Note:We mean no offense to any religion in these chapters. And all the events of location is purely fiction. Also, we know it has been a long time since we have updated. We are still writing, but it is slow for us on our end with our busy work schedules. We hope to be updating better than we have been. Hope you enjoy! –Gypsy & Wynter
Dean and Von followed Sam towards the back of the church where they now spotted Alex. "So the angel dropped you here too?" Dean commented.
His face screwed up in disgusted confusion when Sam suddenly acted odd, but once the behavior cleared Dean shrugged it off. Alex being here made the mystery deepen, that was for sure. After all, the angel wanted them to fight on God's side. What did a half-demon have to do with that? If anything Castiel should have demanded Alex's death, not time-warped her along with them. Von was staring at Sam, it was hard not to with the way his energy was buzzing around him now that they were so close to Alex. Exactly like a ravenous bee would towards a flower the red head mused. It unnerved her a little, the toxicity of that drive. She just kept staring until Dean nudged her in the arm with his fist, which jolted her back to everything else that was around her. Dean gave her a questioning look and Von had no answers for him that he didn't already know.
Shaking his head Dean said, "Man, what is wrong with everyone?"
It wasn't a question that was meant to be answered, Dean said it more to himself than directing it at any of the three of them, yet Von found herself with eyes downcast in contemplation. She knew what the problem with most of them was, the general details. Sam was more obscure however, and discovering the cause of the inky shadow that hung over him, to Von's chagrin, might take some time. Alex's head snapped up when she heard him speak. Quickly standing up she backed up a few steps. The last time she was around him he she could tell what he wanted to do and remembered what he did do, though little, still hurt fucking bad. Distance was good from those three, they had tortured her and put her in a trance and left her alone with that guy named Leon.
"Well that explains how I got here. So let me guess this is all your guys' fault? What, couldn't get enough back at Bobby's then you had to go poke at an angel?" Seeing Sam step towards her she held her hand up and stepped back again. "If you three so much as come near me with intentions of tying me up and doing that shit again then I swear I will scream. Thinking where we are, they don't take kindly to that behavior."
Sam stopped and didn't go forward. He remembered what he did to Alex. From what he heard it was worse than what the others did to her and he could tell she didn't want to be anywhere near him in particular. If anything she seemed to be more trusting towards Von than the brothers. For some reason Alex would rather hang with Von, she knew that Von didn't want to hurt her and she just wanted answers. The trance was the most harmless out of everything the brothers did. Tackling, powers, back handing, punching, knife...Sam on the other hand could still feel that pull towards her but now also with Von. Messing him up so he couldn't think straight. Taking deep breaths in and out helped to ground him better.
Hand dropping to her side she sighed, slowly stepped down in the direction of Von she made sure to stand on the other side of her away from Sam and Dean. "What exactly is going on here?" she asked Von and only Von, making Sam's facial muscles flinch ever so slightly.
Von lowered her voice to a careful hushed tone. "We wanted to find out more about the angel that put that winged mark on your hand, so we summoned it. I honestly didn't think it was going to work since the ritual didn't require anything specific towards the angel that disrupted our séance. The angel's name is Castiel and before we were able to get to any important questions, he claimed that the three of us were called to arms to fight for Heaven. He wouldn't tell us anything more and sent us back here because we had to learn a lesson first. So now we're here and for whatever purpose, Sam and I have been made to fit into society. Whereas you and Dean haven't."
"They're married," Dean added. "What? She's better to get over the shock now then find out some other way. This whole town gives me the creeps, so until we figure out what's going on and whatever the hell this lesson is, it's gonna be better to play along. So try not to beat the raging shit out of each other until we get back to our own time."
He directed the last comment to Sam and Von who refused to look each other in the eye. Dean was still having a hard time wrapping his head around just how far downhill the relationship between the two of them had gone. It wasn't that they had been inseparable when they were younger, but there had been a silent bond between them and Sam had definitely had a crush, because Dean remembered teasing him about it. Something about his brother now though skeeved Von right out and that put Dean on edge. He might have ignored it if it wasn't for Sam acting weird since he had been back with him.
"We need to get out of here," Von stressed to the group.
Looking back across to town square her eyes lingered on a spot on the cobble stones, she had missed it before but when they crossed over the second time to meet Alex, the marks were very clear. The stones were streaked with hardened marks of charcoal. Something heavy had been dragged across that space so many times that the marks had been cooked into the rock. Strong wooden timbers had been placed there and burned…Von swallowed, her displaced anxiety had suddenly found a home. They burned people alive here, they burned witches.
"Von?" Dean met the red head's frightened green orbs. Unconcerned with Alex's objections he stepped forward but was careful not to lay a hand on her. When Von mentioned witch trials and tried not to be obvious when she motioned to the charred ground, Dean's jaw tightened and his brow furrowed in concern. "Well I'm sure as long as we act normal we'll be fine."
"Then you're luck is better than mine," Von retorted bitterly.
"No, not really," Dean replied. "Look, they didn't burn witches in the American colonies. They were either hanged or drowned and there was that one guy that was crushed to death with rocks. Burning was outlawed by England. Hey, I read!" Dean defended against the incredulous look on Sam's face.
Von shook her head. "Right, I'm sure that law was never broken. I read too, I know exactly what those people had done to them."
I know exactly...
Sam couldn't believe it. Dean knew more than ever, but then again he never did like witches so maybe it wasn't too surprising. As for him being chided on fighting with Von, he felt like he wanted to shrink into a hole. He was being an ass, close to how Dean got sometimes. There had to be something to help him find a right state of mind to really work and think in. This jumbled up mess was getting him nowhere and giving Dean suspicions, no doubt.
Married?
Alex watched as they spoke and digested. She wanted to laugh a little of the fact considering she knew of their younger years and Sam's all too big crush. Though she knew that was different now. Her eyes stared hard at Sam. Very different. Taking her eyes away she heard about the witch trials and burnings. "Well then I have to be careful too. I might not be..." she lowered her voice. "A witch, but I'm still something they won't take kindly to." Alex couldn't help but land on Dean at the last thing she said. "And I can't really go anywhere. I was found in the church and they think I have amnesia. I'm kind of their little pet project and a stranger to the town. You guys aren't under very hard eyes so be lucky about that."
Yeah best hope that I don't pop out with a comment or something. Not making promises because I could get us out of the mess if we get into it.
She ignored that thought and sighed. In that moment Annabeth exited and came down the stairs, stopping in front of the group with confusion and a slow smile. "You must be Alexandria. Pleasure to meet you. The Father is looking for you inside, I'd head on in to not cause worry," she said.
Alex gave a fake smile and thanked her, turning her head to the gang before she headed up the stairs. She wished she was going with them, despite her dislike of the brothers at the moment. Sam watched as she went and felt that part of him go with her, while another stayed behind. The part that butted heads with Von. Control. Breathe. Inhaling again he found that helped him, the scents in the air with them being around fresh farmed goods and trees and all. Annabeth brought him back to attention as she pointed out the hour due to the sun setting. Did this mean he had to share a bed with Von tonight? Being led the way back, knowing they couldn't speak about what they all wanted to with other ears nearby. Entering back inside the cabin for what seemed the hundredth time, dinner was waiting for them. Bread and something resembling beef stew.
In a town like this their movement was restricted, no one but the children were allowed to run about without any duties in mind. Everyone else had jobs or chores that needed attending and to have three grown adults wandering around aimlessly would cause rumor to fly. With Von's misgivings about the town and everyone in it, for the people to see a woman, who might not have the best reputation, with a man from a well-known family and a stranger would give way to many problems. They might not be under very hard eyes as Alex had said, but Von was paranoid about the townsfolk and their motives. It was made all the worse that Sam accused her of having an imagination, she hoped that Dean and Alex had a little more faith in her warnings. Von sat quietly at the table between Dean and Sam, she wasn't hungry but when she realized she hadn't eaten anything at all today she portioned herself a small bowl of stew and a single slice of bread. As she ate she began to think of how she could sneak out when everyone else was asleep.
The door to the cabin squeaked every time it opened and it wasn't a nice quiet brief squeak either, it was the loudest door squeak that was used in every horror movie soundtrack since the dawn of cinema. If she had the right ingredients she could have whipped up a silencing spell, but without her Chevy's magick tickle trunk she would have to take the risk of using her telekinetic abilities to handle the hinges and stop them from grinding together. Of course if anyone asked she could always use the excuse that she had to use the outhouse. She never thought the lack of indoor plumbing would be so convenient.
When it was time to go to bed, Sam moved to the bedroom but only after Von was done supposedly required to help with clearing things and the dishes they used. Seeing the bed for two in their room, he knew Von beside him was about to die. This was his moment to really clear the air in his head and with them. "I can sleep on the floor and you take the bed, though if Lillian or Annabeth notices we will have to share and I promise I will stay my distance."
There that is a start. Too bad there is no earth in here to ground myself to like earlier.
Sam watched as Von nodded only at the last part, but the knowledge was there it was only if it was necessary. Grabbing the two spare blankets, handcrafted and taking a pillow he settled onto the floor beside where Von was laying down and turned his back to her as he faced the closed door. Dean was in the same position as Sam was, so he couldn't be jealous of sleeping conditions when it came to his brother. He kept thinking to how they were going to play this out, and then came the theory of the lesson. What could they possibly need to learn? They were working together...albeit not as well as they should...was that it? He scrunched his face in thought and before he knew it his eyes were closing on him and sweeping him into the world of dreams.
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With all the house now asleep Von slipped from under the covers and dressed herself in her regular clothes, which was a simple matter of stepping out of the white linen chemise into her jeans and fastening her bra before pulling her long sleeved shirt on and then her jacket. With Sam asleep Von was careful, yet not concerned that the tables could have been easily turned and the hunter could have seen her nearly naked as well. She considered waking him, but thought better of it. He could no doubt be as silent as a mouse contrary to his size, but she did not need him questioning her every step of the way. No, it was better to let him sleep and return before dawn and when only friendly ears surrounded them to tell him of her findings. Lightly stepping to the door with her boots in hand she exited into the main room. Closing the door behind her she crept up to the main door, she tied her boot laces together and strung them over her neck.
Von inspected the hinges and the doorknob. Stepping back, she was about to set her mind to the task of opening the door while supporting its weight to prevent it from making a single sound.
Instead she heard a single creak behind her before a strong hand clamped over her mouth preventing her from crying out and swung her around. She was faced with the untamed and wickedly dire fiery green orbs of a man who had become the horrors he had endured. The hazel flecks glowed like embers and were anything but human. The man's face was almost animal-like, weathered by suspicion and a penchant for cruelty. His skin smelled like leather and gun oil, while his breath was of whiskey. Von recognized Dean, relief washed over her and she clasped Dean's hand and pulled it from her mouth, not allowing the touch to linger. It seemed they both had the same idea, which made Von glad that someone else didn't think she was overreacting. Motioning to the door Von used gestures and as few whispered words as possible to describe what she was intending to do.
Dean nodded, he thought it was crazy but he understood. He offered to keep his eyes and ears open for any other movements in the house. Von stood far enough from the door to allow it to open. Taking a deep breath in she exhaled, gently coaxing her mind to that clear place that allowed her to focus. Moving a door of all things should be relatively easy, but it was a skill that Von had been hesitant to build because in many ways it scared her…the things she was capable of. The situation however, required a desperate yet delicate touch and Von was praying with all her might that just this once she would allowed to accomplish this without incident. Dean watched Von slowly raise her arms, directing one hand out and the other palm up as if she was seeking to catch a feather. He didn't feel much on his end standing at her back, but his skin did warm and he couldn't explain why. Without a sound the door opened stopping wide enough to allow a person to slip through, a gentle puff of cool night air entered and Dean took that as his cue to exit the house.
When they were both safely outside, Von stepped into her boots and the two of them walked into the dark not sure whether the new moon was a blessing or a curse for the lack of light that it gave. Dean tucked his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small Maglite, smiling proudly at Von that he had an ace up his sleeve to help them in their investigation. Nearly all the homes seemed dark and locked up tight. A few where the lights of lamps still lingered, Dean and Von did best to avoid coming too close to the windows.
"Are you picking up on anything?" Dean scanned the pathway ahead while Von walked next to him.
"There's a little something everywhere. The most concentrated places are town's square, the church and there was a building behind the marketplace that piqued Sam's curiosity, but I pulled him away because it creeped the shit out of me. I think that's probably a good place to start."
"What about the church, we could find Alex..." he trailed off, as they neared the church and saw a light inside moving around, someone inside wasn't asleep.
Von shook her head. "There's at least two other people in the church and I don't think that's Alex moving by the windows."
The two of them ducked out of sight unable to make out through the frosty window and candlelight glare who it was but the height suggested that it certainly wasn't Alex. When the light passed they moved, keeping close to the housing until they neared the market, the town wasn't very large and it wasn't difficult for them to find their way. Von started to feel sick, nausea curdled around her stomach and she hunched over as bile shot up her throat and she expelled the small dinner she had forced herself to eat earlier. The need to vomit did not stem from any energy from the town and Von feared she had been poisoned, but once the food was clear from her stomach she felt completely relieved. Dean stood close by, crinkling his nose at the warm beefy smell and asking if Von was alright over and over until Von hissed back her answer in annoyance for the umpteenth time. He raised his hands to placate her, muttering that he didn't need her getting food poisoning on him. Without modern medicine she would get really sick, really fast and then they would be really screwed.
What good would our psychic be with dehydration and a fever? Dean thought as he followed Von around the back of the marketplace to the hidden building that closely resembled a bunker.
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Annabeth remembered her time with Joshua, the ache still there from her first time gone. He had helped her though she knew it was wrong but that was what he was supposed to do right? Was to help her in her time of need and answer her questions she might have? She also remembered what Joshua had said...to keep her suspicions of Von on alert. That it might be the Lord telling her something was amiss. There was a reason she was getting them about the red head. So instead of going to bed she waited, she wasn't sure if she had heard it at first but then there it was. She knew the cabin inside and out to know where the slight pressure released a small sigh indicating weight. When you grew up in homes like these you paid attention. Slowly stepping from her room, hoping to catch Von in the act she was a little disappointed to find no one there. Actually not even the Dean fellow was there. Gone.
I knew it.
Checking to see if Sam was still in his room and asleep she smiled knowing that he would never do something so deviant. Pulling on a cloak, she went to the door and noticed it wasn't latched giving her all the more reason she opened the door quietly, knowing that Lillian wouldn't hear it with how heavily she slept and exited into the night. She could barely make out much but just enough that if she hadn't heard their whispers she would have never saw their dark frames moving through town. Quickly crossing herself and saying a silent prayer in her head she glanced around and began to follow.
888
Grabbing Dean's jacket, Von hauled him with her into a dark corner beside the iron clad bunker. Dean got the hint and cranked his Maglite off while in the dark silence they waited as a petite shadow flitted by, leaving them unnoticed. Dean shuffled in the darkness next to Von until
she felt his lips almost touching her ear as he whispered. It reminded Von of the time she first heard his voice over the phone, her body even reacted in the same way. "She's been following us since we left the house," Dean observed, an annoyed growl barely detectable in his voice made the goosebumps riding Von more pointed. The red head nodded, her mind racing with several ideas on how to handle the situation. The conniving little bitch was trying to cast dispersions towards Von because of her incestual need to be with Sam. Unfortunately for Annabeth, she didn't realize who she was dealing with.
Von craned her head so she could whisper in Dean's ear, "We have to head back to the house." The urgency was felt in her voice and they carefully traced their way back amongst the houses. Carefully manipulating the door, Von opened it enough for Dean to slip through and then herself before locking it behind her. "You've been sleeping by the fire, and went out to the outhouse to relieve yourself."
Von was quickly making his bed, there wasn't any need for neatness given that Dean was supposed to have been sleeping in the bed for several hours. While Von made the bed, Dean was shrugging out of his jacket and kicking off his boots, laying both close to the fireplace.
Leaving Dean to take care of the rest, Von quietly entered the bedroom that she was sharing with Sam and closing the door she began to undress and store her items back in the drawer where she had put them before. Slipping the chemise over her head she stood above Sam.
"Sam...Sam, wake up," she whispered harshly and nudged the slumbering hunter with her barefoot. Waiting a moment she nudged him in the shoulder again. "For a hunter, you sleep too heavy," she muttered and stopped poking her foot at him once he started to wake-up. "Hurry, get into the bed." She was already pulling the quilts off of him and folding them neatly to set on the table at the foot of the bed. Von knew he was confused, and more than a little annoyed. "I'll tell you what's going on, but you have to get your ass into that bed with me." Von almost sounded in pain when she said it. This was exactly the awkward situation she wanted to avoid at all costs and now it was the very thing that could save her from a troubled young girl. All it would take was the spreading of a rumor to feed the flames of mistrust towards Von and she worried for Dean too, they were both strangers and people would look to them first as the source of any problems.
Sam groaned tiredly and did what he was told even though he was confused, frankly all he wanted was to go back to sleep. The floor wasn't too bad but Von telling him to get into bed with her was just all too weird, but maybe it was more comfy. Climbing in after her he laid down and was about to go back to sleep when he remembered she said she had something to say as to why she wanted him there right? Turning to face her his eyes at half-mast as he stared at her. "You said there is a reason?" he yawned and moved his tongue around and swallowed the taste of settled sleep in his mouth.
Von blinked, if Sam were on better terms with her she would have thought his disheveled hair and altogether groggy appearance was cute.
Adorable? What am I twelve?
"Annabeth. I was outside with Dean and she followed us, no doubt to denounce my name and cause a panic, but I can't say for sure." She wasn't sure that anything she was saying was sinking into Sam's sleep addled brain, but his glassy blue-green eyes gave hint that her words were heard and wouldn't be forgotten. Pulling the blankets over them, "If anyone asks, you were never on the floor, we've been in bed together all night."
Von settled down onto the mattress and tried to find some semblance of rest for the duration of the night. She thought she heard someone at the front door, it was likely Annabeth, no sound of the door opening came to Von's keen ears and soon everything was silent again and all she heard was Sam's soft breathing behind her. She struggled between the need to sleep and the fear of what would happen if she did drift off, if she did dream those dreams she always did and what the cost would be to the room. Her powers in that unconscious state were unpredictable, anything from a cracked picture frame to a completely unturned room could await her when she awoke. And the questions Sam would have, if he would pick up on what she was enduring while asleep. She never filmed herself, she didn't know what it looked like when it was going on, only the aftermath.
No, I can't go to sleep. I have to think of something else.
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Where did they go? Annabeth stopped in her walking and looked around. She couldn't hear them or see them anymore. Should she go back? Would they know she was following? Did they go back? Worried, she brought her hand to her cloak to pull it around her more from the slight chill in the air. Deciding at the last minute she turned and headed back home only to find when she got there the door was locked. Panic ensued. She could have sworn that she shut it slow enough that the latch couldn't have fallen. It was an old door and if it was shut too fast it would go. Maybe they were already inside...Looking left and right she knew how it would look for her to be locked out and to be out at this hour of night while everyone was asleep.
She had no choice. She would not knock. Pivoting she went to the church, she'd sleep on the pews, that would look better than being found outside in town. Head low she hurried, opened the door, slipped inside, into one of them and laid down.
