*Set in season 2-ish; not really sure how closely I'll follow the original story arch*
*Children laughing in the distance*
"C'mon boys, it's time to come inside!" A scruffy, dark-haired man called out to 2 young boys running through a junkyard.
"Aw c'mon dad; it's not even 5!" The blonde boy griped.
"Are you talking back to me, son?"
"No sir." The boy's voice dropped.
"Alright, get your brother and I want to see you inside at the table in 5 minutes."
"Yessir."
"SCARLETT!" A deep growl pulled Scarlett Hart from the unfamiliar scene.
"Sorry, what?" She asked, feeling a little foggy.
"Shit, Scar. This is the kind of crap I'm talking about! You don't even listen when I talk anymore. It's like you're in another fucking world - and I don't think I exist there." Her fiancé yelled at her.
"Jeremy, no! That's not true. It's - um - I just haven't been getting much sleep. You know these graveyard to swing-shifts at the hospital have been kicking my ass."
"No...It's different and you know it. I don't know - this past year...it's like you're a different person. I don't know if you're freaking about the wedding or not, since you barely talk to me, but let me save you the trouble. I'm done, Scar; the wedding is off. I can't live like this anymore."
"Jeremy, what the hell?! Are you serious? We're not even going to talk about this? You're just done? Just like that? Wedding off?!"
"Are you kidding? 'Just like that?' We've BEEN talking about this, Scarlett...or at least I have. You just haven't been listening. You don't hear me!"
"Jeremy, please, I love you! I-I-I hear you. I'll be better, just give me one more chance. I promise it's still me. I know you still love me." Scarlett pleaded, fighting back tears.
"Of course I love you, Scar. That's not what this is about at all…" Jeremy walked over to the woman who'd been his partner for the past seven years and took her hands in his, "I don't know what I am to you anymore."
"You're my best friend." Scarlett began to sob.
"That's not what I needed to hear." Jeremy dropped her hands and grabbed his keys from the hook before walking out the door, slamming it behind him.
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A sandy-haired man gets out of a blue pickup, kicking up pebbles as he stomps across a parking lot towards a set of wooden stairs that lead to a door reading "DOC'S MARINA GRILL Port Townsend, WA"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHUUGH!" a man shrieked in pain.
The sandy-haired man takes off his raincoat to reveal a mechanic shirt, below the right lapel the shirt stitching reads: 'Fillmore Street Garage', below the left lapel: the name 'Jeremy'."
"The usual?" The bartender asks as the sandy-haired man takes a stool.
"Make it a double." he looks up at the game playing on the bar TV.
"SAM!" A familiar voice shouted.
The dark haired man stumbles to his truck, yanks open the cab door, and slamming it shut behind him. The truck screeches off into the darkness.
"AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGH!" shrieks of pain, once more.
An auburn-haired young woman is crying into a floral pillow as she lays across a mustard-colored couch below a window with its curtains drawn to the night sky.
"SAMMY! C'MO-" the familiar voice cut out.
*A truck horn blares*
The window is flooded with white light and the blue truck crashes through, demolishing the windowed wall. Blood splatters across the truck and living room. The crying woman is dead and her body is mangled.
"-N, BRO! SNAP OUT OF IT!"
The sandy-haired man's eyes flash red as he turns his windshield wipers on, smearing the woman's blood back-and-forth across the cracked glass. The sandy-haired man screams and convulses in anguish as his flesh reddens and melts off of his bones as if he were on fire. His screaming stops and his body is lifeless; his corpse emitting steam.
"AAAAAAAUuuhh-hhhh." Sam realized the shrieking was coming from him.
"Dude! What the hell?!" Sam's brother, Dean, was holding tightly to both of Sam's shoulders.
"We gotta go."
"What? Where? What did you see?"
"Get in the car, I'll tell you on the way."
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Dean followed his little brother out of their motel room and into the black '67 impala their dad gifted him. Dean loved his car and didn't need much convincing to drive it, but something about Sam's tone of urgency was different this time; Dean tossed his keys to Sam, his brother needed the drive more than him.
"So...like... melted melted?" Dean asked after Sam finished recounting his vision.
"Yep."
"Gnarly."
"What could do something like that?"
"...maybe an after-effect of a demonic possession?"
"No, I didn't see anything leave his body before he died."
"Then sounds like some serious hoodoo...a hex or a curse."
"Yeah maybe… how far are we from the Olympic Peninsula?"
Dean pulled out the map, "6, 7 hours give or take."
"Damn!" Sam hit the steering wheel.
"Whoa! What?!"
"It'll be dark by then, Dean! What if we're too late?"
"Well, was there anything in your vision that indicated what time at night it was?"
"Wait- yes!" Sam hit the steering wheel again, smiling.
"C'mon, man, stop hitting her!" Dean winced.
Sam chuckled, "Sorry, it's just, we're going to be so early."
"We are? How do you know?"
"Bottom of the 9th. Cardinals were playing The Mets; night game… that game isn't scheduled until this Friday."
"That's in four days...Sammy, that's the farthest in the future you've seen so far."
"Yeah, I know...I wonder what that means."
"Well, did you see who was up?"
"Sure."
"Then it means we better find a bookie."
"Dean…" Sam got a concerned look in his eyes.
"Sam, I don't want to hear your lecture on morality; the job doesn't exactly pay. We gotta take advantage-"
"No, no. Not that..."
"What is it?"
"Isn't today the 9th?"
"Yeah, so? What's your deal?"
"Friday is the 13th."
"So? Isn't that just mythical superstitious bullshit?"
"Dude, our lives are mythical superstitious bullshit."
"Fair point… so what do we know about Friday the 13th?"
"Well there's a bunch of different 'Omens.' The 13th apostle was Judas and Jesus was crucified on a Friday. In ancient Rome witches gathered in 12, the 13th member was the devil. Friday the 13th is when King Philip IV falsely arrested the Knights of Templar and they were eventually burned at the stake. Supposedly the devil tricked Eve, and subsequently she tricked Adam, into eating the fruit of knowledge on a Friday the 13th. Some people also believe Cain killed Abel on a Friday the 13th."
"So it's all over the place: betrayal, corruption, blasphemy, deception, murder…"
"Yes, just your general evil."
"I'll call Ellen and see if Ash can find any kind of Friday the 13th pattern or maybe another hunter has some info."
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Scarlett called over to the Animal Emergency and Trauma Center in Poulsbo, WA where she was due for a 6pm-8am shift.
"Poulsbo Animal Emergency, this is Emily; how can I assist you?" The soft and soothing tone of her favorite receptionist's voice seemed so startling while Scarlett's life was falling apart - like it didn't match reality somehow.
"Hey, Em... It's Dr. Hart." Scarlett's voice cracked.
"Oh, hi Dr. Hart...Running late?"
"Yes- er- no. I'm not going to make it in tonight. I need you to transfer me to Kaylin and then call in Dr. Collins."
"Oh, ok. One sec-"
The phone line clicked and switched to a hold-tone. "This is Kaylin." Short and direct, just like the vet tech herself.
"Hi, Kay."
"Scar? What's up? Where you at?"
"I'm not coming in, you gotta cover until Collins comes."
"What's wrong?"
"... it's-" Scarlett chokes back her tears, "it's Jeremy. He left."
"What do you mean 'he left'?"
"He said the wedding was off and then he left. That's it. It's over." Scarlett began to cry.
"No fucking way. I don't believe it. He loves you more than anything, Scar."
"Be-lieve-ih-hih-hit-t-t!" Scarlett said through sobs.
"Bullshit, he'll be back. It's just pre-wedding stress. It'll be OK, sweetie."
Scarlett sniffled, trying to pull herself together.
"Really, just give him some time. You guys are meant to be. Look, I'm gonna talk to Greg when he gets in about covering you for a few days. Try to get some sleep. You've been running yourself ragged doing 70 hour weeks between here and Kitsap, plus wedding planning. Things will look better in the morning." Kaylin reasoned.
"Ok, call me if you guys need anything."
"We won't; go to sleep. I'll come by tomorrow with breakfast."
"Thanks, Kay. I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Love you sweets, get some rest."
Scarlett hung up the phone. Feeling emotionally drained, she decided to take her friend's advice and went to lay down in bed.
*Singing 'Dream a Little Dream of Me'*
A beautiful blonde woman, who looks as much like Doris Day as she sounds, rocks a baby in her arms.
"Mommy?" a sleepy-eyed boy with the same blonde locks shuffles into the nursery.
"Sweetheart," the woman gently coos "what are you doing out of bed?"
"I wann-ed hear mommy song." his little voice trips through the sentence.
A dark-haired man chuckles as he enters the doorway. "Am I invited to the party?"
"Daddy, shh!" The blonde boy whispers. "Mommy sing baby brudder nigh-nigh song."
The two parents smile at each other and the mother continues singing.
"SCAR!" Someone called in the distance. "WAKE UP!" a deepening awareness of daylight rushed Scarlett into consciousness. "I grabbed the key from under the frog and let myself in!" It was Kaylin's voice shouting to her. "Coffee is on the table, sweetie." Her friend walked into the bedroom. "I really gotta piss." Kaylin disappeared into the bathroom. "I can't stay long!" she echoed from inside the tiled lavatory. "I haven't been to bed yet and I'm about to drop!" Scarlett got up and slipped her robe on before walking into the living room to sit on the couch. "So how did you sleep?" Kaylin emerged from the bedroom.
"Good...actually." Scarlett spoke her first words of the day as she reached for the quad-shot latte on the coffee table.
"See, honey; a good night's sleep always makes life a little more bearable." Kaylin plopped down next to her on the couch.
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Dean and Sam walked out of their room at The Harborside Inn to a sunny autumn day in Port Townsend.
"I thought Washington was supposed to be rainy." Dean said, looking up at the cloudless blue sky.
"We're in the rain shadow." Sam explained.
"The what?"
"Never mind. Let's check out the mechanic shop."
"Right."
The boys hopped in the Impala and Dean drove them up the hill to the Fillmore Street Garage. Once they arrived, they were greeted by a tall middle-aged man in a mechanic's shirt that read 'Dave'.
"She's a beauty," Dave nodded toward the Impala, "67? "
"Good eye! 327, 4-barrel, V-8."
"Gorgeous…" Dave looked her over, "well what can I do for you boys? I can't imagine you'd let anyone other than yourself touch her, so I know you're not here for mechanic work."
"You got us. Actuality were U.S. Marshals." Dean flashed a counterfeit badge. "Looking for a Jeremy."
"Is he in trouble?" Dave's facial expression changed from welcome to worry.
"No!" Sam chimed in, "We're actually looking for someone else, we think Jeremy may be able to help us."
"Oh, good. He's a good kid. Not going to be in this week, though."
"Is he sick?" Dean asked.
"No," Dave shook his head and sighed, "heart broken. Poor kid broke off his engagement last night."
"Oh, that's too bad." Sam gave Dean an intrigued look.
"I don't think it'll stick, they're going through it now, but those two kids got something special. They'll work it out." Dave said knowingly.
"Good to hear." Sam gave a warm smile; he was good at those.
"So, Dave, any way you could point us to where Jeremy lives? We hate to bother him, but the case we're working on is time sensitive." Dean pressed; he was good at that.
"Well, him and Scarlett's place is up the hill a bit at 607 V street...but he's probably staying with his grandma right down the road on Tyler Street, right across from the old church."
"Thank you for your time. You've been very helpful." Sam said.
Dean nodded to Dave before the two brothers headed off again in the Impala.
"Let's check out the grandmother's house first, maybe we can head this off without the ex-fiancée ever getting involved." Sam said as they pulled out onto the street.
"Good thinking, Sammy."
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"So any voicemails from Jeremy?" Kaylin asked as Scarlett sipped her coffee.
"Um," She looked over at her RAZR on the table that had no blinking message light, "nope."
"Well, it hasn't even been a day since...since...what exactly happened anyway?"
"I don't know, I guess he feels like I've been distant. Which is probably true…"
"You've been busy! Laying the foundation for a successful life. For the BOTH of you, he'll realize that."
"Yeah, maybe; It's not just work, though…." Scarlett trailed.
"Oh?"
"Kay, I've been having these dreams…"
"What kind of dreams?"
"Nothing too weird really, but always of the same family."
"What family?"
"I don't know. I don't recognize them. It's a blonde woman and a dark-haired man and their 2 sons."
"So?"
"So...I don't know… there's just something about them. And I only see the woman with them while the youngest is still an infant."
"Oh my God. You're gonna be one of those couples that starts popping out kids as soon as you're married!" Kaylin teased. "You better not quit the animal hospital!"
"What? No! It's not like that. Sometimes I see them when I daydream too."
"You're totally baby crazy! Look, just do yourself a favor and tell Jeremy about the dreams. He loves you. I'm sure he won't freak. You guys will make beautiful kids."
"Um, yeah. Maybe you're right." Scarlett gave up on trying to communicate with Kaylin.
"Great. I gotta go home to bed before it gets any later in the day. Call me tonight and let me know how things go with Jeremy. Love you!" Kaylin and Scarlett hugged before Kaylin left.
Scarlett was left alone to contemplate the dream family. Could her sleep-deprived friend be right? Were the visions of this family just something her subconscious was creating to process thoughts of her future with Jeremy? And what about her future with Jeremy? Where was he? Should she call him? Did he need more space? The questions were beginning to overwhelm Scarlett, so she decided she needed to escape her mind for a while. She set off to The Rose Theater to catch a matinee… it didn't really matter what was playing, anything was better than her reality.
Scarlett got to the theater in time for an afternoon showing of Scream, the theater was having a horror film festival through all of October, including a showing of Friday the 13th on this Friday the 13th…She pre-bought a ticket for that day as well.
Just as Drew Barrymore was getting 'sliced and diced', Scarlett started to feel dizzy.
"Bobby, I don't know what to do with the boys. I can't bring them with me on this one." The dark-haired man sounded desperate and looked more scruffy than ever.
"Don't worry about them, John. Of course they can stay here. I can look after 'em for a week 'er two." A grungy looking man in a camo-trucker-hat assured the dark-haired man. "Bring a compact mirror with ya. You'll spot a changeling easier with it."
"Thanks, I'll pick one up on the way out of town - and maybe a flame thrower." The dark-haired man called John looked serious.
"Light that bitch up."
"John!" Scarlett gasped as she returned to reality.
"Shh!" Someone in the crowd shushed her.
"Sorry!" She whispered and returned her attention back to the movie, making a mental note to do some research on what exactly a 'changeling' was.