The Werther Project

A/N: Hey, guys! I did want to put a quick disclaimer that this chapter and the next one do involve suicide attempts/self-harm, so if those are topics that make you uncomfortable, I suggest skipping these next two chapters. Love y'all, xoxo

"There's only one thing you could possibly do for me that I can't," Rowena started. "At least presently, do for myself. Kill my son. He's expecting it from me. Already has his stinking minions on high alert. And if you're wondering how a mother can get to the point of wanting her own son—

"No, I'm really not." Sam interrupted. "I'll do it. I'll kill Crowley. First things first—can you read the book?"

"Of course I can." Rowena confirmed. "I'm likely the only witch alive who can understand such old, dark magic. Just not in its present form."

"Drink's on me." Sam closed the lockbox with the book inside.

"Hey, you're not going anywhere, pal." Rowena retorted. "I'm your mortal enemy. I've tried to kill you, your brother, and your wife—your wife as recently as last month. You wouldn't have come to me if I wasn't your last resort. You're desperate. You can stop pretending you're not."

Sam was only half paying attention as his cell phone buzzed.

"So rude," Rowena commented as Sam took his phone out to read the text. "Now, I can't read the book in its present form, but there is someone who could. Nadya. Grand Coven witch."

"Where do I find her?" Sam questioned.

"You don't. She's dead." Rowena replied. "Long ago. Murdered for her life's work. Her decryption formulas, her codex… That you can find. Bring me Nadya's codex, and I'll… break this text right open and give you your cure."

"Where do I look?" Sam asked.

"If I were you, I'd start at home," Rowena suggested. "Who do you think murdered Nadya and stole the codex in the first place?"

"The Men of Letters." Sam realized.

~/~\~

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Angela decapitated a vampire and looked around at all of the other decapitated bodies. She exited the trailer and was washing her machete in a barrel of water. She then washed her hands before opening a refrigerator and grabbing a can of beer.

"Ha-ha! Jackpot." She smirked.

"Angie!" Sam ran up to her with his machete in hand.

"Hey, babe." Angela greeted.

"Hey." Sam breathed out. "What happened? What is this? Where's Dean?"

"I know, right? Six vamps. Solo. I think that's gotta be a personal best." Angela replied proudly. "And back at the bunker with Grace, I'd assume. I left before he could ask me where I was going."

"You couldn't have waited?" Sam raised his brows.

"For what?" Angela's brows furrowed.

"For what?" Sam repeated incredulously.

"Oh, come on, babe." Angela rolled her eyes. "I can handle it. I did handle it."

"What if you couldn't?" Sam asked.

"But I did. It's done." She shrugged. "Come on, Sammy. It's the only way I can take the edge off. I'm sorry. I don't always like to wait around for you, especially with you looking at me like that all the time."

"Look at you like what?" Sam frowned.

"Like that. Like I'm some sort of a-a-a diseased killer puppy." Angela retorted. "You know what, babe? I'm sweaty and I'm covered in vamp juice. Can we just talk about this later? I'd like to get back to the bunker, see our daughter, and relax. We cool?"

"Cool," Sam muttered.

~/~\~

Lebanon, Kansas

Angela was asleep in the bed that she shared with Sam with Grace cuddled up next to her. Sam looked in the doorway at Angela and walked away. He rushed to the library and began looking in the catalogs.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked suddenly.

Sam jumped slightly and looked over at his brother. "Nothing…"

"Wanna try that again?" Dean raised his brows.

Sam took an envelope on the files and sighed heavily. "I met with Rowena—

"You what?" Dean narrowed his eyes.

"She knows how to read 'The Book of the Damned.'" Sam muttered.

"I thought you burned it." Dean folded his arms across his chest.

"Not so much. I burned some other book." Sam looked down guiltily. "But Rowena said if we got her this codex, she could translate the book. So, I'm starting here."

"Dude…" Dean shook his head. "When Angie finds out, she's gonna be pissed."

"Dean, we have to save her. We have to." Sam defended as he removed an audio tape reel and started playing the tape.

"Please let's come to order," Markham's voice played. "Men of Letters meeting minutes—May 16, 1956. On the matter of Cuthbert Sinclair expulsion. This is hardly your first offense, Cuthbert." He explained. "You've been cited for disciplinary infractions seven times in the course of your tenure. This… enchanted vault of yours, this… Werther box. A warding so potent it achieves a theoretical rate of… in your own words, 98% lethality."

"Extreme measures were warranted." Cuthbert defended. "The Coven's desperate to get the codex back. The Werther box works."

"All too well, I'd say," Markham replied. "Working in secret, embarking on this project without oversight… you left two fellow Men of Letters vulnerable to your most potent magics. Fletcher and Martinez were members in good standing. Fletcher chanced upon the box and died in two hours. Martinez heroically tried to shut it down. We found him dead on the floor beside the box, his wrists cut."

"I already apologized for that accident," Cuthbert stressed. "I refuse to do so again. Why are you so small-minded? Hmm? We were brought here to do great things. To take risks, to bring the fight to the monsters of this world. And yet, to a man, you choose instead to molder in these stacks. You are not men. You are NOT men. You're librarians, nothing more."

"Before we rule on what is to be done with you, I'm prepared to give you a chance to secure our leniency," Markham offered. "Tell us how to shut it down. The box is still in St. Louis with the codex. It's still a danger."

"Let me tell you what you can do with your leniency, Markham," Cuthbert replied. "You know, I saw the writing on the wall. I knew you cowards would shut this project down, which is why I built it the way I did. There is only one way to silence the Werther for good. Let's just say Martinez was on the right track. I doubt you have the guts, but you're welcome to die trying."

"Markham, would you have us keep trying?" one member asked.

"The box is to be interred and guarded where it stands, in perpetuity. Bury it." Markham instructed.

Sam shut off the tape and grabbed a book off the shelf and flipped to the page with the address for the Men of Letters headquarters in St. Louis. He scribbled down the address on a notepad.

~/~\~

Sam paced the library as he waited for Rowena to answer the phone. Dean stood nearby, arms folded across his chest.

"It's a bit early," Rowena's voice rang through. "I'm over 300-years-old. Beauty sleep isn't optional."

"I've been looking into the, uh, thing we discussed," Sam replied. "So, I got a lead, but it's guarded by a violent enchantment. I need a spell to… break the spell."

"The Cabirian invocation. Easy to obtain. Good all-purpose disenchantment." Rowena explained.

"Great. Thanks." Sam replied.

"Uh, but… It's not recommended for amateurs." She warned. "In inexperienced hands, the invocation has a way of fizzling out. I could come. You might need me."

"I'll take my chances. Thanks." Sam replied before hanging up.

"This is a terrible idea." Dean shook his head.

~/~\~

St. Louis, Missouri

Sam stared at the white house. The grounds were overgrown, and the house was in disarray. Sam took a deep breath and walked up to the front door, noticing the pile of newspapers on the porch. Sam peered in the window and took out his lock-pick and he began to pick the lock. Suddenly, a shotgun was shoved out the mail slot, aimed at Sam's crotch.

"Whoa!" Sam jumped back.

"Bad idea," Suzie warned.

"I-I can explain." Sam stammered.

"Yeah, don't bother." She retorted. "You got three choices—get arrested, get your bits blown off, or get back."

"Yeah, alright. I think I'll, uh, think I'll get back. Sorry." Sam backed up from the door.

"Attaboy."

"Yeah," Sam muttered as he headed down the stairs and got back in his car.

Suddenly, the passenger door opened, and Angela got in, surprising Sam.

"Hi, Sammy." Angela greeted. "How's the case?"

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Dean told me where you were going." She answered. "Look, you were right, okay? I shouldn't have gone off solo like I did. It was stupid."

"And?" Sam raised his brows.

"And selfish. It was a douche move." Angela replied. "If you're doing this case by yourself to teach me a lesson, you don't have to, okay?"

"So, what do you know about the St. Louis suicide house?" Sam sighed heavily.

"I got the basics from Google," Angela answered. "The family moves into a long-vacant house. Uh, one week later, three of 'em dead by their own hands. The whole family wiped out except for the daughter; which the house is still under her name. I'm figuring she's the one who nearly unmanned you back there." She explained. "But see, here's what I don't get. A cold case is one thing, but… this is subzero. I mean, there's nothing even in our wheelhouse, unless you know something I don't."

Sam swallowed nervously, realizing that Dean definitely left out some information when he told Angela about the St. Louis house. "Yeah. Um… That long-vacant home used to be a Men of Letters chapter house. Remember Magnus?"

"You mean the dick ex-Men of Letters that tried to make a zoo exhibit out of me?" Angela scoffed. "Yeah."

"Before he was expelled, he built Werther, a magical box with a deadly alarm system," Sam explained. "Werther is buried somewhere in that house. It was supposed to have been guarded, but I'm guessing that plan went out the window when Abaddon massacred the entire membership in '58."

"And then the house stayed in limbo until some lucky family bought it," Angela replied.

"Werther's a time bomb and it needs to be defused. Not only is this in our wheelhouse, it's our responsibility." Sam replied.

"Our responsibility?" Angela quirked a brow.

"We inherited the Men of Letters, Angie," Sam replied.

"Well, hey, if you say this is a case, I'm in, if you'll have me, baby." Angela kissed his cheek.

~/~\~

Angela walked up to the front door and knocked lightly. Suzie opened the door, aiming the gun at Angela.

"What did I say?" Suzie snapped angrily.

"I, aah!" Angela jumped.

"You're not… Fella tried to…" Suzie muttered. "What do you want?"

"You saw him?" Angela's eyes widened. "Oh, tell me you did. I'm sorry, but my name is Melissa Twilley. I'm with the neighborhood watch. We're—we're looking into a few recent break-ins. And if you saw the guy and you—you could give me a description, it would be mighty helpful. If I could—if I could just have a minute of your time?"

"Uh, tall white fella," Suzie noted as Angela stepped into the house.

"Uh, huh." Angela nodded.

"Pretty hair," Suzie added.

"Mm-hmm."

~/~\~

Sam was outside, attempting to pick the lock on the back door.

~/~\~

"It's a nice house you have here, uh…" Angela trailed off.

"Suzie."

"Suzie," Angela repeated. "You live alone?"

"Just me and Gus," Suzie replied.

"Gus?" Angela asked.

Suzie raised up her gun. Sam entered the kitchen through the back door, when suddenly, the kettle began to whistle. Suzie headed for the kitchen, followed by Angela. Sam was now hiding in the hall outside the kitchen. Suzie turned off the kettle and Angela signaled Sam to go and Sam began picking the lock on the basement door.

"So, all alone in this big house, huh?" Angela asked. "Must get lonely, even with, uh, Gus."

"Yeah, well, I'm used to being alone." Suzie offered Angela a cup of tea.

"No, no. I'm fine, thanks." Angela smiled.

~/~\~

Sam entered the basement door and turned on his flashlight as he walked down the steps. Sam noticed a pile of furniture by one of the walls.

~/~\~

"Been alone here since… uh, '80?" Suzie recalled. "After my family died, my Aunt Pauline moved in. She took care of me, raised me for a few years. The, well…"

~/~\~

Sam began moving the furniture, grimacing as he unintentionally made some noise.

~/~\~

"So, uh, what—what happened? To your aunt?" Angela asked curiously.

"Well… I told her not to go in the basement. No one goes in the basement." Suzie replied ominously.

~/~\~

Sam went through the hole in the wall and walked toward the Werther box.

~/~\~

"What's in the basement, Suzie?" Angela asked, earning no response. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

~/~\~

Sam started putting ingredients in the spell bowl.

~/~\~

Suddenly, Suzie pulled a gun on Angela, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Oh! Whoa! Suzie!" Angela exclaimed.

"My social skills may be rusty, but I'm no idiot." Suzie glared. "Doorbell hasn't rung in months, and two visitors in one hour? On breaking in, and the other asking all sorts of questions about…"

"I told you, I was from the neighborhood watch. I—

"Yeah, yeah, neighborhood watch. Right." Suzie interrupted. "Have you seen this house? There's only one thing in here worth getting at and it sure as hell ain't me. You came for the box."

~/~\~

Sam lit the ingredients in the bowl on fire and started chanting.

"Purificare la magia."

~/~\~

"She wants you up here, now!" Angela yelled so Sam could hear.

~/~\~

Sam turned the handle on the box, ignoring Angela.

~/~\~

"No! No! Get out! Get out! Out! Out!" Suzie screamed.

"Okay. Okay." Angela held her hands up as she headed toward the front door.

"You let it out!" Suzie yelled.

The green smoke came up from the basement. It entered Suzie's and Angela's eyes just as Sam ran up from the basement.

"Angie!" Sam yelled before Suzie aimed her gun at him. "Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy."

"You have any idea what you've done?" Suzie asked, clearly frightened.

"Put the gun down. We talk about this, okay?" Sam replied gently.

Suzie's eyes widened as the ghost of her brother appeared behind Sam and Angela. "What's that?"

"Hey Suzie, you miss me?" Brad taunted.

"Oh, my God." Suzie breathed out.

"What's wrong with her?" Angela asked.

"I don't know." Sam shook his head.

"Stay back! Stay back!" Suzie aimed her gun at her brother.

"Go," Angela told Sam before they ran out of the room.

"Come on, Suze," Brad started. "That any way to treat your family?"

Suzie shot at the ghost of her brother and backed into the kitchen, noticing the ghost of her mother.

"Hello, Suzie." Her mother greeted.

"Oh!" Suzie gasped.

~/~\~

"What are you doing, huh?" Angela asked Sam. "You don't have a plan. You don't have a defense."

~/~\~

Suzie ran into the office and saw the ghost of her father.

"You did this to us." Her father said icily as her mother appeared.

"You let it out." Her mother added as Suzie's brother appeared.

"We died while you slept." Brad shook his head.

"No!" Suzie cried.

~/~\~

"Suzie!" Sam yelled, running toward the office.

Angela suddenly turned and walked the other way. She stepped and it seemed like she was in some sort of forest, yet she was actually still in the living room.

~/~\~

"Suzie?" Sam ran up to the locked door of the office.

"Please! No! Stop! No!" Suzie yelled from the other side.

Sam knocked frantically on the door. "Suzie! Suzie, let me in! I can help you!"

"Stop!" she cried loudly.

"Suzie, it's not real!" Sam yelled firmly. "Suzie, please! Suzie! Hey, let me in. I can help you, okay?"

"Oh, please, no." Suzie sobbed.

"Suzie?" Sam asked. "Angie!"

~/~\~

Angela took a few steps and she immediately remembered this forest. This was the forest where that wendigo killed her father…

"Sammy?" Angela asked.

~/~\~

Sam heard a shot and the office door opened.

"Suzie?" he frowned deeply.

Sam entered the office and saw that Suzie had shot and killed herself.

~/~\~

"Crap," Angela muttered as she looked around.

~/~\~

Sam turned around and saw the ghost of Suzie.

"Boo." She glared. "Survived 40 years in this house, keeping that thing on lockdown, and one visit from a putz like you…"

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry." Sam apologized sincerely.

"Lot of good 'sorry' does me." Suzie scoffed. "Look at me. Look… at… me." She pointed to her corpse. "There she is. The first casualty of your misguided mission. But what's another human life to you? Anything's worth it, as long as you two make it out alive. And how's that search going? Any closer to a cure?"

"This isn't real. You're not real." Sam shook his head.

"You think Angela's the wild card, the loose cannon. But don't you see?" Suzie questioned. "Making deals with witches, opening Pandora's box down there? You're the reckless one. You'll do anything to keep clinging to that doomed wife of yours. How many more will die, Sammy? You know it. You have to be stopped. And the only one who can stop you is you! Do it, Sammy! End this once and for all!" she directed him toward the gun.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Rowena appeared in the doorway. "Vanesce!" she yelled, causing Suzie's ghost to disappear. "Told you you'd need me."

A/N: Hey, guys, I hope you liked this chapter! I definitely enjoyed writing it. Be sure to leave a review to let me know what you think! Love y'all, xoxo :)

~Emily