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Chapter 35: Hell House Part 1

Black was the main color on the bedspread. I dug out every piece of black clothing I owned; which ended up being one tank top, a short skirt, the long sleeveless dress and a sweater. I shook my head, running a hand over my face. This shouldn't have been happening today. Any other day I'd know what to where. Even Sam and Dean knew what the hell to wear and they owned less clothes than I did. I looked at Sam's bed and observed the laid out suits. Exactly the same; except Sam's, obviously, was longer cut. I looked at the time and the funeral was in three hours. I kept trying to put together why the funeral was in Los Angeles instead of San Francisco, where Jason lived. Nonetheless we headed here after Chicago to make sure we had enough time to make the funeral, and we would. If I could pick one flipping thing to wear.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked as he came out of the bathroom. I didn't know how long he had been standing there looking at me and adjusting his towel, he was making sure it was tucked securely around his waist before he moved. The steam from the shower was pouring out of the bathroom and blanketing the room like fog, making me shiver.

"I'm trying to figure out what to wear." I said meekly.

He went past me and grabbed his own clothes off the bed, leaving the dress jacket behind. He shifted the clothes in his hands and came up behind me, wrapping one arm around my waist. The comforting and familiar smell of aftershave and cinnamon filled my senses as he came closer to kiss the back of my head. He then leaned towards the bed, fishing around the small pile of clothes. He picked up the black dress, the one I had worn on our date, and handed it to me. "Wear this."

I nodded as he went into the bathroom to put his dress pants and shirt on. I kind of felt bad that the guys had to drive all the way to LA to go to a funeral, even though they said they didn't mind and wouldn't have it any other way. When stuff like this happened I didn't know how to act. Normally I'd act a bit distant, I was like that when my mom died. But in close quarters and now with Dean being the boyfriend, they were more involved in my life and I couldn't be distant without them thinking something was seriously wrong. I glanced at the motel door and made sure it was locked before I slipped out of my pajamas. Dean was one thing, but all I'd need is for Sam to come in with coffee and I'm in my underwear and bra.

I climbed into the dress, zipping the zipper up on the side. I smoothed it out and looked down at myself. I really wouldn't know if I looked alright until I could use the mirror in the bathroom, even though I've worn this dress a million times. Everything seemed to feel twisted and not look right. I unlocked the door as Dean came out of the bathroom, adjusting his black tie, and walked past him to look in the mirror.

I shook my head, trying over and over again to smooth out the wrinkles I knew weren't really there. "It doesn't look right." Nothing did today.

Dean scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "What? You look fine babe."

Not the sweet names. Not today. "No, I don't. I look a mess." Dean sighed turning around and picking up the clothes I had on the bed. "What are you doing?" I asked him, reaching to pull down the zipper on the dress. "I need to change."

"No, you don't. No matter what you put on Andy, its not going to look right."

He was right but I chose to ignore him. I figured the change of outfit would make everything better. "Just hand me the black skirt Dean."

I tried moving towards his bag, where he had just shoved my clothes into. "You don't need another outfit, baby." He said softly, blocking my path to the bag. He gently lifted my arm and zipped up the dress. "You look beautiful."

I felt wrong when he said that. I shouldn't have looked beautiful, not when the sky was gray and it threatened to rain. But it wasn't like Dean was doing all this on purpose, I knew why I really felt like crap. He always said I was beautiful, it just had a different meaning today.

I tried smiling slightly, even though I'm pretty sure that was warped too. "Thanks." I leaned up to kiss his face. He squeezed me around the waist and looked at the time.

"Sam should be here any time now. Once he gets dressed, we can leave." I sat on the bed and strapped my high heel shoes on. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, watching me confuse one of the straps. These shoes were confusing. The straps circled around you ankle and then you buckled them. Could shoot and burn the bones of the person who made these.

"Yeah, I do. Just having trouble getting moving this morning."

"Well you probably have a hangover. You did have, like, three beers before bed last night."

I shrugged. "It's not like you weren't keeping up with me."

"Yeah, but I have a killer headache. Unlike someone." He commented pointedly heading over to where the Advil was. I got up and adjusted my dress and got him some water for the pills.

"Actually my head was killing when I woke up. Took Advil and the shower helped." I handed him the water ad he nodded in thanks as he took a sip. "Coffee will too if Sam ever brings it back."

He nodded, looking at the motel door. "Yeah, you're telling me. Where the hell did he go to pick it up? Colombia?"

"Maybe he fell in love the cashier at Starbucks."

Dean looked over and smiled at me. "Right, just because that happened to you…"

I rolled my eyes. "Please, he was totally checking you out. What have I told you about trying to keep stuff like that to yourself?"

Dean shrugged. "I'm totally irresistible to anyone I meet. It's a gift."

I sat on the bed. "It's a plague."

"Plague you've got, sweetheart." He said, making me smile. He came closer and pushed me back on the bed and kissed me softly. Suddenly the door opened and Sam came in with the coffee.

Sam grimaced. "Well at least you're wearing clothes." He shifted the coffees, miraculously without spilling them, and closed the door.

Dean pushed himself off the bed and grabbed a coffee from him. "This time, next time it might not be so safe."

"Sorry, I took so long." Sam apologized. "You wouldn't have believed the line."

"Did it stretch to Colombia?" Dean asked and I rolled my eyes.

Sam ignored the joke he didn't catch and handed me the coffee. "How much time do we have?"

"About an hour here, we have to shag ass to drive to the cemetery." Dean responded, handing me my black sweater.

Sam put his own coffee down and picked up his pants and button down. "Just me getting ready then? You guys all set?"

"All set." Dean said as he slipped on the dress jacket, adjusting the collar.

Right, all set. I was ready to mention that I was going to get another shower or curl my hair or something totally unneeded that they both knew I was using to just waste time. I didn't care, I felt like mentioning anything. I didn't want to admit that was scared to go and stand in front of his friends and family like I was a part of his life. I hadn't been, I was just a part of his death.

0o0o0o0

Two hours, forty-five minutes and thirteen seconds until the funeral started. We were stuck in traffic and every time the car would move a little I got butterflies in my stomach. And not the kind that were friendly and excited, the kind that ate the walls of your stomach and made you feel light headed and sick. I had been mostly quiet for the entire ride, except the times where Dean would swear and honk the horn at the car ahead of us. I'd have to tell him that he was aggravating my headache for him to calm down. Dean switched into another lane, pulling us somewhat ahead of traffic and I felt my stomach lurch.

"You alright?" Dean asked, Sam looking back at me. I could tell they were both worried that I hadn't said anything from the minute we got in the car.

I shook my head. "No, I'm carsick." I said quietly and Dean rolled the window down to let fresh air into the back.

"You want me to pull the car over?" He asked.

"No, I'll be okay. Just drive." Just get us there, I wanted to say. Just get us there so I can get it over with.

We reached the cemetery parking lot an hour later and I sat there for a few moments as the guys started to get out of the car, and looked around the parking lot. I tried to see if I knew anyone or if I recognized any of the cars.

"You want an umbrella?" Sam asked as I got out. "It's gonna pour."

Dean took one. "I'll share with her."

Sam grabbed one for himself and closed the trunk. I stood among the other grievers and watched them pass me and onto the grassy hills where graves stood. I could remember hours spent looking at my father's headstone and crying my eyes out against the cold stone. I wondered if that would be anything like today. I reached up and twisted the coin that hung around my neck. I observed the casket as we came closer to it. It was sleek and black, nothing like my father's casket. His was wood. I remembered something that hadn't bothered me until this very moment. I remembered thinking, 'Oh, wood. Good, wood's easier if you need to smash the box to salt and burn the bones'. I hadn't realized how twisted and sick this job had made me sometimes. Of all things to think of about my father, that was one of the first things that came to mind when I had been at his funeral.

I stopped suddenly, seeing someone up ahead. It was Jason's mother, God what was her name? How could I approach her and give her my condolences if I couldn't even remember her name? Amy. Right that was it.

"Andy?" Dean asked, turning around to see I had stopped. "What's wrong?"

Was he serious? He knew how many things I must have been thinking at once and he was asking me to what? Name one? "His mom, oh God, Dean. I can't do this." I shook my head, turning around.

"Hey, hey…" Dean said rushing to block me to the parking lot. He grabbed my shoulders and held me still. "Yes, you can. Come on…" He reached down and grabbed my hand. "I'll be right here, alright? You can do it."

I took a deep, shaky breath and nodded, following him back to stand over near where Sam was. Amy recognized me as soon as she saw me.

"Andy, baby, he'd be so happy to see you." She said sullenly. Her normal voice had lost it's sparkle and she barely looked at me when she talked.

"I'm so sorry for your loss, Amy." My voice apologized for so much more.

"We are gathered here to say farewell to Jason Bey." The priest started and the talking died down. The thunder of oncoming rain was loud and not too far distant. "And to commit him into the hands of God."

He bowed his head and everyone said their own silent prayer. Some for Jason, others for themselves, some prayed that they didn't end up here anytime soon. I should know, I prayed for all three. The rain was starting to fall, a small drizzle, but people knew it was going to be worse and put up their umbrellas. Dean and Sam did the same but I stood still waiting for the rain to come.

"In the Name of God, the merciful Father, we commit the body of Jason Bey to the peace of the grave." The priest prayed and the word grave throbbed in my ears, like a really loud bell had rung.

I could feel eyes on me and I couldn't determine whether they were Dean's or Jason's mom or everyone there. I glanced at Dean but he was looking at the casket and Sam was looking at the priest. Everyone avoiding everyone else's gazes in hoping not to loose their emotions by doing so. The rain started to pound harder and it sounded like music pattering on the casket and the umbrellas. Dean motioned for me to come under with him but I refused, letting the cold rain hit my skin and wake me up. I was getting soaked and I was shaking from the stubbornness inside me.

"From dust you came, to dust you shall return. Jesus Christ, our Savior, shall raise you up on the last day."

The sky was black enough that I swore that I could see stars or the moon at least. I was surprised the rain was louder than the thunder and the priest never stopped. Didn't even hesitate when the thunder made everyone jump. I wondered how many times it took him to memorize what he had to say, only changing the name, that not a single thing stopped him.

Finally, the casket was being lowered and when I couldn't see anything but Amy stepping foreword and throwing roses into the ground, something broke inside me. I could have sworn it felt like glass shattering. I let out a soft sob that no one seemed to notice in the chaos of rain and flowers but Dean. He pulled me under the umbrella and buried my head in the crook of his arm. My shuddered breaths shook him and he wrapped a strong arm around me to hold me to him. He placed his head on top of mine and kissed my wet hair.

The funeral ended shortly after that and it amazed me how quickly people rushed out of there. Graveyards were a sense of peace and really, when you're alive no one is truly at peace. Life is hard and full of turmoil and I could understand why no one felt comfortable staying.

I threw three white roses from the piles someone had left into the ground where Jason had been lowered. I prayed for him and for his soul and selfishly prayed for mine. I felt like I stood there for hours, watching them throw dirt onto the casket, just like Sam and Dean did after a salt and burning. Dean finally pulled me away and took me back to the car.

It wasn't raining as hard as it was before but drops were still falling from the sky. I crawled into the back seat, Dean following me. Dean handed Sam the keys as Sam sat in the driver's seat, trying to shut the car door as quickly as possible before it got soaked and Dean had a bitchfit. Like his car, which was outside, was somehow supposed to repel the rain.

"You cold Andy?" Sam asked, starting the car.

I nodded as my teeth chattered. I wrapped my arms around myself as the cold air of the car clung to me, making goose bumps appear. Sam turned the heat on low and Dean scooted toward me in the back. He shrugged his jacket off and put it over my shoulders, pulling me closer to him.

"I'm proud of you," he whispered, "you know that right?"

I nodded against his chest and wrapped the jacket tighter around me. Yeah I knew, I was even proud of myself.

0o0o0o0o

We stopped by a diner to get changed in the bathrooms and Dean ordered a whole apple pie to go. I rolled my eyes, him and his pie. I hoped he knew I was sharing it with him. I slipped on black straight jeans and a v-neck sky blue t-shirt.

"Ready?" I asked Sam as he waited in line to pay for the pie. "Where's Dean?"

"Where else? As soon as he got the pie he ran outside to the car to hide it from us. And I'm stuck here to pay."

I smiled, glancing at the parking lot. "You want a piece?" He nodded and a smile grew on his face. He knew out of the two of us I could score two pieces of pie out of Dean better than he could.

"Alright, I'll meet you out there." I squeezed his arm and nodded as he approached the cashier. "Yeah, the crazy man who ran out of here with pie? Unfortunately, he's with me…."

I giggled as I pushed the door open and walked into the parking lot. I saw Dean practically devouring the pie in the front seat and leaned against the car. "Enjoying the pie Dean?"

He looked up and smiled, mouth full of apples and cinnamon. "You can't have any."

I got in the passenger seat. "Really, are you sure about that?"

He nodded incessantly and swallowed. "There's no way you're getting any of this pie Andy. If it was cherry there would be at least a five percent chance. But not with apple." He took another forkful and I rolled my eyes. Oh, Dean. Didn't he know this by now? I was a woman and he was a stupid guy. I could bet my legs I could get that pie from him.

I sat back in the seat. "Do you like this shirt? I think the coin dips too far into the v-neck part." I adjusted the shirt a few times and followed the chain all the way down to the cress of my breasts and as I looked up, he was watching.

Dean shook his head, as if to clear it. "Big, fat, cheater Andrea Core."

"You think I'm fat?" I mocked in the best girlie voice I could and he glared at me. I leaned towards him and made sure I put my hands on his lap. I pushed down on his thighs as I went closer to him. "Are you sure about the pie Dean?"

I started kissing his neck and he almost dropped the pie in his damn lap. "Damn it, Andy." He grumbled as he put the pie down on the dashboard so his hands were free. I let him feel up the sides of me and my face and wherever else his hands traveled. Suddenly, I broke free of the kiss and grabbed the pie.

"I win." I smiled triumphantly and took a bite of the pie. It had been so much harder when I wasn't in a relationship with him and I couldn't taunt him with kissing and touching. I remembered I just whined and distracted him, and that had barely worked. Guy was focused when he had pie.

Dean just shook his head and let me have the rest of it. He looked a bit angry when I gave a small piece to Sam, but I shrugged and stuck my tongue out at him. Although, judging by his expression, I'm guessing he'd never let me get pie off of him that easily ever again.

"Where are we heading?" I asked as I climbed over the front two seats and into the back.

Dean groaned. "The door Andy!"

I rolled my eyes as Sam got in and I situated myself in the back. "Where?"

"Well I was flipping through Dad's journal and there's random newspaper clippings in there, you know, stuff we find interesting but might not be anything." I nodded and leaned foreword. "Month or two ago some kids went missing in Richardson, Texas."

"Like went to a party and then into the woods missing or might have gotten eaten by a hell spawn missing?"

Sam shrugged, running a hand through his hair as Dean started the car. "This group of kids went pokin' around in this local haunted house."

"Haunted by what?" Dean asked.

"Apparently, a pretty misogynistic spirit. Legend goes, it takes girls and strings 'em up in the rafters. Anyway, this group of kids see this dead girl hangin' in the cellar."

I grimaced, of course there was a dead girl streaming from the rafters. What the hell did you expect when you went into a known haunted house and disturbed the hell out of a ghost? "Anybody ID the corpse? Or the morons that went into the house in the first place?"

Dean smiled and pulled the car into the other lane. Sam leaned back in his seat and rested his head against the car window. He was tired, we all were and I knew that was partially my fault. We didn't have a specific job yet and when they could have rested I dragged the boys all the way to LA for a funeral. "Well, that's the thing. By the time the cops got there, the body was gone. So, cops are sayin' the kids were just yankin' chains."

Dean looked back at me for a moment and then to the road. "Well, maybe the cops are right."

"Maybe, but I read a couple of the kids' firsthand accounts. They seem pretty sincere."

"Where'd you read these accounts?" I asked.

Sam hesitated. "Well, I knew we were going to head through Texas to see this thing out. So, uh, last night I searched some local….paranormal websites." Dean rolled his eyes. "And I found one." He was reluctant to name the actual website and I leaned on the back of his seat as if to press him. "Hell Hound's Lair dot com."

I laughed openly and laid down in the backseat. "Let me guess, streaming live out of Mom's basement?" I asked.

Sam laughed. "Yeah, probably."

"Yeah, most of those websites wouldn't know a ghost if it bit 'em in the persqueeter."

I scrunched my eyebrows at Dean's comment. Persqueeter? I was pretty sure he heard that on like, Family Guy last night. Leave it to Dean to pick up words while drunk and use them the next day without even knowing what they meant.

Sam shrugged. "It's worth checking into."

I stretched and caught Dean looking back at me while I was doing it. I smiled at him in the rearview mirror and turned on my side to get some sleep. Dean turned on the radio, and CCR's 'Run through the Jungle' put me out.

0o0o0o0o

I started to wake up as Blue Oyster Cults' 'Fire of Unknown Origin' started up. I shook my head, picking myself up to stretch.

"Hey baby." Dean said, noticing I was awake. "Sleep well?" I winced as my back cracked in a not healthy sounding way. "Guessing that's a no?"

"Ow. That didn't sound right. I think I broke my spinal cord."

"I'll be dating a vegetable."

I shrugged. "I'll be the hottest vegetable there is."

He nodded. "Very true. You sure your alright?"

"I just slept on it wrong or something, I'll be alright. Where are we by the way?" I twisted from side to side trying to get my back to crack. I thought that might relieve some pressure and make it feel better but maybe that'd make it worse.

"Interstate 35."

"Wow, how long was I out?"

"Pretty long. I thought you were awake just as we left CA but you were talking in your sleep." He smiled and I groaned.

"Oh God, what did I say?"

"That you loved me."

I smiled, kind of embarrassed. I leaned foreword and kissed him on the cheek. "Well at least it wasn't about my dream dates with Matt Damon."

"I'm hotter than Matt Damon right?"

I rolled my eyes and then realized that he was serious. "I'm so not answering that question. Has Sam been out all this time too?"

"He woke up once or twice and asked where we were." Dean was suddenly looking on the floor and found something in the cup holders.

"That a spoon?" I asked him and he nodded, grinning stupidly.

I shook my head as Dean stuck the spoon in Sam's mouth. Sam didn't wake up and Dean took out his phone to snap a photo. I leaned foreword to see what it looked like as Dean turned the music up. Sam jerked awake and spit out the spoon.

"A fire of unknown origin took my baby away!" Dean sang along and drummed his hands on the steering wheel.

Sam turned the volume down, clearly not amused. "Haha, very funny."

Dean chuckled. "Sorry. Not a lot of scenery here in east Texas, you kind of gotta make your own. It's bad enough you and Andy were asleep for most of the drive, I had to play Roadside Bingo by myself."

"How troubling for you." I said sarcastically.

"Man, we're not kids anymore, Dean. We're not gonna start that crap up again." Sam said irritated. "That stupid prank stuff—it's stupid, and it always escalates."

"Stupid was mentioned twice, we got it."

"Oh, what's the matter, Sammy, you afraid you're gonna get a little Nair in your shampoo again, huh?" Dean asked smiling. I smirked, that had been funny.

Sam shrugged. "All right. Just remember, you started it."

"Don't I have any say in this?" I asked. I did not want to end up with another bug in food I was about to eat. The last time this prank stuff happened Dean had stuck a worm in one of the cookies John had made for us. Not funny. I was lucky Sam warned me, if I would have bit into that worm, Dean would not be alive today.

"Oh, bring it on, Baldy." Dean taunted and I grinned.

"Where are we, anyway?" Sam asked, ignoring Dean's comment.

"Few hours outside of Richardson. Where are we going to find those kids"

I leaned foreword and looked between the two. "Same place you always find kids in a town like this."

0o0o0o0o0

After hearing millions of different angles from the kids that went to the haunted house, the Winchesters and I were a bit fed up.

We walked out of the diner and back to the car. "Did they all go through that with their eyes closed? Not one of them gave us the same answer."

"Well they did all agree that that kid Craig took them." Sam said opening the backdoor.

I sat in the passenger and waited for Dean to join us in the driver's seat. "And he works at a record store?"

Dean nodded. "We'll go visit him next. After we get a motel room?"

I agreed. "I need a shower."

So we headed up the road and found a cheap motel. This one, unfortunately, did not have a built in kitchenette and the room felt entirely too small. I shrugged, it was better than nothing. I set my clothes out on the bed, along with my bag and got a quick shower. When I got back out and got dressed, my bag wasn't where I had left it. I glanced over to where Dean's was and it was sitting right next to it.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to it; for some reason the guys were really anal about where I set my stuff sometimes. They'd pick it up and set it somewhere else, just for the hell of it. I looked over at Dean and he was laying out on the bed, flipping through one of his gun magazines. I'd hid his stupid skin mags somewhere in the back of his trunk and he hadn't been able to find them. I didn't care. He wasn't looking at busty blondes when I was in the same freaking room as him.

"Where's my iPod?" I asked, looking through my bag. I could have swore it was right on top.

Dean shrugged, not looking up. "Where'd you last have it?"

"It was right here…" I looked to Sam, who was smiling slightly. "I can see you smiling. What'd you do with it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He said trying to be coy. He was really bad at it. Dean looked up from the magazine now, realizing this was the first prank, the hiding of my iPod.

"Very funny, ass." I commented, looking about.

"You won't find it down Andy."

Dean started laughing and I looked at the ceiling. And there it was, taped to the top of the ceiling. Of course the tallest Winchester could reach and stick it to the ceiling and the thing was, I couldn't get it down. It wasn't over a bed and there were no chairs because there was no kitchen table in this motel room. I wouldn't be able to reach it.

"I hate you." I said trying to jump for it, Sam burst out laughing at that. I punched him on the arm. "You are so going to get it."

Sam shrugged. "Maybe, that's one point for me." He commented, grabbing his laptop and leaving to get in the car. Dean was getting up to follow when I grabbed his arm.

"Get it down please?" I asked. He sighed looking at the ceiling and then at me. There was nothing in the rule book that said he couldn't get it down.

"Promise to dial down the pranks on me?" Of course he'd use that advantage for himself.

I shrugged as he reached to get it. "I can make no promises."

He brought his hand back down. "Then I can't make myself reach for your iPod."

I scoffed, pulling his arm. "Come on, please. Not fair, this isn't even your prank."

Dean smiled. "True…but I may have told him where your iPod was."

My mouth was literally in an 'O' formation. "So every man for himself huh?"

He shrugged one shoulder, kissing me on the cheek. "Every man and woman."

He turned and went to head down to the car. He was so not going to be a happy with the way I'd get him back.

0o0o0o0o0

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