Standing Outside the Fire

41

[What's Up, Tiger Mommy?]

The three hunters and Kevin were seated at an outdoor table at a restaurant. Dean was eating a hamburger.

Dean asked with a full mouth, "Are you kidding me? You're kidding me."

Kevin frowned. "What? Is it too much to ask if we can swing by and check on my mom?"

""Swing by?" It's a day's drive in the opposite direction. You know that, right?"

"Yes. I understand we're in a hurry."

Francesca frowned. "What's the problem, then?"

Kevin turned to her. "Channing's broken neck is my problem! As in I'd rather not see my mom twisted into a corkscrew."

"Kid's got a point, Dean, Frankie," Sam said.

Dean frowned at his brother. "Stay out of this." Sam smiled. "Kevin, your mom is fine."

A waitress brought more food and Kevin asked, "How can you possibly know that?"

Francesca looked at him with a gentle expression. "'Cause Crowley needs her to be, all right? In fact, he's probably got the place stacked to high Heaven... or Hell, with bodyguards at this very moment so that when you show, they'll pounce on both of you. I can confirm your mom's alive if that makes you feel better."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

Francesca frowned. "Okay. Blunt it is. She's bait. And you just want to swim right up and bite the hook? Right now, we got Crowley by the short and curlies, all right? All we gotta do is find the tablet, whip up the spell, and -- boom! -- sunshine and soft-sanded beaches."

"Frankie, my mom's all alone. She's surrounded by demons. Can you and your husband really not understand why I want to make sure she's okay?"

She pursed her lips and she and Dean looked at Sam, who shrugged lightly.

Dean sighed. "Son of a bitch." He put down his burger before he threw his hands into the air. "Fine. Let's go."

The Impala drove down the road and arrived in Neighbor, Michigan. Dean parked across the street from a blue house. Dean, Sam, Kevin and Francesca looked at the house, Sam through binoculars.

"Tiger mom, 9 o'clock," Sam said.

"Where?" Kevin asked.

"Left window."

Kevin noted, "She seems okay. Sad, but okay."

"Check out the mailman," Dean told the others.

Kevin and Francesca looked through the two pairs of binoculars at a mailman putting letters into the mailbox. "Yeah, that's Carl. So what?"

"Yeah, well, Carl's filled your mom's mailbox three times since we've been sitting here."

"He's a demon."

Francesca furrowed her brow. "Bingo. See the gardener?" There was a gardener watering plants in front of the house. "Think that plant needs any more water?" There was water running onto a path and downstairs in front of the house.

The mailman walked along the street in front of the house where he heard a noise from near the house. His eyes turned black and he walked through the unlatched gate to the backyard and found Dean and Francesca standing there. Dean and Francesca waved as Sam stepped out from behind the gate and stabbed the mailman with the knife. The mailman dropped to the ground, dead.

They made their way to the front door and Mrs. Tran opened it to find Kevin there. "Hi, Mom."

"Oh! Kev -- Kevin!" Mrs. Tran cried.