Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, just Oliver and Alyx/Anastasia and Owen.
Local psychic Missouri Moseley sat on the porch of her suburban home, enjoying the wonderful summer weather. It was warm, with a slight breeze to counteract the dry humidity that hung in the air. The hum of lawn mowers and the sounds of children playing in their yards could be heard all around. Missouri was sitting comfortably on her porch swing, immersed in a romance novel. Her peace and quiet was short-lived, however, when she heard two familiar adolescent voices—one male, one female—coming closer. They were attempting to sing—although, in Missouri's opinion it only sounded like harsh shouting—"Highway to Hell".
Alyx Winchester and Oliver Devereaux rounded the corner, approaching Missouri's quaint home. Oliver was carrying Alyx on his back; she slid off once they reached the driveway.
"Hey, Missouri!" she yelled, bounding up the steps of the porch. She plopped down at the top of the stairs with a slight thud, and Oliver followed suit, taking a seat next to her.
"Hope we didn't interrupt anything…" Oliver apologized, watching the psychic set her book down next to her. Missouri laughed.
"Not at all, child," she replied. "I always like you two visiting me."
Missouri watched Alyx lean in closer to Oliver, resting her head on his shoulder. Teenage love… it amazed her. Of course, she had seen it coming, really. They were meant to be, after all. She knew it, and they knew it. Although, she did know something that they didn't.
"You kids know anything about past lives?" the old woman asked.
"Well, yeah. Like reincarnation. It's believed that a person never truly dies, but their soul moves on to another body." Alyx supplied.
"And do you believe in it?" Missouri asked the two teens.
"I guess." Oliver replied.
"There's not a whole lot that I don't believe in. Anything's possible, really." Alyx agreed.
"You know how I told you that you kids were 'meant to be'?" she questioned. They nodded. "Well, the two of you actually met in a past life. Your souls crossed paths, and you fell in love with each other then. And you promised each other that you'd meet again someday…and you did. It's rare that souls connect twice, but it shows that your love is strong. That's how I knew you were meant to be together."
"Wait. So, if we made that promise, what happened that separated us?" Alyx wondered.
"Do you know anything specific about this past life?" Oliver inquired. Missouri sighed.
"It's not a fairy tale ending—at least not then," She warned. "But I'll tell you if you want to hear."
Outside of New Orleans, mid-1800s
A sprawling, three-story plantation sat at the end of a long, dirt path, surrounded by beautiful, green grass. The path was lined with brightly colored flowers, and newly cut bushes. The plantation itself was ivory, while the towering support beams were stark white. It had two, huge red doors at the entrance; one of which was slightly ajar to let in the light, summer breeze.
Up on the second floor, a young girl the age of sixteen stood at the balcony; her long, golden hair blowing gently in the wind. She wore a simple, lavender dress that just touched her bare ankles. Her light blue eyes were focused on the ground below, watching as the African American slaves worked on the land, preparing for the ball that was to be held there tonight.
The Covelli plantation was well known for its summer parties, particularly the annual masquerade ball. All of the wealthiest families from New Orleans and the surrounding areas were invited to it each year, and there was always a big turn out.
"Miss Ana, please come inside. You mother wants you to get ready for tonight." The Covelli's maid, and main caregiver for Anastasia, their daughter, was an older African American woman named Emma. She stood outside the doorway of Ana's room, hands on her hips, waiting. Ana sighed, wishing she really didn't have to go to this party. Sure, she loved it; she liked being able to dress up and be disguised for one night. But then there was Benjamin Taylor to worry about.
Ben Taylor was a teenage boy her age who was constantly trying to win her affection. Ana's father, Marcus, and her mother, Elizabeth, found Ben quite charming, and thought he was a very respectable gentleman. Therefore, Ana's parents were always trying to get them to spend time together. It didn't help that Ana's mother and Ben's mother were good friends, either.
Anastasia thought Ben was a real snobby and conceited boy. He talked on and on about how he was going to be successful and rich one day, like his father. He wanted a grand plantation, a large number of slaves, and an equally large family. Ben distinctly implied that Ana was going to be a part of his future as well. This notion made her almost gag. They had nothing in common at all. He didn't want any of the same things that she did.
Truthfully, Ana did not like being wealthy. She didn't need a lavish lifestyle or material possessions to be happy, unlike Ben. What she really wanted was to run away; escape. She knew that she didn't fit in, or belong in this type of society. She never did. Ana longed for adventure, to see the world outside of her quiet town. She wanted to get out and explore, not be stuck in this place for the rest of her life. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't spend at least an hour on her balcony, staring at the horizon, daydreaming about what lay beyond it.
Anastasia followed Emma into her bedroom, and found that a beautiful, royal blue dress was laid out on the bed for her. The dress had an intricate, silver beading design along the waist, and the quarter length sleeves. Getting dressed was a regular chore, though, but Ana liked the result in the end. Emma helped tie up her corset. In Ana's opinion, it was devilish contraption only made to torture women. Once the corset was tied up, Ana put on a slip and slid into a hoopskirt, which was another agonizingly ridiculous thing. After that, she put on the actual dress, and stared at herself in the mirror, pleased.
The guests began arriving at six-thirty, and by seven o'clock, the plantation was swarmed with people. All of them wore vividly colored clothing, and gaudy or simple hand-painted masks. Ana wore a royal blue and silver half-mask that matched her dress. She hoped Ben wouldn't find her, but unfortunately, he always did. It only took him ten minutes to spot her this time.
"Ana!" he called, running up to her. He was elegantly dressed, and wore a red and gold mask. Ana tried to resist the sudden urge to run away.
"Uh…hello, Ben."
"My, you look lovely this evening." He complimented. Anastasia rolled her eyes.
"Thanks." She replied unenthusiastically.
"What have you been up to these days?" he asked.
"Oh, not a lot," Ana stated, trying to find a way out of this conversation. "How about you?"
"Well…" Ben started telling this elaborate tale about how he was going to get money from somewhere or something like that. Ana wasn't really paying attention; whenever Ben opened his mouth, she was instantly bored to death. He was probably the most uninteresting person on the face of the earth.
Anastasia was staring off into another direction of the grand ballroom, admiring other women's dresses and such, when she noticed a boy heading her way. From looks of it, he was her age. He was nicely dressed, and was wearing an emerald green half-mask with gold and silver designs. The young boy approached her, smiling.
"May I have this dance, Miss Anastasia?" he questioned, holding out his arm. Ana noticed that music had started to fill the room, and the guests around her were dancing. This boy was her chance to get away from Ben.
"You may." Ana answered, hooking her arm around his. He led away to the center of the ballroom, while Ben watched, gawking. He couldn't believe some stranger had just stolen her away from him.
Ana and the boy swept across the dance floor gracefully, earning the attention of nearly everyone surrounding them. Most were mortified to see the Covelli's daughter dancing with someone that they had never seen before. Ana, meanwhile, was having a good time; this boy was a much better dancer than Ben could ever be. He led with confidence, holding Ana carefully, as if she were the only thing that mattered.
"Thank you very much," Ana said as the dance ended. "You saved me from a very unproductive conversation." The boy laughed; the sound of his laughter brought a smile to her face.
"I noticed." He replied. His voice was like silk. Ana wanted to melt right there. She had suddenly become fascinated with this boy. She needed—wanted, was more like it—to know more about him.
"Would you like to come with me out to the courtyard?" Ana inquired.
"I would be happy to." He agreed. They locked arms again, and walked out to the courtyard, where about twenty or so guests were mingling. The sun was just setting; the sky was a mixture of reds, oranges, and purples. It was a truly breathtaking sight.
Unbeknownst to them, however, Ben had followed to watch them, jealousy raging in his eyes.
The two teenagers walked into the middle of the courtyard, and sat on a stone bench, enjoying the fresh air.
"I just realized, we shared a dance together, but I haven't yet learned your name."
"Secret Admirer." He smirked. Ana laughed.
"Oh, Really?" she asked. "I'm flattered. I've never had a secret admirer before." She paused, admiring his handsome face, and bright, green eyes behind the mask he was wearing. "Please, tell me. I want to know my secret admirer's name."
"Well, then, it would not be a secret admirer, now would it?" he taunted. She looked at him, pleading with her eyes. He stared down at his hands.
"Owen," he answered, ashamed, "Owen Samuels."
Anastasia was shocked. Owen Samuels was a farmer's son. She had heard the name before, from one of her mother's friends. They always picked on the Samuels family for being extremely poor. Her mother had called them "trash" once. But how could they make fun of them when they did not know them? Ana thought Owen was more of a gentleman than Ben. He was certainly not trash.
In fact, there was a sense of mystery and adventure about Owen, which excited Ana. She knew her mother or father would never approve of her being around Owen, but at that moment, she didn't care.
"I am glad that you found your way into the party," Ana smiled. "Are you having a good time?"
"Yes…very much." Owen said, returning a smile. The two teenagers stayed in the courtyard long after the sun went down, talking about nearly everything. Ana and Owen discovered that they had a lot more in common than they thought. Ana actually told him about her desire to run away and travel, which was something she never told anyone before. But Owen was different. She felt comfortable and secure in his presence, and could open up and tell him anything. And he would listen attentively.
When most of the guests were getting ready to leave, Owen stood up, deciding he should go as well.
"Will we see each other again?" Ana asked, getting to her feet.
"Only if you would like to."
"I would love to."
Owen, in a moment of pure bravery, leaned in and kissed Ana. Ana was taken by surprise for a minute, but started to return the kiss. Owen broke away, and bid her farewell before disappearing into the night, leaving her feeling almost breathless.
The next morning, Anastasia awoke to the warm sunlight pouring into her room and the birds chirping outside. Refreshed, she climbed out of bed, and opened up the double doors that led to the balcony.
"Miss Ana," Emma called. She stepped into the room, shutting the door behind her. "I know yer mother wouldn't approve o' this, but…" She trailed off, handing the young girl a small piece of parchment and a red rose. "A kind young gentleman came here this mornin', lookin' for ya."
"Thank you, Emma." Ana said, a grin spreading across her face. The old African American woman watched as Ana sat down on the bed, with the note in her hands.
Miss Anastasia,
Please meet me at the front of your plantation after sunset.
Your 'Secret Admirer',
Owen
Ana could hardly contain her excitement. A chance to see Owen again! But after sunset? That would mean sneaking out of the house—she had never done such a thing in her life.
"This will be our little secret." Emma promised.
Later that day, Ana sat on the balcony, absentmindedly sketching a picture of Owen. She was a talented artist, and therefore managed to capture him with such detail by memory alone. The rose sat in a vase on the table she was using, the note beside it. Emma, who came in with Ben following behind her, disrupted her silence. Ana frowned slightly. Why was he visiting her? What was worse was the fact that Emma left her alone with him. Ben greeted her with a warm hello, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table.
Ben saw the note and rose lying there, and felt a twinge of jealousy pierce his heart. He had seen Ana with Owen Samuels last night at the party. He couldn't see how she could be happy spending time with him. He'd be damned before he let a mere commoner like Owen Samuels steal Ana away from him.
Ben and Ana talked for some time; Ana wasn't doing to well with holding up her end of the conversation, muttering one-word responses while Ben rambled on about anything and everything. She couldn't be happier to see him leave.
It was pitch black outside when Ana crept out of her room and down the stairs to the front door of the plantation. Once she was out into the chilly night air, she was overwhelmed. Doing something daring and against the rules felt amazing. She felt free. Ana started walking toward the end of the pathway, enjoying the rush of adrenaline surging through her body. She spotted Owen waiting for her. She reached him, flinging her arms around his neck.
"It's good to see you, too." He chuckled. He took Ana's hand in his and began to lead her away from the plantation. They walked a little farther down the road, coming to a clearing of trees. Ana looked up at the sky, mesmerized by the seemingly millions of stars glittering the darkness.
They weren't there more than five minutes when Ana heard someone calling her name. She thought it sounded like Ben…
"Ana!" All of a sudden, Ben came bursting through the trees, looking furious. He was glaring daggers at Owen. Ana clung to Owen, horrified. What was he doing?
"You stay away from my girl, Samuels." Ben warned, looking like he wanted to start a fight.
"I was never your girl, Ben. I don't know what you're talking about." Ana said, confused.
"Come on, Ana, this is foolish. You don't want to stay with poor rubbish like him." Ben pointed out.
"Rubbish?" Owen said defensively, stepping forward. He pulled Ana behind him protectively.
"Ben, stop it." Ana warned.
"Ana, I could give you everything you've ever wanted and more…I don't see what he can do for you." Ben declared.
"He's more of a gentlemen than you'll ever be, Ben." Ana said.
"All right, fine. We can do this the hard way." Ben said. He threw a punch at Owen, who ducked easily. Ana moved out of the way quickly, watching them fight, terrified. She hoped Owen would kick Ben's ass. They threw punches left and right; Owen was dodging each one with ease, while Ben had a bloody nose and a fat lip. Probably a black and blue eye, as well. With one lucky, hard, punch, Owen was able to knock Ben out. He fell to the ground, unconscious.
Ana ran to him, grabbing his hand. She was about to thank him when he tore away from her grip.
"I have to get out of here…once he wakes up, he'll go to the authorities and I'll be a dead man," Owen stated gravely. "You better leave, too, before he wakes." He was about to run off, when Ana grabbed his arm.
"I won't ever see you again, will I?" she asked, tears in her eyes.
"Come with me, Ana. Run away," Owen suggested. "We can see the world, like you've always wanted…"
Ana was torn; torn between staying with her family, or leaving them to fulfill her dreams and stay with Owen. What could she do?
"I'd love to," she said sadly. "I really would Owen, but I can't. I can't leave." The tears were now falling from her sky blue eyes.
"Then at least promise me we'll see each other again." Owen pleaded.
"We'll meet again, Owen, I swear. If not in this life, then the next. I promise." Ana said sincerely. Owen moved closer to her, cupping her face with his hands. His lips met hers gently, and they shared a final, deep kiss.
"I love you, Ana." He said, before disappearing once again into the night, never to return. At least not now. But deep in her heart, Ana knew this wasn't the last time she would see Owen Samuels. And that was a promise.
Missouri's house—present day"Wow." Was all that Oliver and Alyx could say upon hearing the tale of their past life together. It was crazy, yet it all seemed to fit. They had danced at a Halloween dance, and back then, at a masquerade ball. Oliver had shown her the stars, and he had done the same thing as Owen. It was amazing how some things never changed.
"Now you see how strong your love for each other truly is." Missouri said. Oliver and Alyx smiled, and right in front of Missouri, began to kiss just to prove it.
This time, it would be a fairy tale ending. They were sure of it.