"Suri"
Close your eyes and bow your head
I need a little sympathy
Cause fear is strong and love's for everyone
Who isn't me
So kill your health and kill yourself
And kill everything you love
And if you live you can fall to pieces
And suffer with my ghost
Soundgarten – Burden in my hand
It had rained last night and it seemed that the world had been washed cleaned. Sam sipped at coffee, watched Dean as he hit on the waitress while paying the check. Dean turned, smiled, pocketing the small piece of paper that no doubt held the girl's number.
Dean returned to the table and threw two buck down.
"Ready?"
"Yeah." Sam closed the lid on his laptop and stood. Outside, something touched the back of his vision, a movement that seemed noteworthy. It was larger and somehow to his battle trained mind knew it was larger and more violent then then a leaf cast into flight by the brisk morning breeze that foretold the impending autumn.
His mind snapped on the movement, a small boy with a stick who had that look kids get when they are about to be cruel. Sam slid the laptop under his arm and hurried outside.
He took the scene in, the stick was raised high and the target was a small, black lump of stone, the size and roughly the shape of a Chinese restaurant Buddha. The boy raised the stick and with some aggression hit the stone.
"Ugly!" He said and brought down the stick. The small branch shattered in his hand, a large splinter lodging itself in his palm. The boy screamed in pain. Sam, instincts burning, moved to his side. He grabbed his hand.
"Be still." He said, more annoyed that he could understand. He held the boys arm still and made eye contact with him. The boy was maybe nine with a short hair cut and a striped blue and red tee-shirt.
Sam looked at the wound. It was scary looking, but not as bad as he had imagined. It was under the skin, probably painful, definitely horrifying, but didn't actually draw blood.
"OK, A little wiggle and it will be fine. You a tough guy?" He ask and the boy nodded. Gently, Sam touched the splinter. It was large enough to grab. He wiggled the piece of wood. It came out, leaving flakes of flesh, like a peeling sunburn. "That's what you get for being mean." He offered, unsure why he had spoken.
The boy took off as soon as the splinter fell out, and after 10 steps turned and, instead of saying thank you, stuck out his tongue at Sam. As Sam was shaking his head in irony, the boy stumbled and face planted into the sidewalk.
Sam was cringing when Dean moved up beside him. The boy jumped up, crying and took off.
"What was that?" Dean asked.
"I don't know, that kid… you know what? Never mind." He began to stand up but then remembered the Stone. He looked at it.
It was a statue of a woman and a baby, the skin ebony black and the details all in gold. It looked old and really expensive. Not the kind of thing you would see in a middle American sidewalk on a Tuesday afternoon.
"Hey, would you look at this?" Sam called. Dean stopped, he'd already started toward the Impala. He wandered back and looked down.
"That is one unattractive statue." He uttered and turned again, back to the car. As he took a step, he walked into a man with a sandwich board. It caught him painfully full in the face.
"Son of a Bitch!" He uttered, covered his face with his hands and pulled them back to reveal blood. "Oh! that's just great!" He roared again.
Sam watched, then turned and eyed the statue. He reached over and picked it up. It was incredibly light in his hand.
"I don't know, I think it's kind of pretty." He said. It was warm, too. It felt pleasant in his hand. He stood and curled it into his chest.
"You are not taking that revolting..." Before Dean could finish the sentence, the man with the sandwich board was back and smacked accidentally into the back of Dean who grabbed his head and held his breath.
Finally he uttered a weak "Ow".
"You should stop insulting her. She doesn't seem to like it." Sam offered. Dean glared at him, blood still trickling from his injured nose.
"You're talking to it now? Seriously, Sam? It's a piece of rock. Here, give it to me. It probably belongs to someone."
Dean reached out and took the statue from Sam and suddenly, he pitched forward, barely able to hold the statue for it's weight.
"Heavy thing. You been eating your Wheaties?' Dean sighed under the weight.
"It's light as a feather." Sam returned.
Dean struggled harder and harder to hold the thing until suddenly he had to put it down.
"That thing weighs like a hundred pound." He said. He looked at Sam very seriously, his ego was a little bruised, as was his face.
Sam leaned down and picked up the statue. It seems like ounces in his hand, and warm and somehow relaxing. And he got the feeling she liked him. He felt safe, loved.
"Dude, that thing is evil. It's cold and mean." Dean offered and at just that second, he stepped back off the curb and slipped, falling into the street in a perfect crumple. He looked up and there was an on coming bicycle. He managed to protect his head, but the metal machine bounced off his back.
"Son..."
Sam came over and offered him his hand. He lifted Dean up. Dean glared at the statuette and then at Sam.
Sam shrugged. "She likes me and I'm keeping her." He went and got in the Impala.
The little black lady and her baby seemed to be glaring at him. Dean laid on the bed in the cheap hotel room, ice on his wounded nose, which was, thankfully, not broken. It seemed to be taunting him. Yet, as he watched it didn't seem sinister, rather authoritative. Sam sat, as usual, his nose in the internet, the thing sitting within arms reach.
"You going to sleep with it?" Dean finally growled.
"I think you two got off to a bad start. Maybe you should apologize and try again."
Dean wasn't sure Sam was serious or not. There were a lot of times he wondered if Sam was just bat shit nuts. He felt sure the feeling was mutual. But this was different. Sam seemed to genuinely like that thing and given his track record for friends, Dean was hyper suspicious.
"Found it!" Sam announced and turned the computer so Dean could see. It was the statue or one very much like it.
"Were did you find that, Demon's delights ?" A piece of the ceiling broke off at that moment and fell, hitting him in the face. It was small, but enough to bring a sharp sting of white hot pain. Again, the blood began to pour out of his injured nose. "Son of a..."
"No, actually, great shrines of Europe. It's called a 'Black Madonna'. It's it's venerated all over Europe. There's one in Chartres."
"Are they homicidal?" Dean asked, laying back and putting the ice pack more firmly on his face.
"No, but they do seem to have magical abilities. It says here that they are believed to be representations of the earlier pagan goddesses left in the churches in tribute after Catholic churches were built on pagan holy sites. It's the Mother and Child, but it's also the Earth Mother. They are supposed to be able to move of their own volition, heal people, cause miracles and even hurt those they feel threatened by. They protect people. One of them supposedly summoned a snow storm with get this, lightening strikes to repel a group of invaders. "
"That's sweet. Why does this one hate me?"
"You called her ugly, dude." Sam reminded.
"OK, you win. I'm sorry, you're beautiful and I'm glad your here." Dean offered. He lay there for a minute and then suddenly sat bolt upright. The pain was gone. The bleeding had stopped.
Sam looked over at him.
"The swelling is going down." He offered and Dean jumped up, ran to the mirror and looked in.
"Well, I'll be… Do you think?" He turned and walked over to the statue.
"I don't know, but it seems like it. That would explain the kid and you." Sam offered.
"So, what do we do with it?" Dean asked.
"I don't know. But I think she's here for a reason."
"Sam, it's a statue! It doesn't think!" Immediately Dean ducked in case something else wanted to hit him. After a moment, he relaxed. unmolested.
"I just get this feeling from it. It wants us to do something."
"OK, so what?"
"I don't know. I think if we're patient, it will tell us."
"OK, fine. I'm going to sleep. Wake me if she tells you anything." Dean turned and caught his foot on a tear in the carpet. He fell into the bed face first. He bounced back and wheeled on the statue. "OK, what did I do then? I was nice." He pointed at it.
Sam laughed. "I think you're just clumsy." He offered and went back to his studies.
Sam woke from a dream.
He had been standing on a hill, one that was rapidly removing itself from his memory.
In the dream, on that hill, he looked down into a beautiful valley which was full of soldiers, all in antique armor and slinging swords. He recognized white sur coats with blood red crosses and saw, in the far distance, several men fleeing the battle with a box the size of a cedar chest and a group of civilians.
The enemy soldiers realized the group was escaping, they broke off with the ones in white – the Templar's – yes that's what they were called – and followed the Templar's who were fleeing.
Then he stood at the other end of the field, watching the Templar's as they fled, so close he might put out his hand. As this was a dream and he knew it was, he took this teleportation for a normal occurrence.
Above his head storm clouds billowed and lightening flashed and suddenly, he realized it was raining, no snowing! He held out his hand as downy flakes collected, he could feel the cold, watched as his breath came out in a cloud.
There was a girl, dark hair, Maybe seven or eight. She looked at him with sweet eyes, frightened eyes and his heart reached for her, wept for her. He held a hand to her and she clawed the air to get to him, but the Templar pulled her forward. Suddenly, an arrow hit the soldier in his back and he fell. He sent the little girl on and turned on the enemy, raised his sword in a gesture of hopeless combat. He would die, but he would buy her and the others time to escape with his last breath. She gave Sam a long look and then broke free from the Templar about to die for her and into Sam's arms. She spoke.
"Bring her to me! Please!" The girl called.
Her face was so familiar. He looked up at the Army behind him and suddenly, the enemy wasn't human soldiers, but Demons, thousands of them, so many they littered the valley as far as the eye could see.
Then again he was in the stained bed in the cheap motel room on the ugly carpet alone in the dark with his snoring brother. He looked over on the table where he had left the Madonna. She was gone.
A bite of panicked bile touched his throat, he felt as if he had failed his charge. He leaped over to the table and searched the floor, reached up and snapped the light. Dean moaned groggily in the darkness.
"Turn out the light before one of us dies." Dean muttered.
"The Madonna is gone." Sam gasped, falling to the floor to search under the table.
"Good, maybe it found another idgit to be it's friend. I'm glad we're rid of the ugly thing." At that moment, Dean's bed collapsed painfully out from under him. "Not gone!" He yelled as he rolled out of the broken bed and got up to help Sammy search.
He walked into the kitchenette of the room and stubbed his toe by the front door.
"Found her." Her hissed, grabbing his injured foot. "You're welcome."
Sam moved past his pained brother who cursed under his breath. He snatched the Madonna from the floor and cradled her in his arms.
"I'd be nice in my cursing if I was you." Sam cautioned.
And suddenly, the door exploded inward.
Three demons, burst in, one wearing the body of a Cheerleader, one in a suit and a third looking like a construction worker. The construction worker was big and burly and had a sledge hammer which he immediately swung at Dean. Dean rolled deftly out of the way of the hammer as it splintered the floorboards.
The cheerleader moved on Sam.
"Just give me the Madonna and we're all done here." She offered.
Sam froze for a minute, his brain flying in five directions. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Dean rolling toward the weapons with The Hammer on his heels. Then his mind became clear, time seemed to slow.
"Take her if you can." he said and took a step backwards.
"Sam, false bravado is kinda my schtick if you don't mind..." Dean came up with his knife and planted it in the Hammer's chest.
The suit that had been standing behind the cheerleader turned to fill the Hammer's place. He ran at Dean, all foam and fury but before he had cleared two steps, the knife came up again in a flash of spectral light.
"Low level demons? I thought this thing was important." Dean quipped.
"Oh it is. And so like you Winchesters to be difficult for difficulties sake."
"Well, we do have an image to keep up." Dean smirked. "And the second part of that rep is ganking you." He stepped toward her with the knife and she he raised her hand and flung him against the wall. All the air in Dean's body evacuated in a harsh "Oof!"
"Now, Sammy, do be reasonable..." She cooed.
"You can't take her. She won't let you." He responded, looking for a way to help Dean.
At that moment the Madonna glowed and the demon melted in full technicolor, with accompanying screams. She ended a pool of ichor in the middle of the puke green carpet.
Dean slid down the wall and Sam stood there, aghast.
"Did you see..." Sam breathed.
"So… the statue gets shotgun." Dean said once his senses returned. Sam frowned and helped Dean off the floor,
Noon was upon them as they drove in a wide circles around the little town. Try as they might, neither could remember it's name.
"I'm tired Sammy." Dean groused.
"Just a few more minutes." Sam intoned.
"I'm irritable."
"I'm used to that." Sam sighed.
"I'm hungry..." Dean whined.
Sam leaned forward and opened the glove box, pulled out a candy bar. He tossed it to Dean.
"Oh, hysterical. What if that had melted in there. Do you know how hard it is to get chocolate and nougat..."
"Shhhh!" Sam interrupted and sat up.
"What?"
"It's getting heavier."
Dean slowed the car as Sammy struggled to put the Madonna beside him on the seat. The upholstery on the Impala sagged and Dean stopped.
"Now what?"
"Drive forward a little." Sam offered.
"I got a suspension to think about here. That thing must weigh a million pounds... Carry it."
"It does weigh like a million pounds." Sam sputtered back.
Dean reached over as he opened the door to climb out. The Madonna rolled complacently into his hand and he lifted it as if it were a feather.
"You just have to know how to handle women, Sammy." Then he stopped and waited for retribution. None came and so he smiled and walked down the street with the Madonna in hand.
"Well, it is getting heavier." Dean said, and suddenly the bottom dropped out on the weight, the Madonna pulling him to the ground in front of an old, gray Victorian house. He stumbled for balance and managed to right himself before face planting in the gravel.
In the yard a young girl played on a swing that hung from an old oak in the front yard. She was dressed in a skirt and ankle socks. She looked Sunday best on a Wednesday. Her hair was dark and so were her eyes. She was maybe eight. Sam smiled. He'd seen her in a dream.
She smiled and waved.
"Oh, you're the replacements?" She asked.
They were both silent for a moment then Sammy found his tongue.
"Um. no. We, um, we found your Madonna." Sam offered, timidly approaching her. In his chest something swelled, something so large it threatened to bring him to his knees in tears. He had no reference for this, He'd been through all manners of hells but this was the first time he had approached such light and it nearly burned him.
Her face erupted into a huge smile and she reached for it. Sammy stepped forward but when he looked down, he saw a magical circle on the ground, made out of stones actually partially buried in the dirt.
"You should probably join me. Unless you can't. Then you should go." She offered somberly.
Sammy shook his head.
"No, I can come in." Gingerly he stepped over the stones and approached her. He handed her the Madonna. Her hand brushed his and a tear did fall down his cheek.
"She can only do so much." The little girl offered. "Her name is Hodegetria. It means she who points the way,"
"So, the nuke has a name?" Dean offered. He stepped into the circle with Sam and the girl.
"So, what's your name?" Sam asked. He leaned forward to get to her level.
"Suri." She answered. She turned her head as if listening. "And you are Sammy?" She turned again and smiled, She looked at Dean. "And you are Jobe?"
He shook his head, "No, Dean,"
"What is Jobe?" Sam mused.
Suri listened again and then giggled, her voice like the tinkling glass of a wind chime in a summer breeze.
"I think it means 'fool'." She said.
Dean frowned hard, sighed and turned away from them. The girl giggled again.
"So, why are you out here, Suri? Where are your parents?" Sam asked.
"Mother is in the Vatican I think. Father died before I was born. The monsters are in the house. Peter told me to wait out here. He went inside a long time ago, and hasn't come back yet. I don't think he's alive anymore."
"Whose Peter?" Sam met her eyes and locked with them. He had never been a father but knew in that moment what it would feel like to be one.
"My last Templar. I thought you were the replacement. The demons are getting worse..." She offered offhandedly.
"Excuse me, did you say demons?" Dean finally spluttered. His interest had finally been peaked beyond just watching hs brother act like a mooney eyed dog.
Suri nodded.
"We'll go check on him. You stay here." Sam reached in his coat and pulled out a gun.
Suri reached out and grabbed his arm. She touched the pistol and closed her eyes for a minute. She smiled as she let go and went back to idly swinging.
"What the hell was that all about? A creepy statue, a creepy kid?" Dean asked as they mounted the porch.
"Don't you feel it, Dean?" Dean looked at his brother, Sam's face seemed somehow serene.
"No Sammy, what I feel is that moment when we get boned by some angel or something."
Sam gently opened the door, his brother leaned in and together they entered the dim house.
All the windows were covered in stained glass glyphs and sigils, protective magic, some of which they were familiar with, some not. The house seemed bathed in rose colored light.
To the left and right of they were doors, one which lead to the turret and another which led to the back of the house and a stair case reached to the second floor. The boys exchanged a look, both shrugged and each went a different direction.
Dean went to the left and found himself in a big, spacious living room with a fire place and comfortable, modern furniture. He had half expected Gothic cobwebs and suits of animate armor.
Sitting in the middle of the couch was a man, dark suit, average build. Looked like a paper pusher. Dean was to used too this dance to believe appearances mattered.
"You shouldn't have come. This has nothing to do with you. This is a battle for the Kib." The demon spat. Dean danced around him as he lunged from the couch. The demon dodged him at first and flung Dean to the floor.
It leaped upon him with great alacrity and raised it's hands with claws bared and eyes black as a confession-less Sunday.
"Mwy!" It screamed, Castiel appeared, as he always did and grabbed the arm of the demon. It flashed out of existence.
"This is not good." Cass offered.
"Well, thank you Captain Obvious!"
Sam moved into the circular room. The floor was like a museum, weapons from twenty era hung on the walls and on the floor a protection circle painted in what he hoped wasn't blood. Armor stood against one wall and the sur coat, white silk with a blood red cross.
In the middle of the floor was a dead man with blond hair and a gaping chest wound. A sword lay in his right hand and a gun in the other. He suddenly hated where this was headed.
He turned to go back and report to Dean what he had found when out of a closet jumped a demon, catching him off guard. He hit the floor hard and lay stunned for a moment. The demon wearing a teen aged girl turned back to him and picked up the Templar's sword. She hoisted it above her head, though it was a huge piece of metal and was about to bring it down, ending Sam's consciousness.
His hand moved instinctively and grabbed the gun, he fired twice in succession but needn't have. When the first bullet hit her, she exploded into a splatter of gore, covering him in a shower of red. His eyes went wide and he looked at the gun.
"OK, that doesn't happen." He said. He stood, shook off the bits of demon as best he could and went into the other room to find Dean.
"Define not good." Dean demanded as Cass lifted him to his feet.
"The first language. The demon's were speaking the First Language."
"And?"
"It's what was spoken before the Tower of Babel. They are not regular demons, they are from the deep pit. Old demons. Some are very powerful."
Sam entered the room at that moment. "Dude… You gotta… Cass?"
"Hello Sam. She has blessed your weapon."
"A blessing? It made a demon go poof!"
"Yes, powerful." Cass agreed. "Are you familiar with the Grail legend?"
"No, stop. Don't tell me." Deam growled.
"It seems the two of you have found the Grail… Of course, if it should be anyone..." Cass finished
"What, the statue?" Sam asked. Cass shook his head and opened the window curtain. He pointed to Suri.
"Suri is a variant of Sarah. The descendant of the messiah. You have found the bloodline of the Merovingian kings.."
"Well, I'll be Dan Brown." Dean sighed.
"Well, shouldn't she have a body guard or… something." Dean sputtered.
"She did. I assume he is dead somewhere. No Templar would leave his duty unless they were dead." Sam confirmed this with a grave nod.
"That is not good news, Cass." Dean growled.
"There are no doubt more demons around. The Madonna is priceless, the girl, she would be the real prize."
"Well, you're an angel. You handle it." Dean said.
"I would, unfortunately there are rules about this sort of thing."
"Rules?" Dean said.
"What kind of rules?" Sam asked.
"The Templars did not trust Heaven with the Grail. They used a spell to seal her from Heaven and it's minions. In fact, it is difficult for me to even maintain this proximity to her."
"I can't say as I blame them. They can do that?" Dean asked.
"Must have taken some mojo." Sam offered.
"Yes, and when they did the spell, the power of it was felt all the way to the Vatican. Demons realized what it was and moved against the Templars. They manipulated politicians and priests to have the Templars disbanded, they were charges with heresy and burned at the stake."
"Which ones?" Dean asked, brow furrowed.
"All of them save a small band who were protecting the Grail. It was quite thrilling, I hear. A pitched battle in the middle of a field. Only a handful escaped. Hundreds of others were arrested, faced the inquisition and died."
"So, where are the Templars now?" Sam asked, glancing outside to watch as Suri talked with the Madonna as if it were a doll.
"That is a very good question. You will need to find the replacement and quickly. If Hell gets it's hands on her..."
"What?"
"You don't understand the power." Cass said. "She seems to like you, Sam. You are charged with her keeping."
"Wait, what does that mean?" Sam asked.
"It means until further notice you are her knight." Cass said seriously.
"Well, what should..." Sam started.
Cass had vanished into the air.
"You got something on you shining armor there, Sammy." Dean joked and watched his brother carefully. "You good?"
"Um, yeah, sure. I want to do this. She's my responsibility." Sam said, nodding. He had never been more sure of anything in his life.
Suri sat in Sam's lap as the car drove through the rainy night. Her head rested on his shoulder and she murmured in her sleep. Her weight was comforting and she was a sweet burden in his arms.
"Hey, Sir loin of Beef. How you doing over thre?" Dean asked, breaking the silence.
"You ever think about having kids?" He said to his brother.
"Everyone does. So, what, this got your biological clock ticking?"
"No, but… This is kind of nice. You think dad ever felt like this about us?"
"Yeah, Sammy. I know he did. Um. Not long after mom died we were out hunting. One of Dad's first. He dropped us at Bobby's and I remember him hugging me and telling me to go inside. He was out there for a few minutes and I went out to check and he was holding you, like you're holding her. I thought he was crying, but you know, it was the old man..."
"I don't remember that."
"Well, you couldn't even use the big boy potty yet. I barely remember it, it's more like an image."
"You know. If we don't have kids, there won't be anyone to carry on the tradition of the hunting Winchesters."
"Would that be a bad thing?" Dean asked.
Sam looked out the window.
Cars threw headlight ghosts from the interstate as they passed the rest stop where the group was parked. Dean was taking a little nap and Suri was asleep in the arms of an unconscious Sam.
She stirred, whimpered and struggled a little, he woke instantly and touched her cheek. A moment later, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him, then buried her tiny head in his chest. He comfortingly rubbed her hair.
"It's just a nightmare." he whispered.
"How can you be sure?" She asked.
"Well, I fight nightmares for a living, so I'm kind of an expert." He said and smiled.
"Did you have parents when you grew up?"
"No not really. My mom died and my dad worked a lot. He was a hunter. Dean pretty much raised me."
"Oh. He did a good job."
Sam nodded that sideways nod of his.
"I guess. I mean I'm not too messed up, considering." He booped her nose and she smiled.
"The Templars, they watch out for me and make sure I do my homework and stuff, but..."
"They aren't really parents?" He finished.
"I can't talk to 'em about stuff. They always say "When you grow up and come into your power, you will understand. There is no time for toys! You must learn and train! And when you grow up, you will have to be able to take care of yourself."
Sam nodded. It sounded like his childhood.
"Yeah. Hey, you want to do something fun?" He asked. She nodded, primed for an adventure.
"OK, shhhhh," Sam took the keys from the ignition and slid out of the car, bringing Suri with him. He moved to the trunk and opened it, and pulled out half a bag of fireworks. When she saw them, she began to giggle.
"Now, you have to be quiet. He doesn't sleep very deeply. He did this to me when I was a kid."
Sam looked around the deserted rest area before taking out a pack of fire crackers and lighting them, and dropping them under Dean's door. There was a hiss and then a sharp series of POPs! and Dean nearly fell out of his skin. He woke stuttering and spitting.
"Sammy!" Dean flailed around and finally managed to get his bearings to hear the shrieks of laughter from Sam and Suri. He looked around and slid out of the car.
"Oh, so that's how it is? Sam I'm surprised at you. That is so juvenile." Dean feigned disappointment.
"What are you talking about. You did that to me just last week." Sam returned.
"Oh, yeah, well, This means war." Dean reached in the car and pulled out a bottle of water. He opened it and ran at the two of them, splashing them with as much as he could. Sam and Suri ran from him, laughing and falling through the soft night, the last of the crickets singing them a sonata punctuated by genuine joy.
The water fight turned into a leaf war and ended with the three of them soaked and covered with dead leaves.
"That was fun!" Suri said. She yawned.
"And it's still the middle of the night, so you need to sleep, young lady." He nodded at Dean and took her back to the car.
In the back seat of the Impala, he took out a sleeping bag and made a pillow out of one of his shirts. He tucked her in and zipped her up.
"This is the best day ever." She said.
"It is a good one." Sam replied.
"Would you be my dad, Sam?"
"Me? Why me?"
"Because you know what it's like to want to be normal, but to have to be… me." She said sadly.
Sam's breath caught. He rubbed her hair and pinched her cheek.
"I can't be your dad, but I tell you what. I can pretend to be til we find your Protectors. OK?"
She nodded and suddenly sat up, threw her arms around his neck. "I love you." She said quickly.
He looked at her for a long moment. The light was there, it was so beautiful.
"I love you, too." He told her and kissed her forehead. "Now, sleep. Sweet dreams."
A few minutes later she was out cold. Dean came up behind him.
"So, what got into you?"
"I don't know. I was just looking at her and she was so sad, so trapped and I remember..."
"Look, our childhoods were crap, but dad did the best he could."
"Not everything is about Dad. She's everything we are. I just see a chance to give a kid like us a few good memories. When you were a kid, didn't you want to play and run and be silly?"
"Yeah, sure. But I had you to take care of and we had fun sometimes, didn't we?"
"Yeah, and she doesn't have you. I took one from your playbook."
Dean nodded. "OK, I get it. Just don't go falling in love cos we ain't keepin' it." Dean said and got back in the car and fell asleep. Sammy sat for a while and watched the stars and cursed them for cruel fate.
Dean came back to the car carrying a white paper bag of food. Sam stood outside the car, no more then five feet from Suri looking nervous and alert, his eyes darting back and forth. He he'd had a few hours sleep, but not enough. Neither of them ever had enough.
"Why don't you take a minute, wash your face, pay some beer tax."
"You think I'm going to leave a little girl with a guy who says Beer tax?" Sam offered.
Suri leaned out the window. "Madonna says it's ok. Dean can watch over me and she will watch over him. She says even he can't make that much of a mess in five minutes."
"I hate that statue?" Dean muttered. "Go, I got this. I think I can watch a rugrat for five minutes."
"Yeah, OK. Suri, stay with Dean and do what he says, ok? I'll be right back?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek, she leaned up obligingly and took the affection.
"Can I have a candy bar?"
Sam considered for a minute.
"OK, but you have to eat your breakfast first."
She nodded and he turned, entered the convenience store.
"So, you live like this? Dad Du jour, running from evil?" Dean asked. He slid into the car and took out some breakfast sandwiches and milk and handed some to her.
She nodded and took a bite of the sandwich.
"Well, that must suck."
"So you think it isn't normal?" She asked.
"Of course it isn't normal. You should be in school, have friends, be afraid of the boogeyman, not real demons."
"But then I wouldn't grow up to be who I am supposed to be." She returned, fought to open the milk. Dean took if from her gently and opened it, then handed it back.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
"You know. Your angel told you. Just like you had to be you and Daddy had to be Daddy. Being a kid is about learning how to be an adult. That's what Peter used to say. He was pretty cool, he let me do a lot of stuff, but people like me, and people like you, we're born marked..." She struggled with the idea.
"Daddy," Dean said quietly, considering. Sam as daddy. He shivered. He looked back at her a minute tell you that, too?" He asked. She nodded.
"It has to be hard for us. If not, who we are will kill us." She said. That stopped him. "Peter said that people say life is unfair, but really, life gives us all the tools we need to be who we choose to be."
"I didn't choose this." Dean responded, frowned because she was hitting some mark in him.
"No? Well, then, why are you here?" She asked, her face innocent and curious and she went back to looking out the window for Sam. When he appeared in the doorway of the store, her face brightened. "I think he's my favorite. He's pure."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked, but by then Sammy was back and she had launched into his arms and was searching him for her candy bar. Sam looked happy. He even really laughed.
"OK, what does your Statue say about hos to find the Templars?" Dean asked Suri. She cocked her head and shrugged. There was a moment that seemed like a struggle, Suri fighting not to drop the Madonna. Then it stopped.
They passed a sign that said "Langstrom Carnival and Menagerie." Her eyes widened.
"Can we go?" She asked.
"I don't know..." Sam started, frowning.
"I think I feel something. Yes, the Templars are coming here. We should wait here."
Sam and Dean exchanged glances but Sam nodded.
"OK." Sam relented.
"Yay! Thank you Sam!" She threw her arms around his neck hugged him.
"Yeah, ok, ok. Maybe we can ride some rides and wait for the Templars."
A moment later Sam and Dean were standing in the middle of a cheap roadside carnival. A tilt-a-whirl circled to the sound of joyful screams and the smells of carnival food filled the air.
"Oh, Sammy, do you smell that? Funnel cake. Candy Apples. Burgers."
"Yeah Dean, smells like a real cholesterol fest."
Dean's eyes widened. "Deep friend snicker bars!"
"You should just shoot yourself." Sam called as Dean moved toward the concessions. Suri looked up hopefully at the sound of "Deep Fried". "And no. You can have a candy apple." She frowned.
"You are such a geezer" Dean scoffed.
"Geezer," Suri muttered and Sam flashed her a look. She looked away guiltily.
"Want to go for a ride?" Sam asked Suri. She looked around.
"Could you win me a stuffed animal?" She asked.
"Those games are rigged..." He said,
A memory flared.
"Dad can we stop at the carnival?" He asked his father as they road pass the electric lights.
"We have to be in Denver tomorrow. I'm sorry, Sam..."
"You know what, let's give it a shot." Sam smiled.
She grinned and he took her over to the basketball toss.
"Three for a dollar, two in wins a prize." The hawker said.
Sam handed him a dollar and picked up a ball. Swoosh, It hit the rim and bounced off.
"What a waste. Like 8 foot tall and can't play basketball." The hawker heckled.
"Out of the way, Sammy, this is my game." Dean offered, returning with a greasy napkin full of death. He handed it to Sam who held it like it was a dead rat.
Dean grabbed a basketball. "Watch and learn." he offered and with a slight jump and a flick of the wrist the basketball went in. "Oh, whose the master?" Again he grabbed a ball and again, it went into the hoop. "The secret is these are smaller hoops then the ones on a court."
Sam leaned down to Suri. "You aren't cheating..." He asked and she shook her head with an angelic look on her face and crossed her heart.
"You doubt me?" Dean asked. He grabbed a fourth ball from the hawlerand with a toss it. went in and the man behind the counter handed Suri a stuffed dog.
"Hey Sammy, you should try the shooting game. Not all of us are cut out for basketball."
Sam made a face at Dean but walked to the hawker at the shooting game. Five minutes later, Suri was clutching two toys and grinning broadly as they walked toward the Tilt-a-whirl.
It had been an hour, and still Dean and Suri were having enormous fun. Sam sat on a bench and watched them play bumper cars and held the Madonna in his lap cuddled between a pair of stuffed animals. She felt heavy there.
He heard the animals in the menagerie getting very restless.
Suddenly he had this flash, he stood up and looked around. Familiar faces flashed in the crowd, though he knew he'd never seen these people before. He knew they were Demons.
"DEAN!" He yelled. His brother looked up alarmed as a demon struck him from behind in a car and shoved his vehicle into a wall, pinning him. Dean jumped out of the car and ran towards Suri, the demon followed suit, as another jumped the guard rail to enter the ride.
The man running the cars moved to intercept.
"Guys, you can't be walking while the ride is..."
The closest demon reached out and with one hand snapped his neck.
"OK, we asked once, Winchester." The demon hissed.
"Now we take." another said behind him. Dean didn't hesitate or stop. He ran and scooped Suri and moved toward his brother with a purpose.
Sam was moving toward them well, gun drawn.
The patrons who hadn't seen the operator die did see Sam's gun and freaked, plunging the carnival into a frenzy. People ran everywhere. Animals from the menagerie kicked down their stalls. They fled from the stench of sulfur and battle.
"I could use a blessing," Dean hissed as he pulled out his revolver. Suri touched his gun and he turned, fired into the head of the demon behind him and watched it explode. "I love you, kid." Dean said.
He moved to Sam and Sam grabbed Suri away from Dean. For a moment Dean was annoyed, but in the next second something hit him in the back of the head and he fell.
He heard the demon scream in pain behind him.
"That's what you get for hurting Dean!'" Suri said holding the Madonna.
Two more demons approached Sam. He dropped Suri to the ground behind him and took out his pistol. A third demon closed and grabbed her from behind. Dean slammed into him, knocking him down and put the gun to the demons temple.
"Nighty night." He said and pulled the trigger to a satisfying detonation.
Dean grabbed Suri as one of the demons waylaid his brother. Sam managed to get off a shot with the new blessed rounds and kill another as the demon in the back of him raised a knife.
Dean watched helplessly as the knife came down, his arms full he was unable to help his brother who didn't know the demon was there. Just then the hoof of a very large horse impacted with the Demon's head. Teeth and blood flew in an arch and Sam turned and finished the job. He fired the gun and there were no more demons.
The place was now empty, the horse nuzzled Sam, who reached up idly to pet it.
"What the?" Dean asked.
"Knights and horses." Suri said. "Go figure." She picked up her toys from the dirt and walked toward the car.
"It was nice while it lasted." She said, dolefully.
The restaurant was filled with average families eating dinner.
Dean sat eating a huge burger, Sam had a salad in front of him and Suri a plate of chicken fingers. She sat inside the booth, Sam protectively in front of her. He took a napkin and wiped sauce from her chin. She took a bite out of a french fry.
"Well, this is nice." Dean offered. "Domestic."
"Is there a point, Dean?"
"No, no, just… We don't usually have nice dinners like this. I don't think we've ever had a family dinner like this."
"Remember that cafe in Nevada, we were eating dinner and a werewolf was the cook?" Sam offered.
"Yeah, good burger. Shame he got ganked, he had a real talent." Dean returned.
"I think that's the last meal we had like that before I went to Standford."
"Yeah," Dean nodded.
"I need to go to the bathroom." Suri announced, Sam slid out of the booth and escorted her to the bathrooms. He leaned down at the door and brushed some crumbs off her cheek.
"I'll be right here. If you need me, yell." He said.
"I'll be fine." She said and entered the bathroom.
"They grow up so fast." said a voice behind him. He turned and their waitress was standing there.
"That they do," Sam agreed.
"You know, I see most kinds of things in here. A lot of bad parents. The screamers, the ignorers, the violent. But you made my day. You are a hell of a dad." She offered.
Sam smiled and blushed. "Well, thanks. She's a good kid."
"I can tell. You guys headed home?"
"My brother and I are taking her back..."
"Divorce. That sucks. It's hard enough to have to work and miss out on that part of their life. You get to see her a lot?"
"Not as much as I'd like." He said and looked at the floor.
"Well, if I may, your ex is an idiot. Handsome, shy and a good father. I could sell you on e-bay for a billion dollars." She turned and went back to work. Suri opened the door and came out.
Sam leaned down and lifted her into his arms. "Dean ordered pie. I guess you can have some, too." He told her.
"You are the best daddy ever." She said and hugged his neck.
"I think that's the best compliment I ever got." They returned to the table and ate pie.
Another in the endless line of gas stations on the endless ribbon of blacktop that had been Dean's whole life. He gassed the car while watching Sam and Suri try on hats on a rack in the store and laugh.
"Sam, you'd be a hell of a dad." He said under his breath. Dean's phone rang. He looked – Cass.
"Yo, Cass, how goes it?"
"Listen to me very carefully, Dean. The Templars are in a snit."
"A snit?"
"Yes, it means..."
"I know what it means. What's got their panties in a wad?"
"You Dean. They have been looking for you and the girl for a while. You keep missing rendezvous points. They believe you have kidnapped her. There are those who suspect you of killing the other Templar. The whole underground is abuzz."
"There's an underground?" Dean could almost see Cass cock his head and look confused. "Look, the kid said...Cass, I'll call you back." Dean put two and two together pretty quickly.
Sam came back with Dean who put the pump handle away. He slid into the car as they did.
"So, what does the Madonna say about where the Templars are?" He asked casually as he started the car.
"She still can't find them." Suri answered but didn't bother to pretend she was listening this time.
"Oh, really? Hum. Well, that's interesting. Because you know, I was just talking to a friend who said the Templars are freaking out because you are missing rendezvous."
Her face erupted into the look of a child busted.
"Suri?" Sam asked.
"I don't know what he's talking about." She lied, poorly. Sam pulled her into his lap and made her face him. "Suri, they care about you and you're making them worried. You have to tell the truth."
She looked down. "I don't want to go to them. I want to stay with you and Uncle Dean..." Dean's face softened.
"She called me Uncle Dean." He said.
"Dean? Not helping."
"Sorry. I'll just, um..." he slid back out of the car and moved toward the bathroom.
"You know you have to go back, right?"
"Don't you want me?" She asked, her dark eyes edging on tears.
"Hey, hey. I would be so happy if you were my little girl. You are beautiful and smart and sweet and everything I would want in a daughter. But I can't protect you forever. My life is dangerous enough and if anything happened to you..."
"But if you stay with me, you can become a paladin like the Templars and we could travel around together."
"What about Dean?"
She looked away. "He could come." She said.
"Look, Suri. I have loved having you with me so much. And the truth is, I love you. Like my own daughter..."
"But people like us have to walk our own destinies..." She finished.
"Yeah. Even when it rips our heart out." She threw herself into Sam's arms and cried on his shoulder. Every tear seemed to burn his heart, and he realized his face was wet.
Finally, she leaned back. "They're at a campground a mile from here. We can wait here." She whispered. He nodded.
"You know what? While we wait, why don't we go get some more snacks and buy one of those stupid hats."
She smiled through the puffy face. She nodded.
In the back seat, the Madonna lifted visibly in the seat.
"For the record, an apple isn't a snack, or fun." Dean said in Sam's ear as he moved behind him at the counter of the store.
Sam flashed him a nasty look.
"What, you lied to the kid. You told her when you came in here you'd get her a fun snack. I heard you. And they you deliberately walked past the pie to the fruit."
"I'm not going to discuss this with you." Sam said and paid for the bag of healthy snacks.
"Fine. Good thing for Uncle Dean, though."
"What did you..."
"What?" Dean yelled and looked out the window, the items in his hands falling to the floor. "Son of a BITCH!" he roared and bolted out to the gas pumps. An elderly woman was standing by the Impala, busily pumping gasoline on the hood. "Are you psychotic?!" He roared.
She looked at him and flashed him a pair of black eyes. "Well, Dean, I had to get your attention."
"If you… I'll... You get away from Baby!" He flustered.
The old lady reached in her pocket and took out a lighter. Behind Dean from no where came two bruisers and grabbed him.
Sam stood in the convenience store, looking on helplessly. He moved to go to Dean but turned and saw Suri. He hesitated. She looked at him with huge, hazel eyes.
"I will send you to hell, then I will resurrect you and send you to hell again if you light that lighter." Dean cursed. He wondered where the hell Sam was.
"I can be reasonable. All I want is the girl." The old lady said, sounding like a grandmother.
Something flared in Dean, a rebellion he'd felt many times before but not this intensely. Fury broke in him, real, motivated Wrath.
"OK. Sam is in the store with her. Let me call him to bring her out." Dean said through gritted teeth.
The demon nodded and the others let him go. He took out his phone and dialed Sam. Sam put his arm around Suri.
"Yeah?" Sam asked.
"Look Sam, Here's the deal. They're gonna torch the Impala if we don't surrender the girl, so I want you to..." he looked at the main demon. "Get her out of here."
Dean threw the phone as hard as he could at the head demon and caught her dead in her old face. The others were stunned but just for a second. Dean leaned forward and twisted away from his captors and slide across the trunk of the car.
His keys had been in his hand when he got out his phone, he dropped the key into the trunk lock and lifted the door into the face of the old lady, causing her to scream as the demon trap painted on the inside caught her face and made it stick. She flailed as she tried to pull away.
Dean found his knife in his hand as the bigger of the brutes grabbed him, a quick slice of the knife and it recoiled, screaming. Dean used the gun in his other hand and fired at the old woman. She shattered into a rain of blood.
Dean rolled away. He looked up and almost choked on his tongue. Coming toward him were ten more possessed people, armed with chains, axes, sticks.
"This is going to leave a mark." He muttered under his breath and fired into the two demons closest. The gun jammed, twice, but then erupted into a puddle of gore and as they fell, he saw Suri holding the Madonna over her head. Then she collapsed and Sam scooped her up and ran toward Dean.
A moment later both of them were in the Impala and it had revved to life.
"Hold on!" Dean said, but his foot didn't depress the accelerator. From the back of the hoard, demons began to die.
Dean and Sam exchanged an alarmed look as Suri lay unconscious in Sam's arms.
"Should we go?" Sam asked.
At that moment, the demons parted and turned to face their enemy, a figure in army fatigues and a flak jacket, complete with helmet and a really big sword. On the flak jacket was a white swath with a fiery red cross in the center.
"It's the cavalry."
It took less then three minutes for the Templar to wade through the army of Demons. The combat was fluid and decisive. Dean and Sam got out of the car and Sam began to check Suri.
"Come on, Baby. Wake up, it's Dad." He poured a little water on her face and she revived some.
"Did I save uncle Dean?" She asked.
"Yes, you did. I'm really proud of you." She smiled and hugged him. "Um, your Body guard is here." He said. Her face fell in disappointment.
"But I want you." She said.
"And I want you, Suri. I never even though about kids but… it's been really nice being your Dad. Even if just for a little while and only for pretend. You changed my heart. I never knew a person could feel like this. And because of that, you have to go with the Templars. And you know why."
She nodded sadly as the Templar approached and took off the helmet, long auburn hair flowing from under it. She had almost golden eyes and classically beautiful features. Dean's jaw dropped.
"You're. You're a girl?" he said.
Her eyebrows went up and she glared at him.
"I didn't mean I didn't think girls can kick ass. I'm just really pleased when they do." Dean said.
"I'm Ariel. I'm Suri's new keeper." She looked up and caught Sam's face, paid close attention to the way he and Suri held on to one another. "Got to you, did she?"
He nodded.
"Yes. She can do that. It's a tragedy for you Sam. You have looked into the light and fallen in love with it."
"Isn't that what parents do?" He replied. Ariel nodded.
Suri looked at Ariel and stuck out her tongue, then laughed and ran to the Templar who leaned down and hugged her.
"You must forgive her, she's young still. And, you do have something, Sam." Ariel said eyeing Sam. She walked behind him and lifted the Madonna into her arms. The stature lifted effortlessly. Ariel cocked her head and listened, the same way Suri did when she was talking to the Madonna.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"You look like you'd be a good Dad. The Madonna informs me that you had an adventure. She's pleased." She replied and Sam smiled.
"I, love kids, too." Dean said.
"Um, Dean Templars take vows of poverty and chastity." Sam offered.
"Well, that's a shame." He muttered.
"Dean, Thank your friend Castiel for me. We almost had a riot."
"What did Cass do?"
"He sent a message to us through a Reaper telling us you were trying to get the girl to us. My fellows were looking for your blood and the last thing I need is them going off half cocked and blowing our cover."
"Yeah, I heard last time you went public is didn't end so well." Dean said.
"Yes, that is an understatement." She offered. "I want to thank you for looking after her. It's quite a job."
"Our pleasure." Sam said.
"Yeah, once you get the sticky off her, she's kind of fun." Dean added. Suri went to Dean and he leaned down. She wrapped her small arms around his neck.
"I love you, Uncle Dean. Madonna does, too."
"Well, if that means she won't try to kill me again, it's mutual. Take care of yourself, kid. Hey, this is our phone number. If you need us."
Suri turned to Ariel. Ariel nodded. "Can't have too many friends." Suri took the card. She ran to the Impala to retrieve her toys.
"Have you guys considered joining with us, you know hunters and Templars. Sounds like we have the same enemies." Sam said.
"We have different charges. You save the world, we protect the tac nuke. But believe me, if you really need us, we'll be there. We owe you both."
"Well, no offense, but every day we seem to find some need for a nuke." Dean told her.
"We do pay attention, Dean, and I have to tell you, I have never gotten the impression that you two couldn't handle whatever it was. Including this." She smiled.
"Well, we just babysat for a while." Sam said.
"No Sam, You did something we never even though of. You let her be a child." She looked at Suri. "Madonna told me. A trend I think needs to be continued." She stopped and looked at the sky. "Demons. A lot."
Dean's face fell. "What do you consider a lot?" he asked.
"Enough to decide fleeing is preferable to standing." She looked at Suri who nodded and went to Sam. She stood there for a while.
"I want you to be my dad." She said.
"I'll tell you what. We can say I am your dad, I'm just away on business. And if you need me, you can call our phone, no matter what. And someday we'll see each other again."
She nodded but looked unconvinced.
"I promise" he added and held her tightly and fought tears. "OK, you have to go. Don't forget me."
"Don't forget me, Daddy." She said and then turned and quickly ran to Ariel. They turned to make their way back to the Templar encampment. Suri started skipping, but Ariel stopped and looked at her. Suri's face fell. Suddenly, with a wry smile, Ariel began to skip too and off down the road they went.
Sam watched until they disappeared. Dean watched him closely. Had he not known his brother so well, he would have missed the slight tremble in his shoulders.
"So, did I do the right thing?" Sam asked, his voice almost breaking.
"Yeah, Sam." Dean told him quietly. If we kept her, she'd grow up to be a Winchester."
Sammy nodded hard. They both got in the car and drove away.
When violet eyes get brighter
And heavy wings grow lighter
I'll taste the sky and feel alive again
And I'll forget the world that I knew
But I swear I won't forget you
Oh if my voice could reach back through the past
I'd whisper in your ear,
"Oh darling I wish you were here"
Vanilla Twilight = Owl City