The storm had passed, leaving behind a night sky of unusual clarity.
Stars glittered like scattered diamonds above the Salvatore Boarding House, their light filtering through the library windows where Lucien sat alone, surrounded by ancient texts.
His fingers traced illustrations of golden apples in a worn leather volume on Norse mythology.
The essence that had saved his life hours earlier remained a mystery worth solving, especially given the price they'd paid for it.
"Interesting reading, Lulu?"
Lucien didn't startle at Katherine's voice - he'd sensed her approach seconds before she spoke. She moved with grace, settling beside him on the leather couch, close enough that her thigh pressed against his.
"Research," he replied flatly, shifting away slightly.
Katherine smiled, closing the distance he'd created. "On the essence that saved your life? I could tell you everything about Idunn's apples, you know. I did steal them from Asgard, after all."
"I prefer verifying information independently." Lucien kept his tone neutral, eyes on the book.
"So suspicious," Katherine purred, moving closer still. In one fluid motion, she slipped behind him, pulling him into her lap with ease. Her arms wrapped around his waist, chin resting on his shoulder. "That's not very nice of you to your saviour."
Lucien stiffened. "What are you doing?"
"Getting comfortable," Katherine replied, pressing a kiss to his temple. Another followed on his cheek, then his neck, a bombardment of affection that made his skin crawl.
Lucien tried to wiggle free, but her arms were like steel bands. "Stop that."
"Why?" Katherine's breath tickled his ear as she planted another kiss on his jaw. "The contract allows for physical affection. Hugs, kisses to the cheek or head. I'm well within my rights."
'Of course she'd immediately test the boundaries,' Lucien thought, gritting his teeth. "If you don't stop, I'll throw you against that wall and pin you there."
Katherine turned him in her lap to face her, eyes alight with excitement. "I would love that," she whispered reverently. "To feel your power firsthand... to be at the mercy of my little god..."
Lucien went silent, then sighed heavily, face-palming. Through his fingers, he muttered, "Okay, you made it weird. Why did you have to make it weird?"
A book suddenly flew across the room, aimed at Katherine's head. Lucien leaned slightly to avoid it as Katherine's hand shot up, catching it effortlessly.
"Rude," she commented, looking past Lucien to where Dean stood in the doorway, fury etched into every line of his face.
"Aren't you worried about the pain?" Katherine asked, "Contract says you can't hurt me."
"Woman up, bitch. That wouldn't have hurt you, and you know it." Dean spat. "Besides, there's no respect due to bitches who want to sleep with my thirteen-year-old brother."
At this Katherine's smile froze for a moment, before she - both because she liked it and wanted to antagonize Dean further, stroked her fingers through Lucien's hair even more possessively than.
"Dean," Sam's voice cut through - before Dean could react - the tension as he entered the library. "This isn't helping."
Sam looked exhausted, hair disheveled from running his hands through it repeatedly. "We have a more immediate problem. Dad's completely healthy now - younger than he's been in years. The doctors here were expecting him to be dead by now. We need a plan."
The tense silence that followed was broken by Katherine's casual voice. "I could compel everyone involved. Change memories, alter records - make it as if John's condition was never what it appeared."
Trevor entered, expression grim. "You'd do that?"
"For a price," Katherine smiled, arms still wrapped around Lucien.
John appeared in the doorway, him and Trevor had been waiting outside when Dean arrived to see how things would go - looking decades younger than he had that morning.
The transformation was remarkable - skin smooth, posture straight, eyes clear and alert. He studied Katherine with open suspicion. "What price?"
"Simple," Katherine replied. "Since I'll be sticking around henceforth, I need a cover story." Her smile widened. "I'll be your daughter, John. Lucien's older sister."
Dean's reaction was immediate. "No fucking way."
"Dean-" Sam began.
"No!" Dean cut him off. "You said you'd help us against Dracula. That was part of the deal. We need Mystic Falls off our backs about Dad's miracle recovery, but this is too far."
Katherine shrugged elegantly. "The contract states I'll provide protection 'whenever I choose.' Besides, John doesn't need to stay here. I'm more than capable of protecting Lucien myself." Her smile turned predatory. "John can just leave town. Fake his death. Problem solved."
"That's not happening," John stated flatly, moving into the room. His eyes never left Katherine's hands on his son.
'She's brilliant,' Lucien thought, watching Katherine work. 'Absolutely manipulative and dangerous, but brilliant.'
He mentally catalogued her moves like a chess master studying an opponent:
'She waited until we were desperate - Dad dying, and came to help. And when instead she found me bleeding out, she instantly adapted instead, and gained maximum advantage.'
'Second, she'd structured the contract to appear reasonable on the surface while embedding loopholes she could exploit - "whenever I choose" for protection, "private visits" with minimal oversight. Having taken advantage of how emotional and desperate my family was.'
'Third, she'd immediately established physical dominance through unwanted affection, testing boundaries, to see how far she could truly go, within the contracts boundaries.'
'Fourth, she'd immediately adapted again to take advantage of a secondary problem - how to explain Dad's miraculous recovery - and offered the only solution, compulsion, at the cost of getting in between our family.'
'This whole "sister" demand bullshit and suggesting Dad to leave... it wasn't just about embarrassing us or establishing a cover story. She - thinking me still just a kid - is trying to systematically isolate me, create dependency while removing other support structures.'
'Antagonise Dean, make him have destructive behaviour, and slowly but surely lash out more, that I - like any normal kid normally would - not want to be around the chaotic, aggressive, lashing out older brother. Not knowing I am no ignorant kid. She's probably thinking of what to do with Sam and the others too right now...'
'She's not just playing chess,' he thought while watching her smirk as Dean fumed. 'She's playing five moves ahead while making everyone think she's just being impulsive.'
"We need time to discuss-" Sam began.
"Sister," Lucien interrupted, not wanting any more poison to drip from the snake's mouth any time soon, the word itself tasting like ash in his mouth. All eyes turned to him in shock. "Fine. You'll be my... big sister. If that's what it takes."
Katherine's smile was triumphant as she cupped his face. "Smart boy," she purred, pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek before standing gracefully.
"I'll need files on everyone who knew about John's condition," she said, business-like now that she'd won.
Trevor reluctantly provided a folder. "These are all the medical contacts."
"I'll handle it immediately," Katherine said, taking the information. With a final meaningful look at Lucien, she disappeared in a blur.
"What the hell, Lu?" Dean demanded once she was gone. "You can't seriously agree to this."
"We don't have a choice," Lucien replied, wiping his cheek where Katherine had kissed him. "We need her help right now, and she knows it."
John approached, placing a hand on Lucien's shoulder. "We'll figure this out. Together."
Lucien nodded, but the weight of the contract hung heavy in the air between them.
----------------------
Katherine slipped through Dr. Feldman's window, landing silently in his study. The doctor jumped at her sudden appearance,
"Who in the-" he began.
"Don't bother asking questions," Katherine said, catching his gaze. "You will forget John Winchester's condition-"
She frowned as her compulsion failed to take hold. The doctor confused, but now worried tried to reach for the alarm button, before Katherine instantly grabbed his wrist, and stopped him, causing the man to look confused, surprised, and afraid, like reality wasn't computing.
Questioning who the hell this woman was, how she entered from his window, and how she was so fast.
"Am I hallucinating? Am I that sleep deprived?" Dr. Feldman muttered to himself confused.
"Vervain," Katherine muttered, not caring to answer and correct the doctor. "Of course Mystic Falls would be prepared. Probably laced into the drinking water or something."
She produced an ornate pendant from her pocket, swinging it before the doctor's eyes. "Look here, doctor. Focus on the light."
The pendant glowed subtly as she whispered ancient words. The doctor's - who the pendant was in front of - resistance crumbled, his eyes glazing over.
"Much better," Katherine smiled. "Now listen carefully. John Winchester didn't suffer from extreme age or organ failure. He experienced severe anemia and temporary kidney dysfunction due to an adverse reaction to experimental medication he was taking for Gulf War Syndrome."
"The treatment appeared catastrophic initially, but his body adapted, and he made a remarkable - though not miraculous - recovery once the medication was discontinued and counteragents were administered."
"Recovery... not miraculous... counteragents," the doctor repeated dully.
"You will update all his medical records to reflect this diagnosis and treatment course, and destroy any that contradict this. Include gradual improvement markers over the past week," Katherine continued. "Now, who else knows about John Winchester's original condition?"
"Dr. Drake Hart consulted... Nurse Jenkins administered care... sent blood samples to Whitmore College lab..."
Katherine nodded, mentally cataloging each name. "Show me every record, file, email, and lab result related to John Winchester."
She spent the next forty minutes meticulously reviewing each document, instructing the doctor to modify or destroy records, composing replacement emails to colleagues, and creating a perfectly consistent medical narrative.
"And who outside the medical staff knows or wants to know about his condition?" she pressed.
"Sheriff Forbes is inquiring... standard procedure for unusual cases..."
Katherine's eyes narrowed. "The Sheriff? Interesting."
'Council member,' Nura whispered in her mind. 'Careful, my Queen. They can be annoying.'
"You'll tell the Sheriff that tests confirmed an adverse medication reaction," Katherine instructed. "Nothing supernatural, nothing unexplainable."
---------------------
Three hours later, Katherine stood on the hospital roof, mentally checking off names from her list. The night air was cool against her skin as she gazed across Mystic Falls.
'You're magnificent when you work,' Nura's voice filled her mind, warm with admiration. 'So thorough, so precise.'
"I've had practice," Katherine replied aloud, feeling oddly lighthearted.
'Can't believe we finally have him,' Nura continued, her excitement bubbling through their connection. 'After all the tracking, all the waiting. Day is OURS now.'
"Day? Who's 'Day?'" Katherine questioned a bit confused.
'Lucien of course! I also wanted to give him a nickname. Lulu is your thing. So Day is mine.' Nura answered proud.
"Okay, but why 'Day'?"
'Cause he's like a star Katherine! He lights up the night and it's like day to me! He's my Day Star - Day for short! Now stop asking me about my cute nickname preferences and tell me when we can have him finally take us!' Nura continued excited.
"Patience Nura, patience," Katherine corrected, though she couldn't suppress her own thrill. "We have but a foot in the door right now, darling. But soon we'll have more."
'Did you see his FACE?' Nura's thoughts became almost breathless. 'When he called you sister? That reluctant step back while his mind was calculating every angle and how to take two steps forward?'
"Mmm," Katherine hummed, leaning back against a ventilation unit. "So much defiance in such a small package. I can't wait to... guide him."
'The way he felt against you,' Nura continued, 'So much power humming beneath that skin. I want to taste every inch of him when he's ready.'
Katherine's breath quickened as Nura shared vivid images - Lucien pinning them against walls with the Force, commanding them to their knees, his power washing over them in waves that left them gasping.
'I want him to bend us to his will,' Nura whispered in her mind. 'I want him to use us completely, make us beg for mercy and more.'
"Patience," Katherine this time reminded - this time actually more to herself herself, though her body responded to Nura's fantasies. "We have to be careful. The contract has limits."
'For now,' Nura agreed reluctantly. 'But I felt his potential. When he's fully grown, fully realized... he'll be unstoppable. And we'll be right there beside him.'
Katherine checked her mental list. "Two more doctors, then the lab technicians at Whitmore."
'And then back to our little god,' Nura said eagerly. 'Back to playing our new role as "the devoted sister."' though she put quite the... suggestions in her tone.
Katherine laughed, feeling lighter than she had in decades. "Who would have thought family could be so... exciting?"
'In more ways than one,' Katherine thought as she bit her lip.
-------------------
Dawn was breaking as Katherine returned to the Salvatore Boarding House. She entered silently, finding John waiting in the library, a glass of whiskey in hand despite the early hour.
"It's done," she said, settling gracefully into a chair opposite him. "All records altered, all witnesses compelled. Your miraculous recovery is now a simple case of medication reaction and proper treatment."
John studied her over the rim of his glass. "Thank you." he stated finally.
"You're welcome... Dad." Her smile was all teeth.
John's jaw tightened, but he didn't rise to the bait. "Is that all?"
"For now." Katherine glanced around. "Where's my little brother?"
"Sleeping," John replied tersely. "As you should be able to guess, nearly dying takes a lot out of a person."
Katherine stood, smoothing her jeans. "I'd like to see him before I go."
John hesitated, then nodded once. "I'll come with you."
They moved silently through the house, up the stairs to Lucien's room. John opened the door carefully, revealing Lucien's sleeping form curled beneath a blanket.
Katherine stepped inside, her expression softening as she approached the bed. She reached out, fingers going through Lucien's hair.
She leaned down and gently kissed his forehead, "Sweet dreams, little god," she whispered.
Finally, she turned around and left - vamp speed away, not bothering to acknowledging John or anyone else.
-----------------------
(Author note: Hello everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
Do tell me how you found it.
Before anything I wish to clarify something.
The blood contract isn't about name.
It is about blood.
Katherine's true name is "Katerina" yet the contract still works because it's her blood with a piece of her soul energy in it, same with Lucien.
Lucien's soul trusts his Dad's - John, so John could act as his representative and agree. Lucien after all deep down always trusts his dad to keep him safe.
Besides Lucien is still a true name of well, Lucien. It is a birth, reincarnation name, not a self-proclaimed on, like "Katherine" is for Katerina.
One can have multiple names after all.
Well, I hope to see you all later,
Bye!)