Sam wakes up to one of the cell phones in the room ringing. Annoyed, Sam looks over at the nightstand to see that Dean's phone was ringing the one ringing, but neither Dean nor (Y/N) wake up, despite the loud sound.
"Dean," Sam grumbles, rubbing his eyes. Neither Dean nor you stir, so Sam groans and reaches over to grab the phone, flipping it open, then answering it, "Hello?"
"Sam, is that you?" Dad's voice comes clearly through the phone and Sam sits upright in the bed, surprised to hear his father's voice on the other end.
"Dad? Are you hurt?" Sam questions, looking over at his siblings, silently cursing them for not waking up when the phone originally rang.
"I'm fine," he replied, not sounding worried.
"We've been looking for you everywhere," Sam rambles, "We didn't know where you were if you were okay."
"Sammy, I'm all right," Dad pauses and sighs, "What about you, Dean, and (Y/N)?"
Sam hears rustling movements coming from the other bed and looks over to see you and Dean both finally waking up.
P.O.V. Switch
You groan and shuffle around under the covers, kicking your older brother in the process. Sam was talking loudly to someone and it woke you up. You sit up slowly, stretching as you go. You look over to the other bed to see Sammy talking to someone on one of the phones. Dean sits up a few seconds later, elbowing you for kicking him, then his attention turns to Sam.
"We're fine. Dad, where are you?" Sam questions the other person on the line. Wait, did he say Dad? "What? Why not?"
"Is that Dad?" Dean asks sleepily, he wasn't quite awake yet.
Sam ignores Dean, "You're after it, aren't you? The thing that killed Mom," Sam is silent, listening to the other person, who you now are assuming is your father, "A demon? You know for sure?"
"A demon?" you ask groggily, "Sammy, what's he sayin'?"
Sam ignores you once again, "You know where it is? Let us help," Sam huffs into the phone, sounding angry, "Why not?"
"Give me the phone," Dean demands, preparing to pull the comforter of off himself.
"Names? What names, Dad, talk to me, tell me what's going on," Sam protests, Dad obviously wasn't cooperating, "No. Alright? No way."
"Give me the phone," Dean repeats more forcefully When Sam doesn't comply, Dean whips off the covers and plucks the phone from Sam's hand, he walks away from both of you, conversing you're your father, "Dad, it's me. Where are you?" Dean is silent, "Yes, sir...Uh, yeah, I got a pen. What are the names?"
Time Skip: 3 Hours
After the phone call, all of you were wide awake and ready to start the day, despite it being only 1 in the morning. You and Dean had decided to take advantage of the time and research the names your father had given you. Sam had been doing something else, neither you nor Dean was sure what it was, but you both knew it didn't have anything to do with the names. All of you had left the motel with all of your things about 30 minutes ago. Sam had wanted to drive, so Dean gave him the keys. Dean and you have been filling him in on what the both of you had found on the names.
"Alright, so the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" Sam clarifies, glancing at Dean before his eyes return to the road.
Dean nods, "Three different couples. All went missing."
"And they're all from different towns? Different states?" Sam inquires, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel.
"Yeah. One was from Washington, another from New York and the last from Colorado. Each of them was on a road trip across the country. But none of them arrived at their destination, and nobody's heard from 'em since," you explain, looking away from the window to the front seat.
"Well, it's a big country. They could've disappeared anywhere," Sam replies, obviously skeptical about the whole thing.
"Yeah, could've," Dean repeats, looking at Sam, "But each one's route took 'em to the same part of Indiana. Always on the second week of April. One year after another after another."
"This is the second week of April," Sam states. You could almost see the big picture clicking together in his brain.
"Yeah," you agree, looking back out the window, sure the scenery was a bit drab, but it was better than looking at the interior of the car or the back of your brother's heads.
"So, Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" Sam concludes, looking over at Dean for confirmation.
"Yahtzee. Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this? All the different obits Dad had to go through? The man's a master," Dean looks back at you smiling. You turn your head to look at him, a slight frown plastered across your face, he worshiped Dad a little too much. Sam sighs and pulls the car over to the side of the road and then he turns the car off, "What are you doing?"
"We're not going to Indiana," Sam says firmly, looking at you and Dean.
"We're not?" you ask, confused, where else would you go? Alaska? Canada?
"No. We're going to California," Sam explains as if the decision was already made, "Dad called from a payphone. Sacramento area code," Well, that explains what he had been doing while you and Dean had been researching.
"Sam," Dean starts, you could sense a lecture coming.
"Dean, (Y/N), if this demon killed Mom and Jess, and Dad's closing in, we've gotta be there. We've gotta help," Sam explains, looking at you for help.
"Sammy," you sigh, shaking your head, "Dad doesn't want our help, you know that."
"I don't care," Sam replies, looking away from you.
"He's given us an order," Dean adds as if that would fix everything.
"I. Don't. Care," Sam states, firmly, "We don't always have to do what he says."
"You've got a point, Sam, we don't. But Dad gave us a case, and if we don't do this case, more people are going to die. I can't just abandon a case for some wild goose chase," you explain, looking at your younger brother, your tone fully serious, "I know this is important to you, but Dad doesn't want us there, and even though I hate to admit it, he's just trying to do what's best for us, and right now, that would be staying away."
"Alright," Sam nods, taking on your point of view, "I understand, believe me, I understand. But I'm talkin' one week here, man, to get answers. To get revenge."
"Alright, look," Dean sighs, looking at Sam, "We know how you feel."
"Do you?" Sam asks harshly. You scrunch your eyebrows together, Sam's tone surprising you, "How old were both of you when mom died? Dean, you were 4, right? (Y/N), you were 2. Jess died 6 months ago, how the hell would either of you know how I feel?"
"Sammy," you say, your tone pleading, "Dad said it wasn't safe for us. He knows something that we don't. You know I usually don't like taking Dad's side, but this sounds dangerous, and if he wants us to stay away, we stay away, even if we don't want to."
"I don't understand the faith you have in the man. And Dean I don't understand why you have blind faith in him. I mean, it's like you don't even question him," Sam is getting angry with each comment you and Dean make, things were about to go downhill, you could sense it.
"Yeah, it's called being a good kid!" Dean yells. Sam gets out of the car, slamming the door behind him. You hurriedly go after him, and Dean joins you a few seconds later. Sam has opened the trunk and is taking his stuff out, "You're a selfish bastard, you know that? You just do whatever you want. Don't care what anybody thinks."
"That's what you really think?" Sam stops to look up at Dean.
"No, of course not," you answer the same time as Dean replies, "Yes, it is."
"Well, then this selfish bastard is going to California," Sam slams the trunk, puts on his backpack, picks up his duffle bag, and starts walking away.
"Sam!" you call, trying to mend the situation, "You're not serious, you wouldn't just leave."
"I'm serious," Sam calls over his shoulder.
"It's the middle of the night!" Dean calls after him, "Hey, we're taking off, we will leave your ass, you hear me?" You glare at Dean, could he just shut up for one second?
Sam stops walking and turns around to face you and Dean, "That's what I want you to do." All of you stare at each other for a few seconds, waiting for someone to say something. You were lost at how to reprimand the situation, both of your brothers were stubborn idiots and wouldn't say they were wrong for all the money in the world. You had about five seconds to decide if you were staying with Dean or leaving with Sam.
"Goodbye, Sam," Dean calls, closing the trunk and walking to the driver's side, he stops before opening the door and he looks at you, "You comin' or what?"
You look at Dean, and then back to Sam. Your shoulders slump and you slowly turn to get back into the car. You could feel Sam's disappointed stare on your back, making you feel even worse than you already did. Dean nods at you and you both get in the car. Dean starts it and drives away, leaving your younger brother alone on the side of the road.
Time Skip: 3 Hours
The car had been silent for the past few hours, the only thing breaking the silence was the Led Zepplin tape Dean had put in the car.
You sigh, breaking the silence with a question that had been plaguing your mind for the past 3 hours, "Why couldn't you two have worked it out?"
Dean glances at you, "You know how Sammy is. He's stubborn, that's how he got to Stanford. And Dad told us to stay away. We're doin' our duty by listening to him."
"You could have tried to convince him instead of just leavin' him by the side of the road," you counter, looking out the window.
"Well, you were tryin' to do that, weren't you?" Dean inquiries. You don't reply, knowing he was right, "How did it go for you?"
You whip your head away from the window, "It would have gone better if you didn't call him a selfish bastard!"
"That's what he was being!" Dean growls, his knuckles turning white because of how hard he was gripping the steering wheel, "I was just informing him of what was already true!"
"You know, I get why Sam wouldn't reason with you," you look back out the window, your voice growing quieter "Dad's more important to you than either of us."
You hear Dean take a deep breath, "That's not true."
"Well, it sure seems like it sometimes," you hiss, not turning to meet your brother's stare.
"I'm sorry, okay? But what happened, happened, and I can't change it, no matter how much I wanted to," the car falls silent, both of you reflect on what you have said.
You speak a few minutes later, "I know you can't," you look away from the window sighing, "I...I just want someone to blame, and currently you're the only person I can blame, but there's no one to blame, it was all of us."
Dean looks over at you, "I know how you feel."
You nod and look back out the window. The car falls back into the comfortable silence, the only thing interrupting is the music that is still playing;
You need cooling
Baby, I'm not fooling
I'm gonna send ya
Back to schooling
A-way down inside
A-honey you need it
I'm gonna give you my love
I'm gonna give you my love
Time Skip: 3 Hours
Dean pulls over to the side of the road and shuts off the car. You look over at him as he pulls out his cell phone. He selects a name, you assume it's either Sam's or your Dad's number. He stares at his phone for a few seconds, then closes the cell phone and looks at you.
"Don't gimme that look," Dean grumbled, putting his phone back into his pocket.
"What look?" you ask, opening the door and stepping out.
Dean joins you out of the car, "The one where you look sorry for me."
You shrug, "Didn't realize I was makin' it"
Dean nods, "Alright, well, let's head into town."
"Okay," you reply, walking away from the car. Dean joins you a few seconds later. You walk in silence for a few minutes, both of you a comfortable distance apart. All of the sudden, Dean throws an arm over your shoulder and pulls you into him.
"He'll come to his senses," Dean says pressing his nose to the top of your head. Totally not give you a small kiss on the head, because that would be a chick flick moment.
"I know," you reply, leaning into the half hug, "I just wish none of us were so stubborn."
"I do too," Dean removes his arm and the both of you continue walking as if nothing happened.
Time Skip: 15 Minutes
After a short walk into town, you and Dean stop at a café called Scotty's Café. There is a man with short brown hair and brown eyes wearing a brown jacket, a blue shirt, jeans and boots sitting on a chair on the porch of the restaurant.
Dean and you walk up to the man. Dean gestures to the sign, "Let me guess," he points at the man, "Scotty."
The man, you presume Scotty, looks at the sign, "Yep."
"Well, my name's Robin Page, and this is John Bonham," you gesture to yourself and your brother, using members of Led Zeppelin as an alias.
"Isn't John Bonham the drummer from Led Zeppelin?" Scotty asks, leaning forward in his chair
Dean looks shocked for a few seconds before he collects himself, "Wow. Good. Classic rock fan."
"What can I do for the both of you?" Scotty asks, leaning back in his chair and tucking his hands in his pockets.
Dean looks at you and you reach into your leather jacket and pull out two pieces of paper that you had printed off of the computer about 2 hours ago when you and Dean had stopped for a bite to eat. The papers were Missing Person Flyers, one for Holly Parker and one for Vince Parker, one of the couples that went missing a year ago, "We were wondering if you'd seen either of these people by chance?" you hand Scotty the papers.
"Nope," Scotty replies, looking away from the papers to you and your brother, "Who are they?"
"Friends of ours," Dean replies, "They went missing about a year ago. They passed through somewhere around here, and we've already asked around Scottsburg and Salem-"
"Sorry," Scotty hands the flyers back to you, "We don't get many strangers around here," Dean and you nod.
"Scotty, you've got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" Scotty stares at your brother strangely, as do you. What the hell was he doing? Dean chuckles, "Never mind. See you around." Dean spins and walks away. You nod at Scotty and then turn, catching up to Dean.
P.O.V. Switch
Sam has been walking on the highway for about 6 hours now. He wasn't completely sure though, he wasn't checking his phone because he was trying to save battery. Sam pauses for a break, then he turns around and sees a young girl, probably around his age, with short dirty blonde hair and tan skin. She was wearing a jacket and jeans. She has earbuds in, but Sam calls out to her anyway.
"Hey," the girl didn't appear to hear him. Sam walks over to her and puts his hand on her shoulder.
The girl jumps and takes off her headphones, "You scared the hell outta me."
"I'm sorry," Sam replies, shrugging and looking down at his feet before meeting the girl's eyes again, "I just thought you might need some help."
"No, I'm good, thanks," the girl looks out to the road, probably looking for a car.
Sam stands there for a few seconds before asking a question, "Uh, so where you headed."
The girl looks back at him with a strange look on her face, "No offense, but no way I'm telling you."
"Why not?" Sam asks, looking mildly confused.
"You could be some kind of freak. I mean, you are hitchhiking," the girl answers, nodding her head towards the road.
"Well, so are you," Sam points out, smiling slightly. That earns him a laugh from the girl.
Suddenly, a van honks its horn and pulls over. The driver rolls down the window and calls out, "Need a ride?"
Sam and the girl both answer, "Yeah."
The driver looks at Sam, "Just her. I ain't takin' you." The girl gathers her things and opens the door, getting in the van.
Sam looks at the girl, slightly offended, "You trust shady van guy and not me?"
"Definitely," the girl replies. The van pulls away and heads down the road, leaving Sam alone on the side of the road, once again.
P.O.V. Switch and Time Skip: 15 Minutes
Dean and you had walked back to the car and driven further into the small town. Dean had insisted you stop at the 'Jorgeson General Store.' So now both of you were inside the store, talking to a woman and a man. The woman had short dirty blonde hair with blue eyes and was wearing a nice shirt and jeans. The man had gray hair with brown eyes and was wearing a button up shirt with jeans.
"So, you both are sure they didn't stop in for gas or anything?" you ask, making sure they hadn't seen anything.
The man shows the missing person flyer to, what you had by now assumed was his wife. The woman shakes her head. The man looks up at the both of you, "Nope, don't remember 'em. You said they were friends of yours?"
Dean nods his head, "That's right."
A girl, who looks to be about your age, maybe a little younger with long dirty blonde hair, and green eyes, comes down the stairs carrying some boxes, "Did the guy have a tattoo?"
"Yeah, he did actually," you reply, watching the girl as she places the boxes on the counter and looks at the picture.
The girl turns to the couple, "You remember? They were just married."
The man suddenly starts to remember, which you found a bit odd, "You're right. They did stop for gas. Weren't here more than ten minutes."
"You remember anything else?" Dean questions looking at the group intently.
"I told 'em how to get back to the Interstate," the man answers, "They left town."
You glance at Dean and then look back to the man, "It would be great if you could send us in the same direction if that's not a problem."
Time Skip: 10 Minutes
You and Dean were back on the road, moving to the next town because the couple appears to have left the town. You were looking out the window, watching the scenery zoom pass. It was a dreary day, there was fog settling on the orchards on either side of the road. Suddenly, a beeping noise comes from the back seat, "What the hell?" Dean grumbles, then he looks at you, "Grab that would you?"
You turn around and lean over the seat, reaching into Dean's bag. You fish around until you locate the thing making the noise. You pull it out to see that the EMF meter is beeping frantically. You turn back around, "Pull over."
"What?" Dean questions, looking at you for a few seconds.
"Pull over," you repeat, looking up from the meter to your older brother.
Dean sighs and pulls the car over to the side of the road, "Why did I need to pull over?"
You hold up the meter, "There's somethin' out there," you nod your head towards the orchard.
"So, let's go look," Dean stops the car and opens his door. You sigh and follow your brother's suit. You shut the door behind you and look around. Your eyes rest on the orchard in front of you, "Scared?"
You look over at your brother who had come to stand next to you, "No, why would I be?"
Dean shrugs, then he starts forward into the orchard, not even looking to see if you were following. You weren't scared, the orchard just gave you the creeps. You sigh and follow Dean into the orchard. You walk around for probably about 5 minutes until you and Dean reach a small clearing with a creepy scarecrow on a post. It had shabby clothing on with straw sticking out and what looked like fake hair on its head. The face was sewn together out of some kind of material and there was rope tying it to the post. It also was holding a sickle in its right hand. Dean and you both stand there for a few seconds before Dean approaches it. You reluctantly follow. Both of you stand there for a few seconds before Dean exclaims, "Dude, you're fucking ugly."
You snort, "You said it. It's also pretty fucking creepy."
Dean nods slowly and then his eyes fall to the sickle, "Why the hell does a scarecrow need a sickle?"
"How would I know?" you reply, following Dean's eyes. You see a design on the arm, "Hey, you see that?" you point to the design above the sickle.
Dean turns around and grabs a ladder that is conveniently leaning against a nearby tree. He leans it against the post and he climbs to the top. You grab the bottom of the ladder, steadying it. Dean is now eye level with the scarecrow. He moves the clothing and seems to recognize it, "Hey, pass me the missing poster for Vince, would you?"
You let go of the ladder and reach into your pocket, unfolding the paper and handing it to Dean, "What is it?"
Dean looks at the paper, and then holds it to the design, "Look familiar?"
You look at the tattoo on Vince's arm and the one on the scarecrow, "Oh, my, God," you whisper, "That's..."
"The same one," Dean finishes, climbing down, "There is somethin' going on here, and I have a feeling it has to do with that fugly son of a bitch."
"Yeah," you nod, your eyes not leaving the scarecrow, "We should go back into town, ask if anyone knows who owns the damn thing."
"If anyone owns it," Dean hands you back the paper, "Let's get outta here, that thing is givin' me the creeps."
You nod and you and your brother leave the orchard and the scarecrow behind.
Time Skip: 10 Minutes
Dean pulls into the gas station next to one of the pumps. The girl who was at the General Store earlier is standing by one of the pumps. The windows are already down, so the girl steps forward;
"You're back."
"We never left," you reply, smiling.
"Still looking for your friends?" she inquires, looks into the car.
Dean nods, "You mind fillin' her up there, Emily?" You give Dean a strange look, she never told you her name. Dean nods towards her and mouths necklace, you nod, understanding. Emily had grabbed the pump and is now filling up the tank, "So, you grew up here?"
"I came here when I was 13," Emily replies, turning away from the pump to look back at you and Dean, "I lost my parents. Car accident. My aunt and uncle took me in."
"They seem like nice people," you observe, watching Emily.
"Everybody's nice here," Emily shrugs, smiling slightly.
"So, what, it's the, uh, perfect little town?" Dean questions, a teasing tone in his voice.
"Well, you know, it's the boonies. But I love it," Emily sighs, "I mean, the towns around us, people are losing their homes, their farms. But here, it's almost like we're blessed."
You and Dean nod. But in your head, you knew that didn't sound right, no town is perfect, but you change the subject, "So, you ever been to the orchard? We went and saw the scarecrow, it's kinda weird ain't it?"
"Yeah," Emily nods, shuddering, "It creeps me out."
Dean laughs, but you nod, the thing gave you the creeps too, "Whose is it?" Dean asks, his smile fading.
"I don't know," Emily shrugs, frowning slightly, "It's just always been there."
You look around and you notice a red van parked in front the garage, it hadn't been there before, "So, is that your aunt and uncles or...?"
Emily looks towards the car, "Customer. Had some car troubles."
Dean frowns, "It's not a couple, is it? A guy and a girl?"
Emily nods, "Mmhmm."
Dean and you share a look, things were about to get nasty, and both of you knew it.
P.O.V. Switch
Sam had walked to the nearest bus station and was now talking to the clerk.
"Sorry, the Sacramento bus doesn't run again till tomorrow," the woman checks the schedule, "Uh, 5:05 PM."
"Tomorrow?" Sam grumbles looking around, "There's got to be another way."
"Well, there is," the clerk says sounding like she was pointing out the obvious, "Buy a car."
Sam, now annoyed leaves the ticket window. He reaches into his jacket pocket and takes out his PalmPilot and thinks for a few seconds before selecting (Y/N)'s number.
"Hey," a voice says. Sam looks around to locate the blonde girl from earlier sitting on the floor with her bags.
Sam looks at her, confused, and then turns off his PalmPilot without calling (Y/N), "Hey."
"You again," the girl replies, not knowing what else to say.
"What happened to your ride?" Sam questions, looking around, not seeing the man from before.
"You were right. That guy was shady. He was all hands," the girl replies, shuddering. Sam raises his eyebrows, "I cut him loose," Sam frowns, looking around, "What the matter?"
"Just tryin' the get to California," Sam replies, sighing and looking at the girl again.
"No way," the girl replies, sounding surprised.
"Yeah," Sam replies nodding.
"Me too," the girl stands up and walks over to Sam, "You know, the next bus isn't until tomorrow."
"Yeah," Sam nods, sighing once again, "Yeah, that's the problem."
"Why?" the girl inquires, "What's in Cali that's so important."
Sam thinks for a few seconds before replying, "Just somethin' I've been looking for. For a long time."
"Well, then I'm sure it can wait one more day, right?" Sam laughs and the girl extends her hand and Sam shakes it, "I'm Meg."
Sam smiles, glad to have found a friend, "Sam."
P.O.V. Switch
You and Dean enter Scotty's Café. Scotty is serving the couple whose car broke down. The girl had beautiful, long, dark black curly hair and bright blue eyes with pale skin. She was wearing a blue cardigan with a white shirt underneath, jeans, and tennis shoes. The guy had short brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a big brown sweater, jeans, and brown boots. They were both happily eating their apple pie.
"Oh, hey, Scotty. Can we get coffee? One black and the other with a hell of a lotta sugar," Dean asks, walking towards a table, you trailing after him, "Oh, and two slices of that pie, too, while you're at it," Dean plants himself in the table next to the couple. You sit next to him, "How ya doin'?" the couple waves and smiles at you and Dean, "Just passing through?"
The girl replies a few seconds later after swallowing her bit of pie, "Road trip."
"Cool, us too," you comment, smiling. They both nod and Scotty walks over to refill their cider.
"I'm sure these people want to eat in peace," Scotty says bluntly, frowning at both of you.
"Just a little friendly conversation," Dean answers, smiling at the man. Scotty walks away, "Oh, and that coffee too, man. Thanks," Scotty looks agitated, by Dean takes no notice of it and keeps talking, "So, what brings you to town?"
"We just stopped for gas. And, uh, the guy at the gas station saved our lives," the girl answers, taking sips of her cider.
"Oh, how so?" you inquire, sharing a look with Dean.
"One of our brake lines was leaking," the man replies looking at you and Dean, "We had no idea. He was fixing it for us."
Dean looks at you clearly concerned, "Nice people."
"Yeah," the man agrees before having another bite of pie.
"How long till she's up and runnin'?" you ask, nodding towards the red van that was barely visible through the glass.
"Sundown," the man answer, nodding his head.
"Really," Dean huffs, thinking for a few seconds, "To fix a brake line?" The man nods, "I mean, you know, I know a thing or two about cars, so does she," Dean nods towards you, "We could probably have you up and running in about an hour. We wouldn't charge you anything."
"You know, thanks a lot, but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it," the girl looks at both of you, she seemed to be getting annoyed by both of your nagging.
"Yeah. We get it," you sigh, tapping your fingers on the table, "You know, it's just that these roads. They're not real safe at night."
The couple exchanges a look, "I'm sorry?" the girl looks at you bewildered.
"I know it sounds strange, but, uh you might be in danger," Dean adds, trying to sound like he knew what he was talking about.
The man turns to look at both of you, clearly annoyed, "Look, we're trying to eat. Okay?"
"Yeah, sorry," you look away, disappointed. The couple seemed worried by you and Dean, but not enough to take Dean up on his offer, "You know, our little brother could just give you this look and you'd buy right into it, no questions asked."
The bell above the café door jingles and a man walks in. He had salt and pepper hair and light green eyes. He's wearing a forest green jacket with a sheriff pin and insignia on it. He's wearing a tan shirt under it and tan pants with a belt with a gun among other things on it. Scotty comes out from the back room, "Thanks for coming, Sheriff."
You and Dean look at each other nervously. Scotty whispers something in the sheriff's ear and they both look at you and Dean. Both of you look away. The sheriff walks over to your table, "I'd like a word, please."
"Come on. We're havin' a bad day already," Dean complains, looking at the sheriff. You shoot him a look, if he went any further, you'd get arrested, again.
"You know what would make it worse?" the sheriff questions, putting his hands on the table and leaning towards both of you.
Time Skip: 5 Minutes
The sheriff's car is following Baby to make sure you and Dean actually left the town.
"Goddamit!" Dean yells, slamming one of his hands on the steering wheel.
"We'll just come back later," you say, looking out of the side mirror to see the sheriff's car turn around and head back to Burkitsville.
"Yeah, but we're gonna have to save those people's asses," Dean complains, speeding up the car.
"Which is what we do," you reply, looking away from the mirror to your older brother, "Hey, at least you didn't get us arrested."
"That was one time," Dean grumbles, glancing at you.
"Twice, actually," you add, smirking at Dean.
Dean glares at you, "Oh, we counting now?"
"Yep," you look away smirking triumphantly.
"Okay, how about, whoever's gotten us arrested the most by the end of the year has to buy the other person something, with their own money," Dean challenges, looking at you.
"Well, I would, expect, I don't actually have any money," you retort, returning Dean's stare.
"You know what I mean," Dean grumbles, his eyes returning to the road.
"You got yourself a deal," you fall silent, but then add, "Be prepared to loose, pretty boy."
"Oh, you're on," Dean replies, smirking at you.
P.O.V. Switch
Sam and Meg are sitting at a table at the bus station, surrounded by beer bottles and different foods.
"So, what, are you on some kind of vacation or something?" Sam inquirers, taking a fry and biting into it.
Meg laughs, "Yeah, right. It's all sipping Cristal poolside for me," Meg and Sam both laugh, "No. I had to get away from my family."
Sam frowns, his laugh turning into concern, "Why?"
"I love my parents. And they wanted what's best for me. They just didn't care if I wanted it. I was supposed to be smart. But not smart enough to scare away a husband," Sam smiles, somehow understanding where Meg was coming from, "It's just...because my family said so, I was supposed to sit and there and do what I was told. So, I just went my own way instead," Sam stares at Meg, realizing how similar their problems were, "I'm sorry. The things you say to people you hardly know."
"No, no it's okay," Sam replies, realizing how the staring might have looked, "I know how you feel. Remember that brother and sister I mentioned before, that I was road-tripping with?" Meg nods, "It's, uh, kind of the same deal."
Meg's eyes widen in realization, "And that's why you're not riding with them anymore?" Sam nods and Meg raises her beer bottle, "Here's to us. The food might be bad, and the beds might be hard. But at least we're living our own lives. And nobody else's," Sam taps his bottle against Meg's and they both drink.
Time Skip: 3 Hours
You and Dean are driving back to Burkitsville under the cover of darkness.
"We need to stop at the orchard, that's where to they're gonna be," you comment, looking at the orchard.
"How do you know?" Dean asks, glancing at you before pulling the car over to the side of the road.
"I just have a feeling," you reply, shrugging your shoulders, "And I usually trust my gut."
"Alright," Dean stops the car and both of you get out and head to the trunk. Dean opens the trunk and the tire compartment, propping it up with a shotgun. Both of you grab your weapons of choice, handguns, pulling out the magazines to make sure they had bullets in them. Dean shuts the trunk and both of you head into the orchard, aiming the guns at your feet.
You walk around for a few minutes until Dean locates the clearing the scarecrow had been in. The couple is there, looking around, but the scarecrow is gone. Suddenly, it comes out from behind one of the trees and beings walking towards them. You and Dean circle around to the front of the clearing and run in front of the couple. They stop.
"Get back to your car," you order, moving to the side to let them through. The couple looks behind them to see the scarecrow getting closer.
"Go! Go!" Dean cries. The couple starts running. You and Dean cock your guns and shoot at the scarecrow, who stumbles, but keeps walking at a steady pace. You and Dean look at each other, before you both turn and began to run, picking up speed. Dean spins around and cocks his gun again and shoots. The scarecrow doesn't stumble at all, instead, it seems to be picking up the pace. You try shooting the scarecrow once more too. But it fails to affect it. Dean and you focus your attention on running, both of you soon catching up to the couple and almost passing them. Finally, all of you reach the road. Dean nods at you and indicates behind you, then mouths "3, 2, 1," both of you spin around, to find nothing. The scarecrow had disappeared.
The guy is panting, but he manages to get out a question, "What...what the hell was that?"
"Don't ask," you reply, looking around wearily.
Time Skip: 9 Hours
After helping the couple out with their car, you and Dean had driven over to a nearby town to find a motel. Once you go to the motel, both of you slept in shifts, one researching while the other slept. In the morning, Dean and you had driven to a local breakfast joint before heading over to the local college, where you had an appointment with the professor. On the way over, Dean had suggested that you call Sam and put him on speaker.
The phone rings a few times before Sam picked up, "(Y/N)?"
"Hiya Sammy," you answer cheerfully.
"Hey Sam," Dean calls paying attention to the road.
"Hi," Sam replies, sounding a bit groggy, "Um, so, what'd you call me for."
"Well..." you start to recall all the events that had happened to you in the past 12 or so hours.
"The scarecrow climbed off its cross?" Sam questions, sounding more awake after your dramatic retelling of events.
"Yeah, I'm tellin' ya. Burkitsville, Indiana. Fun Town," Dean replies sarcastically.
"It didn't kill the couple, did it?" Sam inquires, the worry clear in his voice.
"No, they're fine, a little shaken, but fine," you then add in as an afterthought, "We can manage without you, you know."
Sam ignores your comment, "So, something must be animating it. A spirit."
"No," Dean replies, shaking his head, even though Sam can't see him, "It's more than a spirit. It's a god. A Pagan god, anyway."
"What makes you say that?" Sam inquires, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Well, the killings are on a seemingly annual cycle. And the victims are always a man and a woman. Like a fertility right or some crap like that," you pause, thinking for a few seconds, "Oh, and the locals, you should see 'em. The way they treated these people, it was like they were fattenin' 'em up or somethin'."
"The last meal," Sam sighs, "Given to sacrificial victims."
"Yeah," Dean agrees, "We're thinkin' a ritual sacrifice to appease some Pagan god."
"So, a god possesses a scarecrow..." Sam starts.
"And then the scarecrow takes the sacrifice. And it makes sure, for another year, that the crops don't wilt and disease doesn't spread," you finish.
"Do you know which god you're dealing with?" Sam questions.
"No, not yet," Dean replies, "We spent the night researching, but we didn't find anything."
"Well, you figure out what it is, you can figure out a way to kill it," Sam points out, sounding proud of himself.
"Yeah, we know. We're actually on our way to a local college. I made an appointment with a professor," you then add jokingly, "You know, since we don't have our trusty geek boy to do the research."
Sam laughs, but then his tone becomes serious, "You know if you're hinting you need my help, just ask."
"She's not...we're not hinting anything," Dean jumps in, "Actually, uh...I want you to know... I mean, I don't think..."
You save Dean the stuttering, "We're sorry, about what happened."
Sam sighs, "Yeah. I'm sorry too."
"Sam. You were right. You gotta do your own things," Dean bites his lip, looking at you. You wave your hand, prompting him to continue, "You gotta live your own life."
"Are you serious?" Sam asks, sounding surprised.
"What Dean's tryin' to say, is that you've always known what you wanted in life. And you go after it, no matter what. You stand up to Dad when Dean and I wouldn't, you always have. Hell, by now it's your thing. But, I guess with both wish," you cut off, not wanting to get too emotional, "Well, we both admire you for that I guess. We're both proud of you, Sammy, and we don't want to hold you back."
The line is silent, but after a few seconds a stunned Sam speaks, "I don't even know what to say."
Dean tells him what to say, "Say you'll take care of yourself."
"I will," Sam replies, sounding sad.
"Call one of us when you find Dad, okay?" you ask, biting your lip.
Sam sighs, "Okay. Bye, Dean, bye, (Y/N)," both of you hang up.
You sigh, looking out the window, trying not to start blubbering. Dean notices and reaches one of his hands over, patting you on the shoulder, "Hey, we did good."
You sniffle and nod your head, "Yeah, I know.
P.O.V. Switch
Sam shuts his phone and looks over at Meg, who had just woken up.
"Who was that?" she questions, rubbing her eyes.
"My siblings," Sam replies, placing his phone on the floor.
"What'd they say?" Meg looks at Sam, worried.
"Goodbye," Sam replies, looking over at Meg.
P.O.V. Switch
Dean and you had made it to the college and had met up with the professor by his classroom. You were all walking down the hallway to his classroom.
"It's not every day I get a research question on Pagan ideology," the professor comments, looking at you and your brother.
"Yeah, well, call it a hobby," Dean replies, looking at the man.
"But you said you were interested in local lore?" he questions, his pace slowing.
"Yep," you nod, as does Dean.
"I'm afraid Indiana isn't really known for its Pagan worship," the professor explains, clutching his hands behind his back.
"Well, what if it was imported?" Dean questions, "You know, like the Pilgrims brought their religion over. Wasn't a lot of this area settled by immigrants?"
The professor considers the question before nodding slowly, "Well, yeah."
"What about that town near here, Burkitsville? Where did the first settlers of that town come from?" you ask, looking at the professor.
"Uh," the man thinks for a few seconds, "Northern Europe, I believe, Scandinavia."
"What could you tell us about those Pagan gods?" Dean inquires, slowing to a stop and looking at the professor.
"Well, there are hundreds of Norse gods and goddesses," the professor explains, gesturing with his hands.
"We're looking for a very specific one," you explain, "It might be found in an orchard."
The professor nods and starts walking again, moving quicker than before. You and Dean glance at each other catching up with him. Less than a minute later, you enter through the door of a classroom. The professor goes over to a bookshelf and scans the books before pulling one out and setting it on the table. The professor opens that book, "Woods god, hm? Well, let's see," he starts to leaf through some pages.
On one page, you see a picture that looks like a scarecrow surrounded by farmers. Dean notices it too, "Wait, wait, wait. What's that one?"
The professor turns back page, "Oh, that's not a woods god, per se."
You step closer and begin to read from the page, "The Vanir," you look to the professor, making sure you pronounce the word correctly. You must have, because he nods, "The Vanir were Norse gods of protection and prosperity, keeping the local settlements safe from harm. Some villages built effigies of the Vanir in their fields. Other villages practiced human sacrifice. One male, and one female," you point to the picture, "This guy sorta looks like a scarecrow, huh?"
"I suppose," the professor agrees.
Dean takes over reading, "This particular Vanir's energy sprung from the sacred tree?"
"Well, Pagans believed all sorts of things were infused with magic," he explains, gesturing to one of the trees in the picture.
"So, let's say that someone burned the said tree, would that kill the god, or just make him angry?" you question, looking up from the book to the professor.
The professor laughs, "These are just legends we're discussing."
"Yeah, right, she just gets carried away sometimes," Dean covers for you, "Listen, thank you very much," Dean shakes the professor's hand."
"Glad I could help," the professor replies.
Dean and you walk to the classroom door. Dean opens it and then is hit on the head by a rifle, "What the...?" you don't finish the question. The rifle hits you over the head and the last thing you see is the sheriff standing over you and your brother.
Time Skip: 30 Minutes
You blink your eyes a few times, waking up, but you still can't see anything. Where ever you are is completely shrouded in darkness.
"De?" you call, hoping, praying that your older brother was alive.
"(Y/N)?" Dean answers, "(Y/N), that you?"
You almost sob in relief, "Yeah, it's me. Where the hell are we?"
"I have..." Dean trails off as a door is opened. Emily is there, being held by her aunt and uncle and she is sobbing.
"Aunt Stacy. Uncle Harley, please," they bring Emily down the stairs, place across from you and Dean and walk back up the stairs, "Why are you doing this?"
Stacy turns around, "For the common good," she shuts the door and all of you are surrounded by the darkness again.
P.O.V. Switch
Meg is gathering her things and Sam is trying to call Dean and (Y/N).
"Hey. Our bus came in," Meg calls, looking at Sam.
Sam hangs up his phone, shaking his head, "You better catch it. I gotta go," Sam picks up his book bag.
"Go where?" Meg questions, staring at Sam, confused.
"Burkitsville," Sam replies, slinging his book bag over his shoulder.
"Sam, wait," Meg protests, walking over to him.
"I've been tryin' to call both of my siblings for the last 3 hours," Sam explains, picking up his other bag and turning to Meg, "I'm just getting their voicemails."
"Well, maybe their phones are turned off," Meg suggests, trying to persuade Sam to stay.
"No, that's not like either of them," Sam sighs, "Meg, I think they're in trouble."
"What kind of trouble?" Meg questions.
"I can't really explain right now. I'm sorry, look, I don't want you to miss your bus," Sam turns, preparing to walk away.
"But I don't understand. You're running back to your siblings? The people you ran away from? Why, because they won't pick up their phones? Sam...Come with me to California," Meg begs, her voice wavering.
"I can't," Sam turns slightly, "I'm sorry."
"Why not?" Meg questions, her voice turning angry.
"They're my family," Sam replies, shrugging, and with that Sam leaves. Meg watches him, close to tears.
P.O.V. Switch and Time Skip: 30 Minutes
Dean and you are trying to open the door, but failing. Force wasn't budging it and neither of you had your lock picks.
"I don't understand," Emily sighs, she had stopped crying a while ago, "They're going to kill us?"
"No, they're sacrificing us, although, I don't know why you're here, they already got me and Dean," you frown turning to look at Emily.
"Sacrificing is classier, I guess, at least in their opinion," Dean walks over to Emily, you trail after, still trying to figure out why she was here, "You really didn't know anything about this, did you?"
"About what?" Emily questions, scoffing, "The scarecrow god? I can't believe this."
"We need you to start belivin', cause we're gonna need your help," you sit down next to Emily, looking at her.
"Okay," Emily nods her head and sighs.
"Now, we can destroy the scarecrow, but we gotta find the tree," Dean explains, though not very well.
"What tree?" Emily looks at Dean, confused.
"The tree we're looking for would be the oldest tree in the orchard," you explain, "The locals, like the sheriff and your aunt and uncle, would treat it like it was scared."
"There was this one apple tree," Emily states, "The immigrants brought it over with them. They call it the First Tree."
"Is it in the orchard?" Dean questions, looking Emily straight in the eyes.
Emily thinks for a moment before nodding, "Yeah, but I don't know where."
The door at the top of the stairs open and Stacy, Harley, Sheriff, and Scotty are standing at the top, "It's time," Stacy announces.
Dean, you and Emily look at each other, nervous. All of them walk down the stairs. Stacy walks over to her niece and pulls her up the stairs. Harley yanks you up the stairs. You struggle, trying to get yourself free, but it was no use, Harley had an iron grip.
"Get your hands off my sister, you son of a bitch!" you hear Dean cry. You hear a bit of a scuffle, but then it turns to silence. You make it to the top of the stairs. A few seconds later, Dean is being shoved forward, he has a bloody lip, but other than that, he looks okay. Dean looks like he is about to throw a fit, but you silence him with one glare. Dean gives you the evil eye, but he stays silent.
"Let's get going," Harley announces. He takes the lead, dragging you out the front door. You hear the others behind you, but no one speaks. Stacy, Harley, Emily, and you get in one car. Before Harley gets in, he ties both yours and Emily's hands together. You glance at Emily when the car starts, she is nervous and scared. You were going to get her out of this alive, no matter what it took.
Time Skip: 30 Minutes
The elders had driven all of you to the orchard and were now tying all of you up to three adjacent trees.
"How many people have you killed, Sheriff," Dean growls, trying to loosen his bonds, "How much blood is on your hands?"
"We don't kill them," the Sheriff replied, stepping back from you after he checked the knot.
"No, you don't kill them, but you cover it up," you hiss, leaning forward, "How many cars have you hidden around here? How many clothes have you burned? How many people have you buried?" The sheriff walks away, ignoring you.
"Uncle Harley," Emily pleads, crying once again, "Please."
"I am so sorry, Em," Harley replies, sound heartbroken, "I wish it wasn't you."
"Try to understand," Stacy says sadly, "It's our responsibility."
"I'm your family," Emily replies softly.
"Sweetheart, that's what sacrifice means. Giving up something you love for the greater good," Stacy sighs and pushes a hair away from Emily's face, "The town needs to be safe. The good of many outweighs the good of one." With that, the three remaining elders walk away.
"I hope your apple pie is freakin' worth it!" Dean yells after them.
"So," Emily sniffles, "What's the plan?"
"I'm workin' on it," you and Dean reply.
Time Skip: 4 Hours
The sun had set about an hour ago and the orchard was now dark. Nobody had spoken in a long time, and the scarecrow hadn't decided to show up yet, and hopefully wouldn't for some time.
"Neither don't have a plan, do you?" Emily questions.
"I'm in the process of having one," you lie, but you know she doesn't believe you, "Can you see it?"
"What?" Emily asks, trying to look over at you.
"Is he moving yet?" Dean clarifies.
"I can't seem" Emily replies. Suddenly, all of you see a shadow moving near the trees, "Oh my God," You and Dean try to untie the ropes binding the both of you to the trees as it gets closer, "Oh my God!"
The shadow comes out from behind the trees and reveals itself to be Sam, "Dean? (Y/N)?"
"Sammy!" you cry, overjoyed to see your younger brother.
"Oh! Oh, I take back everything I said," Dean rambles, also overjoyed, "I'm so happy to see you. Come on," Sam walks over and begins to untie Dean, "How'd you get here?"
"I, uh...I stole a car," Sam stutters.
"Normally, I would yell at you," you start, "But honestly, I don't care at the moment," you frown, "And keep an eye on the scarecrow. He could come alive any minute."
Sam steps back from Dean, you can't see him that clearly, but you can tell he's confused, "What scarecrow?"
Dean gets up and sees something, "Shit," he whispers, turning back to face the rest of you, "He's gone."
"Then stop standing there like idiots and come untie us," you cry pulling on the ropes. Sam and Dean leap into action, untying you and Emily in about 30 seconds. You and Emily both stand up after being untied. You look around, "We should probably run."
Sam and Dean nod and then all of you take off running. Dean explains everything that the both of you had found out about the scarecrow to Sam.
"Alright," Sam pants, "Now, this sacred tree you're talking about..."
"It's the source of power," Dean finishes, slowing down.
The rest of you slow down as well, "So, let's find it and burn it," Sam decides, taking two large steps to walk next to Dean.
"In the morning," you suggest, moving to stand directly behind your brothers and next to Emily, "We should get the hell outta here before old Leather Face finds us." All of you walk into a clearing. Waiting for you in the clearing are the elders and a few other townspeople.
"This way," Dean turns, only to find that you are blocked in all directions.
"Please," Emily cries, looking at the people, "Let us go."
"It'll be over quickly, I promise," Harley says, as if it was just a shot instead of death.
"Please," Emily whispers.
"Emily, you have to let him take you. You have to..." All of the sudden, the scarecrow sticks his sickle through Harley's stomach. Emily and Stacy scream, then Stacy is pulled away by the scarecrow. Emily runs into Dean's arms while the scarecrow pulls her aunt and uncle away. The remaining town's people run away in fright.
You take a shaky breath, "Come on guys, let's go." All of you start to run away from the clearing. Suddenly a noise breaks through the silence and you all spin around, looking for a source, but there is nothing there. You sigh in relief and turn back around and start to jog, the others following a few moments later.
Time Skip: 10 Hours
Sam, Dean, Emily, and you have returned to the orchard to burn the sacred tree. You walk through the orchard, trying to locate the tree. Sam is the one to locate it, it was marked with Vince's tattoo, distinguishing it from the other trees. Sam walks up to the tree and pours gasoline on it. Dean picks up a long branch and lights it.
"Let me," Emily reaches for the flaming branch. Dean looks at you and you nod.
Dean hands her the branch, "You know, the whole town's gonna die."
"Good," Emily replies. She throws the burning branch onto the tree, and all of you watch it go up in flames.
Time Skip: 1 Hour
Dean had driven all of you to the bus stop. Emily wanted to leave the town and go to Boston, she had family there. Sam, Dean, and you were watching Emily get on the bus. Emily smiles at you and Dean, and both of you wave in return. She waves back and takes a seat. A few seconds later the bus pulls away and you watch the bus leave.
"Think she's gonna be alright?" Sam asks, turning away to look at you and Dean.
"I hope so," Dean replies, sighing.
"And the rest of the townspeople, they'll just get away with it?" Sam questions, frowning.
"Not really," you answer, "That town is going to be ruined soon enough, I think that'll be punishment enough," you start walking back to the car, your brothers following, "Are we gonna drop you off somewhere?"
"No," Sam replies, "I think you're stuck with me."
You reach the car, Dean standing on one side, Sam and you on the other, "What made you change your mind?" Dean questions, putting his hands on the roof.
"I didn't," Sam answers, "I still wanna find Dad. And both of you are still a pain in the ass," You snort, and Dean nods, "But, Jess and Mom...they're both gone. Dad is God knows where. You two and me. We're all that's left. So, if we're gonna see this through, we're gonna do it together."
You smile, "Works for me."
"Hold me, Sam. That was beautiful," Dean reaches across the roof to put his hand on Sam's hand. Sam pulls his hand away in fake disgust. You start laughing and your brothers join.
"You both should be kissing my ass, you were dead meat," Sam retorts, a huge smile on his face.
"I had a plan," you say defensively, "We would've gotten out fine."
"Right," Sam replies sarcastically. You smack his arm, still smiling at him. All of you get in the car. Dean starts the car and turns on the radio, Lodi by Creedence Clearwater Revival comes blasting through the stereo;
Rode in on the Greyhound
I'll be walkin' out if I go
I was just passin' through
Must be seven months or more
Ran out of time and money
Looks like they took my friends
Oh Lord, I'm stuck in Lodi again
You hum along to the music. Everyone had made up, and everyone was happy. All was good, and hopefully, it would stay good, at least for the time being.
There's chapter 11! I hope y'all liked it! Did any of you watch the season 12 premier yet? Because if you have, what'd you think. I for one loved it, but I feel bad for Sammy. Anyway, that's all for now! Oh, by the way, if you have any requests, just comment!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters expect (Y/N), the rest are owned by the CW and the creators of Supernatural. I also don't own any of the lyrics used in this chapter