Scarecrow.

Athena looks at Dean and sees him staring at his phone.

The girl squints her eyes and massages her temples. She quietly hums. Dean pulls his brows together and turns to his little sister. His brows scrunch together, noticing her glaring at him.

"What—why are you staring at me like that?"

"I'm trying to control your mind so you can actually call Sam about what I find—"

"What you found?—"

"Yes, what I found. Because I found it!" Athena cranes her neck forward. "Call him."

Dean rolls his eyes, but he flips open his phone.

"Oh, let me call him." Athena grabs the phone. "Pay attention to the road."

Athena quickly dials the number, smiling so hard. She presses the phone against her ear.

"Hello?"

"Woooow...someone answered fast." Athena raises her brows and frowns. "Someone's desperate for familial interaction, huh?"

Sam's laugh is heard over the phone and Athena's smile grows.

"Athena, how's it going?"

"Jeepers Creepers, that's how's it going!"

"Uh—what?"

"Give me the phone." Dean grabs it and puts the phone on speaker.

Athena snickers quietly. The three siblings talk on the phone with each other for what seems like hours. "The scarecrow climbed off its cross?"

"Hey, I'm telling you, Burlitsville, Indiana—fun town." Dean says.

"It didn't kill the couple, did it?" Sam asks.

"No. I can cope without you, you know." Dean states. "So something must be animating it—a spirit."

"No, it's more than a spirit." Athena says. "It's a God—A Pagan God, anyway."

"What makes you say that?" Sam asks.

Athena scratches the side of her nose. "The annual cycle of its killings, and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman. Like a fertility rite."

"And you should see the locals." Dean adds. "The way they treated this couple—fattening them up like a Christmas Turkey."

Athena raises her brows, "Christmas Turkey sounds good." She frowns. "We should have one."

"It's not Christmas." Dean says.

"Well...Turkey then." Athena shrugs. "Regular old Turkey."

"So...it's like the last meal. Given to sacrificial victims." Sam focuses the conversation once again.

"Yeah, we've been thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan God." Dean explains.

"So a God possesses the Scarecrow..." Sam trails off.

"...the scarecrow takes its sacrifice..." Dean adds.

"...and for another year, the crops won't wilt and disease won't spread." Athena adds.

"You know which God you're dealing with?" Sam asks.

"Nope, not yet." Dean answers.

"Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it." Sam states.

"I know—obviously. We're actually on my way to local community college." Athena pronounces. "We have an appointment with a professor."

"Yeah, it's gonna take us awhile since we don't have the geek boy by our side." Dean adds.

Athena huffs, "Speak for yourself. I'll have this done—easy."

Dean once again, nudges Athena and she groans. The girl looks at Dean and he raises his brows. Athena reads his eyes and slightly opens her mouth.

"Oh—I mean, we miss you." Athena says. "And we miss your brain...?"

Dean rolls his eyes. Sam laughs.

"You know, if you're hinting you need my help, just ask."

"We don't—I mean, yes!" Athena awkwardly nods. "We need your help."

"Actually..." Dean starts. "Uh..." he chuckles nervously, not being able to speak his mind.

Athena pulls her brows together. "Why do you look sick? Are you okay?"

"Shaddup...I'm trying to say something." Dean says through gritted teeth.

Athena raises her brows. "Sorry..."

"I...I want you to know...I mean, don't think—"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, too." Sam says.

Athena pouts out her lower lip. "Awww..." she smiles.

"Sam...you were right." Dean admits. "You got to do your own thing. You got to live your own life."

"You serious?" Sam asks. "Athena, is he serious?"

Athena looks at Dean with squinted eyes. "Yeah, he's serious."

"Huh, that's the first." Sam frowns.

"I know, right?" Athena snorts.

"Let me talk, please!"

Athena and Sam quiet down.

"You've always known what you want, and you go for it." Dean clears his throat. "You stand up to dad. I mean, you always have. Hell, I wish I..."

Athena quickly turns to Dean, her eyes wide.

"Anyway...I admire that about you." Dean's voice shakes. "I'm proud of you, Sammy."

"I don't even know what to say." Sam chuckles.

"I do..." Athena smiles. "Dean has a heart!"

☆

"Everybody in this town is insane!"

Athena raises her brows, "Ya think?" She pulls her brows together.

Dean examines the cut on Athena's forehead. "Who hits a kid anyway?"

"Do you want me to answer that?" Athena deadpans.

"No, we both have the same answer for that one." Dean cleans her forehead.

"All right, this is the best I can do until we get out of here." Dean sighs. He places a Hello Kitty sticker over her cut.

Athena presses her lips into a smile. "Thank you."

The cellar door opens. "Aunt Stacy...Uncle Harley, please."

They shove the girl into the cellar.

"Their own niece." Athena shakes her head. "I did not see that coming."

"Why are you doing this?"

"For the common good." Stacy says before closing the door.

"But there's three of us." Athena holds a hand up. "Why? May I ask?"

"He's upset with us." Stacy states. "So, three sacrifices is better than two."

Athena presses her lips together. "Thanks for the explanation!"

The cellar door closes. Dean climbs up the steps and rams his body against the cellar door.

Athena turns to the Emily. "I'm sorry, you're Uncle and Aunt are gonna kill you."

"What?!"

"Athena!"

"What did I say?" Athena raises her arms in the air. "I'm sympathizing."

"What do you mean they're gonna kill us?" Emily questions.

Dean stops trying to open the cellar and turns to Emily.

"Sacrifice is the correct term." Athena holds a finger.

"It's a much classier way to say it." Dean nods, agreeing. He walks toward Emily. "You really didn't know anything about this...did you?"

Emily raises her brows, "About what—the scarecrow God?"

"I can't believe this." Emily exhales a frustrated breath.

"Well, you better start believing, because we're gonna need your help." Dean says.

"Okay."

"Now, we can destroy the Jeepers Creeper God, but we got to find the tree." Athena informs Emily.

"What tree?" Emily asks.

"Maybe you can help with that." Dean says. "It would be really old. The locals would treat it with a lot of respect, like it was sacred."

"There was this one apple tree." Emily says. "The immigrants brought it over with them. They calm it 'The First Tree'."

"Is it in the orchard?" Athena raises her brows.

"Yeah, but I don't know where." Emily says.

The cellar doors open once again, causing the three to turn.

Athena's jaw goes slack. "We're going to die."

☆

"You don't have a plan, do you?"

"I'm working on it." Dean says. He looks to the side at Athena, who was tied to the tree next to him.

"Do you have a plan?" Dean asks.

Athena presses her lips into a firm line. "Hey, Emily. Can you see the Jeepers Creepers?"

"Huh?"

"Is it moving yet?" Athena asks.

"I can't see."

"That's the question I asked you the first time." Athena sighs.

Footsteps is heard approaching them.

"Oh, My God..."

"Huh? It's moving?!" Athena's jaw goes slack. "Oh, My God—we're gonna die!"

"Athena? Dean?"

Athena quiets her cries and opens her eyes. "Sammy!" Her eyes light up.

"Oh, I take back everything I said." Dean chuckles. "I'm so happy to see you."

Sam starts to untie Dean's restraints, then he walks over to Athena.

Athena smiles, "Well, I don't need to take back anything I said, because I didn't say anything mean earlier."

"You never do, Athy." Sam chuckles.

"How'd you get here?" Dean asks, standing up.

"I, uh...stole a car." Sam winces.

Athena's mouth hangs open, while Dean laughs.

"That's my boy!"

"Grand Theft Auto!" Athena's eyes light up.

Sam and Dean exchange a look, noticing Athena's impressionability coming into play.

"We are not condoning Grand Theft Auto!" The brothers chorus.

Athena frowns. Her wrist become free and Sam helps her up. The girl wraps her arms around Sam's neck. Sam laughs and hugs her back.

"I'm glad you're here, Sam."

"Me too. I'm sorry I left...again." Sam apologizes.

Athena pulls out of the embrace. "You gotta do your own thing." She says, a smile on her lips. "And with you going to college..." she shakes her head. "...I shouldn't have been mad at you."

Sam's eyes soften, "You had every right to be—"

"No, I didn't." Athena says. "Dad...he was hard on all of us. I forget sometimes that it wasn't just me. And you needed to get out of there that night and your life was better!"

Athena stops talking, "I mean...is better—I'm sorry—"

Sam pulls Athena into another hug.

"Hey, I am loving this bonding thing going on right now. But...the scarecrow is gone." Dean says, untying Emily's wrists. "So, we gotta move."

"Oh, right!" Athena pulls out of Sam's hug. "Autobots—lets roll out!"

Sam grabs Athena and throws her over his shoulder. They all start to run through the woods.

"Now, this sacred tree you're talking about..."

"It's the source of its power." Dean states.

"So, lets find it and burn it." Sam says.

"In the morning." Athena says, from over Sam's shoulder. "We've gotta hurry out of here before Jeepers Creepers comes back."

Twigs snap in the area. Athena snaps her head to the side and is greeted with a light in her eyes. "Sacrifices!" She points at Stacy and Harley.

Sam turns the other way, but is greeted with the Sheriff.

More lights surround the four.

"Please, let us go." Emily begs.

"It will be over quickly. I promise." Harley says.

"Please."

"Emily, you have to let him take you." Harley says. "You have to—"

A hook plunges through Harley. Athena raises her brows. "What? What's happening?!"

Stacy starts to scream.

"Come on, lets go!"

They all hurry away from the Scarecrow as he drags away Stacy and Harley.

☆

"Burn, baby, burn."

"Shhh..."

Athena purses her lips and watches the tree burn.

After burning the tree, they all went to see Emily off as she took the Bus out of town. Athena waves at the girl as the bus drives away.

"You think she's gonna be all right?" Sam asks.

"I hope so." Dean sighs.

"And the rest of the townspeople. They'll just get away with it?" Sam asks.

"Nah, karma." Athena says. "Karma is always a thing."

"What will happen to the town...that's gonna be their karma." Dean nods.

The siblings start to walk towards the Impala.

"So...can we drop you off somewhere?" Dean asks.

"No, I think the two of you are stuck with me." Sam says.

Athena smiles.

"What made you change your mind?" Dean asks

"I didn't." Sam sighs. "I still want to find dad. You're still a pain in my ass." He points at Dean. "And you're still the genius." He then points at Athena.

Athena presses her lips together.

"But Jess and mom...they're both gone." Sam continues. "Dad is God knows where. It's us three—we're all that's left."

"So, uh...if we're gonna see this through...we're gonna do it together."

"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful." Dean pouts his lower lip.

"AWWWW GROUP HUG!!!" Athena wraps her arms around Sam and Dean's waists, pulling them into a hug.

Sam and Dean laugh, but they hug their little sister back.