Child of Innocence Ch. 10
Disclaimer: Supernatural and it's characters belong to Kripke and the CW. I am only playing in their sandbox for a little while
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Previously: "Let's just salt and burn the body and get the hell out of here" John said as he poured a liberal amount of salt onto the bones hidden in the wall. Before John could light a match however, the spirit of Miranda Montgomery coalesced before them and threw out her hands sending John and Bobby crashing into the dresser on the far wall.
John felt that odd feeling of being airborne before his back connected solidly with the wall forcing the breath from his body. "Holy shit he gasped as he fell to his hands and knees. He was going to be stiff tomorrow from the beating his back just took by colliding with the dresser. He looked over to see Bobby lying flat on his back and moaning. Not knowing how badly his mentor friend had been hurt, John pushed himself away from Bobby before getting to his feet. He needed to focus Miranda's attention on him until Bobby got himself together.
"Lady, I've had just about enough of your shit" John said breathlessly as he stood, swaying lightly on his feet. He tried not to grimace as he pushed himself away from the wall that he had used to get to a standing position, he couldn't let the spirit know how much pain he was really in. Scanning for his weapon, his eyes caught sight of the gun laying off to the side approximately seven feet from where he now stood. There was no way he could get to it without Miranda noticing. Swearing under his breath, he hoped that Bobby was becoming more alert and would make a move soon. John's attention was drawn back to Miranda as he heard her give him an ultimatum.
"Release the child to me or die" Miranda vehemently stated growing tired of being kept away from the boy she already loved. Sure, he wasn't her Richie, but he had the same sweet hazel eyes and the chesnut brown hair as her own baby boy. She was sure that in time, Sammy would grow to love her and forget the family he would be leaving behind. This family didn't love him as much as she did which was evident by the way they had left him behind in a serious state of illness. The man standing before her was obviously a neglectful father just like her murderous husband and he deserved to be punished. She would have to torture him a little before taking his life.
"Are you ready for some fun?" Miranda asked with a baneful glint dancing in her eyes. She was going to enjoy being the one to inflict the torture this time. With a flick of her wrist, she swept John's feet out from under him and he landed hard on the floor, jarring the bones in his already injured back. Using a telekinetic force to hold him in place, she quickly walked over and kicked him hard in the ribs.
"You evil bitch" groaned out John as he collapsed to the floor with pain radiating throughout his body. He didn't think his ribs were broken, but they would sure as hell hurt tomorrow. "I'm going to fcking kill you."
Miranda just laughed at the statement. "Like father, like son" she said remembering that his oldest had also threatened her earlier. "All you men think about is killing, that is why I must take Sammy from you. The child is innocent and I cannot allow you to destroy that innocence."
"What makes you think I want to destroy that innocence lady?" John gasped out holding his palm to his right side. He had to keep her talking until he regained some strength or Bobby joined him in the battle. "Don't you think I know my child is special, that he sees the good in everything?"
"Apparently not, since you subject him to a life of killing" Miranda accused as she looked at the lamp across the room and used her powers to fling it at John's head.
John raised his arm as the saw the ceramic lamp sailing quickly towards him. He grunted in pain, biting his bottom lip when he felt the lamp ram into his arm. "Aren't y-you doing th-the same th-thing?" John stuttered cradling his injured arm to his chest. "By killing us, you would be doing the exact thing you accuse me of."
"Only because you force me to with your evil ways" Miranda stated as she viciously delivered a punch to John's right cheek.
"Damn it" groaned John as he suddenly saw movement off to his right. Bobby was slowly moving towards his own gun trying to stay undetected by the evil spirit. He had just reached out to grasp the pistol when it sailed across the floor to Miranda's feet.
"You will pay for that" Miranda spat at Bobby as she focused on the knives lying in the sink and sent them sailing Bobby's way.
"You freaking crazy idjit" yelled Bobby before he dropped quickly to the floor, the knives sailing over his head. This bitch meant business. The thought had no sooner passed through his head when he felt himself lifted off the floor and thrown over the bed landing against the wall. Before he could move an inch, the bed slid towards him and effectively pinned him against the wall.
"I'll deal with you later" Miranda informed Bobby as she once again focused her attention on John noticing that he had once again managed to stand up, though he was wavering considerably.
"The time has come for you to die" Miranda enunciated coldly as if it was a known fact to everybody in the room that it was going to happen.
"Lady, even if you kill me, you still wouldn't be able to take my son" John told Miranda knowing that Dean and Bobby as well as a few others would protect him until death. "You'll never get close to Sammy again so you might as well move on and leave my family alone."
Miranda's face became livid with rage upon hearing John's words and the winds began to swirl around her. She was going to have to bring the high and mighty hunter to his knees. Focusing on the main obstacle between her and the object of her desire, Miranda focused her attention on John's throat.
John's eyes grew huge in abject horror as he realized he could feel the pressure of invisible hands closing around his throat and trying to squeeze the life out of him. He reached up to try and stop the hands from choking him only to realize there was nothing there for him to grasp on to. He could hear Bobby calling his name in panic but was unable to respond to respond to him.
"Oh god Mary, please help protect our baby" he thought as he felt blackness encroaching upon him. It terrified him to think he could die possibly die from suffocation with an angry spirit fixated on his baby boy. Just as he was about to pass out, he felt the pressure against his throat relax and he slid to the floor greedily sucking in air. Thinking that Bobby had freed himself and done something to dispel the spirit, John was blown away to look up and see a teenaged boy standing in front of Miranda and that he looked somewhat like Sammy. "Could it be?" he thought as he saw the youngster approaching the spirit confidently and address it as Mama.
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Miranda's eyes gleamed as she watched the man before her struggling to breathe as she clenched her fists tight to keep him from drawing in life saving air. She would soon be rid of one of the barriers in her path to happiness once again. She knew her plan was almost fulfilled as soon as she saw the hunter reaching up to try and release the pressure she was applying to his throat. Just a few more minutes now and he would be stone cold dead.
She quickly lost her death grip upon the hunter though when she saw another materializing right before her very eyes. "Richie" Miranda exclaimed breathlessly as sheer happiness enveloped her being. It had been so long since she had seen her baby and she didn't think she'd ever see his angelic face again. Tears burst from her eyes as she heard the one word her heart ached to hear the most "Mama."
"Mama, I've missed you so much" Richie said as he threw his arms around his mother feeling her arms also surround him. He had longed to be held by her for so long now and finally his wish was coming true. He didn't know how he arrived back at the house in which he used to live, but he knew he had a purpose. He was destined to keep his mother from committing a horrible wrong and saving her soul.
Releasing his hold from his mother's neck, he looked into her beautiful eyes and said "Mama, why do you hurt these people? They have done you no wrong."
"You're wrong baby, these men are evil just like your father was." Pointing to John, she said "That one is a cold hearted bastard. He claims to be a loving father, yet he left his sick child behind. He does not deserve him. He should be with me, with us now."
"No Mama, you're wrong. Look into his eyes and you will see the love he holds for his children. Why do you think he protects them so fiercely even under the threat of death He never wanted to leave his son alone. That's why he made sure he had someone coming to watch over him mother."
As Miranda focused on her son, she was slowly relinquishing her hold on the two hunters. Could it be true that her Richie was right? Was this man a good father, living his life and raising his sons the best way he could? Taking her son's advice, she looked into John's eyes and saw the pain the man had suffered as he was forced to leave the child home alone. She could see the immense guilt he held at not being able to give his sons the perfect life. Closing her eyes, she searched John's memories. She saw the joy the family shared when little Sammy was born and the pride that was upon the hunter's face. Mike had not even stood by her side after Richie was born, he was too busy getting drunk. Through the years, she saw the way that the two oldest Winchesters tried to protect the youngest from learning the truth about what was really out there and how it had devastated them once they knew Sammy had found out the truth from reading John's journal.
Raising her hand to cover her mouth, Miranda hung her head in regret. "I was wrong, so wrong" she intoned regretfully. Knowing that she needed to move on, to find peace, she once again looked John in the eyes. "Please forgive my transgressions against your family. I realize now how wrong I was, but what I did, I did out of love."
John nodded his head once to acknowledge he heard what the spirit had said to him. She had caused too much heartache and put Sammy's life in jeopardy. He just couldn't forgive her for that right now. He watched as Richie reached out for his mother's hand and a vivid light glowed around them. "Please tell Sammy I'm sorry" Miranda said just before her and Richie faded out of existence.
John breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the spirits evaporate. He walked over and helped Bobby to move the heavy bed so that he could free himself. He quickly packed what little belongs he and the boys owned and packed them into the trunk of the Impala while Bobby set the bones located in the wall afire, neither hunter caring that it would also burn the house down.
"Let's roll" John said to Bobby as he joined him in the Impala needing to get back to the hospital to his sons.
TBC I plan on the next chapter being an epilogue to the story where Sammy heals at Bobby's unless you would like to see John and Bobby make Miranda's husband pay for what he did.