Thanks to K. C. 96, SailorJupiter001, , Serinity750, Miss Spirit Fingers3, IssaQveen, MaidensTouchOfMadness, ChiyukiLuvs2Glomp, FireFly2912, Sirenitymoonsong, aurora. starr. w20, Adaya Black, Alice F. Tality, BriaDelAngel, animexchick for following/faving my story.
MaidensTouchOfMadness: I'm really glad you love this so far.
Clary stood by the metal shelves eyeing the glass jars of pencils. She picked up a 2B pencil considering it before shaking her head and selecting a HB pencil. She walked over to the easel where she'd set up a baseboard and a blank A2 piece of paper. Clary put her headphones in her ears and turned on her music. She then stood in front of the blank paper, twirling the pencil in her fingers while she deliberated on what to draw. A smile appeared on her face when an idea popped into her head. She lifted up the pencil, lightly pressed it against the paper and started to draw.
From over her shoulder Alex watched, still invisible, with a soft smile on his face. He loved watching her draw as much he liked sketching himself. He knew that he should've moved on to the 'next life', whatever that is, by now but he couldn't leave her. Especially when some of other male students saw fit to flirt with her despite the fact she showed no interest. He took great pride in making the Brooklyn Academy of Art appear 'haunted' though the only people who'd noticed anything strange where the 'pretty boys' that hit on Clary and the occasional student who happened to be passing at the time.
About an hour later, a black impala pulled up outside the Academy and the Winchester brothers got out. They walked up the steps and into the building. The pair took out two EMF detectors from their pockets and began their search for any ghost activity.
Room after room. Corridor after corridor. Nothing.
"I don't know Dean. I think the students were just seeing things", Sam said as the EMF readers weren't giving them any indication of ghost activity. All they were pointing out were nearby powerlines.
"Maybe", Dean said "let's just finish this floor. If we don't find anything, we'll call it a day". Sam nodded in agreement. They continued on down the corridor. Much to their surprise the needle on the EMF meters started to move toward the red zone, the devices increasing in pitch.
Sam and Dean exchanged looks and carried on walking though this time a little more cautiously. The EMF's hit the highest point when they got to a door that was slightly ajar. The brothers turned off the devices and put them away before Sam pushed the door open to reveal a rather pretty looking ginger sketching away, earbuds in her ears.
"I don't think she's a ghost", he said quietly to Dean.
"Only one way to find out", Dean said taking a shotgun shell from his pocket and cracked it open, spilling the salt over his palm. He then went into the room, his brother following. "Excuse me, miss", Dean called out loudly but the ginger didn't react. The music must be too loud. He reached out with his salt covered hand and touched her arm making her jump.
The young woman took off her earbuds and looked at the pair. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you", Dean said noting how she didn't react the way a ghost would to salt. Which meant she definitely wasn't one.
"That's ok", the ginger said "Grace is always telling me not to listen to music too loud". She tucked the earbuds into her pocket "Can I help you?"
"I hope so", Dean answered giving her a flirtatious smile earning an eyeroll from his brother. They didn't have time to flirt right now even if the young woman was fairly attractive. "See, my brother and I are going to be new students here at the Academy…"
"Liar", the ginger cut in.
"Well, the truth is…" Dean tried again.
"You know who starts a sentence with 'the truth is'?" the young woman asked folding her arms "Liars". Sam couldn't help but smile at how quickly she saw through his brother and in the same way Joe White Tree did.
"Do you know someone called Joe White Tree?" he asked.
"No, I don't", the ginger answered "Why?"
"No reason", Sam said "But I am wondering Miss…."
"Barnes. Clary Barnes", the artist supplied.
"I was wondering Clary if you've seen anything weird around here lately? Lights flickering… cold spots…stuff moving on its own…?" Sam questioned.
"You two are ghost hunters", Clary stated "figures".
"What do you mean?" Dean asked.
"It's not exactly Amityville but this place is new on the 'haunting meter' and with the help of the internet, the Academy draws in people such as yourselves", Clary explained.
"Have there been many ghost hunters here?" Sam queried.
"Four", Clary answered "they didn't stay very long".
"Of course they wouldn't have. They're amateurs", Dean scoffed.
"What? You're professionals?" Clary asked raising her eyebrows.
"Sweetheart that's exactly what we are", Dean confirmed cockily.
"Well I wish you good luck", Clary said. She picked up her pencil.
"There's a potentially a ghost in the building and you're going to stay?" Dean questioned.
"Yeah I am", Clary answered "I ain't afraid of no ghost, potential or otherwise".
"Ok then", Dean said exchanging looks with his brother. Sam just shrugged. "You wouldn't mind if we did a sweep of the room then?" the older Winchester asked taking out his EMF. Alex took one look at the device. He was aware that it could detect him so he promptly vanished. The sooner those 'ghost hunters' realised there wasn't any ghost, the sooner they'd leave his Clary alone.
"Good ahead, Dr Venkman", Clary answered turning back to her sketch. Dean gave Sam an impressed look. He was starting to like this girl.
"So what are you drawing, if you don't mind me asking?" Sam questioned, curious.
"It a memorial piece for my friend, Alex. He died a little over a month ago", Clary replied. Sam's face was one of sympathy.
"Clary I'm so sorry", he said.
"Thank you", Clary said hearing the sincerity in his voice.
"Well, this room is clean", Dean declared "of ghosts at least".
"We'll leave you to it", Sam said gently touching her on the arm. Clary nodded. She watched to two of them leave room, reaching up to rub her shoulder right where her soul mark was.
"Dude, I call dibs", Dean declared as they walked away from the room and Sam shot him a look "what?"
"Isn't it a little childish to be calling dibs?" he asked.
"Nope", Dean answered "now what are the odds that Clary's friend Alex is the same Alex Lewis that died near this place?"
"Very high. She said he died a month ago just like the it said in the obit", Sam replied. Dean stopped walking and turned to his brother.
"If Alex Lewis is the person supposedly haunting this place, Clary might know whether he was buried or not", he said. Sam stopped him from walking back to the room the ginger was in.
"I don't think it's a good idea to ask her", he said "she just lost him weeks ago".
"I know", Dean said. For some reason he did feel a little bad about going to ask her considering he knew what it was like to love someone you care about. However, he pushed it aside. "But its either ask her or question Alex's relatives. And it's easier to talk to Clary than Alex's parents", Dean said and with that he headed back up the hall. Sam sighed and followed after him.
Clary looked up from the sink where she was now washing her hands clean of graphite when the door opened and saw the ghost hunters. "Back again so soon?" she said teasingly.
"We just had a couple more questions", Sam said.
"Shoot", Clary said turning the tap off and wringing her hands of excess water.
"We were wondering if you knew whether Alex was buried", Dean said.
"He was buried, I went to his funeral", Clary answered taking some paper towels from the dispenser and started drying her hands.
"And where exactly was he buried?" Dean asked.
"Why do you want to know?" Clary questioned.
"We believe that your friend Alex is the 'ghost' doing the weird stuff here", Sam said. Clary's hand's stilled as she stared at the brothers.
"That's impossible. Alex was the nicest, sweetest guy I know. He wouldn't do any of that stuff people have claimed to see. And Ben claimed he was attacked by some invisible force. Alex couldn't hurt anyone, ever", Clary said firmly.
"Maybe when he was alive. As a ghost, he isn't the same person you know", Dean told her.
"You don't know for sure if its him", Clary countered.
"Actually we do", Sam said "the so called hauntings started up about a month ago. That's the same time when your friend died".
"Coincidence", Clary insisted "it could be some other person who died around the same time".
Dean shook his head "It's not. Alex is the only person who died near here in the past month", he said.
"And ghosts usually haunt in the area where they died", Sam added "I know this is hard to take in, believe me…"
"Actually its not", Clary cut in "I'm pretty open minded about this kind of stuff…" given who's in my family, I kinda have to be "But I can't believe its Alex's ghost".
"Clary…" Dean started when the ginger interrupted with
"You don't understand! He's my friend. My best friend. Wouldn't he have at least shown me sign or an indication he was still around? But I haven't seen or heard anything!"
Sam stepped up and gently hugged her, not liking to see her upset. Even more so considering he and his brother were the reason. Clary rested her head against his chest, closing her eyes. She felt much calmer in arms for some weird reason.
Suddenly one of the glass jars exploded, startling not only Sam and Clary but Dean as well. More glass jars exploded followed by tubes and tins of paint. The trio dropped to the floor, Sam shielding Clary when sharp pencils began to fly. "I think your 'moment' just pissed off Alex", Dean stated and Sam shot his brother a 'you don't say' look.
"We need to get out of here", Clary said.
"Agreed", Sam conceded. He took Clary's hand and the three of them bolted out of the room. Sam, Dean and Clary raced down the hall, the former still clinging tightly onto the ginger woman's hand.
Clary cried out when she was ripped from Sam's grasp. "Clary!" the brothers shouted as she was dragged away by her feet, screaming. Sam and Dean chased after her.
~kitchen~
Clary surged to her feet the second she came to a stop in the Academy's kitchen. She ran for the door but found it locked. Then she heard faint hiss of gas. She spun around to find all the tops of the stoves were ignited. "Alex, don't do this", Clary pleaded as cloths were thrown onto the lit hobs.
"If I can't have you…no one will" she heard Alex faintly whisper.
Clary turned back to the door and started hammering on it. "Help!" she shouted "Help me!"
"Clary!" the ginger heard Sam shout.
"I can't open the door! He's locked it!" Clary called through the door "He's trying to kill me!"
On the other side, Sam and Dean rammed their shoulders into the door. "Guys hurry!" Clary pleaded, coughing. Smoke had started to fill the kitchen, wisps furling under the door, making the brothers work harder to free the artist.
Clary doubled over, coughing from all the smoke inhalation. She looked at the claddagh ring on her finger and a surge of anger flooded through her which was enough for her to straighten up, yanking the ring off her finger and tossing it away.
Another cough hacked through her body. Clary swayed on the spot, amount of smoke she was breathing in start get to her. Over by one of the stoves, her ring was heating up. It had landed in the flames. The ginger dropped to the floor, unconscious.
The next thing Clary knew she was lying on a gurney with an oxygen mask over her mouth. "Easy kiddo", Luke said when the ginger tried to move.
"Luke", Clary breathed looking up at her step-father "where are they?"
"Who?" Luke asked.
"The two people I was with", Clary answered "two…guys. I don't know their names".
"Sam and Dean Winchester", Luke told her "they're still here. Didn't want to leave until they knew you were ok".
"They still here?" Clary repeated. She reached up and pulled the oxygen mask off much to the protest of Luke and the paramedic. "I feel fine", Clary insisted waving them off. She got off the gurney, grabbing a blanket as she went as for some reason her clothes were soaking wet.
"Miss I insist you stay put!" the paramedic called after her as she stepped out of the ambulance.
"She's always been strong willed, just like her mother", Luke remarked.
"Sam! Dean!" Clary said loudly in the brother's direction, gaining their attention. She watched them turn and head over her way.
"Glad to see you up and about", Dean commented.
"Thanks", Clary said pulling the blanket around herself.
"How are feeling?" Sam asked.
"Soaking wet…sore throat but alive", Clary answered "though I am wondering how did I get out here? I was trapped in a burning kitchen".
"We got you out", Dean told her.
"How did you manage it? Alex was keeping me in there", Clary said.
"We don't know. One minute we were trying to break the door down, the next alarms and sprinklers were going off and the door opened on its own", Sam explained.
"Alex's ghost must've been destroyed somehow. I doubt he'd give up just like that", Dean pointed out. Clary touched the bare finger where her ring used to be. I wonder….
"Can ghosts be bound to an object?" she asked.
"Sometimes", Sam answered "why do you ask?"
"Alex gave me a ring for my birthday and while I was in the kitchen I threw it away", Clary said.
"And if it burned…it would stop Alex", Sam added "allowing us to get to you".
"Sounds reasonable to me", Dean said.
"So does that mean that he's at peace now?" Clary asked. Sam and Dean exchanged looks before the younger Winchester replied with as much sincerity as possible.
"Yes, he is"
Clary smiled, relieved to hear that "That's good", she said. The ginger then did something the brothers weren't expecting, she gave Dean a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you…" Clary kissed Sam on the cheek too "both of you, for saving my life".
"You're welcome Clary", Sam said.
"Yeah…what he said", Dean added.
"Well, I better go before my dad or the paramedic drags me back to the ambulance", Clary said "take care of yourselves". Sam and Dean watched her walk away.
"Think we'll see her again?" Sam asked, really hoping that would be the case.
"I hope so", Dean answered "I got dibs, remember?" Sam could only roll his eyes at his big brother.