Prologue
The taps of boot falls echoed in the dark hallway of the abandoned factory. Melaina walked as she looked at the pictures of when the water heater factory was new. There was a picture of a line of men in coveralls and hats. She analyzed the picture of the men. Her attention was drawn away from the picture when she heard disembodied voices. She pointed the beam from her flashlight towards the end of the hallway.
Armed with her large iron mallet Melaina walked down the hallway. When she came to the doorway into an office she was blinded by a light. She swung her mallet, but was met with resistance. She grunted and pulled away squinting.
"Jesus," a male voice grumbled.
Two middle-aged men stood in the doorway. One was armed with a crowbar and the other with a shotgun. The tall man with the shotgun cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes on Melaina, while the shorter of the two lowered his crowbar.
"You're Nanna's granddaughter right?" the tall one asked.
"Maybe," Mel said as she lowered her mallet, "Who are you?"
"I'm Sam Winchester," he said and then jerked his head towards his companion, "That's my brother Dean."
"Oh," she cleared her throat, "Sorry, it's been a while."
"Don't worry about it," Sam chuckled.
"We chasing the same ghost?" Melaina asked.
"We just finished it," Dean piped in.
"I see," Mel said and backed away from the doorway, "Guess we don't need to be in here any longer."
The three walked through the factory and exited through its large gaping doorway. Mel walked to her car and pulled the canvas cover off revealing her blue beetle. She tossed the canvas into the back seat, before she went to the front of the car. She opened the trunk door and opened the secret compartment. She tossed her mallet among her other weapons, shut the hatch, and closed the trunk. Melaina turned to see Sam and Dean packing their things away in the old impala.
"She's still running I see," she said as she approached them.
"Dean tunes her up constantly," Sam chuckled.
"Gotta make sure she's ready for the boys," Dean said and rubbed the trunk door with a loving touch.
"I never got to meet them," Mel said, "You didn't bring them to the funerals."
"They didn't really know Jarl or Clio," Sam gave a half smile, "How are you doing? It's been four years hasn't it?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm doing fine. Keep myself busy."
"Jarl's funeral was six years ago right?" Dean asked.
"That's right," Mel said, "Vengeful spirit."
"How is Nanna holding up?" Dean asked.
"Well," Mel chuckled, "She's still bossing me around."
Dean leaned against the impala and crossed his arms, while Sam slid his hands into the pockets of his denim pants. They aged, but never really changed. Melaina could see the clusters of grey hairs around their temples and the wrinkles around their eyes. Sam still wore his hair long and Dean cut his short. Mel didn't expect that they'd be slowing down anytime soon.
"She still making food for any hunter that visits?" Dean asked.
"Always," Melaina laughed, "She'll probably die in that kitchen."
"We should get the boys to meet us there," Sam said and looked at his brother.
"Nanna would love that," Mel smiled, "She still talks about you two fondly."
"Four years is way too long to go without Nanna's cooking," Dean chuckled, "We'll follow you to Hastings."
Mel nodded with a smile and walked to her blue beetle. The engine turned over with a kitten purr compared to the impala. She pulled out of the gravel parking lot and drove towards home. She couldn't help but reflect on the times she met Sam and Dean Winchester.
Melaina stood outside looking at her grandfather's body on the pyre. His tanned wrinkled skin looked as faded as his old plaid shirt. His sleeves were rolled to his forearms and his watch still ticked with time. A few old hunter buddies of his were getting ready to wrap him in canvas.
Mel stepped away from the pyre and looked towards two men who talked to her mother. Her mother's brown frizzy hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her bangs curled into her forehead and bounced as she moved her head. The tall man had a hand on her shoulder and spoke. The shorter one glanced around the backyard until his eyes met Mel's.
She looked away and walked towards her grandmother, "Who are the two guys talking to mom?"
Nanna looked over and gave a smile, "Sam and Dean Winchester."
"Like those Winchester's?" Melaina's eyebrows rose.
"Yes, those ones," Nanna said and gripped an old leather jacket tighter, "Jarl always thought they were fine men."
"So mom's hunted with them?" she asked.
"Yes and so did your grandfather," the elder nodded, "They are good at what they do."
Melaina watched as the Winchester's approached her and her grandmother.
"Nanna," Dean said with opened arms, "I'm sorry."
The elderly woman accepted the hug, "He was an old fool."
"We're all old fools," Dean chuckled.
"He was much too old to hunt," Nanna huffed, "But was too stubborn to quit."
"I don't think there's such a thing as quitting," Dean said.
"Where are my manners?" Nanna piped up, "Sam, Dean, this is my granddaughter Melaina."
"Hi," Mel looked between the two.
"I wished we could have met on a better occasion," Sam gave her a half smile.
"I don't think hunters gather for good occasions," Mel scoffed.
"I like her," Dean grinned.
"Don't encourage her," the old woman slapped the Winchester's bicep.
Melaina glanced in her mirror and chuckled. The two men looked stoic even in her rear-view mirror. She heard a lot of stories about the two of them over the years. She wouldn't have believed half of it if her grandfather and grandmother hadn't sworn to her it was all true. She thought about the crazy life those two led fighting monsters, Lucifer, the Darkness, and so much more.
"Yet they're just like any hunter," she sighed to herself, "They don't brag and they don't complain."
Her mind drifted to her mother's funeral four years previous when she last saw the Winchesters.
Melaina stood in front of her grandmother, whose eyes were red and swollen. The glassy stare from Nanna made Mel's eyes stung. The elder woman cleared her throat as her hands tightened around an old leather jacket. It was the same one Nanna held onto at Jarl's funeral and it was the same one that Nanna kept hung on the back of a chair at the kitchen table.
"You should have this Melaina," Nanna's voice crackled as she held the jacket out at Mel.
"But grandma-"
"It's not doing any good on the back of an old chair," she gave a wrinkle faced smile.
Mel nodded and took the jacket, "Alright, thanks grandma. I'll take good care of it."
"Jarl never did," Nanna laughed and wiped at the sagging skin under her eyes.
Melaina pulled the jacket on and felt a warmth radiate throughout her body. She could still smell her grandfather on the collar of the worn leather. The black leather had faded to grey with dark webs etched into the wrinkles of the jacket. The lining was soft with use and felt inviting.
"Looks good kid," a male voice chuckled.
Mel turned to see Sam and Dean Winchester, "I'm nineteen."
She crossed her arms.
"You're a kid until you're old enough to drink with me," he grinned.
Melaina rolled her eyes and let her arms fall to her sides, "Only two more years."
Nanna walked by Mel and brought the towering Sam Winchester into her arms, "You didn't bring the boys?"
"They never met Clio," Sam said and gave her a squeeze.
"Don't give me that shit Sam," Nanna scolded and released the man, "I haven't seen Darius or Zander since they were youngsters."
"We'll bring them around," Dean jumped in, "We promise."
"How old are they now?"
"Twenty two and twenty four," Dean grinned.
"Ah, they're already young men!" Nanna crossed her arms.
Melaina chuckled and glanced at the burning pyre as she played with the silver ring on her thumb. She ran her finger over the Nordic runes etched into the silver as tears formed in her eyes.
"That was Clio's," Dean spoke to Mel again.
Melaina nodded, "She said that it was the only thing she ever got from my father, besides me."
Mel pulled off the cracked paved road and onto a gravel driveway. She drove by the tree line that she used to play in as a child. She parked beside her grandmother's prized flowerbed overflowing with flowers and herbs. The impala parked behind her as she got out of her blue beetle.
She heard the screen door creak open and slam shut. She looked up at the old house and saw Nanna standing on the front porch holding a wooden spoon dripping tomato sauce. Her long grey hair was fastened back with a clip, with wisps of hairs framing her wrinkled face. Her brown eyes narrowed on the boys as her hands moved to her wide hips. She wore a pale purple apron over her plump hourglass body.
"Hey Nanna!" Dean greeted as he walked up the stairs of the porch.
"Don't you have any shame?" she flung the wooden spoon out at Dean Winchester sending tomato sauce flying through the air.
"What are you talking about?" the Winchester frowned and wiped the sauce off his jacket.
"How long ago did you promise to bring your boys around?" her large chest puffed out.
"Four years," Dean said and glanced into the house towards the kitchen.
"Look at me when I'm talking to you boy!" Nanna hit Dean's bicep with the wooden spoon.
"Nanna!" Dean whined and wiped more tomato sauce off his jacket.
"The boys should be here soon," Sam smiled as he approached the old woman.
Nanna's brown eyes twinkled and smile lifted her wrinkled face, "Wonderful!"
She brought the tall man into her a tight hug before ushering him inside the farmhouse. Mel chuckled under her breath as she walked passed a gaping Dean Winchester. With a quiet grumble the elder Winchester walked into the farmhouse letting the screen door close behind him.
"You boys sit at the table," Nanna said as she bustled through the kitchen, "Melaina, help me get lunch ready."
Mel let out a sigh and pulled off the leather jacket that used to belong to her grandfather. She hung it off the back of her chair and walked towards the stove. Her grandmother had crushed tomatoes stewing in a large pot, ground beef simmering in a large pan, and water boiling in another large pot.
"Should I get the pasta started?" Mel asked.
"No," Nanna said, "Season the beef and get it nice and browned."
Melaina obeyed her grandma's orders. She then was instructed how to season the tomato sauce to turn it into Nanna's pasta sauce. The browned ground beef went into the sauce and the fresh homemade pasta into boiling water. The elderly woman prepared garlic toast with her homemade bread for the oven. All the while the Winchester's watched in silence. Dean had resorted to gnawing on his thumb in anticipation for the food.
The garlic bread went on a pan and into the oven as Mel drained the pasta. Nanna checked the sauce and made her final adjustments. She put the pasta into a bowl, poured the meaty pasta sauce over top, and shaved Parmesan to finish. Mel put the bowl on the kitchen table as Nanna put the garlic toast onto a serving plate. A pitcher of iced tea was placed on the table just as a vehicle pulled into the yard.