...this isn't about love, is it?" he creeps closer to the father. "No, no, no...because I was possessing you and I know how your brain works."

"Athena is only of use to you alive." Azazel states. "You know that Sam and Dean couldn't survive without her and you...you actually think she's got some special abilities that could kill me, right?"

John tenses and the demon smirks.

"Oh, I love being right." Azazel inhales a deep breath. "It makes me all tingly in--"

"Do we have a deal or not?" John seethes. "It's a good trade. You care more about the gun than you do Athena--"

"Oh, but do I?" Azazel cocks his head to the side. "She may not be one of my special children, but she is special."

John tenses. If Azazel did decide on taking Athena to use her embedded abilities; who knew what she would be capable of doing? John quickly recovers from his nervous state and squints his eyes.

"Anyway, none of your kids are much of a threat. Athena knows nothing about her abilities and Sam has barely used his." Azazel raises his brows. "You know the truth, right...about Sammy and the other children?"

"Yeah. I've known for a while." John states.

"But Sam doesn't, does he?" Azazel inquires. "You've been playing dumb."

"You always have. You've done the same thing with Athena's mom." Azazel sucks in a sharp breath. He watches John's aura switch from confident to guilt-ridden at the mention of Faye.

"Faye Clarke. Yeah, I remember her. I remember my child, who possessed her too." Azazel tilts his head. "Good times--"

"Can you bring Athena back?" John snaps, his guilt becoming evident about Athena's mom. "Yes or no."

"No." Azazel answers. "But I know someone who can. It's not a problem."

"Good. And before I give you the gun, I'm gonna want to make sure that Athena's okay, with my own eyes."

Azazel pouts his lower lip. "Oh, John, I'm offended. Don't you trust me?"

A small breath leaves John's lips. Azazel rolls his eyes, "Fine."

"So we have a deal?"

"No, John, not yet." Azazel tilts his head. "You still need to sweeten the pot."

"With what?"

Azazel stands toe-to-toe with John. "There's something else I want as much as that gun. Maybe more."

...

"It's time to put the pain behind you."

Athena's lower lip quivers and she bunches her shoulders. "And go where?"

"I'm sorry, I can't give that away." Honor inhales. "This is the moment of truth. There's no changing your mind later."

"So, what's it going to be?"

Athena felt it in her heart. She was tired. After everything she has been through in her 11 years--of course, she was. And she knew that there was no getting out of this. Athena was going to be stuck in this hospital forever if she denied Honor. And the girl genuinely didn't know if she was going to Heaven or Hell. She didn't even know if there even was a Heaven or Hell. Fear creeps through the auburn-haired girl and she inhales a soft breath.

I'm sorry, guys.

"I tried..." Athena whispers. "I tried to fight for as long as I could."

Honor stands up and holds her hand out to the auburn-haired girl. "I only want to help you up. I promise that you won't magically appear to the other side."

Athena presses her lips into a small smile and accepts Honor's hand. Athena stands in front of Honor and the Winchester wipes the tears from her good eye.

"Even before I was in the coma." Athena inhales her cries. "All I did was fight."

"I know." Honor nods her head. "Athena, can I hug you?"

Athena exhales a soft chuckle. "Yeah." her voice cracks.

Athena wraps her arms around Honor's neck and Honor wraps her arms around Athena's waist. The Winchester starts to cry harder than before. Before Athena could give Honor her answer, the lights start to flicker which causes both girls to lift their heads up. Honor pulls away from the hug and Athena snaps her eyes over to the reaper and steps away from her.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Athena asks.

Honor slowly shakes her head, "I'm not doing it."

A small hissing is heard and the girls shift their gaze to the black smoke escaping the vents. Honor's eyes widen and Athena scrunches her brows together.

"Honor--"

"You can't do this!" Honor cries.

Athena continues stepping back until her back hits the wall.

"Get away!"

"Honor, what's going on?!" Athena shouts.

The black smoke forces itself into Honor's mouth and she screams. Athena's breathing gets caught in her throat and she scrunches her shoulders. The screams from Honor abruptly stop. Athena relaxes her body when the black smoke disappears. She cautiously makes her way over to the Reaper. "H-Honor?"

"Are you okay?"

Honor whips her head around, her yellow eyes meeting Athena's teary blue ones. "Today's your lucky day, kid."

Athena's eyes widen before she could get away from Honor; the Demon places its hand on the girl's forehead and a hot flash of pain explodes into Athena's head.

Sam and Dean hear a gasp come from Athena's lips and her eye flies open. The brothers immediately stand up from their chairs.

"Athena!"

Athena starts to choke on the tube in her mouth.

"Help! I need help!"

☆

"I can't explain it. The Edema's vanished, the internal contusions are healed, your vitals are good."

"You got to have some kind of Angel watching over you."

A bitter breath leaves Athena's lips. "Right, an Angel that can't heal a shoulder or an eye."

The doctor blinks and Athena presses her lips together. "I was joking. Thanks, doc."

"Oh, funny joke..." The doctor awkwardly walks out of the room.

Sam and Dean look at each other, smiles on their lips. They have missed Athena so much.

Athena looks at Sam, "You said a Reaper was after me?"

"Yeah. We used a ouija board and everything to communicate with you." Sam states.

"How did I get rid of it?" Athena pulls her brows together.

"You got me." Sam chuckles softly.

Athena looks at her hands. There was an itch she couldn't scratch. She was missing something so major in her mind.

"Athy, you really don't remember anything?" Dean asks.

Athena pokes her tongue to the side of her cheek out of annoyance. "Nope." She shakes her head. "I have this...pit in my stomach." she tries to explain. "Something's not right."

Sam and Dean exchange a look. A sudden soft knock is heard at the door. The three siblings all look at their father standing in the doorway.

"Hey, how you feeling, kiddo?"

Athena pulls her brows together, but she gives him a small shrug. "Fine, I'm alive."

"That's what matters." John nods.

"I guess..." Athena looks back at her fingernails.

"Hey."

Athena looks at Sam and he gives her a soft smile. "Your shoulder and eye are gonna be as good as new with time."

Athena presses her lips into a small smile. "Right..."

Athena wasn't even sad about her newfound injuries. She honestly didn't even know if she was sad. Athena just felt...nothing. She just wishes she could knock down that wall in her brain, blocking her from whatever she forgot about on the other side.

"Where were you last night?" Sam asks, looking back at his father with a stern expression.

John looks at Sam, "I had some things to take care of."

"Well, that's specific."

Dean inhales a breath, knowing what was about to happen. "Come on, Sam."

"Did you go after the Demon?" Sam questions.

"No."

"You know, why don't I believe you right now?" Sam folds his arms.

John pushes himself off the doorframe and enters the room. "Can we not fight?"

Athena looks away from the reflection of her eye in the mirror and her good eye lands on her father.

"You know, half the time we're fighting, I don't know what we're fighting about." John chuckles. "We're just butting heads."

"Look, Sammy, I've...I've made some mistakes," John admits. "More than mistakes." he looks at Athena and she tenses. "I've been a shitty father."

Athena looks away from John and looks back at the mirror.

"I...I haven't done the best I could." John continues. "And I know I don't deserve this, but...I just don't want to fight anymore, okay?"

Silence settles into the room. "Dad, are you all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm just a little tired." John says.

Dean exhales a soft chuckle, "This has to have been one of the longest days of my life."

"Calm down, Jack Bauer." Athena sets the mirror aside.

All the men look at her, noticing her solemn energy.

"Athena--"

"Can I be alone now?" Athena crosses her arms and lays on her side with her eyes away from the door. "I'm worn out."

None of them even wanted to push the girl, so they all leave the room with the door closing behind them.

All the men stand outside of Athena's room. "Hey, Sammy, can you go get me a cup of coffee?" John asks.

Sam slowly nods his head, "Uh, yeah, sure..." he walks away from Dean and John.

John watches Sam walk away and Dean squints his eyes.

"What is it?" Dean asks.

John looks at his eldest son and his chest tightens. "You know, when, uh--when you were a kid, I'd come home from a hunt, and after what I'd seen, I'd be--I'd be wrecked."

Dean pulls his brows together. His father never wanted to reminisce. So, why now?

"And you--you'd come up to me, and you'd put your hand on my shoulder, and you'd look me in my eye and you'd..." John's voice starts to shake and Dean's eyes slightly widen. "...you'd say, 'it's okay, dad'."

"Dean, I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"You shouldn't have had to say that to me." John states. "I should've been saying that to you. I should've been saying that to all of you."

A lump forms in Dean's throat and a pit forms in his stomach. "I put too much on your shoulders. I made you grow up too fast. You took care of Sammy. You took care of me."

"I didn't take care of Athena." Dean meets John's eyes. "So, don't go praising me, when I didn't protect her from you."

John slowly nods his head. "I'm gonna talk to her next. I just, wanted you to know that I am so proud of you."

Dean tilts his head, "This really you talking?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it's really me." John chuckles softly.

"Why are you saying this stuff?" Dean shrugs.

"I want you to watch out for Sammy and Athy, okay?" John claps Dean's shoulder.

Dean scrunches his brows together. "Yeah, dad, you know I will." a small chuckle leaves his lips, but it just comes out like a choke. "You're scaring me."

"Don't be scared, Dean." John gives him a small smile. John leans over to his son and whispers in his ear. Dean's whole body runs cold from the information. He pulls his face back and meets his dad's eyes. John gives him a small nod before entering Athena's room, leaving Dean with tears in his eyes.

When Athena asked for time alone to get some rest, in all honesty, that was a lie. She just didn't want to be around Dean and John.

The door slowly opens and Athena snaps her eye over to the door. She sees her father standing in the doorway and her heart drops into her stomach. Athena ignores the pain in her body and she slowly sits up. "H-Hi..." she manages to speak, despite her weak and shaken voice.

John cracks a small smile and Athena pulls her brows together. He grabs a chair and sits beside the bed Athena was in. "I wanted to talk to you."

"About what, sir?" Athena asks.

"About you," John says, he spins his wedding band around his finger. "About...what I put you through."

Athena looks at her hands and shakes her head. "We don't have to do this--"

"Yes, we do, Athena."

Athena's eyes start to burn with tears.

"I'm sorry."

Athena looks at her father, her right eye was still bandaged, but it was obvious from her good eye that she was angry. Her lower lip was split and her left arm was in a sling from her dislocated shoulder. "You're sorry?" She lets out a breath of disbelief. "Is...is that all?"

"After everything, I went through...everything you put me through all you have to say is you're sorry?" Athena shakes her head.

John looks away from the girl and she pulls her face back. "You always tell me I have to look into your eyes to show you a sign of strength...and you can't even do that now."

"Why'd you do it?" Athena asks. "What did I do to make you hate me so much?"

"Athena--"

"Just tell me!" Athena cries.

Silence settles into the room and John swallows. "I wanted revenge for the Demon that killed Mary." John starts. "And...I thought that you could help me kill it."

A crease forms between Athena's brows.

"But as time went on...when you weren't achieving what I wanted from you. It just became clear to me that I was never going to avenge Mary--not with you."

Athena squints her eye, "So, that's why you hate me? Because I wasn't your weapon?"

"Athy--"

"I am 11 years old." Athena's voice cracks. "I am a kid. And you...had so much hate for me because I couldn't kill a demon?"

"I'm sorry."

"You already said that." Athena wipes the tears from her eye. "Why did you come in here in the first place? To clear the air? Because this just made things worse...per usual."

"If you're looking for forgiveness. You're not getting it from me." Athena huffs.

John manages to look Athena in her eye and his jaw goes slack. He saw the amount of pain and anger in them. He did that. And John knew it too. The once bubbly Athena Winchester was slowly slipping away.

"I want you to leave." Athena's tone was strong but shaking from her exhausted voice. "I'm done. I should've been done a long time ago, but this is it." she looks away from her father, her eye now glued to the window.

John's shoulders sag, knowing that this wasn't the way he wanted the conversation to end. He wanted to explain everything to Athena. He wanted to tell her about Faye. Hoping, that maybe her abilities that were within her would surface somehow. But he knew that moment was gone and Athena was done. John completely ruined Athena Winchester.

John stands up and walks toward the door. He knew he made a good choice, choosing to bring Athena back. Because he knows just how much power she has, even if she wasn't ready to show it yet.

"I am sorry things weren't different between us, Athena," John says.

A lump forms in Athena's throat and her lips start to quiver. Before tears could fall, the girl rolls her lips into her mouth and clears her throat. A strong facade falls over the girl and she shrugs her good shoulder.

"Ok."

━━━━━━━━━━

Elle Fanning as Honor

A/N

How is John going to tell Dean not to be scared and then whisper in his ear to kill his own brother🤨??? BYE.

Anyway, I didn't put John's death scene because...it will all be explained next chapter. Don't worry <3