Sorry for the delay! Things have been crazy, I've had a lot of meetings at work for new projects and also got in a car accident. But everything is okay now!
I now believe this is my longest chapter written. I hope you all enjoy!
Thanks to my beta Gabi for looking over this chapter even though she had a busy week, and to my friend Katie for helping and encouraging me with this fic!
We left off with Hades defeated with the help of Cas and the brothers and their friends about to leave the town.
"Who the hell names a town Bird Island? It's not an island...there's not even a lake nearby!"
Sam sighed. Dean had been going on about the name of this town for the entire walk. "I don't know. Maybe because it's kind of in the middle of nowhere, it's thought of as being 'on an island of its own' and...there could have been a lot of birds in the area?"
"Stupid as hell name," Dean muttered to himself. "When we find our settlement, I'm giving it a fucking awesome name."
"And who said you get to name our town?"
"Who's the strongest and most powerful of all of us? Oh yeah, me. That's reason in itself."
"Can you just shut up for once and look for the tents?"
Dean flipped Sam the middle finger but walked toward the back of the store.
Sam focused on the front of the building, looking for anything they might need while out in the wilderness.
He tried to let relief sink in since they were out of Hades' town, but Sam knew he couldn't afford to feel that until they were deep in a forest, hidden from Eve.
Sure, before they left the town, they had let the townspeople know they were heading north-east - lying to them in case Eve captured and interrogated them. He had suggested the people should start travelling south and stay away from big cities.
It hurt, in a way, to basically abandon the people of that town. But they couldn't afford to take them along; the massive group of people would only drag them down.
Eliza could help encourage them along their journey, and hopefully they could find somewhere safe to settle.
"Sammy, look what I found."
Sam followed his brother's voice and walked to the back of the hardware store. This store wasn't the best bet to find camping gear, but it was all they had. There had been an 'outdoor supplies store' east of Hades' town, but it had been located inside a decent-sized city. They hadn't wanted to risk it, so they traveled north instead, and decided to check out the smaller town of Bird Island.
"What?" Sam asked, finding his brother standing near a dusty shelf in the back of the store.
Dean stepped out of the way and waved his good arm at the shelf. "I present to you...our source of food."
Looking at the shelf, Sam grinned when he saw what his brother had found. "Seeds for farming, awesome."
"I know I am," Dean replied smugly. He started tossing packets of the seeds into his backpack.
"Why do they have a farming section in a hardware store?" Sam asked, helping Dean gather the packets.
"Who the hell cares? It's a small town, and a farming town; they probably used this store for more than one thing. All I care about is that we can use it to start our own farm."
"Any luck on finding a tent?" Sam asked.
"Nada. We might have to find a house to spend the night in."
"We can't afford that, though. We have to be somewhere she wouldn't look. Eve's bound to check all the nearby towns."
"Well, unless you want to spend the night on the muddy ground, I don't know what to tell you Sammy." Dean shrugged one shoulder. "It's probably gonna rain tonight by the looks of it. We should find some secluded cabin or farmhouse again."
"If we're even that lucky." Sam sighed.
"We'll figure something out, don't worry about it." Dean finished collecting the seed packets and smacked Sam on the arm. "I think we've got everything we need in here, let's go see what everyone else found."
They exited the hardware store, keeping an eye out for Croats even though they had come to the conclusion that this town had been cleared out by Hades' people. Scanning their surroundings, Sam noticed a grin appear on Dean's face.
"What?" he asked.
Dean pointed across the street at a small building. "Look at that. That's gotta be the tiniest library I've ever seen. Still, I bet you could find something that would interest that dorky brain of yours."
"We don't have time for me to be searching for books to read," Sam pointed out, although he appreciated Dean's effort.
"Just go. Let everyone else look for the important stuff for a change."
"They do just as much as us!"
"Yeah, yeah. Come on, go take a look. Nerd out for a bit or go search for some farming books or something that can help us. I'll keep guard out here."
Looking for books on farming would help them. Maybe he would go take a look... "Fine. But I'll make it quick. And let me know if the others call for us."
"Will do, Sasquatch."
Sam rolled his eyes, but he was glad Dean seemed to be in a much better mood now that they were away from Hades' town. Sam felt better himself, but he refused to feel safe until they were in the middle of a forest.
How they were going to find their friends, Sam had no idea. There was always the blood-bowl demon call that someone could use to contact Dean. However, without knowing the correct chant for the spell, there would be no way for it to work. Sam knew that Bobby didn't know it by heart, and if he hadn't called already, that meant he didn't have his book with the spell in it.
He had to believe they would all find a way to meet up, though. There wasn't another option. There was no way he was leaving their friends behind.
Making his way to the nonfiction section, Sam searched for agricultural books. The small library was in decent shape; it didn't seem like it had been extensively looted, and most of the books were left dusty on the shelves.
He idly wondered what had happened to the people in this town, just like he did in all the other towns they had passed through. Had these people left for a safe haven? Had the virus taken them down one by one? Were any of them alive somewhere?
These thoughts didn't leave Sam as sad as they used to, but he still couldn't help but ponder on them. He had to believe that there were actual safe havens out there, not ruled by crazy pagan gods or demons. Humanity would find a way to survive, it always did.
After finding some books that seemed to be what he was looking for, Sam quickly headed over to the fiction section. However, he wasn't looking for books for himself, but rather for his brother. He hadn't forgotten how Dean had seemed immersed in the old-western themed book he found for him last month on one of their trips into Sioux Falls.
He found a few that he thought Dean might enjoy, some including zombies that were bound to get a laugh from the older Winchester, when he heard Dean's voice through their telepathy.
Alright, hope you got your fill of nerdom, because the others are calling for us.
Sam stepped outside to see Heather, Sadie and Cas walking down the street toward them. Heather was beaming brightly and the other woman looked smug. Cas was carrying what looked to be a rather heavy and large bag.
"What the hell is that?" Dean asked, voicing the same question Sam had.
"Sadie found this in the garage in one of the houses," Castiel explained.
"Well that's just great, but still doesn't explain what it is." Dean huffed irritably.
"It's exactly what you were looking for, smart-ass," Sadie replied.
"A tent?" Dean perked up. "No way in Hell you found one before me."
"Dean, your jealousy is showing." Sam chuckled.
Dean pointed at Sam accusingly. "This is your fault! You're the one that insisted that we should check that stupid hardware store!"
Sam shrugged, trying not to laugh. "Hey, I thought it was our best bet. You know how long it may have taken to search all those houses and maybe not come out with a tent at all?"
"Well it didn't take so long for them!"
"Maybe I just like to see you lose," Sam smirked.
"You guys fight like first graders, " Sadie said, rolling her eyes. "Shut up and come follow us so you can help decide what we should take with us."
They walked down the main street of the town cautiously. It looked as if it was straight out of an 1800's western film. The town must have contained some of its original buildings; at least, the ones that were able to be renovated nicely. It was sad that they had stood the test of time but would now fall apart because of their abandonment.
Sadie and Heather led them to a house a few blocks off the main street. In the driveway, a decent-sized camper was parked.
"Ahh, now I see why you found tents so easily. Pick the house that has a camper." Dean made a tsking noise and shook his head.
"Yeah, but the tents weren't even in the camper," Heather told them. "We almost didn't think to check in the garage."
"Did you guys find anything of use in the camper?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, actually…" Sadie climbed up into the trailer, coming out with a handful of things that looked like small bags made from fabric.
"You found bags?" Dean scoffed, coming to the same conclusion. "Congratulations. Those will come in real handy."
Sam could tell that Sadie was about to retort something sarcastic when Heather stepped in. "They're sleeping bags. The kinds that can compress really small and be tied up. We'll be able to store these really easily!"
The way Heather vouched for Sadie, Sam really hoped they would become friends. They'd irritate each other for sure, but could balance each other out just like he and Dean did.
"Oh." Dean shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, I guess that's kinda cool."
"Great find," Sam smiled at the girls. "We can easily store these in our backpacks."
"Yeah, I already handed one out to everyone else, so you guys have to take yours." Sadie handed them their sleeping bags, which they put away. "Let's go inside. Allen is in the house with Aiden. He's going over the maps and trying to pick out a place we can camp tonight."
"Who gave him the authority to choose where we go?" Dean asked, wrinkling his nose in displeasure.
"No one," Sadie sighed. "I just asked him to do it so he could have something simple to do while watching Aiden. We'll decide together."
They followed the girls inside the house and into the kitchen. Allen stood over a couple of scattered maps, frowning, and Aiden was snooping in the lower cupboards. As soon as he saw the brothers, he ran right between them and hugged them both.
Allen looked up at their approach and nodded. "Hey. Find anything good?"
Sam appreciated that the man was no longer going out of his way to be cruel to Dean. He also was pleased with the way Allen had helped Cas find them when they were in Hades' town. Earlier on their journey out of town, Sam had told Allen as much, thanking him. Dean had only grunted his acknowledgement, but at least he hadn't made any sarcastic remarks.
Sam was starting to believe they would be able to tolerate each other. They'd never be friends, but having some kind of respect for the other would go a long way.
"Actually, we did. No tents, but maybe we can get by with the one Sadie found," Sam answered Allen's question.
"Oh, we will," Sadie chimed in. "This thing says it can fit 12 people. I doubt that, at least not comfortably, but all of us should be able to sleep in it just fine."
Sam considered it. There were seven of them; six adults and a child. Cas might not even be included in that equation, since from what Sam understood, he still didn't need sleep despite losing connection with heaven.
So they had their shelter, good. Now they just needed a place to hide out.
"So what did you find?" Allen questioned, curious.
"Seeds to start our crops when we settle down somewhere," Dean answered. "And I found them."
Allen looked surprised, like he didn't even consider that once they found a place, they needed to start from scratch. Sadie and Heather smiled, and Aiden cheered.
"Did you find strawberry seeds?" the young boy asked, clapping his hands in excitement.
"I don't know kid, I just threw them all in my bag." Dean shrugged.
"We can go through them later, once we set up the tent." Sam smiled at him.
"I've never been camping before!"
"Well let's hope your first experience doesn't involve getting eaten by Croats," Dean chuckled.
Sam smacked Dean hard over the side of his head and Aiden gasped, looking up at the demon in horror.
"But you said they didn't come in forests! You said, Dean!"
Dean continued to laugh. "I'm joking. Mostly. They don't really come into the forests but there might be a few stragglers. It's not going to be happy-go-lucky camping like you're expecting. We're gonna have to be quiet and keep a lookout."
"I can take over the lookout position," Castiel spoke up. "I do not sleep, so I could keep watch."
Sam liked this idea. If anyone would be able to capture the slightest noise or strange movement, it would be an angel. Cas seemed to take every task that he took on very seriously, and with his angel-blade, he could take down anything that tried to harm them.
"Good," Dean grunted. "That takes care of our problem of needing to wake someone up to keep watch. Now I can get a full-night's sleep!" Plus, I don't think I could sleep in the same room with him again… Dean sent to Sam. Sam couldn't help but to agree, remembering that night in the motel over a year ago.
"Do you even need a full-night's sleep?" Allen asked. It didn't come across as harsh like before, but the man couldn't seem to let his comments go.
Luckily, Dean didn't seem to take an angry offense at Allen's question, although he did glare at the man irritably. "Probably not. But I feel better when I do. Do you really want to deal with me when I'm more grumpy than usual?"
Allen sighed. "No, I wouldn't. Anyway, I found this spot that might make for a good cover. It's not in a deep forest but it's away from any towns."
Sam looked over the map and focused on where Allen was pointing. He was right. The forest wasn't very large, but it looked dense, running along the same river they had traveled on before getting to Hades' town. The area of forest wasn't near any civilization but...
The distance to it looked far. Sam glanced down at the key on the map and tried to measure the distance with his fingers.
"That's...about 25 miles away. If we travel on a straight diagonal path, then maybe 20. It would take..." Sam mentally calculated some figures in his head. "Seven or eight hours to walk there. It's already seven right now. We don't want to be walking in the middle of the night."
"And we've already walked for five hours to get here…" Heather mentioned. "I don't think I have the energy to walk for that much longer."
Dean huffed and Sam could understand his frustration. As a demon, Dean didn't run out of energy like a typical person and he could hold off needing to sleep for some time. He wanted to keep going, but the rest of them were humans…they wouldn't be able to make it to the forest that Allen had suggested.
"Then what the hell do we do?" Dean asked, not holding the frustration out of his voice. "We can't stay here, Eve will find us. Do we just start walking and hope to find some random farmhouse that she wouldn't think to check?"
"A farmhouse would be too out in the open though, we need something where we would be hidden away," Sam told him.
"Well you just said the forest is too far!" Dean threw his good arm in the air.
"I know! I'm just pointing out the predicament we're in!" Sam shot back.
"We all know that! Enough stating the obvious and more finding a solution!"
Allen cleared his throat and both brothers stopped arguing to stare at the man.
"I thought we could just ride bikes." Allen smirked.
Dean opened and closed his mouth. Sam knew he was trying to fight back a snarky response to that, but he was failing. Neither of them had even considered riding bikes and it was the perfect idea. They were quiet and would cut the trip down by many hours.
Sam smiled. "That would be doable. It would probably only take a few hours."
"What if there aren't any bikes here!" Dean pointed at Allen, glowering.
"Nine out of ten of the houses I've checked have had them." The man never stopped smirking. He knew he had won and bested Dean in the decision-making department.
"Fine! Okay, we will take the bikes! They probably don't even have air in the tires though. It's been a year!"
"There are bicycle pumps. I saw them, too. In fact, this house has one."
Dean didn't even bother saying anything else to Allen, just turned around and went into the garage. "Come on Sammy, help me. We have to get going soon."
Sam rolled his eyes, trying to fight back the laughter that was bubbling up to the surface.
"You guys decide what direct path we should take, We'll choose the best bikes and get them ready."
Dean had to admit that the jerk Allen had a decent idea. They were making great headway on the bicycles. It was nearing sunset and they only had about half an hour to go, cutting through farmland to try and make it there quicker.
He still sleeping? Dean asked Sam, glancing over at his brother who was riding at his side.
Sam glanced over at the carrier attached to Dean's bike. Yep, looks like it. I'm glad he's sleeping through the ride, the poor kid is probably so overwhelmed.
Aren't we all?
Yeah, but he could be crying and complaining. He's just a kid and I wouldn't blame him. But he puts on a brave face and tries so hard not to be scared.
Blah blah blah, I'm just glad he's quiet.
The carrier had been something that was necessary when Aiden had shyly admitted he didn't know how to ride a bike. They could have given him one with training wheels, but those were clunky and would cause a lot of noise.
They easily found a bike with a carrier attached, and Aiden had just managed to squeeze his small body inside. Of course he wanted to ride with Dean, and as much as he wanted to object, Dean gave in so the kid wouldn't burst into tears.
We're lucky Cas was actually able to ride a bike too. Dean continued. Guy is like a baby in a trench coat. Why does he still wear that that thing anyway?
I don't think it's the same trench coat actually. I think he picked out another that was similar.
Okay, that's just weird.
Maybe he feels attached to it in some way? But he is kinda weird, I'll admit that. What's that thing he said about being able to ride a bike again? Sam asked.
Oh, that was gold. Dean chuckled, remembering what Castiel had said. 'I have a perfect center of gravity. Even though I have never ridden before, I will be able to balance the bicycle with ease.'
Yeah, that was something else. Sam joined in the laughter. But good thing he can, I can't imagine finding a carrier big enough for him.
That's not even funny, I'd be the only one able to drag his ass around. They laughed again and were silent for a few moments before Dean noticed how close the sun was to setting. It's gonna get dark soon, Dean continued. We might be lucky and have just enough light before we get to the forest.
Yeah, I think we'll be...
Sam. Stop. Dean cut his brother off, listening.
The brothers skidded to a halt, the rest of the group doing the same behind them.
"What is it?" Heather asked.
Dean turned around, glaring at her. "Shh!" he hissed, focusing back on the sound he had heard.
For the first minute, Dean didn't hear anything and he almost thought he had imagined the sound. But luckily, everyone stayed quiet. Even Sam didn't say anything through their telepathy, and Aiden was still sleeping. The silence allowed Dean to hear the noise again; a soft shuffle, and then a groan.
Dean spun his head around toward the direction of the sounds. They were surrounded by overgrown corn fields, and whoever...or whatever this was...could be anywhere.
Dean, I don't hear anything. Sam's voice through their telepathy even came as a whisper, but still, it was distracting. Dean held his finger up to his lips, effectively shutting his brother up.
Everyone remained still; the only sound was that of the wind whistling through the dried-up corn stalks and crickets chirping away.
The groan came again, and this time Dean was sure it was a Croat. He swiveled around, noticing Castiel do the same, and glanced across the seemingly never-ending cornfields. He finally saw movement some hundred yards back.
Apparently, Sam did too. He stiffened and looked over at Dean.
"Let's go," he whispered, obviously wanting the others to hear of his plan as well.
Dean shook his head, looking at Sam like he was crazy. "No way, we're killing this thing!"
Sam reached over and grabbed Dean's arm. The older brother tried to tug away, but Sam held firm, probably tapping into his powers as well. Whatever Sam wanted to say, it had to be serious, so Dean resigned from fighting and listened to his brother.
"Dean, we don't need to. We can just keep going, it probably doesn't even know we're here."
"But what if it does!"
"Then we can easily outpace it on our bikes. Listen, if you were to go after it, who's to say it doesn't let out one of its shrieks? It could alert other Croats, and maybe even people or monsters that we are here."
Dean knew it was a longshot that other people or monsters would hear it, but it was possible. And Croats may definitely be lurking around. But still...despite him knowing it wasn't the best idea, he had this itch to just run out and go after it, to hunt and kill something...
He shouldn't be like this. It was only one Croat. He was usually better at controlling his urges by now...what the hell was wrong with him?
"Dean." Sam was staring at Dean's shaking hands, causing the older brother to hide them behind his back defensively. But Sam's expression didn't seem judgmental; in fact, he seemed to understand. "I think you're still coming down off that high from killing all those bastards back in Hades' town. It's okay to feel like you do, that's why you have me to talk you down."
Dean felt an instant sense of relief that there wasn't anything seriously wrong with him. He knew Sam was right as soon as the words left his mouth.
"Guess those book smarts actually do come in handy in the Croatpocalypse." Dean smirked, hoping Sam wouldn't continue on and make this a chick-flick moment.
No such luck; Sam saw Dean's comment for the thanks that it was and smiled. "That's what brothers are for, to stop each other from making stupid decisions. I've got your back."
Dean couldn't help the eye roll and groan that escaped from his lips. "Yeah, yeah, trust me, I know. I've had to help you out of endless stupid decisions. Now let's keep going." And I've got your back too, Sammy, you know.
Sam grinned in his direction and then turned back to look at the rest of their group. "Let's stay as quiet as we possibly can and keep moving. Once we get far enough away from here, we're going to stop to drink some water and check the maps. I don't think we have much longer to go."
Dean grabbed onto the handlebar and used his powers to steady the other side before taking off. Sam had been worried that Dean wouldn't be able to ride, and didn't want him using his broken arm to help steer.
His powers were more helpful than Dean ever could have imagined. It was a good thing, too. In this world, any kind of injury or disability would slow someone down immensely…probably resulting in death. If not for his powers and strength, he'd definitely be screwed.
They rode for about ten minutes longer, before Sam motioned for them to pull over near a cluster of trees on the edge of a farm.
"Okay, let's get some water and check where we are." Sam motioned toward Dean, who had the bottles stored in his backpack.
"We only have four bottles filled," Dean muttered. He wasn't sure who was going to share, but he snatched one for Sam so he could have his own.
He walked away from the others so they could argue about the remaining water bottles and went over to his brother, who was kneeling on the grass, trying to peer at a map he had spread out.
"Hey," Dean said, plopping down next to his brother and handing him a water bottle. They really did need to make some more purified water, and more importantly, some more blood Kool-Aids for Sam. There was only one pre-made one left.
"Hey," Sam responded, never turning away from the map. "Don't worry about the water, there's a river and a creek close to the area where we will be spending the night."
"Okay, good. Where's it at?" Dean tried squinting at the map, but the setting sun and the shade from the trees was preventing him from reading it. "Dude, how the hell can you even see that?"
"I can't really, but I can't find the flashlight."
Dean sighed. "That's why you have me, built in flashlight, remember?" He opened his hand and allowed the flame to appear above it. It was a soft glow, but it was enough.
Sam grinned, shaking his head. "Why do we even need any tools or supplies to survive? Let's just ditch our backpacks, all we need is you."
"Hah, if it were only that easy." Dean brought his hand closer, but made sure it was far enough away that he wouldn't accidentally set the map on fire. "Okay, where are we headed?"
"Right over here." Sam pointed a short distance away, toward the river he mentioned. The area was covered with trees. It wasn't a huge forest, but Dean assumed it would be dense enough.
"Is that the same river we were following before we left the path to get to Hades' town?"
"Yeah, but we are far enough away from the town, and we'll be covered. I at least want us to cross the river though, so we're on the south side, which is the opposite side the town was on."
"Makes sense. Better chance of being safe by travelling on that side. Okay, how much longer until we get there?"
Sam glanced down at the key and measured the distance much like he did back in the house. "Okay...looks like we're only six and a half miles away."
"That's nothing! Damn, we made good time."
"We did. But six and a half miles will still take about half an hour to ride on bike."
Dean looked at the marks Sam made on the map. "Well, at least now we're on the road that leads straight to where we've gotta be."
"Dean, Sam..." The brothers turned around to see Aiden walking their way, rubbing his eyes with a water bottle in his hand. "Are we gonna be able to sleep soon?"
"Sleep? All you've been doing is sleeping the whole way here!" Dean shook his head.
"Yeah but..." Aiden stretched his small body. "That carrier thing is small. My back hurts."
Dean was about to say 'how about you try getting your spine ripped from your back, then tell me what hurts!' but thought better of it. That would just lead to a whole bunch of other problems, including a crying Aiden and a brother who would be angry but also feel upset and guilty after learning something else that Dean suffered through in Hell.
"We'll be there soon, Aiden. We're going to set up that tent in the forest, and then we'll get a good long sleep." Sam smiled at the boy but surprisingly, Aiden didn't smile back.
The boy rubbed his arm, looking down at the ground. "I didn't sleep very good back at the scary town. I was always afraid someone was gonna hurt me and I was sad because I thought I wouldn't see you guys again."
Dean turned to his brother, whose eyes were pooling up and then looked back toward Aiden, who was already starting to sniffle.
Uh uh. Nope. He was not dealing with this.
He quickly turned around, digging through his duffel until he found what he was looking for. "If you cry you're not getting any of these." He waved the bag in the air.
"MARSHMALLOWS!" Aiden cheered, his tears long forgotten at the prospect of eating the sugary snack.
"Stale marshmallows, but who gives a damn." Dean shrugged. "We're gonna roast these things on the fire and tell stories."
"Ooohh camping stories! I always wanted to go to boy scout camp when I got older!"
"Like I said to you before, this is gonna be a lot more intense than any camp, you're gonna get the real survival camping experience here. So no damn crying, at least not until you're safe. You gotta be strong to make it through this, okay?"
"Okay Dean, I promise I'll try!"
"Alright, now get back in that baby-carrier, we're about to take off again."
"Hey!" Aiden yelled, then looked back at the bike carrier. "I guess it is. Can you guys teach me to ride a bike when we find our new home?"
"Yeah, yeah, now shush." Dean waved him off and zipped the marshmallows back up. When he stood up again, he caught Sam giving him one of those stupid smiles.
"What? I hate when you look at me like that."
Like usual, Sam shook his head and smiled when Dean asked, but this time he finally answered. "That wasn't what I would have said to him, but it was pretty good."
Dean blushed, looking away. "Shut up, we're wasting daylight."
Dean couldn't help but get somewhat excited at the idea of camping out in the forest. They had just crossed the river and entered the wooded area beyond. It reminded him of being in the cabin during that summer with Sam...the same cabin that was featured in their dream world. The idea brought a sense of calm and safety over him, and he hoped it did the same for his brother.
"This a good area?" he asked, hoping they could start settling down for the night. Even he felt exhausted. He couldn't imagine what the humans felt with their weak physical endurance.
Sam looked around, surveying the area. His brother knew the most about the outdoors, having been into boy scouts when they had settled in a town long enough. And in general, Sam loved to study everything. He had back when he was young, and he still did now. Dean knew that in those final days at the hotel, Sam had been trying to gather up as much information as he could about their inevitable journey ahead and the struggles they would face.
"Over here." Sam pointed over by a group of trees. There were a lot of bushes and brambles in this area of the forest, but the spot Sam pointed out had a relatively clear area of grass underneath the trees.
"Okay, cool." Dean pitched his backpack down as everyone else did the same. "The river is just north of us, right? We gotta refill our water."
"Yeah, should just be a five or ten minute hike north. We gotta..." Sam ran a hand through his hair, and Dean knew that as the tell-tale sign that his little brother was getting overwhelmed. The kid was probably running on zero energy and was trying to come up with steps on what they had to do next.
At least this was something Dean knew he could help with. He jumped in, taking over. "Okay, you stay here with Sadie and set up the tent. Aiden, you stay here too but gather up our food so we can be ready to eat when we get back."
The little boy jumped and clapped with joy at the thought of being useful and able to help. Dean didn't even have it in him to roll his eyes. At least the kid did want to take part in things and wasn't whining like a spoiled brat.
"You..." Dean pointed to Castiel. "Do you have any sense of direction at all?"
"I have a compass built in at the center of my being. I can never lose direction."
Dean scratched his head, and the others raised an eyebrow or opened their mouths in shock. "Uhh, okay...well...go with Allen to refill the water. I'll go with Heather and gather some wood so we can make a fire. Got it?"
Everyone nodded and Dean ruffled through their bags, finally finding the flashlights that Sam had misplaced earlier. He handed them out to each group, and then took off toward the west with Heather. The sun had set and dusk was fading into night. They probably wouldn't be able to hunt for food in the dark, but they had enough in their backpacks that they took from Hades' town to last them for a few days if needed.
"Stick close to me, we don't know what shit is out here," Dean told Heather as they got further away from camp.
"It's so spooky." Heather wrapped her arms around herself and moved closer toward Dean. "I've been camping before...kind of...but nothing like this."
"Same here. Me and Sammy only went 'camping'," Dean raised his good hand and pulled out the air quotes, "when it was for a hunt or a few times with Bobby in a forest near his house when he went deer hunting. Never got the real experience."
"Probably closer than my experience. We went to this place in the mountains in Wyoming for a week almost every year since I was a kid. It was a ranch tucked away from society, and it was beautiful...but not exactly camping."
Dean didn't know much about ranches, but he knew they were freaking expensive to stay at. "You guys went for a week every single year?"
"Yeah...my family was...well, we had money." Heather shrugged, blushing. "I had it easy...and when I got pregnant with Peter and my boyfriend scrammed, well...my parents continued to let me stay with them and I didn't have to struggle."
Dean smirked at that. "Explains a lot about your whining and how you wouldn't listen to me back at that farmhouse after we left Bobby's. You were a spoiled brat."
Heather laughed sadly. "Yeah, I was. I'm actually surprised I made it this far. Some days I wake up and wonder how much longer I have, if this is the day I'm going to die."
Well, that was morbid. But Dean thought back to when he was human and distantly remembered feeling the same back then, always wondering if this was the final hunt. "Nah, you're tougher than you look."
Heather scratched the back of her neck. "You think so?"
Dean shrugged one arm. "I mean, you took out those Croats that came out of that shack way better than Allen did. And you didn't freak out the entire time in the town. I'd say you're probably gonna survive. Like, 80 percent chance."
The young woman let out a short laugh. "Gee, thanks."
"Hey, when most demons always lie, I'm always completely and brutally honest."
Heather reached over and shoved at Dean. The push did nothing to move him, but he stumbled just to entertain her. "Yeah, I've noticed!"
They walked for a few more minutes before Dean spotted a cluster of dead trees. "Here, we're gonna take the branches that fell off these trees. They're probably really dry so they will set fire easily."
Heather walked over to the other side of the tree while Dean started gathering the branches into a pile with his powers.
"Hey, Dean?" Heather asked after a few minutes. She was standing by a few bushes; the branches that she collected were at her feet. "Do you think these are poisonous?"
Dean shined his flashlight on what Heather was holding in her hand. They were berries, and he didn't know shit about them. "Well, there's one way to find out." He reached over and took the berries from her, shoving them in his mouth.
"Dean!" Heather yelled, then covered her hands over her mouth, remembering to stay quiet. "Why would you do that!"
Dean swallowed the berries and grinned. "Nope, not poison."
"And what if they were!"
"Then I would feel the poison try and affect my body, but fail. Come on, you gotta admit it's awesome that I'm a poison taste-tester!"
"As long as it doesn't hurt you."
"Aww, look who's all concerned." Dean snickered and used his powers to move the branches Heather collected into his own pile.
"Shut up! Croats can kill you, who's to say poison couldn't!"
"If a gunshot to the head doesn't kill me, I don't think a bit of poison would." Dean chuckled. "Now gather up those berries so we don't have to eat only stale crackers and I'll carry the branches."
Heather huffed and did as she was told. When Dean decided to go over and help her gather some berries, she turned to face him.
"Are you guys…set on picking Colorado as the place we will settle in?"
Dean raised and eyebrow and shrugged. That had been the plan and no one had objected to it yet. "It's what we decided because of the mountains. Why? You got a better idea?"
"Actually….maybe? I mean…but I don't want to push my opinion on the group…I…"
Dean couldn't help but laugh at her awkwardness. "Chill, you're part of the group so you get a say in our choices. But if it sucks, I'm gonna tell you, and we won't do it."
Heather placed some berries in the bag and then stood up, holding her head high. "Okay then, I think we should settle in the ranch I mentioned. Now that I remembered it, I think it would be the perfect place."
Dean crossed his good arm over his broken one. Alright, maybe she had something going here, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to give her a hard time about it. "And where is this ranch again?"
Heather beamed, and Dean could tell she was getting excited. Oh great.
"It's in Wyoming. Like I said, it's surrounded by the mountains, in the valley. There's a stream that runs through it and…if I remember right, there are lakes nearby. It's so tucked away that you have to take this winding road just to get there. No one would find us."
Dean reached out with his powers to halt her excited bouncing. "Calm yourself, geez." He smirked as she tried to release herself from his hold. "Are there any large towns nearby?"
"I mean, it's in the Jackson area, but not close to it. And again, it's deep within the mountains. It took us over half an hour driving through that dirt road in the mountain to even get to the ranch!"
"Okay, okay. And what about shelter?"
"It has a bunch of cabins! And a dining area and a pool and just...Dean, you'd love it! I know you would!"
"I'll save that judgment for when I see it."
"Well I...wait..." Heather paused. "Are you saying you want to stay there?"
"I'm saying it sounds promising. But we gotta talk about it with Sammy and he'll want to ask the others. We gotta find it on a map and see if it sounds like a good idea, then it will be a possibility that we'll probably check out."
"Oh my gosh, I can't believe you guys might use my idea!" Heather ran over to Dean and hugged him. "I'm actually helping out!"
"Yeah, finally. About time. Now I'll tell Sam that I take back my suggestion of dumping you on the side of the road."
Dean figured he deserved it when Heather smacked him on the face.
Sam was pleased with himself as he glanced at the giant tent he had just set up. The bag that the tent came in claimed it was a 'simple ten minute set-up' and it hadn't lied. With Sadie's help, they were able to get it up no problem.
How's it going, Sammich?
Sam laughed out loud upon hearing his brother use the stupid nickname through their telepathy. Sadie looked over and smiled, shaking her head.
You'll be pleased to know that we have the tent ready and waiting for you. I hope you actually were useful and completed your task so I'm not the only one doing work.
Don't worry whiny bitch, I've got a ton of dried up branches, and Heather's got some berries she found. We're on our way back right now.
Berries? You know those might be...
Already test-tasted them Sammy. Dean's voice was smug. We're good.
Of course you did. Hurry back, jerk, I'm hungry.
Dean laughed fondly, and then his voice faded out.
"I've watched you both communicate to each other that way," Sadie said, sitting down by Aiden, who was taking his job of food-sorter very seriously. "And it's so obvious when you guys are talking, even though I can't hear it. You both just look so...happy and relaxed when you are."
Sam blushed, not sure what to say. "Yeah, it makes me feel a lot better knowing that I can talk to him when he's not nearby. It's nice to not worry as much."
"When you were communicating to him before you left for the rescue mission, I thought you were crazy. So did a lot of the other people. But Bobby explained the connection you guys share and how Dean's powers created the telepathy. It's pretty cool."
"Yeah, it sure does come in handy," Sam agreed. "I'm so happy we have that ability, we can also kind of share dreams. Dean doesn't normally dream, but with our connection, he can come into mine. I'm...I'm glad he can have that escape from reality again."
"I'm glad he can too." Sadie smiled. "Were you guys this close before, well...the..." She trailed off, drawing a pattern in the dirt with a stick.
"Before he became a demon?" Sam asked, earning a nod from Sadie. Even Aiden looked up from his task at this statement, interested in hearing what Sam had to say. "Yeah, we were always pretty close. I mean, we grew up on the road, we only had each other, and our dad was always away on hunts."
Sam thought back to a few childhood memories and smiled. "Dean raised me, he really did. And even though we had our differences, we always had this bond. Then...I went away to school, which put tension between us because of how my dad reacted, and we dropped contact for a while." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how I did it back then, not knowing if he was safe...if he was even alive. I couldn't...I couldn't do that now."
"Sounds like you guys actually got closer," Sadie pointed out.
"Yeah...I mean once we reunited...it didn't take long to get back to being brothers...we developed a stronger bond, but then Dean went to Hell and came back a year later as a demon. Once I finally believed that he really was my brother...and that he was still Dean...I...I feel like our trust just grew from there. Me and him...we've never been closer than we are now. We just understand each other on levels where we didn't before." Thinking about it now, Sam realized just how crazy it sounded to have a better relationship with his brother now that he was a demon. "Isn't that weird?" he asked Sadie.
Sadie shrugged. "I don't know. It's pretty remarkable. It just goes to show how much you trust him and accept him, no matter what." She looked down at the ground again, seeming upset.
Sam sat down on the ground next to her and then turned toward Aiden. "Hey, Aiden. How about you check out the tent and put down some of the sleeping bags?"
"Okay, Sam!" Aiden smiled, grabbing a few sleeping bags and running over to the tent.
"What's on your mind?" Sam asked her, wanting to help ease her troubles in any way.
Sadie huffed and looked straight ahead, avoiding Sam's gaze. "It's stupid. It's nothing."
"It's neither if it's bothering you this much." He paused, not sure if he should continue with what he was going to say next. "Is it...is it about what happened in the town?"
Luckily, Sadie didn't get angry but her voice was tightly controlled when she spoke. "No. Not exactly. But...in a way...it kind of is. I just...I see how you and Dean always have each other, someone who you can go to and knows everything about you. And I...Nikki..." She trailed off, blinking back tears.
"Your friend, the one that was the ghost at the hotel?"
The young woman nodded. "She was someone I could tell anything to. I know...I know that I could have gone to her after what happened and she would be there for me. She'd know exactly what to say...and when to not say anything at all. I just...I miss her so much." Sadie let out a quiet sob and then quickly cleared her throat. "I should have tried to spend more time with her when I was in the hotel but...it was so hard. It was so hard to know she was there and I couldn't talk to her...so I just avoided the areas where I knew she would most likely be."
"You could sense her, couldn't you?" Sam asked. He couldn't imagine knowing that your best friend was right there...and you couldn't see them, couldn't hear them. To know that they were suffering all alone and you couldn't make it better.
"Yeah, I could. And it was so painful, every time I felt her presence, it brought back so many memories that I knew we wouldn't have again. So I distanced myself and acted like I was okay, like I was strong enough to move on. But...times like this, I know how wrong I was. I should have sucked it up and visited her even though I couldn't see her!"
"Sadie..." Sam put a gentle hand on her shoulder and she stiffened, but didn't pull away. "There was nothing you could do. Visiting her might have made her lose her mind even quicker, because she'd see you so often and not be able to interact with you. And...you might have gone crazy too. You had to protect yourself."
Sadie sniffed, but didn't allow herself to cry anymore. "I know, I know. I just think of her now...really truly alone and insane..."
"I don't think she fully snapped, though," Sam told her truthfully. "I think the thought of us all leaving that hotel where she would be safe freaked her out. Maybe now that we're gone, she's had time to calm down and realize why we had to leave. She could go find other spirits that are lingering around...that way she has people she can actually interact with."
"I hope you're right," Sadie whispered.
"I hope I am too, and Sadie...I know it's not the same, but you have us. If you ever need to talk about anything, we're here to listen. Even Dean," he finished with a smile.
That got Sadie to actually smile. "Yeah, trust me, I know. He was pretty awesome with me after he rescued me. Awkward as hell, but still awesome."
Sam smiled and was about to respond when he heard footsteps not too far away. A few seconds later, he could sense his brother and turned to Sadie.
"Speak of the devil..." he chuckled.
"Hey, it's demon! Not devil! Get your facts straight." Dean emerged from the woods with a bouncing Heather who seemed more excited than usual, which was saying a lot. He had a large pile of branches floating out in front of him. "Talking about how amazing I am?"
"Not too far off," Sam smirked, playing it off as a joke when it really was the truth.
Dean glanced around, looking confused. "We beat back Cas and The Ass?"
Heather burst into giggles and Sam shook his head. "You're so clever. Yeah, you did. I wouldn't worry, but if they aren't back in ten minutes, I say we go after them."
"Yeah, Allen's probably being useless, as usual." Dean huffed and placed the wood on the ground, beginning to work on making a campfire.
"I hope they didn't get lost…" Sam trailed off. He was trying to take his own advice and not worry, but now that Dean had mentioned it…it was weird that they weren't back yet.
"Cas is an angel GPS, remember? They're not lost and I'm not looking for them if they are," Dean grumbled.
Sam watched how his brother was having difficulty putting the campfire together with one arm. He was trying to use his powers to help set up the branches, but they weren't accurate enough for such a precise job.
He decided to kneel down and help. Bobby had taught them how to set up a proper campfire when wood logs weren't available. The older man used to take them with him when he went deer hunting. Sam laughed at the memories, remembering how neither he nor Dean would shoot a deer. Now they had no choice but to use the animals as food, and Dean was no longer squeamish about killing them.
After a few minutes of working together to set up the fire, Dean turned and smirked at Sam. "Looks like you don't have to worry anymore, bitch."
Sam raised an eyebrow in question, but a moment later, he heard someone approaching. It was Castiel and Allen, the latter mumbling under his breath.
"What the hell took you two morons so long?" Dean called out to them.
"I do not believe I fall into the definition of a 'moron'," Castiel replied and then looked at Allen. "But perhaps Allen does, as he tripped on our way back and spilled the water. We had to go back to retrieve more."
Dean, of course, doubled over in laughter. Sam couldn't help but join in and soon, all of them were laughing, with the exception of Allen. The man was glaring at them all, his face turning red.
"Take a joke and relax!" Dean rolled his eyes. They were just about finished with the campfire and Dean held his hand out, easily setting the dry branches aflame. "Hell yes!"
Aiden burst out of the tent at that moment, running toward the campfire. "Yay! Can we roast marshmallows now?" He turned toward Dean and showed him puppy eyes that would rival Sam's.
Dean pulled out the marshmallows but kept them out of Aiden's reach. "First, where's the food you were told to get ready?"
Aiden pointed to the pile of food that was just to Sam's left.
"Okay, we distribute that first, then we'll get to the marshmallows," Dean told him.
Sam passed out the bags of nuts, crackers and canned vegetables. There were also a few cans of soup, which Dean cooked over the fire in one of the pots he had.
They ate together mostly in peaceful silence, until Dean took the marshmallows out.
"Okay, it's ghost story time. And I'm talking real ghost stories."
Sam cocked an eyebrow at his brother. "Really, Dean?"
"Yes really. How about I tell the story about that wendigo hunt we went on...it was in a woods like this..."
"Uh-uh." Sam was going to put a stop to that. "That's gonna creep out everyone more than they already are. We don't need to have nightmares of wendigos ripping through the tent!"
"What?" Aiden asked in a small voice, curling into Heather's side.
"What about Bloody Mary?" Dean asked.
"No!"
"That Bender family? How about that ghost girl who was imagining deadly fairy tales?"
"No and no. If you're going to tell something, tell one that at least has a happy ending and won't freak out Aiden."
"They're all freaky! Who wants to sit at a campfire and tell uplifting stories?"
Sam ignored him. The last thing he wanted was to freak everyone out more than they already were. "How about the time when we helped that ghost woman move on? Molly, the one who was killed in a car crash."
"The one who kept reliving the night of her death over and over again? Dude, you remember her name?"
"I'm sorry that I try to be compassionate and care for the innocent souls we help."
"Guys," Sadie interrupted them. "Are you gonna tell the story or just argue all night?"
"Fine, I'll tell this lame-ass story, prepare to be bored."
"I'm sure you find it boring, but we would find it interesting," Sadie replied. "We never experienced any of the stuff you guys dealt with until the Croats came; it's still new to us."
"Okay, okay fine! I'll tell the damn story." Dean pointed to Sam. "You're helping, this story was your idea."
Sam quickly realized he didn't have to worry about the story seeming scary. He and Dean argued so much over the little details of the hunt that it became more amusing than frightening.
"And then, her spirit exploded into flames," Dean grinned.
"She didn't go to heaven?" Aiden asked, eyes wide.
"No! DEAN!" Sam almost shoved his brother in his bad arm, before thinking better of it and smacking him on the side of the head. "She didn't explode, Aiden. Dean's just being a jerk. She actually just faded away; her spirit let go and went to heaven."
"I like my ending better," Dean grumbled.
"It's a lie!"
"It's creative editing. Just adding a cooler twist to it, everyone does that with real-life stories!"
Sadie stood up then, stretching and rubbing her eyes. "I think I've had enough of your bickering. I'm going to head to sleep."
"Your loss," Dean called out to her. "I have tons of other badass stories I could tell."
Heather yawned and stood up with Aiden, who was obviously exhausted, yet didn't want to miss anything. "I want to hear them all! It's so interesting. You'll have lots of time to tell them when we get to the ranch..." She blushed and glanced downward like she had revealed something secret. "...I mean, or wherever it is we'll settle down."
Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother once Heather and Aiden had gone to the tent. "The ranch?"
Dean was grinning, and Sam decided that was a good sign. "Heather told me about this place she knows that we might be able to stay in. I'll fill you in more later, I told her I wanted to talk to you first before I made any promises."
Sam was glad his brother had thought of him in this instance, but he was forgetting...well, everyone else. "And we have to make sure it's okay with the rest of our group, too."
"Yeah, yeah. Whatever." Dean then turned to Castiel, who was still sitting near the fire. "You gonna put that fire out soon?"
"Yes." Castiel answered, his gaze on the flames. "I will put it out when all of you are settled and in bed." He then looked up at the brothers. "I find the human desire to share past stories at a campfire very appealing. Perhaps I can share some of the experiences I have lived through."
"Dude, I'm not listening to stories about angels and heaven. I don't want to hear about the things that hate me and the place they refuse to ever let me into." Sam could tell Dean tried to play it off as something that simply irritated him, but he could tell it affected his brother deeper than he would let on.
"I am sorry about how my brothers and sisters view you. If it makes any difference, I believe they view me in the same manner." Castiel seemed slightly upset, and it was the first time Sam could remember him showing an emotion so close to human. "I do not wish to speak about them. I am thinking more of the things I have witnessed on Earth in the time I have existed."
"Like...battles and wars and shit?" Dean asked.
"Battles and wars, yes. I have seen shit, but I do not think that is something that is desirable to..."
Sam cut the angel off before Dean had more ammunition to tease him with. "Maybe you could even talk about the Wild West? Dean's always been interested in that."
Castiel nodded. "I came to Earth and spent some time in what human history deems the 'Wild West era'. It was an interesting time that I would like to talk about."
Dean looked gleeful at the idea of an actual true western story, and Sam hoped that what Castiel considered interesting would actually excite his brother.
"That sounds awesome, Cas. The next time we set up a fire, you can tell your stories. Thanks for keeping a lookout." Sam smiled at the angel.
"I do not mind, Sam. I have failed at being a guardian too many times, but this time I will take my role more seriously and will protect all of you from any threats."
Sam wasn't sure exactly what Castiel was referring to, but if a small task of watching over a few people and a demon made him feel better, then Sam was glad.
They turned back toward the tent. It was so large that it had sections that could be zipped up to create rooms within it. Sadie, Heather and Aiden were in the largest middle section, and Allen had sulked off into the right one sometime during Sam and Dean's story.
"We should have gone in first, now we're going to be stepping all over them to get into our spot," Sam told his brother.
"No we won't. Crouch down," Dean ordered him.
"What?"
"Just do it."
Sam did, and Dean did the same while grabbing onto Sam's shoulder. A second later, they were crouching in the tent, which wasn't tall enough for them to fully stand up in.
Aiden yelped at their sudden appearance, causing Dean to snicker. They zipped up the tent wall that divided their rooms and got situated in their sleeping bags.
It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it beat sleeping out in the cold with absolutely no padding between their bodies and the hard ground. The storms seemed to be holding off as well, and the humidity had cleared up. It might turn out to be a comfortable night after all.
Sam shifted in his sleeping bag, trying to get situated. He knew that not everyone was asleep already, but no one was speaking. The only sounds he heard were those of nature and of Castiel pouring water over the fire.
The inside of the tent became completely dark then. In a way, it felt kind of suffocating. He had to remind himself that they were safe. No one was going to find them in the middle of this forest. Eve, if she was looking, would check the nearby towns first.
Hey freak, what's on your mind?
Sam turned his head and tried to see Dean in the darkness, but he could hardly make his brother out. All he could tell was that Dean was facing him and could somehow sense that Sam's mind had been racing.
I'm fine Dean, don't worry. He attempted to make his thoughts sound as reassuring as possible.
You're not fine. I can sense the emo angst just radiating from your giant body. There was a pause, and then Dean's tone became more gentle. I just want to know if you're doing okay, Sammy.
I am...as best as I can be. I just keep thinking of the future and of our friends...and worrying about Eve. It's the same old stuff that gets to me every now and then. Sam tried to brush it off like it wasn't a big deal. He didn't want Dean worrying about him.
Dean was silent for a few moments before he sent his thoughts to Sam. When he did, his voice was light and happy.
Hey, I need to tell you about what Heather said about the ranch. Got some good news, Sammy. I think you're gonna like it.
Sam smiled, already feeling better from hearing his brother so happy. All right, spill. Tell me everything.
So Heather used to vacation at this ranch. Brought it up for a place we could live at. Nice ranch with cabins, tucked away in the mountains. And from what she was saying...really tucked away, man. So we're secluded and safe and can plant crops and find some animals to raise.
Dean, this sounds too damn good to be true. He wanted to believe it so bad, but they had been incredibly unlucky in the Croatpocalypse so far. Sam didn't want to get too hopeful only to have that hope shattered once again.
It's real, little brother. Unless you peg Heather as a liar.
I think we can trust her. Sam chuckled. So this is in Colorado?
Wyoming. The mountains aren't as big there, I don't think, so we wouldn't be on as high of an elevation in the valley like we would be in Colorado.
Look at you, being all knowledgeable. And you call me the nerd.
Common sense, Sammy. And hey, I've always liked history and geography. It's when you give me science and math that I don't give a shit.
Sam laughed through their connection, it was nice to just talk to his brother like this without any impending doom at the moment and he found that sense of hope returning. Well, it's a good thing I thought to take some of those books back at the house that were about other states in the area. They will come in handy.
Nice one, freak. So what do you say? We check it out?
I say it's worth a shot. I'm just worried that a nice secluded place like that...the owners might have thought to stay there.
Well, it's better to find out than not to try at all. It's gonna be freaking awesome, Sammy. Dean sounded so excited, it was nearly contagious.
I believe you. But first we have to...
Yeah yeah, we gotta ask the others what they think first. I know, you mentioned that already.
Sam laughed at Dean's irritated tone and a comfortable silence fell over them. He could feel himself start to doze off when Dean's thoughts entered his mind once again.
Sammy...do you ever just...miss it being just the two of us?
The question took Sam by such surprise that he had to take a moment to go over it in his head. Dean was being open with him. This was Dean's way of telling him that he missed the times when it was just the two of them, on the road fighting evil.
And Sam missed it as well. He was happy with the life they could make and the support system they had now but...he did miss those days when life was simpler and they only had each other to worry about.
There's a lot I definitely miss, Sam started out saying. And that...that is for sure on my top list of things. But hey, we'll have times like that again. Once we get settled, we'll have our own cabin and can just hang out. We'll go on looting trips together with just the both of us. It's still you and me Dean, it's still us against the world.
Dean's answer was sarcastic, exactly what Sam had been expecting. Of course it is, bitch. And you signed up for it for the rest of eternity.
Hey, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Dean didn't say thank you, but his 'goodnight, Sammy' said it all.
Dean woke up before anyone else, teleporting out of the tent as not to wake Sam. He didn't have a pen or any paper to leave Sam a note, but then he saw the angel still sitting by the extinguished campfire, staring into the forest for any danger.
"I'm taking a bath in the river. Let Sammy know where I am if he asks," Dean called out to Castiel. Sure, Sam could contact him through their telepathy to ask him where he was, but the kid still seemed to forget about that link they shared in times of worry.
Dean grabbed some pans so he could purify some water to wash his hair when he noticed that Castiel was looking at him quizzically. "If you are bathing in a stream, what is the need for the pots?"
Dean huffed. "Sammy says the water could be contaminated with Croatoan. I can't wash anything near my face with that water, so I need to put some in the pot and purify it before I do."
"Your brother is correct that some water could be contaminated, but this river is not."
Dean raised his eyebrows in question. "Yeah, how so?"
"I can determine where the virus resides. I touched the water on the way here and have felt that there is no Croatoan flowing through this water."
Huh, that was pretty cool. "Well good." Dean dropped the pans on the ground and only took his clothes, shampoo and some soap. "That'll come in handy. Sammy will be happy to hear that. Now, keep watch over him while I'm gone."
Dean made his way over to the stream, checking his surroundings in case any more kitsunes or other creatures decided to jump down from the trees and attack him.
This time, no danger stood in his way and he was able to find the lake easily. He stripped from his clothes, briefly smelling them and cringing. He needed to wash those things the best that he could. He lifted one arm, reeling away at the stench that came from him. No wonder the tent smelled of B.O. If everyone else smelled as bad as him, they better all take baths too.
It was a lot easier taking a bath without having to worry about any threat of contacting Croatoan. Having the angel around would come in handy and lead to a lot less worrying for all of them.
Feeling a lot more refreshed, Dean washed his clothes and changed into a fresh pair. Now, if only he had some coffee, then he would feel great.
He really hoped they found some soon. Damn, he missed that hotel Starbucks.
When he made it back to the camp, he was happy to see that Sam was still sleeping. The kid needed the rest and Dean was going to let him sleep as long as he wanted. What he wasn't pleased to see, was that Allen was awake and walking toward him.
Dean tried to avoid him by walking over to the backpacks that stored their food, but Allen followed.
"Dean…," the man started to say.
"What, Allen?" Dean responded gruffly.
Allen stilled, rubbing his hands together in a nervous gesture. "What you were saying last night about the ghost...Sam mentioned early on that she ended up moving on to heaven."
"Yeah, and you didn't stay long enough to hear how that happened."
Allen looked down at his shoes. "I just couldn't stay any longer. I kept….my sister…and the kids….," he swallowed and Dean could tell he was starting to get emotional. He briefly remembered the story Allen had told them some days ago about how his sister, niece and nephew were tortured and murdered by demons. "Do you...do you think they have a chance at getting there at all? Could they get out of Hell?"
Dean shrugged. "Uh, I doubt it. Hell tries real hard to make sure no one leaves unless they want them to. Only a few demons like me ever manage to sneak out. I mean….maybe the kids will, I never saw any in Hell, so maybe they'll be set free, but not your sister."
Allen nodded, as if he were expecting that answer. "But if she is...or does...turn into a demon, do you think there is any chance that she could come out like you?"
"Like me how?" Dean figured Allen knew, but he wanted to actually hear those words come out of the man's mouth.
"Caring about her family, not killing everything she sees, having...having some sort of human connection. Would she…" he sighed, sounding defeated. "Would there be a chance she wouldn't be evil?"
Dean stared the man right in the eyes. "No. There ain't any other demon like me."
Allen's face crumbled, and he turned away. Maybe this guy wasn't as much of an ass as he had let on. He seemed to care deeply for his family, and that was something Dean could relate to.
"If it makes you feel any better, Hell has gotta be mayhem with how overcrowded it is. I doubt there's torturers for every soul. A bunch are probably locked up, and maybe she's one of them. With Crowley in charge, he might find something else to do with them instead of turning them all into demons."
Allen nodded, but it didn't seem like he was very hopeful. "I'm going to go wash up now."
"Good, you reek," Dean called after him and then addressed Castiel. "You might want to follow him and make sure he doesn't trip again and break his neck this time. I'll watch over camp."
"I agree that Allen is not well coordinated and does not have much experience with nature. I will assist him."
Dean rubbed his hands together with glee. He could just picture the look on the man's face as the clueless angel watched him bathe.
Before Dean could snicker too much at that thought, Sam emerged from the tent. His hair was wild but he was looking refreshed.
"Dean, hey…"
That was all that Dean heard before a buzzing and static noise filled his head. He closed his eyes and focused, knowing exactly what was happening.
Dean? The voice in his mind cut off, but came back into focus quickly. Dean…you there?
It looked like Bobby had finally managed to make a call to him.
Hardly a sound was to be heard as she stood in the center of the town. There were many bodies scattered about, and blood was splattered on the streets. But still...it was obvious that the majority of the citizens had gotten out alive. It seemed as though they had left in a hurry, almost as if they had been expecting her.
Many of her minions had failed her, but Hades had been one that she thought might live up to his promise.
But he had turned out to be a failure, like many of the others. What was so difficult about running a town and keeping them in place until she showed up? She controlled her children with ease, it couldn't be that humans would be much more difficult. They were weak and needy. They needed a leader to look up to, and Hades had been the perfect fit.
Now, she would not be able to create any children out of this town. The babies that Hades had informed her about were nowhere to be seen.
She prefered the fresh young ones. They were easy to manipulate and change into the monsters she wanted them to become. Many of her new ideas for her children ended up failing on the older humans, but when she experimented on their young, they seemed to flourish in their new skin.
And the young ones didn't fight her control at all. They truly loved their Mother, and that was simply all that she wanted.
This was a major setback, but she didn't think to panic. With the way Hades had been able to mutate the Croats, soon any humans that she did not change would be dead and the demons would either die off as well, or retreat back to Hell.
The world would soon be all hers, and it would be a much better place. Her children would not need to compete with each other, there would be no wars or hatred. The things that had corrupted humanity would not be present within the creatures that belonged to her.
Every human should be coming to her with open arms, as she promised a much better life and a Mother who would protect and love them no matter what.
She walked around the city, looking for any traces of what may have led to the fighting and Hades' downfall. It didn't take her long to sense the presence of sulfur in many spots. Demons had been here, but there was no way she could figure out which faction of demons caused this mess.
The sound of shuffling became clear and she used her precise hearing to track down whatever had caused the noise.
Down an alley, was a human male who was bleeding out. He struggled to get to his feet before he fell down again, moaning in pain.
"Child, I can help end your suffering," she spoke to him and approached him slowly.
The man turned to face her, his face already pale. His life force would soon leave him unless she intervened.
"You can...can you kill me? Please. I can't...I can't take it anymore…" Blood dripped out of his mouth as he coughed.
"I can offer you something even better, my child. I can offer you a new life, one free of pain and full of new hopes."
For as weak as the man was, he mustered up enough strength to give her a condescending look. She was used to this by now, and did not take it personally. "What the hell are you talking about girl? I'm not your child, and how can you help me live?"
"You are not my child yet, but you soon will be if you allow me to change you into something better."
"What?" the man coughed. "Like one of those demon creatures? No way!"
"Not a demon at all, dear. I despise those creatures. I am actually working on a way of getting rid of them all. What I want to change you into is something supernatural, something strong and greater than any human or demon."
The man shifted against the wall of the building. It wouldn't be long until the pain became too great to bear. "I'm not becoming anything evil...you...you probably worked for the man that ran this town! He was a disgusting man and his followers shot me! But we...we stopped them all!"
She found this bit of news fascinating. So the humans in the town fought back...with the help of a demon? "It is true that I was having that man assist me. But I cannot speak of whatever actions he had take place here. I only wanted him to protect you all, so you could all be taken care of by me when the time comes."
"He...he promoted rape!" the man yelled as loudly as he could.
Cocking her head to the side, she considered this. She was disappointed in Hades. She did not approve of violence among her children, and rape was definitely a form of that. Her children would mate under mutual terms when both had a desire and urge to do so.
"I am sorry that the people here had to suffer. He should not have gone about those ways in order to produce more young. I am saddened that I will not be able to become a mother to all of them, but I can help you."
The man still did not seem to trust her, but he knew his time was running short, she could see it in his eyes. One of the few things she found commendable about humans was their desire to live. This man would choose his new life over the fear of what lied ahead in death.
"It's not like humans are going to win this war...will I...if I let you change me, will I still be able to turn into one of the Croats?"
"The virus does not affect my children." She smiled warmly at the man that would soon become one of her own. "I will change you, but first, I would like to know everything that happened here, so I can try and make sure it does not happen again."
It was true that she could change the man and then force her child to tell her any information that he knew. But she prefered her children to be willing and honest. If this man told her all he knew right now, he had the chance to be one of her most reliable offspring. She did not like to work by force, but by love and trust.
"Theodore...he...he and his minions got overpowered. There was a demon...he helped us take him down."
"Aren't you afraid of the demons?" She asked the man. "Why did you trust this one?"
"He assisted us in battle….he helped the entire time and didn't hurt us. I wasn't about to complain."
"And this demon...he left you here to die?"
"I...I had been fine. They told us to leave and I started to pack up, when I left my house, I got jumped by one of Theodore's followers who had managed to hide." He pointed to a body that lay about twenty feet away. "We fought and I felt him get me in my stomach, but I managed to slice his throat. I passed out and when I woke up, everyone had left."
"You do not know where they went to?"
"I do. The demon said they were going northeast, up to Canada and he told us to go south, because there were a lot of demons out west, where they came from."
"You are speaking as if the demon was with others."
The man clutched at his stomach, cringing in agony. "He...he was. There were a group of a few of them. He had a brother…it seemed like he was human..."
A brother. That was all she needed to know. The Winchesters and their clan had ruined her town. She had to step up her search for them. She believed them to be a possible threat all along, but now she knew she had to take more drastic measures.
"Thank you child, that is exactly what I needed to know."
She reached down, sinking her teeth into her new child's neck and let her energy form him into a new creature altogether, one that would be able to help track down the Winchesters in a way they would never see coming. He was strong, and would take to the change excellently.
Eve smiled down at her fledgling as the process began.
"I know you will not let me down, little one."
That's it for this chapter! Luckily I already have 3.5k already started for chapter 11!
This chapter was more character-based rather than having a lot of action, but I felt it was just as important and enjoyed writing the conversations and travelling through the wasteland.
Let me know what you thought! I'd love to hear your opinion on the chapter and what scenes you enjoyed. :)