A/N: Special thanks to pattycakes2000, RebornRose1992, Selina, and some guests for reviewing.
3.
Dead in the Water
"Hey now, hey now. Don't dream it's over. Hey now, hey now. When the world comes in. They come, they come. To build a wall between us. We know they won't win," sang Hannah as she applied her mascara.
"Please stop singing," called Dean flatly from outside the bathroom door. "You sound terrible."
"I do not!" Hannah exclaimed, swinging the door open. "Will you just shut up and let me listen to some Crowded House in peace?"
"Oh, listen all you want. Just don't sing," Dean drawled, not looking up from the edge of the bed where he laced up his boots.
"Rude," huffed Hannah, returning to her task. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Sam slowly approach the doorway. "Yes?"
"Hannah, I'm sorry," he apologized, "I didn't mean to blow up. It's just..."
She set down her mascara and turned to face Sam, waiting expectantly for him to continue.
"I'm not used to anyone asking me to, you know, open up. I guess I got overwhelmed when you tried to do it," he continued, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So, I'm sorry... again."
"Don't worry about it. I was never really mad at you," Hannah replied, smiling a little.
"But I made you cry," Sam pointed out, frowning.
"You did, as embarrassing as that was," she admitted, sheepish. "I forgive you, Sam. Only on one condition."
"What?" he asked warily.
Hannah opened her arms, and laughed when Sam swept her into a hug.
Ever since departing from South Dakota, Hannah hadn't been able to mull over how far from home she was. Only now as they drove out of Colorado, Hannah was starting to feel homesick.
What would I be doing now if I was at home? Hannah wondered, sprawled out in the backseat of the Impala.
She'd probably help research something for her dad, assist him in selling some scraps from the salvage yard, or maybe watch The Real World. Her dad claimed that the only reason he watched reality TV was because of her, but once Hannah caught him watching My Super Sweet 16. He forced her to never to speak of it.
"Why so quiet?" Dean inquired, breaking the silence.
Hannah met his inquisitive stare from the rearview mirror. She bit her bottom lip, contemplating whether she should tell them she felt homesick. Dean might take it the wrong way and drive her right back to Sioux Falls.
"No reason," Hannah eventually said, stretching her arms over her head. "So, do you have any idea where your dad might be?"
"Yeah, Dean. Any ideas?" Sam asked. There was an undeniable bite to his tone.
Oops.
"He has a trail. We follow it while it's still hot then we find him," Dean replied stiffly.
Eager to change the subject before the boys had another falling out, Hannah asked, "Do you think we could go to the movies at the next town? I'm dying to see the new Harry Potter."
Sam snorted at her choice of film while Dean creased his brows in confusion. "You're such a dork," teased Sam, the same time Dean echoed, "Harry Potter?"
"Says the guy who joined the Mathletes in high school," Hannah retorted, grinning when Sam rolled his eyes. "And, Dean, Harry Potter is the movie about wizards."
"Oh." He waved a dismissive hand at her. "I knew that."
Hannah laughed at the obvious lie. Her homesickness was fading, and Hannah knew it would return again, but at least she felt better. She adored moments like these when it was just her and the boys.
A couple days later, they were eating breakfast at a nearby diner when Hannah found them a job.
She sat next to Dean, reading the newspaper while he devoured his plate of eggs and bacon, looking the least bit attractive. Hannah, on the other hand, ate her pancakes daintily. Sam had finished his breakfast and was in the restroom.
Finishing his plate, Dean began circling obituaries in the newspaper. Hannah would point out something that seemed unusual. Her eyes went to a particular obituary about a girl who drowned in Wisconsin, but the odd thing was that the girl was a varsity swimmer.
"Can I get you anything else?" asked the waitress.
Dean and Hannah both raised their heads, the former slowly grinning around the pen he chewed. Wendy, as her nametag read, smiled back, ignoring Hannah who wished she so wasn't witnessing this. Gratefully, Sam returned from the restroom and sat down on the other side of Hannah.
"Just the check, please," he told the waitress politely. Dean watched Wendy flounce away then dropped his head, sighing.
"You know, Sam, we're allowed to have fun once in a while," Dean said, looking back up. He gestured to Wendy, disappointment clear on his features. "That's fun."
The brothers stared at each other, and Hannah shook her head in amused disbelief.
"Maybe next time," Hannah said good-naturedly. She took the newspaper from him and handed it to Sam. "Here, look at this.
"A funeral?" Sam questioned, after reading the paper.
"Yeah, it's weird," Dean commented. "They buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever."
"Dean," Hannah admonished. Was he really that thoughtless?
"Closure?" Sam echoed crossly. "What closure? People don't just disappear. Other people just stop looking for them."
"Something you want to say to me?" Dean demanded, narrowing his eyes.
Oh no, Hannah thought. She hated it when they fought, but her dad once told her that people who fought constantly over the smallest things to major things cared about each other the most. It was no secret that Dean loved his brother to the point he'd go to hell and back for him.
"The trail for Dad. It's getting colder every day," Sam started, exasperated.
"Exactly, so what are we supposed to do?" Dean asked roughly.
"I don't know," Sam replied tersely. "Something. Anything."
"You know what? I'm sick of this attitude," snapped Dean. He turned to Hannah who had been watching them argue back and forth like a tennis match. "Don't you find his attitude annoying?"
Hannah chewed her bottom lip. "Uh..." she glanced at Sam who stared at her expectantly. "Yes, we're searching for your dad, Sam, but we're hunters, and hunters protect people from the things that go bump in the night. You want to help people, don't you?"
Sam gazed about her, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Yes," he answered eventually.
"Good. Then we kill some baddies, save some people, and we find your dad," Hannah said buoyantly. "Now, how far away is Lake Manitoc? Dean?"
The man in question was ogling the waitress. Hannah rolled her eyes and Sam shook his head.
"Dean!" Sam called sharply.
"Huh?" Dean returned his attention back to Sam and Hannah, a glazed look in his eyes.
"Keep it in your pants," Hannah huffed, getting up and collecting her things. "Autobots, let's roll out!"
Sam laughed behind her, while Dean muttered, "You really are a dork."
Hannah tried not to grimace as the Impala approached the Carlton home. She would be posing as a federal agent for the first time, and it made her both anxious and excited. What if they figured out that she was a fake? Would she go to prison?
Dean seemed to be reading her thoughts and smiled lazily at her. "You look like you're about to faint. It's not that bad, Princess."
His words didn't cease the nervousness she felt nor did the comforting pat on her back from Sam. Squaring her shoulders, Hannah waited for someone to answer the door after Dean knocked on it.
"Will Carlton?" Dean assumed as a young man swung the front door open.
"Yeah, that's right," he affirmed quietly.
"I'm Agent Ford. This is Agent Hamill and Agent Fisher." The boys held up their false IDs easily while Hannah fumbled for hers. Sam suppressed a smile while Dean kept his face impassive. "We're with the US Wildlife Service."
Will nodded absently, and led them to the lake. Hannah hit Sam's arm when she noticed him grinning at her clumsy hands. She tried not to let a smile slip up when they approached the lake. They questioned Will for some time, but he hadn't seen anything strange.
"Where to next?" Hannah asked Dean, when they were heading back to the car.
"Police station," he replied, unlocking the doors. "You won't go totally mute there, will you?"
Hannah blushed. "No," she mumbled, then hit his arm. "Don't make fun of me. It was my first time."
"Was it good for you as it was for me?"
"Oh, shut up."
Sam peered at them curiously, but Hannah refused to bring it up again as they all climbed inside the Impala and headed to the police station. The drive there did not take too long, and Hannah followed the boys inside the police station. With only a flash of their badges, the sheriff was flagged down almost immediately. Introductions were brief and they were led to his office.
"Now, I'm sorry, but why does the Wildlife Service care about an accidental drowning?" questioned Sheriff Devins.
"You sure it's accidental?" Sam asked, doubtful. "Will Carlton saw something grab his sister."
"Like what?" snorted Sheriff Devins. He gestured for them to sit, but only two chairs were present. Hannah was about sit in one, but Sam did as well. They paused, glancing at the chair then back at each other.
"I'll stand," Sam mumbled, moving so she could sit. Hannah flashed him a smile then sat down, bumping Dean as she lowered herself in the chair.
"There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There's nothing even big enough to pull down a person, unless it was the Loch Ness Monster," Sheriff Devins continued.
"Yeah, right." Dean laughed a bit derisively. Hannah could feel the corners of her mouth lift.
"Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks. Still, we dragged that entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep, just to be sure, and there was nothing down there," Sheriff Devins informed them.
"That's weird, though," commented Dean, leaning forward. "I mean, that's the third missing body this year."
"I know," Sheriff Devins said, troubled. "These are people from my town. These are people I care about."
"We understand," Hannah murmured sympathetically.
"Anyways..." sighed Sheriff Devins. "All this... it won't be a problem much longer."
"What do you mean?" Hannah asked, frowning.
"Well, the dam, of course," Sheriff Devins said, staring at them strangely. Hannah realized that this must have been known news in their town.
"Of course, the dam," Dean repeated, trying not to sound as confused as Hannah was. "It, uh, sprung a leak."
"It's falling apart," the sheriff said slowly. "And the feds won't give us the grant to repair it, so they've opened the spillway. In another six months, there won't be much of a lake. There won't be much of a town, either. But as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that."
"Exactly," Dean said, nodding his head.
A light tapping at the door interrupted them. Hannah twisted around in her seat to see a pretty woman with brown hair and eyes enter the office. She's a goner, Hannah thought, glancing at Dean who only seemed to brighten at the prospect of bedding some attractive girl.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?" she asked, apologetic. "I can come back later."
"Gentlemen—" Sheriff Devins casted a smile over at Hannah. "—and lady, this is my daughter."
Dean stood and shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Dean," he greeted.
"Andrea Barr." She smiled. "Hi."
"Hi." Dean smiled back.
"They're from Wildlife Service about the lake."
"Oh." Andrea's never-ending smile deflated. Just then, a little boy stepped out from behind her.
"Hey there. What's your name?" Dean asked the little boy. The little boy turned away before running out of the office. Andrea looked abashed before following him.
"His name is Lucas," Sheriff Devins answered dismally.
"Is he okay?" Sam inquired.
"My grandson's been through a lot. We all have," was all Sheriff Devins said. He stood and went over to the office door. "Well, if there's anything else I can do for you, please let me know."
"You know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?" Dean said, his eyes trained on Andrea. Hannah crossed her arms and tried not to roll her blue eyes.
"Lakefront Motel," Andrea said instantly. "Go around the corner, it's about two blocks south."
"Two..." Dean frowned in mock confusion. "Would you mind showing us?"
Sam looked at Hannah, amused. Hannah on the other hand, was contemplating taping Dean's mouth shut. She'd probably have to tackle him, maybe she'd have Sam hold him down...
"You want me to walk you two blocks?" Andrea laughed, incredulous. "I'm headed that way anyway."
Hannah smiled sincerely when Andrea bent down to kiss the top of her son's head. "We'll go the park, okay, sweetie?"
The three followed Andrea out of the police station. Hannah touched Dean's elbow, making him look down at her. She smiled as she asked, "Can you be any less professional?"
"Can you be any less of a cockblock?" Dean fired back, smirking from Hannah's indignant gasp. He turned back to Andrea, walking alongside her. "So, cute kid."
"Thanks," Andrea replied shortly.
"Kids are the best, huh?" Hannah bit down on her lower lip to keep herself from laughing, while Sam had less luck. What was with Dean's pickup lines? They were so awful. Was he being lame on purpose?
Andrea said nothing as they crossed a street, stopping in front of the Lakefront Motel. "There it is," she announced, turning to face them. "Like I said, two blocks."
"Thanks," Sam said, smiling.
"Must be hard, with your sense of direction, never being able to find your way to a decent pickup line," Andrea quipped to Dean. She then addressed Hannah and Sam. "Enjoy your stay."
Hannah waved goodbye, impressed.
"'Kids are the best'?" Sam ridiculed, snickering.
"You don't even like kids!" Hannah exclaimed, her eyes wide at Dean's blatant lie.
"I love kids," Dean insisted.
"Name three children that you even know," Sam challenged.
Dean paused, struggling to come up with any names. He looked at Hannah then jutted his thumb out at her.
"Her," he said childishly. Hannah punched his arm.
"Right," scoffed Sam, waving a dismissive hand as he entered the motel.
"I'm thinking!" Dean called after him, scratching his head.
"I didn't know you did that," Hannah joked, smiling playfully. She squealed and dodged his fist, running inside the motel after Sam.
"So, there's the three drowning victims this year," Sam said, typing on his laptop.
Hannah was sprawled out on one of the queen beds, her head falling off the bed. Dean was rummaging through his clothes. She could feel the blood rushing to her face the longer she laid like this.
"Any before that?" Dean asked, distracted.
"Uh, yeah." Hannah sat up and rolled off the bed. She padded over to Sam peering over his shoulder at the article opened up on his laptop. "Six more spread out over the past thirty-five years. Those bodies were never recovered either. If there is something out there, it's picking up its pace."
"Do you think it's a lake monster?" Hannah offered, resting her chin on Sam's shoulder.
"This whole lake monster theory, it just bugs me," Sam admitted.
"Why?" asked Dean, coming over to them.
"Loch Ness, Lake Champion, there are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts, but here, almost nothing," Sam explained, glancing at the both of them. "Whatever it is out there, no one's living to talk about it."
A name stood out in the comments section, and Hannah pointed at it. "Wait, Christopher Barr. Doesn't Andrea have the same last name?"
"Christopher Barr, the victim in May," Sam read. He clicked a link and there was a picture of a police officer with Lucas. "Oh. Christopher Barr was Andrea's husband, Lucas's father. Apparently he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned two hours before the kid got rescued."
"Poor baby," Hannah murmured, frowning.
"Maybe we have an eyewitness after all," Sam said, scratching his head.
"No wonder that kid was so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn't something you just get over," Dean remarked.
Hannah's frown deepened. She supposed she was lucky enough not to witness her own mom die since she was only two months old when she had gotten possessed. Dean on the other hand couldn't forget seeing his mom burn.
Why am I worrying over him? There was nothing to worry about when concerning Dean. He was strong and fearless with a devil-may-care attitude. Dean could handle himself, but it didn't mean he had to do it alone.
"Princess," came Dean's teasing voice. Hannah blinked and realized she had been staring at him. "Take a picture if you'd like. It'll last longer."
Hannah rolled her eyes and flipped him off. To think she was even worried about him.
They found Andrea sitting on a bench at the park, watching Lucas draw on a different bench. Hannah gave Dean a pointed look, remembering the conversation they had on the walk to the park. Well, it was more one-sided than anything since Dean ignored had ignored her.
"Can we join you?" Sam asked the young mother.
"I'm here with my son," she responded, glancing at Lucas.
"Oh." Hannah exchanged hesitant glances with the boys.
"Mind if I say hi?" Dean looked over at Lucas then without waiting for an answer, strode over to the little boy.
"Tell your friend this whole Jerry Maguire thing is not gonna work on me," Andrea deadpanned.
Hannah laughed lightly as she sat down next to Sam who seated himself beside Andrea. "Don't worry, he won't try it," she assured the other woman.
"And I don't think that's what this is about," Sam added soberly.
He's good with kids, Hannah realized as she watched Dean talk to Lucas. She smiled, wondering what kind of drawing he was giving the kid. Dean lacked artistic talent, but Hannah couldn't really talk. She sucked at drawing, her sketches coming out wonky every time she attempted to draw. Sam was a much better artist out of the three of them.
Dean ambled back over to them, just as Andrea confessed that Lucas hadn't spoken since his dad's accident.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Hannah said, smiling sympathetically. Andrea returned it, though her smile was wan.
"What are the doctors saying?" Sam inquired.
"That it's a kind of post-traumatic stress," Andrea answered, emotion threatening to rise in her voice.
"That can't be easy," Hannah murmured. Andrea shrugged, turning her gaze to her son.
"We moved in with my dad. He helps out a lot. It's just..." she sighed heavily. "... when I think about what Lucas went through, what he saw..."
"Kid are strong. You'd be surprised what they can deal with," Dean reflected, his lips twitching into an engaging smile. Hannah looked up at him, wondering if he was talking about Lucas or himself.
"You know, he used to have such life. He was hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth," Andrea admitted, a mirthless smile crossing her features. "Now he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish—" She paused, noticing Lucas approaching them. "Hey sweetie."
Hannah widened her eyes when Lucas handed Dean a drawing of a house. She turned to Sam who seemed just as surprised at the sudden gesture.
"Thanks," Dean said gently. "Thanks, Lucas."
Shortly after that, the three said goodbye to Andrea and headed back to the motel. Hannah was tired of diner food, so she offered to buy a couple boxes of pizza. Dean seemed reluctant to give her the keys to the Impala, but his growling stomach convinced him otherwise.
She found a pizza place nearby and was told to wait fifteen minutes. Attempting to kill the time, Hannah decided to check out the Carlton house. Her eyes widened when she noticed ambulance outside of the Carlton house. Parking the car, Hannah rushed out and went over to the crowd of neighbors watching as they brought a stretcher inside the house.
"What happened?" she asked no one in particular.
"Bill's son drowned," someone told her.
"How?" another person asked.
"He drowned in the sink. Can you believe it?"
Pulling out her Motorola RAZR, she flipped it open and called Sam.
"Hannah, is something wrong?" he asked.
"Yeah, Will Carlton is dead," Hannah revealed as she headed back to the Impala.
"What? How?"
"I just drove by his house and there's ambulance there. He drowned in the sink."
"... Did you just say the sink?"
"I know, it's insane. You were right, Sam. This isn't some lake monster we're hunting."
"Look, we'll talk more about it when you get back to the motel. Wait, aren't you going to get the pizza?"
"Oh my God! I almost forgot about that!" Hannah exclaimed. She quickly said goodbye and snapped her phone shut.
Hannah was sure she broke several traffic laws on her drive back to the pizza place and the motel.
The next morning, they headed to the Carlton house to talk to the father.
Unfortunately, he refused to talk more about it so they left. Hannah played with her hamsa amulet as they returned to the Impala. She suddenly remembered the picture Lucas drew.
"What is it?" Dean asked after Hannah shook his arm.
"Look at the picture Lucas gave you," she said.
Dean fished for the picture and pulled it out from the pocket of his jacket. "Huh. Maybe Bill's not the only one who knows something."
They climbed inside the Impala and drove to Andrea's house. Hannah was unsure how Dean even acquired the address to her home, but she shrugged it off. This was the only time she'd allow Dean to use his charms.
"Oh." Andrea looked quite surprised to see the three of them standing on her doorstep. "Um, hi."
"Hello. Do you mind if we come inside?" Hannah said, smiling hopefully.
"Sure..." Andrea stepped aside to let them in.
"We need to talk to Lucas," Sam told her. Just cutting to the chase, aren't we? Hannah thought.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Andrea said, hesitant.
"I just need to talk to him. Just for a few minutes," Dean urged.
"He won't say anything. What good is that going to do?" she demanded.
"Andrea," Sam started slowly, "we think more people might get hurt. We think something's happening out there.
With those puppy dog eyes and the pleading tone in his voice, Hannah wondered how anyone could refuse him. Hannah certainly wouldn't. He was like one of those giant dogs who thought they were lap dogs.
"My husband, the others... they just drowned," she murmured, almost to herself. "That's all."
"If that's really what you believe, then we'll go," Hannah replied, staring at her. "But if you think there's even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let Dean talk to your son."
Andrea appraised them, her eyes falling on Dean last. Hannah could see it in his eyes that he was imploring Andrea to let him speak to her son.
She led them to Lucas's room, but Hannah and Sam waited outside while Dean approached Lucas alone. Hannah watched, suppressing a smile as Dean spoke quietly to the little boy.
"Thanks, Lucas," Dean said, rising to his feet.
"Thank you for letting us into your home," Hannah told Angela as she walked them out.
"No problem," Andrea said, nodding.
"Andrea said the kid never drew like that till his dad died," Dean commented on their way back to the Impala.
"There are cases—going through a traumatic experience could make people more sensitive to premonitions, psychic tendencies," Sam informed them. He shoved the passenger seat forward so Hannah could climb in the backseat.
"Whatever's out there, what if Lucas is tapping into it somehow? I mean, it's only a matter of time before somebody else drowns, so if you got a better lead, please," Dean said, turning the key in the ignition.
Hannah took the picture from Sam's hands and studied it. A yellow two-story house surrounded by a wooden fence. Could the white church be near the house?
"Do you guys see this church?" Hannah leaned forward, holding out the drawing. "I bet there's less than a thousand of those around here."
"Oh, Princess thinks she's so smart," joked Dean.
"Talk all you want, Jerry Maguire, but I just saved you from doing more work," Hannah retorted, earning a laugh from Sam. "But I'm surprised, Dean. You're really good with kids."
Dean rolled his eyes, ignoring her compliment. He turned up the volume on the radio instead. Hannah squeezed the back of his neck, making him jerk forward, before sitting back.
"Dean," Sam started, fiddling with his hands. "You know, um, what you said about Mom... you never told me that before."
"It's no big deal," Dean brushed off. He glanced at Sam who was staring at him. "Oh God, we're not going to have to hug or anything, are we?"
"I'll hug you, Sammy-Sam!" Hannah said sweetly.
Sam shot her an amused look before turning away to look out the window.
"It looks exactly like the picture," Hannah remarked, looking back and forth at the picture in Dean's hands and the yellow house besides the white church.
"It does," Sam agreed then gestured for them to follow. "Come on. Let's go."
Hannah adjusted her canary yellow cardigan as they crossed the street over to the house. She tossed her brown waves over her shoulder and waited for Dean to knock. When he didn't, Hannah cleared her throat loudly and gestured to the door. He smirked at her before knocking.
An elderly woman opened the door shortly afterwards, blinking in surprise at the sight of them. Stepping aside, she allowed them inside her home.
"We're sorry to bother you, ma'am, but does a little boy live here, by chance? He might wear a blue ball cap, has a red bicycle," Dean inquired.
"No, sir," she answered wearily. "Not for a very long time. Peter's been gone for thirty-five years now."
"I'm so sorry," Hannah said sympathetically. She noticed the older woman's eyes glisten after looking at a picture of her son. Hannah just wanted to hug her.
"The police never—I never had any idea what happened," she continued, shaking her head. "He just disappeared."
Sam elbowed her, making her jump. He tilted his head in the direction of some toy soldiers on the table. Hannah realized that this woman must have expected her son to return after that fateful day.
"Losing him, you know, it's... it's worse than dying," the old woman lamented, grief etched on her face.
"Did he just disappear? From this house, I mean?" Dean questioned softly.
"He was supposed to ride his bike straight home after school, and he never showed up," she replied.
Hannah's eyes swept the entire house, her gaze landing on a particular picture on the mirror. She walked past Sam and Dean over to the mirror, plucking the picture off it. Two boys were photographed, one taller and bigger than the other. Flipping it over, she read the writing on the back aloud, "Peter Sweeney and Billy Carlton, 1970."
She put the picture back and smiled gently at the older woman. "Thank you. I think we have all we need."
They left and headed back to the Impala. Hannah fingered the hamsa amulet around her neck, her mind whirling with new information. Peter Sweeney and Bill Carlton were friends, then the former vanished and it becomes connected to Bill somehow. What if Peter's spirit haunted the lake? Then that wouldn't make sense unless Peter was a vengeful spirit, and those were only spirits of those who were killed.
"Do you think Bill Carlton killed Peter?" Hannah suddenly asked. "It would explain why everyone he loves has been punished."
"And it would explain how Peter vanished—Hannah, you're a genius," Sam added, grinning at her.
"Thanks." Hannah grinned back. "I can't have you boys running around without a clue what's going on."
Dean scoffed. "You forgot humble, Sammy," he said, then lifted his arm to block Hannah's incoming slap. "And also violent. I never took you for the type to try and crash out car, Princess. Oh wait, you are, because you crashed my Baby into a fucking house."
"You..." Hannah struggled for an insult. "Just shut up."
He and Sam laughed. Hannah pouted and leaned back in the seat. The silence didn't last long as they pulled up in front of the Carlton home quickly.
"Mr. Carlton?" Sam called as they walked onto the property.
Hannah froze when she heard the sound of an engine. "Do you hear that?" she asked them.
Without a second thought, Hannah and the boys ran around the house over to the lake. She widened her eyes, gasping when she saw Bill Carlton driving his boat into the lake. Dean and Sam started to shout, but Hannah only felt instinct take over. She shrugged off her cardigan and was about to unbuckle her ankle boots, but stopped at the sight of the boat flipping over in the lake, disappearing. Hannah stood still, her scream stuck in her throat. Her heart hammered inside her chest, and she could feel her hands tremble.
Someone just died in front of her and she… Hannah couldn't stop it.
"Han," she heard Sam say. "Say something."
"What?" Hannah asked, snapping out of her shock. She noticed that she was sitting on the hood of the Impala instead of standing on the dock.
"You've been catatonic for the past eight minutes," he explained, frowning. "I hope you know that this isn't your fault. There was nothing you could do to stop him."
Hannah crossed her arms and nodded absently. She noticed Dean talking to Sheriff Devins. Dean glanced over at her and Sam. He locked eyes with her, a twinge of sympathy flickering in those green orbs before returning his attention to Sheriff Devins. She sat up straighter when Dean walked back to them.
"Sheriff wants to talk to us in his office," he told them. He tilted his head at Hannah. "You feeling better?"
"Does this usually happen? When you hunt, I mean?" Hannah asked quietly, looking up at him. Dean hesitated, looking over at Sam for a moment before returning her gaze.
"We can't save everybody, Hannah," he finally said. "Chin up, Princess. It gets easier."
"How?"
"You get used to it."
His words chilled her.
"Sam, Hannah, Dean. I didn't expect to see you here." Andrea stood when they neared Sheriff Devins' office.
"So, now you're on first name basis," Sheriff Devins observed. He turned to his daughter. "What are you doing here?"
"I brought you dinner," Andrea answered, motioning to the bag sitting on her chair.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I don't really the time," her father replied, frowning.
Hannah noticed Lucas sitting in a chair, hugging his knees while rocking back and forth. He looked frightened, like he had been the one to witness Bill Carlton die in the lake. She reached for Sam's wrist, squeezing it lightly. Sam looked down at her questioningly but his eyes went to Lucas, realizing what she meant. He elbowed Dean who opened his mouth to snap at him, but stopped when Lucas hopped out of the chair and grabbed Dean's arm.
"Lucas, hey, what is it?" he asked gently.
"Lucas?" Andrea watched along with Hannah and Sam as Dean tried to comfort the little boy. She took Lucas from Dean and led him away.
Sheriff Devins tossed his jacket onto an empty chair and continued to his office. Hannah and the boys followed.
"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?" Sheriff Devins questioned incredulously.
"Yeah, that about sums it up," Dean responded somberly.
Sheriff Devins looked at the three of them, his expression skeptic. "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?"
Hannah stiffened, both alarmed and unsurprised that they had been found out.
"That's right, I checked. Department's never heard of you three," the sheriff continued.
An image of herself dressed in an orange jumpsuit flashed in her mind, carrying shoes and a blanket on her way to her cell while other prisoners catcalled her. Oh God, I'm going to become someone's bitch, Hannah thought nervously.
"See, now, we can explain..." Dean tried.
"Enough, please," interrupted Sheriff Devins, scoffing. "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."
A beat passed before Hannah forced out a response. "Door number two sounds good."
"That's the one I'd pick."
Hannah was the first one out the door. She wouldn't go to prison, Dean and Sam wouldn't go to prison either. For a moment, she was relieved, but then she sharply remembered that they hadn't dealt with this vengeful spirit. Was it truly rested? Would they have to search the lake for Peter Sweeney's remains in order to salt-and-burn it?
She wanted to ask Dean all these questions, but he seemed to be brooding so she decided not to bother him. Sam didn't seem to have any idea either. It wasn't until they finished packing their things from the motel and were driving out of town in the Impala did Hannah decide to speak up.
"We're really going to leave, aren't we?" she asked, leaning forward.
"The case is closed, Han. Peter's spirit should be at rest now that Bill's dead," Sam replied then motioned for Dean to drive. "Light's green."
Dean turned right instead much to their confusion.
"Uh, the interstate's the other way," Sam stated, as if Dean had forgotten.
"I know," Dean said.
"Dean, this job, I think it's over," Sam said, creasing his brows.
"I'm not so sure," the older hunter murmured.
"If Bill murdered Peter Sweeney and Peter's spirit got its revenge, case closed. The spirit should be at rest," Sam insisted.
"Alright, so what if we take off and this thing isn't done? You know, what if we've missed something? What if more people get hurt?" Dean questioned, a challenging tone in his voice.
"But why would you think that?"
"Because Lucas was really scared, and I just don't want to leave this town until I know the kid's okay."
Hannah closed her mouth when she realized her jaw had fallen slack. She could see the stunned look on Sam's face.
"Who are you? And what have you done with my brother?" Sam finally said, astounded by Dean's words.
Dean glanced at him and Hannah. "Shut up," he grumbled.
Hannah knew something was wrong when Lucas opened the front door with the most terrified expression she had ever seen on a child.
The boys hurried upstairs to where Lucas led them. Hannah instead went to the kitchen and searched for some salt. She found it in one of the cabinets and ran upstairs to where the noise was heard. Sam was struggling to pull Andrea out of the bathtub. Hannah opened the salt and poured it in the water. She jumped when she heard a hiss, but didn't dwell on it when Sam finally pulled Andrea all the way out of the tub.
"Here." Hannah handed Andrea a robe.
"Thank you," Andrea said between coughs.
"Hey." Hannah turned around and was a little surprised to see Dean holding Lucas. "Good thinking with the... you know, salt."
She smiled, shrugging. "I was taught by the best," she replied, thinking of her dad.
Bobby Singer was indisputably the best hunter in the community, and maybe she was just being biased because he was her dad, but who else could say that their father was the go-to hunter for everything supernatural?
No one, that's who.
Hannah realized that out of the three hunters, she was the most qualified to go in the lake if it came down to it. She was a varsity swimmer, leading her high school swim team to the championships thrice.
As Andrea changed and Dean tried speaking to Lucas, Hannah went outside to the Impala and opened the trunk. She grabbed her duffel bag, shut the trunk, and returned to Andrea's house. Hannah ignored the questioning look Sam and Dean shot her as she trudged upstairs to the bathroom. Stripping out of her clothes and underwear, Hannah slipped on a black one-piece before changing into a sundress. It would be easier to take off than jeans and a shirt.
Andrea was sitting on the couch. Her face was ashen, and her hands trembled. Hannah sat down next to her, putting a comforting arm around her. She noticed Dean and Sam rifling through the bookshelves, most likely searching for a reason why Peter's spirit tried to drown Andrea.
"It doesn't make any sense," Andrea cried, burying her face in her hands. "I'm going crazy."
"No, you're not," Hannah assured her. She rubbed Andrea's back. "Tell me what happened. Everything."
"I heard... I thought I heard... there was this voice," Andrea stammered, sniffling.
"What did it say?" Hannah urged her to continue.
"It said... it said 'come play with me'," Andrea answered then started to sob. "What's happening?"
Hannah chewed her lower lip, unable to explain what she and the boys were hunting without freaking her out even more. Instead, Hannah wrapped held her as she sobbed. She looked up to see Dean and Sam approach them, the former putting a scrapbook in front of Andrea.
"Do you recognize the kids in these pictures?" Dean asked Andrea.
"What? Um, no," she sputtered out. "I mean, except that's my dad right there. He must have been about twelve in these pictures."
Andrea pointed at a twelve year old boy standing besides Peter. Hannah widened her eyes, realizing what she suspected all along.
"Chris Barr's drowning," Sam said. "The connection wasn't to Bill Carlton. It must have been to the sheriff."
"Bill and the sheriff—they were both involved with Peter," Hannah breathed, locking eyes with Sam.
"What about Chris?" Andrea was nonplussed. "My dad—what are you talking about?"
Dean turned away from Andrea. Hannah followed his gaze and saw Lucas standing by the window. She swallowed thickly, her heart beat quickening. Lucas's muteness was already unsettling, but he seemed to have a connection with Peter. Did Lucas know who Peter's next victim would be?
"Lucas?" Dean said. Lucas continued staring out the window. "Lucas, what is it?"
"Lucas, honey?" Andrea called, getting up to follow him when he opened the front door. Hannah and the boys went after them.
Lucas stopped after a while, staring at the ground. Dean nodded at him then told Andrea to take Lucas back inside and stay there. Sam found shovels in a shed after Andrea opened it for them. Hannah stood aside, watching them dig.
"You could help, you know," Sam told her, scowling.
"Do you really need three people to dig something out of the ground?" Hannah questioned. "Be logical, Sam."
"You're just lazy," retorted Dean without looking up from the ground.
Hannah was about to respond, but a loud clank interrupted their squabble. Hannah watched as Dean and Sam pulled out a red bicycle with their hands. Pushing herself off the ground, Hannah went over to them and inspected the bike.
"Peter's bike," Sam said aloud.
The sound of a gun cocking made them freeze. Hannah forced herself to turn around, only to see Sheriff Devins pointing a gun at them. Dean's arm went over her stomach, pushing her back behind him.
"Who are you?" barked Sheriff Devins.
"Put the gun down, Jake," reasoned Sam, dropping the shovel.
"How did you know that was there?" Sheriff Devins demanded.
"What happened? You and Bill killed Peter, drowned him in the lake and then buried the bike?" The tone in Dean's voice edged on cocksure, as if he didn't have a gun pointed at him. "You can't bury the truth, Jake. Nothing stays buried."
Did he just make a pun?
"I don't know what the hell you're talking about," the sheriff said, but he couldn't fool them and he knew that.
"You and Bill killed Peter Sweeney thirty-five years ago. That's what the hell I'm talking about," Dean proclaimed confidently. "And now you got one seriously pissed-off spirit."
"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 going to stop until it does," Sam told him.
"Yeah?" Sheriff Devins' hand shook around his pistol. "How do you know that?"
"Because that's exactly what it did to Bill Carlton!" Hannah exclaimed from behind Dean. "Stop being stubborn and let us help you!"
"Listen to yourselves, the three of you. You're insane."
"I don't really give a rat's ass what you think of us," snapped Dean, done trying to convince Sheriff Devins. "But if we're going to 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."
"Dad, is this true?" Andrea asked, horror coloring her voice.
"No. Don't listen to them," her father said. "They're liars and they're dangerous."
"Something tried to drown me. Chris died on that lake," Andrea recounted, wretched. "Dad, look at me." Sheriff Devins finally tore his gaze away from Hannah and he boys. "Tell me you... you didn't kill anyone."
His silence was the only answer they needed.
"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."
Hannah felt her mouth go dry. She remembered being bullied all throughout her childhood and teenage years, but the taunts never went so far that they tried to kill her.
"Oh, Andrea, we were kids. We were so scared. It was a mistake, but, Andrea, to say that I have anything to do with these drownings, with Chris, because of some ghost? It's not rational," Sheriff Devins continued, shaking his head. Hannah wanted to slap him, shocked that he was still in denial over this.
"Alright," Dean spoke up, "Listen to me, all of you. We need to get you away from this lake, as far as we can, right now."
"Lucas!" Hannah suddenly shouted after seeing the little boy headed towards the lake. She unbuckled her ankle boots and ran towards the lake, not waiting for the others.
Hannah pulled her dress over her head and dived into the lake. The voices above her sounded distant, but she kept searching for Lucas. Her eyes widened when she spotted him, his body limp. Hannah kicked her legs forward and wrapped her arms around him then swam over to the dock. Dean took Lucas from her and put him on the dock. Andrea immediately tried waking him up and after a minute, Lucas started to cough up water.
"What happened?" Hannah asked him, noticing that Jake Devins was gone.
"He sacrificed himself," Dean answered, glancing back at Lucas. He reached out to help her. If the circumstances were different, Hannah would have stayed for a swim, but she took Dean's hand. "That was… kind of awesome, Hannah."
She could have smiled, but Andrea's sobbing stopped her. Sam climbed out a moment later and bent down near Andrea, murmuring something in her ear that made her cry harder. Hannah remembered what Dean had told her earlier. They couldn't save everyone.
"Sam, Hannah, Dean," called a familiar voice.
Hannah looked up from her phone and smiled when she saw that it was Andrea and Lucas. He was carrying a tray of sandwiches.
"Hey," Dean greeted, slamming the trunk shut.
"We're glad we caught you. We just, um, we made you lunch for the road," Andrea explained.
"Can I give it to them now?" Lucas asked, tilting his head up at his mom.
"Of course." Andrea smiled. She kissed the top of his head and watched him bound over to the Impala with Dean.
"How are you holding up?" Sam asked her softly.
"It's just gonna take a long time to sort through everything, you know?" Andrea replied, candid.
Hannah chewed her lower lip while Sam sighed, both feeling an equal amount of guilt.
"Andrea, I'm sorry," Hannah blurted out.
Andrea shook her head. "You saved my son. I can't ask for more than that," she said then smiled weakly. "Dad loved me. He loved Lucas. No matter what he did, I just have to hold on to that."
Hannah and Sam walked back to the Impala while Lucas went over to Andrea's side. Dean glanced at Hannah then at Andrea. Hannah smiled and gave a subtle nod, letting him know that he could do whatever he needed to do. She tilted her head upwards, preferring to look up at the clouds as Andrea and Dean kissed. Hannah heard Sam laugh beside her.
She looked back down when Sam nudged her. Dean was already sliding inside the driver's seat. Pushing the passenger seat forward, Hannah climbed in the backseat, careful not to accidentally sit on the sandwiches Dean and Lucas placed back there.
They waved goodbye to Andrea and Lucas as they drove away. Hannah was settling in the backseat and about to open one of her books when she felt the car slow down.
"What happened?" she asked, confused.
"You said you wanted to go to the movies," Sam reminded, looking at her. "You do remember saying you wanted to see Harry Potter, right?"
Hannah blinked then felt a smile spread across her face. She leapt forward and pulled both Sam and Dean into a hug. Sam laughed and Dean shook his head, smiling as Hannah practically bounced inside the movie theater.
