The Winchesters aren't mine, nor is Supernatural. They belong to lucky old WB.
Momma Leone
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Soft, comfortable and warm.
Those were the first three words to enter Dean's head as he clawed his way to wakefulness. Right now he had no idea where he was or what was happening around him, but what he did know was he was reluctant to end the sleepy stupor that surrounded him.
"Hey."
Sam's voice surprised him and before he could stop himself, he'd opened his eyes and turned his head toward his brother, finding him seated at the small coffee table, laptop in front of him.
"Hey yourself." He replied around a yawn. "How long have you been up? What time is it?"
"A couple of hours or so, and it's almost eleven."
"Eleven! Dude, what's wrong with you? Why didn't you wake me? You know we still have some miles to do!"
"You needed to sleep."
"We don't have time to lie in. You should have woken me." Dean insisted.
"Dean, calm down. We don't have to be in Chaseton until three. That gives us a couple of hours to get there, three if you take your time and drive without breaking the sound barrier, and an hour to eat. We have lots of time."
Dean grunted in reply as he climbed out of bed. He rifled through his bag, retrieving fresh clothes before stomping off toward the bathroom.
"Get your gear together, Sam. We leave in twenty minutes."
"You're welcome!" Sam smirked as Dean slammed the bathroom door.
Maybe today wasn't going to be such a long day after all?
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"Sam, move your butt, we've got work to do."
Dean came out the bathroom to find his sibling sitting on the edge of the bed, his bag and laptop all ready to go. As he moved across the room he became aware of Sam's eyes following him.
"What?"
Sam smirked and shook his head. "Nothing."
"So why the stupid grin. I've done something to amuse that geek brain of yours?"
Sam laughed.
"No. It's that just last night… "
"Aw, Sammy. Was it good for you too?" Dean interrupted with a smirk.
Sam rolled his eyes and continued. "Jerk. Last night I thought you were getting sick. Now I know you really are sick, just not the kind I was thinking of."
"Yeah well, thanks for the concern, but I'm fine. I'm also starving, so you'd better get a move on, or I'm going to leave your sorry ass behind."
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Acacia Avenue, Chaseton, was a beautiful tree lined street full of wooden homes painted in various pastel colours of the rainbow that impressed Sam. Dean on the other hand was so engrossed in finding the right house he didn't seem to notice anything else.
"Here we are," he finally stated, bringing the Impala to a stop. "184 Acacia."
Sam looked up at the big lemon coloured house in front of them. It sat well back off the wide street in gardens that were filled with the last of the summer flowers. It looked to Sam like the whole street belonged on the cover of a jigsaw puzzle box.
"Nice." He said appreciatively.
Dean smirked as he climbed out of the car and began to walk up the path to the house. "Okay Ty Pennington, let's go."
"You watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition? Dean, I had no idea." Sam laughed.
Dean shoved his way past his grinning brother. "Shut up, Sam."
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The boys were just beginning to think no one was home, when they heard the latch go up and the yellow door swung open. In front of them stood a woman who reminded both Winchesters of Missouri Moseley, only this lady was much bigger and much, much older.
Sam recovered his voice first.
"Hey." he said with a smile. "We're looking for Theresa Leone."
The woman stared at Sam for a heartbeat before her face took on a frown.
"Can't help you." she said and began closing the door.
"Oh, maybe we have the wrong address?" Sam said, taking a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. "Do you know of anyone around by that name?"
"I said I can't help you, boy!" she stated firmly as she slammed the door in Sam's face.
"Sweet lady." Dean said as he began to walk away.
Sam tore his gaze away from the closed door and began to follow Dean to the car. "Hey! Where are you going?"
"No idea. Come on, we're leaving."
"What? No Dean, wait." Sam cried trotting along beside his brother. "We can't just leave.
"What do you want to do, Sam? There's no one here by that name." Dean replied without slowing down.
Sam grabbed his brother by the jacket sleeve making him stop. "We have the wrong address that's all. We just have to find the right one."
"Sam, she never heard of Theresa Leone." Dean stated, leaning against the Impala. "How are you going…"
"Excuse me! Please wait!"
The boys looked up to see an attractive woman coming down the path toward them. Dean raised his eyebrows at Sam and stepped away from the car.
"Hi. Are either of you Dean Winchester?" she asked.
Dean put on his best smile and stepped forward. "That would be me."
The girl beamed at him, obviously relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. I'm Theresa Leone." She said offering a hand.
Sam and Dean swapped puzzled looks for a second before Sam stuttered. "But the old lady in the house - well she kind of gave the impression you didn't live here."
The woman blushed and smiled apologetically.
"I'm sorry," she said. "That was my grandmother. She gets confused sometimes. I was in the garden. Would you guys like to come back up to the house? I have a pot of coffee brewing."
Sam glanced at Dean before nodding in acceptance. "Thanks. Coffee would be good."
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The boys were lead into a big, airy family room. As each took a seat, Theresa disappeared into the kitchen a returned with a tray laden with a coffee pot and mugs.
"So, Theresa." Dean began. "What its it that you think we can do for you?"
"Call me Tess for one thing." She said smiling."
"You said on the phone that some thing was attacking your family?" Sam pushed.
Tess sat down in a chair and picked up a mug.
"Not my family as such. It's my fiancé, Graham Hilard who seems to be getting the attention from this thing." She frowned, handing Sam a photograph. "This was taken at our friend's wedding. Graham was best man."
The picture showed Tess standing with a good-looking twentysomething. Both were smiling warmly into the lens, apparently without a care in the world.
"So, this thing?" Sam pushed.
"Everything started about a month ago, little things at first. Things like items going missing and turning up in strange places, lights being switched on when no one was home and doors open when they were definitely locked."
"How's Graham's memory? Maybe he was just forgetful?" Dean asked.
"The boy's just plain stupid if you ask me."
Sam and Dean turned to see the elderly woman they'd encountered earlier standing in the doorway.
"Momma, come in and say hello to Dean and Sam Winchester." Tess smiled and turned to the brothers. "Boys, this is my grandmother. Everyone around here knows her as Momma. Momma, the boys are going to try and help us get to the bottom of Graham's accidents."
"Nothing to get to the bottom of, girl. I told you, he's stupid. And these boys are as dumb as he is if they think any different."
"Momma, please! Don't be so rude!" Tess hissed.
"I ain't being rude, Theresa. I'm just saying it like it is."
As Theresa blushed deeply, she saw something move out of the corner of her eye.
"Look, Momma. Eddie just went into the kitchen." Tess said getting to her feet and guiding the old lady out of the room. "He's bound to be hungry again. Why don't you go get him something to eat?"
To Dean's amazement the old woman wandered off into the kitchen without an argument and was soon gone from sight.
"I'm sorry about that." Tess apologised. "It seems that being 78 years old gives you the right to say whatever you want and to hell with the consequences."
"I hear it's one of the perks of getting old." Sam said, laughing the apology off. "Really, it's okay."
"Look, Theresa – Tess," Dean leaned forward in his chair. "I get the lights turning themselves on and off. Maybe you have a wiring fault? But from what you've described maybe your fiancé has just had a really bad run of luck? You really believe there are such things as poltergeists?"
Theresa Leone stiffened visibly, her eyes losing their warmth as she stared Dean down. After a moment she took a breath.
"Let me just make you boys clear on something. My roots are firmly in Orleans. Roots that include black magic, voodoo, demons, ghosts, witches and all. I KNOW there are bad, bad things out there, I know to be frightened of things under my bed. I also know John Winchester's reputation as a hunter goes before him. So when I rang and his voicemail said if I needed help, then to ring you, I knew I wasn't going to be dealing with Dan Ackroyd and Bill Murray. Your father's faith in you was good enough for me."
Dean and Sam looked at each other for a long moment, their surprised expression making Tess grin.
Eventually, Dean pulled his eyes away from his brother and sat back in his chair.
"Okay, Tess Leone. Tell us everything."
TBC
