Come Away to the Water
She sat on her porch as the sun set over her ranch. she was sitting on a wooden chair with her legs propped up onto the rail. She wore jeans tucked into her boots and a white button up shirt. Her brown hair was free and stopped just at her shoulders, letting her natural curl let her hair look wild and messy. Her black cowgirl hat sat on the ground next to her and a shot gun lean against the house behind her. The wind gently tugged at her shirt and hair and carried the sounds from her guitar over the field before her. She plucked the strings idly, enjoying the quiet.
Thick woods surrounded her ranch and kept her isolated from the world. The stars would be beautiful tonight. It was that perfect time of year, just when fall is about to bring the colder weather and the leaves were just barely starting to turn. A few horses still lingered in the fenced in part of the field, eating the grass at their feet. She would have to put them back in their stalls soon. She stopped strumming the guitar and let her fingers fiddle with a small gold necklace on her chest.
All of her farm hands had left for the day and the ranch was quiet. Her house was three stories and large. She wanted a house with many guest rooms on the second floor. The third floor was her room. It was like a loft and it was small. Half of the house looked like a traditional house with siding and shingles and small windows. The other half was modern with walls made of glass so you could see outside. This was only for the first floor.
The woman sighed through her nose and set her guitar near the gun and picked up her hat before hopping off the porch and walking on the gravel path to the fenced in field where the few horses were lingering. She hopped the fence and began leading each horse to its stall before closing the barn for the night. She had two barns. One was a stall for the horses and was a good distance from the house. If you followed the gravel path to the house, the path runs right past it and through the woods and too the main road. Across the path from the house, a few yards away sat the storage barn. In front of it was her large black truck.
She headed back into the house where two people were waiting for her with dinner on the table. She had a large dinning room for when people were over, but when it was just the three of them, they sat at a small table near a window in the kitchen. She loved her kitchen. It was large and had plent of space for cooking and baking. She had a large griddle and grill on the counter and two oven. There was an island that had counter space for eating as well as a large stove top. The kitchen always smelled of good food.
The three sat down for a peaceful and pleasant dinner. The woman enjoyed it while she could. She could tell they were going to have guests soon and they wouldn't get the quiet to themselves for a while. Part of her looked forward to it and one part was worried for what would happen. She had hoped she could get away with a quiet, normal life for at least a little longer.
Dean and Sam jumped, startled by Cas appearing out of no where in the booth next to Sam.
"Christ!" Sam exclaimed quietly.
"Jesus, Cas. A little more warning next time." Dean grumbled as he wiped up hi spilled drink.
"We need to go." Cas told them urgently. The two brothers looked at the angel in confusion.
"Can't it wait-" Same tried to ask, wanting to finish his dinner.
"No, take it with you we need to go." Cas told them. Dean pulled out some cash and got the bill from the waitress, not without flirting.
"What's the big deal?" Sam asked the angel. "What's wrong?"
"I'll explain in the car." Cas said and the three stood and made their way outside. The brothers kept noticing that Cas kept looking over his shoulder and didn't seem to relax until they drove out.
"CAs, what' the big deal? Where the hell are we even going?" Dean asked, irked they had to take their burgers with them.
"El Paso, Texas." Cas told him from the back seat.
"El Paso?" Sam asked. "We won't get there until late tomorrow. shouldn't we stay the night at-" He tried to ask but Cas cut him off.
"We don't have time. We need to get there as soon as possible. There have been increasing attacks from beings you humans call Chupacabra-" He begins but Dean cuts him off.
"Let some other handle it, they only attack animals. Not our problem!" Dean told him and was about to turn the car around.
"These are attacking humans, Dean. And there's more than one." Cas told him and Sam turned to look at him.
"Are you serious?" Sam asked, shocked. "I thought they stay alone, aren't pack monsters."
"They aren't. Something bigger is using them like its own personal army. We are going to El Paso where the attacks are. There is someone who can help us." CAs explained.
"Why don't you and this other hunter handle it on your own?" Sam asked.
"I can't. She's not a hunter." CAs explained. Sam noticed his slightly defeated look.
"CAs, what's going on? Why aren't you explaining anything? Stop beating around the bush man." Dean said gruffly.
"She's a saint. I'm not allowed to be directly involved. It's even worse that I'm her guardian." Cas explained.
"Guardian? Like guardian angel?" Sam asked and Cas nodded before continuing.
"Each saint has an angel assigned to them. She is assigned to me. When a saint is assigned to an angel, that angel cannot get directly involved with their tasks. I can send her to do things for me, but if something goes wrong, I cannot step in." CAs told them.
"That's messed up, man." Dean said. Cas nodded, agreeing.
"It is frustrating." He agreed. "These saints today are not the original patron saints. Nor are they reincarnations. When they are born, the angel assigns them with the gift of the patron saint. It's hard to explain." Cas told them.
"I think we get the jist." Sam assures him. "what do you think we are up against?"
" A sinner." Cas stated bluntly.
"A sinner?" Dean asked. "Dude, aren't we all sinners?" He asked, not understanding. Cas sighed and thought for a moment, trying to find a way to explain.
"Everything in this world has something to balance it out. For angels there are demons. For Saints, there are sinners. These sinner are humans who seek out a lesser demon and become its disciple in a way. By aligning with a lesser demon, they are given power. I believe a sinner is using these creatures to attack humans. I have reason to believe he is looking for my saint."
"Why? Why would you say that?" Sam asked and Cas clenched his jaw.
"It is not my place to say." Cas said. Dean began to raise his voice, frustrated with the angel's silence but Sam stopped him, seeing the look of guilt on Cas's face. Something happened to his saint, Sam could tell. Something bad happened and Cas couldn't step in so he blames himself. Knowing Cas, just getting Sam and Dean to help was probably a risky card to play.
Sam wondered if they should step in. However, people were getting killed. That was their business. That was what they dealt with. If they had the help of a saint, who knows, maybe it wouldn't be too hard of a job.
"Fine." Dean said after a while. "I hope you know how to get there." He said roughly and Cas nodded. He knew how to get there.
The woman was up early and began making breakfast for her and her employees. It was Friday so she always provided them with breakfast. She was up before the sun and cooking. She had coffee made and poured some for her and her friend who was walking down the steps.
The man she lived with was the caretaker for her home and her ranch. His name is Alec. Alec is a very tall, very muscular black man with an upbeat attitude and a thick accent. He thanked her for the coffee and sat at a stool. Alec used to take care of the place while she was gone. She used to be gone a lot, hardly ever home. She had been home for the past few months and was getting used to being home again.
She wasn't sure if she was ready to leave yet. She didn't even know if she had to leave again and that scared her most.
"Alec, I can take Lucia to school. Can you pick her up?" She asked. Alec looked at her, studying her actions. He could read her like a book.
"We have guests coming this weekend?" He asked in his rare serious tone. She nodded.
"I want to be here when they get here. I don't know when they will arrive." She told him and began putting food on large plates and getting silverware and plates out. She walked over to the staircase and shouted.
"Lucia? Lucia, I hope you are up! Breakfast!" She called. The woman smiled softly when she heard a thump and someone running down the long hall. She returned to the kitchen when the eight year old girl began running down the stairs in her pajamas with her messy hair. The woman put some food on a plate and set it on the island. Lucia hopped onto the stool next to Alec, face smiling. The woman set another plate down for Alec.
"Buenos dias!" The girl exclaimed. Alec smiled and greeted her back and tried to smooth out her frizzy, messy hair. Lucia was tan. She had come from Mexico a few years ago when the woman found her. "Chrissy, can you take me to school again?" The girl asked the woman who was leaning against the island across from her. Chrissy smiled and swiped the girl's toast. "Hey!" Lucia whined.
"Oh, hush. I'll make more. If you want me to take you, hurry up and finish. You still need to get dressed." Chrissy told the girl. Lucia dug in and Chrissy smiled. Chrissy was wearing jeans and a black tank top tucked into her pants. Her thick brown belt was pulled tight to keep her shirt tucked in. She had a blue and white plaid shirt on the third stool that she would wear like a jacket but keep the sleeves rolled up. Her black hat was on the table near the window.
Chrissy closed her eyes and breathed. She could smell the fresh air through the screen door at the front of her house. Her workers began arriving and greeted her and dug in. Lucia went to get ready for school and Chrissy tugged on her boots and sat on the front porch steps with a cup of coffee. She wasn't sure if she was ready to get back to being a saint. Chrissy wasn't sure if she had a choice.
Lucia ran out the front door and past Chrissy laughing. The girl hopped off the porch and was running to the truck. Chrissy smiled, set the mug down and stood, chasing after the girl, calling after her. The two climbed into the truck and started down the gravel road. Chrissy and Alec were aware of the attacks lately and Chrissy had an idea of what was behind it. It worried her and every day Lucia was at school, she worried. Chrissy knew she was safe at the ranch and hoped to God nothing would attack the school. Lucia didn't know what was going on. Chrissy hid it from her.
Chrissy dropped Lucia off at school and headed back to the ranch. She slowed down once she hit the gravel road and looked around. She was trying to see if she could see anything moving in the woods. She parked her truck in front of the barn and climbed out. She went back into the house and grabbed her black hat before going back outside. They had a few horses they had to break in. It was going to be a fun day.
Sam and Dean took turns driving and had to stop a few times for food a gas. Cas was restless and Sam could tell. When dean fell asleep after lunch, Sam asked him about it.
"Cas, why don't you just pop over there real quick. Make sure everything is ok?" Sam asked.
"She doesn't like it when I do that." He told Sam. "And she, uh, she isn't going to be happy seeing me again." He admitted.
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"It's not my place to say." Was the answer Sam got.
"Is she going to be mad we are there?" Sam asked.
"Probably." Cas stated bluntly. Sam raised his eyebrows. "She won't do anything to you two though."
"Why?" Sam asked, not sure if he believed the angel's judgement.
"It's what she does. She's the saint of travelers. She won't turn you two away." Cas explained. Sam knew that saint.
"Saint Christopher? The saint of Travelrs. That's who she is?" Sam asked. Cas nodded. "That's your saint? How come we haven't met her before! She could have helped us out." Sam pointed out.
"She had her own challenges to face. She was busy. These last few months I have been trying to stay away, keep interested parties away, give her a chance to start over." CAs explained. "I am only dragging her into this because she was already involved." Sam nodded and kept driving. He understood that, wanting to start over, have a normal life, but they were hunters. He couldn't even imagine what it must have been to be a saint.
Sam drove for a few hours and suggested they stop for dinner. Cas told him to keep driving and that they would be there soon. Dean decided he would take over and let sam sleep. The sun had set and Dean turned on the headlights. They were on the outskirts of El Paso on a back road near the mountains. Thick woods lined the road and Cas pointed out a small red mailbox. He told Dean to turn onto the gravel path. Dean did as he was told and they drove down the mile long path. He woke Sam up and the three sat attentive, making sure nothing attacked them.
Soon enough they broke through the tree line into a large open area. He kept driving slowly up to the well lit house. He saw three people on the front porch. A large black man was carrying a little girl inside and a woman came off the porch.
Chrissy, Lucia and Alec were njoying the quiet night on their porch, a soft breeze rushing by every so often. Chrissy sat on a swinging bench with her feet propped on a chair. Alec sat in the other chair, sipping a beer. Lucia had rested her head on Chrissy's knees, near the guitar. She had begged Chrissy to play.
She was playing Come Away to the Water by Maroon 5. She would hum the song until Lucia demanded she sing it. Chrissy just laughed and did as she was told. Lucia fell asleep when Chrissy played Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift. The ranch was quiet, calm, peaceful.
"We should get inside soo." Alec told her.
"Won't matter. Once they come, the barrier will be down anyway. I have to wait for them to get here before I put it back up." Chrissy told him. She plucked at the strings absentmindedly. "They should be here soon." She told him. She could feel the energy shift when they came onto her property. Soon enough, a black chevy came out of the trees slowly.
"I'll take her inside." Alec said and Chrissy put the guitar down as Alec picked up the girl. Alec headed inside and Chrissy made her way down onto the road. She stood in front of the car a few feet away and waited for them to get out. She could hear the cicadas in the woods around them and she stood, calm and steady as three doors open and gave way to three men. Her hand drifted behind her to the gun tucked into her jeans. Her hand rested on it. They closed their doors and one in a trench coat began to walk towards her. The two men followed behind him but stayed a few feet behind.
"Chrissy." He greated her with a nod. She eyed him up and down and nodded back to him.
"Cas." She said firmly. "Why are you hear?" She asked.
"You know why." He told her. "These two are here to help. This is Sam and Dean. They are hunters."
"It's not my problem. I'm not dealing with it." She told him firmly. It hurt her to say that. It wasn't that she wouldn't, it was that she couldn't. The people being attacked were not travelers, they were locals. She couldn't do anything. She looked from Cas to the two men behind him and sighed. "Get your shit and come on in." She said and let go of her gun. To Cas's surprise, and to Sam's, Chrissy wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. "Good to see you, Cas." She whispered and went up the porch. She grabbed her guitar and hat and went in. She set the things down near a couch in the living room and went back to the door. Alec came back downstairs and Dean, Sam and Cas filed in.
"You can put your stuff in the living room for now." She told them and they walked past. Sam saw her close the door and watched her as she seemed to pray with a hand still on the door. He set his bag down and looked to Dean.
"You boys hungry?" She asked and sat on the steps as she tugged off her boots. Chrissy walked into the kitchen where Alec was sitting at the island. She washed her hands and opened the fridge. "Want a beer or anything?" She asked and pulled a few out, not caring if they said yes or not. If they didn't drink them, she would. The two brothers took one each and sat on the stools next to Alec. "What do you want to eat?" She asked them.
"what, lady. Who are you? You don't even know who we are and you're taking us in and feeding us. No questions asked?" Dean asked, not able to stay quiet any longer. Chrissy sighed through her nose.
"I was going to wait until I had given you guys food. You seem to have been driving for a while. You looked stiff getting out of your car." Chrissy explained and went over to the large fridge. She took out a large blue pot that still had a lid on it. She set it on the stove top and turned the stove on. "Hope you guys like chili." She said and opened the pot. She mixed it up and let it heat up. She opened herself a beer and took a sip.
"Chrissy, I'm gonna go on up. You good here?" Alec asked. She nodded and he headed up to his own room.
"Cas, you still not doing the food thing?" She asked and he nodded.
"Was that your husband?" Sam asked politely. Chrissy snorted.
"No. He takes care of this place when I'm not here. He's my best friend." She said and stuck her hand out to the boys. "He's Alec. I'm Christine." She introduced herself. Sam and Dean shook her hand and introduced themselves. "What brings you boys to El Paso?" She asked and stirred the chili again.
"Chrissy, you know-" Cas started but Dean cut him off.
"Mean gathering of Chupacabra. Something meaner is behind it. We came to shut it down." Dean told her. She looked at the two boys. They had being doing this kind of work for a while and it showed. Her heart went out to them.
"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need. I have plenty of spare room." She said and sipped her beer. "If you need help with the locals, let me know, I know most of everyone nearby. Good friends with people in the police department, too." The boys looked at her, slightly surprised. Usually, people in their line of work keep a low profile.
"Uh, thanks." Sam said. "That'll be a big help." She nodded. "So, uh, who was the kid Alec was carrying?"
"That's Lucia. I took her in. She's from Mexico." Chrissy told them and smiled. "She's a sweet kid. She missed you, Cas." She told the angel, pointing her bottle at him. Cas was surprised. He wasn't very good with kids. Chrissy stirred the chili and hummed Safe and Sound. It was Lucia's favorite song.
"So you're a saint?" Dean asked. "What does that mean? What do you do?" Chrissy didn't look up from the food.
"I work on a ranch." She told him flatly. "If you are wondering what I did before that, I helped out travelers. I've helped people across the border, I've traveled all over this country with a hunter, too. She settled down in Vermont, I think. Every now and then, Cas would show up with something for me to do. That was usually making sure someone got from point A to point B." Chrissy explained. "So what do you guys think is behind the attacks? Demon?"
"Cas says it's a sinner." Sam said and Chrissy stared at Cas. Sam saw and kept talking. "He also said he's coming after you." Dean was watching the woman who turned and grabbed two bowls. And began putting chili into them. She grabbed spoons and stuck them into the chili. She set the bowls in front of the boys and went to a microwave. She pulled out two cornbread muffins and handed them to Sam and Dean.
"Eat up." She told them with a small smile. "Cas, you really think it's him?" She asked him nervously. The angel nodded and she sighed. Dean and Sam tried the chili and had to stop. It was good chili and had a nice kick to it.
"Wow." Sam said quietly.
"This has gotta be the best chili I've ever had." Dean said and ate some more. Chrissy smiled at him. "What you put in it?"
"Well, I used the meat of some humans I sacrificed a few days ago and the sauce has some vampire blood in it." She told him seriously. Sam stared at her and Dean began coughing, choking on the chili. Cas just looked at her, exasperated. Chrissy laughed and grabbed a bowl for herself. "I'm kidding. There isn't anything odd in it, I promise." She said and made herself a bowl. Dean and Sam had to wait a bit before they started eating again. Chrissy put away the large pot and stood and ate her own chili.
The two brothers talked to her and they got to know her. Dean took this as a time to look at her and really see her. She was short with curly brown hair that stopped at her shoulders. Her blue and white plaid shirt was open and had the sleeves rolled up. He could see her saint Christopher pendant hanging from her neck on a thin, gold chain. She wasn't thin, but athletic. She had to be strong, working with horses and on a ranch. Christine had deep brown eyes that reminded him of freshly turned dirt or ground coffee and they seemed to see right through you, breaking down your defenses and looking at every little secret you try to hide. She was slightly intimidating but she eased them with her calm and her gentle smile. She moved slowly, relaxed, not rushed. Her voice was soft. Chrissy was tanned nicely but Dean saw bags under her eyes.
Chrissy put their dishes in the sink and lead them upstairs. She pointed out the two rooms that were taken by Alec and Lucia and told the three to take their own rooms, even Cas. Cas knew where the books were if he got bored.
"If you boys need me, my room is right up those stairs," She told them pointing at the end of the hall. "Each bedroom has a bathroom. I'll have Cas wake you up for breakfast." She told them and walked over to the stairs. "Goodnight." She told them before parting. Sam and Dean looked at each other, not used to someone just taking them in, feeding them, and letting them get some sleep. It felt weird not getting right to work on this case.
The two shrugged and headed to their own rooms. The rooms were simple. There was a bed shoved against a wall and on the wall opposite was a dresser and a desk. It had a door that lead to a bathroom on the same wall and a chair in the corner near the window. Dean dropped his bag and plopped onto the bed. It was comfortable. He kicked off his boots and dropped back, having no issue falling asleep.
Sam changed into sweat pants and put his things in a drawer and took out his laptop and set it on the desk and plugged it in, letting it charge. He kicked his bag under his bed and decided to try and sleep as well.
This was the first time in a long time the two boys could sleep easy and feel safe. They were relaxed, well fed, and safe. Chrissy's home was calming, something about the air. Cas sat in his room and began to read. Even he was more relaxed than usual, glad to be back and seeing his friend again. Even though the last time he saw her wasn't the best, he was glad she welcomed him back and was pleased to know she had missed him. It is a nice feeling knowing someone missed you.
Chrissy sent a prayer up to the big man, asking for strength and wisdom. She was worried for Lucia and for Alec. If it was the sinner she feared it was, they were targets. She had half a mind to set them n the first train to Vermont but knew it was too late. She changed into pajamas and settled in. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.