THEME: Drama, Angst, and Supernatural, AU.
RATING: M
DISCLAIMERS: I don't own Supernatural or its characters. Lola, Maggie, Joshua and Matt are original characters created by Bubblegumthai and myself.
Chapter One
Maggie made her way up the stairs, a laundry basket tucked under her arm. As she reached the landing she swung the container full of folded clothes round to her front, stepping into Joshua's bedroom. The pictures of teddy bears replaced by planets and stars on the light blue walls. Joshua was lying front ways on his bed, his legs kicking up in the air as he flicked through a comic book.
"Hey sweetie." Maggie said, rustling his hair playfully as she walked passed the six year old. She set the basket down on the floor and began to move items from the container to the chest of draws she stood before. As she did so, she looked up to see a photo of her and Matt with Joshua on his shoulders at a beach. She paused for a second, looking at the happy family that she missed so much.
"Its okay Mommy, you'll see Daddy again one day." Joshua spoke sweetly, causing Maggie to turn around.
"What's that honey?" She replied with a smile, moving over to her son's bed.
"You said that you wished you could see Matt again." They boy answered.
"I didn't say anything Joshy."
"No…but you were thinking it."
Maggie's smile was wiped from her face as soon as she heard those disturbing words. She darted out of Josh's room and ran into her room, picking up the phone from her bedside cabinet, she frantically dialled.
"Sam…its Maggie…its Josh…I think its started."
Raising his fist, Sam knocked loudly on the heavy wooden door, just below the gold number three that was screwed to the centre, just below the spy-hole. As he heard footsteps approaching, he dusted back some of his shaggy brown hair from his green eyes, only to have it flip back into place. Exasperated, he blew at the strands just as the door was pulled open. He stopped, his bottom lip jutted out to direct his breath upwards to his hair, and moved his eyes slowly to see Lola standing in the doorway watching him,
"Hello Sam…" She laughed softly, stepping to the side to let him in,
"It's my hair." Sam said as she looked at him with amusement, "It's in my eyes."
"Cut it." She said, shutting the door behind him and wandering off across the large open living room in her track-pants and tight tank-top, "Dean…Sam's here…"
Sam followed Lola towards the kitchen and as he moved passed the couch, he discovered his brother standing on his head, legs crossed up in he air, his palms pressed firmly against a emerald green yoga mat,
"What are you doing?" Sam snorted,
"It's for my blood pressure." Dean stated, going slightly red in the face,
"Is it working?"
"No."
"Sam…come and have a beer…" Lola called from the kitchen, "I wouldn't distract him if I were you…last time I did that, he broke three toes."
"Ouch." Sam cringed as he wandered to the kitchen, taking a seat at the breakfast bar, "So how're you doing, Lola?"
"Fine…" Lola replied, eyeing him cautiously,
"It's good to see you back in Philadelphia."
"Thanks." Lola smiled slightly before there was a loud thump, followed by a few quiet curse words, "There he goes…" Lola breathed, shaking her head as she reached up, tying back her straitened auburn hair a top of her head, "He's not the most graceful of men."
Dean appeared in the kitchen, stretching as he did so,
"Can I have a beer?" He asked, pulling open the fridge,
"Nope. Have some water."
"Sammy has a beer."
"Sam's healthy." Lola replied, "Go sit down in the lounge." She told them, ushering out of the kitchen, "I've got to make lunch. Sam, you hungry?"
"No, thanks." Sam smiled, heading for the couch and dropping down beside his brother. Dean leant back in his seat, placing his feet carefully on the glass coffee table,
"What's up?" He asked Sam. Sam took a sip of his beer,
"It's Maggie."
"…oh."
"Dean, she needs us."
"Maggie does not need me." Dean said matter-of-factly, "In fact…I can guarantee that she doesn't want me anywhere near her or Joshua."
"Dude…it's about Joshua."
"Why?" Dean asked, "What's happened?"
Sam took in a deep breath,
"You remember that fire in his nursery?"
"Yeah…"
"There's something I need to tell you about it."
"What?"
"We think that he's a psychic like me. Or at least…he has powers like Maggie and me."
Dean blinked, swallowing hard,
"How long have you known?" He asked quietly,
"Since that night."
"AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME?!" Dean fumed, standing up and whirling on his brother, "You neglected to tell me our nephew is part of the same demon army you were supposed to be?"
"We didn't know for sure!" Sam said seriously, "And we thought we had a good twenty three years or so."
"Well clearly you don't!" Dean snapped,
"What's all the yelling about?" Lola asked, carrying a bowl, "You've gone red in the face…you'd better sit down!" She sighed, placing the bowl down on the coffee table for Dean who eyed it with contempt,
"Sam's just told me some news."
"What?"
"Go on Sam…give Lola the family news letter!" Dean remarked icily. Sam sighed,
"Joshua's showing signs of psychic abilities."
"Oh…" Lola trailed off, "That's not good."
"No it's not." Sam agreed, "We need to head down there. She needs us."
"Of course."
"Well you two can go." Dean said grumpily, "I'm not going."
"Dean! You have to!" Sam growled, "She's our sister."
"I'm not welcome there."
"Dean…" Lola began,
"No. I'm not going. End of." He huffed, digging a fork into the faded mustard-yellow grains of couscous, scowling at it,
"Dude…you have to forget what happened. This is bigger than your arguments and your dislike for another. This is about Joshua."
"Sam's right." Lola agreed as she headed back to the kitchen. She re-emerged carrying a burger before sitting down in the plush black arm-chair beside the sofa,
"You might as well drop this conversation. You're not going to change my mind." Dean grumbled stubbornly. Sam rolled his eyes,
"What're you eating?" He finally asked,
"Couscous." Dean huffed, looking down at it sadly. He placed it down on the coffee table and rubbed at his face with exhaustion. Sam watched on as his white gold wedding band caught the sunlight from the window,
"What's up?" Lola asked, about to take a bite out of her burger,
"I'm thirsty." He rasped,
"Well I did tell you to have some water…" Lola sighed as she stood, making a show of going back to the kitchen. As soon as she was out of sight, Dean leant forwards and snatched Lola's burger, taking a hungry bite out of it before shovelling in a couple of fork-fulls of couscous. Sam watched on, mortified,
"You actually eat that stuff?"
"I do if I want pie tonight."
"Is that code?" Sam laughed,
"No…I mean actual pie."
"What has your life become?" Sam asked, shaking his head as Lola appeared, handing him a bottle of water,
"Hey…what happened to my burger?" She asked, noting the bite taken out of it,
"It was Sam." Dean answered quickly,
"Sam…I asked if you were hungry." She said softly, "Did you want something?"
"No thanks…I'm fine…that one bite really filled me up."
"Right…okay…" Lola sighed, lounging back into the softness,
"Dean," Sam began, "you have to come to Boston with me."
"I'm not going to Maggie's place with you. If that's all you came for then perhaps you should leave."
Lola looked up, shocked. Sam looked to her for support as Dean stood and stalked off to the bedroom, slamming the door closed behind him. Lola smiled weakly at her brother-in-law and leant forwards, touching his arm reassuringly,
"Don't worry Sam." She soothed, "I'll talk him round."
"Are you going to be able to…?" He asked with uncertainty, "I mean…he's pretty determined not to go."
"I have a lot of power." Lola smirked, patting his shoulder as they stood, walking to the door,
"It's really important. Maggie…she needs us. She's all by herself up there."
Lola nodded,
"I know. We'll be there. I guarantee."
The next afternoon, Dean's old black Impala rolled up in front of a large red-brick town house complete with white-picket fence and long driveway. Dean huffed, slamming his hands down on the steering wheel,
"I cant believe you talked me into this." He muttered, glancing sideways at his wife who grinned back at him,
"Listen you…" She warned, placing her index finger to the tip of his nose, "If you don't behave yourself I'll take away your driving privileges."
"You can't do that! This is my car!"
"I can do what I want. I'm the wife."
"You make my life hell." He joked as he watched her get out of the car. She walked around and leant down, leaning her face through the open window,
"Come on you." She chuckled, "I'll make it up to you."
"Is that a promise?" He asked hopefully,
"It is if you promise to just stay calm at Maggie's place."
Dean sulked before stepping out of the car, tossing his keys over his shoulder. She caught them with a confused frown. He looked over his shoulder and smirked,
"You'd better have them now," He said, "that's a promise I know I can't keep…and besides…you're just jealous. You've got it out for me because you don't have your truck anymore!"
"Hey!" Lola whined, "Leave my poor hunk of scrap alone. I'd be able to buy a new one if someone didn't keep spending our money on ammunition."
"It's a vital purchase!"
"No…it's not when we already have it."
"What about the widescreen TV?"
"We needed a new TV!" Dean exclaimed, disappearing slowly up the path of the house, his black shirt unbuttoned at the top, the sleeves loosely rolled up his forearms, untucked from his faded and worn blue jeans. Lola rolled her eyes, turning to lock the car up.
Dean leant heavily on the doorbell before looking around the wooden-clad front porch curiously. The door was opened quickly by a tall blonde with smooth blonde shoulder-length hair and wide brown eyes,
"Dean!" She beamed, leaning forwards to hug him, "It's been so long!" She gushed, "What've you been up to?"
Dean shrugged, returning the hug a little awkwardly,
"Uhm…the usual…Sammy around?"
"Yeah…come in…I think he's just finishing packing some stuff up."
"Awesome. I'll wait here."
"Come in," She cooed, motioning for him to come in, "is Lola with you?"
"Yeah…" Dean said, pointing over his shoulder to Lola who was making her way up the path in her jeans and camisole,
"Lola!" She called, waving above her head,
"Hey Charlotte." Lola smiled as she stepped inside the door,
"Go on up Dean." Charlotte told Dean as she linked arms with Lola, leading her to the kitchen, "Sangria?" She offered,
"I can't…I might be driving."
"Dean's letting you drive?"
"Possibly."
"So how're you doing?"
"I'm okay…a little nervous though."
"About Maggie…?" Charlotte asked sympathetically, "Do you think she's still mad at you?"
"How could she not be?"
"You did the right thing, Lola."
"I know but Maggie was my best friend and I feel like I betrayed her…but I was forced to take a side and I had to pick my husband…even if our marriage was almost at an end then." She said with a shrug. Charlotte nodded,
"I would've done the same thing."
"What're you two talking about?" Sam asked as he and Dean hung around in the kitchen doorway,
"Nothing." Both women answered together,
"Nothing at all." Lola added with a smile, "Ready to rock and roll?"
"Yep. Let's get going before it gets dark." Sam agreed, placing his bag down on the floor and walking forwards, wrapping his arms around Charlotte's waist, "Right…be careful…I'll call you when we get there and remember what I said," He paused, "stay with your mom, okay?"
"Okay…" Charlotte soothed, "Though I don't see why I should have to."
"Just…do it Charlie." Sam said seriously, "It's important for me…just…for my peace of mind…"
"Okay. I promise I'll go tonight."
"Thank you." He smiled, leaning forwards and placing his lips to hers, "I love you." He said honestly,
"I love you too! I'm going to miss you Sam." She sighed, "Come home soon."
"I'll try."
"Oh quit the sickening display will you…?" Dean teased,
"Ha" Sam laughed sarcastically, "Coming from you…being on the road with you two was a nightmare! The amount of nights I spent in hotel rooms by myself while you two…"
"Okay…yeah…we get it." Lola jumped in, "Let's get going…c'mon Sam!"