Nightmare.

"My mom's resting. She's pretty wrecked."

"Of course."

"All these people kept coming with, like, casseroles." Max continues. "I finally had to tell them all to go away. You know 'Cause nothing says "I'm sorry" like a tuna casserole."

Athena's eyes widen, "Wait, so...people actually give you food during these things?"

Sam tenses and nudges the girl. She grunts softly, "I mean...I totally understand what you're talking about, Max."

Athena didn't mean for her question to come out blunt. The girl was good at calming people down and having empathy for others, but every now and then she would miss some social cues.

Max softly chuckles, he looks at the ground and silence settles into the room. Athena purses her lips, "Did I...make this awkward?"

"No, no--have a seat." Max urges.

The siblings sit on the couch and Max sits in the chair across from them. Athena inhales, "So, how are you?"

"I'm okay." Max shrugs.

"Your dad and your uncle were close?" Sam asks.

Max looks at each sibling and Athena tilts her head, seeing the alert look in his eyes. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, they were brothers," he answers. "They used to hang out all the time when I was little."

"But not lately much?"

"No, it's not that," Max says. "It's just, we used to be neighbors when I was a kid. We lived across town in this house, and Uncle Roger lived next door, so he was over all the time."

"So, how was it in that house when you were a kid?" Sam questions.

"Fine...why?"

"All good memories?" Dean asks. "You remember anything...unusual? Something involving your father and Uncle maybe?"

Max shifts in his seat and a forced chuckle leaves his lips. "Why do you--why do you ask?"

Dean shrugs, "Just a question."

Max regains control of his emotions, "No, there was nothing. We were totally normal...happy."

"Good. That's good." Dean nods.

"Uh--you must be exhausted." Athena chuckles. "We should get going."

"Yeah, thanks."

Max gives them a small smile, but each sibling could see past it.

As soon as they all left the house, Dean was the first to speak.

"Nobody's family is totally normal and happy," Dean claims. "You see when he was talking about his old house?"

"He sounded scared." Athena voices, her eyes glued onto her shoes.

"Max isn't telling us everything."

Once Athena got into the car, the girl felt in her heart that whatever Max was keeping from them was something she wasn't going to be prepared for.

When they got to Max's old house, Athena stayed behind her brothers as they talked to the neighbor.

"Have you lived in the neighborhood very long?" Sam asks.

"Almost 20 years now. It's nice and quiet." The man answers. "Why, you looking to buy?"

"No, no, actually, we were just wondering if you might recall a family that used to live right across the street, I believe."

"Yeah, The Millers," Dean adds. "They had a little boy named Max."

The neighbor's expression saddens. "Yeah, I remember them."

"The brother had the place next door." The man points out. "So, what's this about? That poor kid okay?"

Athena's back straightens.

"What do you mean?" Sam questions.

"Well, in my life, I've never seen a child treated like that." The man states. "I mean, I'd hear Mr. Miller yelling and throwing things clear across the street. He was a mean drunk."

"He used to beat the tar out of Max--bruises."

Athena's eyes widen and her heart drops into her stomach. "Wh-What?" she forces out.

The neighbor nods his head, "Yeah, broke his arm two times that I know of."

Tears burn in the girl's eyes and her breathing heavies. The way Max panicked when his father was mentioned. It all made so much sense.

"And this was going on regularly?" Sam asks.

"Practically every day." He answers. "In fact, that thug brother of his was just as likely to take a swing at the boy, but the worst part was the stepmother."

"What? Why?"

"She'd just stand there, checked out. Never lifted a finger to protect him." The neighbor explains. "I must have called the police seven or eight times. Never did any good."

"You said, Stepmother..."

"I think his real mom died in some sort of accident--car accident, I think." The man looks at Sam. "You okay there?"

Athena and Dean turn to their brother and see him clutching his head. The two become alert.

"Thanks for your time." Athena and Dean chorus.

Athena grabs Sam's hand and tugs him toward the car. "Are you okay?"

Sam stops in his tracks and groans.

"Sam, what's going on?" Dean asks.

Sam blinks and his face was etched with shock. "It's Max."

Athena pulls her brows together, "What's wrong with Max?"

Sam shakes his head, "He's the one killing everyone."

The siblings got back into the car and Sam explained everything he saw to Dean and Athena.

"Everything I've been seeing."

"You're sure it's him?" Athena asks.

"Yeah, I saw it," Sam says.

"Well, how's he pulling it off?" Dean questions.

"I don't know. It looked like telekinesis." San answers.

"So, he's psychic? He's a spoon bender?" Dean asks.

"Max killed them?" Athena asks.

Sam shakes his head, "I didn't even realize it, but this whole time, he was there. He was outside of the garage when his dad died. He was in the apartment when his uncle died." he explains. "These visions--I wasn't connecting to the Millers. I was connecting to Max."

"The thing is I don't get is why. I guess because we're so alike?"

"What are you talking about? Dude's nothing like you." Dean shuts down the idea.

"Well, they both have psychic abilities." Athena states.

"Yeah, and we're both--"

"Both what?" Dean asks. "Sam, Max is a monster."

"No, he's not," Athena says.

"He's killed two people, Athy. And now he's gunning for a third." Dean looks at Athena through the rearview mirror.

Athena chews on the inside of her cheek. "Doesn't mean he's a monster. With everything that he's gone through...I mean can you really blame him?"

"It doesn't justify murdering your entire family--"

"I didn't say--"

"He's no different than anything else we've hunted." Dean cuts his sister off. "We got to end him."

"No!" Sam and Athena chorus.

"We're not gonna kill Max," Sam adds.

Dean stops the car and looks at Sam then Athena. "Then what?"

"We hand him over to the cops and say, 'lock him up, officer. He kills with the power of his mind'."

"We're not killing him!" Athena snaps.

Dean scoffs, "Guys--"

"He's a person," Sam says. "We can talk to him."

"Hey, promise me you'll follow my lead on this one," Sam says to his brother.

"All right, fine." he rolls his eyes. "But I'm not letting him hurt anybody else."

Dean opens the glove box and reaches for his gun.

Athena's eyes widen, she shoots out of her seat and grabs Dean's wrist. "No, stop!"

Dean looks at Athena with his brows pulled together. "Athena--"

"He's just scared," Athena explains.

"Of what? He killed his father--"

"He's scared of being hurt again." Athena's eyes start to burn. "Did you seriously listen to Max's story and not have any of it resonate with you?"

Dean's chest tightens and his jaw clenches, while Sam pulls his brows together.

"That doesn't give him a reason to kill people, Athy," Dean says.

"I know that, but doesn't mean we should kill him too." Athena states. "We'd be just as bad as the people who hurt Max. We'd be just as bad as..." the girl trails off her sentence and she releases Dean's wrist. Sam and Dean knew what she was going to say, and it pained them to know that she was too afraid to say it.

We'd be just as bad as our father.

"I'll bring it...just in case," Dean says. "I'll use it only if we have no other choice."

Athena looks at her hands and gnaws on her lower lip. "Promise?"

"I pinky promise." Dean holds his pinky pout towards his little sister.

Athena inhales a breath and interlocks their pinkies.

☆

"What are you doing here?"

Athena's mouth slightly opens, "Maybe...we should reschedule."

"Athy--"

"He sounds scary," Athena whispers softly.

"We're sorry to interrupt," Dean speaks.

"Max, could we, uh...could we talk to you outside for just one second?" Sam asks.

"About what?"

"It's private."

"We wouldn't want to bother your mother with it," Athena adds.

"We won't be long at all, though. I promise."

Max thinks about it for a moment, before answering. "Okay."

"Great."

Max approaches the siblings. Dean walks toward the door and opens it. The door quickly slams shut and the blinds to each window close as well.

"You're not Priests!"

Dean pulls his gun out of his waistband, but an invisible force yanks it from his hand, and it falls to the ground. Max picks up the gun and aims it at the siblings.

"Max, what's happening?" Alice asks.

"Shut up!"

Athena huffs, "See, no one told you to bring that gun..."

"Are you kidding me? Now you wanna talk about who's right and who's wrong?" Dean seethes.

"Yes, actually--because in conclusion, Athena is always right so just listen to her from now on." the girl gives a forced smile.

"What are you doing?"

"I said shut up!"

Alice flies back into the kitchen and hits her head on the counter. Athena flinches.

"Max, calm down--"

"Who are you?!" Max shouts at Sam.

"We just want to talk to you," Sam says.

"Yeah, right--that's why you brought this!" Max waves the gun.

"That a mistake," Athena adds.

"And so was lying about who we were, but no more lying, okay?" Sam speaks. "Just, please, hear me out."

"About what?" Max asks.

"I saw you do it." Sam states. "I saw you kill your dad and your uncle before it happened."

"Wh-what?"

"I'm having visions, Max, about you," Sam says.

Max shakes his head, "You're crazy."

Athena pulls her brows together. "You have telekinesis." she points out. "Why is this so hard to believe?--"

"Athy now's not the time," Dean says through his teeth.

Athena looks at him then back at Max. She gives him a sheepish smile, "Just kidding."

"So, you weren't gonna laugh a knife at your stepmom..." Sam points at his cheek. "...right here?"

"Max, I was drawn here, all right?" Sam claims. "I think I'm here to help you."

Max looks over at Alice and he shakes his head. "No one can help me."

"Let me try," Sam speaks in a gentle tone. "We'll just talk...me and you. We'll get Athena, Dean, and Alice out of here."

"Unh-unh--no way."

Athena's eyes slightly widen. She looks at Max and chuckles nervously. "He didn't mean that--"

"Oh, I meant it," Dean says.

The chandelier above them starts to shake.

"Nobody leaves this house!" Max shouts.

"And nobody has to, all right? They'll just go upstairs." Sam states.

"Yeah, upstairs." Athena nods. "Upstairs is fun--s-so fun..."

"Sam, I'm not leaving you alone with him," Dean says.

"Yes, you are," Sam says through his teeth.

"Dean, you are literally not the one in control here." Athena looks at her brother. "Max has your gun and he has telekinesis. You have no say--whatsoever."

"No one's gonna do anything that you don't want to do, but I'm talking 5 minutes here, man--"

"Sam."

"Oh my God--just let him talk!" Athena exhales.

"Five minutes."

The siblings turn back to Max.

"Go."

Athena nods her head, "And we're going--"

"Not you."

Athena stops in her tracks, "Uh--what?"

"Athena stays."

Sam and Dean tense.

"Fuck no--"

"Max--"

"She stays!"

The lights in the house flicker and everyone falls silent. "Okay, okay, I'll stay!" Athena walks back over to Sam and Max. "I will stay..."

Dean holds his arms out, "Does that mean I can stay--"

"Go."

"Okay." Dean picks up Alice and makes his way up the stairs.

Athena looks at Max with a smile, "Sooo...what do you guys wanna talk about?"

Sam and Max look at the child and she tilts her head.

"Let's sit down and talk." Sam softly insists.

"Yeah, I could sit--my legs are killing me!" Athena exhales a chuckle.

Max keeps his eyes on the two siblings, before walking into the living room.

Sam looks at Athena with a glare. "What are you doing?"

"I-I don't know--I'm just talking!" Athena whispers. "I'm nervous."

"Max is this close to killing us. So maybe this time the nervous talking should--"

"--stop?" Athena raises her brows. Then she quickly nods her head. "Yeah, yeah--I'll stop."

Sam and Athena follow Max into the living room. They sit across from Max as he twirls the letter opener with his mind. Athena watches in awe.

"Look, I can't begin to understand what you went through--"

"That's right, you can't." Max seethes.

"But, Max, this has to stop."

"It will...after my stepmother."

"No. You need to let her go." Sam advises.

"Why?" Max asks.

"Did she beat you?"

"No, but she never tried to save me." Max states. "She's a part of it, too."

"Look, what they did to you, what they all did to you growing up, they deserved to be punished, but--"

"Growing up?" Max shifts his gaze from the knife to Sam. "Try last week."

Athena looks away from her hands and her eyes meet Max's red rimmed ones. He stands up and lifts his shirt, revealing the dark purple bruises. Athena's eyes widen and her throat tightens.

"My dad still hit me, just in places people wouldn't see it." Max drops his shirt back down. "Old habits die hard, I guess."

"I'm sorry."

Before Sam could say anything else, Max speaks. "What do you think?"

Athena looks up from her hands and blinks. "Oh, uh...I don't know." the end of her mouth twitches. "Why are you asking me?"

"When you saw the bruises, it just seems like it was something familiar to you." Max states.

Sam tenses, "Max--"

"Yeah." Athena speaks. "My dad he hurts me."

"When was the last time he hit you?" Max asks.

Athena shifts in her seat. She looks over at Sam. "A few months ago...he hasn't been around, so it stopped."

Sam pulls his brows together. He didn't know that John was still hurting her. His gut turns.

"Things are better?" Max asks.

Athena nods her head, "I would say so."

Max burns his eyes into Athena's and she sinks in her seat. "If you could kill him, would you?"

Yes.

"N-No." Athena pulls her brows together.

"Why not?" Max's tone was filled with frustration.

"He's my father." Athena explains.

"Exactly." Max leans forward and the lights begin to flicker once again.

Sam and Athena look around the room.

"He's your father and he should love you. Not...blame you for things that aren't your fault." Max explains.

Athena twists her charm bracelet. "I don't know what other answer you want me to give you, Max." she shrugs. "I wouldn't--I wouldn't."

"Not now. But you'll change your mind. Sooner or later." Max shakes his head. "Because we're the same."

Athena stomach churns and she wipes her eyes.

"When I first found out I could move things, it was a gift." Max admits. "Wmy whole life, I was helpless, but now I had this. So last week, dad gets drunk--first time in a long time--and he beats me to Hell--first time in a long time. And then I knew what I had to do."

"Why didn't you just leave?" Sam asks.

"It wasn't about getting away."

The knife Max was spinning abruptly stops, causing Athena to flinch. Max shifts his eyes to Athena. "Just knowing that they'd still be out there...it was about not being afraid."

"When my dad used to look at me, there was hate in his eyes." Max shifts his eyes to Sam. "Do you know what that feels like?"

"No." Sam answers.

Max looks at Athena, waiting for her answer. Athena scratches her wrist. "Y-Yes."

"He blamed me for everything--for his job, for his life, for my mom's death." Max lists.

"Why would he blame you for your mom's death?" Sam asks.

"Because she died in my nursery while I was asleep in my crib, as if that makes it my fault." Max lets out a chuckle of disbelief.

Athena's jaw goes slack and she looks at Sam.

"She died in your nursery?" Sam inquires.

"Yeah, there was a fire, and he'd get drunk and babble on like she died in some insane way." Max explains. "He said that she burned up, pinned to the ceiling."

"Whoa..." Athena quietly lets out.

"Listen to me, Max." Sam starts. "What your dad said about what happened to your mom...it's real."

"What?"

"It happened to my mom, too, exactly the same--my nursery, my crib. My dad saw her on the ceiling." Sam states.

"Your dad must have been as drunk as mine."

Athena and Sam look at each other, perplexed expressions across their faces.

"No. No, it's the same thing, Max." Sam says. "The same thing killed our mothers."

"That's impossible."

"This must be why I've been having visions during the day, why they're getting more intense--because you and I must be connected in some way." Sam explains. "Your abilities, they started six, seven months ago, right? Out of the blue?"

"How'd you know that?"

Athena raises her brows. She could've sworn they just went over this. She tangles her hands in her hair and keeps her eyes on the ground, trying to keep her mouth shut.

"Because that's when my abilities started, Max." Sam states. "I mean, yours seem to be much further along, but, still, this means something, right? I mean, for some reason, you and I...you and I were chosen."

"For what?" Max asks.

"I don't know..."

"But, Athena, Dean, and I...we're hunting for your mom's killer, and we can find answers, answers that can help us both." Sam explains. "But you got to let us go, Max. You got to let your stepmother go."

Athena and Sam wait while Max contemplates on what he wants to do. But Athena knew that Max doesn't care about finding the truth about who killed his mom. All he wanted was revenge.

He looks back at the siblings.

"No."

Athena's jaw clenches.

"What they did to me—I still have nightmares." Max says. "I'm still scared all the time, like I'm just waiting for that next beating. I'm just tired of being scared."

Max stands up and Athena's eyes widen. Sam stands up and follows after Max.

"If I do this, it will be over."

"Max, stop!" Athena stands in front of him. "No matter how many people you hurt or kill, it won't get better, okay? Not like this!"

"Athena's right, Max." Sam says, standing next to her. "The nightmares won't end. It's just more pain, and it makes you as bad as them."

"Max, you are not alone." Athena's eyes start to burn with tears. "You don't have to go through all this by yourself."

Athena looks at the strawberry milk pin she gave to him that was pinned on his shirt. Max looks at it and then back at the siblings.

"I'm sorry."

The closet door behind them, swings open and an invisible force shoves Athena and Sam into the closet.

"Max, no!"

"Don't do this!" Athena bangs on the door.

Sam clutches at his head and groans. Athena turns to her brother and her breathing quickens.

"Sam?"

A pain filled groan comes from Sam.

"Aw, Fiddlesticks..." she whispers. "Sam, what's—"

"He's gonna kill Dean." Sam gasps.

Athena's mouth slightly opens. "No, no, no..." she inhales a small breath and exhales a sharp one. Her chest tightens and she tangles her hands in her hair.

"We have to..." Athena looks back at the door."...Max let us out!"

"He's not coming back..." Sam shakes his head. "...he's going to kill Alice."

"Don't say that." Athena bangs her hands against the door, she shakes her head.

"He's gonna kill Dean—"

"DON'T SAY THAT!!!"

An electric shock travels through Athena's arm and a thud is heard outside of the closet.

Athena and Sam snap their eyes over to the closet door. Sam pulls his brows together and pushes the closet door open.

"Did that just..." Sam looks at the shelf that was moved.

Athena runs past Sam, "Lets go!"

Sam shakes out of his thoughts and follows after Athena. The siblings speed up the stairs. Athena steps aside from the door, just in time for Sam to kick the door open.

Athena's eyes widen, seeing the floating gun pointed at Dean.

"Max—don't!" Athena shouts. "Please. Listen to me."

Max looks at the young girl and she wipes her eyes. "Max, we can help you. And this—what you're doing. It's not the solution." She shakes her head. "It's not going to fix anything."

Max looks back at Alice and inhales a shaky breath. He looks back at Athena and nods his head.

"You're right."

Athena exhales a sharp breath and slumps her shoulders.

Suddenly, the gun turns toward Max and fires off into his head. A cry leaves Athena's lips and she stumbles into Sam. He quickly grabs his little sister and pulls her away from Max's body on the ground.

"Athena, don't look." Sam whispers.

But, Athena doesn't listen. She just continues to stare at the blood that was leaving Max's body. It happened so fast, and she couldn't do anything to stop it.

☆

"Max, attacked me."

"He threatened me with a gun."

"And these three?" The officer points at the three siblings.

Alice blankly looks at them, tears in her eyes. "They're uh...family friends."

"I called them as soon as Max arrived. I was scared." Alice states. "They tried to stop him. They fought for the gun."

"Where did Max get the gun?"

"I don't know!" Alice cries. "He showed up with it, and he..." she begins to breakdown.

Athena's eyes blur with tears.

"It's all right, Mrs. Miller." The officer softly assured her.

"I lost everyone."

Athena takes a step forward, but Dean gently grabs her arm. "Hey, Athy, we got to go."

Athena inhales a soft breath and reluctantly walks away with her siblings.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

Athena stops and turns toward the officer. Sam and Dean slightly step in front of Athena.

"Yeah?"

"Uh, Mrs. Miller said this belongs to you."

The officer holds the pin out to her. Athena's mouth slightly opens. Before another cry could leave her lips, she covers her mouth. Sam grabs her pin from the Officer's hand.

"Thank you, Officer."

He reluctantly walks away from the siblings.

"Hey, lets go, okay?"

Athena shakes her head, "I should've said something different." She wipes her nose. "And I should've seen what was going on with him."

"No, you can't do that to yourself." Dean shakes his head.

"It's true!"

"No, it wouldn't have mattered what you said." Dean says. "Max was too far gone."

"Do you really think that?" Athena asks, stopping in her tracks.

"Uh—yeah." Dean says, stopping with Sam.

Athena keeps her eyes on her red converse. "He said that I would turn out just like him." She kicks a rock. "Sooner or later, Max said it would happen."

Sam and Dean look at each other, noticing that what Max said to their sister hit her hard.

"Athy, you can't believe that—"

"Why not?" Athena looks at them, tears still in her eyes. "His dad hates him. My dad hates me."

Dean opens his mouth.

"And do not say that he doesn't." Athena snaps. "I don't want to hear any reassurance. Everytime I do hear your reassurance I want to rip my hair out of my head!" She walks away from them and makes her way to the car.

Sam and Dean watch Athena get in the car and wipes her tears.

"Why didn't you tell me dad was still hurting her?" Sam asks.

Dean's heart drops into his stomach. His throat tightens. "Didn't think there was a need to."

Sam scoffs, "Dean-"

"You changed your number, Sam!" Dean barks.

Sam closes his mouth.

"I get it, you needed a fresh start. Had to forget about us. But that's the thing—it was us. Jus us—"

"And you never did anything to help her."

Dean's eyes widen and his gut turns. "It wasn't like that. You weren't here!"

"You don't know half of the shit, Athena has been through!" Dean raises his voice.

"And you think you do?!"

Dean pulls his brows together. "I know I do."

Athena looks out the window and sees Sam and Dean arguing. She inhales a soft breath and whines. Her eyes shift to her forearm. Scratches at her forearm, hoping to forget the words from Max. Hoping to forget the way he looked at her before he died.

But she never did.

━━━━━━━━━━

A/N

I'm so happy Athena is back! And I might skip a few episodes so I can move the plot forward. Which means we're going to be getting a reunion between John and the kids pretty soon...

Words: 4248