Chapter 1: It's never Fate October 7, 1984 Part 1
"I can always offer you a deal."
The words rang out seducing, almost teasingly.
The demon's eyes were a startling yellow. The body the demon inhabited looked healthy and strong. The man that would've usually hosted it was probably cowering at that moment, in the deepest recesses of the mind that was once his own.
The man tried to ignore the words that came at him, that resounded in his ears. He knew he shouldn't have, but he had actually looked forward to hearing that. He had needed to hear that.
The wind whistled fiercely, making the trees around them sway and leaves crackle leaving an eerie sound behind. A good enough sound track for a moment like that.
"What deal?" The man coughed his green eyes dull and dead. He couldn't cry for his dead wife. The pain was almost numbing, leaving everything else to be hazy and blurry. He could barely form thoughts.
"Oh, you know. I bring her back; you give me your soul. I come for you in five years. Same old, same old." It's yellow eyes twinkled.
"Five years?" The man looked down to face his wife, searching her dead face, contemplating. He observed her relaxed dead features and empty. She had always been so full of life and spunk. Where was that now? Where was she now?
"You really shouldn't think about it. How rude. Humans are really only ever about self-sacrifice. You should be willing to do that in a pinch." It paused. "You have five years with them then I come for you. You know what? I'll give you ten years. That's it. It's a good offer. Take it."
"Them?" The man looked up at him, not sure he had heard right.
"Your wife and your baby girl." The demon kept a straight face but inside he was boasting. He knew he had won. It roamed around the grieving man staring off into the trees every once and a while, listening to the sound of the night.
"She's pregnant?' The ignorant father's face paled.
"Was. but she can be again." It almost teased. The wind rustled strongly, whistling and making the leaves crackle.
The man shivered. Could he do this? Was it right? Was it right to make to make a deal with a monster?
"Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. What do you say?" The demon smiled eyebrows raised.
"I… "The man paused. He couldn't lose her. She was everything to him. She made up for the things he lacked. And maybe, he giving his soul for her to live wasn't so bad. For her he would do many more things. "Yes."
"That's what I wanted to hear."
When the deal was done and the man's soul was extracted the demon swelled with pride. "See you in ten years, Papa. Live happily but always remember I'm only a few years away." It laughed disappearing. And even when it was gone you could still here its laughter and feel its malice. And the man felt like he always would. Even when he was happy, it would always be there. At the back of his mind. Only a few years away.
. . .
November 30, 1990
Delaney packed her stuff into her pack. Her dad was dead. That was all she could think of. He had been dead for almost two months and she had no idea why.
She shoved her pants and shirts plus all her meaningless things into her pack and tried to close it, but she couldn't. It should have been able to close because, in the first place, she didn't have much stuff to begin with.
Yet, the stupid zipper wouldn't close. She struggled and grunted but in the end, she flung the pack across the room and seethed.
"I don't want to go! Why can't I stay with you?" She shouted. Her mother came out of the motel restroom in only a towel.
"Because I have work to do, Laney. You know that. And you're nine so act nine." Her mother scolded, keeping the towel from slipping off.
"Is it… the monsters?" Her voice came out in a whisper.
"Yes. But only one. I'll get you as soon as I put it where it belongs."She ran her hands through her daughters long black hair.
"Where does it belong?" She asked.
"Where monsters belong." And she didn't say anything else about the matter.
"John is going to be here in an hour or so. Hurry up and finish packing." She tapped her small back twice to get her going.
"The pack won't close." Delaney put her hands on her hips.
"Maybe because you crammed your things in there all at once. Take them out and fix them neatly." Her mom began to get dressed.
"Who's John?" Delaney retrieved the pack from across the room, dropped it onto her bed, and continued to try to zip it up.
"He's a friend. He has two sons so be nice. I'll come for you as soon as I can"
"What are their names?" Delaney plopped down on their bed.
"Sam and Dean Winchester." Her mother smiled.
"They sound like nerds."Delaney shrugged.
"They're nice boys." Her mom chuckled.
"What's Jack's job?" Delaney finally managed to zip up her pack form in between scuttling forward and across the bed in the effort.
"John. He's… like me, sweetheart." Her mom hesitated.
"Oh." Delaney nodded her head slowly. At that moment a horn blared outside and Jane cursed.
"He's here. Remember what I told you. Be nice. Do everything he says and don't complain. Be patient. I've taught you a lot and try to remember everything. I'll go for you when I can and don't think momma's abandoning you." Jane hugged her only child tightly.
"Why can't I come with you?' Delaney whispered, hoping her mother would change her mind.
"Where I'm going… it's not for children." Jane sighed.
"I'm not a child I'm a hunter." Delaney corrected. Jane chuckled but she looked worried. She hadn't wanted this for her child.
"Yes, you are a hunter. But now I need you to be a good nine year old, understand? Forget about hunting for now. When you're older you'll be the best but not yet." Jane's eyes started to water.
"Why can't you come with me?" Delaney begged.
"I have stuff to do, Delaney!" Jane snapped angrily.
Delaney flinched.
"I-I'm sorry, honey. I love you." She kissed her on the head then ushered her out of the cheap motel room.
"I love you too, mommy." Delaney said, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from spewing out. She ran for the black muscle car waiting, the night air whipping her long black hair around her.
"Don't cry, you silly girl. I'll see you soon." Jane shouted trying to smile. She was afraid that she wasn't so sure they would.
. . . Part three
Delaney sat in the back seat quietly and shyly. The Impala drove its way slowly to the motel the Winchester men were staying at.
The Impala scared her. She knew it was ridiculous but she couldn't help it. She'd learnt many things about hunting and monsters and she was almost as comfortable with those topics as any hunter. Granted, she was a child and sometimes she did get a little scared but not as much as before. But the Impala had this eerie feeling to it. It was dark and threatening. Aggressive. She had never seen or heard anything like it.
"Your name is Delaney?"John smiled at her through the rearview mirror.
"Yes, sir."Delaney fiddled with her shoelace not staring at him.
"What's your middle name?" He asked uncomfortably. He seemed to want to make conversation.
"Mary." She answered. John had already become so used to keeping his emotions in check. But he couldn't help but feel the same deep pang of pain when he heard her name. When he saw her smile and face like any other long time ago.
"That's… a beautiful name." John stared at the road ahead.
"Thank you." Delaney tried not to ask why he had reacted that way.
"My… wife… that was her name." John said.
"Was?" Delaney inquired.
"Yes. Was. She passed away." John sighed.
"Oh. My daddy passed away." Delaney said trying to sympathize. It hurt but she put it out there for him.
"I'm sorry." John turned to face her for only a second.
"Why are you sorry?' Delaney asked. "You didn't do anything."
"I said it because I feel your loss." John frowned. This little girl was complicated But yet… she reminded him profoundly of Mary. She was dark haired of course but her eyes. And the trace of the smile on her face that looked like she smiled a lot. Like his Mary. He shook himself. He only wanted her to look like Mary, he told himself.
He looked at her through the mirror when she wasn't looking and she pulled out a necklace of a black fish. She put it on carefully.
He would take care of her. For his Mary.