Chapter 3
They made their way out of the corner store.
"I mean, I know we've gone pretty ghetto with spell work before, but using a Sponge Bob placemat instead of an altar clothe?" Sam laughed. "I mean, that takes the cake."
"Yeah well, just put it Sponge Bob side down." Dean replied.
Jenny was shaking her head, smiling at everything when Sam suddenly went rigid. His face was blank and if she was certain lost a shade or two of color.
"Sam?" she asked, drawing Dean's attention.
"That's it. That's the sign."
"What is?" Dean asked, looking around while Sam pointed.
"Right there, behind that guy."
Dean turned and tried to find something, any indication there was something special about the man at the corner, but he couldn't. He looked to Jenny who shrugged. She didn't see anything either. But Sam did. Sam saw a glowing light encompassing the man with flowers.
"That's him, and we have to stop him."
The conviction in Sam's words worried both of them. Shuffling the bag in his arms, Sam was ready to charge the man. Dean and Jenny reached for him, Dean standing in his way, Jenny grabbing his arm to stop him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Dean said quickly. "Wait a minute."
"What are you doing? Let me go."
"You're not going to go kill someone cause a ghost told you to. You nuts?" Jenny asked, putting herself at Dean's side and in Sam's path.
"I'm not going to kill anybody. I'm gonna stop him."
"Define stop. What are you going to do?" Dean demanded.
Sam looked over his shoulder and watched the stranger get into his car. He looked back desperately at the two holding him.
"Please, he's going to hurt someone. You know it."
Dean seemed to mull over the words. He glanced to the man in his car and seemed to come to his own solution.
"Alright," he resigned when the car across the street started up. "Come on."
Dean unlocked his door and quickly got inside. Jenny and Sam went to the other side to get in, but both doors were locked. She growled her frustration while Sam pleaded to be let into the vehicle.
"The two of you go do the séance. I've got this." He said simply, starting up the Impala and leaving without bothering with a second glance.
"God he's an ass." Jenny sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She reached for Sam's arm and tugged on his jacket. "Come on. Let's get this over with."
Reluctantly, Sam seemed to oblige and followed her towards the church.
Breaking into a church… it felt dirty. While churches never technically closed, they were there for reasons other than confession and not only that, but the pair was setting up an altar to perform magic in the crypt. It just felt dirty.
"You're hoping this won't work, aren't you?" Jenny asked after a moment or two of complete silence.
Sam didn't speak for a while. He was flipping through his father's journal, trying to find the right incantation while Jenny set up the candles. He paused when she spoke. He wasn't sure just how honest he wanted to be.
"Honestly?" he asked. She looked up sadly and nodded. "Yeah. Part of me hopes this is a bust. You?"
She shrugged a shoulder and finished setting everything up. "I don't know. I know angels are real, I mean I'm not worried about that, but I honestly don't want to come across one."
"Why not?"
Jenny took a deep breath and stood. She hesitated to speak, wiping off her hands before meeting Sam's questioning eyes. The truth wanted so badly to come out, bubbling at the tip of her tongue.
"Maybe it's like meeting your heroes." She offered, hoping the lie would be palatable. "They're never what you expect."
A weak smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He nodded, understanding the reference, but still a little excited with the prospect.
"So," she clapped her hands together. "Let's say we get this show on the road, hm?"
This time Sam chuckled. He flipped a few more pages and found the right spell. Jenny stepped around the altar and to his side as he began to read the incantation. He read, kneeling by the candles to add the ingredients when he needed to.
Jenny stood back. She'd taken a spot against the wall near the corner. She chewed on her thumb as she waited for whatever was going to happen to happen. The voices of the spirits echoed in her ears, whispering their haunting words and stirring as Sam read. She slammed her eyes shut; trying to drown them out, but it was difficult. They grew louder the longer Sam read. She always heard them… always.
A loud sizzle and pop made Jenny open her eyes again. When she had, she noticed the white smoke spill from the flame, but something else. They were no longer alone, and it wasn't a spirit that found them. Her jaw went lax as she stared at the black robe of Father Reynolds.
"Oh god," she muttered.
"What are you doing?" the priest demanded loudly, drawing attention from Sam.
The young man soon mirrored Jenny's reaction, pure and utter shock.
"Uh," he stammered.
He looked frantically from the spell work to the priest and back again. His mind swam with something he could tell him, anything that would explain what he was doing in the middle of the crypt performing an obvious spell. Sam finally decided on something and slammed the journal shut, standing to approach the man of God.
"Father, uh… I can explain… uh," he continued to stammer, unable to find the footing he needed. "Actually, maybe I can't…" his eyes darted to the corner. "Little help here?"
Father Reynolds turned and noticed Jenny for the first time. When he approached to pay his respects to his fallen friends, he hadn't expected to see Sam or what he was doing. It drew his attention so completely, he never noticed the other person.
"Father," she said, stepping around him and making her way to Sam's side. "This isn't as bad as it looks. Promise."
"Right." Sam chimed. "I mean, it's just a séance."
"A séance?" he asked angrily. "Young man, this is a house of God."
"It's based on early Christian rites if that helps any." He offered weakly.
"That's enough." He snapped. Father Reynolds grabbed both Jenny and Sam's arms. "The two of you are coming with me."
"Father wait, please." Sam begged as they were being led out of the crypt.
No sooner than they reached the doors, a brilliant white light began to pulse around them. It lit the dark chamber like the mid-day sun and forced the Father to turn.
"Oh my god." He gasped in awe. "Is that… is that an angel?"
"No, it's not." Sam said softly. He felt his heart sink. Jenny noticed and reached for his hand. Sam felt it and looked to her, managing a weak smile and gripping her hand tighter. "It's just Father Gregory."
The white light began to solidify, slowly but surely taking the form of the young man that had been summoned. He smiled warmly, his hands clamped together in front of him as though he were ready to give a sermon.
"Thomas?" Reynolds breathed.
"I've come in answer to your prayers." Father Gregory said kindly. When his eyes left that of the stunned priest, he noticed Jenny and Sam. His smile fell. "Sam, I thought I sent you on your path. You should hurry."
"I'm sorry Father," Sam said as he, Reynolds and Jenny stepped back into the room, the young woman releasing his hand. "But you're not an angel."
Father Gregory breathed a smile. "Of course I am."
"No," Sam said sadly. "You're a man, a spirit, and you need to rest."
"I was a man." Gregory corrected, continuing to try and exude a power he simply didn't have. "But now I'm an angel. I was on the steps of the church, and I felt that bullet pierce right through me, but I felt no pain. And suddenly I could see, I could see everything. I saw you Father Reynolds, praying and crying here, so I've come to help you."
"Help me how?" he asked. "By driving innocent people to murder?"
"Those people are given the chance for redemption." He said, his eyes slowly shifting to Sam. "Some people can use redemption, don't they Sam?"
He fidgeted under the weight of the spirit's gaze. It had already been proven Father Gregory was strong enough to read minds. That gave him a power that made Sam very uncomfortable.
"How can you call this redemption?" Reynolds asked.
"You can't understand now, but the rules of man and the rules of God are two very different things."
"Those people you helped are locked up now." Jenny said. "They're in jail because of what you did."
Father Gregory's eyes shifted to her for the first time since he'd appeared. He eyed her curiously for a moment, tilting his head to the side as he examined her.
"There is something different about you." He said curiously. Sam looked to the young woman beside him and noticed her flinch and take a step back. "And they're happy now, at peace. I've given them the keys to Heaven."
"No," Father Reynolds sighed heavily. "This is wrong. This is vengeance. You're not an angel. Men cannot become angels. Thou shalt not kill, that's the word of God."
"But I don't understand… I'm here to help people."
"No," Reynolds repeated.
"Let us help you. You need to rest." Sam said sadly, beginning to pity the late priest who only wanted to do some good.
"Thomas, let me give you last rites." Reynolds said, stepping towards the young man.
Father Gregory looked lost, frightened, and it made Sam feel even worse. He could tell the man truly thought he was doing good for the world, and he was, but he went about it the wrong way. He was condemning evil souls by condemning innocent ones.
Jenny continued to hold Sam's hand as Father Reynolds read the wayward priest his last rites. She glanced to the young man at her side and her stomach plummeted. She felt so guilty now. Sam wanted nothing more than to believe, to believe in something more than him, to believe there was something better in the world than what he'd been raised on and now it was taken from him. Still holding his hand firmly, Jenny clutched his arm in her free hand and hugged it to her side to silently console him. Sam did little more than tense his grip just enough to let her know he understood what she was doing.
Within seconds, Father Gregory turned luminous once more and disappeared shortly afterward. Reynolds was too stunned by what he'd witnessed to notice either young person cleaning up the spell work they'd laid out on the crypt floor or that they disappeared a few minutes later without a word.
Jenny's car was closer than the hotel so the pair walked to it first. She popped her trunk so they could put everything away before she and Sam headed towards the hotel. Neither spoke for what felt like an eternity, not even after making it back before Dean. Jenny had taken a seat at the table near the window, but Sam was filled with nervous energy. He wanted to keep moving and since the job was done, packing was the only logical thing to pursue. After nearly twenty minutes of watching him avoid eye contact and speaking, Jenny stood. She gently touched his arm and drew his eyes. She smiled as warmly as she could.
"It's okay, Sammy." She told him sweetly. His brows came together so tightly it looked painful, but Jenny kept the smile as best she could. She reached up and touched his cheek. "Come here."
Sam fell into the hug Jenny beckoned him towards. He wrapped his arms around her and held tight while she threaded her fingers through his hair to cradle him to her. Jenny's eyes closed as she held the man nearly six inches taller than her as though he were an ailing child needing his mother's comfort. Sam buried his face in the nape of her neck and squeezed her as though she'd help steady his wavering belief system.
"Don't let this get to you." She finally said. "You hear me?"
Sam pulled back just enough he could speak, but continued to hold her.
"I just wanted this to be real." He told her sadly. "I just…"
"I know." Jenny gently ran her fingers through his hair before they parted. "But listen to me, angels are real. You know it. I can tell."
"I'm not so sure anymore."
She smiled softly. "Like I told Dean, no demons without angels. You can't have one without the other, right?"
"I guess." He muttered.
Sam knew logically she might have been right, but he didn't feel it anymore. He didn't feel like there was anything good in the world and after hearing what their dad had told Dean about Sam possibly going crazy… he didn't know anything. But he'd lie. He was good at that.
The thundering sound of the Impala echoed around them. With a glance over her shoulder, Jenny could see Dean pulling up. She looked back to Sam and noticed him force a soft smile.
"I guess I'll be heading out, give you guys some time." She said.
Sam nodded again. He leaned forward and hugged her again just as Dean stepped into the hotel room. He was only mildly surprised she was there.
When they parted, Jenny gave Sam a light kiss on the cheek and another parting smile. She turned to Dean and could tell immediately he was shaken by whatever happened while he was gone. She raised a curious brow, but he simply shook his head in lieu of answering. She was smart enough to know that whatever shook him up was bad enough he didn't feel like talking about it right then.
"Come here," she said to him, holding her arms out and approaching for a hug. Dean obliged and even put more effort into it than the last one. When she pulled back she gave him the same peck she'd given his brother and soft smile. "You boys be good, okay?" she teased lightly as she stepped towards the door. "And please, call me if you need some help. Lord knows you'd be lost without me."
They each gave her their own weak, sarcastic smile. She waved and left without another word to the pair.
Jenny's smile fell the moment they couldn't see it anymore. The cold twinge she'd grown accustomed to had come back and was seeping into her bones again. It always happened when she was alone…
She pushed the feeling down as best she could and got into her car to leave.
Jenny planned on leaving Rhode Island in the morning. She was in the process of making her way further north and knew she'd probably end up in Maine before she was done, but she had to keep going. She always had to keep moving…
Knowing she planned to be on the road first thing in the morning, Jenny stopped off at the first gas station she found between the guys' hotel and her own. It was a little convenience store with a gas pump. Perfect. She could top off too. First came the gas with the forged credit card. Jenny didn't like to say stolen… it wasn't technically stolen, it just didn't have her name on it.
The pump clicked telling her the tank was full. Replacing it in its cradle, she stepped inside. Jenny wandered aimlessly through the aisle and picked up her guilty pleasures as she went. It was nearly one in the morning and abandoned. She preferred not having to deal with people… she didn't like people.
With arms full of snacks and energy drinks that would help her while she drove, Jenny made her way to the counter. The girl behind the register started checking things off while Jenny dug through her pocket for her card again. She hadn't looked up at first, but when she had her stomach fell. A black mist surrounded the cashier and Jenny knew exactly what it was. Her blood went cold and her stomach twisted into familiar, painful knots.
"Having a good night?" the cashier asked happily.
Her voice snapped Jenny out of her daze.
"Yeah." She answered. She plastered a fake smile on her lips immediately. Jenny noticed her nametag. "How about you, Ashley?"
Ashley seemed mildly taken aback before glancing to her chest. She giggled at forgetting.
"Good so far." She nodded with a smile. Jenny felt her heart ache. Ashley's night wasn't going to end well…
Jenny found herself examining the young woman ringing up her purchases. She was young, maybe thirty at the oldest which made the mist all the more heartbreaking to see. She smiled, was friendly and personable and there was a ring on her left ring finger. Jenny closed her eyes and tried to keep them from burning. Ashley had a family.
"That's a gorgeous ring." Jenny finally said. She motioned to the single diamond resting on a simple band. Honestly, it was nothing special, but Jenny had to have a lead into her plan and that was the best she could do.
"Awe, thank you." Ashley sighed sweetly.
"Your husband's okay with you working over nights?" Jenny asked bluntly. "Isn't this kind of dangerous?"
The mist grew denser. Jenny had to hurry. She only had a few minutes at best.
"Nah." Ashley waved her hand dismissively as though it were a trivial thing. "Nothing ever happens here." She giggled. "And he's my fiancé. We just got engaged."
"Congratulations." Jenny said. She tried to look as though she wasn't about to cry, but when Ashley looked up, Jenny knew she was failing.
"Are… are you okay?" Ashley asked tentatively. She could see Jenny's eyes tinting pink and starting to glass over.
"It's nothing," It was Jenny's turn to wave her hand dismissively. "It's just…" she hesitated.
"What?" Ashley asked in the same worried tone.
Jenny looked up at her and saw the mist growing even darker than before. It wouldn't be long now.
"I was engaged, not that long ago actually and uh…" Jenny felt her throat tense and scratch because she knew she was about to cry. "One night, he was on his way home from work. He called me to say he was going to pick up some dinner." Her head dropped systematically. Jenny wondered how the lies could flow so easily from her tongue. "He never made it. Drunk driver."
"Oh my god." She gasped softly. Jenny looked up and forced a smile, but it was weak and sad. Tears had already begun to gently trail down her cheeks. "I am so sorry."
"Thanks." She said softly. "The only thing I regret is I didn't even tell him I loved him when he called. Seems like such a silly thing, but it's what you remember. People forget how fast everything can change."
A car pulling up caught their attention briefly. The headlights shined through the window and Jenny knew then who it was. She looked back to Ashley and noticed everything had been bagged and tagged. She swiped her credit card and began to sign for her purchase as the door dinged when someone came in. She tried not to look.
When the receipt printed out and Ashley tore it off, Jenny met her eyes again.
"Call your guy." Jenny told her. "Tell him you love him."
"Yeah." Ashley nodded heavily.
Jenny went about gathering her bags and noticed Ashley take out her cell phone. She was texting him. It'd have to do.
As she left, Jenny glanced over her shoulder. The man who'd come in while she was at the register was eying her, waiting for her to leave, but trying to appear like he was looking at food. She glanced to Ashley. The mist was nearly choking the young woman out. Jenny sighed and her stomach twisted again. There was nothing else she could do.
Jenny walked to her car and glanced to the only other one in the parking lot. She committed it to memory as she put her things in her passenger side. When she stepped around and looked over her car at the store, she noticed the man inside staring at her through the window before noticing she was looking at him. Against her better judgment, Jenny got into her car and drove off. She didn't go far, only down the road enough she wouldn't be seen and pulled over. Reaching into her glove box, she pulled out another burner phone and dialed 911.
"911, what's the location and nature of your emergency?" the operator asked simply.
"I'd like to report a murder." Jenny said as evenly as she could. There was a pause on the other end which she expected. "At the Quick K market." No sooner than the words left her lips, Jenny heard the gunshot. She jumped and her eyes drifted shut. She briefly saw Ashley's smiling face in her mind.
"Ma'am, how do you know this?" the operator asked with obvious apprehension.
"The man you're looking for is middle-aged white male, short brown hair and heavy build." She said as though the operator hadn't asked anything. "He's driving a late model Honda Accord, white, license plate number 44K2MO."
"Ma'am, what's your name?"
"My name?" she asked. Suddenly a car sped passed her. Jenny recognized it immediately. "He's heading north on 95."
"Ma'am, what is your name?" the operator demanded.
Jenny said nothing else. She ended the call and pulled back onto the road. She rolled down her window and dropped the phone onto the freeway when she was going fast enough. With a glance into her mirror, Jenny noticed it shatter and knew she'd be fine.
Her eyes began to water again and her brow furrowed. Alone, Jenny couldn't fight the tears. She began to cry. Her hands tensed around her steering wheel to the point her knuckles turned white. The mist never lied… it was never wrong… It always knew who was going to die and she could see it…
