1. THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the reviews and support guys! I see some newcomers are posting their thoughts, and I really appreciate it, so keep doing it! (And anyone who hasn't reviewed and has any thoughts or pointers, feel free to post them!) 2. This hunt is my own creation. I research the monster, came up with how to kill it, and the general hunt itself, and all that jazz, but my main reason for writing this mini sub-plot from scratch is to help reveal some of Laura's role to come in the apocalypse as well as divulge some of her past (so these chapters are gonna be HUGE for story/character development and backstory!) 3. this chapter is kinda short, but it's all Sam and Dean centric so besides that, I'll let y'all get to reading! ENJOYYYYYY! Oh, a little hint for what's to come: google translate the latin ;)
Chapter Thirty-Five:
Here Lies Laura Norwood
~ January 26, 1987 – April 4, 2011~
Domina Gratia, Victimam Bestiae.
Dean Winchester stood, staring blankly at the beautiful tombstone. Compared to the rest of the surroundings, the late psychic's grave was enchanting and full of life. It wasn't defiled and dying like the rest of the Earth, but rather the vines' sweet pea flowers were in full bloom, elegantly decorating the light gray headstone.
The stoic hunter then knelt down and placed his mother's silver wedding band on the gravestone, whispered something inaudibly, and then turned back around to face his past self.
"How did this happen?" past Dean's eyes blinked back tears of grief and disbelief.
"Doesn't really matter, does it? She's gone," the eldest Winchester from 2014 responded blankly.
"Doesn't matter? Laura's dead!" 2009 Dean cried in frustration. His future self was callous and warped, but even he knew that this other Dean would have to feel something while staring down at the young woman's grave.
"Yeah. I know," future Dean snarled, adjusting his thigh-holster and looking around before getting into his past self's face. "And you really wanna know why? Cause I failed her! I let her down, and I couldn't protect her!"
The present Dean looked into his future self's blazing green eyes. Though this Dean clearly felt sorrow and guilt over Laura's passing, the look in his face was alien… as if this future self, standing before him, was a completely different person.
"Tell me what you did wrong, then, so I can keep her safe," the eldest Winchester from 2009 glared back.
"You can't. Just like you can't stop Sam from sayin' yes… just like you can't stop this damned apocalypse from takin' over!"
"How do you know?" he shot back in utter infuriation.
"Cause I'm you!" the hunter from 2014 bellowed.
The present Dean Winchester shook his head in disbelief and said coldly: "I am not you. I would never use my friends as bait to try to kill the Devil… I'd never do that to Cas, Chuck, or any of those other suckers you let march to their deaths!"
"You say that now, but until you've seen what I've seen and gone through this nightmare, you'd be surprised how quick you'd turn into this," the future eldest Winchester retorted darkly. "You really wanna know what it's gonna take to stop this… to not end up here?" he challenged his now somewhat intimidated past self.
The present Dean Winchester felt a massive knot growing in his stomach, for deep down he knew what the strange shadowy remnant of his self was going to say.
"Put your pride aside and say yes. Say yes to Michael… I don't know if it'll save Sammy, but it'll sure as Hell save a lot of other people… and it'll save her," future Dean said fiercely, and as his former self opened his mouth to respond, a crackling noise was heard as someone approached.
Spinning around, both Dean Winchesters saw a figure appear in the dilapidated and crumbling doorway of the courtyard. There, standing before them in a brilliant, pure white suit, was Sam.
The present Dean's heart sank, for he could see it in his brother's face, that Samuel Winchester was gone. His little brother had gave in and said yes to Lucifer.
Future Dean, on the other hand, looked upon the Devil residing in his brother's body with an expression of pure malice.
Walking slowly and casually, Lucifer looked around. The dirt had dried up, the trees and flowers were long since dead, and even the sky appeared to be a lifeless shade of gray. Making his way to Laura's grave, his large hand delicately and affectionately touched a wilting flower, immediately bringing it back to its full bloom.
Then, after a long, almost sad look at the late psychic's place of rest, he spoke evenly: "I suggest you put that away."
Holding the Cult and ready to fire, future Dean responded dangerous: "Where's that little brat of yours anyway?"
"Oh, he's around. So that gun won't do you any good. The fate of the world is sealed. I won," Sam's face broke into a grand, arrogant smile.
The eldest Winchester from 2014's eyes narrowed: "I don't give a rat's ass who won. I'm gonna kill you. Right here… right now…"
Lucifer's brown eyes gazed at the hunter as if he was some naïve child needing some guidance: "We both know that's not going to happen. So turn around, and I'll spare your life. We both know your brother has watched me kill too many loved ones all ready."
"You son of a bitch!" future Dean roared, pulling the trigger, and with a loud bang, the bullet whizzed across the air and struck Sam directly in the heart.
While a sick and twisted grin spread across his future self's face, the Dean Winchester of the present felt as if he were going to be sick. Though his brotherly instinct made him take a few steps forward, he had to stop himself once he saw Sam's wound closing up.
Tutting at future Dean and shaking his head, Lucifer snapped his fingers and broke the hunters neck.
The present eldest Winchester's jaw dropped in horror at the sight of his lifeless corpse crumpled on the ground, and then his eyes met those of his younger brother's.
"Well isn't this a surprise," Sam's voice said pleasantly, while he circled the eldest Winchester in a predatory manner. "You've come quite a long way to see this."
"Go ahead then," Dean growled, trying to appear as brave as possible. "Kill me."
"Kill you?" the Devil chortled. "Wouldn't that be a little redundant?" he motioned to the body on the ground beside them.
Dean didn't respond, nor could he bear to look at his brother's familiar brown eyes whilst Lucifer was inside of him.
Sighing, the God of Hell apologized: "I'm sorry. It must be difficult to talk to me in this form. But it had to be your brother. It was always him."
As Lucifer reached out to sympathetically touch the hunter's shoulder, Dean flinched away.
"There's no need to be frightened, Dean. What do you think I'm going to do?"
"I don't know… fry the planet crispy?" the eldest Winchester spat.
"No, no. That is what my son is doing, but once he's done, both of us will rebuild the Earth in all of its glory… as God had originally intended it," the Devil spoke passionately.
"Your son?" Dean couldn't help himself.
"Yes," a small smirk crept across Sam's face. "Dean… have you ever heard why I fell?"
"Save me the bed-time story… my stomach's almost out of bile," the eldest Winchester retorted sarcastically.
"Do you know why God cast me down?" the Devil persisted. "Because I loved Him… more than anything. And then he created you… you hairless, graceless apes. But when he asked us to bow down to you, I told him that I could not… that I would not. I told him that humans were flawed and murderous, and for that honesty, for that devoted love, God told Michael… my own brother… to cast me down to Hell," Sam's melancholy voice suddenly became more forceful. "But I knew that one day, I would be liberated from my unjust punishment. I knew that I would be able to rectify my Father's mistake… to purge the Earth and make it pure once more. My son and I would finally set things right once again..."
"You know what? I see right through you. So cut this sympathy-for-the-Devil shit. I know what you are," the hunter cut Lucifer off coldly.
"And what am I?"
"You're the same type of cockroach I've been squashin' my whole life… sure maybe a little bigger, but you're still just an ugly, belly-to-the-ground evil son of a bitch. The only different between you and every other evil supernatural piece of crap I've hunted is the size of your ego," Dean said firmly, though his eyes burned with tears he was holding back.
Sam smiled: "I like you. I see what the other angels see in you, but I must go now. Good-bye. We'll meet again soon."
As the Devil turned his back on the shaking eldest Winchester, Dean shouted: "You better kill me now!"
"Pardon?" Lucifer asked, appearing somewhat amused.
"You better kill me now, or I swear I will find a way to kill you! And I won't stop!" a tear escaped his left eye.
"No, Dean. You won't," the Devil said with a cold confidence. "You won't say yes to Michael, and you will never kill your brother. Whatever you do, you will always wind up here… sacrificing your friends only to die on top of Laura's grave… no matter what choices you make, or details you alter… we will always end up right here. I win, so… I win," he shrugged.
"You're wrong," Dean shook his head bitterly as a few more tears dripped down his stubbly, dirty cheeks.
"See you in five years, Dean," Sam's voice responded before disappearing as a bolt of lightening lit up the gray sky.
And then the loud, rumbling crack of thunder shook the ground violently, knocking the hunter to the ground.
Sitting up violently, Dean Winchester found himself in the passenger seat of his '67 Chevy Impala. Blinking away his teary eyes, he looked over to see Sam's concerned gaze resting upon him.
"Did you hit a deer or somethin'? Christ…" he mumbled, stretching his stiff body.
"Pot-hole," the youngest Winchester explained, though he knew from his brother's frantic muttering that it wasn't the large bump that woke him up.
"Remind me not to let you drive," Dean rubbed his eyes as his kid brother rolled his own. "Where are we?"
"Couple hours outside New Orleans," the youngest Winchester replied.
Dean nodded his head as his thoughts traveled back to his nightmare.
As if reading his older brother's troubled mind, Samuel Winchester inquired: "You dreamin' about what Zachariah showed you?" When no response was given, he took his brother's silence as a yes. "I'm not gonna say yes, you know?"
"I know, I know," Dean tried to brush off the conversation.
"Just wanna make sure you remember that," Sam stared ahead as his brother did the same.
After a few minutes of a thick, awkward silence, Dean sighed and turned on the radio. As Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave" was faintly playing, Sam's phone rang.
"Hello? Hey, Bobby," the youngest Winchester answered. "How are you doing?" he asked tentatively, knowing how hard Mr. Singer was taking his recent handicap. Immediately regretting bringing it up, the surly, wheel-chair bound hunter's yelling could be heard through the phone, causing Dean to began snorting with laughter.
"Rookie move, Sammy," he chuckled, whilst his thoroughly uncomfortable brother shot him a dirty look.
"Okay… I get it. I won't ask anymore… Oh, we're, ugh, not too far," Sam responded. Then, glancing at his brother with an amused look, he continued: "Um… I don't know… lemme ask him."
As Dean gave his kid brother an inquisitive look, the youngest Winchester asked with a small smile: "You gonna quit bein' a jackass and apologize when you see Laura?"
Folding his arms stubbornly, the eldest Winchester looked out the window and responded gruffly: "It's been two months… she should be over it by now."
Shaking his head, Sam sighed: "Nope… bein' as stubborn as ever. Yeah, I'll tell him… okay, I'll let you know when we find her. Bye."
Hanging up the phone, he threw it back onto the Impala's dashboard and said: "You know, Bobby's gonna beat you if you don't make up with her."
"The man's in a wheelchair, Sam… he ain't beatin' anybody up," the eldest Winchester smirked, clearly pleased with himself.
Sam merely gave his older brother a stern look.
"All right, all right," Dean surrendered in exasperation. "I'll tell her I'm sorry."
"And not some half-assed apology, either. Make it a good one," the youngest Winchester pressed his brother some more.
"Sure… whatever," Dean brushed the conversation off, deciding to drown out his annoying baby brother's words.
Cranking up the volume, Ozzy Osbourne's voice filled the car.
"I mean it, man!" Sam glanced at his brother, but as Dean pointed to his ears with a dopey grin, signaling that he couldn't hear what was obviously being said, the youngest Winchester couldn't help but smile.