Family Secrets Chapter 13

I don't own Supernatural or the characters. I don't profit from my stories. I just write for fun and because I'm obsessed…

The midnight sun, she saves me
From what I've become
The midnight sun, she saves me
From what I have done
What I have done

She's here to rescue me
Clear my mind, and set me free
If it's dark, she still shines
A masterpiece made by design
She's come to rescue me
Stain my mind with make believe
If it's dark, she still shines
She's my lady, so divine

Lady So Divine - Shinedown

His reaction was just as she had planned. He fell quickly and he fell hard. She thought his kiss was almost desperate. Good. He would not resist her. He was strong and she would have his strength.

Sam felt her power. It flowed through her lips and washed over his body like liquid fire. Her scent was intoxicating and it seemed to flow up from the depths of the earth. He tightened his fist around her hair and held her face up to his. Gazing down into her dark eyes he was drawn into a deep pool of black velvet. He felt the ageless wisdom of mother... sister... wife... woman. It was a thread that connected countless generations... infinite lives... She called him, named him special and led him into the deep, where she opened herself and told him to touch her.

Sam stood and gazed at the shining being in the center of that deep darkness. She was so bright that he could not see her face. He felt her pulling him toward her. Touch me... she called him. He reached for her. She glowed so brightly his hand seemed to disappear into her but he felt it. The instant of contact he felt intense pain and joy, love and passion, sorrow and despair. All of the emotions he was denied. In that moment he understood... Sammy, Alta, Dean, Bobby, Samuel... all of them... people... humanity... what they were that he was not. He began to pull her into him. Like a starving man he needed her to fill the empty void he didn't know he had… until now.

For thousands of years she had lived taking souls of men. But Sam Winchester had no soul. When he touched her, she knew. She felt the void and the intense pain as he sucked her into the emptiness inside of him. She threw off his hand, breaking the contact. She turned her face from him struggling to gain control quickly. Until she could close herself again she was vulnerable and he could take her... could kill her.

He felt the intense pain as she ripped apart from him. "No! Don't..." he reached out grabbing for her but it was too late. She had turned away, the brightness fading, the connection severed. He saw the bright creature fading as she flew away from him leaving him alone in the dark. And in that moment Sam Winchester cried. A single tear slid down his cheek. For an instant he saw what had been taken from him. But his sorrow quickly faded. He hadn't been connected long enough, hadn't taken enough to maintain the feelings that her soul awakened in him. He had known something was different when he got back from the cage. For a moment he felt the difference. The tiny spark he kept glowed deep inside him, weak and alone.

Sam looked down at his feet and saw Connie limp on the floor. He knelt and pulled her up to face him. Her eyes fluttered open and he looked into them searching for the being he had seen but she was gone. These eyes were the ordinary blue eyes of Connie not the dark bottomless pools that had drawn him into that place. This was not the being that knew what he was and maybe knew how to fix him. Connie was a vessel. She was still only semiconscious when he carried her into the kitchen, tied her to a chair and gaged her.

xxx

"I have so enjoyed this trip!" Lisa's smile was genuine and Alta couldn't help but like her even apart from the fact that she was getting information from her. "I'm so glad we met."

"Yea, me too." Alta downed the last of her drink. "I feel as if we've been friends forever."

"Well, I hope I haven't bored you with all the melodrama that's my life right now. But it's been good to talk to someone about it."

"It's interesting, actually. I feel as if I know Dean and Ben. I don't really have family. My mother and father died years ago and I don't have any siblings. Never was lucky enough to marry or have children." Not really the best game plan for a hunter. Alta wondered if marrying and having children, along with all the melodrama would be lucky or not. Probably not so lucky! "I hope with time Dean will come to terms with his brother's death. Do you think he will go back into… um… special ops?"

"No!" Lisa responded too quickly, more a denial than something she believed. "He's retired from that!"

"Just a thought." Alta wondered. She didn't know any hunters who had successfully retired. It was not something you do for a living. It was much deeper than that. For the Campbell's, it was in the DNA. And Dean was a Campbell. Just like Sam was a Campbell. "Tell me more about Sam. What was he like?"

"I didn't really know him well but he was quiet... shy, I think. He was really smart." Lisa took a sip of her drink and tried to remember her impressions of Sam. "I wasn't around Sam much, really. But he seemed sweet."

Sweet? Sam?

"He was the typical 'little brother', you know. He seemed to follow Dean's lead. I'm pretty sure Dean called the shots in their team."

This doesn't sound like Sam.

"Dean raised Sam for the most part. Their mother was dead and their father was gone a lot. He left the boys alone and I guess Dean's just always been like a father to Sam."

Alta continued to ply Lisa for information about the brothers and came up with a picture of Sam that was impossible to reconcile with the Sam she knew… the Sam she loved. The picture she had of Dean was of someone driven. Probably a great hunter. What little she knew of his rep; that was the case. Certainly not someone she would imagine giving up the hunt. But the thing that was hardest to understand was that the two brothers Lisa described would stay apart from each other. The Sam she described would never leave his brother grieving not knowing that he was alive and hunting. Something just didn't add up.

"Dean and Ben are coming to pick me up tomorrow. They'll be here for lunch. I'd love for you to meet them." Lisa smiled, so innocent, so unsuspecting that Alta was anything but just a new friend. "I'd like for them to meet you. Would you have lunch with us?"

Alta had planned to get an early start back to her and Sam's apartment but this was just too good to pass up. The story of Sam and Dean and Lisa and Ben was intriguing and she wanted to find out why Sam Winchester seemed like two different people, the one that Lisa and Dean knew and the one she knew. "I'd love too."

"Maybe Scott will be here and can join us?"

"Scott… no. He won't be picking me up. I drove myself." Alta almost forgot Scott was the alias she gave for Sam, the one on the credit card he used. "I'm sorry he won't get to meet you or your family. I'm sure he and Dean would have a lot in common."

"Maybe another time. You'll have to give me your address, email, Facebook… whatever you do."

"Of course."

Lisa picked up her purse and started toward the door. As Alta followed she noticed how gracefully Lisa moved. Her Safire dress was simple but it flowed around her as she moved, accentuating her long lean grace. She's so feminine... so pretty. She's everything I'm not. Sweet, honest, innocent... I can put on a dress... Alta ran her hands along the coral fabric of the dress she'd bought just for this trip... but I'm still a hunter. It was no wonder that a tough and weary hunter would want a fresh and innocent woman like Lisa. She wondered if Sam would rather have someone more feminine... less road weary... not a hunter.

xxx

"Tell me what you are." Sam stood in front of Connie. His arms were crossed, a silver knife in his right hand.

"You already know what I am or you wouldn't have me trussed up like a Christmas turkey." Connie's eyes glowed with anger.

"I know you're a witch. You're the witch I was hunting but you're more than that." Sam's eyes became dark, his face hard. He drew his lips into a narrow line and narrowed his eyes. He bent down to be face to face, noses just inches apart. "You're a vessel. Just what are you a vessel for?"

"I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about."

It was so fast she didn't see it coming. Sam backhanded her across the face so hard the chair rocked backward almost sending her to the floor. "Wrong answer!" Her head slumped forward. Blood ran from her nose. "Tell me the truth. Who are you a vessel for?"

Connie shook her head trying to clear her confusion. She gave him no answer.

"What did you try to do to me?" Sam towered over her waiting for her answer. Still, she gave him none. He switched sides and backhanded her again. This time he used his right hand and the force of his blow sent the chair over on its side with Connie helplessly tied to it. He grabbed the back of the chair and jerked it upright. Connie focused on the face she thought was so handsome when he came into the tea room. She'd seen him as strong, but she thought he was gentle. His smile had seemed so warm, his dimples so sweet; he seemed so young. She thought he would be perfect but she didn't see this darkness. It was as if he'd changed into a different person, older and cruel. She was terrified.

"Why did you put a spell on me?" Sam watched as blood ran from her nose and mouth. Her lip began to swell and was already red from his blows. "What kind of being was it that possessed you and what did she want with me?"

Connie's voice was ragged with fear. "I don't…" Sam raised his hand again. "I can't… "

"You'll tell me. You'll have to tell me to survive."

"Isis, help me." Connie whispered before she passed out.

With Connie unconscious, Sam took the opportunity to search her apartment. He went through her computer, tracked her emails and her files. He searched through her pantry and the herbs she had stored. He packed up candles and herbs then searched through her library and found an ancient book. Older than any he had seen. A Grimoire. He opened the book leafing through the pages, gazing at the symbols and spells. This was a very dear prize. She was a powerful witch.

Sam knew he would never be able to let her go. To have a witch this powerful angry at you and free… it was a death sentence… a very bad one. He waited until late in the night to bind her and take her to his car and then back to his apartment. Whatever he had to do, he would do but he would find Isis, the one Connie prayed to and he would get the answers he sought from her.

xxx

"I missed you." Dean pulled Lisa into a warm embrace, his hands wandering down her back as his lips lingered on hers. He cared for Lisa. He thought he might love her but he knew he was too mixed up right now to be sure. Lisa was his refuge from the life. He had wanted out for some time now. It had become so much more than just hunting monsters. The long hard road with Sam and his issues; the demon blood, Ruby, Lucifer and then there was the angels. He missed Castiel but the rest of the lot was a bunch of Dicks! Dealing with Zachariah had been an angelic sized pain in the ass. But Sam's 'triple lindy' into the pit had nearly killed Dean.

Ben coughed and cleared his throat. "I missed you too!"

Dean released his hold on Lisa and she hugged Ben laughing and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Did you boys have a good time while I was gone?"

"Yea, just the guys hanging out. We worked on the Impala. Dean's teaching me about engines." Ben was all grins. He loved working on the Impala. What he really loved was spending time with Dean.

"The Impala, really? I'm glad you took it out of the garage. Did you guys go for a drive?" Truthfully, Lisa wasn't sure she liked the idea. She liked the Impala and she knew Dean loved it but it reminded her of Dean's hunting and she was happy to have him retired from the life. She wondered how he could possibly ride in the Impala and not think of Sam.

"Yea, we went for a drive! It was way cool!"

Having the week with Ben was good for Dean. He did think of Sam but he enjoyed sharing his 'baby' with Ben and all his excitement and enthusiasm eased the pain of grieving. Being around his ten year old step son made Dean think of happier times with Sam, before they knew about 'Yellow eyes' and Ruby, angels and demons, and Lucifer and Michael.

Dean slid his arm around Lisa's waist. "It was good. Ben has a knack for engines. I enjoyed teaching him." He smiled and gave Ben a wink. "It's back in the garage. I drove the Suburban up here." He could sense her unease.

"Good." Dean liked to have Lisa's approval. She and Ben had come to represent everything 'normal' to him. After living his entire life in a male dominated world he was now living in a world with Lisa in it. He loved her femininity. She was perfect… perfect wife… perfect mother… perfect lover and friend.

"I asked Alta to join us for lunch. You know, the friend I told you about." They made their way to a table and settled in. Dean motioned for Ben to help his mother with her chair and Lisa beamed at the attention. "There's Alta now." Lisa looked toward the door as Alta came into the room.

Dean's 'spidey sense' kicked into overdrive the moment he saw her. She was strikingly beautiful. Her dark auburn hair flowed in a thick mass and curled around her shoulders. She had a beautiful face and crystal green eyes. But it was the way she moved that got Deans attention. She moved confidently into the room, her eyes darting around taking in the environment, sizing up her situation, lining up her options. The movements were automatic. She moved like a predator, like a hunter and the hunter in Dean recognized it immediately.

"Alta!" Lisa called out to her motioning her over to their table. She noticed Lisa's now familiar welcoming smile, her innocent acceptance of the new friend she knew nothing about yet loved her anyway. Then she noticed Dean. He was tall, though not as tall as Sam. Fairer skin and hair than Sam, in fact the only resemblance she could see was the hazel green eyes.

"Dean." Alta extended her hand. Even the handshake was telling. Dean felt the confident strength of a hunter. He didn't know how but he was certain she was not just a coincidental friend. Something was up and it was his greatest fear that something or someone would try to get to him through Lisa or Ben.

This was a mistake and she knew it. Her curiosity got the better of her. She thought she could fool Dean and he would think she was just another girlfriend of Lisa's, just another woman spending time at the spa. She underestimated his intuition. Now she would have to try to put him at ease and throw off his very obvious suspicions.

"Alta...?" Dean's eyes drilled hard into her. She knew he was fishing for information. She would be careful, but Lisa already knew the alias Sam had used.

"Rockenfield."

"Your husband?"

"Scott. Sorry he couldn't be here. I drove myself. He keeps very busy... workaholic."

"Scott Rockenfield." The hair on Dean's neck stood on end. What other hunter used rock aliases but Sam and him?

"Do you know him?"

"Does he play in a rock band?"

Damn! Alta really wished Sam had used 'John Smith'. This was getting downright uncomfortable. "Security, actually. His company covers most of the US. It's a family operation. Him and his Grandfather." details, but not too much. She had to walk a fine line.

Lisa shot Dean a look. He knew she thought he was being rude. He gave her a sheepish look, smiled and shrugged. She hated it when the suspicious hunter in him came out. Usually it was out of habit and unwarranted but he was convinced something was going on this time.

xxx

Castiel had taken the Winchester's as his charges when he sided with them against first Zachariah and then Michael. He had agreed to be guardians for them. That agreement for an angel was absolute. He was forever bound to their souls. And so he watched and waited and he intervened when he had to. Dean's torment he knew would lessen in time and in fact already had. Dean was beginning to cope.

But Sam's pain was relentless. Castiel heard each cry of Sam's soul from the depths of Hell. Each torturous burn and tear and gash... all the agony that Lucifer and Michael inflicted on him... every soulless, cruel, pitiless act Sam did on earth inflicted more pain on his soul in Hell. And it never lessened. If anything it got worse because it was endless and eternal. Castiel knew that Sam could not survive this level of torment and he took on himself what measure of the pain he could from Sam's soul.

Castiel gazed up toward Sam's apartment. He couldn't tell him what had happened or why. He had no answers for Sam. He feared what Sam might find out from the witch he was torturing and he felt the pain Sam caused to his own soul with each blow he gave but he dared not interfere... not yet.

Sam had done his research while the witch was unconscious. Isis, worshiped in ancient Egypt as the perfect mother and wife, matron of nature and magic. She was also a friend of slaves, sinners and the downtrodden. Now he needed to figure out what that had to do with him and what she tried to do to him and why.

xxx

At Dean's suggestion Lisa was showing Ben around the grounds of GreyStone while he packed the car. He thought he might catch Alta alone in the parking lot. And his plan worked. He spotted her rolling her suitcase toward a silver Camaro. He reached her just in time to scoop up the case and plop it in the trunk for her.

"What's going on here?" His face was hard, his eyes fixed her.

Damn! Calm! Be calm. "What's do you mean? I'm just headed home."

"No... You're not just some random chick who happened to make friends with Lisa."

"I am friends with Lisa! We had a nice time together." Alta knew she had to be very good to slide past him. He was already in interrogation mode and he was setting up the trap. "Don't you let her have any friends?" She tried to side track him.

"That is not what this is about!" Dean grabbed Alta's shoulders. Her instinct was to break free and defend herself but that would be a dead giveaway.

"Dean! What is wrong with you?" Lisa was fuming.

"Lisa!" Dean let go of Alta. He was caught red handed.

"It's ok, Lisa." Alta needed to end this and get away before Dean had a chance to get information from her. "Just a misunderstanding." She looked at Dean and gave him her most innocent smile. She wanted to reassure him that she was not a threat. But Dean could feel it deep in his hunting bones. His world was about to be ripped apart... again... and this woman was part of it.

TBC

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please Comment, R&R. I love to know what you think.