Hey guys, thanks so much for reading! Hope you like it! Fair warning, it does get a bit violent... soo... look out!
Chuck's hands were starting to cramp and his head pounded as the visions from his dream were starting to dissipate. The colors that were once vibrate and frightening, were nothing more than a dull blur in his head now. He had been up for hours writing ever detail he could remember. From Margo to Ursila and Lacey. And the key. But to what? The symbols made absolutely no sense to him. He absently doodled them in the margin, as they became clearer in his head.
He threw the legal pad on to the coffee table, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Done?" Sam asked from the doorway of the kitchen.
"Oh Jesus Christ," Chuck put a hand to his chest, his heart racing, just now noticing Sam standing there. "How long have you been there?" He asked, spying the steam coming out of Sam's freshly poured coffee cup.
Sam shook his head as he took a seat in the arm-chair next to the couch, "Not long. I didn't want to interrupt you."
Chuck sighed leaning into the overly plush backing of the couch. "Yeah," His voice breathy as he ran a shaking hand through his hair. "Started forgetting it at the end."
"Any thing we can use?" Sam eyed the pad wearily, almost afraid of what he would find out.
"Just read it." Chuck laid back on the couch, draping his arm over his eyes. "I don't get it."
"Well," Sam said reaching forward for the pad of paper, "Let's see what we got." He sipped on his coffee as he flipped to the first page.
Chuck groaned as the pounding in his head became louder in the silence.
"There's aspirin on the counter in the kitchen," Sam mentioned absently as he flipped to the next page.
Chuck rolled himself wordlessly off the couch and padded toward the kitchen.
xxx
"Key for what?" Sam asked, his voice dripping in irritation as he paced the room. He was now leaving a groove in the carpeting.
"I told you," Chuck moaned from his place on the couch. He let his hand fall off the edge to look over at Sam, "I don't know. It's just like how I wrote it down, there was a loud ringing noise, and then it turned into a voice. And that is what he said." He pointed at the legal pad.
"He?" Sam stopped pacing to stare at Chuck, "It was a man's voice."
Chuck's brow furrowed as he tried to identify the gender of the voice. "I think so? I feel like it was a man."
Sam dropped his arms to the side defeated, "Come on, dude, you never had this much trouble remembering your visions before." He almost whined as he dropped down in the arm-chair.
"Well, sorry to disappoint you," Chuck pulled himself into a sitting position, his shoulder's slumping with the effort, "But I don't remember that, so... I'm doing my best here." He sighed.
Sam threw the legal pad on the coffee table, and rubbed at his face, "I know, I know." He sighed looking up at the clock on the far wall, "What the hell are they doing up there?"
Chuck shrugged his shoulders, "I can take a guess."
Sam rolled his eyes, pushing himself out of the arm-chair and headed toward the stairs.
He dragged his feet up the steps, knowing full well what he would find.
Sam smirked as he remembered Dean singing that stupid REO Speed-wagon song for days. Hell, every time Dean would see Jo he would puff out his chest and have a bit more swagger to his step. Sam should have known back then. He should have told Dean it was okay. Push him toward a life with Jo. They just fit together. His memory flashed to the last night at Bobby's. Sam had been so wrong. It wasn't a terrible idea, it was the exact opposite.
Sam massaged his forehead as a sharp pain started at his temples as he stepped on the landing. He couldn't stop his mind from wondering to his time in hell. He knew were things about hell she didn't tell him. She was with him for over a hundred years, and Sam was sure there were things she would never tell him.
He stopped short of the master bedroom a frown slipping onto his features. His fingers tingled as they twitched at his sides. He turned his head to either side trying to crack the knot that had settled its way in his neck. His eyes only saw blood soaked walls.
The sound of chains rattling next to him snapped his eyes open, his head whipping toward the cause of the sound.
Blonde hair curtained the woman's face as she curled closer into the corner, wrapping her arms around her knees protectively. Her hair was matted, almost dread locked, the ends soaked in blood. It left smears of red just above her elbows when she moved. He didn't need to see the face to know who it was. "Jo," His voice cracked from neglect. "Jo?" He cleared his throat.
Her head cocked slightly toward the sound, shaking her head, as if she had imagined it.
"Jo? It's me. It's Sam." He tried to move toward her, his own chains scrapping against the floor. He could see her physically cringe at the sound, "It's okay, it's just me."
She whipped her face to look at him. Her eyes wild, her lip was split and putrid green bruises marred her once pure skin. She watched him like a feral animal would watch a threat. "No." Jo hissed at him.
Sam shook his head to clear himself of the memory. It couldn't be real. It couldn't. He wasn't supposed to remember.
He raised his hand to knock on the door, "It's okay. It's just me." The words spilled out of his mouth before he could stop them.
Xxx
Jo laid with her body flush against Dean's side. Her head rested against his chest, trying to match her breathing with the steady beat of his heart. She traced the anti-possession symbol there lightly as the early morning sun broke through the thick bedroom curtains.
"I can definitely get used to this," Dean croaked, his eyes fluttered as he looked at her.
"This is a very comfortable bed," Jo teased, stretching out her arm patting the empty space behind her.
Dean rolled over to trap her underneath him, "You know what I mean," he growled, trailing kisses from her temple stopping only to bury his face in the crook of her neck.
Jo joined her hands together behind his neck, "I certainly do," She cooed. "I could stay like this forever."
"That can be arranged." Dean muffled against the skin of her shoulder.
Jo chuckled lightly as her hands roamed down the planes of his bare back, feeling the hard muscles there dance under her hands. "I'm sure. You'd love to chain me to a bed somewhere."
Dean left feather light kisses against her collar-bone, "Don't give me any ideas. I have plenty of hand cuffs."
"I know," Jo laughed as she tried to wiggle out from under him, "I've seen the stash."
Dean tightened his grip on her, not finished with his assault on her neck. He bit down lightly on the soft flesh there, pulling it into his mouth.
Jo tried to push his face away from her neck, "I know what you're doing, Dean." She tried to keep her tone serious, but his hands roaming their way up her sides were quickly disintegrating her resolve.
"I'm not doing anything," He said in mock innocence as he whispered next to her ear.
She made a weak attempt to push him away, "Dean." She tried to be stern with him, but it came out more of a moan.
He pulled back with a mischievous smirk, "What?" He let his forehead meet hers.
"You know what." Jo answered, her glare having no anger behind it.
Dean leaned in and let his lips meet hers slowly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Jo smiled against his mouth as he leaned in to kiss her again, "If I have a mark," She warned.
"What're you gonna do about it, Harvelle?" He almost purred in her ear.
She could feel her toes curl as the vibration of his voice traveled down her body. Jo's body moved on its own accord. She turned her head to meet Dean's lips, with no intention of ever parting. She let the sweetness of bliss fill her completely.
The sharp rapping on the door pulled her away from Dean as if he had been on fire.
"It's okay, it's just me." Sam's voice came through the door.
Jo suddenly couldn't breath. She frantically reached for her throat, kicking her way out from under Dean, "No," she gasped, scratching at her chest, as if that would let her breath easier. "It's just me." His voice broke through her thoughts as she whipped her head to look at him.
She shook her head frantically trying to melt into the corner behind her. "No," she spat. "It will never be just you. Not ever again."
She could feel the phantom weight of the chains around her wrists. Jo pulled violently against the invisible chains only to feel a hard resistance. "No!" She growled struggling against her restraints. Something twisted her arms around her as if she was in a straight-jacket. "No," The sob escaped her lips before she could stop it. Her chest tightening as the walls pushed in on her, dripping in blood. The screams of tortured souls and the scratching of chains echoed in her ears. "No, no, no." She begged slumping against whatever held her back.
"Jo?!" Dean tried to break through her flashback, holding her wrists so she wouldn't scratch herself up even more. "Come on, baby. It's just me." He hushed her, trying to soothe her as she struggled against him. "Please Jo?"
Her eyes couldn't focus on one thing, the screams threatening to cause her to go deaf, the chains scrapping on the ground making her teeth grind. Blood caked on the cement walls around her, she was trying to run, anything, but she kept getting pulled back, "No!" She screamed, trying with all her strength to get away.
"Dean?!" Sam pushed his way through the door at Jo's yell. "What's going on?" He asked, his eyes widening at Jo. Tangled in the blankets, held against Dean's chest as she pleaded with him. Her words inaudible from her heart wrenching sobs.
"Glove box." Dean cocked his head toward the door not even sparing a glance at his brother.
Sam raced down the stairs to fetch the pill bottle from the Impala he knew Dean kept just for times like these. He took the stairs two at a time, not even noticing Chuck passed out on the coffee table.
Dean cradled Jo against his chest, "Baby, please," He begged, he didn't know what to do. He could only remember one other time he felt this helpless. Some days he could still smell her blood when he saw a propane tank. There was a vice positioned around his heart as he watched her struggle against him, "Jo please. Baby, please come back."
She pulled against him, trying to pry her way out of his arms. The more Jo panicked the more she tangled herself up in the sheets.
Jo could hear Dean's voice filter through the screams in her head, "No," she cried, slumping against a hard body behind her. "Please, not him. No." She begged. The screams of the tortured mixed with Dean's pleas, he was here with her. He was in hell, and it was her fault. She stopped struggling, laying still. "Take me, please, not him." She sobbed.
"No, no, Jo," Dean tried to pull her face to look at him. Her eyes were unfocused, far away. "No, it's not real Jo." He tapped her cheek with his hand, "Jo, snap out of it."
A splash of water came from above Dean, hitting Jo square in the face, soaking the sheets.
Jo blinked spitting water out of her mouth. She turned to look up at him.
"Sorry," Sam mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "You still need these?" He shook the pill bottle in his hand.
Jo shook her head slightly, letting her eyes roam over her surroundings. It wasn't real, she reminded herself. "It's okay," She whispered. She turned to look at Dean, her heartbreaking at the pain and worry in his eyes. "I'm okay."
"I'm so sorry." Sam shook his head, his words echoing in his head. "I shouldn't have..." He eyes caught Jo's stopping him. She glared at him shaking her head. "Uh... Chuck." He cocked his head toward the hallway.
"Yeah," Dean examined Jo's face, "We'll be down in a minute."
Sam nodded mutely as he backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.
As soon as the door was latched Dean cupped Jo's face in his hands, "Are you alright? Are you sure?" He searched her eyes for any sign, anything out of the ordinary.
Jo nodded, forcing a watery smile, "Right as rain."
"Yeah?"
Jo pulled his lips to hers briefly. "Yeah."
Dean pulled her to his chest, leaving a kiss on her forehead, "You scared me."
"I'm sorry." Jo whispered.
"I just... I didn't... I can't..." Dean tried, sighing as he just couldn't get the words out. "I love you. You know that."
Jo pulled back to look at him, cupping his cheek with her hand, "Of course. I love you too."
"Dean?" Sam's voice came through the door again.
"What?" Dean growled.
"Lacey called and Chuck's passed out."
Dean closed his eyes taking a deep breath as he tried to come up with another option. He couldn't leave her after what just happened, but he also couldn't take her with him. Then again, Jo hated Lacey, and she hates it when he babied her. When he opened his eyes and met with Jo's brown, he knew his answer. "Will you be okay? We'll only be gone for a little while."
Jo nodded, trying her best at a reassuring smile, "Yes, it's fine. I'll be fine. I promise."
Dean nodded, giving her the same look he did in Carthage. He pulled her face to his and left a kiss on her forehead, "You call me if you need anything, you got it?"
"Yes, go." She pushed at his chest, she balled her free hand around the sheets, trying to hide that it was still shaking. "I'm fine. I'll clean up."
Dean smirked looking around the room at their handiwork and leaned in to give Jo one last kiss.
Xxx
Blood coated the walls. It dripped down achingly slow only to puddle on the cement floor below. Jo pushed herself into the corner, pulling her knees closer to her chest. Her chains screeched as they rustled against the floor with her movements. A metal door squeaked open slamming shut. The sole of rubber boots stomped their way across the room. Jo cringed as they came closer, knowing how the owner was. She prayed that this would be the day that he would just kill her. She prayed he would be quick. Jo knew he would be the one to break her, if any.
Lucifer leaned over her intimidatingly. "Well," He sucked in an unnecessary breath, "Looks like it's just you and me." He reached for a blood smeared lock of hair and twirled it around his finger. "Just you and me. Under lock and key." He smirked, pushing away from the wall, looking down at her with disdain. "You don't even know what you are do you?" He yanked on one of the chains roughly and pulled her into the middle of the room. "You have no clue." He aimed a kick to her ribs, letting her fly across the room. The sheer force of the blow causing her body to leave a crack in the cement wall.
Jo crumpled on to the ground, every gasp of air causing her ribs to crack even more. The sound of Lucifer's boots against the floor echoed the pounding in her ears. He pulled on her chains dragging her against the floor. He pulled her to a standing position, holding her still while he backhanded her. Not satisfied with the results, he aimed a punch to her stomach that brought her to her hands and knees.
He circled her like a shark, "Didn't your angel friend ever tell you?" Lucifer kicked her against the room, pulling her to the middle of the room again, repeating his actions. He rubbed his chin, "Maybe Father never told him," He mused as he yanked the chain pulling her only inches from him. "Interesting." He tossed her across the room. "That is interesting."
Jo rolled over on the ground only to see the bottom of Lucifer's boot.
Lucifer stumbled back, cocking his head to admire his handiwork. "Some key."
Chuck gasped for air sitting straight up on the couch. "S-Sam?" He called out for the hunter. He stumbled off the couch reaching for the legal pad and pen. His hands shook, as his memory became foggy again. All he could write was Jo = key before he passed out against the coffee table.
Xxx
"And then the next thing I know, I have this," Lacey explained lifting her shirt to show Dean and Sam the raised burn on her back.
Sam pulled out his phone, "May I?" At Lacey's nod, Sam snapped a picture of the strange symbol branded onto her back.
"Did you see anything last night?" Dean asked, "Anything strange or out of the ordinary?"
Lacey shook her head, "Not really, no. I just felt like I was being watched all day."
Sam's brow furrowed as he looked up from his phone, "Do you know Margo?"
"Margo Sullivan? Yeah, of course," Lacey nodded. "Her great-aunt used to own my house. It was abandoned for a couple of years before we bought it. You don't think Margo...?" She trailed off, covering her mouth with her hand in shock.
Dean eyed Sam, "Well, we are gonna need to do some more digging."
"Alright," Lacey wrapped her arms around herself, "What, uh, what should I do?"
"You should probably come with us." Sam nodded compassionately. "We don't really think it's a ghost anymore, so you should stay close to us."
Lacey nodded vehemently, "Yes, of course." Her eyes pooled with tears, "Let me just grab my things." She mumbled shuffling her way out of the room.
"It's not a ghost?" Dean whispered when he was sure Lacey was out of ear shot.
"Oh yeah, Chuck." Sam rolled his eyes at himself as he turned to his brother. The short ride over to Lacey's parent's house was spent berating Dean about Jo's flashback. "He had a vision last night. Margo's involved in this and so's this chick Ursila."
"Like from the Little Mermaid?" Dean asked cocking his head.
Sam rolled his eyes, this time at his brother's movie reference. "Not really, no. She's a witch, that's for sure though."
"Well, that's too bad," Dean tsked.
"It's not good." Sam agreed.
Xxx
Jo clutched her knees to her chest and let the spray of ice-cold water hit her skin like needles. She could still feel the heat of hell radiating off her.
She was exhausted, all the rush of extreme emotions draining her of any energy she had. Her head felt too heavy for her to hold up, she leaned her forehead on her knees, letting the water hit the back of her head.
Jo was so happy wrapped up in Dean's arms, euphoric even. And it slipped through her hands like grains of sand. All it did was served to remind her how fleeting everything is. They could never just be happy, not for a moment before all the shit hits the fan.
No. She thought, It wasn't real, you will get better. These will stop. She demanded of herself. She took a deep breath before she pushed herself to a standing position. Jo steadied herself against the pristine porcelain tiles.
"You're okay." Jo said out loud, "You will be okay."
xxx
Castiel smiled down at the blonde hunter. "She's getting stronger."
Arisella's brow furrowed. "She was just a withering mess not an hour ago. She cried the whole time she cleaned up the room." She pointed out.
Castiel turned to his sister, "Human's are different. Those who persevere grow strong." He looked back at the hunter and smiled again. "Look at her soul."
Arisella did as she was told and looked down at the hunter. Castiel was right, her soul was pulsing with light. It grew every second. She watched the young soul twisted and stretched trying it's best to fill every inch of her body. "I've never seen anything like it."
When a soul was pulled from perdition by an angel, it just sat in the host. It didn't grow, it didn't heal, it stayed broken. Even Death him self could not do this. It was pure creation.
"I know," Castiel marveled at the soul, "I don't think it was all Father."
Arisella's brows knitted as she looked up at her brother, "What do you mean? Father bringing her up could cause that." She pointed out.
"Yes," Castiel nodded, "But I didn't believe it would be this fast. It's only been a week and it has grown twice as large."
Arisella studied the young hunter. "Is it because she is the key?"
"I am not sure." Castiel looked far in the distance his mind whirling. "I must research something. Will you stand watch?"
Arisella nodded, honored at the offer. She bowed slightly accepting the task. "Of course."
Castiel patted her shoulder in an awkward attempt at comfort, "Thank you, sister." He said before disappearing.
Arisella turned back to the hunter as she combed out her long damp blond hair. The angel refused to even dare to blink until Castiel returned. She would protect the Winchester's and the Harvelle woman with her life.
So how'd you like it? Some of you have asked when I'm going to get back into my other stories and I will, it's just right now, I am hooked on this one! But I will get there.
Any way, so let me know how you liked it! Scroll down and tell me about it, tell me anything really, please JUST REVIEW. Thanks!
