"Sam, we are not having this conversation okay? We're going to Burkitsville and we're taking the case. We're going to do what Dad told us to." Dean snapped.
"You always do what Dad tells you to. We have a chance to find him and you don't want to take it!" Dean's little brother Sam shouted at him.
"Because he doesn't want to be found Sam. He said it himself."
Sam pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road. He got out, slamming the door and opened the trunk, pulling his duffle bag over his shoulder. Dean got out and stared back at Sam.
"What are you doing Sam?" He demanded."Going to find Dad. You made it pretty clear you don't want to find him but I will. With or without you."
"Then go."
Sam retreated away from the car, down the highway. Dean got back in the car and slammed the door as he started the car. From somewhere inside the car, a phone was ringing. Dean cursed as the car swerved because he was trying to get his phone from his pocket. Only a few people had the current number, including his father and Sam. Maybe it was his father!
"Dad?" He spoke hopefully. Dean was almost about to turn the car around and pick Sam up. "Dean? Please, for the love of God, tell me you're headed to Burkitsville." It wasn't his father. It wasn't even a man. It was a girl's voice. One he found familiar, but couldn't place with a name or a face. "It's Lillian." Said the voice after his moments pause.
Lily? Little Lily? How did she get this number? "Lily Fitzpatrick?" He blinked his eyes a couple of times. "Yes. Uncle John called me a couple hours ago. Told me you were headed to Burkitsville and said to get my little ass to Indiana." Of course he did, Dean thought. "My dad called you?"
"Meet me at the motel. Room Seven." The line went dead. A perfect image of Lillian Fitzpatrick popped into Dean's mind. Dark brown hair, naturally bronzed skin(Latin origins), eyes the color of the ocean after a storm. He hadn't seen her since she was what, nineteen? So two or three years ago.
Dean didn't know much about her, she was alone. Her parents were killed by...something. She had never said what had happened. But Lily was a hunter. Born into the job. Like he was. Dean recalled his father calling to check up on her the months after her parents were murdered.
He wondered if Sam was okay.
She sat on the bed. Dean noted she looked different. Older. "Dean!" She jumped off the bed and catapulted into his arms. "I've missed you."
She looked around, searching for another face. Uncle John said Sam would be with Dean. So where was he? "Where is Sam?" Lily didn't know Sam like she knew Dean. In fact, she and Sam had never even met.
"He's on his way to Sacramento." She frowned. "Okay then. So I guess Uncle John told you everything?" Dean nodded in confirmation. "Couples going missing, all in or around Burkitsville. Same week every year. What do you think?"
She shrugged and picked up a bag off of the bed, throwing it over her shoulder. "Dean. There's something I have to tell you." Her breathing got faster. No one knew. No one but her and her dead parents. "You know you can tell me anything Lily."
All the strength she had mustered up to tell him her deepest, darkest secret, dissolved. "I've just really missed you Dean. But we can catch up later because I'm starving."
Dean grinned. "It ain't just you kid. Let's go."
"This apple pie is divine." Lily moaned, shoving another forkful of apple pie into her already crammed full mouth. "We use the apples from our special orchard."
"The one with the scarecrow?" Dean questioned. "You've seen it? Beautiful, isn't it?" Lily nodded and the owner left them. Lily cut her eyes. "Special orchard." She snorted.
"What do you think that's about?" Dean whispered, shoving his hamburger in his mouth. She shrugged, shaking her head, "Who knows." She looked across the restaurant at the couple eating. The four of them were the only people in the place. "What do you think? Victims?" She nodded her head backwards.
"Probably. I looked around before I came to the motel. Pretty nice town." Dean said. Lily snorted, "Except for the fact that people are being murdered."
"Let's introduce ourselves then." Dean smiled. Lily slid a small diamond ring on her left ring finger. She looked back at the couple and breathed. "Are you guys just passing through?" She called. They looked over. "We are. Our car's in the shop. It broke down on us earlier." The man said. Lily bit her lip. "How long have you two been together?" The woman asked.
"Three years." Dean smiled at her. Lily sighed, "My fiancé, he's excellent with cars. He could fix your car for you. Free of charge. You could be gone by morning." She explained.
"Oh that's fine. We wouldn't want to trouble you." The woman shook her head. "Honestly, it would be my greatest pleasure to help you guys." Dean said tightly. Lily's ear twitched at the sound of hidden conversation. "I'll be right back." She muttered to Dean. She stood from the table and walked to the back of the diner. The owner was on the phone.
"...trying to get them to leave town...okay..." He hung up and turned around. He nearly jumped at the sight of Lily. "What kind of cruel game are you people playing in this town?" She demanded.
"I don't understand what you're insinuating young lady." He answered curtly. "Oh the hell if you don't. I will find out what you're doing. And I will kill you." She hissed. She blinked her eyes and he stepped back. Lily blinked again and left. The town sheriff was entering the diner.
"Dean, sweetie, I think it's time to go back to the motel." She said sweetly. "I haven't finished my pie." He whined.
She narrowed her eyes, "Honey. Now." She pulled him out of the diner. "Dean. It's going to happen tonight. The orchard." She whispered.
"Awesome." He muttered.
It was dark and chilly in the orchard but Lily knew they were in there somewhere. She could sense them, sense the danger lurking. "Dean, at the rate you're walking, we'll never find them." Lily scolded. He rolled his eyes at her. "I just ate. And I'm exhausted." She smacked his arm. "Stop whining."
There was nothing more bone chilling to Lily than the scream someone gave out when they were afraid, about to die. The sound shivered up her spine, giving her body goosebumps. The feeling that the couple was close got stronger. "This way." Lily pulled Dean deeper into the orchard. They reached the very middle of the orchard. The scarecrow that they had both seen, was gone. They looked at each other. "What do you think?" Lily whispered.
"Killer scarecrow." Dean muttered, almost like he didn't believe it. Another scream, closer this time. Lily pulled a handgun from her back pocket and took off. Dean ran after her. When he arrived, Lily was in front of the couple, her gun pointed at the scarecrow. "Dean! Get them out of here!" She ordered.
"I'm not leaving you here Lily!" She glared back at him angrily. "Damn it Dean. GO!" She screamed. He wasted no time hurrying the couple out of the path of the scarecrow. "I'm not sure what you are, but I'll kill you." She threatened. The scarecrow seemed to smile at her menacingly. It stalked towards her slowly. She pulled the trigger and the scarecrow vanished. Lily sprinted out of the orchard. And right into Dean. He hugged her tightly.
"You okay?" She nodded, "Fine. Let's get out of here."
Dean's cell phone had been ringing for over twenty minutes. Lily was still waiting for Dean to wake up and answer it. "Answer the phone Dean." Lily growled, still half asleep. He didn't even move. She reached over and flipped the phone open. "What the hell do you want?" She snapped.
"Um. Who is this?" The voice was...beautiful. That's the only way she could describe it. She sat up. "This is Lily. Who is this?"
"Where's Dean?" Then it clicked. Now she knew who the mystery caller was. "Sam." Her lips smiled. "What have you done to my brother?" Sam demanded. Lily laughed softly. "Relax. He's asleep." She leaned over on top of Dean and shook him, "Hey idiot wake up. Sam's on the phone." He took the phone from her and put it to his ear.
Lily crawled out of the bed carefully and left the motel room. She pulled her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and dialed a nearly long forgotten number. It rang over six times before she got the answering machine. "Hey! You've got the Fitzpatricks! Leave your message and we'll get back to you!" The voices she heard were long gone, long dead. Her parents had been killed a while back and she still called the old number, though she knew no one would ever answer again. Tears stung her eyes as she flipped the phone shut. The door to the motel room opened and Dean handed her his phone.
"Hello?" "So you're Lily." Sam stated. She smiled, "Yes. And you're Sam." She heard him laugh. "Take care of Dean for me. He's kind of reckless."
"Sam, you Winchesters are my family. I'll take care of Dean and you find Uncle John." "It's a deal." It was silent for a while, an awkward kind of silence. "See you Sam." "Yeah."
It went dead. Lily went back inside and sat beside Dean on the bed. She handed him his phone back and rubbed her eyes. "Alright. So tell me your theory. I know you have one." Lily said to him. He looked over at her. "I think our scary scarecrow is a Pagan god." She blinked carefully. "Okay. Keep going." She spoke slowly. "The missing couples? I'm guessing they're annual fertility sacrifices to the god."
"It would explain why the crops are so good. Did you notice that the trees look worse than they did yesterday?" Lily asked. Dean nodded, "Because there was no sacrifice."
"Okay. This is good." She sighed. Dean stood and shrugged on his jacket. "I'll go to the university. You look around town okay?" He told her. She raised herself off the bed, changing her shirt and shoving her boots on her feet. They decided Dean would drive while Lily walked. "Be careful Lily." He called as he started the Impala. "You too."
"Lily! I got it!" Dean said, sounding overly impressed with himself. "What did you get?" She sighed.
"We were right. They're sacrificing people to please this god, Vanir. It gets all its' power from that big tree in the orchard." Lily put her hand on her head. "And?" She urged him. "Meet me in the orchard. We're going to torch it."
"And you're sure this will work?" She questioned. "Pos-" He was cut off. Lily heard a muffled shout and the phone hit the ground. "Dean?" She yelled into the receiver. Nothing. "Shit!" She lost him. People were looking at her strangely. She grabbed a ride from some random to the university. Dean's car was parked out front. Keys in ignition. She found the professor Dean said he was going to see. "Where is he?" She demanded, pounding her fist on the desk. He looked up at her, "Who?"
"Where is Dean? What did you do with him?" She snarled. "Leave while you can dear. Trust me." Lily punched him, breaking his nose. "Dick." She muttered. She stormed out of the university and drove away in the car. All she could think about was Sam killing her if anything happened to Dean.
His head hurt. And it was dark. Where was he? He couldn't see a damned thing. And then there was light A burning light. He squinted, but looked. The girl, Emily, was being thrown in with him. Wherever he was. The door shut and Emily turned on a flashlight. "What's going on?" She cried. "You do not want to know." Dean groaned. "Oh. Yes I do." She scoffed. "'We're being sacrificed to a Pagan god." She didn't reply. "Told you." He muttered.
"I don't understand." She shook her head. "I know. But I do. There's a big tree in the orchard. Old. Do you know it?" She nodded. "Yeah. The First Tree. The very first immigrants who lived here brought it."
"Well. We need to burn it down." She nodded. "Okay. Call your girlfriend. Where is she?"
"Probably tearing the town apart. And she is not my girlfriend."
An unknown number flashed on the screen of Lily's phone. It had been calling for the past thirty minutes. She sighed and answered. "I'm busy." "It's Sam." She bit her lip and groaned inwardly. Great timing. "Awesome." She muttered.
"Where's Dean?" She wished she were dead. "I'm working on it."
"I'm on my way there." Her eyes widened. "You are?" "Yeah. Keep looking. I'll call you when I get there." She could tell he was about to hang up on her. "Sam?"
"What?" "We're going to find him." He hung up.
The first thing Lily thought of when she saw Sam Winchester was nothing. He was nearly perfect. "Sam." She called for his attention. He walked to the car and got in the passenger seat. "So what do you know?" He asked.
"They're taking him to the orchard to sacrifice him. So we free him and burn the big, bad tree." Lily tried to smile. "Then drive."
She did. The drive to the orchard was relatively short. Probably because she went over the speed limit. She grabbed a flashlight and salt rock gun from the trunk after parking the car. "Follow me. I know where they are." She told Sam. They soon found Dean and Emily tied to trees. Lily untied the poor girl while Sam untied his older brother. "Well." Dean brushed off his pants. Something rustled in the trees. The scarecrow. "It's coming!" Emily screamed. "Run!" Lily shouted at them. They ran, but were trapped. The scarecrow chasing them and the people of the town blocking the exit. "Move!" Sam yelled.
"We can't let you leave." "Please." Emily pleaded.
"We're sorry Emily. This is how it must be." Her aunt said. Lily stood in front of them, gun pointed at them. "I suggest you move. Before I shoot." She demanded. "He's already here. It's too late." Lily turned around. The scarecrow was walking at a leisurely pace towards them. As it got closer, Dean threw Emily's aunt and uncle into the path of the scarecrow. Emily screamed but it took them anyways. "We need to get out of here." Dean whispered. Lily urged Emily out of the orchard, "Let's go."
"How are you?" Lily whispered to Emily. "I think I'm okay. I'm catching a bus to Boston this afternoon."
"Good. That's really good."
Dean nudged Sam and grinned. "She's hot, huh?" Sam looked at him. "What are you talking about?" He laughed. "Lily. What do you think?" Dean grinned again.
"You're kidding." They looked at each other. "You aren't kidding."
"Sam, Lily is great. Just the girl for you." Sam snorted. Lily looked back at them and held up a lighter and gasoline. "Who wants to do the honors?" She smiled.
"Me." Emily took the items from her. They stood back as she poured the gasoline all over the tree. She lit the lighter and threw it on the tree. It succumbed to the flames. "There's one less Pagan god to worry about." Dean muttered.
"I have to go. I'll miss my train. Thank you guys so much." Emily said. "No problem." She took off running out of the orchard. "So Sammy, can we take you anywhere?" Dean asked, leaning on a tree. He shook his head, "No. I think I'll stay will you guys."
"Great!" Lily smiled. They started walking back to the Impala. "So you're coming too?" Sam asked her. She nodded her head, "Yeah. Uncle John told me I should stick with you guys. Besides, I don't have anywhere else to be." She shrugged her shoulders.
"Okay."
"Let's get out of this town." Dean sighed.
Lily snatched the keys from his hand. She announced she was driving from there. Sam gave Dean and look and he only shook his head.