Wicked Witch of the West, Part One
Dean stopped the Impala outside of the small town; both brothers stared at the large billboard proclaiming "Welcome to Smallville." Dean shuddered. He had hoped he would never have to return here. He dealt with some really freaky things, but this place… it was just off the charts.
"Welcome to Smallville: Meteor capital of the world," Sam read out loud. Dean scoffed.
"More like welcome to Hicksville or, better yet, Freaksville."
"Dean, it's a small town, that doesn't mean it's full of hicks… or freaks necessarily," Sam told his brother, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. Trust me, this place, not our thing," his brother responded, pulling the car back onto the road and heading towards the middle of the town, the only part he could see that actually showed any life. He pulled up outside a familiar looking coffee shop. It had been a long time. "Alright, what's the gig?"
"Three girls have disappeared from their homes over the last three nights… each one showing up the next morning, wrists and throat slashed and… odd symbols burnt into their skin, in the middle of a field outside of Smallville," Sam explained, showing his brother the printed articles and pictures.
"Whoa, what is that symbol… it looks familiar," Dean told him, squinting his eyes up to make out the blurry symbol burnt into one of the girls arms.
"I think it was in Dad's journal, but I'm not sure. Come on, let's start here. This looks like the place all the young people hang at," Sam suggested.
"Alright, sure, great idea," Dean said, his eyes following a short, blond girl who was entering the café. She glanced back at them and he was mesmerized by her green eyes as they twinkled mischievously at him then widened in surprise before she bolted into the coffee shop. "You know, maybe this won't be so bad."
"Oh come on, Dean, not on the job," his brother sighed as he watched the other man follow the blond all the way into the Talon.
"Hey, all work, no play makes Dean a dull boy. Come on, Sam, let's go."
The two brothers entered the quiet coffee shop and shifted uncomfortably when the whispering voices froze and all eyes turned towards them. They heard a few gasps.
"Must not be used to visitors," Dean whispered to his brother.
"Or maybe they've been watching the news… you are wanted for burglary, murder, shall I go on?"
"Ha ha, Sammy, funny. Come on, let's get some answers before… oh shit," Dean muttered, quickly turning his back to the counter, eyes darting nervously around.
"What?" Sam asked, glancing over his brother's shoulder, his eyes landing on the wide, brown eyes of a very shocked looking girl. Two porcelain cups she was holding fell to the floor in a crash.
Dean took a deep breath and turned back around and glanced at the short brunette.
"What's wrong with you? Someone run over your cat?"
"Jason?" the brunette asked, tears welling up in her eyes.
"No, Dean… didn't anyone ever tell you not to come to work drunk, lady?"
The surprised girl gasped at Dean's words.
"Jason?" Sam asked, eyes going wide. "Uh, we'll have two coffee's, black," he told the teary eyed barista before pulling his brother away. "Dude, tell me this isn't the chick you… you know, when Dad sent you to that little town to look into all that witch crap. Tell me you didn't do this one?"
"Why? You want her for yourself?"
Sam just stared incredulously at his brother and shook his head.
"Let's just pretend Jason Whoever-the-heck never existed and get our answers, okay?"
"Yeah, sure thing, not a problem. But do I have to talk to her?"
Sam rolled his eyes before dragging his brother back to the counter. The brunette was still staring at the brothers with a shocked and hurt look on her face.
"Hey, how 'bout a little service here, lady," Dean told her, waving a hand in front of her stunned face.
"Dean," Sam hissed before turning back to the young woman. "Could we please get our coffees?"
"S-Sure," she stuttered, turning to pour the black steaming liquid into two cups. "I… I'm sorry, you… you just look like someone I used to know," she told Dean over her shoulder.
"Heaven help the poor bastard," Dean mumbled under his breath. Sam elbowed him in the side.
"We're friends of Amber Reynolds, we're in town for the funeral and we were wondering if you had a suggestion for a place to stay?" Sam asked.
"The Highlands. It's a little Bed and Breakfast that just opened outside of town, they'd love the business," a voice spoke up from behind them. Both brother's turned around and came face to face with the blond woman they had seen entering the coffee shop. "Hi, I'm Chloe; I went to school with Amber."
"Hi, Chloe. I'm Dean, and this is my brother Sam. We were surprised to hear about Amber."
"Yeah, I'm sure you were," she told them, a calculating look in her eyes. "You'll have to forgive Lana, Dean; you look a lot like someone she was very close to. Someone who passed away a few years ago," Chloe told the shorter of the brothers, a knowing look in her eyes.
"Oh, huh, so that explains the…" he made a loopy movement at his right temple.
Sam elbowed him again.
"So, Chloe, were you and Amber still close?" Sam asked.
"No, not really. Once I started school in Metropolis we sort of fell out of touch," she explained as a tall, dark haired man came up behind her.
"Hey, Chloe. Who are your friends?" the taller man asked.
"Friends of Amber's. Sam and Dean… I didn't get your last name," she told the brothers, turning her attention back to them.
"Adams."
"Jones," the brothers answered at the same time.
Chloe raised an eyebrow.
"We're half-brothers. Dean Adams and Sam Jones," Sam answered uncomfortably.
"Riiiiiight," Chloe drawled.
"Here's your coffee," Lana spoke up, holding out two steaming cups, her eyes never leaving Dean's face.
"Jeez, Lady, didn't your mother ever teach you not to stare?" Dean asked, feeling uncomfortable with those doe eyes pleading for something that he simply wouldn't give.
He had enough of that the first time around.
A hurt look came across her face.
"My mother died when I was three," she told him, tears once again welling up in her eyes. Dean rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, so, mine died when I was four, you're not getting any sympathy votes from me."
"And here come the waterworks," he heard Chloe whisper behind him.
"So, what are you doing in town? Come for the funeral?" Clark asked, changing the subject before Lana could be embarrassed any more.
"Um, yeah, the funeral. And we were also hoping to maybe shed some light on what happened to her. They said she was found in a field? I don't suppose you happen to know which field?" Sam asked.
"Evan's Field. About a mile outside of the city limits," Chloe told Dean.
"I'm done for the day, I could take you out there," Lana offered.
Dean shuddered.
"No thanks," he answered, making his way towards the door. "I've had enough of you to last a lifetime," he muttered under his breath. Sam followed his brother out of the Talon.
"That was cruel, Dean. What's gotten in to you?"
"Do you remember the stories I've told you? That woman… that woman is seriously freaky, and I don't mean in a good way."
They made their way to the parked Impala but before Sam could get in, Chloe rushed out and slid in front of him.
"I'm coming with you," she told the brothers, leaving no room for argument.
"We're just going to the hotel right now, but… you're more than welcome to come along," Dean told her, giving her his famous Winchester smile.
"I can show you where the hotel is, and then lead you out to Evan's Field. You shouldn't go wandering around on your own," she warned them.
"Um, and you think you could protect us?" Sam asked in disbelief.
"I know I could, now, get in the back."
"Wait, why do I have to sit in the back?"
"Because I said so. I'm going to pretend for five minutes you are a gentleman and are offering the front seat to me out of courtesy."
Sam just blinked before dutifully crawling into the back seat.
"Alright, Dean, drive," Chloe told the older brother.
"Yes, Ma'am," he answered, smirking at her assertiveness.
Lana watched from the front window, confused and hurt. It had been like seeing a ghost when Dean had walked in. She had really thought for a moment that Jason was alive and that he had come back to her, but that man, he was nothing like Jason… nothing at all.