The Man in Black

BLB-I'm getting to the point of this, slowly but surely. I do not own Supernatural. Also if you have any feedback or advice for me on how to improve this or even where I should go with this. I'm open to suggestions, just not flames.

Chapter Three

When Sam woke up he discovered Dean cuddling with Michelle on his bed. The small girl was pressed against Dean's chest engulfed in his brother's strong arms, they both looked so peaceful. There was something going on between his brother and Michelle, but he didn't quite understand it. The two seemed to balance each other out, the girl was opening up his brother a little bit and with Dean that was huge. Sam wondered if it was just Dean's protective instincts, or something more. One thing he knew about his brother was that he wanted to protect anyone he could, and save people especially him and maybe even Michelle.

Although Sam still wondered was how Michelle ended up in the bed with his brother, did Dean just reach over and pull her onto the bed unconsciously, or had Michelle chosen to climb into the bed with Dean when she woke up late last night. He didn't have much more time to think about it, because Dean sat up and stretched leaving Michelle on the bed.

"What time is it?" Dean asked Sam with a yawn.

"6 am," Sam responded.

"In the morning? Where does the day go?" Dean asked, before getting up and going into the bathroom. He was gone for a few minutes, before returning to the room only to see Sam powering up his laptop to do a search on the name that the receptionist had given them last night.

"So what's the plan for today?" Sam asked looking up at his brother, who looked like he was getting ready to go somewhere.

"I was going to got get coffee and breakfast while you did what you do best," Dean muttered in response, taking a seat on the edge of Sam's bed to put on his boots and lace them up.

"Yeah, I was going to do a search on that name that the receptionist gave me last night, I figured that would be a good start," Sam answered, but since Michelle was still sound asleep he decided to ask about Michelle. "So what happened with Michelle last night?"

Dean shrugged. "I'm not sure. She woke me up, looking pale and freaked out about something. It's not like she can explain what she is feeling, or anything for that matter. I just did for her what I would do for you Sam, tried my best to make the monsters go away, but it takes more than anything I can do in the end."

Michelle stirred, before sitting up slowly catching the tail end of their conversation. "Morning Princess," Dean said and Sam nodded before typing away on his laptop. She just got up off of the bed and went back over to the couch grabbing her book and drawing a dark pair of eyes on the paper, the eyes that she still felt watching her to this moment.

"Michelle?" Dean's voice brought her attention back to him. "I'm going to grab breakfast and some stuff, you want to come with me? Sam is in his research zone, so he won't be in the talkative mood." Michelle flashed him a 'you act like you are look', before Dean could continue. "I'm just saying if you want to tag along, you can." Michelle nodded, crossing the room to get her little boots and put them on, before crossing the room and returning to where Dean stood by the door. "Michelle is coming with me Sam." Sam mumbled a quiet response, before waving them away. "That is the all clear," Dean quipped, before he took her hand and opened the door, leaving the stuffy room behind them.

She hadn't expected for him to let her walk, but there he was grasping her hand in his. Dean's usual pace was slowed, which Michelle thought would bother him, but when she tugged his sleeve bringing his green gaze to her, Dean just smirked at her worried expression. "I'm in no hurry, stretch your little legs. I'm right with you," Dean breathed, keeping pace with Michelle no matter how hard it was for him to do.

They had walked all the way to the Impala before Dean picked her up to put her into the car, when he scooped her up Michelle had reflexively grabbed onto his t-shirt clutching the soft fabric in her little fist. "Relax, I'm not going to drop you," Dean said, before he unlocked the car and got in setting her down on the leather bench seat that made up the front of the car. The familiar sound of the car's engine roared to life, breaking the silence of the early morning. The sound of the engine was something that comforted Michelle, it had lulled her to sleep when she was the size of Dean's finger and still did to this day, but it was more than that this car was becoming a part of her life, the reliable vehicle that ruled the pavement; taking her boys from where they were, to where they needed to go.

As if Dean knew what she was thinking, he patted the steering wheel in a loving gesture, before speaking. "There is no car like her, she was my Dad's, me and Sam spent a lot of time with her growing up and then after I finally turned sixteen my Dad gave her to me."

Michelle nodded, just as Dean put the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking lot heading towards a local diner, where he could hopefully get a few breakfasts to go. 'Stinkie's' probably wasn't the best place Dean had ever stopped for breakfast, but it certainly wasn't the worst. He had took Michelle in with her carrying her this time, receiving looks from all of the women in the diner, who looked like Michelle was the first cute baby they had seen in a long time.

Dean ignored them as he approached the counter taking a seat on one of the stools as he waited for someone to ask for his order. A sunny blonde girl that was looked like maybe she was a senior in high school, she flashed them her pearly whites, before approaching them with a little menu and her waitress notebook open.

"So what can I get for you?" The blonde asked. "Or do you two need a minute?"

"Uh, no I think we are good," Dean responded, as the girl looked at Michelle and made a funny face at her only getting a look of disgust from Michelle. "The kids a little weird, especially when people flock like she is the oasis in the middle of the desert."

"Sorry," the blonde muttered, her blue eyes meeting Michelle's brown eyes but Michelle gave her a smile and a little giggle letting her know that it was okay.

"I need three breakfasts to go, two of the breakfast sandwiches and what'll it be Michelle?" Dean asked, wanting to give Michelle the choice no matter how small it was. The blonde girl and Dean both paused as Michelle looked at the menu, she took the thing from Dean before pointing at a picture of two small pancakes covered with colorful berries. The waitress looked at what she was point and nodded.

"Good choice, I'll have Old Stinkie make them a little smaller for you Sweetie," the blonde said before she bustled into the kitchen and shouted orders to Stinkie in the kitchen.

Dean and Michelle waited in silence before the blonde girl returned to talk to them. "It might be a while, Stinkie is on a smoke break and there are a few tickets before yours."

"Don't worry about it," Dean said. "Is there anyway I can get a cup of coffee while we wait?" Blondie nodded, opening her mouth to ask how he took it, but Dean answered before she had even uttered a word. "Black."

Blondie, whose nametag read 'Carley' poured Dean coffee into a white mug before handing it to him. "So, what brings you guys to Bend?"

"We are looking into the Tommy Hicks murder. Something doesn't seem right about this to me," Dean paused to take a sip of his coffee, the wave of warmth and energy flooded him as he swallowed the dark liquid. "The local cops think it was Nancy Hicks, but the lady was so shaken and guilt-ridden I don't think she was capable of it."

Carley shook her head. "Nancy didn't do it. She loved that little boy, the same way you love your daughter. She would've never let anything happen to him, which is why it was such a shock when it did."

"She isn't my daughter, Michelle is my niece. My little brother's girl," Dean explained patting Michelle on the head.

"Sorry, I just assumed," Carley muttered.

"It's alright. I just don't know where to start you know, the parents seem innocent and the cops couldn't find anything connecting them to what happened to Tommy. It just doesn't add up," Dean stated taking another drink of his coffee.

"You'll think I am crazy for saying this, but it was 'the Man in Black'," Carley responded, before someone came behind the counter to help her even though it was a slow morning. Since she was off the hook for the moment she came out from behind the counter and sat next to Dean on the same side as Michelle. "Since Joe just started I can talk for a while."

Dean nodded wanting her to continue her thought. Carley wanted to hold Michelle, without anyone saying anything Michelle wrapped an arm around Carley's neck and let herself be held by the waitress. "The Man in Black?" Dean asked trying to get her to continue.

Carley just merely nodded. "It is what folks around here call the ghost that lives in the hospital." The girl looked at Dean trying to gauge how crazy the man had thought she was after she had told him that. When he urged her on she continued. "Very few people actually believe it, because the only people that saw him were children."

"And you believe them?" Dean asked, knowing there was more to this story.

"I do, because I saw him and so did Tommy," Carley said, waiting for Dean to say something.

"You saw him? But I thought only children saw him?" Dean asked.

"I know I look a lot older than I am, but I just turned fifteen. I only work here 'cause my Dad owns the place," Carley muttered.

"So Stinkie is your Dad?" Dean chuckled. "I really don't want to know how he got that nickname."

Carley nodded, before bringing attention back to what she was saying. "The man just stood there watching me, every move I made he followed. I just thought that he was a doctor, maybe playing a prank on me but I found out the doctor that it was had died weeks before in a fire. I felt like I was being followed for a while, like I always had eyes on me, but then it just stopped." Dean nodded, recognizing the same feeling that Nancy had described to him yesterday.

Someone, who Dean assumed was Joe came out of the kitchen with a brown paper bag. "Carls, to go order, two breakfast sandwiches and the flapjacks."

"Over here," Carley called motioning towards Dean and Michelle. "It's on the house."

"No, no kid, I can pay for it," Dean insisted.

"Pay for it by getting rid of the ghost, or proving Nancy's innocence." Carley looked into his eyes becoming more serious than he had ever a teenager before. "Do you're job, I know you aren't a cop, but don't worry secrets safe with me." She put the figurative key in her mouth, locking it and then throwing it away. The girl gave Michelle back to Dean, before turning away to leave. She was back behind the counter, before she muttered one last thing, "If you need someone to watch your niece, I'm here all week."

"Thanks for everything." Dean gathered the food and Michelle, before carrying both of them out to the Impala. "There's my research. We should probably head back, before Mother Sam gets worried about his little chick," Dean teased. "But first I want to get some beer and make a phone call first." With that said Dean started up the car and they headed towards the nearest convenient store, as soon he put the car in park he pulled out his cellphone. The light from the screen casted a shadow on his face as Dean considered whether or not to call his father for the hundredth time.

After a few minutes of thinking about it Dean just did it. He dialed his father's phone number only getting the voicemail once again. After his father's familiar voice explained that he couldn't be contacted and gave out Dean's number for anyone that needed their help urgently. Dean sighed, before beginning to speak, "Hey Dad, it's Dean again. I don't even know if you listen to these messages or not, but it would be really nice if you could call me back. Sam is with me and we found Michelle, you remember Ralph? Me and Sam found Michelle cursed and hiding in the town's inn, the damn demon was hunting her for ten years. I'm putting together a real rag-tag team of monster fighters. Bye." Dean hung up the phone and Michelle just looked at him with a slight sadness in her eyes as she looked at him. "Don't worry about it, I haven't heard from Dad in a while. He's missing and that is the main reason Sam is coming with me. We are going to find him."

Michelle nodded pointing to herself, trying to tell him that she was going to help them. Dean seemed to understand what she was saying. "I'm going to grab beer, you will be alright here for a few minutes?" Dean asked. Michelle nodded in response from where she sat next to the bag of food. "Stay with the car, bite anyone that looks threatening to her or you and most importantly she'll keep you safe." After that Dean got out of the car and walked into the small store.

"Come play with me," A voice spoke from behind her, but when Michelle turned around there was nothing there. "You'll be safer with him. He won't leave you alone." A cold hand reached out of the darkness and clutched her shoulder. It was a child's hand about the size of her own and it was trying to pull her into the shadow of the backseat.

"No!" Michelle screamed. She wasn't used to her own voice and neither was the ghost because it receded back into the shadows satisfied with watching her.

Dean felt like someone was following him, like there were eyes were on him even when he was in the Impala. At first he thought that it was just Michelle's eyes that were bugging him out, but even in this nearly empty convenient store he still felt like someone was watching and taking in his every move. He quickened his pace not wanting to leave Michelle alone any longer than he had to. Dean paid for the beer and nearly jogged back out to the car to check on Michelle.

Michelle was still there, but something had the girl as white as a sheet and panting like she had ran a mile nonstop. He flipped open the door and got in quickly setting his case of beer in the back.

"Hey, Buddy!" Someone yelled at Dean so he turned to look, there was an older looking man watching him. "This may be a small town off the interstate, but that doesn't mean you should leave a kid alone in the car like that, you never know when someone might take off with her."

"Okay, thanks for the warning," Dean muttered, before getting into the Impala and putting his focus on Michelle. "Hey, what's wrong?" The girl was trying to catch her breath, and Dean was inclined to let her. Michelle held out the drawing that she did last night and pointed to the tall man in black. "What he is here?" Dean asked and Michelle nodded frantically her blonde curls bobbed up and down at the motion. "Where?"

Michelle pointed to the back of the car where she could feel the cold gaze on her. From the way Dean looked at her after that Michelle could tell that he felt something as well. "It isn't that far to the hotel, just stay calm the last thing I need is for you to get possessed. Breathe and we will figure this out. I promise."

Michelle nodded, shooting Dean a look that asked 'do you feel it?' Dean nodded,"If you mean, like someone is watching your every move then yes. I have felt it since we left that hospital, but I thought it was just you and Sam sending me freak vibes or something."

After that Dean peeled out of the parking lot and headed back towards where Sam was waiting for them at the hotel. The ride was about two minutes long and by the time they made it back Michelle was more than ready to get out of the car. Dean got out before grabbing the bag of food and the case of beer, Michelle slid to the edge of the bench seat before positioning herself to get down. "What do you need me to help you get down?" Dean teased causing Michelle to shoot him a glare. That was when she hopped down and managed to shut the heavy door of the car behind her before standing next to Dean. "You go first, if you fall I'll be behind you," Dean muttered down to Michelle. The girl nodded before leading the way up to the room. Dean really told her that so that she would be in his sight the entire time, no one would be snatching Michelle while he watched her.

When Michelle made it to the door, she pounded on it a few times before Dean slid the key card into it and flipped the door open only to find Sam asleep on the bed with the laptop open. Michelle instantly went over to her notebooks and began reading and scribbling down random things into it. Dean gave her the pancakes before waking up Sam. "Hey Nancy Drew, get up." He shook Sam until his brother jolted awake.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked.

"Just thought you want to eat," Dean responded handing Sam his sandwich. "I also want to know what you found out."

"We'll get into that after we eat," Sam said shutting his laptop and taking a bite of the sandwich.