Chapter 3 - Departure

Sam

Whoever said absence makes the heart grow fonder obviously never got to meet Courtney.

Dean and I had only come on this hunt because it had been written on a page in Dad's journal; the pattern. Every five years this place gets lit up with demonic activity. Always on the same night, and all the deaths are made to look accidental. I couldn't exactly refuse to come with Dean at point blank without him exploding and demanding why.

Courtney was the reason why.

So I'd been dragged along, hoping and praying that she'd decided to move away after school, but, of course, we had to run into her, and then Dean had to start shooting at her, thinking she's the demon. And now she hates me.

Apparently, she's hated me ever since I left.

Dean drove the Impala, staring out the window, looking for a motel for us to crash at. We'd been driving for about 6 hours straight, and Dean looked dead on his feet. Courtney had fallen asleep along with Aliese in the back about four hours ago, and every time I looked in the mirror to check that I wasn't dreaming, and that Courtney actually was there, Dean punched my arm.

"Dude," he finally whispered, realizing that the punches weren't getting through to me. "what the hell is with you? Ever since we met up with this chick, you haven't said a word. And I swear man, this girl looks like she could beat the crap outta you without even trying. Where'd you meet her, and why didn't you tell me?"

"Dean," I groaned softly. "Just drop it, okay? Look, we used to have this… thing. It was a long time ago.""And you moved on," Dean said slowly, nodding as he watched the road.

"No!" I responded quickly, but when Dean gave me The Look, I muttered. "Look, I mean, you know how it's like, Dean. We never could have… I'm a… It never would have worked, man."

Dean quirked an eyebrow at that, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "And what about Jess?"

I started to respond before a voice broke through, "Whose Jess?" Courtney asked, and I turned in my seat to see her sitting up and rubbing her eyes sleepily. As she stared at me, I could feel the all too familiar feeling of being pulled into obliviousness, even as she stared at me with impossible awareness. I blinked and turned back, staring out the side window. I remained silent.

Courtney sat foreword in her seat, making sure she could see my face. "Hey, whose Jess? It's a simple question, Sam. Is she your friend?"

I dimly wondered if she was bi-polar, or if the sleep had just gotten to her head. Maybe she thought she was dreaming and actually being civil to me was okay, because it didn't really matter. But when I looked back to stare at her, I was brought up short. There was something in her eyes that I hadn't noticed before, something calm and… sad. Acceptance, maybe? Although it made no sense. I hesitated, not wanting to lie to her, but fearing that she might not like the truth. The fact that maybe I had moved on after her, and just forgotten about her. "She was my… girlfriend."

Just before I turned away, I saw that flicker in her eyes wipe away completely. "Oh," was her only response. The way it came out was a mix between pain, shock and sadness.

The car was silent then, except for Dean who was singing softly to his AC/DC cassette even as Aliese slept. Courtney didn't even glare at him for the fact that he might disturb her sister, as I knew she'd have done otherwise.

Silence. Silence. Silence. Dean singing. That alone was enough for me to want to stab a pencil through my ears. I was surprised when Courtney spoke again, surprised and happy, to tell the truth.

"So… like, where is she now? 'Cause I don't imagine her to be waiting at home for you to call every night." She spoke softly, and I had to admire her courage. If I'd come back only to find that she'd run off, married some guy and had a kid already, I wouldn't be so cool about it, but also, I thought with a heart stabbing pain, it would have been my fault for leaving in the first place. And I would have deserved it.

I internally sighed and held back the tears. "She died."

"I'm sorry," came her soft reply, and I could feel her gaze, but I didn't turn around. It was probably selfish of me, ignoring her when it wasn't her fault and she didn't deserve it.

Dean just sat in the front seat, pretending not to listen. He tapped the steering wheel in rhythm to the music, but every so often he would glance at us out of the corner of his eye. I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. A little while after that, Dean grimaced and pulled into a dingy looking motel. I looked at it wearily. Normally, I wouldn't have minded, just thankful for a place to sleep, but with Courtney and Aliese here now… Even if Courtney still hated me, Dad taught me right, and that meant that I was still concerned for their well being.

Dean turned the car off and opened the door. He hesitated before closing it. "Can you manage to carry sleeping beauty there, geek boy?" he asked, gesturing to the still sleeping Aliese. Courtney just stared at her hands folded in her lap. When I got out and went to open her door, she jumped and stared at me with blank eyes. Hollow and empty. My heart thundered in my chest before she shook her head and wiped her face of emotion. She got out and went to follow Dean into the main office, while I unbuckled Aliese's seat belt and picked her up gently. Where as Courtney was tall, about 5 foot 10, Aliese was only maybe 5 foot 5, so it was easy to carry her.

When I got to the main building, a middle aged couple held open the door for me, but they looked at me strangely. I could just imagine what they were thinking. Aliese was only, what, 16? I probably looked like some guy who'd just drugged this young girl. When Dean saw me walk in, he apparently got the same idea and started laughing. Courtney was talking to the girl at the counter, and when she turned back to Dean, I had to struggle to hear her words.

"She says she only has rooms with 2 beds."

Dean gave her a weird look. "Then we get two rooms," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet.

"But…" Courtney looked down at her feet, her blonde hair falling in front of her face, she slung her bag higher on her shoulder, and I suddenly remembered one of the things about her that made me fall in love with her. "But Aliese and I have no money, not till we can go to the bank, and… we couldn't accept that. It's your money. You need it more than we do."

Dean was still giving her that weird look, but I had to turn away with a smile on my face.

"Look, Dean, even if I can only just let Aliese get to bed, that'll be fine, I'll… I dunno, sleep in the car or something."

Dean was silent for a few seconds before he broke out laughing. "She's good, Sammy," he said, glancing at me. Shaking his head, he turned back to the counter and told the girl to just give him a room. Turning back to Courtney he said, "My Daddy taught me right, and it's fine. Besides, I'll just bunk with princess over there," he jerked his head at me, winking.

Courtney gave a resigned sigh and walked out the door, with Dean close behind. "Besides," I heard him mutter. "Letting you sleep in my Impala? No way. She might get jealous."

I shook my head in disbelief and followed them till we'd found the room, which was thankfully on the first floor. It wasn't the cleanest place Dean and I had stayed at, but it certainly wasn't the dirtiest. And for that I was grateful. The room was separated into two parts, along the back wall were the bed and then closest to the door was a kitchen and bathroom, divided by a heavy curtain. I walked to the bed farthest from the door. I gently laid Aliese on the bed, and let Courtney tuck the blankets around her before Dean turned on us with blazing eyes when we were seated at the kitchen table, Courtney refusing to look at me. I'd noticed the anger again, though. Simmering just beneath whenever her eyes passed over me. And I couldn't ask her to forgive me. Not after what I'd done.

Dean just stared at us expectantly. "Well?" He prompted after we both refused to break the silence.

I glanced at Courtney but she stared stubbornly at the opposite wall. I sighed. "Dean, can we just do this in the morning? I think everyone needs to get some sleep, just to get their head straight." I looked at him pleadingly, even adding a bit of the puppy dog pout that I knew he couldn't resist.

Dean, being Dean Winchester, glared at me. He would be mad at me till morning, because he knew that I knew that he would give in.

"Fine," he snapped, snatching his car keys off the motel table and walking to the door. I stood up immediately, in case I needed to run after him.

"Where're you going?" I asked him hurriedly, glancing at Courtney. God, it was sorta bad enough that I had to be with her when she was mad at me, but being alone with her when she was pissed?

I was so dead.

"Bar," Dean grunted, slamming the door shut. I waited until the sounds of his engine had all but disappeared before I turned around.

Just as I feared, Courtney was out of her seat, standing not two feet behind me, glaring like a wild animal, her green eyes flashing with pain. I didn't even try to stop her when her fist came flying at my face. And let me just say, angry girls who know how to throw a punch are evil. It probably hurt more than any other time I'd been punched before. Even by Dean. Still, her shoulders shook with rage and I could see the angry tears building up in her eyes. I wanted to give her a hug, I wanted to hold her and tell her that I was sorry, I wanted to kiss her and just forget about it all…

But I couldn't. Not anymore. Not after what I'd already done.

"I'm sorry," was all I could say, and it would never be enough. The whole right side of my face was numb but throbbing, but I really could care less, because at that moment Courtney threw herself at me, finally letting go of her tears, and sobbing into my shirt. Tentatively, as if in a dream, I put my arms around her while she hugged my middle and cried. This would probably never happen again, and while that crushed me, I was just glad that I had this time. Even if it was only for a few moments.

One thing she kept muttering over and over again. The same sentence, and it took me a while to even figure out she was speaking the words were so garbled. "I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead, I thought you were dead." She repeated.

When she finally pulled away, she stared at the ground in shame. At least she wasn't that angry anymore, I thought with a sad sigh.

"You can have the other bed, if you want." Courtney whispered, fidgeting her feet. I wasn't used to seeing this side of Courtney, the ashamed, broken side of her. And I knew that I'd probably never get to see it again.

I shook my head. "No, you need it more than I do." I replied, moving out of the way so that she could walk through to the other room.

She smiled wistfully, and let out a small, musical giggle. "Can we just not fight tonight? Look, we can both use the bed. Its not like we're going to be doing anything other than sleeping." She blushed.

I blushed too. But what the hell, she was in a good mood and I was going to go with it. I just nodded and watched her walk into the other room and crawl into bed, fully clothed. She lay facing her sister, her face etched with worry. When I crawled into the other side of the bed, choosing to lay on top of the covers, I heard Courtney whisper, "Goodnight, Sam."

"Goodnight, Courtney." I replied softly, yearning to say more, but as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was half way to dream land. Courtney said one thing before the darkness closed over me.

"I never stopped loving you, Sam."

But I was already too far gone.

* * *

The next morning when I woke up, the other side of the bed was empty. I thought it had all been a dream, and that I'd woken up from a major concussion or something, but then I saw Aliese. She was still asleep. God, that girl could sleep through the Apocalypse!

I could hear the shower running, and I up got to go check if Dean had brought food home with him last night. It must have been like a day since I had last eaten. I found Dean sitting at the table staring at the screen of a laptop. Occasionally, he'd click on something, then go back to reading. I stared at the laptop for a second before going to sit down across from Dean.

"Whose computer is that?" I asked, staring at the blue laptop.

"Courtney's," he replied, glancing up at me.

I raised my eye brow. Where the hell did she get the laptop from?

"I swear, Sammy, that girl is more prepared for anything than we are. Have you seen some of the things she keeps in that bag of hers, man? It's like an occult shop just by itself!" Dean announced in awe, shutting off the computer and staring at me with wide eyes.

I tilted my head. "Since when were you in her bag?"

Dean glared sharply at me. "She was showing me, 'cause I asked if she'd be ready if we needed her to be."

"Needed her for what?" I exclaimed lightly, staring when Dean suddenly got fidgety and smiled cheekily.

"I… I was thinking maybe she could help us, man. You know, just for a bit."

My eyes widened. "Help us with what?" At Dean's silence, I realized. "With hunting…? Oh, god, Dean, what did you do?"

Before Dean could respond, there was a horrified scream that emanated from the bathroom. All of a sudden, Courtney, clad only in a skimpy motel towel, rushed out of the bathroom holding what looked to be a piece of fabric. On closer inspection, I realizes it was a skirt. A really, really short skirt.

"What the hell is this?" Courtney shrieked incredulously, staring at Dean. "I told you to get some clothes and you get this?!? This doesn't even count for anything!"

Dean gave his famous innocent, cheeky smile and said, "Well, I've seen girls wear less than that," before turning to stare at me, expecting me to back him up. I stared at him with wide eyes.

"Dude, she's a girl. Not a stripper."

Courtney stared at me, her eyes wide with anger. I tried not to stare at her. "Oh thanks, Sam. That… that means a lot, coming from you." She snapped sarcastically. Then she returned to glaring at Dean. He just shrugged and chuckled nervously. With that she gave a frustrated, muffled shriek. "Why do I get stuck with the idiot? Why?" I heard her mutter and she turned her back and walked back into the bathroom.

Dean punched my arm as he noticed my stare. Which happened to be in the general area lower than her back.

"Dude, stop it. You're making me sick, seeing my brother lusting after a girl." Dean said mock disgust, shaking his head, turning back to me. "God that girls scary. Hey, I was going to ask you something."

I glanced at him and grunted to show that I'd heard him.

"Dude, you think she'd let me date Aliese if I asked?" He asked, staring at the closed bathroom door.

I stared at my brother in disgust. "Dude, she's like 10 years younger than you are. No. And I think if you even thought about touching her sister, she'd rip your heart out… Or worse."

Dean flinched and shuttered at the image his mind provided. Which was a very disturbing and detailed one. Then his face turned pensive. "Aliese is only 16? Really? Well, that sucks." He then pretended to pout as he got up to pour himself coffee. For a second, I was confused. Since when did we get coffee at any other place than diners and gas stops?

Dean noticed my stare and he sighed and rolled his eyes, motioning at the closed door. "Miss Prissy here said that we needed an actual breakfast, and that I wasn't allowed to say no. So this morning, at four or five, she made me drive to the store to buy food and clothes. Man, I'm telling you, that girl scares the shit outta me."

Through the door, Courtney yelled, "What did you say, darling?"

Dean's eyes widened and he stared at Sam. "Nothing, honey." He called back, glaring at me as I doubled over laughing. Dimly, it hurt that it was Dean and Courtney bickering, like she and I used to, but I knew I deserved it, so I shut up.

Aliese stumbled into the kitchen a few minutes later, and after Courtney came out of the bathroom, fully dressed in a pair of skinny jeans and a loose fitting blue top, and checked to make sure that Aliese's shoulder wasn't infected, they traded spots; Aliese in the bathroom and Courtney standing over the oven, preparing to make… whatever it was that she was making.

I knew this was it; no more avoiding the truth. And Dean wouldn't stop until he'd lived through the whole story. Stupid, stubborn Winchester gene. Courtney at least got an excuse not to have to talk face to face with Dean.

Me, no such luck.

Dean put on his serious face (I had to keep from laughing) and crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair. "So, who wants to start out little therapy session?"

Courtney just glared at him over her shoulder and Dean turned to me, his eyes expectant. I honestly didn't know where to begin.

"Okay, so we'll play twenty questions. Sam starts." Dean announced after receiving another death glare from Courtney.

I remained silent. No way in hell was I gonna have to explain this on my own.

"Awkward…" Dean muttered, rocking in his chair. "Okay… Or I guess I will. Okay… Sam, list all the people you've dated since meeting Courtney."

I stared at him incredulously. What the hell was this supposed to do? Whatever, if he wanted to know, I'd humor him. Courtney's shoulders tensed as soon as the question was asked.… "Just Jess." I said softly, staring at the wall.

Dean gave a smile and clapped his hands. "Now we're getting somewhere. What about you, Courtney? Any boyfriends?"

Her back was still towards me so I couldn't see the expression on her face, but her shoulders shook and when she answered her voice was shaky. "No. No, Aliese is enough of a pain in the ass as I can handle at the moment."

Dean turned back to me, a cheeky smile on his face. "I like this girl," he mock whispered. "So, Sammy boy, when-"

"Are you seriously going to play this game, Dean?" Courtney said abruptly, putting down the knife she'd just been using with a little more force than necessary. She spun around to face us and I was shocked to see the tears threatening to spill over in her eyes.

"Well, are you ready to talk about it then?" Dean asked seriously.

I could almost feel the fire when Courtney directed her gaze at me and began to speak, her words coming short and hard. I could tell that it took a lot of effort just to get them out.

"I was 16. It happened almost four years ago. Aliese and I moved into a new house with our adopted parents, Lacie and Jeff. I… I was having a hard time at school, and I kept on having nightmares. Every morning when I woke up, all the pictures of my friends would be lying on the floor and it looked like things had been thrown around my room while I was asleep, and my first thought was a poltergeist-"

Here Dean stopped Courtney with a "wait, what?!?" and even I looked at her strangely.

"Why did you think it was a poltergeist?" I asked wearily, trying to cope with the new info she was feeding out. "Why did you think it was anything to do with the supernatural?"

Here, Courtney's eyes widened and she clamped her mouth shut, looking as if she'd spoken too much. But at my pleading puppy dog look (it works most of the time) the words I guess just slipped out. "Because… Because when I was four, I saw my little brother murdered by the monster in my closet. He was Aliese's twin, and I was there and I couldn't stop it. And I thought it had come back to kill me and Aliese."

I didn't question the tears anymore, but the story was too familiar. Too familiar, because it was our story; Dean and mine. Dean realized this too, and I stared at him in horror.

"Courtney," I said frantically, standing up and walking towards her. "Has Aliese ever shown any signs of anything… unusual? Like… Moving things?" Courtney looked lost, and I tried again, desperately. "Or getting people to think things?"

This got a reaction. A reaction so big that I thought Courtney might punch me again. "How the hell do you know about that?" She hissed, subtly placing her hand on the knife she'd been using earlier.

But when she said that, everything changed.

This wasn't normal.

"Courtney, what can Aliese do?" I asked, placing my hand on her shoulder as Dean stood back and to my right for support.

"I can read minds."

Courtney stared at Aliese in panic. "Aliese, stop it. Come on, get your things and we're leaving." she tried to walk past me, but I grabbed her arm and spun her towards me. I had to duck to dodge her fist but she didn't struggle. "Let go,"

Trying to think of some way to help the situation, I decided to tell the truth. "Courtney, I can see things. I see visions. I'm just like Aliese. When I was six months old, our mom," I gestured to myself and Dean, "She died in a house fire. Dean was four years old and he managed to get us out. Courtney, this is very important, what exactly killed your brother?"

Aliese gasped at this, and I fought to stare at Courtney and Courtney only as her face flickered between unconcealed rage and terror.

"I saw a woman. And she strangled my brother while he was sleeping. I don't know what she was, but she…" Courtney's voice sounded strangled and weak. "She pinned my mom to the ceiling. And I could only get Aliese out before the house burned up. My mom and dad didn't make it."

Dean and I exchanged horrified glances. No… It couldn't have been yellow eyes… but then what was it? What other demon did that?

"And then I started seeing things."

My head snapped back in her direction, and I let her arm go out of shock. "What?" I asked stupidly, my brow furrowing.

Courtney's eyes were distant and far away, and she looked like she would drop at any moment. "I started seeing things… visions, after my brother died. And when Aliese could talk, she started to tell me what other people were thinking. She would answer questions that were never asked. Aloud, at least."

So… This made no sense. They had their psychic abilities since they were young? Dean didn't look convinced. But there was something else growing in me as I stared at Courtney's prone form. Not disbelief, but anger. "And you never thought to tell me this before?"

That one sentence was all Courtney needed to snap back into reality and her old self. "Oh, I'm sorry Mr Honest that I didn't tell you that I saw things, because I thought you might think I was a freak and take off, but, oh look." Her face hardened. "You didn't need an excuse, now did you?"

"Courtney," I growled, taking a step closer to her. "It was a hunt. My Dad and I taught you because you begged us to, and you knew that I would have to leave-"

"Begged?!?" She shouted, staring at me. "Excuse me, but I'm pretty sure it was you that started asking me to help on your little hunting trip." She spat, venom leaking from her words.

"If you didn't want to help us, why didn't you walk away?" I yelled back at her.

Courtney's eyes turned ice cold and her voice was so low and harsh that they tore at my soul. "If you knew you were leaving, why did you let me fall in love with you?"

The next few moments in my mind were blank, and I when I noticed the cold and the wind, I realized that I'd stormed out of the motel and was standing in the middle of the parking lot. Aliese's timid voice sounded from behind me.

"She doesn't mean it, you know. As much as it hurts you to hear, it hurts her even more to say."

I sighed and replied, "I'm not so sure that's true." Because I couldn't believe anything anymore painful than I was feeling right now. It felt like someone had take a sledgehammer to my heart and the cut up my soul.

Aliese smiled sadly and stood beside me. "I know my sister. She's just trying to cover up the pain with her mask and let everyone think she's fine. She wants me to be so naïve, sometimes."

"Sounds like Dean," I replied, staring out at the sky line and dullness of the morning. "They're so much alike sometimes that it scares me."

"But that's why you love her," Aliese said softly, laying a hand on my arm.

And for that one second, where I couldn't see anything more than her hand on my arm and her blonde hair waving in the breeze, I could have sworn that it was Jessica, but then I blinked and her eyes came into focus; hazel eyes, not blue. I sighed and was about to respond when I felt it. That feeling of being watched. I took a step foreword, looking around.

I turned around to tell Aliese to get the hell back to the room, but when I turned, she wasn't there.

Aliese screamed.