A/N at the bottom, please read it!
Enjoy!
I stared up into the nearly empty sky, watching the clouds pass as a cool breeze rippled around me. I took a deep breath in through my nose, breathing in the clean air. Sam sat next to me on the trunk of the Impala reading some newspaper, looking for god knows what. I heard Dean's laugh, coming from behind as me made his way out of the bar. A small smile came across my face at the sound. I sat up, watching as he walked over to us, waving a huge wad of cash around in the air.
"You know, we could get day jobs once in a while." Sam muttered, glancing up from his paper.
"Hunting's our day job. And the pay is crap." Dean said, leaning on the trunk by my legs.
"Yeah, but hustling pool? Credit card scams? It's not the most honest thing in the world, Dean."
"Well, let's see – honest? Or fun and easy?" Dean shrugged, shaking his head. "It's no contest. Besides, we're good at it. It's what we were raised to do."
"Yeah, well, how we were raised was jacked." Sam said, staring at his brother with slight disapproval in his eyes.
I don't think he'll ever understand Dean's mentality or why he practically worshiped the ground their father walked on. I don't think anyone would, to be honest.
"Yeah, says you. We got a new gig or what?" Dean asked, nodding towards the paper in Sam's hand.
"Maybe. Oasis Plains, Oklahoma – not far from here." Sam said, looking up at Dean from the paper. "A gas company employee, Dustin Burwash, supposedly died from Creutzfeldt-Jakob."
Dean furrowed his brow, looking up at Sam with confusion on his face. "Huh?"
"Human mad cow disease." I muttered with a grimace.
"Mad cow. Wasn't that on Oprah?" Dean asked, his eyes going wide when he realized what he'd said.
"You watch Oprah?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Dean looked around, opening and closing his mouth, but no sound came out.
"I've been learning so many new things about you lately, honey." I chuckled.
"So this guy eats a bad burger. Why is it our kind of thing?" Dean asked suddenly, changing the subject
"Mad cow disease causes massive brain degeneration. It takes months, even years, for the damage to appear. But this guy, Dustin? Sounds like his brain disintegrated in about an hour. Maybe less." Sam explained.
"Okay, that's weird." Dean nodded.
"Yeah. Now, it could be a disease. Or it could be something much nastier."
"All right. Oklahoma." Dean said, watching Sam jump off the car to get in the passenger seat.
I was about to get down, when Dean stopped me, holding my arm lightly. "How are you feeling?"
I took a deep breath, deciding it'd be better to tell him the truth. "I don't know, Dean. I just feel weird. I'm not sure what it is." I paused, taking his hand in mine. "But I want you to know that whatever it is that's going on with me, it has nothing to do with you. Okay?"
Dean nodded, kissing my forehead as the two of us parted and got in the car.
GAS AND POWER COMPANY BUILDING – DAY
"Travis Weaver?" Sam asked as we approached the dark haired man in overalls.
"Yeah, that's right." He nodded, looking up at us with a suspicious glint in his eyes.
"Are you the Travis who worked with Uncle Dusty?" Dean asked.
Travis nodded again, standing up a bit straighter. "Dustin never mentioned his family much."
"Really? Well, he sure mentioned you. He said you were the greatest." Dean told him, small smile on his face.
That certainly is one of the things Dean Winchester is amazing at – ass kissing to get what he wants.
Sam and I nodded in agreement as a big smile spread across Travis's face. "Oh, he did? Huh."
I nodded again, taking a breath. "Listen, we wanted to ask you...what exactly happened out there?"
"I'm not sure." Travis muttered, looking down at me. "He fell in a sinkhole, I went to the truck to get some rope, and, uh, by the time I got back..."
"What did you see?"
"Nothing. Just Dustin."
"No wounds or anything?" Sam asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Well, he was bleeding...from his eyes and his ears– his nose. But that's it." Travis said, looking uncomfortable with all the questions.
"So you think it could be this whole mad cow thing?" Dean asked, shifting his weight to his other foot.
"I don't know." Travis shrugged. "That's what the doctors are saying."
"But if it was, he would've acted strange beforehand, like dementia...loss of motor control. You ever notice anything like that?" I asked, looking up at him.
"No. No way." Travis said, shaking his head adamantly "But then again, if it wasn't some disease, what the hell was it?"
"That's a good question." Dean muttered, looking around the property.
I glanced up at him, looking back over to Travis. "Can you maybe tell us where this happened?"
"Yeah." Travis nodded, moving to his truck.
Travis led us to the home where Dustin died, but said he had to get back to work. So, the three of us made our way over to the small sinkhole surrounded by police tape in the front yard.
"Huh. What do you think?" Dean asked, peering past the tape.
Sam shrugged. "I don't know. But if that guy, Travis, was right, it happened pretty damn fast."
We ducked under the tape, as Sam pulled out his flashlight, shining it into the hole.
"So, what? Some sort of creature chewed on his brain?"
"No, there'd be an entry wound. Sounds like this thing worked from the inside." I muttered.
Dean nodded, looking up at Sam as he stepped back from the sinkhole. "Looks like there's only room for one. You wanna flip a coin?"
"Dean, we have no idea what's down there." Sam replied, shaking his head.
Dean headed back to the Impala without another word, leaving Sam and I standing there staring after him as he sifted through the trunk. A few moments later, he came back with a flimsy looking rope in his hands.
"All right, I'll go if you're scared." Dean shrugged, glancing up at his brother. "You scared?"
"Flip the damn coin." Sam said, crossing his arms.
"This is ridiculous." I mumbled, watching Dean pull a coin out of his pocket.
"All right, call it in the air... chicken." Dean grinned, throwing the coin in the air. I caught it before either one of them could, shaking my head.
"I'm going." I said, staring up at them.
"Like hell you are." Dean said, his expression suddenly very serious. "I said I'd go."
"No, no. I'll go." Sam muttered quickly, glancing between Dean and I.
"No." I shook my head. "Both of you are too heavy for that rope. What if something happens down there you can't be pulled back out?"
I grabbed the rope out of Dean's hand without another word and tied it around my waist. Dean let out a huff, doubling checking the knot to make sure it was secure. I took a deep breath, sitting on ground at the edge of the sinkhole.
"Don't drop me." I said, turning back around to Sam and Dean with a smirk on my face.
"That's not even funny." Dean mumbled, clearly upset as they started to lower me into the ground slowly.
IMPALA – DAY
I sat in the front seat with Dean this time, staring at the little dead beetles in my hand.
Dean glanced over at the dead bug in my hand with a disgusted look on his face. "Alright, so you found some beetles in a hole, in the ground. That's shocking, Tori."
"Alright, smartass. There were no tunnels, no tracks. Definitely no evidence of any other kind of creature down there." I said, raising an eyebrow at him.
"You know, some beetles do eat meat." Sam said, leaning up between Dean and I. "Now, it's usually dead meat, but-"
"Exactly how many did you find down there?" Dean asked.
"Ten."
"It'd take a whole lot more than that to eat out some dude's brain."
"Well, maybe there were more."
Dean shrugged, shaking his head. "I don't know, it sounds like a stretch to me."
"Well, we need more information on the area, the neighborhood. Whether something like this has ever happened before." Sam muttered, glancing over at me.
We drove through town a bit longer, passing an open house sign covered in big red balloons.
"What?" Sam mumbled as he looked out the window.
"Why are we here?" I asked, looking over at Dean, who started pulling up alongside the sidewalk.
"I know a good place to start." Dean replied with a smile.
I looked out the window, seeing a sign that read: Models Open. New Buyers' BBQ Today!
"Dean, really?"
"I'm kinda hungry for a little barbeque, how about you?" Dean asked, still smiling at me. I just shook my head, giving him a look of slight disapproval.
"What, we can't talk to the locals?"
"And the free food's got nothing to do with it?" I asked, a slow smile building on my lips.
"Of course not. I'm a professional." Dean shrugged, putting on a serious expression.
"Sure." I mumbled, hearing Sam chuckle from the backseat.
The three of us exited the car, walking up to the large house. All the homes looked the same. Very cookie cutter. The grass was trimmed and as green as ever. It reminded me of my 12 year old self, laying out on the front lawn with my neighbor Angela. I wasn't very close to a lot of people growing up, but she was someone I considered a friend. The two of us would always make up stupid stories about how our lives would play out.
She'd always say wanted what her parents had – someone she loved, who loved her back unconditionally. Kids, white picket fence. That was never really my thing. That's never what I dreamed about. I'd be damned if a good part of me didn't want that now.
"Growing up in a place like this would freak me out." Dean muttered, staring up at the houses.
"Why?" Sam asked.
"Well, manicured lawns...how was your day, honey? I'd blow my brains out."
"There's nothing wrong with normal." Sam said, looking at his brother.
Dean shrugged, putting an arm around my shoulders. "I'd take our family over normal any day."
I let out a sigh, not saying anything as the three of us walked up the steps. I quickly moved out from under Dean's arm to knock on the door, stepped back towards him as we waited. A few moments later, a tall man with slight graying hair answered the door, a smile on his face.
"Welcome."
"This the barbeque?" Dean asked, looking past him inside the house. I rolled my eyes slightly, shaking my head as the man stared over at us.
"Yeah, not the best weather, but... I'm Larry Pike, the developer here." He said, shaking our hands. "And you are...?"
"Dean. This is Tori and that's Sam."
"Sam, Dean, Tori, good to meet you." Larry said, eying Sam and Dean. "So, you're interested in Oasis Plains?"
"Yes, sir." Dean said with a nod.
"Let me just say – we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or... sexual orientation." Larry said, looking back and forth between Sam and Dean. My eyes went wide as stared up at him, trying hardest to keep from laughing.
"We're brothers." Dean said, looking very disturbed. Larry lowered his head a bit, in slight apology.
"Our father is getting on in years, and we're just looking for a place for him." Sam explained. "Also, these two love birds just got engaged, and they're looking for a nice place, too." Sam added, grinning at the two of us.
I felt Dean freeze behind me, his breathing suddenly becoming very shallow. I reached behind me, patting his side to try and calm him down.
"Great, great." Larry said with a nod. "Well, that's the great thing about Oasis Plains – it's perfect for everyone. Weather your winding down in life, or looking to start a family."
I heard Dean suck in a sharp breath behind me and quickly grabbed his arms, wrapping them around my mid section so he wouldn't fall over. I just nodded, keeping the smile plastered on my face. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sam look down, trying to hide his laughter.
Larry took us through the house to the backyard, where a bunch of people were mulling around. I had to practically drag Dean with me. I mean, I get that he could be a total commitment-phobe, but...damn.
"So, you said you were the developer?" I asked, making small talk to fill up the silence.
"Eighteen months ago, I was walking this valley with my survey team. There was nothing here but scrub brush and squirrels. And you know what, we built such a nice place to live that I actually bought into it myself. This is our house. We're the first family in Oasis Plains." Larry said, walking up to a woman with dark brown hair. "This is my wife, Joanie."
"Hi there." She smiled.
"I'm Tori." I said, shaking her hand. "This is Dean."
"Her Husband." Sam added with a smile.
"Fiance." Dean said through slightly gritted teeth, shooting a dirty look at Sam as he reached around me to shake Joanie's hand, plastering a smile on his face.
"Hi, nice to meet you." She said, turning to Sam, who also shook her hand.
"Sam."
"Pleasure." Joanie muttered happily.
"Tell them how much you love the place, honey. And lie if you have to because I need to sell some houses." Larry said, kissing his wife's temple.
Joanie nodded with a laugh. "Right."
"Well, will you excuse me?" Larry asked, walking past us and back into the house.
"Don't let his salesman routine scare you. This really is a great place to live." Joanie said, looking over at Dean and I. "So, are you two looking to start a family anytime soon?"
Dean stiffened behind me, looking anywhere but Joanie's face as he tightened his grip on my waist.
"Not really, no." I said, shaking my head. I think my voice sounded a lot sadder than I really meant for it to, but ignored it, smiling at her.
Dean eventually let go of me, choosing to lean against the table we were standing next to. He looked a little pale, and I was afraid he might just pass out. Suddenly a dark haired woman ran up next to Joanie, staring over at us with a huge smile on her face.
"Hi, I'm Lynda Bloome, head of sales." She said, sticking her hand out for each of us to shake.
"And Lynda was second to move in. She's a very noisy neighbor, though." Joanie said, no humor in her tone before turning and walking away.
Lynda laughed, shaking her head. "She's kidding, of course. I take it you are interested in becoming homeowners."
"Well..." Dean mumbled, shaking his head.
I glanced over at Dean before looking back to Lynda. "Y-yeah, well..."
"Well, let me just say that we accept homeowners of any race, religion, color, or... sexual orientation."
Alright, am I not here right now?
Dean chuckled, shaking his head as he stood upright, shooting me a look. "Right. Um, I'm gonna go talk to Larry." Dean nodded, turning to Sam. "Okay, honey?"
I let out a laugh, watching him smack Sam on the ass before walking back into the house. Sam looked down at the ground, an uncomfortable look on his face.
Lynda just kept talking and didn't stop since the moment Dean walked away. I sort of wondered how she did it. It didn't seem like she was breathing.
"Who can say no to a steam shower? I use mine everyday." She muttered quickly, that smile still on her face.
"Sounds great." Sam mumbled next to me, staring blankly at her.
Eventually, my eyes started to drift and I drowned her out, leaving Sam to deal with her. My eyes passed by her, seeing something crawl towards her arm and I blinked a few times, refocusing my eyes to see a tarantula just about to touch her hand that was resting on the table.
I didn't excuse myself, choosing to walk right around her to pick up the spider. She glanced back at me, looking confused as I cupped the tarantula in my hand. I spotted a boy standing a few feet away, looking quite disappointed as he stared over at me with slumped shoulders.
"Excuse me." I said to Lynda, walking around her and up to the boy. "Is this yours?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.
He nodded, taking the spider out of my hand. "You gonna tell my dad?"
"I don't know. Who's your dad?" I asked, seeing Sam finally break away from Lynda to walk over to me.
The boy scoffed, looking up at me. "Yeah, Larry usually skips me in the family introductions."
"Ouch." I mumbled, biting my lip.
"First name basis with the old man – sounds pretty grim." Sam muttered, walked up next to me.
"Well, I'm not exactly brochure material." The boy said to him.
"Well, hang in there. It gets better, all right? I promise." Sam said with a nod.
"When?" He asked, looking over towards the house. I followed his gaze and saw Larry heading towards us with Dean not too far behind.
"Matthew." Larry scolded his son, looking up at me. "I am so sorry about my son and his... pet."
"It's no bother. I don't mind." I told him honestly.
"Well, excuse us." Larry said, taking Matthew by the shoulder to lead him away.
"Remind you of somebody?" Sam asked, glancing over at Dean and I.
I nodded slightly, letting out a breath. Dean glanced over at Larry, who was now pointing his finger in his son's face, yelling at him.
"Dad?" Dean asked, confused. "No, Dad never treated us like that."
"Well, Dad never treated you like that. You were perfect. He was all over my case. You don't remember?" Sam asked, looking over at his brother.
"Well, maybe he had to raise his voice, but sometimes, you were out of line." Dean said, looking up at him. I shook my head, letting out a loud sigh as I rolled my eyes.
"Right." Sam scoffed, shaking his head. "Right, like when I said I'd rather play soccer than learn bowhunting."
Dean shrugged. "Bowhunting's an important skill."
I could see a fight about to erupt, so I took a step forward, standing in between them. "Why don't we just agree to disagree here, guys? Get the job done, then you two can bicker all you want."
"Whatever." Sam huffed, rolling his eyes as he looked over at his brother. "How was your tour?"
"Oh, it was excellent. I'm ready to buy." Dean muttered with fake enthusiasm. Sam laughed, shaking his head. "So you might be onto something. Looks like Dustin Burwash wasn't the first strange death around here."
"What happened?" Sam asked.
"About a year ago, before they broke ground, one of Larry's surveyors dropped dead while on the job. Get this, severe allergic reaction to bee stings."
"More bugs." I grimaced.
"More Bugs." Dean nodded.
IMPALA – NIGHT
Sam was finally behind the wheel, which was something he certainly enjoyed. Dean didn't any him drive often, but when he did you could see the joy in Sam's eyes.
"You know, I've heard of killer bees, but killer beetles? What is it that could make different bugs attack?" Dean asked, flipping through John's journal.
"Well, hauntings sometimes include bug manifestations." I said, leaning forward in the backseat.
"Yeah, but I didn't see any evidence of ghost activity."
"Yeah, me neither." Sam mumbled.
"Maybe they're being controlled somehow." Dean shrugged. "You know, by something or someone."
"You mean, like Willard?"
"Yeah, bugs instead of rats."
"There are cases of psychic connections between people and animals – elementals and telepaths." I said, looking out the window.
"Yeah, that whole Timmy-Lassie thing." Dean paused, thinking something over. "Larry's kid – he's got bugs for pets."
"Matt?" I asked, looking back at him.
"Yeah."
"He did try to scare the realtor with a tarantula."
"You think he's our Willard?" Dean asked, glancing back at me.
Sam shrugged, shaking is head. "I don't know. Anything's possible, I guess."
"Oh, hey. Pull over here." Dean said, pointing to one of the houses.
"What are we doing here?" Sam asked, as he pulled into the driveway.
"It's too late to talk to anybody else." Dean said simply, shutting the door behind him as he jumped out of the car. Sam and I exchanged a look of hesitancy as Dean moved over to the garage door.
Sam rolled the window down, sticking his head out slightly. "We're gonna squat in an empty house?"
"I wanna try the steam shower." Dean said, playfully smirking at me as he pulled the garage door open. "Come on." He called out to Sam, who made no attempt to move the car forward as he glanced back at me nervously.
"Come on!" Dean said with a bit more force. Sam reluctantly drove into the dark garage, as Dean closed the door behind us.
The three of us walked into the large kitchen through the garage. I stopped in the middle of the room, feeling kind of uncomfortable with this whole thing.
"Come on, babe...it's just one night." Dean muttered with a sigh.
I chuckled. "Wow, you've probably said that a lot in your life, huh?"
Dean pursed his lips, shaking his head. "Oh, you're hilarious."
I smiled, following him into the living room. Sam had turned on some lights, so we could walk around without breaking anything. We only spent a few minutes standing around before Dean dragged me upstairs to one of the bedrooms.
Dean pulled me down on the bed with him, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear as he placed a kiss on my forehead.
"You're being a little forward, don't you think?" I asked, smiling up at him.
"I just wanted to spend some time with you." Dean muttered innocently.
"Uh huh...I'm sure that's it." I laughed, leaning in to kiss him. I pulled back after a few moments, a question lingering in my mind. "You really freaked out today, huh? With the whole fiance thing..."
Dean took a deep breath, looking away from me. "Yeah, about that...I-I don't know what happened. It just caught me off guard, I guess."
"Is the thought of being engaged to me really that...terrifying for you?" I asked sheepishly. I didn't want to push the conversation, but it was something I wanted to know.
I watched as Dean let out a breath of air, biting his lip. "I guess not."
"That's certainly reassuring." I chuckled, shaking my head. "You have so many commitment issues."
Dean laughed lightly, looking over at me. "I wouldn't say that."
"You just associate marriage with a manicured lawn, a white picket fence, 2.5 kids and golden retriever." I said, smiling up at him as I rested my head on his chest.
"Maybe..." Dean mumbled sheepishly, looking down at me.
"Yeah. And weirdly enough, I get that." I said, running a hand through his hair. I picked my head up, leaning in to kiss him again. I close my eyes, feeling him run a hand through my hair as he pulled back.
"Is that what you want?"
I opened my eyes slowly as he rested his forehead against mind. He spoke so low, I wasn't sure I'd heard him correctly. "What?"
"That's what you really want, isn't it?" Dean asked, louder this time. "The whole...normal thing."
"Honestly? Part of me wants that." I admitted, looking down at his lips, so I wouldn't have to stare into his eyes. "But another part of me – a bigger part – is happy with the way things are."
Dean lifted my chin, forcing me to look in his eyes. "Are you sure?"
"Yes." I nodded. "Plus, you wouldn't be happy living a normal life, Dean. You said it yourself just before, you'd blow your brains out...and I don't want to have your death on my conscious." I joked, trying to lighten the mood. He chuckled along with me, lightly kissing me on the lips.
"I just want you to be happy."
I nodded, taking his hand in mine. "I'd be happy either way, Dean – as long as I'm with you. But see, living like that – you would be miserable, which would make me miserable...and then what's the point in it if we're both unhappy? Plus, I don't even know if I'd able to handle that kind of life – knowing what's really out there, what's really happening...and not doing anything about it? I really don't know if I could do that."
Dean nodded, playing with the edge of my shirt. I grabbed his hand, moving it away. He looked up at me with confusion, watching as I sat up, pulling my shirt off.
"I think we need to lay off the sappy conversations right about now." I smiled, kissing him as he smirked at me. I laid down on my back as he turned, hovering over me as he leaned on his elbow.
"Are you sure?" Dean asked, concern in his eyes as he stared down at me.
"Yes." I muttered, running a hand through his hair.
"I just don't want you to feel like you have to-"
"Dean."
"Yeah?"
"That's sweet and all...but shut up." I smiled up at him, watching a small grin spread across his lips as I pulled him down to kiss me.
HOUSE – MORNING
SPOV
I slowly approached the bathroom door, hearing the water running but slightly afraid of what else I might hear on the other side. As thick as the walls were in this house, I'd been hearing some pretty suggestive noises all night that honestly made me want to barf. It seemed like no matter where I went, I could still hear everything.
I paused in front of the door, hearing Tori giggle from inside the bathroom before telling Dean to stop whatever he was doing.
I shook my head, knocking loudly on the door. "You two ever coming out of there?"
"What?" Dean yelled out.
"A police call came in on the scanner."
"Hold on." Tori mumbled through the door. I heard the water shut off, then a bit of shuffling around.
"Dean- Dean, we don't have time for-" Tori's words were cut off by her loud moan. I shuttered, not wanting to know what the hell was going on in there.
"Guys, really?" I grimaced. "Come on, someone was found dead three blocks from here."
Dean quickly opened the bathroom door, peeking his head out. A bunch of steam hit me right in the face and I blinked a few times to clear my eyes.
"This shower is awesome." Dean muttered, a big smile on his face.
"Come on." I told him, walking away.
LYNDA BLOOME'S HOME – DAY
TPOV
I stared out the window as Dean pulled up to the sidewalk watching a body bag being carried out of the home on a stretcher. The three of us got out of the car, walking up to Larry who stood on the sidewalk.
"Hello. You're, uh, back early." Larry hesitated, looking over at the three of us.
"Yeah, we just drove in, wanted to take another look at the neighborhood." I said, glancing behind him at the house.
"What's going on?" Sam asked, looking around.
"You guys met, uh... Lynda Bloome at the barbeque?"
I nodded, looking up at him. "The realtor."
"Well, she, uh...passed away last night." Larry explained, looking down.
I glanced back at Sam and Dean, sharing a look with them before turning back to Larry. "What happened?"
"I'm still trying to find out. I identified the body for the police." Larry said, looking around. "Look, I-I'm sorry, this isn't a good time now."
"It's okay." Sam muttered with a nod.
"Excuse me." Larry said as he walked away.
"You know what we have to do, right?" Dean asked, looking over at Sam.
"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Get in that house."
"See if we got a bug problem." Dean finished, looking up at the house.
We climbed over the fence, finding our way inside Lynda's bedroom window. The room looked rather normal, except for the chalk outline of her body on the floor that we carefully walked around.
"This looks like the place." Dean mumbled, walking over to the towel on the floor. As he picked it up, small black dots fell off of it and he quickly dropped it, looking up at Sam and I.
"Spiders. From Spider Boy?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Matt-" Sam corrected with a sigh. "-maybe.
ROAD – DAY
Dean pulled up to the curb, parking the car. The three of us watched Matt get out of the school bus in front of us, walking down the sidewalk.
"Isn't his house that way?" Dean asked, pointing behind us.
"Yup." I nodded.
"So where's he going?"
I sighed, getting out of the car. The boys followed and we began walking after Matt, staying a few feet behind as he went into the trees. I glanced back at Sam and Dean, shaking my head as I followed in after him. We found him staring down at a grasshopper that was sitting on a fallen branch.
"Hey, Matt. Remember us?" Sam called, getting Matt's attention.
"What are you doing out here?" Matt asked, turning to face us with a shocked look on his face.
"Well, we wanna talk to you." Dean said, standing next to me.
"You're not here to buy a house, are you?" Matt muttered, looking between us. Dean shook his head, looking down at the boy. "W-wait. You're not serial killers?"
"If we were, do you really think we'd tell you?" I asked, folding my arms. Dean chuckled beside me, a grin on his face.
Sam smiled, shaking his head. "No, no. No, I think you're safe."
Dean took in a deep breath, staring over at the boy. "So, Matt... you sure know a lot about insects."
"So?"
"Did you hear what happened to Lynda, the realtor?" Dean asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I heard she died this morning."
"That's right." Dean nodded. "Spider bites."
"Matt, you tried to scare her with a spider." I said, trying to keep from sounding like I was accusing him.
"Wait. You think I had something to do with that?"
"You tell us." Dean shrugged.
"That tarantula was a joke. Anyway, that wouldn't explain the bee attack or the gas company guy." Matt pointed out.
"You know about those?" Sam asked, furrowing his brow.
"There is something going on here. I don't know what...but something's happening with the insects. Let me show you something." Matt said, picking up his backpack.
I looked at the boys and shrugged, following Matt deeper into the woods. The four of us had been walking for a few minutes when Sam started asking his questions.
"So, if you knew about all this bug stuff, why not tell your dad? Maybe he could clear everybody out."
"Believe me, I've tried. But, uh, Larry doesn't listen to me."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Mostly?" Matt asked, looking back at me. I nodded for him to continue. "He's too disappointed in his freak son."
"I hear you." Sam scoffed.
Dean raised his eyebrows, a bit taken a back. "You do?"
Sam turned quickly, shaking his head at Dean before turning back to Matt. "Matt, how old are you?"
"Sixteen." He replied, looking up at Sam, who was now walking next to him.
"Well, don't sweat it. Because in two years, something great's gonna happen."
"What?"
"College." Sam said with a nod. "You'll be able to get out of that house and away from your dad."
I could practically feel Dean's annoyance with his little brother as soon as the words left Sam's mouth. I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as Dean took a few steps ahead.
"What kind of advice is that? Kid should stick with his family." Dean argued.
"I think it's good advice." Sam muttered, turning back to face Dean.
Matt looked between the two brothers, probably wondering what the hell was actually going on. I walked a bit ahead of Dean, moving Sam aside to put a hand on Matt's shoulder.
"You know what I think, Matt?" I asked, looking down at him.
"What?" He asked, glancing up at me with slight confusion still in his eyes
"I think you should do whatever it is that makes you happy." I told him, hearing Dean huff at me in the background. "There's always a happy medium. I mean, you could go away to college and still be a big part of your family's life. Things will change and get better, either way. I mean, maybe sometimes people need time apart to realize how important they are to each other." I said the last part looking back at Sam and Dean.
Matt nodded, a small smile on his face. "Thanks."
I smile down at him, patting his shoulder. "How much further?"
"We're close." Matt said, starting to walk again.
I glanced back at Sam and Dean, shooting a glare at them one more time before following Matt again. A few moments later, Matt led us to a large clearing in the woods. All I could hear was the loud chirping of various bugs all around me.
"I've been keeping track of insect populations. It's, um, part of an AP science class." Matt said.
"You two are like peas in a pod." Dean muttered, looking between Sam and Matt.
"What's been happening?" Sam asked, ignoring his brother.
"A lot. I mean, from bees to earthworms, beetles...you name it. It's like they're congregating here."
"Why?" Dean asked.
Matt looked back at Dean with a shrug. "I don't know."
"What's that?" Sam asked, pointing to a dark patch of dead grass a few feet away.
We walked over to find the ground there covered with hundreds of worms. Dean walked up to them, stepping on a few. They all suddenly fell into a small hole in the ground. Dean crouched down, peering inside it.
I picked up a small stick on the ground, handing it to him. "Here."
"Thanks." Dean muttered, using the stick to poke around inside the hole. "There's something down there."
Dean glanced back at us with that look in his eyes...that annoyingly adorable look of a 5 year old that wanted to play around in mud.
"Dean, you better not." I ordered, staring down at him. He put the stick down next to the hole, taking a breath. "Dean, I swear to god, I won't let you touch me ever again."
Sam stared at us, an amused look on his face as Dean took a deep breath.
"Sorry, babe. Gotta go all in for this one." Dean mumbled, shoving his hand inside the hole.
I watched on, slightly, disgusted as he moved his hands around in the mud covered worms. Suddenly his expression changed from kind of amused to absolute disgust. He quickly stuck his other hand in to grab whatever he had, and with a few tugs he pulled out a small human skull.
I covered my mouth with my hand, looking down at the dirt covered skull. I glanced over at Sam, who shared my expression and then Matt, who looked like he was about to pass out.
DEPARTMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY – DAY
I slipped off my jacket, covering the box of bones we'd found in the clearing as Dean picked it up.
"So, a bunch of skeletons in an unmarked grave." I muttered, closing the car door for him.
"Yeah. Maybe this is a haunting. Pissed off spirits? Some unfinished business?"
"Yeah, maybe. Question is, why bugs? And why now?" Sam asked, looking back at us as we stared walking towards the building.
"That's two questions." Dean muttered with a grin. "Yeah, so with that kid back there...why'd you tell him to just ditch his family like that?"
Oh god. I was really hoping he'd let that go.
"Just, uh...I know what the kid's going through." Sam shrugged, trying to play it off.
"How about telling him to respect his old man, how's that for advice?"
"Dean, come on." Sam said, stopping. I walked a few feet ahead, turning back to face them with a sigh. "This isn't about his old man. You think I didn't respect Dad. That's what this is about."
"Just forget it, all right? Sorry I brought it up." Dean said, about to walk away when Sam caught his arm, turning him back.
"I respected him. But no matter what I did, it was never good enough."
I understood what he was saying, and I felt for him. It seemed like John was always hard on him. He was hard on both of them in very different ways...I'd always assumed there was a good reason for it, but I'm not so sure anymore.
"So what are you saying? That Dad was disappointed in you?" Dean asked, confused.
"Was? Is. Always has been."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because I didn't wanna bowhunt or hustle pool – because I wanted to go to school and live my life, which, to our whacked-out family, made me the freak."
"Yeah, you were kind of like the blonde chick in The Munsters." Dean muttered, trying to joke around.
"Dean, you know what most dads are when their kids score a full ride? Proud. Most dads don't toss their kids out of the house." Sam said, a sad tone to his voice
I wanted to go over and hug him. Remembering that day – a day I definitely wanted to forget – was always hard. After Sam had left, I'd almost gotten into a fight with not only John over it, but Dean too, all because I was more on Sam's side. I wasn't too sure it would ever be something we'd get past and things had been strained for a little while.
"I remember that fight. In fact, I seem to recall a few choice phrases coming out of your mouth." Dean said, staring up at his brother with a hard look in his eyes.
"You know, truth is, when we finally do find Dad...I don't know if he's even gonna wanna see me."
"Sam, Dad was never disappointed in you. Never. He was scared."
"What are you talking about?"
"He was afraid of what could've happened to you if he wasn't around. But even when you two weren't talking... he used to swing by Stanford whenever he could."
Sam glanced back at me for conformation, a shocked look on his face. I nodded, letting him know it was true.
"You know, to keep an eye on you. Make sure you were safe." Dean finished.
"What?"
Dean nodded. "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell me any of that?" Sam asked.
"Well, it's a two-way street, dude. You could've picked up the phone." Dean said, looking over at Sam, who just stared back with a sad expression on his face.
"Come on, we're gonna be late for our appointment." Dean muttered, walking past both of the to the door of the building.
COLLEGE CLASSROOM – DAY
The professor scattered the bones out on the desk, looking them over as he adjusted his glasses.
"So, you three are students?" He asked, glancing up at us.
"Yeah. Yeah, uh, we're in your class – Anthro 101?" Sam nodded.
"Oh, yeah."
"So, what about the bones, Professor?"
"This is quite an interesting find you've made. I'd say they're one-hundred and seventy years old, give or take. The time frame and the geography heavily suggest Native American." The man explained.
"Were there any tribes or reservations on that land?" I asked.
"Not according to the historical record. But the, uh, relocation of native peoples was quite common at that time."
"Right." I nodded. "Well, are there any local legends? Oral histories about the area?"
"Well... you know, there's a Euchee tribe in Sapulpa. It's about sixty miles from here. Someone out there might know the truth."
"All right." Dean muttered, turning to leave the classroom.
He was still upset about his and Sam's conversation from before, I could tell. Hell, everyone could with the way he was acting. I knew this situation was bringing up memories he'd much rather forget, too.
OKLAHOMA DINER – DAY
I took a breath, opening the door of the small diner as the three of the walked inside, making our way over to a Native American man playing cards at one of the tables. He glanced up as we approached, staring at us curiously.
"Joe White Tree?" I asked, looking over at him. He nodded once in response. "We'd like to ask you a few questions, if that's all right."
"We're students from the university." Dean said with a smile, putting his hands in his pockets.
"No, you're not." He replied, not looking up from the cards. "You're lying."
Dean glanced over at me, slightly shocked. "Well, truth is-"
"You know who starts sentence with truth is?" He asked, finally looking up at Dean. "Liars."
Dean shook his head, the irritation clear on his face. Sam stayed quiet, leaning on the booth beside me.
"Have you heard of Oasis Plains?" I asked, just going for it. Can't hurt, right? "It's a housing development near the Atoka Valley."
"I like her." The man nodded to me, before looking at Dean. "She's not a liar."
Dean huffed next to me, starting to fidget as he got even more annoyed with the man.
"I know the area." The man nodded.
"What can you tell us about the history there?" Sam asked.
"Why do you wanna know?"
"Something- something bad is happening in Oasis Plains." I explained. "We think it might have something to do with some old bones we found down there – Native American bones."
"I'll tell you what my grandfather told me, what his grandfather told him." He said, taking a breath. "Two hundred years ago, a band of my ancestors lived in that valley. One day, the American cavalry came to relocate them. They were resistant, the cavalry impatient. As my grandfather put it, on the night the moon and the sun share the sky as equals, the cavalry first raided our village. They murdered, raped.
"The next day, the cavalry came again, and the next, and the next. And on the sixth night, the cavalry came one last time. And by the time the sun rose, every man, woman, and child still in the village was dead. They say on the sixth night, as the chief of the village lay dying, he whispered to the heavens that no white man would ever tarnish this land again. Nature would rise up and protect the valley. And it would bring as many days of misery and death to the white man as the cavalry had brought upon his people."
"Insects. Sounds like nature to me. Six days." Dean muttered, looking down at me.
"And on the night of the sixth day, none would survive." The man finished.
We were in some deep shit with this one.
After thanking the man for his time, the three of us headed back out to the Impala in the parking lot.
"When did the gas company man die?" Sam asked.
"Uh, let's see, we got here Tuesday, so, Friday the twentieth." Dean answered, unlocking the doors.
"March twentieth?" I asked. "That's the spring equinox."
"The night the sun and the moon share the sky as equals." Dean muttered with a nod.
"So, every year about this time, anybody in Oasis Plains is in danger. Larry built this neighborhood on cursed land." Sam said, glancing over at me.
"And the sixth night – that's tonight." I said, opening the back door.
"If we don't do something, Larry's family will be dead by sunrise. So how do we break the curse?"
"You don't break a curse. You get out of its way. We've gotta get those people out now." Dean said, getting into the car. Sam and I followed suit and we drove back to Oasis Plains.
IMPALA – NIGHT
"Yes, Mr. Pike, there's a mainline gas leak in your neighborhood. It's fairly extensive. I don't want to alarm you, but we need your family out of the vicinity for at least twelve hours or so, just to be safe."
Dean muttered into the phone as he drove. I could faintly hear Larry's reply on the other end, but couldn't make out what he said. "Travis Weaver. I work for Oklahoma Gas and Power."
Dean shook his head, quickly hanging up the phone as he banged his hand on the steering wheel. "Damn."
"Give me the phone." Sam said, taking it out of Dean's hand as he dialed a number. "Matt, it's Sam."
Dean and I exchanged a look, not knowing where he was going with this.
"Matt, just listen. You have to get your family out of that house right now, okay?" Sam asked. "Because something's coming. Yeah, a lot more." Sam paused, letting out a huff as Matt replied. "You've gotta make him listen, okay?"
"Give me the phone, give me the phone." Dean muttered, grabbing it away from Sam. "Matt, under no circumstances are you to tell the truth, they'll just think you're nuts." Dean said honestly. "Tell him you have a sharp pain in your right side and you've gotta go to the hospital, okay?"
Dean hung up the phone, looking over at Sam. "Make him listen? What are you thinking?"
PIKE RESIDENCE – NIGHT
I saw Larry peek through the window as Dean pulled up in front of the Pike's house. Larry quickly came outside, staring over at us with an angry glare as I got out of the car, followed by Sam and Dean.
"Get off my property before I call the cops." Larry ordered as Matt stood on the porch.
"Mr. Pike, listen." Sam pleased.
"Dad, they're just trying to help." Matt said, trying to convince him.
"Get in the house!" Larry yelled.
"I'm sorry. I told him the truth." Matt said to us.
"We had a plan, Matt, what happened to the plan?" Dean asked, shaking his head.
"Look, it's twelve AM. They are coming any minute now. You need to get your family and go, before it's too late." I explained, feeling desperate.
"Yeah, you mean before the biblical swarm." Larry mocked.
"Larry, what do you think really happened to that realtor, huh? And the gas company guy? You don't think something weird is going on here?" I asked.
"Look, I don't know who you are, but you're crazy. You come near my boy or my family again, and we're gonna have a problem."
"Well, I hate to be a downer, but we've got a problem right now." Dean said, his irritation clearly showing.
"Dad, they're right, okay? We're in danger." Matt exclaimed, trying to get his father to listen.
"Matt, get inside! Now!"
"No! Why won't you listen to me?!" Matt yelled, shaking his head.
"Because this is crazy! It doesn't make any sense!" Larry yelled back at his son.
"Look, this land is cursed! People have died here. Now, are you gonna really take that risk with your family?" Sam asked, looking up at Larry.
"Wait." Dean called, holding his hand out. "You hear it?"
Everyone seemed to stop breathing, listening intently a loud buzzing gradually getting closer, and closer to us.
"What the hell?" Larry asked, looking around. The bug light on the porch started shorting out, as several bugs flew into it at once.
"All right, it's time to go. Larry, get your wife." Dean said, grabbing my arm gently, about to walk back to the Impala.
"Guys." Matt mumbled lowly, pointing up to the sky.
"Oh my God." Larry muttered.
I glanced up in the direction Matt pointed to see a giant swarm of bugs flying towards us.
"We'll never make it." Sam said, shaking his head.
"Everybody in the house. Everybody in the house, go!" Dean yelled, pushing everyone inside, locking the door after us.
"Okay, is there anybody else in the neighborhood?" I asked, looking over at Larry.
"No, it's just us." Larry shook his head, breathing heavily.
"Honey, what's happening? What's that noise?" Joanie asked, walking down the steps.
"Call 911." Larry said, looking at his unmoving wife. "Joanie!"
"O-okay." She said, picking up the land line.
"I need towels." Dean said, looking back at Matt.
"Uh, in the closet."
Dean nodded, grabbing all the towels he could to shove them in front of the doors and windows.
Sam glanced over at Matt and I. "Okay, we've gotta lock this place up, come on – doors, windows, fireplace, everything, okay?"
I nodded, making sure all the windows downstairs were locked as Sam and Matt went upstairs.
"Phones are dead." Joanie muttered, putting the phone down.
"They must have chewed through the phone lines." Dean said, placing a towel at the bottom of the front door. I was locking up the last window when we were plunged into sudden darkness.
"And the power lines." Dean added.
"I need my cell." Larry said, holding his phone up. "No signal."
"You won't get one. They're blanketing the house." I muttered, feeling a chill run down my spine.
"So what do we do now?"
"We try to outlast it. Hopefully, the curse will end at sunrise."
"Hopefully?" Larry asked as Dean walked away disappearing into the kitchen. He came back a few moments later with a can of bug spray in his hand.
"Bug spray?" Joanie asked.
Dean nodded. "Trust me."
"Good idea." I said.
"Thanks." Dean replied, glancing over at me as he got his lighter out. Suddenly there was a loud creaking sound coming from the fireplace.
"What is that?" Matt asked, looking worried.
"The flue." Sam muttered. All of us seemed to be mesmerized by the sound, staring at the fireplace.
"All right, I think everybody needs to get upstairs." I said, just as thousands of bugs few into the living room, swarming around us.
I grabbed onto Joanie and Larry, pushing them up the stairs as Sam grabbed Matt. Dean trailed behind, using his lighter and the can of bug spray to make a makeshift flame thrower. Larry stopped in front of us, pulling the string on the ceiling to open up the attic. We all quickly climbed up, moving towards the wall as Sam closed the door behind us.
For a second, everything seemed fairly normal. I looked around at everyone, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Suddenly sawdust began to fall from cracks in the ceiling, the same buzzing sound from before reverberating throughout the room.
"Oh, God, what's that?" Joanie asked, clutching Matt to her side.
"Something's eating through the wood." Dean mumbled, looking around.
"Termites." Matt muttered.
"All right, everybody get back. Get back, get back, get back!" Dean ordered, moving the family into the corner of the attic. I stayed behind Sam and Dean, in front of the family. Not even a second later, a whole swarm of bugs chewed through the ceiling, flying around the room. I looked around the room, grabbing a roll of duct tape that I spotted.
"Dean!" I yelled, throwing him the tape. Catching it, he and Sam got to work trying to patch up the hole.
It lasted for a few seconds, but as soon as they covered one hole, the bugs chewed through another. Dean tried to keep them away with the bug spray, but nothing seemed to be working.
Is this how we would really die? Also taking out an innocent family in the process?
I almost laughed at the thought.
Suddenly, the amount of bugs in the room lessened and I looked up the see the sun starting to rise in the distance. Miraculously, all the bugs flew out of the room through the gaping hole they'd left in the ceiling moments before.
Sam, Dean and I walked under the hole in the ceiling, watching at the giant swarm of bugs flew into the sky. The Pike's walked up behind us, watching in astonishment
PIKE RESIDENCE – MORNING
Dean and I stepped out of the parked car, walking a little ways along the road. I glanced around the neighborhood, my eyes landing on the moving van we were approaching. Larry was in the middle of loading a box into the truck when he heard our footsteps, putting the box down with a smile.
"What, no goodbye?" Dean asked, a smile on his face.
"Good timing. Another hour and we'd have been gone." Larry said, reaching out to shake our hands.
"For good?" Sam asked, placing his hands in his pockets.
"Yeah." Larry nodded. "The development's been put on hold while the government investigates those bones you found. But I'm gonna make damn sure no one lives here again."
"You don't seem too upset about it." I noticed, raising my eyebrows.
"Well, this has been the biggest financial disaster of my career, but..." Larry paused, glancing back at his son, before looking back at us. "...somehow, I really don't care."
I smiled over at him. Watching as Sam walked over to Matt, who was throwing boxes in the trash. They spoke for a minute as Dean and I said goodbye to Larry, heading back to the Impala.
Dean leaned on the driver side door and pulled me in front of him, wrapping his arms around my midsection. I rested my head back on his chest, looking up at the sky.
"What are you thinking about, cherry pie?"
I shuttered a bit, thinking about all the bugs that actually touched me last night.
"I'm thinking I need another shower right about now." I mumbled, looking at the long line of homes that will hopefully never be lived in.
Dean laughed, placing a kiss on top of my head.
"I'm serious. I feel so nasty. If I never see another one of those little winged bastards ever again, it'll be too soon." I said through gritted teeth, glancing back up at Dean to see that he was smiling down at me.
"You're so cute when you're angry." He muttered, a big grin on his face.
"Oh, shut up." I chuckled, lightly elbowing him in the ribs.
"No, really. You look like a little chipmunk." Dean laughed again, hugging me a bit closer to him.
I smirked, deciding to mess with him a little. It's not my fault he walked right into it.
I pulled away, looking up at him with a hurt expression. "Are you saying my cheeks are fat?"
Sam walked up just then, catching the tail end of the conversation. "Oh god, Dean. What did you do?"
"Nothing!" Dean looked up at his brother, shaking his head before looking back down at me. "I'm not saying that."
"Oh, so you're saying all of me is fat, then." I said, sounding annoyed and hurt as I crossed my arms.
Dean glanced back at Sam for some kind of help, but Sam outright ignored him, watching Matt and Larry as they talked.
"Okay, no. You're not fat at all." Dean said, putting his hands on my hips. "You are perfect. You're perfect."
I stared up at him, seeing the completely helpless look that he had in his eyes. I just couldn't keep it in anymore, a giggle bubbling through my lips. Dean just stood there, shaking his head, not looking very amused as he stared down at me.
"You're face." I forced out in between giggles. "Oh, it was priceless."
"Okay, I'm going." Dean muttered, getting in the car.
"You just looked so panicked. You had no idea what to do." I said, getting in the back seat. Sam rounded the car, chuckling as he sat in the passenger seat.
"Yeah, okay." Dean huffed, looking out the window.
"Are you not gonna talk to me now?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Dean just stared out the window, shaking his head.
"Oh, come on, Dean! Don' t be such a girl!" I said, lightly punching his shoulder. "Take it like man!"
Dean just kept ignoring me, staring straight ahead.
"Don't make me break out the big guns." I said in a sing-song voice.
"You better not." Dean mumbled, knowing exactly what I was talking about.
"I thought you weren't talking to me." I smiled, leaning forward in between the seats.
"I'm not. I'm just telling you that if you know what's good for you – you wouldn't." Dean muttered with a shrug.
"I guess I don't know what's good for me, then." I said, reaching around to seat to tickle his ribs.
Dean let out a gasp and started squirming around his the seat, trying to grab my hands. Eventually he successfully stilled my hands, turning around in his seat to face me.
"Really? You had to do that in front of people?" Dean asked, shaking his head as he tried to look angry. He was trying his hardest to not smile though. I could tell.
"Would you rather me do it later in private?" I asked suggestively, biting my lip. Dean rose an eyebrow, a smirk spreading across his lips. "Listen, no one saw, Dean."
"Uh, I did." Sam said, slowly raising his hand.
"Shut up. You tell anybody and I will kill you." Dean threatened his brother, turning back around to start the car.
Sam nodded, laughing. "I just didn't know you were ticklish."
"Shut it, Sam!" Dean yelled, shaking his head as he put the car in drive.
"Sorry, baby." I murmured, sitting up in my seat as Dean drove off. He just grunted in response, staring straight ahead. "I'll make it up to you, later." I whispered into his ear, kissing his cheek.
That was all he needed to hear to forgive me, a small smile forming on his lips as he looked back at me with a nod. I leaned back with a smile on my face.
I loved moments like this.
We were driving for a while, the radio was off and everything was quite except for the soft purr of the engine. I was staring out the window, watching the trees pass, my thoughts drifting off when Sam spoke, waking me out of my daydream.
"I wanna find Dad."
"Yeah, me too." Dean muttered.
"Me too." I nodded, looking over at him.
"Yeah, but I just…" Sam paused, glancing back at me, then to Dean. "I want to apologize to him."
"For what?" Dean asked, looking over at his brother.
"All the things I said to him. He was just doing the best he could." Sam sighed, looking down at his lap.
"Well, don't worry, we'll find him. And then you'll apologize. And then within five minutes, you guys will be at each other's throats." Dean said, a small smile spreading across his lips.
"Yeah, probably." Sam laughed, looking out the window.
I took in a deep breath, letting my head lull to the side as I went back to looking out of the window. I felt a slight wave of sadness run through me at the though of never finding John.
It scared me because we'd never know if it was because he didn't want to be found...or if something happened to him. Either way, even with all the mistakes he's made...I miss him. Sam was right for the most part, John always did the best he could. He tried.
I knew there were a lot of times when I thought the way he went about something was wrong, but he was like a father to me and we needed him.
Okay guys, so I want to start writing more about Tori and Dean's past, but I'm not sure if I'd rather have it in there as flashbacks (which I'm leaning towards more), separate chapters or a whole separate story. So, tell me how you'd rather see it, because like I said, I'm a little stuck on that one :P
Anyway, I may come back to this chapter and make a few changes, but I'm not sure...I can be so indecisive with this stuff lol
But I was thinking of making a twitter account so I could tell you guys if I've updated a specific chapter. What do you think? Would you follow it for updates and stuff?
Thanks for reading! :D