The appearance of yet another demon in the basement of Alex's house had long since stopped being anything unusual. So many of them had passed through there that it had practically become part of the family's daily routine.
Before going to bed, Alex explained his plan to Samantha: how exactly she would conduct her first training sessions in exorcising demons from human bodies. He had no intention of throwing her straight into a fight against monsters, demons, or—worse—angels. Unlike the other girls in his family, Samantha didn't need to suddenly learn how to fight for survival — she had time. Time to gradually learn how to oppose different beings, including humans.
That's why Alex decided to start small — to show Samantha that demons could easily hide among humans and appear in the most unexpected places. His suggestion was very simple: first, she would try performing a basic exorcism ritual.
Samantha accepted the idea without objection — she understood perfectly well that, unlike the other girls around Alex, she had no combat experience whatsoever. She had never even fought people, let alone monsters. But she also knew that being next to Alex meant she would eventually learn to defend herself. It annoyed her to be the "damsel in distress," even if she did like how Alex protected her.
Besides, Samantha knew that Alex trained even the goddesses he was married to — so they could stand up for themselves. So she was mentally prepared for any training.
But before the fire of determination could truly ignite, Alex immediately smothered it: he said he wasn't doing anything else today, and the exorcism would have to wait until next time.
Samantha's determination vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She rolled her eyes, kicked Alex in the knee for not bothering to explain when exactly she would be training, and flopped back onto the couch. Alex only laughed and lay down again on Lucina's lap as she lazily ran her fingers through his hair.
When it was time to sleep, Alice tried to drag the giant pink bunny into their room. But Alex did the only reasonable thing: he simply picked her up and carried her to the room, ignoring her desperate protests that "this bunny is a prize he worked so hard to win." He didn't even respond — just carried her.
So ended another day in Alex's house — a day that managed to fit both romance and demon hunting.
The next morning, Alex woke up to a very familiar sensation on his face — one he would never mistake for anything else. Opening his eyes slightly, he saw mischievous green eyes and long green hair.
Seeing his favorite gremlin first thing in the morning, Alex couldn't help but smile. Becca, happily chewing on his cheek, smiled as well.
Smiling, Alex pulled her by the waist and kissed her on the lips. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. Then she settled on his chest, pressing her whole body against him.
After lying like that for a bit, Alex tried to get up — he needed to wash up. But the predatory gremlin named Becca had her own plans for the morning. In the end, Alex had to take his shower with Becca, who absolutely refused to let him go for even a minute.
Walking down from the second floor, Alex was grinning from ear to ear, while Becca clung to his back, her legs wrapped around his waist. Even though she already had a child with Alex, she was still the same weapons gremlin — shameless, clingy, and endlessly energetic.
In the kitchen, Lucina, Alice, and Samantha were eating breakfast. Alex kissed each of the three in turn, and Lucina shot a cold glance at Becca — Becca clearly didn't come here to cook breakfast.
Before sitting down, Alex gently pulled Becca off his back and placed her on his lap. Being herself, Becca immediately began eating his breakfast while he drank coffee.
"Got what you came here for?" Lucina asked dryly, watching Becca crunch through Alex's omelet.
"Yep," Becca replied calmly. "Having sex in the shower in the morning is the perfect way to start the day."
After Becca's words, Lucina's eye twitched noticeably. Samantha choked on her breakfast and began coughing, and Alice immediately rushed to pat her on the back, trying to help her recover. Alex's face remained completely unreadable, as if he hadn't heard a single word Becca had just said. Meanwhile, Becca sat there with a wide grin, paying no attention whatsoever to the commotion she had caused.
In fact, it was precisely because of this personality of hers that she got along so easily with Loki — even though the two of them were sometimes ready to tear each other's throats out… but they still shared the same husband. Loki was also fond of ambushing Alex out of nowhere, especially when he was asleep or taking a shower.
Lucina stared at Becca in disbelief — even pregnancy hadn't changed her one bit.
"You could've at least made breakfast," Lucina remarked lazily, watching Becca devour Alex's food.
"Do you really want me to do that?" Becca raised a brow.
"My love, I adore you. But don't burden your soul with unnecessary sin. The last time you cooked something… even the appearance was terrifying. I'm almost certain that if you compressed your cooking under pressure, you could make diamonds," Alex said as he wiped Becca's mouth with a napkin.
"Is it really that bad?" Alice asked cautiously, looking at Becca, who puffed out her cheeks in offended protest.
"From what Becca can cook, it's easy to create chemical weapons. And unfortunately, I'm afraid Jinx inherited that… talent," Lucina said dryly, remembering the 'miracle dish' Becca once made.
"Hey! Don't insult my sweet little potato! She can do everything! And half her talents come from her father, anyway!" Becca snapped, pointing her fork at Lucina.
"But definitely not anything related to food," Lucina replied calmly and took a sip of coffee with a faint smile.
The fork in Becca's hand bent instantly as she squeezed it in anger. Alex looked at the twisted piece of metal and wondered if he should make the silverware here the same as the ones at home. But everything back home had been forged by Hephaestus — the goddess had simply gotten tired of watching forks, knives, and spoons break every family dinner, since arguments at the table happened far more often than anyone wished.
Lucina calmly took the bent fork and, with a small flash of magic, restored it to its original shape. Samantha once again realized just how convenient magic truly was. She even felt a hint of envy: with magic, she could clean an entire house in a couple of minutes, without choking on dust or breaking mop handles.
Becca, however, continued grinding her teeth. Lucina wasn't wrong — Jinx had inherited many wonderful things from her parents, but cooking was… not among them. Everything Jinx made either looked like charcoal or like something so suspicious it could cause mass poisoning.
"That won't last long!" Becca declared proudly, folding her arms over her chest. "My little potato and her sisters are making something right now that turns water into food!"
"Really?" Alice's eyes sparkled. "And what kind of thing is it?"
"I don't remember. Some long stupid name. They watched a cartoon and decided to build it themselves. If I were them, I'd just steal it," Becca said lazily.
"Don't teach our daughters your ridiculous habits. You already made Alex rob weapon warehouses just because you needed a few parts for a new gun," Lucina said and poked Becca in the shoulder.
"I'm not teaching them anything. Don't exaggerate," Becca waved her off.
Alex spent this whole time trying to remember what cartoon the girls had watched. Every time his little gremlins started 'building something,' it ended, in the best case, with an explosion… and in the worst case, with the creation of a weapon of mass destruction.
Stroking Becca's hair, he finally remembered.
"Becca, in that cartoon… was there, by any chance, food falling from the sky?" he asked, lifting a brow.
"I think so. But I don't remember well. There definitely was a talking monkey that called itself Steve," Becca nodded confidently — she had watched the cartoon with the daughters when she spent time with them after returning from yet another mission in another world.
"Sounds like you know what this invention is?" Samantha asked, intrigued.
"Yeah. What they're building… is called the Diatomic Super-Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator by Flint Lockwood. Or FLDSMDFR," Alex said in one breath, pronouncing the long, almost inhuman name.
Becca nodded at Alex's words but didn't even try to remember that ridiculously long name — she hadn't managed it the first time either. And when the girls started laughing, she seriously considered finding Flint Lockwood and giving him a good beating for coming up with such a pointlessly long piece of gibberish.
Lucina, Alice, and Samantha also tried to pronounce the name of the invention but gave up after their first attempt. They watched Alex in silent admiration as he recited it in one breath, not stumbling once.
Alex himself tapped his finger on the table, thinking about something else: the FLDSMDFR could really solve a lot of problems if used correctly. But he also vividly remembered how it ended in the cartoon — the food created by the machine mutated and turned into giant monsters due to ultra-powerful microwave pulses that split water molecules into hydrogen, oxygen, and carbon atoms, forming a new structure.
"And how are our gremlins doing?" Alex finally asked.
"So far, nothing. Everything this thing produces is purple slime that screams and doesn't look very appetizing," Becca said, shuddering just at the memory.
"Please tell me the girls didn't feed that slime to anyone…" Lucina said quietly, and her face clearly showed she had a bad feeling about it.
"Well… they did feed it to a minotaur…" Becca trailed off, trying to change the subject.
Alice, barely holding back a smile, asked, "And what happened to the poor minotaur?"
Alex, Lucina, and Samantha all looked at Becca at the same time. She quickly averted her gaze. Alex and Lucina even exchanged a glance: it was clear — nothing good had come of this.
Alex was especially worried about the consequences, as every day their family chat exploded with reports of what Nyarko, Jinx, Anya, and Tina had managed to create, and who had become the victim of their "experiments."
"Well, maybe… the minotaur mutated a little and went berserk. Just a tiny bit," Becca said in a tone as if she were talking about a runaway hamster, not an enraged giant creature.
"I think the issue is that, in addition to normal elements in the air, Orario is filled with mana and divine energy. That's why the FLDSMDFR isn't working properly," Alex said, tapping his finger on the table. "Tell the little ones they need to test the invention in a world without mana. Ideally a modern one."
"You think that's the reason?" Lucina asked, ignoring the fact that their daughters had almost caused a disaster.
"Very possible. And Becca… take Valmet and Jill with you when you go test the FLDSMDFR," Alex said, stroking her hair.
Becca smirked and gave a thumbs-up, showing that it would be done.
Alex was insanely fond of her, but he didn't trust her in matters like this. So he discreetly took out his phone, wrote in the family chat, and asked Valmet and Jill to accompany Becca. Both agreed almost immediately — they were resting anyway, and spending time with the daughters was a pleasure for them.
Putting the phone away, Alex glanced at the time. It was already time to get ready for school. Lucina and Alice realized it too and went to change.
Becca leaned over, grabbed him by the collar, and quickly kissed him, then jumped off his lap and stepped straight into the portal that had opened in front of her.
While Lucina and Alice were changing, Alex explained to Samantha what she needed to learn today to perform her first demon exorcism ritual. It might not be useful in other worlds, but he wanted her to start with the basics before moving on to fighting monsters. Samantha understood and listened carefully.
By the time Lucina and Alice came downstairs, Alex was fully ready.
They left the house and got into the Impala.
"Maybe we can stop by a diner on the way?" Alex suggested. "I don't want to eat the school lunch."
"I don't mind. What about you, Lucina?" Alice asked with a smile.
"I wouldn't refuse either," Lucina said calmly, nodding.
Alex smiled, turned the wheel at the next intersection, and headed toward the nearest diner by the school—he knew they sold incredibly tasty sandwiches there. Parking the car, he noticed another Impala standing not far away.
He paused for a second: did Sam or Dean stop by for morning coffee and food? But he shook his head almost immediately—Dean definitely wouldn't get up this early, which meant it had to be Sam.
After asking Lucina and Elis which sandwiches they wanted, Alex got out of the car. Entering the diner, he immediately spotted Sam, who was already picking up his order. Their eyes met the moment Sam turned toward the exit.
Alex gave him a warm nod in greeting and remained in the line. Sam nodded back and walked out of the diner, holding a paper bag with sandwiches, salad, and two coffees.
Outside, he noticed Alex's Impala parked nearby, with Lucina and Elis sitting inside. Since yesterday, Sam couldn't shake the feeling that something strange was going on in this town. And the most suspicious person was Alex—no matter how you looked at it.
Getting into his car, Sam wondered whether Alex might be one of those whose souls Amara had stolen… but he wasn't entirely sure. Dozens of theories about what was happening in the town swirled in his head. He had even spent last evening asking locals about legends, but only a few of them fit the picture even loosely.
Casting one last glance at Alex, Sam started the engine and drove back to the motel. Otherwise he would once again have to listen to Dean complaining that he took his car.
When he returned, Sam turned off the engine and walked into their room. There he saw Dean, who was studying something on the laptop.
"Please don't tell me you're watching porn first thing in the morning on my laptop," Sam said, placing the coffee and the bag of food on the table.
"No," Dean replied, turning the screen toward his brother. "I'm checking the local legends. Yesterday we questioned the residents, but aside from stories about the 'cold people' and wolf descendants, we didn't hear anything. So I figured—maybe the internet has some clues. Maybe some minor god or an alpha werewolf showed up here."
"You think an Alpha lives here and he killed the vampires Donna was chasing?" Sam asked, scanning the page.
"Could be. By the way, where did Donna go? Have you seen her?" Dean asked, pulling out a sandwich.
"She left this morning. She is a sheriff, after all. What about those people wrapped in black mist the guy mentioned?" Sam asked, scrolling down.
"Maybe he's the Alpha werewolf, and that's why he wanted us to take care of it. And that's why his file is so clean—changing identities is easier than ever now. Or he's someone like us," Dean said, taking a bite.
"So he's either a werewolf or from a hunter family and was away on family business?" Sam clarified.
"Yep. If he's a werewolf—we kill him. If he's a hunter—we talk and find out what he saw. I don't really want to off him—the guy seemed like fun," Dean said with a smirk.
"Or he's like Garth—only eats cow hearts," Sam muttered.
"Then we'll check out his place. Since he's at school now, we'll see if he's got any cow hearts lying around in the fridge," Dean said.
"Or human ones," Sam added darkly.
Dean just rolled his eyes and continued eating. Once the brothers finished breakfast, they got back into the Impala and headed toward Alex's house. Finding it wasn't difficult.
Parking across the street, they watched the house for a few minutes to make sure no one was home. Once sure, Sam and Dean got out of the car, looked around—it was important not to get spotted, especially by Sheriff Charlie Swan, Alex's neighbor.
Crossing the street, they approached the door and carefully peered through the windows. Once they were sure the house was empty, Sam pulled out a lockpicking kit while Dean stood guard. Within a second, the lock gave way, and they stepped inside.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Samantha was enjoying a hot bath—since the house was empty, she could relax without worry.
Sam and Dean, on the other hand, were inspecting the living room.
"If he's an alpha werewolf, he sure lives modestly," Sam remarked.
"Sam, look how huge this is!" Dean whispered, shaking a massive pink plush bunny.
"Dean… we didn't come here to play. We need to focus," Sam said tiredly.
"Fine, fine. I'll just check the fridge," Dean muttered, letting go of the bunny.
Sam just shook his head and continued scanning the living room while Dean headed to the refrigerator. Unfortunately, Samantha hadn't broken her habit of listening to music while taking a hot bath, so she didn't hear the two uninvited guests—Sam and Dean—entering the house.
Dean opened the fridge and immediately froze. Sam, making his way around the living room, hadn't noticed anything unusual either, but when he saw his brother stop, he grew cautious.
"Dean? Did you find something?" he called.
"Other than some incredibly well-presented food… nothing," Dean replied, barely restraining himself from tasting even a piece of Alex's fridge contents.
"Don't even think about touching anything. I didn't find anything in the living room either. That leaves the basement and the second floor," Sam said, casting a frown at his brother.
"I wasn't planning on taking anything… though it does all look damn tasty. Alright, let's check the basement. They always hide something there—as if no other place exists," Dean grumbled, rolling his eyes and closing the fridge door.
Sam just sighed and approached the door leading downstairs. Opening it, they immediately heard a strange, faint voice coming from the darkness. Sam and Dean exchanged a glance, drew their weapons, and cautiously began to descend.
Downstairs, they saw two men tied to chairs. One looked relatively intact, though exhausted, with a blank stare and incoherent mumbling. The other looked as if he had first been run through a meat grinder, then strapped to a chair.
The brothers instantly sensed something was wrong. Feeling for the light switch, Sam turned on the lights. Dean stepped forward to free the men, but Sam sharply grabbed his arm.
"Sam? What's wrong?" Dean asked in surprise.
"Watch your step," Sam said calmly, pointing to the floor.
Dean looked down—directly beneath the men, in the center of the basement, was a perfectly laid devil's trap.
Sam and Dean exchanged heavy glances. The confirmation was clear: Alex was definitely from a hunter family. He was probably here on business. But…
"Why is he keeping demons in his basement? And I've never seen a demon brought to this state," Sam said quietly, watching Albert, who continued mumbling.
"Look at the second one," Dean muttered darkly, nodding toward Cruz. "It's like they smeared him on the asphalt, put him back together, and strapped him to the chair. This guy clearly knows his way around torture."
Sam wanted to suggest leaving and talking to Alex later when he was home. Dean seemed to think the same. But just as the thought crossed their minds, the basement door slammed shut with a loud bang.
Both brothers spun around instantly—and saw three creatures about a meter tall on the top step, holding clubs in their paws. It was GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who had come downstairs for snacks… and found the basement door open.
Convinced that intruders had broken into the house, the trio simultaneously clapped their clubs against their palms and stared down at Sam and Dean like judges delivering a sentence.
Sam and Dean had no idea what these creatures were, but their seemingly peaceful appearance didn't match the ominous vibe they were radiating now.
"Sam… what are… these things?" Dean croaked, keeping his eyes on GIR, MIMI, and Stitch.
"No idea. First time I've seen anything like this," Sam whispered.
"Uh… maybe we can make a deal? We actually came in peace," Dean said, smiling as innocently as he could and raising his hands. Sam, without taking his eyes off the trio, mirrored the gesture.
GIR, MIMI, and Stitch tilted their heads in unison, staring at Dean and Sam, then began whispering excitedly among themselves. Sam and Dean almost exhaled in relief… until the trio turned back to them.
"Hit the thieves!" GIR, MIMI, and Stitch shouted in unison and, like a tiny special ops team, charged at the brothers.
Sam and Dean didn't even have time to realize what was happening before the first blow landed. Then the second. Then the third. The meter-tall creatures struck quickly, precisely, and without a trace of hesitation. Albert and Cruz, tied up, paid no attention to the commotion—they were far too exhausted to react.
Upstairs, Samantha, lying in her hot bath, finally heard the noise, even over the music in her headphones. Pulling them out, she frowned. Someone was breaking into the house? Or had GIR, MIMI, and Stitch caught someone again?
Knowing the trio could handle themselves but still curious who was foolish enough to confront these small yet utterly insane house defenders, Samantha quickly climbed out of the bath, threw on her underwear, wrapped herself in a robe, and hurried downstairs.
On the first floor, she saw the familiar scene: GIR, MIMI, and Stitch were dragging two men from the basement with bags over their heads and already seating them on chairs.
"Who are they?" Samantha asked, watching as the trio skillfully tied them up with ropes.
"Thieves," Stitch said calmly and, for emphasis, tapped Dean's knee with his club.
Samantha raised an eyebrow. Right, thieves. She approached, grabbed one of the bags, and lifted it. A familiar face came into view—Sam Winchester. Without a word, she knew who was under the second bag, but she checked anyway. Yep, Dean Winchester.
Samantha sighed heavily. She had hoped they would show up later. Much later. But no—the second day in the city, and here they were, tied up in her living room.
She found her phone on the table, pulled it out, snapped a photo of the brothers with the bags over their heads, and sent a message to Alex, fully aware that it was lunchtime at their school. That meant he could return quickly if needed.
After sending the photo, she considered what to do when the brothers woke up… but first decided to change—she didn't want to stand in front of hunters wearing only a robe.
A few minutes earlier, Alex had been sitting with everyone at the school cafeteria while Alice eagerly recounted the details of their recent date in Los Angeles. She didn't hold back on the details—even the part where Alex had punched a ride operator in the groin for trying not to give up the grand prize.
Bella, on the other hand, sat stunned—not because Alex went on a date with three girls at once, but because they had somehow managed to cross half the country and return.
"But… how? How did you even do this?" Bella asked, trying to process what she had just heard.
"You're not surprised I can turn into a demonic cat. Or become a child. Or that angels, demons, and all sorts of other things exist. Or that your boyfriend is a vampire. But the fact that I teleported a car across the entire country—that's what threw you off?" Alex said, resting his cheek on his hand.
"But…" Bella murmured, still trying to comprehend it.
"Bella, my advice," Lucina interjected, shaking her head, "just accept it. There's no logic around Alex. And there never will be."
Alice began nodding vigorously, fully confirming Lucina's words that looking for logic around Alex was a futile task. He belonged to those beings who simply exist beyond the concept of "logic."
Alex lazily took a sip of coffee, about to return to Alice's story, when suddenly he heard a notification sound. He pulled his phone from his pocket, glanced at the screen—and squinted slightly.
Then rubbed his eyes.
Looked again—and once more.
Instantly, silence fell over the table: everyone was staring at Alex, who was staring at his phone with the expression of someone beginning to doubt their own reality. Alex read the message a couple more times, then opened the photo… and after confirming what he saw, he burst into loud, genuine, almost hysterical laughter.
The school cafeteria fell silent: everyone was staring at Alex.
And he couldn't stop.
Lucina and Alice exchanged glances, then suspiciously looked at the phone. Unable to resist, Lucina took the device from Alex, quickly skimmed Samantha's message and the attached photo, then massaged her bridge of the nose wearily and handed the phone to Alice.
Alice saw the same thing—and burst out laughing as well.
"Maybe you could explain what's going on?" Rosalie asked, watching Alex and Alice laugh while Lucina looked like she was on the verge of a migraine.
"Some geniuses broke into our house, and GIR, MIMI, and Stitch caught them," Alex said, wiping his tears.
"My God… Who are these poor souls? Who was unlucky enough to run into that trio?" Emmett said, genuinely sympathizing with the unknown victims.
"And here's the funniest part," Alex exhaled. "It's Dean and Sam Winchester. They broke into the house, and now they're tied to chairs."
A pause hung over the table. Then Alice showed the photo to the others.
Emmett was the first to crack—he laughed loudly, slapping the table with his hand.
Rosalie stared at the phone, completely stunned—could it really be the same brothers who prevented the biblical Apocalypse?
The others silently tried to process what they saw. Everyone knew how dangerous Sam and Dean were. But now… tied to chairs… under the "protection" of GIR, MIMI, and Stitch…
It only evoked pity.
Alex was already messaging Samantha, asking her not to touch the brothers—he would return in a few hours to talk to them himself. Until then, they would remain tied under the watchful eyes of the sacred trio of chaos.
"So… that means I won a hundred bucks? Pay up," Emmett smirked.
"Alright, here you go," Alex said, placing a bill on the table. "But we don't know if they came to kill me or just ended up in the wrong place."
"That doesn't matter anymore. They broke into your house. And they did it faster than I expected. They only arrived yesterday! I told you, your face is suspicious," Emmett chuckled, tucking the bill into his pocket.
"If they hadn't come, I'd be disappointed," Alex shrugged.
"And what are you going to do next?" Rosalie asked, shaking her head at the exchange of barbs.
"I'll talk to them. Then I follow the plan: first, move to the Men of Letters bunker. From there, I'll start working," Alex said, tapping his finger on the table.
"You're moving soon? What about school?" Bella asked quietly, suddenly looking sad.
"Two months left until the end of term. I don't need the certificate. And Alice has about ten of them anyway," Alex said lazily, pointing to Alice.
She smiled brightly and nodded.
Bella only looked down sadly. She felt sorry—Alex, Lucina, Alice, and Samantha had become her friends. She considered Alex like an older brother: he helped her, gave advice, even if he sometimes acted like a total idiot when teasing her.
Noticing her "lost puppy" expression, Alex reminded her:
"Bella. I. Am. A. Mage. I can return to Forks anytime."
Bella blushed, once again forgetting the most obvious thing. Alex just shook his head—he was no longer surprised by her forgetfulness.
When the bell rang, Alex left for class with Alice, and Bella headed to her classroom with Lucina.
Meanwhile, at Alex's house, Sam and Dean began to come to after being beaten and having bags placed over their heads. Dean woke up first. His head was ringing, a dull pain throbbed at the back of his skull, and the thick fabric completely blocked his view.
"Hey… Sammy, you awake?" he mumbled hoarsely, trying to free his hands.
"Yeah. Looks like we're tied up," Sam replied, also unsuccessfully tugging at his bindings.
"Thanks, Captain Obvious. We need to get out of here. I don't know what those things were, but they really did a number on us. My skull still feels like it's crunching," Dean said, attempting to slip his wrists out of the ropes.
"You do realize I can hear you, right?" a calm female voice said, and both brothers froze instantly.
Sam and Dean exchanged glances—as much as the bags allowed—and realized they were not alone in the room. Samantha, sitting on the couch with her father's journal, was watching them and openly wondering how anyone could be so… clueless.
Sighing, she set the journal aside, stood, and approached the captives. She ripped the bags off their heads.
The light hit their faces, and the brothers squinted. As their eyes adjusted, they saw the living room and, in front of them, a girl of about twenty with light hair, wearing casual clothes and an absolutely calm expression.
"Who are you?" Sam asked.
"Samantha. And I live here," she replied calmly, returning to the couch.
"Well… then maybe you could untie us, beautiful? We're kinda on the same side, right?" Dean tried to smile with his signature charm.
"I have a fiancé. And he'll be back soon," she said impassively. "So sit quietly. Otherwise, this trio will beat you up and tie you again."
She pointed to GIR, MIMI, and Stitch, who were sitting at the table, devouring food as if they hadn't eaten in a week.
Dean and Sam turned their heads as far as the ropes allowed—and saw the very creatures that had given them a proper beating. The trio lifted their heads in unison, looked at them, and grinned boldly and shamelessly.
Sam tried to think rationally: Alex is a hunter. We broke into his house. We weren't killed—that's already lucky.
Dean, being Dean, immediately began arguing with GIR, MIMI, and Stitch. They, not to be outdone, responded energetically, and the room erupted into noise.
Samantha, who was trying to learn the words for a demon banishing spell, didn't tolerate it for long. Her irritation grew, along with the likelihood that she would throw a pillow—or something heavier—at someone.
"Quiet," she said in a strict voice, even though she adored this trio. "I'm trying to study. Or should I take all your food away?"
The effect was immediate.
GIR, MIMI, and Stitch instantly fell silent, sat up straight like three exemplary students, and began eating as carefully as possible. Even Dean got scared and shut up.
Finally enjoying the quiet, Samantha returned to her journal and continued practicing the words.
Sam listened to what she was mumbling and recognized familiar phrases.
"You're learning the words to banish a demon?" he asked, trying to start a dialogue.
"Yes. I need to practice," she nodded.
"I understand. We went through the same thing. My name's Sam, and this is my brother Dean. We're hunters. We came at a friend's request," Sam explained calmly.
"I know. Sam and Dean Winchester," she said, quietly closing her journal. "My father was friends with yours."
"Really?" Dean said in surprise.
"If your father's name is John Winchester—then yes. And he also worked with Bobby Singer," Samantha replied.
"What's your father's last name?" Sam asked.
"Giddings. Jonathan Giddings," she said.
"Giddings… Giddings…" Dean frowned. "Exactly! Dad talked about him. The vampire nest case. He said an old friend—Giddings—helped him."
"Bobby also mentioned someone with that last name. Said he retired," Sam added.
"Yes. Retired when he met my mom," she confirmed calmly.
The brothers exchanged glances. They definitely hadn't expected this—coming to a small town and meeting the daughter of a hunter who had once worked with their father and the family friend.
They began asking Samantha about her family, and she answered, but only about her father. She said nothing about her mother's family—at least until Alex returned from school.
To be continued…
(I can't remember for the life of me whether I was told Samantha's father's name or not. From now on, it'll be Jonathan, and I don't care. Basically, if you eliminated all the hassle of the investigations and Sam and Dean's brotherly conversations, they could pretty easily figure out where to go and what to do. Alex seemed the most suspicious, and the rumors about the legends in Forks were enough to figure out what might be going on there. And the first person Sam and Dean should have checked out was, of course, Alex. So everything went according to plan.)
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