A/N: Hey guys so I'm back! College is over so I'm here to bring you more with the free time to spend longer on each chapter so I hope you enjoy it and let me know what you think :)
DISCLAIMER: I ONLY OWN MY CHARACTER REBECCA 'BECCA' WINCHESTER!
We've had our food only about five minutes and Dean's plate is nearly empty already as his mind's set on finding us a new hunt. As much as I want to hunt I also want to enjoy this food which is hard to do when every time he flicks the newspaper over it hits my plate.
"Really Dean?" I ask, finally reaching the end of my tether. He simply looks at me in confusion, completely oblivious to what he's doing. "Move your paper away from my food before I shove it where the sun don't shine!" I warn and he smirks but moves it nevertheless.
"Someone's cranky this morning." He states ruffling my hair but I snap his hand away.
"I'm not cranky but it's before midday and you're already annoying me." I try to tell him but before Dean can respond we're interrupted.
"Can I get you anything else?" I look up to see the waitress stood next to us and Sam heading over.
"Just the check, please." He says as he takes a seat opposite Dean and I.
Once she's walked away Dean looks over to Sam and sighs.
"You know we're allowed to have fun once in awhile, right?" He looks back over to our waitress and points to the short shorts she's wearing. "That's fun."
"Ugh gross Dean." I mutter.
There are a few moments of silence until Dean hands Sam the newspaper he's been circling for the past ten minutes. "Here, take a look at this, I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water; nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago." He explains.
"A funeral?" Sam asks confused.
"Yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever."
Dean doesn't quite understand the fact that for some people death is one thing but not having a body to mourn over is another which causes people to do things that may seem kinda weird but is what helps them or at least tries to. The family can do whatever they wish to mourn Sophie's death.
"Closure? What closure? People don't just disappear, Dean. Other people just stop looking for them." I already know where this is going.
"Something you want to say to me?" Dean questions. Here we go…
"The trail for Dad. It's getting colder every day." ...and he said it.
"Exactly. So what are we supposed to do?" Dean questions.
"I don't know. Something. Anything." Sam responds and I sigh.
"Sam don't." I warn. As much as I also want to find Dad and completely agree with Sam, nothing's gonna happen if he pisses off Dean - it will just makes things harder for us.
"You know what?" Dean starts, completely ignoring me, "I'm sick of this attitude. You don't think we wanna find Dad as much as you do?" He asks.
"Yeah, I know you two do, it's just—"
"We're the ones that in turn have been with him every single day for the past two years, while you've been off at college going to pep rallies." Dean interjects.
"Dean stop! Both of you stop! We all want to find Dad and however long it takes, right now I don't care - I just want the three of us to get through one day without wanting to murder each other!" I intervene and both of them nod, even if slightly reluctant.
"We will find Dad, but until then, we're gonna kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?" Dean finishes.
We went to the Carlton house and apparently she definitely didn't drown, at least not normally, which we believe - if we didn't then we wouldn't even be here. They say it looked as though she was dragged under but of course there's nothing to suggest anything is out there to have done that and the water's been safe for so many years that she practically grew up out there.
We also decided to stop by the police station and there are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. They also ran a sonar sweep on top of dragging it just to be sure but there was nothing down there so we're still kinda lost.
Anyways, our interview got cut short by the sheriff's daughter who now, as per Dean's request, is showing us to a motel two blocks away because apparently the three of us are so totally retarded that we can't travel that far alone without getting lost.
It's silent as we're lead down the street by Andrea and I stay by Sam as we continue onwards in awkwardness though the silence doesn't last long as Dean opens his mouth.
"So, cute kid…" he starts as we begin crossing the street.
"Thanks." Andrea says offhandedly and I try to stifle a laugh. Well this just got a whole lot more awkward.
"Kids are the best, huh?" He tries again and I see Andrea give him a glance before quickly turning away and soon stopping in front of the motel.
"There it is. Like I said, two blocks"
"Thanks." Sam says sweetly and I give her a small smile. Then she turns to Dean and I honestly can't tell where this is going to go.
"Must be hard, with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line." She says simply and this time I can't help but laugh out loud. "Enjoy your stay!" She calls over her shoulder and once she's out of earshot I break down into a fit of laughter.
"Dude, you just got told!" I laugh and Dean crosses his arms over his chest.
"Shut up…" he mutters.
"'Kids are the best'? You don't even like kids." Sam points out.
"I love kids." Dean retorts and Sam gives him a look that tells him to proceed further.
"Name three children that you even know."
Dean thinks for a moment before turning and pointing to me.
"Nice try Sherlock but I don't count." I say and Sam waves a hand before heading into the motel, me quick in tow as Dean stands still, scratching his head puzzled.
"I'm thinking." He shouts after us and I can only laugh.
"I'm gonna take a shower." I say the moment we enter the motel room, quickly grabbing my bag and heading for the bathroom.
"Aren't you gonna help with research?" Sam asks as he takes a seat at the table.
"Maybe, but either way I need to shower first."
When you live on the road it's difficult to get any time to yourself, especially when you're only around guys. Dad understood I was a teenage girl and needed my space although obviously he was still cautious and protective but these two seem like they never want me to leave their site. I mean, come on I'm sixteen years old!
I lock the bathroom door and turn on the shower before undressing, being careful not to upset my arm which still hurts like a bitch thanks to Roy. It's healing well but I've already pulled my stitches twice and don't wish to do it a third time.
The heat of the water hits me, sending a warm sensation throughout my body that I can't explain but it relaxes and reminds me not everything in the world is messed up - there is still some good out there.
A knock on the bathroom door pulls me from my thoughts and I quickly shut off the shower and throw on some clothes before unlocking it.
"What?" I ask, seeing Dean stood there unimpressed.
"We gotta go, we have a lead." He tells me before shoving my jacket in my face and heading for the door.
Clambering into my shoes I quickly join them in the Impala and we set off.
"So?" I ask.
"One of the drowning victims, Christopher Barr. He was the husband of Andrea and the father of that little boy Lucas we met. Apparently Christopher took Lucas out swimming and he was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned."
"What, so you wanna go and interrogate a little kid who doesn't even speak?" I question. This is stupid, even for my brothers.
"It's the only lead we've got." Sam pipes in.
Great.
"Lucas hasn't said a word, not even to me. Not since his dad's accident." Andrea tells us.
"Yeah, we heard. Sorry." Dean says and I look over to Lucas. I've seen some pretty terrible things in my life but I haven't ever witnessed the death of a family member and don't ever wish too but in this business it's inevitable.
"What are the doctors saying?" Sam asks which brings my attention back to the conversation.
"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress."
"That can't be easy. For either of you." He responds.
"We moved in with my dad. He helps out alot. It's just...when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw…" Andrea pauses and it's now that I decide to speak up.
"Kids are strong. You'd be surprised what they can deal with." I tell her sympathetically.
"You know, he used to have such life. He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth. Now he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish—" Andrea is interrupted by Lucas walking over carrying a picture. "Hey sweetie." Ignoring Andrea, Lucas hands the picture to Dean.
"Thanks. Thanks, Lucas." Dean says.
Bored...bored...bored...bored. Did I mention I was bored? Sam's out and Dean's just been sat here grilling me with questions on whether my arm's okay and other random, pointless stuff.
"What about Dad?"
I freeze.
"What do you mean?" I ask. I don't even know why I'm asking him that because I know full well what it means: how am I coping with Dad being missing?
"You've barely said a word about how you feel towards Dad and his disappearance. I mean he left you mid hunt after all, you must be feeling something." Dean explains and I shrug. I'm feeling a lot of things but that doesn't mean I have to confide in him about them. "Becca, you don't have to bottle everything up. If you're upset or angry, hell anything, I don't care just talk to me or Sam - that's what we're here for." He tells me but I don't get a chance to respond, luckily, as Sam walks in breaking up our conversation.
"So, I think it's safe to say we can rule out Nessie." He says upon entering.
"What do you mean?" Dean asks but not before giving me a look that says we'll finish this conversation later.
"I just drove past the Carlton house. There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead." Sam tells us.
"He drowned?" I ask although it's pretty obvious he must have.
"Yep. In the sink."
I have to stifle a laugh at that. I know it's bad because the guy's dead but in a sink? Drowning...in a sink? Clearly I haven't seen everything the world has to offer.
"What the hell? So you're right, this isn't a creature. We're dealing with something else." Dean says.
"Yeah, but what?" Sam asks.
"I don't know. Water wraith, maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water...water that comes from the same source." Dean thinks aloud.
"The lake." Sam says.
"Which would explain why it's upping the body count. The lake is draining. It'll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it's running out of time." I realise.
"And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone, almost anywhere." Dean adds. "This is gonna happen again soon."
"And we do know one other thing for sure. We know this has got something to do with Bill Carlton and I've been asking around. Lucas's dad, Chris is Bill Carlton's godson." Sam tells us and I stand up.
"Well I think that tells us where we're going next." I mutter.
So Mr Carlton was pretty useless - he had nothing much to say to us but now we're going back to Lucas on a hunch Dean has. The drawing he gave him looked an awful lot like the Carlton house so Dean thinks that maybe Lucas knows something more.
"He won't say anything. What good is it gonna do?" Andrea asks after reluctantly letting us in.
"Andrea, we think more people might get hurt. We think something's happening out there." Sam tells her.
"My husband, the others, they just drowned. That's all." She tries to tell him.
"If that's what you really believe, then we'll go. But if you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let me talk to your son." Dean says.
Dean heads on upstairs with Sam quick in tow but Andrea grabs my arm.
"Is there really something else going on?" She asks and I shrug.
"We don't know, that's what we're trying to find out." I tell her and she nods.
"You three seem awfully familiar to this sort of thing…" She mutters.
"Yeah, too much." I say, my face falling slightly.
"I'm sorry, have you-?"
I quickly cut her off. "No! No. God I don't know what I'd do if something like that happened. Uh no, our Dad's missing and you know, it scares me. I don't like to worry my brothers because they already have a lot on their plate." I tell her. Why am I telling her all of this? We barely know each other.
"I think you should. Family always have our backs and when we need them, we can talk to them. You shouldn't shut your brothers out." Andrea says and I smile.
"Thanks." I respond before we make our way upstairs to Lucas, Dean and Sam.
"You're scared. It's okay. I understand. See, when I was your age, I saw something real bad happen to my mom, and I was scared, too. I didn't feel like talking, just like you. But see, my mom—I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that every day. And I do my best to be brave. And maybe, your dad wants you to be brave too." I hear Dean tell Lucas as we near and Andrea gives my shoulder a small squeeze of reassurance before we enter the room to see Lucas handing Dean another picture. I guess we have our next lead.
"Andrea said the kid never drew like that till his dad died." Dean tells us once we're back in the Impala but I'm not really paying attention as my mind replays what I was telling Andrea. I admitted it to her...to myself, that I'm scared. I knew I was but I didn't think I'd end up feeling this affected by Dad missing but I am. I feel lost, do Sam and Dean know what they're doing? Am I really safe with them? Like, 100% safe?...or at least 98% because you know, this business is dangerous. Maybe Diana was right, I'm only sixteen - I shouldn't have to do things on my own, I should be able to confide in my family. Maybe I need to...
"Hey you with us?" I hear Dean say as he snaps a finger in front of my face.
"Huh?" I look up to face him and Sam who both have concerned looks.
"Are you okay?" Sam asks. "You were completely out of it."
"I'm fine, where are we?" Dean gives me one more look before handing me one of Lucas' drawings which is of a white church and look out of my passenger window only to see a similar one resembling it.
"Stay here." Dean tells me before heading out with Sam and I sit back in my seat, pulling out my phone before scrolling through my contacts until I find who I'm after.
"This is Diana Griffiths, I can't take your call right now so please leave a message and I'll get back to you."
"Hey Diana, it's Becca. Listen…" I pause for a second, "you were right. I am only sixteen and doing things myself isn't always a good idea." My breath catches and for some reason I feel a few tears roll down my cheeks. "I don't know what to do Diana, I need Dad. I'm scared and I'm struggling. I can't talk to Sam or Dean this time...I just can't. Sam doesn't know anything and Dean would never forgive me for not telling him about it - hell, he'd never forgive Dad. I can't do this." Noticing my brothers finishing up I quickly end the voicemail message and wipe my eyes, quickly composing myself as they come back.
"Okay, so lemme get this straight: this little boy Peter Sweeney vanishes, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow." I repeat and both Sam and Dean nod.
"Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something, huh?" Dean comments.
"And Bill, the people he loves, they're all getting punished. So what if Bill did something to Peter?" Sam suggests.
"What you mean like killed him?" I question. This has gone from a normal case to a potential murder investigation of sorts.
"Peter's spirit would be furious. It'd want revenge. It's possible." Dean tells us.
We tried to talk to Bill again but we found him on a boat and well...he's dead. So here we are at the police station. One of the many familiar scenes in my life...may as well be my second home - one of us is normally here on at least a monthly basis.
"Okay, just so I'm clear, you see...something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill—who is a very good swimmer, by the way—into the drink, and you never see him again?" Jake asks us and Dean glances towards the both of us before turning back to Jake.
"Yeah, that about sums it up." He responds.
"And I'm supposed to believe this, even though I've already sonar-swept that entire lake? And what you're describing is impossible? And you're not really Wildlife Service?" I turn to my brothers who both look just as shocked as I feel. "That's right, I checked. Department's never heard of you two and whoever the hell this kid is you bring with you."
"See, now, we can explain that." Dean tries to tell him but Jake cuts him off.
"Enough. Please. The only reason you're breathing free air is one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So, we have a couple of options here. I can arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance. Or, we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get into your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again."
I must've fallen asleep as when I wake up we're outside Andrea's house and I can hear commotion from inside. So much for leaving town…
Looking around I realise I'm alone in the car and quickly get out, running into the house only to see Sam assisting a drenched Andrea down the stairs.
"What the hell happened?" I ask, running over to help Sam.
"Can you tell me?" Sam asks once Andrea is dry and in a change of clothes.
"No. It doesn't make any sense." She begins to cry and I put a reassuring hand on her knee. "I'm going crazy."
"No, you're not." I tell her. "Now, we really need to know what happened. Everything."
Andrea takes a deep breath.
"I heard...I thought I heard...there was this voice." She starts.
"What did it say?" Sam asks.
"It said...it said 'come play with me'." What the heck? Well this just got creepier. "What's happening?" Andrea sobs.
Dean hands a picture to Andrea.
"Do you recognize the kids in these pictures?"
"What? Um, um, no. I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about twelve in these pictures."
"Chris Barr's drowning. The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to the sheriff." Dean explains.
"Bill and the sheriff—they were both involved with Peter." Sam adds.
"What about Chris? My dad—what are you talking about?" Andrea asks but we don't get very far as Dean follows Lucas outside who begins staring at the ground in a particular place.
"No." I say as Sam offers me a shovel. "Injured arm remember." I remind him and he nods before getting to work with Dean and eventually there's the sound of a clank and slowly, they pull up a red bicycle.
"Peter's bike." I mutter. "We found it."
"Who are you?" Jake's voice comes from behind us and we turn around to see him stood there pointing a gun in our direction.
"Put the gun down, Jake." Sam warns.
I can feel my heartbeat picking up and take a few shallow breaths in an attempt to slow it without it going noticed and it seems to work slightly.
"How did you know that was there?" He questions and both Sam and Dean put their shovels down.
"What happened? You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike? You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried." Dean says, stepping forward slightly to block me from the gun. I've already been at the other end of one once in recent weeks and that didn't exactly end well - I don't need round two.
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Jake responds.
"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney thirty-five years ago. That's what the hell I'm talking about." Dean's voice is more venomous now and it's a voice of his I know not to mess with.
Andrea comes running over but Sam pulls her so she's stood next to me behind them.
"And now you've got one seriously pissed-off spirit." Dean mutters.
"It's gonna take Andrea, Lucas, everyone you love. It's gonna drown them. And it's gonna drag their bodies god knows where, so you can feel the same pain Peter's mom felt. And then, after that, it's gonna take you, and it's not gonna stop until it does." Sam tells him but Jake doesn't look phased.
"Yeah, and how do you know that?" Jake questions.
"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton."
"Listen to yourselves, both of you. You're insane."
"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us. But if we're gonna bring down this spirit, we need to find the remains, salt them, and burn them into dust. Now tell me you buried Peter somewhere. Tell me you didn't just let him go in the lake." Dean interrogates.
"Dad, is any of this true?" Andrea asks in disbelief.
"No. Don't listen to them. They're liars and they're dangerous." Jake defends himself.
"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake. Dad, look at me." Jake looks up to face his daughter. "Tell me you—you didn't kill anyone." Immediately after those words he looks away and Andrea's face screws up in shock. "Oh my God."
"So you did kill him." I say as more of a statement than a question. Now that he's admitted it I feel safer knowing I have more over him than he does me.
"Billy and I were at the lake. Peter was the smallest one. We always bullied him, but this time, it got rough. We were holding his head under the water. We didn't mean to. But we held him under too long and he drowned. We let the body go, and it sank." Well crap...that's gonna be a difficult one to salt and burn.
My mind zones out once again and I don't return to reality until I hear Andrea screaming Lucas' name and I turn around to see him heading for the lake. We quickly run after him and along the dock but before we can reach him a hand comes up and pulls Lucas into the water. Dean and Sam barely stop running before they dive in and I'd do the same if I knew my arm wouldn't protest but I know it will so instead I grab onto Andrea and hold her back.
"Oh my God!" She mutters trying to take her jacket off to jump in but I manage to stop her.
"They'll find him." I tell her.
They both dive under a few times but come up without luck and that's when I notice Jake taking off his jacket and wading in.
"Jake, what are you doing?" I ask him but he blanks me and continues on in.
"Peter, if you can hear me...please, Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so—I'm so sorry."
"Daddy, no!" Andrea cries and I feel the emotions building up inside of me as this family slowly gets torn apart. Is this how it will end up for us if we don't find Dad?
"Peter. Lucas—he's, he's just a little boy. Please, it's not his fault, it's mine. Please take me." Jake continues.
As Dean and Sam come up for air they see what's happening but are too late.
"Just let it be over!" He shouts before being dragged down causing Andrea to scream once more and it takes all of my energy to hold her back.
Again, Sam comes up empty-handed but when Dean surfaces I see he's holding Lucas and I sigh in relief. Thank god.
We're packing our things up into the Impala when Andrea and Lucas come up to us.
"We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road." She says sweetly and Lucas is carrying a tray of sandwiches. "Lucas insisted on making the sandwiches himself."
"Can I give it to them now?" He asks her and my mouth drops open - he spoke?
"Of course." Andrea smiles, kissing Lucas on the forehead.
Dean takes Lucas to load up the sandwiches while Sam and I stay with Andrea.
"How are you holding up?" Sam asks her.
"It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?"
Sam sighs and I take her hand.
"Andrea, I'm sorry." I say quietly and she gives a sad smile.
"You guys saved my son. I can't ask for more than that. Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that." She says before heading over to Dean and kissing him, yes K-I-S-S-I-N-G him.
"Thank you." She says; he smiles before turning away.
"Sam, Becca, move your asses. We're gonna run out of daylight before we hit the road otherwise." He says before getting into the car followed by Sam but Andrea grabs my arm and I turn to face her.
"Your brothers are good people, you can trust them. And as for your Dad, don't give up hope. Everything will be okay in the end." She tells me before placing her hand in mine and then letting go. I can feel a piece of paper in my palm but keep it hidden until I'm in the backseat of the Impala and headed down the road. Opening the small piece of paper up it's a phone number and underneath a small note:
Incase you ever want to talk. -A
I smile before looking up and out of the window. I just need to have a little faith and then maybe everything will be okay.
A few hours later we reach our motel for the night and Sam drops us off before heading out to get food and once we're in the room, Dean blocks me from entering the bathroom where I can hide away from his questions.
"Becca, talk to me. What's going on in your mind?" He pleads.
"Nothing…" I mutter, trying to blow it off but I know he can see right through my lie.
"I know you better than you know yourself, what's eating away at you in there?" He asks and I sigh.
"It doesn't matter." I say firmly hoping he'll drop the subject.
"You can't run from this forever Becca. I know you're hurting and I know you're scared with Dad missing but that doesn't mean you can block me or Sam out." Oh I can try.