I'm so sorry my readers for the lateness of this chapter. Between the Christmas Holiday and my kids being sick I was pulled in all different directions. I hope the long wait has made this chapter, worth it. Please enjoy and hope to be doing better until to finish the remaining couple of episodes before the three Winchester siblings are reunited with their father. Thank you for all your continued support! -DSCWIN
Chapter 23
The sky was overcast and the rain had stopped when Christina pulled to a stop a few feet away from the other travelers that had come. She felt a little out of place as she wasn't there to be healed but to observe. She continued to sit in the Impala watching as people began to pile inside the large tent before stepping out. A cold chill ran through her as she walked down the small rock path.
"This man is a fake!" A lone protester screamed as people ignored as they walked inside. "He's not a true healer. God is the only one that can heal!"
Christina stopped a few yards away and watched as the protester started to hand out pamphlets with the word 'fraud' over the face of Roy Le Grange. Christina wondered if he had always been there, as she couldn't remember when they came earlier. She looked at the house, as the front door closed and Roy and his wife headed for the tent. Christina quickly rushed inside and stood in the back just as Roy had made it to the stage.
As soon as the first person was brought up to the stage, Christina looked down at her watch. As Roy stood with one hand on the head of the congregation the other was out waiting for someone to grab hold of it. Christina's eyes widened as the reaper slowly appeared grabbing hold of Roy's hand. The member of the congregation that was being healed let out a surprised gasp as his once pale skin began to color again. Soon the Reaper turned and slowly walked out of the tent near the back while the entirety of the tent began to cheer and clap as once again Roy's magical touch saved another.
Christina knew her brothers wanted answers but she needed to search for the Reaper herself wanted to see where it was coming from. She walked out of the tent to follow where she had seen the Reaper move and hoped that she was able to follow. She rounded the corner but bumped into Roy's wife who was putting something into her shirt.
"My goodness, child," she said trying to calm herself down. "What on Earth are you doing wondering about?"
"Sorry." Christina stammered her eyes were glancing around trying to catch a glimpse of the Reaper. "I thought I saw someone come this way, Mrs. Le Grange."
"Please call me Sue Ann." Sue Ann forced a smile as she pushed past heading back to the stage. "Are you here to be healed?"
"No, my brother was. His name was Dean." Sue Ann nodded. "Well, I wanted to say thank you for what you have done."
"Not at all, my dear. We are doing God's work and healing the sick. Now if you excuse me I need to help my husband off the stage. Please come by tonight."
"I'll see if we can." Christina said before walking away passed the protester who waved a pamphlet in her face, which she grabbed without much thought. She walked quickly until she made it to the Impala and slid inside. She didn't know why her heart was pounding so hard in her chest as she stood there next to Sue Ann. She jumped when she heard her cellphone go off and had to calm down her voice when she saw it was Dean calling her.
"Hey you on your way back?" Dean asked sounding concerned for her safety.
"Yeah...just got back in the car," She said as she turned over the engine and slowly moved out of her parking spot. "What's going on?"
"We found a connection and need you here pronto." Dean let out a small growl and she hoped he wasn't made at her.
"Yeah I'll be there as soon as I can." She trembled feeling the ripped out piece of paper that still sat inside her back pocket. She excelled quickly watching as the protester continued to protest outside the tent while people slowly began exiting the tent.
~DSCWIN~
Christina pulled up to the hotel and parked and turned off the car. She sat there staring at the steering wheel wondering if she could come clean with the piece of paper but a soft rapping on the window made her jump a little.
"Hurry get in the back." Dean said making Christina act quickly wondering how he managed to get to the door without her seeing him. She climbed in the back seat and Dean quickly stared his car. She wondered why she came all the way there when they could have easily taken a cab but she didn't want to voice her opinion.
"So what's the connection you found?" She asked as Dean pulled in reverse and started the trip back to Le Grange's homestead once again.
"Everyone that has died crossed paths with the Le Granges back in the day. Before Roy lost his eyesight." Sam stated.
"Crossed paths?" Christina asked gripping the door handle as Dean took a sharp turn outside of town.
"They all had some kind of falling out with the Le Granges. Everyone who has died did something to them that made them use a Reaper, as you call it, to perform the miracles." Dean stated speeding up and passing some slower traffic. "We looked on the website, they're going to perform another healing tonight, and we think we know who it's going to be?"
"Let me guess a protester who keeps slandering the Le Granges' great name?" Christina asked handing Sam the pamphlet the protester had given her.
"Gold star for her." Dean chuckled nodding as he sped up even more. "So once we get there, Sam you're going be searching for the Alter that the Le Granges have up for the Reaper while Christina you try and protect the protester while I try and stop the healing." Sam and Christina nodded as Dean gripped his steering wheel tighter in his hands.
~DSCWIN~
The tent was lit up showing up like a beacon of warmth and welcoming as Dean, Sam and Christina pulled up and parked a few yards away. The three Winchesters silently left the car not wanting to draw unwanted attention as Christina spotted the Protester off near some RVs and headed that way. Sam quickly headed towards the house while Dean headed for the tent.
Dean entered into the back of the tent to find Roy already up on the stage. He looked around until he found a small pile of straw in the corner and headed towards it when Roy quieted down the congregation.
"Layla?" Roy called out. "Layla, your patience is about to be fulfilled."
Dean felt his stomach clench as he remembered the young woman from before. He remembered when he headed back from talking with Roy he had found out Layla had a terminal brain tumor. He felt torn as he watched her bright smiling face get lead up to the stage. He wanted to see her get healed but he also couldn't let Roy kill another person. Taking out his lighter, he headed towards the straw pile and flicked it once spouting a small orange flame and set the straw on fire.
"Fire!" He screamed making those close to him turn around and begin to panic.
Screams and smoke was Dean's cue to head out of the tent. But as soon as he stepped out, the crowd slowly calmed down as some of the stronger people that were able to stomp the fire out before it got out of controlled. Dean felt strangely useless as he now needed to figure out how to stop this healing from happening and saving another innocent person.
"Dean!" Christina's voice drifted from the parked cars that were nearby and he felt something fall in the pit of his stomach as he could hear she was calling for help. "Dean!"
*DSCWIN*
Sam checked over his shoulder before grabbing a rock and breaking the lock that was wrapped around the handles of a storm cellar. He made his descent and was surprised to see a kind of altar up against the wall. He moved closer, checking over his shoulder as he walked to make sure nobody was behind him, and stopped at the altar looking at everything that was placed on top. A news article read of when Roy Le Grange had a tumor that took his eye sight and that his wife, Sue Ann, had tried praying for God for a miracle. Sam kept speed reading finding information about how when Roy not only was healed but was able to heal those that needed healed.
"It's not Roy." Sam said looking at all the news articles. "It's the wife."
Sam turned around to head out when he was stopped by Sue Ann Le Grange herself. She was gripping something around her neck and staring hard at Sam.
"I thought you of all people would be accepting of what I had done." She dropped her hand showing a locket that now rested just below her collarbone. "I'm making sure those that need to be saved will be, and those that don't deserve it...well you know the rest."
Sam blinked back his astonishment as Sue Ann turned around to head up the stairs of the storm cellar. "You're not going to get away with this!" Sam cried out after her trying to get to the stairs. "My siblings are going to stop this."
"Not unless I have any say." she said then began to mumble something that Sam couldn't understand. The doors to the cellar slowly shut tight and Sam could Sue Ann place something in between the handles making Sam stuck inside.
Sam tried to push it open but after a few minutes of effort, the doors wouldn't budge making Sam let out a exhausted sigh.
"Dean!" Christina's screams, though slightly muffled, made something burn in Sam's stomach. "Dean!" Sam couldn't allow his sister to be used by the Reaper as Sue Ann must have changed targets. He pressed his shoulder and pushed hard using his long legs as leverage until he felt the doors give way sending him to the ground for a few minutes.
*DSCWIN*
Christina headed towards the parked RVs and knew that she was asked to head there. She watched as her brothers split up, Dean heading towards the packed tent while Sam headed towards the house, leaving her to follow the protester who was sneaking around. She moved quickly wanting to find him before someone finds her and blocks her opportunity to save him.
She moved past some parked RVs jumping slightly at a dog who barked inside one trailer before she moved on knowing that the dog couldn't do anything to her. Except many alert security if they were walking by.
Christina heard someone walking behind her and she quickly moved keeping herself smaller as two men walked by and looked at the dog inside the trailer. She concluded they owned the trailer and wanted to see what had spooked their pet.
She spotted the protester running looking over his shoulder obviously scared about something that was following him. She moved after him as she noticed the Reaper stalking him paying no attention to Christina as he walked past. The protester stumbled falling onto the ground allowing the Reaper to easily gain up on him.
Christina rushed past the Reaper and stood in front of the protester to look the Reaper in the cold dead eyes. "Leave him alone!" She screamed giving the protester time to get to his feet and now stand moving back behind Christina. "I can see you. I'm not going to let you kill him."
The Reaper blankly stared at Christina before slowly looking back at the protester. The Reaper took a step towards the protester reaching his long arm beside her head wanting to grab the protester. Christina lifted her arms and pressed on the Reaper's chest making it look confused as it may have never been touched that way. It locked eyes on her and wouldn't leave her line of sight.
"Oh, no." Her voice shook. "Dean!" She screamed hoping her brother would hear her and come to help her. "Dean!"
The Reaper tilted its head slightly to the side before reaching over to touch Christina's forehead.
Christina took a step back getting out of reach. The Reaper tilted its head once again looking at her with predatory eyes. It watched as Christina continued to back up before bumping into a car and panicked as she had nowhere to go.
"Christy!" Dean yelled running towards her ran right past the Reaper and grabbed her arm. "Come on let's go!"
"It's right there Dean!" Christina said pointing as his appearance only gave her a split second to react but now they were both trapped. "It's right in front of us."
Dean trained his eyes on the area in front of him but could not see anything. He believed Christina despite feeling she was hiding something. He slowly pushed Christina to the side and began to gently push her away. "Is he still in front of us?"
Christina nodded as she looked behind her and tugged on Dean's arm. "We have an opening."
"Run!" Dean screamed pushing his sister towards the opening and running right behind her as the Reaper slowly appeared in front of him. "Oh shit..." Christina turned around to run to help Dean but he shot her a look that told her to save herself. That he needed to go down like it should have back when he was harmed on their hunt.
The Reaper glanced down at Dean who stood, his eyes boring straight in the Reaper's, and reached out to touch Dean's face. The Reaper watched as Dean's face turned grey and his eyes began to cloud over much like the other victims that crossed paths. Dean didn't struggle as he kept his now colorless eyes trained on the Reaper before he was dropped to the ground.
Dean let out a gasp as he landed on the ground before watching as the Reaper slowly turned and walked towards the tent of people. Christina slid besides her brother to make sure he was alright before watching as the Reaper disappeared around the back side of the tent. One scream filled the night air before going silent. Dean and Christina both watched as Sam walked around the corner before nodding, signalling that the Reaper was gone.
~DSCWIN~
Dean absently pushed his once folded clothes inside his duffel bag when there was a soft knock on the door. He turned and looked at Sam who walked up and slowly pulled it open. Layla stood there with a smile on her face and Sam welcomed her inside. Dean turned around and Layla's smile stayed even though he could see the hurt in them.
"I got to go put my bag in the trunk." Sam said walking out the door before Dean could stop him from leaving.
"You got a lot of people who love you." Layla said as she sat down on the edge of Dean's bed. Dean slowly dropped next to her his eyes staring at the floor instead of looking into her eyes again. "I can see you feel guilty," Layla told him gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm here to tell you, don't."
"But it should have been you that was healed and not me." Dean's voice was uncharacteristically quiet.
"I've accepted death, Dean." Layla said with a brave smile. "As much as it's going to hurt my mother, she has accepted my fate too."
"She shouldn't have to accept it, Layla." Dean said looking up at the woman he only met only a few brief time in his life "She should be celebrating the fact she still has her daughter."
"Then what about your siblings?" Layla asked her voice once again calm. "It's alright for them to suffer because you went out the way you wanted to? God has something planned for you, Dean. My time on Earth, may have been limited but I lived my life more then you will ever be. Though my prayers for a cure were never answered I do believe the prayers of your siblings were."
Dean watched as Layla gently touched Dean's shoulder and stood to leave. She made it clear to him that she was not angry at him. That his life was once again saved because of love from his siblings.
"Layla wait." Dean stood up stopping Layla from leaving the door. "I'll be praying for you."
Layla smiled and hugged Dean before looking at him in the eyes. "My that's a miracle." She said before walking out of the room.
Dean waited for a few minutes before quickly finishing up his packing and looked around the hotel room. He let out a hard sigh as he was happy to be leaving this town but also wished he wasn't. He knew his siblings meant well and were only trying to save him, but he believed he should have died in that hospital room.
Dean opened the door that lead out to the hallway and saw Christina talking with Layla after Layla handed her something. Dean watched as the two women hug and the confused look on Christina's face as Layla walked away head held high and proud. Christina stared down the hallway before turning slightly and stared at Dean. Dean saw the small silver glint of a necklace chain fall in between her fingers.
"What's that?" Dean asked adjusting his hold on his duffel.
"Her necklace," Christina said looking up at Dean. "She said, she wanted to make sure you remembered your promise to pray." She looked up at Dean and then shrugged. "She then hugged me and left without much. It was really weird."
"So is our life." Dean nodded. "Come on, let's get out of here." Dean walked by his younger sister before hearing a small gasp and a soft thud behind him. Turning around he saw that Christina was on the ground on her hands and knees her arms shaking. "Christy, you okay?" He asked dropping to her side.
"Just got dizzy all of a sudden." Christina said slowly shaking her head before looking up at her brother and gave a small smile. "Don't worry about me. I'll be alright."
Dean gave his sister an unsure look before giving in and helping her to her feet. "Come on then. Let's get out of here."