Disclaimer: Not mine

Chapter 10

Jenny was sitting on the floor of her home, unpacking boxes. She came across a photo of herself and her husband at their wedding and began to cry just as her daughter, Sari walked in.

"Mommy?"

Jenny looked up and managed a shaky smile. "Hey, sweetie. Why aren't you in bed?"

"There's something in my closet."

Jenny put the photo aside and stood, taking her hand and leading her back to her bedroom where she opened the closet doors and looked inside as Sari watched from her bed. "See? There's nothing there."

"You sure?" she clutched her doll tight.

"I'm sure. Now, come on. Get into bed," she smiled, and Sari crawled into bed and Jenny tucked her in.

"I don't like this house."

"You're just not used to it yet. But you and your brother and me –- we are going to be very happy here. I promise," she kissed Sari on her forehead. "I love you." She turned off the light and got up to leave the room.

"The chair," Sari called.

"Okay." She moved a chair under the doorknob of the closet. "The chair. Just to be safe."

Sari lay down and closed her eyes as Jenny left.

Jenny went back down to the living room to continue unpacking boxes. She stopped when she heard the sound of scratching coming from the basement. "Please, God, don't let it be rats," she muttered, maybe this house hadn't been as good a deal as it had first appeared. She got up and headed down into the basement with a flashlight. She tried turning on a light, but the switches didn't work. "Terrific."

In Sari's bedroom the chair began moving on its own, away from the closet doors. Sari sat up in her bed, wide-eyed and afraid.

Back in the basement, Jenny kept looking around. On the floor, she saw a large black trunk. She knelt down and opened it, pulling out old photos of the Winchester family. Written on the back of a picture were the words, 'The Winchesters. John, Mary, Dean, and Little Sammy.' Jenny smiled at the sweet scenes.

In Sari's bedroom, the closet doors opened by themselves. Standing in the closet was what looked like a person, but it was entirely made out of fire. Sari screamed but then the figure faded away as if something had stopped it.

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She stirred slowly, becoming aware for the first time in years, sensing terror. She stretched out and felt the evil, felt the child's fear and she acted smother the evil presence…for now. She could not destroy it, she didn't have the power, so she reached out for anything familiar, looking for help.

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Sam gasped awake, shaking slightly and Dean woke instantly, sitting up in alarm. "Sammy?"

"I…I don't know…nightmare?"

"What was it?" Dean got up and grabbed a water bottle, tossing it to Sammy who drank, letting the shakes slow to a stop.

"I don't know…a tree…a woman in a bedroom, screaming for help…"

"Not a lot to go on," Dean warned even as he grabbed the laptop and John's journal, tossing it to Sammy.

Sam caught the journal and frowned as a photo slipped out, freezing as he stared at it…was it possible?

"Sammy?" Dean looked up, seeing his expression.

Sam turned the photo around, it showed their family from before the demon, standing in front of a tree. "Dean this is the tree."

"No…" Dean shook his head, anything but that, he couldn't go back there.

"Dean we have to, if something's happening there, in our old house we can't let it continue," Sam argued, and Dean sighed, he knew Sammy was right. He couldn't sit back and let someone innocent die just because he didn't want to go back home.

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Sam parked and looked at the house, he had no memories of it, he'd been too young. He glanced at Dean, seeing how pale he looked as he stared at the house with wide eyes. "You gonna be all right?"

"Let me get back to you on that," Dean answered and then they got out of the car. After knocking on the front door, Jenny answered it, Sam not entirely surprised to find she was the woman from his dream.

"Yes?"

"Um…hi. I'm Sam Winchester, and this is my brother, Dean. We used to live here. You know, we were just drivin' by, and we were wondering if we could come see the old place."

"Winchester. Yeah, that's so funny. You know, I think I found some of your photos the other night," Jenny admitted, they had definitely grown up since the photos, but she could still see those little boys in them.

"You did?" Dean asked in surprise and Jenny nodded, stepping aside.

"Come on in," She smiled, and they walked in, following her to the kitchen where Sari was at the table doing homework. Ritchie, her jumpy toddler brother, was in his playpen.

"Juice! Juice! Juice! Juice!"

"That's Ritchie. He's kind of a juice junkie." She took a sippy cup out of the refrigerator and handed it to Ritchie. "But, hey, at least he won't get scurvy," she laughed, walking over to Sari. "Sari, this is Sam and Dean. They used to live here."

"Hi," she greeted, and Dean waved.

"Hey, Sari," Sam smiled at her. "So, you just moved in?"

"Yeah, from Wichita," Jenny answered.

"You got family here, or….?" Dean asked, curious. Why had Sammy dreamt of this?

"No. I just, uh… needed a fresh start, that's all. So, new town, new job –- I mean, as soon as I find one. New house."

"So, how you likin' it so far?"

"Well, uh, all due respect to your childhood home –- I mean, I'm sure you had lots of happy memories here," she offered, and Dean smiled weakly. "But this place has its issues."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, maybe whatever it was, was what had caused his dream?

"Well, it's just getting old. Like the wiring, you know? We've got flickering lights almost hourly."

"Oh, that's too bad. What else?" Dean pushed cautiously.

"Um…sink's backed up, there's rats in the basement I'm sorry. I don't mean to complain."

"No. Have you seen the rats, or have you just heard scratching?"

"It's just the scratching, actually," she frowned, she hadn't actually seen any rats.

"Mom?" Sari called, and jenny turned to her. "Ask them if it was here when they lived here.

"What, Sari?" Sam asked carefully.

"The thing in my closet."

"Oh, no, baby, there was nothing in their closets." She looked at the brothers. "Right?"

"Right. No, no, of course not."

"She had a nightmare the other night," Jenny explained, gently running a hand through Sari's hair.

"I wasn't dreaming. It came into my bedroom –- and it was on fire," she insisted, and the brothers froze, fire?

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She watched them in shock, these were her babies? Her beautiful boys? They'd grown so much, she had missed so much. She wanted to reach out to them, but she had drained too much power reaching out to them. It was Sammy she'd reached, she could feel his power, even stronger than as a baby. But Dean…. there was something…off. She wanted so much to speak with them, to tell them how much she loved them, but it was taking what power she had to hold back the evil.

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"You hear that? A figure on fire," Dean offered as they settled in their motel room. "And that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dream?"

"Yeah. And you hear what she was talking about? Scratching, flickering lights, both signs of a malevolent spirit." Sam put down the lunch he'd grabbed, and they sat to eat.

"The thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed Mom and Jessica?" Dean asked nervously.

"I don't know… I don't think so, that's a demon and this isn't screaming demon," Sam admitted.

"We have to get 'em out of that house."

"And we will," Sam promised.

"No, I mean now," Dean argued, he didn't want anyone hurt because of their past.

"And how are we gonna do that, huh? You have a story that she's going believe?" Sam asked, and Dean deflated, shaking his head.

"What are we supposed to do?"

"If this was any other kind of job, what would we do?" Sam offered, and Dean dug out the laptop.

"We'd try to figure out what we were dealin' with. We'd dig into the history of the house. Except this time, we already know what happened, if this is connected to Mom."

"Yeah, but how much do we know? I mean, how much do you actually remember?" Sam had never really asked Dean that, he'd pushed John for answers but never Dean.

"About that night, you mean?"

"Yeah."

"Not much. I remember the fire…the heat," he paused for a moment, "and then I carried you out the front door."

Sam blinked in shock, "You did?"

"Yeah, you never knew that?" Dean asked in confusion but then…Sammy had never really asked him about that night before. "Well, you know John's story as well as I do. Mom was…. was on the ceiling. And whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad found her. and now we know it was a demon."

"And he never had a theory about what did it?" Sam asked curiously, had John never worked out it was a demon?

"If he did, he kept it to himself. God knows we asked him enough times," Dean shrugged, uncomfortable.

"Okay. So, if we're gonna figure out what's goin' on now…we have to figure out what happened back then. I don't think it's a demon but if fires involved it could be connected."

"Yeah. We'll talk to John's friends, neighbours, people who were there at the time," Dean agreed, and they fell silent for a while, Dean tapping away at the laptop.

"Does this feel like just another job to you?"

Dean hesitated and then shook his head, "No," he whispered.

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"All right, there. Don't you worry 'bout a thing. Your wife is crazy about you," She was saying as the boys walked onto the porch. The man thanked her, and she closed the front door behind him once they were inside, shaking her head. "Whew. Poor bastard. His woman is cold-bangin' the gardener."

"Why didn't you tell him?" Dean asked, and she chuckled.

"People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news," she explained, and the boys stared at her. "Well? Sam and Dean come on already, I ain't got all day," she said as she left the room. They exchanged a worried and slightly confused look but followed. "Well, lemme look at ya," she laughed. "Oh, you boys grew up handsome." She pointed at Dean, "And you were one goofy-lookin' kid, too." That had Dean glaring at her while Sam smirked. "Sam," she took his hand and her eyes widened. "Oh honey…I'm so sorry. What she did to you…to both of you…" she shook her head, unable to believe what had been done to them. She wasn't a witch, but she didn't need to be to feel how they had been changed, twisted into new people all to suite a dead witch's wants.

"How'd you know all that?"

"Well, you were just thinkin' it just now."

Sam stared in shock at her answer. "I…um…"

"Can what was done to Sammy be undone? Dean asked, never thinking to ask for himself.

"I don't know."

"Don't know? Well, you're supposed to be a psychic, right?" Dean pushed.

"Boy, you see me sawin' some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician? I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air. Sit, please." They sat down, she was one forceful woman.

"So, our dad –- when did you first meet him?" Sam asked, forcing himself to say that instead of using his name.

"He came for a reading. A few days after the fire. I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say…I drew back the curtains for him."

"What about the fire? Do you know about what killed our mom?" Dean asked eagerly.

"A little. Your daddy took me to your house. He was hopin' I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing."

"And could you?"

"I…." She shook her head. "I don't know. Oh, but it was evil. So…you think somethin' is back in that house?"

"Definitely," Sam stated.

"I don't understand."

"What?"

"I haven't been back inside, but I've been keepin' an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it actin' up now?"

"I don't know. I don't think it's what killed Mom but there are definitely signs something is there," Sam answered.

"Pity the upstairs burned, you Mom's journals might have helped."

"What?" Sam and Dean asked at the same time.

"You didn't know? Where do you think you get it from Sam?" she asked in amusement.

"Get?"

"Magic sweetie, you got if from your Mom. The Campbell's are a long line of natural witches and your Mom was powerful. When John took me through I could still feel the remains of her protections," she explained. "You didn't know? I told John all this, told him you'd need training."

Sam shook his head. "I didn't know I had magic till I went to Stanford. John always warded everything…it blocked my magic," he admitted, and she glared angrily.

"If I get my hands on that man!" She snarled and the brother's blinked at her, surprised by her anger. "Well let's get this over with," she stood and went to gather a few things and the boys trailed after her, Sam still shocked to have conformation that John had known and been purposely cutting him off from his power despite being told to have him trained. Just another betrayal from the man who should have loved and looked after them.

They walked up to the house and knocked, a frazzled Jenny opening the door. "Sam, Dean. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Jenny. This is our friend, Missouri," Sam introduced her.

"If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to show her the old house. You know, for old time's sake."

"You know, this isn't a good time. I'm kind of busy," Jenny answered, clutching Ritchie and all three wondered what had happened now.

"Listen, Jenny, it's important," Dean started but Missouri stopped him, usually she would have slapped but she couldn't do that to him, not when she knew what had been done to him.

"Give the poor girl a break, can't you see she's upset? Forgive this boy, he means well, he's just not the sharpest tool in the shed, but hear me out," she said, and Dean blinked, a little stunned.

"About what?"

"About this house."

"What are you talking about?" Jenny shook her head, tightening her hold on Ritchie.

"I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there's something in this house, something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?" Missouri asked, and Jenny swallowed nervously.

"Who are you?"

"We're people who can help, who can stop this thing. But you're gonna have to trust us, just a little," Missouri pressed, and Jenny stared, unsure but finally she stepped back, letting them in. Missouri led them right up to Sari's room. "If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it."

"Why?" Sam asked, glancing around.

"This used to be your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened," she answered gently, and Sam glanced up at the ceiling, reaching out with his magic to try and sense something. "I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved, but this ain't the thing that took your Mom."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, and she nodded. "How do you know?"

"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's somethin' different."

"What is it?" Dean asked, worried about Sammy, seeing the wide-eyed look his bother sported at being back in his nursery even if it didn't look the same.

"Not it." She opened the closet. "Them. There's more than one spirit in this place."

"What are they doing here?"

"They're here because of what happened to your family. You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds. And sometimes, wounds get infected. This place is a magnet for paranormal energy. It's attracted a poltergeist. A nasty one. And it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead," Missouri explained as they left the room and headed downstairs.

"You said there was more than one spirit."

"There is. I just can't quite make out the second one."

"Well, one thing's for damn sure –- nobody's dyin' in this house ever again. So, whatever is here, how do we stop it?" Dean asked.

Jenny just stared in confusion as Missouri spread out the things she had brought from her house on the table.

"So, what is all this stuff, anyway?" Dean asked as he stared at the various herbs.

"Angelica Root, Van Van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends. We're gonna put them inside the walls in the north, south, east, west corners on each floor of the house."

"We'll be punchin' holes in the dry wall. Sorry Jenny," he looked at the woman who looked utterly lost.

"And this'll destroy the spirits?"

"It should. It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor. But we work fast. Once the spirits realize what we're up to, things are gonna get bad. Which means you and the babies need to leave," she looked at Jenny.

"Look, I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving you guys here alone," jenny argued weakly, were they really talking about ghosts?

"Just take your kids to the movies or somethin', and it'll be over by the time you get back," Missouri smiled, and the brothers moved to help her get the kids ready and then out of the house. [JENNY, still slightly unsure, leaves with her kids. MISSOURI goes back inside.]

Sam went into one of the rooms with a hammer. He knelt down by the wall and began using the end of the hammer to hit against the walls. While he was doing that, a plug on the other side of the room took itself out of the outlet. A lamp began to move on its own as well. The plug snaked its way towards Sam. Downstairs in the kitchen, Dean was punching the wall with a small axe. Behind him, a drawer began to open on its own. In the basement, Missouri was looking around. She brought a bag full of herbs to the wall. She heard a noise and turned around to see a table coming towards her. She screamed as it pinned her against the wall. Back in the kitchen, Dean also heard a noise, he quickly ducked just as a knife hurled itself into a cabinet. Dean placed a table in front of himself as more knives came through it. Upstairs, Sam was chopping a hole in the wall as the lamp crashed to the ground. Sam turned around to see what the noise was, and the cord wrapped itself around his neck, tightening as Sam fell to the ground, trying to get the cord off. Magic surged through him as he mouthed a few words and the cord went limp, letting him yank it free.

"Sammy?" Dean yelled up the stairs.

"I'm fine, keep going!" he kicked a hole in the wall and placed the bag of herbs inside. A blinding white light flashed through the room. He rubbed at his throat, but the pain was fading. He headed downstairs to meet up with the others, all of them a little ruffled form the poltergeists last attack. "You sure this is over?"

"I'm sure. Why? Why do you ask?"

"Never mind," Sam sighed. "It's nothin', I guess." He moved to the stove and whipped up some hot chocolate, they could all use the sugar boost. A few hours later, after no activity, jenny opened the door.

"Hello? We're home," she walked into the kitchen and looked around. "What happened?"

"Hi, sorry. Um, we'll pay for all of this."

Don't you worry. The boy's are gonna clean up this mess. Well, what are you waiting for, boys? Get the mop. And don't cuss at me!" the brothers moved to clean up, Sam sneaking in a few protective spells to keep the family safe.

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She'd felt the purification and it hadn't affected her, she wasn't evil after all. She'd managed to keep the other from doing too much damage while they were working to banish it, happy to see Sammy defend himself so well with magic. He was so powerful, and she felt no demonic taint in him, despite what she had walked in on all those years ago.

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Jenny lay in bed, reading a magazine. She yawned and put the magazine on her bedside table. After turning off the light and sliding underneath the covers, she went to sleep. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, startled. The bed began to shake violently. She screamed and scrambled out of bed. Meanwhile, outside, Sam and Dean were sitting in the car, just to be safe.

"All right, what are we still doin' here? Missouri said it's clean."

"I don't know. I just…I still have a bad feeling. I just wanna make sure, that's all."

"Okay, wake me for my turn." He slid down in his seat and closed his eyes.

Sam looked up at Jenny's bedroom window and saw her screaming, just as in his dream. "Dean. Look, Dean!" They rushed out of the car and ran towards the house.

"You grab the kids, I'll get Jenny," Dean yelled as they broke the door down and bolted up the stairs, splitting up even as Sam wove shield spells around them on the Sari's bedroom, the figure made out of fire was standing by her closet. In the hallway, Dean rushes to Jenny's bedroom door. "Jenny!"

"I can't open the door!" she yelled back.

"Stand back!" he called, and she moved back. Dean kicked down the door and brought her downstairs.

"No, my kids!"

"Sammy's got your kids, come on."

While carrying Ritchie in his arms, Sam went to Sari's bedroom, where she was screaming for help. Sam went to her bed and picked her up in his other arm. "Don't look. Don't look!" They left the bedroom. Outside, Dean and Jenny rushed out of the house. Inside the house, Sam rushed down the stairs and put the kids down on the floor. "All right, Sari, take your brother outside as fast as you can, and don't look back," he ordered even as he felt something slam through his shield spell, sending him sliding back on the floor.

Sari screamed and ran outside with Ritchie. They rushed outside to Dean and Jenny. Dean knelt down to Sari's eye level. "Sari, where's Sam?"

"He's inside. Something's got him," she sobbed, and Dean looked up in panic even as the front door slammed shut.

Dean rushed over to the Impala and opened the trunk, grabbing a rifle and an axe. He rushed to the front door and began chopping away at it. Inside the kitchen, Sam was flung into a set of cabinets. He stood up and felt the presence attack but managed to ward it off long enough to sprint for the door. It attacked again, and he was slammed into the wall, pinned in place even as he struggled, he couldn't move any part of his body. The fire figure made its way towards Sam as he watched on with wide eyes, magic writhing impotently. Dean continued chopping down parts of the door. Eventually, he made a hole that he was able to step through. He walked through the house, looking for Sam, rifle at the ready. "Sammy? Sammy! He found Sammy pinned to the wall and raised the rifle.

"No, don't! Don't!" Sam yelled, and Dean froze.

"What, why?!"

"Because I know who it is. I can see her now," Sam whispered in awe and Dean stared as the fire vanished, revealing someone he still recognised. May Winchester stood before them, exactly as she was the night she died.

Dean's expression softened and in shock, he lowered his gun slowly. "Mom?" he breathed, and she stepped closer.

"Dean," she smiled at him and tears formed in Dean's eyes. Mary walked away from him and went to Sam. Dean watched her, never taking his eyes off her. "Sam," she smiled at her baby, all grown up. Sam smiled weakly, crying. His mother's smile faded. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" he asked in confusion.

She reached out and he shivered, feeling her ghostly touch on his cheek. She then moved back to Dean and it hit her, someone had enslaved her son! The bond was broken…Dean should be dead but...there were two bonds, with the second intact Dean had survived. She should have told John the truth, so he would have known how to protect them. "Look after each other, you need a teacher Sammy, soon." She looked at him sadly and then she walked away from them and looked up at the ceiling. "You get out of my house. And let go of my son." Once again, she burst into flames. When she was entirely engulfed, the fire reached the ceiling and disappeared. The force holding Sam to the wall was released and he stumbled before walking over to Dean, and the two of them looked at each other, stunned.

"Now it's over," Sam whispered.

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They collapsed on the bed together, Dean clinging to Sammy as he trembled. She had looked the same, sounded the same, even smelt the same. "Was it really her?" he choked out and felt Sammy nod.

"She knew…she had magic, I could feel it. Missouri was right," Sam whispered as he held Dean tight. Their Mom had been a Witch, just like him. How different would their lives had been if she had lived? Had brought him up in magic. Would John have accepted it without a Hunter's paranoia? Dean shifted in his arms and then lips were pressed to his and Sam welcomed the kiss, hands beginning to wander over Dean's clothed back before Dean's clothes vanished and then Sam's followed as he rolled them, so Dean was spread out beneath him. They needed this tonight, needed to reaffirm the bond between them.

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Dean stood by the car with Jenny, looking through old photos. "Thanks for these."

"Don't thank me, they're yours," she smiled at him and Dean put the box of photos into the car.

Sitting on the front steps of the house, Sam was joined by Missouri. "Well, there are no spirits in there anymore, this time for sure."

"Not even my mom?" he asked even though he already knew she was gone.

"No."

"What happened?"

"Your mom's spirit and the poltergeist's energy, they cancelled each other out. Your mom destroyed herself goin' after the thing."

"Why would she do something like that?" did that mean she was totally gone? No after life?

"Well, to protect her boys, of course," she gently took his hand and squeezed it. Sam nodded, with tears in his eyes. "Sam, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"You sensed it was here, didn't you? Even when I couldn't," she admitted, and he looked away. "You have a very powerful talent Sam, and someone used it to hurt you both. People like you are very rare, without your Mom to teach you it will be hard."

Sam nodded slowly. He wished so much his Mom was there to teach him. Jess had taught him some, he'd learnt more from her books, but he knew he still had a lot to learn.

"Sam, we ready?" Dean asked, and Sam nodded, getting up and joining Dean at the car, accepting Jenny's thanks.

"Don't you boys be strangers," Missouri called after them.

"We won't," Dean answered.

"See you around."

Missouri watched the boys drive away and then returned home only to freeze in the doorway as she saw John Winchester…no, the demon wearing him.

"Where is Sammy?" the demon asked, smirking and Missouri felt another move up behind her. She may be getting on in year, she may not be a fighter, but she was a psychic and this was her home. Twenty minutes later she picked up the phone to warn the boys what was on their trail and then the cops to deal with the body on her floor. The demon possessed John had fled, if Mary couldn't stop it she knew she couldn't. The brothers were in danger and she only hoped they would be ready to face it when the time came.

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She hadn't realised who the brothers Mother was, a Campbell witch, no wonder Sam was so powerful. She would approach them soon, they would need her now that it was obvious there were demons on their trail. She had so much to teach them.

TBC….