Supernatural
1-2-3 The Devil's After Me.
Pilot Part 4
Natalie thought Bridget's head was gonna explode when she turned a violent shade of red.
Did they do more than just kiss...not going there.
Natalie gave a frustrated sigh and stepped aside. "So...uhh…what are you doing in Minnesota?" \
He walked in looking in all the corners of the room as he entered, looked up even, and smiled slightly. "That's kinda clever little sis," He nodded up at the trap and naturally gravitated towards the kitchen."And a guy can't come by and see his sister?" he asked, opening cupboards looking for plates.
"Left of the fridge- top shelf," Nat instructed, "That's fine...but they usually call first."
Dean just shrugged, "Thought about it. Besides, you were kinda busy today. How was Pastor Jim?"
Remembering her creepy feeling of being watched earlier rose to the surface. "Where you spying on me?" Her voice almost reached a high indignant squeak.
"Come on Nat. I was there for backup, I thought you would have seen me coming any way."
Natalie continued to glare, "Clearly, I didn't. Why are you really here?"
Dean glanced at Natalie with this look, it was his clever little way of saying 'shits gone down' "Can I talk to you outside?" he asked.
Sighing, Natalie nodded, "Sure. Bridge, we'll be right back."
Her brother winked at her roommate before following Natalie outside. "Okay…what's wrong? You wouldn't come get me unless it was something big."
"When was the last time you heard from dad?" He asked, leaning against the wall, ill at ease on the surface, but a whole mess of emotions boiling under his skin. Natalie wondered how she missed it before.
"About three weeks ago." Nat answered.
"Damnit." Dean muttered. "I haven't talked to him in nearly four, even then it was brief."
"Sam hasn't seen him either."
Dean perked up, "You talked to Sam? How's he doing?"
"Good. He's doing really good," Natalie bobbed her head, Sam was great. He had always been as awkward as a fish out of water. Stanford was his pond.
Dean nodded, a small, sad smile pulled at his lips.
"He misses you," She supplied.
Dean kicked the wall a little with his shoe, "Why doesn't he call then?" He peeked up at her from his lowered head.
"Two way street bro," Nat said with a shrug.
Dean just nodded, clenching his jaw, "He's always been a stubborn little bitch."
"What do you think happened to dad? He said he was hunting something in Jericho California last I heard…" Nat said, changing the topic. They needed to stow away the crap and wait for a better time to deal with it. First things first. Dad.
"Yeah that's right…he's missed all the check ins we have set up. His phone keeps going straight to voicemail."
"Right," Natalie said with a sigh, "Want me to help you find him?"
"I thought I'd have to ask, or beg." Dean said with a slight smirk.
"Don't confuse me helping, with me being back in the hunting game. Once we find him, you're bringing me back."
"Fair." Dean agreed with a sigh.
"We leave at noon tomorrow. Come eat some dinner, Lord knows you've eaten at every greasy spoon you could find from where ever you were to here."
"Hey, the grub in New Orleans was pretty damn good! I got feed pretty well down there," he said rubbing his stomach, following his sister back into the apartment.
"Help with a Salt'n'Burn tonight? I promised someone."
"Sure. You know me. Always up to start a fire." He said, bouncing on his heels.
"Good. You get to meet Bert."
Dean stopped in his tracks… "Whose Bert?"
Natalie waited till long after midnight before heading out with her brother to the graveyard where Tommy was buried.
"Did the ghost not cross over?" Dean asked, taking the first digging shift as Natalie held the flashlight.
"No, he did," Natalie smiled a little, rubbing the cut on her palm. They've had to dig with worse injuries.
"How'd the family handle it?" He stopped digging a second to wipe the sweat off his brow.
"Hard. They always do."
Dean nodded, holding his lips in a hard line. "What was their story?"
"Tommy…he, um, lived in an echo for a long time. I got all my info when I could get him talking. His father left for Vietnam, and left him a gold watch on a chain to look after while he was gone, he lost it in a street brawl and someone knifed him."
Dean's lips were held in a tight line, shaking his head, "Humans. The worst sort of monster out there," he muttered.
Natalie nodded in agreement. "He hid on the fire escape all night, scared to go inside and tell his mom he lost the watch. He passed out from blood loss, falling off the escape and hitting his head. Lasted about a week in the hospital as a vegetable before passing."
Dean just gritted his teeth, "It's a thousand wonders he wasn't corporeal."
"Ready to swap?" Natalie asked, changing the subject.
"Nah, I've been in a car almost all day. I'm good, 'sides, you got a bandage on your hand."
"We've dug but graves with worse."
"Doesn't mean we have to now though. How'd you get it?"
"A summoning ritual. I summoned Reapers to get Tommy."
"Like…a spell?" He asked.
"Like a spell." Nat confirmed.
"So…Sam goes off to Stanford, and you go off to Hogwarts. Fan-freakin-tastic.
Dean leaned against a grave stone drenched in sweat, the heat from the fire burning away the bones were not helping.
"Here, I have an extra shirt to change into after we re-fill it." Natalie handed it over along with a water bottle.
"Boyfriend?" he asked, looking at the band logo he didn't recognize.
"Nah, I just like to keep extra shirts on hand just in case, found a big batch at a yard sale. And I'm not letting you back in my truck all wet and smelly." Natalie sat down next to a grave and watched the fire start to die down in Tommy's final resting place.
Dean shrugged and pulled his shirt off and rolled it up, finding a dry pit to wipe his face. "Your truck has a pretty nice set up."
"Thanks. I'm gonna leave it at Bobby's when we go get Sam, there's no way I'm leaving my truck and its arsenal with Bridget.
"Fair," Dean nodded and moved to sit on the ground next to his sister. He nudged her with his shoulder in a playful sibling like gesture. "Missed ya, and sorry I missed your call earlier."
"Chick flick moment bro? Really?"
He just snorted and stood back up. "Okay. Hard part's over, gonna fill it back up again."
"I'm helping." she said, grabbing the spare shovel.
The layer of grass they had carefully cut up was laid back over the grave, along with a pack of cigarettes. Natalie smiled a little and ran her fingers over the top of the grave in farewell as she followed her brother back to her truck.
Dean sighed as he slipped the clean shirt over his head. "You still haven't told me who Bert is…"
Natalie smirked and gestured to her truck.
"Classy." He laughed and climbed into the passenger seat.
They sat in silence in the cab for a second. "I've been thinking...maybe it is time I join you and dad again"
Dean looked surprised, "Really? You'll come back?"
Natalie nodded, and started the car and jerked the gear shift into drive, "I'll have some conditions with dad...like no burning bones and questions later. We'll deal with spirits my way. I'm not going to blindly condemn souls to who knows what when I know I can get them to where they belong."
"Fair enough Ghost Whisperer," Dean smiled.
The sky was looking rosy as the begging of sun rise started over the horizon as her truck rolled back into the main part of town. "Coffee?" Natalie asked.
"Please." Dean mumbled, setting his head back in the seat and getting comfortable for a quick nap.
There was still a lot to do.
Resign from work, pack up, drop truck with Bobby, get Sam, and find dad.
A Winchester's work was never done.