Season 1, Episode 7: Come As You Are

 

After driving through the night, Ellen Harvelle and a bleary-eyed John Winchester arrived at the apartment complex where Caleb had taken up residence.

"It's number nineteen."  

"Ground floor.  I'll go around to the other side of the building and keep an eye on the back,"  John said.

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Ellen approached the front door.  The place was well-maintained, she noted.  Upscale, at least compared to hunters' usual accommodations.  She rang the doorbell.

The door opened.  "Yes?"   Her tone was cautious.

Ellen hid her surprise when she saw the woman.  "Sorry to bother you, but my car won't start.   I was hoping maybe 'Blake' could give me a jump--" she lied smoothly.

"Sorry.  I don't know you."  

She moved to shut the door, but Ellen had anticipated a rejection and stuck her foot in the door.  

"Hi, I'm Ellen,"  she said cheerfully.  If I could just speak to Blake--"   The girl's expression didn't soften.   She wasn't buying it.  Ellen crowded her way inside.

"Get out!"  She reacted more aggressively than any civilian in office clothes ought to, catching Ellen off guard.   The woman kicked at Ellen's legs, throwing her off balance.

Ellen recovered herself quickly.  When the girl threw a punch, Ellen blocked it, catching her arm and using her own momentum to swing her around.  

"Blake!"  the girl shouted.

"No!"  Caleb yelled.

Ellen pushed the unknown woman into his arms.

"I'm right here.  Don't worry.  It's gonna be okay."

"He would have been long gone if I hadn't caught him slipping out the patio door,"  John said. Ellen saw the girl's shoulders tense at that.  

"We just want to talk,"  she said.   

"Tell you what, let's all just sit down--"

John didn't get to finish.  

"No!  Get out!  Leave us alone!"  

John was caught off guard, just like Ellen had been.

"Leave us alone!"  

"Sit down!"  

John barked the command in a tone that reminded Ellen, and likely Caleb, too, that he'd once been a combat-hardened US Marine.  Caleb took the girl's arm and gently ushered her to the sofa. 

"Blake?  You tried to run?  You were going to leave me alone to deal with these... These criminals?"

"That's what you told her?  That we're criminals?" Ellen blurted, indignant.  She turned to the woman. "Sweetheart, we're not the bad guys--" 

"It's Kenia."  

"Well, we're not what you could call law-abiding citizens,"  Caleb said. 

"And you just ran out the back."  Kenia scowled at him.  "Real dick move!"

"That would be a real dick move, if he didn't know we would never hurt you,"  John put in.

"I've known, uh,  'Blake', since he was just a little kid,"  Ellen said.  "Hell, I wasn't much more than a kid myself when we first met."  She looked at Caleb.  "But why the lies?  If you wanted out of the life, why not just say so?"  

"No one ever gets out.  Not alive,"  Caleb said bitterly.   "But then we wound up here...Uh, here in Virginia,"  he clarified for Kenia's benefit, and Ellen had to hold back a scoff at how they were all still carefully hiding the real truth from the girl.   Kenia didn't seem particularly stupid.  Caleb was going to have to do a lot of fast talking to keep the supernatural a secret from this one!  

"And you saw it as a second chance,"  she offered.   

"Right.  No offense, John,"  Caleb said, "but I figured, once was enough, you know?"

John looked guilt stricken at the veiled reference to his friend's death.  

"Caleb, I'm so sorry."  

"It wasn't your fault, John.  I've never blamed you.   I blame the demon--Uh, Meg.  If you'd have known the bitch, you'd say she was a demon, too."

"Mm-hm,"  Kenia murmured.  

Oh yeah, Ellen thought.  A lot of fast talking.  

"Kale--"  Ellen caught herself.  "Uh, Blake.  You're family, you know that.  If you want a fresh start, you have it.  We'll leave you alone."

"I'll see you out,"  Caleb told her.   "I just need a minute,"  he said to Kenia.  

"John, I meant it.  I don't blame you.  Pamela and I, we just figured the only way to get out of hunting, and stay out, was to cut off all contact.   Make everyone think we were gone for good.  Annie wanted out, too.   So we took off."

"But you didn't run far enough, Caleb Chesney."  Ellen enfolded him in a hug.

"Nope," he admitted.  "Got stupid and fell in love."  

Ellen scoffed.  "You could run to the moon and I'd still hunt you down.  You're family.  Don't ever forget that.  We'll leave you to your normal life, but if you ever need us--"  

"I'll be fine.  Thanks, Ellen."  

"One more thing, Caleb?"  

"Yeah?"  

"If you truly love her, tell Kenia the truth.    She can handle it."

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Epilogue:

"So ghosts and demons and vampires really exist, and you hunt them."

"Do you believe me?"  

"I believe you're telling the truth... As you see it." 

"So you think I'm a lunatic,"  Caleb chuckled.  

"Maybe,"  Kenia teased.  Then her expression turned serious.  "Caleb...Ugh, it still feels weird calling you that...Most men get scared off when they find out a woman has a kid.   Me having a daughter didn't scare you off.   And you weren't scared off when I told you I'd served time.  I'm not going to let this monster business scare me off."

"You understand now why I felt I had to lie to you?"  

"About the monsters, yes..."  

"But?"  

"It's going to take me a while to forgive you for making me call you 'Blake'."  

Caleb chuckled ruefully.  "Fair enough."

"I love you, Kenia."

"Love you too, Caleb."

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