Queenie: I'm sorry this isn't better edited. It's been a long last few days, and you wouldn't believe the drama my family can kick up. It's hindered some of my updates on my other stories like this one. However, I'm going to try and ignore all that to focus on my writing. I'm actually working a lot on this prequel idea that came to me when lostfeather1 mentioned if I'd ever just do a Harry Potter story. Well, I've decided I'm going to do just a HP story and a PJO story. They'll be like the prequels into my crossovers. So I'm working on my PJO "prequel", and while trying to fit all these characters, I've realized certain things weren't going to work, so I've gotten rid of a few characters. Like, I'm getting rid of Nerina and Elaina. I couldn't get their stories started anyway, and I think having three OCs of the Big Three in my PJO story will be too many "big time" characters. However in exchange of getting rid of them, I plan to add new characters with their own stories. I've also realized I have like no male leads, so two of my new characters will be male. I've never written from a male prospective so it's going to be interesting, and I hope you can bare with me.
I have planned for introducing Memphis, a son of Dionysus and Lysander, a son of Athena. All I have right now are their names, but I'm going to work on them hard, so I can get to the prequel as soon as possible. I'm not even sure which fandoms I'm going to put them in. So if you have any suggestions, tell me. Because I have no clue whatsoever what I'm going to do, and I'd appreciate the help.
And even if I want more male leads, my last addition will be a daughter of Hephaestus, and her name is Desdemona. I am going to place her in the Mortal Instruments series. I've only seen the movie and a few of the TV episodes, but I want to write from the book series, which I've wanted to start anyway. She will be paired with Jace Wayland since I fell in love with him ever since Jamie Campbell Bower portraying him in the movie. So when I write the story much of the actors/actresses from the movie will be "reprising" their roles in my story, if that makes sense. Anyway, be looking out for that. After I get all my crossovers in order, I'll be able to properly get started on my prequel. Then after all that I might be able to really sit down and work on my Harry Potter stories. We shall see.
Now, I've rambled long enough. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
NO POV:
Bobby was reading up on some lore in his study when he heard the roar of a familiar impala pull up outside his house. He looked up from his book while standing from his desk. He moved to the window to push back the curtain to see Dean and Sam getting out of the impala.
"Balls." He cursed.
Rhea and Circe both were home after getting back from dealing with a small nest of vampires. Out of all the times to pay a surprise visit, this was the worst time. He went to go to the stairs to call up to Rhea to warn her, but he paused. He looked back towards his front door as he heard the porch board squeak as someone walked on them. This could be the chance to finally confess the truth to the boys. Bobby knew it was killing Rhea not seeing the boys, but she couldn't get herself to face them alone.
"Hey, Bobby!" Dean called through the door as he knocked.
Bobby stood still for a moment longer before shaking his head as he made his decision. He walked over to the door while opening the door up to the Winchester boys.
"Well, it's been a while." Bobby commented. "Good to see you, Sam."
"Hey, Bobby." Sam said grinning.
Bobby stepped back to let the boys into the house while glancing towards the upstairs again. He'd have to try and explain to the boys about what happened seven years ago before Rhea or even Circe came down the stairs.
"What brings you two here?" Bobby asked.
"We just finished up a case nearby and thought we'd stop in to see how you're doing." Sam said.
Dean nodded his head in agreement while already heading towards the kitchen to probably grab one of Bobby's beers. Bobby and Sam moved with him into the kitchen with Sam taking a seat at the kitchen table.
"I'm doing the same as I always do." Bobby said as he took a seat as well.
Dean got into the fridge as Bobby and Sam were talking, and as he was pulling out a beer, he could have sworn he heard movement upstairs. He stood straight while looking up curiously, which didn't go unnoticed by Bobby who mentally frowned. He hoped the girls weren't up from those naps they went to take.
"You have guests over or something, Bobby?" Dean asked as he joined the other men at the table.
"Yeah, permanent house guests who've made themselves at home." Bobby said sighing. "Listen, boys, since you're here there are somethings you need to be told."
Dean and Sam looked at Bobby curiously when they heard how serious his tone of voice was.
"Somethings like what?" Dean asked.
"About what happened seven years ago with Rhea." Bobby said.
Sam shifted uncomfortably at the mention of seven years ago as Dean's face contorted into something a bit angry.
"I don't want to talk about it, Bobby." Dean said. "I don't even want to think about it."
Dean shook his head not even wanting to think about seven years ago when Dean and Sam came back for a visit only to hear from Bobby that Rhea was gone. That she had been killed during a job, and that her body had already been salted and burned. He lost her without even knowing until he and Sam had come back to hear about it.
"I know you boys don't like talking about it." Bobby said. "But the truth is…I lied to you seven years ago about what really happened."
Dean looked at Bobby sharply as Sam's eyes showed confusion. There was more movement upstairs that told Bobby he didn't have much more time.
"You lied to us?" Dean asked frowning. "About what, Bobby? Bobby, what really happened?"
Bobby let out a sigh knowing it was now or never. He had to tell these boys what really happened.
"The truth is…after your dad and I gotten into that fight over Rhea, I sent her away to keep her safe." Bobby said. "I only told you two and John she died, so no one would go looking for her."
It was silent for a moment as Bobby's words slowly started to sink into their heads.
"She…she's alive?" Sam asked with his eyes already watering.
Bobby nodded his head slowly though kept his eyes on Dean who was very still and staring down at the table. Sam smiled not believing the good news as he looked at Dean who he thought would be elated. However, Sam's smile dropped as Dean looked up with an angry look on his face.
"Where the hell is she?" Dean asked then jumped to his feet when Bobby didn't answer quickly enough. "Where the hell is she, Bobby?!"
"Upstairs in her old bedroom." Bobby said. "But, Dean—!"
Dean went to rush past him not wanting to hear another word, and before Bobby could stop him, Dean was already going up the stairs.
"Balls." Bobby cursed again.
Dean made it to the top of the stairs while going to Rhea's old bedroom. He noticed as he got closer that the door was opened a jar. Rhea never left her room door open while she was inside it. He never understood why, but that's how she always did things. He hurried to the door pushing it the rest of the way open to see it was completely empty. He then noticed the window was open as the wind ruffled the curtains. He heard the sound of an engine come to life next, which made him realize Rhea bolted.
"Shit." Dean murmured as he hurried back towards the steps.
He practically took the steps two at a time, and when he made it to the bottom, Sam was already jerking the door open. Both brothers stepped out onto the porch to watch as Rhea's car was racing out of the scrapyard. Sam tilted his head while certain he saw someone else inside the car with Rhea as the car was getting farther away.
"Rhea!" Dean shouted.
RHEA'S POV:
"Don't you think this is all just a little bit extreme?" Circe asked me as I drove us straight out of town. "I mean, why didn't you just go down and talk to them once you realized they were there?"
I didn't answer at first as I kept my eyes on the road. I didn't really know myself what the answer was. I had just gotten up from my nap, and was about to head downstairs when I heard Bobby talking to the boys. I just felt panic shoot through me, and the next thing I know, I'm getting Circe out of bed throwing some stuff in a bag before bolting out the window to get to the car.
"I don't know." I said. "My flight instincts kicked in, I guess."
Circe hummed not really commenting, which had me glancing at her. She was giving me this look as if she was picking me to pieces like one of her new toys, so to understand it better. It had me uncomfortable, so I looked away.
"You know, when your flight or fight mode kicks in, you usually go with the latter." Circe said. "Unless going with the fight instincts would get not just yourself but others as well killed. What happened back at the house wouldn't have gotten people killed, so it just surprises me how you immediately went with the flight instinct. I mean, I know you're not a coward, Rhea."
I frowned as my gripe on the steering wheel tightened to the point it was groaning in protest at the grip.
"I feel like one." I said. "I can't get myself to face them. To face those boys who I've loved so much ever since they were brought into mine and my dad's lives. I just don't know what to do once I do find them. I have no idea whatsoever, and it scares me more than anything else ever has.
Circe's look became one of sympathy as I continued to look forward as my eyes started to sting a bit with tears.
"…I take it we're going to be avoiding Bobby's place for a while." Circe said. "So where are we going? To the safe house?"
"To the safe house." I said nodding.
The safe house was the little home away from home. When Circe and I were doing our experiments to see if we can improve hunting with our half-blood skills, we go there. It's more for Bobby's safety since we don't want him getting hurt if something backfires. Not only that, but before we left camp, the safe house was a place we hand where we could go during quests if things started to get out of hand. It was like a resting spot that we knew would keep us safe from monsters. We haven't been there for some time now, but it was time to return until I could get my head on straight enough to face the boys….so we might be there for a while.
Nearly a week and a half passed since Circe and I made a run for the safe house. It was just this little shack looking house in the middle of some woods in Illinois. The shack itself wasn't a big deal, but underneath it was a bunker. A bunker that spread out underground to have about four football fields put together into one large rectangle of space. It even had separate rooms—some of which were old bedrooms. Circe and I didn't make it ourselves. We had just stumbled across the place during a small little quest we had taken to return something of Apollo's. He loses his stuff a lot to the point it isn't even funny.
We had needed a place to stay that could shelter us from the storm that had been raging that night. We found this place, and when we first stepped inside, we both had thought it had been a normal shack. However, Circe had literally stumbled onto the trap door that had given way due to the rotting wood, so she dropped down into the bunker. After seeing all the potential the place had to offer, we cleaned it up and made it more livable since it had been obvious no one had been living here for ages.
Usually it's just Circe and I who come here, but sometimes other campers have been known to. I know Luke used it a few times when he was out, and so did Corissa and a few others. Though after most of us who left camp don't come here as often since there was really no need to. It wasn't like we needed a place to rest after a quest since we don't go on them anymore. But right now it was keeping me safe from my troubles, so it can still be of use.
"Rhea!" I heard Circe whine from her spot on the couch.
I sighed while looking up from the book I had been reading to look at the daughter of Athena.
"Yes, Circe?" I asked patiently.
"I wanna go out and take a job!" Circe said as she sat up from her laying position. "We've been cooped up in here for too long! I'm going to go stir crazy."
I let out a breath knowing she was right. We have been cooped up in here for too long. I was even starting to feel my own skin crawl from the confinement.
"Fine." I said. "If you can find us a job, we'll leave immediately to go do it."
Circe's face lit up as she jumped off the couch to hurry towards me with a newspaper already in hand. When did she have time to get that if she's been in here with me? I then frowned realizing she must have went topside while I was asleep. Clever girl, isn't she?
"Here." She said laying the paper in front of me while pointing to an article. "I think you'll find this to be right up our alley. It happened in Rockford Illinois, which isn't that far from us. Apparently, after these cops got some kids out of Roosevelt Asylum, one of them went home to kill his wife then himself. I already did some research on the place."
She gestured to her laptop that was now resting closed on the table in front of the couch.
"The asylum is apparently haunted by the ghosts of the patients." Circe said. "There's a lot of people who say that once you go into the asylum the spirits drive you mad. It seems the South Wing is where the big stuff happens too."
"Big stuff?" I asked with a quirked brow.
Circe laid out some copies in front of me. Someone was definitely busy while I was sleeping. She must really want out of here.
"Like, there's old reports where kids have gone in on pranks, and once entering the South Wing one the kids suddenly goes ballistic and starts trying to kill their friends." Circe explained.
"That definitely sounds like big stuff." I said as I looked at these reports. "Alright, pack up. We're going to Rockford."
Circe fist pumped at that before rushing to go get her things ready. I shook my head in amusement at her before getting up, so to get ready myself. If we were dealing with an asylum of ghosts, we'd need to be ready, which meant bringing out some of the arsenal.
Circe and I stood in front of the Roosevelt Asylum the next morning, which seemed like the better time to go in to search for clues. Ghosts tended to be more active at night, which is the perfect time to hunt them. But we're not going to hunt them just yet until we understand more on what's going on here. It might not even be ghosts. It could actually be something else, but the local legends just twisted them or it into ghosts. We'd find out once inside.
"Let's go." I said.
Circe nodded her head, so the two of us made sure our bags were securely on our backs before stepping back. We both took running starts before jumping high as possible to grab onto the top of the fence. I hauled myself up to sit on top before offering Circe a hand, which she took. I pulled her up and helped her over to the other side.
She landed on her feet then held her hands out for my bag. I unstrapped it from around me to drop it down form her. She caught it then got out of the way as I put my other leg over the side, so I could drop to the ground. I landed in a crouch before I went with Circe up the steps then into the asylum. We got inside without even having to pick a single lock. Some security.
"Nice place." Circe said. "I love all the artwork."
She gestured to the graffiti that covered nearly every single surface in the room. I snorted shaking my head as I looked around. I saw an opened door, and above it there was a sign that said South Wing.
"You said the South Wing is where the party happens, right?" I said gesturing to the South Wing.
"That's right." Circe said as she got some stuff out of our bags.
She tossed me the EMF, which I caught without a problem. I then picked up by bag as she did the same with hers. We didn't plan to take them with us, so we moved them off to the side behind a counter that looked as if it could fall over at any second. We'd come back for them when it was time to use them.
"Let's get this party started." Circe said with a gleeful grin on her face. "Time to hunt some mentally disturbed ghosts!"
She went into the South Wing with a skip in her step, which had me shaking my head. She was way too happy with this. As we walked, I noticed that I didn't sense anything off about the place with my gifts. The EMF wasn't going off in the slightest either. It seemed completely normal as far as abandoned asylums go. I frowned guessing we might not find any clues if things are this quiet. We went farther in when I heard Circe humming. I turned to look at her with a quirked brow as she kept humming while bobbing her head a bit to the tune that I recognized.
"Are you really humming Ghostbusters right now?" I asked her.
She just grinned at me in reply, which was all the answer I needed. For a child of Athena she has the personality of a child of Hermes. Sometimes I wonder if Athena and Hermes might have accidentally switched some of their kids up at birth. Like Circe was actually his daughter while one of his daughters actually belonged to Athena. Though I usually pushed those thoughts away since Circe definitely was a child of Athena. She just tends not to act like one. She's like the rebel out of all her siblings.
"If there's killer ghosts in an abandoned asylum. Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!" Circe sang under her breath.
"Stop it." I said frowning.
She chuckled seeming amused by my annoyance, but we both stood alert and reaching for our hidden weapons when we heard movement up ahead. We exchanged a glance as I shut off the EMF to make sure it didn't go off suddenly to alert whoever was here that we were here too. I hooked it to my back pocket then started forward with Circe having my back. I glanced back at her as she was loading the swayed off shotgun with salt rounds.
We made it to the end of the hall to stop at the edge of a doorway that led into the room where the sound came from. There was more movement with whatever was inside moving towards the door. I held perfectly still as two tall shapes came out of the room. A second later Circe and I sprang into action. I grabbed the tallest one to pin to the wall with a blade pressed to his throat as Circe knocked down the other to aim the shotgun right at his head. My eyes widened when seeing it was Sam who I had pinned, which means the person Circe knocked down was—!
"What the hell?!" His familiar voice snapped behind me.
I didn't turn to look at him as I kept my eyes on Sam who was shocked to see me as well. I stepped back while removing my blade from his neck. I sheathed it then gestured with my other hand for Circe to back off. I heard her move back while putting the gun back in the holster she made for it.
"Rhea." Sam said with a smile pulling across his face. "It's really you!"
"Rhea?" I heard Dean murmur from the floor.
I heard him quickly get off the floor, and a second later, he had me whirled around to face him. His green eyes stared into my own. He reached up with his hand to cup my cheek as if to make sure I'm real. I kept silent not knowing what to do, so I kept still as well as Dean continued to stare at me.
"You're really alive." He said looking so happy to see me.
However, it became angry a second later, which told me things weren't going to be pleasant.
"Where the hell have you been all this time?" Dean asked. "I mean, Bobby told us you were off at some camp for special people. People that aren't exactly human, and that you left because it'd be safer for you. And even if it was safer for you why the hell couldn't we know where you were?!"
I let out ask his questions and yell at me as Circe and Sam stood off to the side watching silently. I then took a deep breath knowing I had to answer at some point.
"Dean," I began patiently. "I know you're upset, but you need to understand—!"
"Understand what, Rhea?!" Dean interrupted. "For the last seven years, Sammy and I thought you were dead!"
I bit my lip knowing that, and I know it had to have hurt them to think I was dead. It just seemed like the best choice at the time.
"I know," I said. "I know that, Dean, but I had to leave just like my dad told you. And I had to let you and Sammy think I was dead, so you wouldn't come looking for me."
"Why?" Dean asked. "Explain to me why you didn't want us coming after you?"
"Because I wanted to keep you safe." I said. "I wanted to keep both of you safe, and you were safer far away from me."
That and if they knew where I was, John would figure out I wasn't really dead. Track me to Half-Blood Hill, and find some way using his Winchester stubbornness to get into the camp to put down us "monsters" while we slept. Dean just stared at me after I said that with silence falling on us.
"But what changed?" Sam asked breaking it. "Why is it suddenly okay for you to be away from that place now? If you're safer there, why be out here?"
I looked towards Sam to see he just wanted to understand, and that he seemed concerned for my safety.
"I can take care of myself now, and I no longer have anything tying me down to that place permanently." I said honestly. "I thought about leaving before, but it wasn't the right time. We've only been away about half a year now."
I gestured towards Circe as I was saying this, and the Winchesters finally took note of her presence again. Circe waved to the both of them silently as she leaned against the wall before crossing her arms again.
"And why didn't you come looking for us then?" Dean asked with his tone a bit more controlled.
"Because I was afraid." I said softly. "Of how you might react to me being alive, and knowing I lied to you for seven years, which I know I can never make up for. So I stayed focus on the job. I did what needed to be done. I hunted things. I helped save lives. I did what I do best while trying to push everything else behind me."
"So you just pushed us to the side, huh?" Dean asked looking upset more than earlier.
"I didn't want to." I insisted. "I just thought it'd be best if you two didn't have to deal with me, or have to learn the truth I have been having to hide from almost everyone I know since I was six!"
My powers had started manifesting then, and I couldn't control them. I would move things or break things without meaning too. Sometimes I hurt Bobby, and even when he told me things would be okay, I felt like something was ripping me apart inside. It was like something was trying to bust out, which caused the messes I caused with my magic.
When I got older, Bobby had no choice, but to send me to camp during the summers, so Chiron could help me with my gifts. He told me that ripping sensation I felt deep within was the power within me trying settle inside me. He said it sometimes happens with children of Hecate, and the more magical potential child had the more pain the individual felt until the power settled.
Even with the lessons, the school years were hades since my powers would act up from time to time. It made it nearly impossible to hide who I was to the children around me. Some of the people around seemed to suspect I wasn't normal. I got called freak often. It had gotten especially bad when I accidentally blew up a water fountain in the eighth grade. Things had gotten better when Dean and I got together. Being with him had soothed the powers inside me, and during my summers at camp Chiron finally helped me get them under control.
"You mean, your witchy powers?" Dean asked. "I knew about that since we were kids, Rhea!"
I looked at him with wide eyes as I took a step back. He knew? How did he know? I was always careful around the boys. I made sure to keep my powers in check no matter how much pain I felt when trying to suppress them.
"I noticed you were different since the moment we met." Dean said. "And I used to see you do things when you thought Sam and I weren't looking. The little accidents that happened around Bobby's house when things would suddenly tip over or break…I knew you were the one doing it. I just never said anything because I could see how bothered you were every time something happened."
I couldn't believe it. He's known for that long, and he never said a word? He never once thought that I was a monster? I then shook my head to clear my thoughts.
"If you knew what I can really do, you'd know it's best to stay away from me." I whispered to him. "Circe."
Circe pushed herself off the wall while probably already knowing what I was thinking.
"Ghostbusters pulling out, chief?" She asked.
"Yeah." I said. "We'll leave this to the Winchesters. They can handle it. Let's go find something else to hunt."
I pushed past Sam and Dean heading for the exit with Circe coming to my side to walk with me.
"Righto," Circe said. "I also found a few news clippings a mysterious animal that's killing hikers in the Appalachian Mountains. Maybe it's big foot."
I didn't comment while hoping they just let me walk away, and this would be the end.
"Rhea!" Sam called out.
I paused turning to look at Sam as he was looking at me sadly. I felt my heart break when seeing his look.
"Don't disappear for another seven years, alright?" He asked smiling slightly though it didn't reach his eyes.
I just smiled not commenting before looking towards Dean who was looking at me with mixed emotions. I looked away a second later knowing the most distance between them and I was better even if it felt like someone stabbed me through the heart with a spike. I'd keep my distance, and hopefully all this would blow over. And we could go on with our lives.
Queenie: I know Rhea and Circe haven't really done any real hunting lately, but I promise next chapter and the chapters after that they'll actually finish some hunts. Well, I hope you liked the chapter. Until next time, dearies.
