Devil's Trap.

"They've got dad."

"Meg?" Athena asks.

Dean nods.

"What'd she say?" Sam questions.

"I just told you, Sammy." Dean exhales, his stomach still twisting painfully. Dean wipes his face, thinking. "Okay...okay..." he walks over to the nightstand and grabs the Colt.

"What are you doing, Dean?" Sam asks.

Dean grabs the duffel bag, "We got to go."

"Why?"

"Because the Demon knows we're in Salvation." Dean states. "It knows we've got the Colt. It's probably coming for us next."

"Yeah, well, we've still got three bullets left," Sam replies. "Let it come."

"Are you serious?" Athena scoffs.

Sam and Dean look at the sister. Athena zips up her bag and throws it onto her shoulders. "You said you tried to shoot that Demon and it vanished--poof!" She bunches her shoulders. "And you want to waste those bullets on the vanishing Demon? You're not ready."

Sam's jaw clenches.

"We're leaving. Now." Dean says.

As soon as they got into the car and started driving, Sam's mind was still on the Demon.

"I'm telling you, Dean, we could've taken him." Sam shakes his head.

"What we need is a plan," Dean states, already agitated. "Now, they're probably keeping dad alive. We've just got to figure out where. They're gonna want to trade him for the gun."

Sam shifts in his seat, catching Dean's attention.

"What?"

"Dean, if that were true, why didn't Meg mention a trade?" Sam asks.

Dean's jaw clenches, understanding where Sam was going.

"Dad, he might be--"

"Don't."

"Look, I don't want to believe it any more than you, but if he is, all the more reason to kill this damn thing," Sam claims. "We still have the Colt. We can still finish the job--"

"Screw the job, Sam!"

"Dean, I'm just trying to do what he would want." Sam raises his voice. "He would want us to keep going."

"Would you quit talking about him like he's dead already?" Dean snaps. "Listen to me. Everything stops until we get him back, you understand me? Everything."

Sam looks out the window, swallowing his debates for later. "So, how do we find him?"

"Maybe we go to Lincoln," Dean suggests. "Start at the warehouse where he was taken."

"Demons usually leave a trail of Sulfur." Athena finally speaks, taking her headphones off. "But even if we find Sulfur at the warehouse. That's all we're gonna find. Because these Demons are different. They're not gonna leave a trail."

Dean shifts his eyes to Athena, "Well, then what else can we do?"

"I think there might be another reason why Meg didn't mention a trade." Athena states. "She just wants to come and get the Colt herself. She's over this Cat and Mouse game. And if she's going to come after us herself, we can use that to our advantage."

"What like, trap her?" Sam asks.

Athena nods her head, "First. We need a place of fortitude."

Sam and Dean pull their brows together.

"A junkyard specifically."

Since John has been hunting with the siblings, Athena hasn't been in a place where she could be herself. Athena felt like she had to put up this strong mask in order to fit in with her brothers and father. But when she was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Athena felt like she could be a kid.

Athena knocks rhythmically on the door and rocks back and forth on her heels. Sam and Dean look at each other, noticing Athena's recent uplift in her mood.

The door swings open and the man lets out a deep sigh. "Balls..."

Athena presses her lips together, "Oh, come on! I know you've missed me!" she holds her arms out. "Admit it!"

"Never..." Bobby turns around and walks away from the door.

Athena turns toward her brothers, "He's missed me."

She takes a step inside, but before her foot could touch the hardwood floor, Bobby speaks.

"Don't you start tracking mud in here now!"

Athena looks down at the bottom of her red converse. "Don't worry, it dried!" she trots into the house.

"Then don't track in..." Bobby looks at the girl who was now standing on his carpet. "...dirt."

Athena's eyes widen, and she looks down at the dirt trail. "But, you said mud. Not dirt!"

"I thought you would've had the decency to not track either in." Bobby huffs. "What are you three doing here anyway?"

"What? You didn't get our text?" Dean asks.

"Text? What text?"

Sam and Dean look at their sister, who was smiling bashfully.

"Athena, is there something you wanna tell us?" Sam asks.

Athena presses her lips together, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

"Some surprise," Bobby grumbles.

It actually was a surprise. Bobby hasn't seen Athena in so long, he was glad to see she was doing okay. His eyes then shift to the mark on her cheek and Athena notices.

"What happened there?" Bobby points at her face.

Athena lightly touches her cheek, "Oh. Dad's back."

Bobby snaps his eyes over to Sam and Dean. "Oh, is he?"

Sam and Dean tense from Bobby's strong glare. "But he's missing." Athena continues, hoping to get back on track. "Well, not missing--but kidnapped."

Athena pulls her brows together, "Dadnapped." she frowns.

"A Demon took him." Dean says.

"We need your help to make a Demon trap." Athena adds. "My art skills aren't very...skilly. And we need one that can trick her."

Bobby raises his brows, "Well, if you're trying to trap her. Look no further, but up."

Simultaneously, the Winchesters all look up. Athena's mouth hangs open, "That has been here this whole time?!"

"Yeah, you've never noticed?" Bobby deadpans.

"No..." Athena looks at Bobby. "How'd you get up there?"

"I used a ladder, kid."

"Oh...well that makes sense." Athena shrugs, she takes her bag off and sets it on the couch.

"So, what do we do now?" Sam asks.

"Now, we wait for Meg to come and get us." Dean answers.

☆

"You know, when I said I was unimpressed by you guys. I wasn't talking about little miss Athy over there."

Meg looks at Athena and she smiles, "I knew she was gonna come up with a plan to outsmart me. And she did. Good job, kiddo."

"Don't talk to her, all right?" Dean's voice was firm. "Where's our father, Meg?"

"You didn't ask very nice." Meg arches a brow.

"Where's our father, bitch?"

Meg slightly opens her mouth. "Jeez. You kiss your mother with that mouth?" she then smiles. "Oh, I forgot. You don't."

"HEY, YOU THINK THIS IS A FREAKING GAME?!" Dean shouts, pressing his hands against the arms of the chair Meg was tied to. "WHERE IS HE?! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

"He died screaming." Meg says in a calm tone. "I killed him myself."

Athena looks at Dean, who was shaking with rage. Dean backhands Meg and her head snaps to the side. Athena flinches. A small chuckle escapes her lips, "That's kind of a turn-on--you hitting a girl."

"You're no girl." Dean growls.

"Dean."

Bobby walks into another room. Dean keeps his eyes on Meg's, hoping to find anything in them that showed she was lying. He pries himself away from Meg and walks over to everyone else.

"You okay?" Sam asks.

"She's lying. He's not dead." Dean's voice starts to shake, even thinking about it.

"Dean, you've got to be careful with her. Don't hurt her." Bobby warns.

Athena keeps her eyes glued to Meg's. The Demon chuckles and tilts her head. "Out of all the Winchesters, you're my favorite."

Athena stays silent.

Meg raises her brows, "You're a tough cookie to crack." she squints her eyes. "A few months ago that wasn't the case though. What changed?"

Meg looks at the ceiling, thinking. Then she chuckles, "Your father's return." She looks back at the 11-year-old, who tenses.

Meg snorts.

"He's not dead." Athena says. "You're lying."

Meg then squints her eyes, "Am I?"

"Yeah, you are." Athena folds her arms. "I'm not stupid."

"I know that." Meg chuckles. Her eyes shift to the three men, who were still talking. "Can you say the same about your brothers?"

Athena pulls her brows together, "What are you talking about?"

Meg looks back at Athena. "It doesn't take a genius to know that they think your weak." she squints her eyes. "They think you're a burden."

Athena rolls her eyes.

"And they lie." Meg tilts her head. "They lie about your mom."

Athena freezes and she looks back at the smug Demon. "Wh-what?"

Meg raises her brows, "Do you even know her name?" she asks. "I do. Very pretty by the way. You have her eyes."

Athena takes a step forward, "You knew my mother?"

"Oh, yeah! She's very well known." Meg smirks. "So, are you, y'know?"

Athena scratches the side of her head, confused. "I don't understand."

Meg's eyes shift to the men walking back into the room. Her eyes shift to Dean, who was holding John's journal.

"Athy, can you read this?" Dean holds the journal out to Athena.

Athena shifts her eyes to the journal. She looks back at Meg and swallows. "Yeah, sure..." she grabs the journal and looks at the latin words.

Athena has spent so much time with her heads in books and with Bobby, she learned Latin. Her goal was to learn at least 5 languages. Latin, Spanish, Sign Language, French, and Japanese.

"Are you going to have your sister read me a bedtime story?" Meg tilts her head.

"Something like that. Hit it, Athena."

Athena looks at the words on the book and starts to repeat them out loud. A small chuckle comes from Meg.

"And Exorcism? Are you serious?"

"Oh, we're going for it, baby--head spinning, projectile vomiting, the whole nine yards." Dean quips.

"Tribuite Virtutem Deo."

A small groan escapes Meg's lips and she lowers her head. Athena stops speaking. Meg inhales a soft breath. "I'm gonna kill you." her eyes shift from each person in the room.

"I'm gonna rip the bones from your body." Meg threatens.

"No, you're gonna burn in Hell." Dean retorts. "Unless you tell us where our dad is."

Meg smirks, deciding to stay silent.

"Well, at least you'll get a nice tan." Dean shrugs.

Sam looks at his sister, "Athena."

Athena looks back at the book and continues to speak.

"Exocizamus Te, Omnis Immundus Spiritus..."

As Athena continues the chant, Meg starts to visibly shake. The Demon's breathing starts to heavy and she screams. Athena jumps and looks at Meg.

"He begged for his life with tears in his eyes." Meg breathes. "He begged to see his kids one last time."

"That's when I slit his throat."

Athena looks at her brothers, Dean doesn't make a sound. But it was clear that Meg was starting to get into his head.

"Ergo..."

"For your sake, I hope you're lying." Dean leans toward the blonde. "Cause if it's true, I swear to God, I will march into Hell myself, and I will slaughter each and every one of you evil sons of bitches so help me God."

Meg's head hangs low and her breathing quickens. The wind picks up in the room, causing the books in the room to move. Athena continues to try and read the words, but everything that was happening around her was starting to make her nervous. Meg lets out another scream.

"Where is he?" Dean questions, pacing back and forth.

"You just won't take 'dead' for an answer, will you?"

"Where is he?" Dean asks.

"DEAD!--"

"NO, HE'S NOT!" Dean shouts. "HE IS NOT DEAD! HE CAN'T BE!"

Dean starts to shake with immense fear for his father's state. But there was also anger because he was actually starting to believe Meg. His eyes shift to Athena and Sam, noticing them staring at him from his intimidating voice.

"What are you looking at? Keep reading."

Athena hesitantly looks back at the book and continues to read. "Ab Insidiis Diaboli, Libera Nos, Domine."

"Ut Ecclesiam Tuam Secura Tibi Facias Libertate Sevire, Te Rogamus, Audi Nos."

The chair Meg was bound to starts to move around the Devil's trap as she screams, the exorcism taking a heavy toll on her.

"Ut Inimicos Sanctae Ecclesiae Humiliare Digneris, Te Rogamus Audi--"

"HE WILL BE!!!"

Dean holds a hand out, "Wait! What?!" he steps toward the Demon.

"He's not dead, but he will be after what we do to him." Meg inhales a deep breath.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Sam asks.

"You don't."

"Athena!"

Meg's eyes widen, "A building!" she exasperates. "Okay? A building in Jefferson City."

"Missouri? Where--an address."

"I don't know!" Meg exclaims.

"And the Demon--where is it?" Sam asks.

"I don't know. I swear." Meg admits. "That's everything. That's all I know."

Athena looks at Dean, waiting for his next commands.

"Finish it."

"Wh-what? I told you the truth." Meg says.

"I don't care." Dean circles Meg.

"You son of a bitch. You promised." Meg snaps.

Dean gets in Meg's face, "I lied!"

"Athena?"

Athena looks back at the book, before she could read anything; Sam touches her arm. "Wait."

Dean looks at his siblings, "What?"

"We can still use her, find out where the Demon is," Sam suggests.

"She doesn't know," Athena says.

"She lied." Sam retorts.

"Sam, listen, there's an innocent girl trapped somewhere in there," Dean explains. "And we've got to help her."

"You're gonna kill her."

Simultaneously, the siblings turn to Bobby.

"What?"

"You said she fell from a building," Bobby states, he looks at Meg. "That girl's body is broken. The only thing keeping her alive is that Demon inside."

Athena's eyes widen.

"You exorcise it, the girl is gonna die."

"Listen to me. We are not gonna leave her like that." Dean seethes.

"But, without the Demon, she's gonna die," Athena says, her brows pulled together.

"And we're gonna put her out of her misery." Dean looks at Athena. "Athy, finish it."

Athena swallows and her eyes shift to Meg, who looked like she is barely holding on. Tears form in Athena's eyes, just thinking about how the girl possessed was feeling. Athena didn't want the girl who was possessed to die, but she didn't want her to be trapped in her own body forever.

"Athena."

The girl looks back at her brother.

"Finish it."

Athena's gut turns from his tone. She clenches her jaw and shoves the book toward him. Athena knew that they had to focus on finding their dad, but she wasn't going to have anyone talking to her like she was some incompetent child. Not anymore.

"You finish it."

Athena brushes past Sam and stalks into the kitchen, trying to leave the situation quickly. Meg lets out a cackle and Dean snaps his eyes over to the Demon. "What's so fucking funny?"

"Last time I saw that little girl, she had this light to her and what a few months later, you boys snuff it out?" Meg clicks her tongue. "Wouldn't be surprised if she hated your guts--"

"Sam." Dean holds the journal out to his little brother. "Finish the job."

Sam looks down at the journal, but he turns to Athena. Her head was on the table and her arms her over her head. "Dean--"

"I will check on her, all right? You finish this." Dean starts to grow impatient.

Sam exhales a small breath and grabs the journal. Dean walks into the kitchen, "Athena."

Athena shakes her head and she continues to softly hum.

"Athy--"

"What?" Athena lifts her head up and looks at him.

Dean's jaw goes slack, seeing the tears in Athena's eyes. "Listen, if I hurt your feelings--"

"Oh, My God." Athena lets out a chuckle of disbelief. "If you hurt my feelings?" she stands up. "There is no if, Dean."

Dean tenses and he looks away from his sister. Athena squints her eyes, "And you know that. You know what you did and you know it was wrong."

Athena wanted their relationship to go back to the way it was. But she needed Dean to take accountability and know what he did was wrong. She wanted to know that he at least felt bad. Athena was someone who needed verbal confirmation.

"You hurt me, Dean." Athena's voice starts to shake.

Dean's eyes start to well with tears. He wanted nothing more than to apologize. He wanted to scream how sorry he was, but with their father being missing he needed to focus. And sadly, Athena wasn't the person Dean was focusing on.

"Athena, I want to talk about this--I do. But dad, he's missing. And we have to find him." Dean says. "Can we make time for this later."

Athena quietly laughs and she covers her mouth. A tear slips out of Athena's eye and Dean's chest tightens.

"Yeah, when is that going to be, Dean?" Athena wipes her eyes. "Because once we find dad, you'll be back on his side--again."

Dean shakes his head, "That's not--"

"I think...I don't want you to talk to me anymore."

Dean opens his mouth to speak, but a scream rips through the house. Athena and Dean look over at Meg and see black smoke flying from her mouth. The black smoke evaporates into the air and Meg's body goes limp.

Athena and Dean walk back into the study, silence in the room. Athena's mouth slightly opens, "Is she--"

A gurgled cough comes from Meg's mouth, blood leaving her lips. Athena lets out a soft breath and she runs over to the woman. She falls to her knees and unties the rope from her her wrists and ankles.

"Call 911. Get some water and blankets!" Dean quickly says to Bobby.

"Thank you..." A tear slips from Meg's eye.

"Shh, shh..." Athena's voice was soft. "Just uh, take it easy, okay?"

Athena finishes the last ropes on Meg and she stands up. Sam and Dean take that as a signal to walk over Meg. They gently lift Meg out of the chair, but she lets out a cry of agony.

"Sorry, sorry..." Sam and Dean gently lay Meg on the ground.

"I've got ya, it's okay..."

Athena stands between her brothers.

"A-A year..." Meg manages out.

"What?" Sam asks.

"It's been a year."

"Just take it easy." Athena whispers.

"I've been awake for some of it." Tears leave Meg's eyes. "I couldn't...m-move my own body."

"The things I did--it's a nightmare..."

"Was it telling us the truth about our dad?" Dean asks.

Athena's eyes slightly widen and she snaps her head over to him.

"Dean." Sam snaps.

"We need to know."

"Yes..."

They all look back at the dying girl. "But it wants...you to know that they...they want you to come for him."

"If dad's still alive, none of that matters."

Bobby quickly enters the study with a glass of water and a blanket. Athena grabs the water. Dean slightly lifts up Meg's head as Athena tilts the glass toward Meg's lips. Meg slowly drinks the water and coughs. Athena sets the glass down and slips a blanket under Meg's head for support.

"Where is the Demon we're looking for?" Sam asks.

"Not there." Meg chokes out. "Other ones. Awful ones."

"Where are they keeping our dad?" Dean asks.

"By the r-river." Meg inhales a soft breath. "S-Sunrise."

A crease forms between Dean's brows. "Sunrise? What does that mean?"

Athena's eyes widen, noticing the light leaves Meg's eyes. Her head slumps to the side and Athena's hand starts to shake.

"What does that mean?"

Athena sat on the couch, while Bobby called the Paramedics. The girl's eyes were glued to her red converse. Athena always was tidy with her things. She would clean her shoes every night after a case. Athena only had a select few outfits (all overalls--surprise...) and she wanted to keep them in shape. It was one of the few things she could control. Then Athena shifted her eyes to the pants of her overalls and noticed that they were rising.

She was getting taller.

There's no controlling that.

Athena lifts her head and her eyes land on the body that was on the ground. The body. A dead body. Meg's dead body. Athena has dealt with death. Dead Supernatural creatures—specifically, but people were different. The only other dead person she ever saw was Victor. And she was the one to take his life away. Tears fill Athena's eyes and a large lump forms in her throat. That demon forced itself into Meg's body and made her do malicious things. Before Athena's tears could fall, A hand is felt on her shoulder and she flinches.

Athena looks at Sam, who quickly pulls his hand away from her. Sam holds his hands up, "I'm sorry. I should've called your name first."

Athena quickly wipes her tears and Sam notices. "Why is she just on the ground?"

Sam looks at Meg's body and his throat tightens. "Bobby wanted to keep her there for the Paramedics. He said he would come up with something to tell them." he shifts his eyes to Athena's hand and she was pinching herself. Sam sits next to Athena on the couch. "I'm sorry you even had to see that."

Athena looks at the ground and lets out a soft breath. "Meg said she was gone for a year, right?"

Sam nods his head.

"I can't even imagine how worried her family is." Athena sniffles. "And now the news they're going to get isn't going to bring them relief. Just more pain."

Sam pulls his brows together, hearing Athena speak; there was a melancholy tone to her voice. Almost like she was hopeless.

"Hey, uh...lately you've been different."

Athena looks at Sam with her brows pulled together. "What?"

"I'm just wondering if you were okay?" Sam asks.

Sam knew that Athena had every right to be different after the shit she's been through. But it hurt him to see her without her smile or even without her optimistic attitude.

Athena inhales a soft breath, "I want to find dad so this can be over." she looks back at Meg's body. Athena lays her head against Sam's arm.

Bobby and Dean enter the room. "You three better hurry up and beat it before the Paramedics get here."

Sam stands up and so does Athena.

"What are you gonna tell them?" Dean asks.

"You think you guys invented lying to the cops?" Bobby deadpans. "I'll figure something out."

Bobby holds the books of information out to Sam. "Here. Take this. You might need it."

"Thanks." Sam gives him a small smile.

"Thanks. For everything." Dean says. "Be careful, all right?"

"Just go find your dad." Bobby says. "And when you do, you bring him around, would you? I won't even try to shoot him this time."

He was lying.

Sam and Dean walk towards the door and Athena follows.

"Athena, can you hang back for a minute?"

Athena stops and turns toward Bobby. "What is it?"

Bobby inhales a breath, "I wasn't able to give you this the day of, but you're here now, so..." he holds the bag out to her. "Happy belated birthday, Thena."

Athena raises her brows, "Oh, you didn't have to do that." she grabs the gift and presses her lips into a small smile.

"I sure didn't." Bobby huffs. "But I wanted to."

"But, don't...open it now, all right?" Bobby says. "Wait until this mess is over."

Athena smiles softly. She wraps her arms around the man. Bobby touches the back of her head and chuckles.

"Thanks, Bobby."

"Anytime, kiddo."

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