A/N: Happy 4th of July to those of you in the US. Thank you for deciding to read my story. I hope you are being entertained. So we find out Valerie's role in saving Sam, did anyone guess what it is? I do like to know what you think of the story, reviews are always welcome. NC
Chapter 7
Valerie stared around as Bobby turned into the salvage yard. She had been out here only once since knowing Sam and was curious about everything. She had seen a couple of things that puzzled her but didn't question Sam about it. Bobby pulled up to the house and parked. Valerie got out and waited for him to come around the truck and head up the steps. He opened the front door and motioned for her to go inside.
"Ya want something to drink or eat?" Bobby asked her leading her into the kitchen where he started a pot of coffee. "Oh and don't touch the decor, it's probably loaded."
"Something to drink would be nice." she said standing by the table and watching him a hint of unease coursing through her wondering what he meant. She glanced around slowly trying to spot what he was talking about.
"Go on and look in the fridge. There's bound to be something you'd like."
"Ok." she said shyly going to the fridge, looking inside and getting a can of root beer. She went over to the table and took a seat before opening it and taking a small sip.
"Make yerself at home, don't get but three channels on the old set out there but ya can see what's on or there's probably a book or magazine out there ya can look at. I gotta do some research before Sam's Daddy and brother get here."
"Can I help?"
"Don't think that's a good idea. This ain't yer normal research here."
"Alright, but let me help if I can please. Sam's my friend and I want to do whatever I can too."
"I will lass."
spn
Time passed by slowly for Valerie as she sat at the table thumbing through a car magazine she had found out by the couch. She sipped on her root beer and wondered what Bobby was researching. She looked up when the front door opened and new voices could be heard coming into the house. Valerie sat perfectly still when a hot looking guy a little older than Sam strolled into the kitchen and went to the fridge to pull out a beer. She followed him with her eyes afraid to move a muscle. He twisted the top off the bottle and took a long swallow before turning to head back into the other room when he finally saw Valerie sitting at the table staring wide eyed at him.
"Who are you?" Dean asked stepping toward the table.
"I...I'm Sam's friend." Valerie stuttered out just loud enough to hear. "Valerie."
"You're the one who called me?"
"Yes."
"What are you doing here?"
"I made Bobby bring me. I want to help find Sam." Valerie said her voice a little stronger now.
"Sister this is something you don't wanna get mixed up in." he told her strolling back toward where the other voices were coming from. He didn't notice Valerie had gotten up and quietly followed him standing just outside the office door listening to them talk. Most of what they were saying didn't make sense to her but she wasn't going to be left out of this.
"From what I could find on the symbols and sigils, it looks like a cursed object, a mirror." Bobby was explaining to John as Dean joined them. "I'm thinking voodoo curse, but I could be wrong."
"And it sucked him into it? But what's on the other side?" John questioned looking at the pages of text Bobby had printed out.
"I don't know, could be anything."
"So how do we get him out of there?" Dean asked picking up a photo of the mirror.
"That's were it's gonna get tricky." Bobby sighed sitting back in his chair. "From what I can translate, it only takes those who are pure in body and the only way to break the curse is to perform the ritual from the inside."
"So I'll go in with the stuff and get Sammy out." Dean said confidently.
"Won't work Dean, none of us can go in." John sighed rubbing a callused hand down his face.
"Why not?"
"Dumb ass you're not pure, in other words you ain't a virgin anymore." Bobby growled at him.
"Shit!" Dean spat out slamming his fist down on Bobby's desk making things jump on it and making Valerie jump too. "And I'm guessing there's a spell to do on that side that needs certain ingredients which Sammy doesn't have."
"Afraid so."
"I can do it." a young, timid female voice spoke up from behind them.
All three men turned around to see Valerie standing in the doorway looking at them with uncertainty. None had seen her standing there eavesdropping on their conversation. John and Bobby looked at each other and then back to Valerie with interest.
"Look sweetheart, why don't you go sit back down at the table, we've got plans to make." Dean told her getting ready to push her that way.
"No!" Valerie said pulling her arm out of Dean's grasp. "You said none of you could help Sam, well I can, so why not let me?"
"Look kid, I can't let ya get involved in this." John told her standing tall and intimidating.
"Do you have any other choice? You said it had to be a virgin right?" Valerie asked feeling her cheeks getting hot when she said it. "And if I'm not mistaken that knocks all of you out, so who else you got to do it? From the way you're talking Sam needs help now. What other choice do you have?"
"Damn! I don't like it but she's right." Bobby grumbled. "Do we really have another choice?"
"If she's right, then we don't have time to argue. Let's go help Sammy." Dean added.
"Bobby, you write the spell out and what Sam needs to do while Dean and I get the ingredients together." John said giving in too. "We'll explain it to her on the way to the house."
spn
Making sure to mark his path as he went, Sam moved deeper into this weird world of darkness, shadows and light. He had been moving forward for nearly thirty minutes when his light glinted off something just ahead of him. He moved cautiously toward it, letting his light sweep quickly around the area when he heard scratching nearby. When he didn't see anything, he turned back to what had caught his eye.
"Rick?" Sam cried out when he saw his friend held to the wall by white webs. He didn't waste any time stowing his gun and getting out a knife to cut at the strong strips of webbing until he got Rick cut free. He fell forward into Sam and he lowered him to the floor checking for a pulse and sighing when he felt one under his fingers. "Hey Rick, c'mon man you gotta wake up." Sam said patting his cheeks and then running his hands down his body to be sure he had no other injuries. He swatted at the webs, shaking his hands to try and get them off. They stuck to him like pieces of tape as he wiped his hand down his jeans finally getting them off him. Sam turned back to Rick when he moaned and moved his head a little. "That's it, wake up. We've got to get back to the mirror. Helps on the way."
"S'm." Rick groaned barely loud enough for him to hear.
"Yeah, now let's get moving. There's something in here with us and it's not friendly." Sam told him looping Rick's arm over his shoulder and helping him stand. He got them moving back the way they had come hoping Valerie had gotten in touch with Bobby and Dean. Sam kept looking around them as he let the light play around just catching something out of the corner of his eyes that he couldn't quiet see clear enough to know what it was. His skin began to crawl and a sixth sense told him he didn't really want to know what it was, but it was dangerous and they needed to get out of here fast. He got the feeling whatever was out there in the shadows didn't like the light. He just hoped his flashlight held out long enough for them to be saved.
Rick stumbled several times and almost took both them go down but Sam kept them balanced and moving forward. Sam followed the markings he had made earlier and finally found the mirror again. He sat Rick down to one side and studied the back of the glimmering surface. He reached out a trembling hand and let it rest on the surface. A vibration ran up his arm and it seemed that it moved under his hand. He pushed against it but only felt a slight give and it seemed to push back. He looked back over his shoulder when sudden clicking and scurrying noises sounded the way they had come. Sam swung the flashlight around and just got a glimpse of something shrink back into the darkness and shadows. It had long legs down the side of a fat, dark, oblong body and shorted ones in the front that ended in what looked like sharp claws. Sweat dripped down Sam's face and cold shivers ran down his back at he imagined what those creatures would do if they overran them.
"Please get here soon." he mumbled trying to hide the worry from his voice. "You doing ok Rick?"
"I guess...Feel weird." Rick replied trying to keep his head from lolling to the side.
"Hang in there, helps on the way."
"Ok." Rick answered letting his head fall back to rest against the wall.
spn
"This is your last chance to stand down lass." Bobby told Valerie. "We won't be mad if you're too afraid."
"I'm scared that's for sure, but Sam and Rick are my friends and they've been there for me. I have to do the same for them." she said looking up at Bobby with frightened eyes but a determined look on her face.
"Ok, we got everything needed for the spell." John said sitting a small pack on the desk. "You got the spell done?"
"Yes, let's head out and get this done." Bobby said folding up the papers and stuffing them into the pack.
"You ready sister?" Dean asked Valerie stepping to her and taking her arm. "Thanks for doing this." he said in a softer voice giving her a small smile.
"Thank me after we get Sam and Rick back." she told him trembling under his touch.
"You'll be ok Valerie, Sammy'll be there to have ya back." he assured her patting her arm. "You driving Dad?"
"Yes, let's go, we don't know what's happening to Sam in there." John said picking up the pack and heading for the front door. The others followed close behind him. Dean took Valerie's elbow and escorted her to the black Impala, opening the back door so she could get in. He slipped in beside her as John cranked her up and they headed back to the house. It was late afternoon and the sun was getting lower in the sky as the shiny, black car cruised toward town and the house where Sam was trapped in the cursed mirror.
"Well lass, I guess we should tell you a little of what's going on since you're in the thick of it now." Bobby started turning to look at the young girl in the backseat.
She looked at him with a mixture of fright and curiosity in her eyes as she waited for him to continue. Valerie could feel butterflies fluttering in her stomach thinking there was more to this family than meets the eye. She wasn't sure what to expect but what Bobby told her wasn't on the list of options. Her eyes grew wide and her mouth suddenly became dry as she clutched her hands together in her lap to keep them from shaking. Bobby only gave her some basic information as it pertained to this problem, not wanting to frighten her anymore than she already was.
"Here, have a sip." Dean said offering her a bottle of water. "Just relax and breathe. Take a moment and let it sink in, you'll be ok."
"Thanks." Valerie finally got out in a weak voice as she accepted the offered water.
Nothing else was said as they all sat quietly the rest of the drive to the house, each one deep in their own thoughts of what they needed to do.