Thanks to rianess for following/faving my story.
NicoleR85: thanks! You'll find out in this chapter what's wrong with them all.
Clary whimpered in Luke's arms as they walked quickly through the hospital. "It's gonna be ok, kiddo", he assured her "just hold on". He stepped into an empty hospital room, Jocelyn following.
"I'll go find Sam and Dean", the red head said before darting out of the room.
"Stay strong Clary", Luke said, placing her down on the bed. He sat down on the chair beside the bed and took hold of his step daughter's hand. The werewolf wasn't waiting very long until his wife came back in with Sam.
As if the ginger could sense him, which as he was one of her soulmates it was highly likely, Clary opened her eyes. "Sam", she murmured.
"Hey", Sam softly greeted. He stepped up to the bed, getting down to her eyelevel. Luke and Jocelyn watched him tentatively touch her face, Clary leaning into his touch.
"What happened?" Clary asked, noting the several scratches on his face.
"A hunt went very wrong", Sam told her vaguely.
"Dean?" Clary questioned, worried for the older Winchester.
"He's in a coma", Sam reluctantly replied "the doctor's don't even know if he'll even wake up".
"I have to see him", Clary said trying to sit up but Luke stopped her.
"Clary, I don't think that's such as good idea", he said. Clary looked at Sam and he nodded, understanding that she wanted to see her other soulmate. Not only would it help her feel better but there was a chance that her presence would help Dean too. After all, the bond was two-way.
"Clary, sweetheart, you really should rest", Jocelyn insisted when Sam helped her up.
"Mom, I have to see Dean", Clary said firmly "if you were in my place, you'd do the same". Her mother stayed quiet, knowing that her daughter was right. The woman stopped Luke from going after the pair when they left the room.
"Its best we stay out of the way for the moment", Jocelyn said. Luke opened his mouth to protest but when she gave him a look, he shut up.
Clary leaned on Sam as he walked toward Dean's room. "Oh my god", the young woman breathed, moving away from him when she saw the older Winchester laying in the hospital bed "Dean". She went over to his bed, sinking down in the chair. Sam watched her reach out and touch the back of his hand. "You can't go anywhere, do you hear me?" she said, trying not to cry "I can't lose you".
"I'm not going anywhere Clary, I promise", Dean said placing a hand on her shoulder. Clary gasped at the contact. It didn't feel cold, in fact it felt rather…warm.
"What's wrong?" Sam asked.
"There's a warmth on my shoulder, I think its Dean", Clary replied. The warmth intensified telling her that she was right. The ginger glanced at Sam "It's definitely him", she confirmed.
"If his spirit is here then we can contact him", Sam said, more to himself than Clary "Stay here, I'll be back soon". Before his soulmate could reply, he left the room.
"I have no idea what your brother is up to but hopefully he won't be gone long, just like he promised", Clary said.
It was about an hour later when Sam came back with a brown paper bag in his arms "what's in the bag?" Clary asked, looking at him. She raised her eyebrows when he showed her the Ouija Board.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me", Dean complained.
Sam walked around the bed and sat cross legged on the floor. "You think this is going to work?" Clary questioned, joining him.
"Only one way to find out", Sam said putting his finger on the planchette. Clary put her finger on it too, as did Dean.
"God, I feel like I'm at a slumber party", Dean commented.
"Dean? Are you here?" Sam questioned. He and Clary watched the planchette move over to 'YES' on the board.
"I'll be damned", Dean half laughed, rather surprised it worked. Sam and Clary both gave each other relieved looks.
"It's good to hear from you, man. It hasn't been the same without you, Dean", Sam said, happily.
"Damn straight", Dean agreed. He started to move the planchette around the board, slowly spelling out a word: HUNT.
"Hunt? Hunting? What, are you hunting?" Sam asked. He and Clary watched the planchette slide back to 'YES'.
"It's in the hospital, what you're hunting? Do, do you know what it is?" Sam pressed.
"Dean can only answer one question at a time", Clary said.
"Thank you, Clary", Dean said, glad that the ginger understood. He then started to spell out another word: REAPER.
Sam and Clary exchanged looks, only this one was one of worry. If a Reaper was after him then it was there naturally, there was no way to stop it. "What do we do?" Clary asked "you can't kill death".
"Which means I'm screwed", Dean griped.
"I'm not giving up. There has to be another way", Sam said firmly, standing up "I'll be back in a second". Before he could leave however, Dean suddenly gasped awake, choking on the tube that was down his throat. In a flash , Clary was by his side, lightly grasping his hand. Sam, on the other hand, raced to the door. "I need help in here!" he shouted.
Within moments, a doctor entered the room and carefully removed the tube. "I'll be back in a moment to run some tests", he told Dean and then left. As soon as he'd gone, Clary carefully hugged the older Winchester.
"Thank god you're ok", she said utterly relieved that he was awake though she was confused as to how he'd regained consciousness so quickly. How did he manage to escape the Reaper? And so soon after he told them that was what was in the hospital. She pulled back "please be more careful next time. I can't lose you" she glanced at Sam "either of you".
"You won't", Dean croaked, making Clary look at him "I don't plan on going anywhere, anytime soon sweetheart".
"Good", Clary said with a small smile "and I'm gonna hold you to it".
Several hours later…
Sam and Clary stood back while the doctor spoke to Dean. "I can't explain it. The edema's vanished", he said "The internal contusions are healed. Your vitals are good. You have some kind of angel watching over you"
"Thanks, doc", Dean said to the medical professional and the doctor leaves.
"I'm gonna go tell mom and Luke the good news", Clary said. She leant over Dean and pressed a light kiss to his cheek "see you in a bit". The ginger also gave Sam a kiss on the cheek as well before she left the room.
Not a moment later John showed up at Dean's room. "How you feeling, dude?" he asked.
"Fine, I guess. I'm alive", Dean replied.
"That's what matters", John remarked.
"Where were you last night?" Sam demanded.
"I had some things to take care of", John explained, vaguely.
"Well, that's specific", Sam said sarcastically.
"Come on, Sam", Dean said but his brother ignored him.
"Did you go after the demon?" Sam pressed.
"No", John answered.
"You know, why don't I believe you right now?" Sam said.
"Can we not fight?" John asked, his voice taking on a pleading tone "You know, half the time we're fighting, I don't know what we're fighting about. We're just butting heads. Sammy, I, I've made some mistakes. But I've always done the best I could. I just don't want to fight anymore, okay?"
Sam frowned, taken aback by this sudden change in his dad. "Dad, are you all right?" he asked, concerned.
"Yeah", John replied "Yeah, I'm just a little tired. Hey, son, would you, uh, would you mind getting me a cup of caffeine?"
"Uh…sure", Sam said and left the room, still rather confused by the change in his father's attitude. His soulmate appeared just as he was getting a cup of coffee from the vending machine. "Where's your mom and Luke?"
"They've gone to get something to eat", Clary replied "I'm gonna meet them there in a little bit. You're welcome to join if you like".
"I appreciate that but I probably should stay here with Dean and my dad", Sam said. Clary nodded in understanding. The pair headed down the hall where Sam happened to glance into an open doorway and saw his dad on the floor "Dad?!" he exclaimed, the coffee cup falling out of his hand and he ran into the room. "He's not breathing!"
"Somebody help!" Clary shouted. Before long several doctor's appeared. She and Sam where forced to watch from the doorway as they tried to revive John.
Sam sagged against his soulmate when doctor's stopped what they were doing. "I'll call it. Time of death: 10:41 am", the head doctor declared.
Flames as orange as Clary's hair licked John's body as it laid on the funeral pyre. Shortly after Dean's miraculous recovery, Sam had discovered that his father had died. Being that he was a hunter, he was given a hunter's funeral. Clary had been invited of course being that she was the brother's soulmate but she didn't stand with them at the pyre. Instead she hung back a little ways just to give them some respect.
Sam stared at the flames, tears pricking in his eyes as he watched his father's body burn. Dean just stood there silently. "Before he..." Sam swallowed and tried again "before, did he say anything to you? About anything?"
"No. Nothing", Dean replied, not looking at him. There was no way he was going to tell Sam what John had said. He could he? His father had basically said that he might have to kill his brother if he couldn't save him. And he was going to save his brother if it's the last thing he does. He glanced back and held out his hand to Clary. The ginger stepped forward and slipped her hand into his. Clary took Sam's hand with her free one. Together the three of them stood hand in hand watching John's funeral pyre. "Can you come with us?" the older Winchester asked after a moment.
"Come with you?" Clary counter questioned, confused.
"Yeah. I uh…need you", Dean admitted. Not only would her presence help Sam but it would help him too. Which wouldn't exactly be surprising considering that she was their soulmate.
"Then I'll come", Clary said. She hadn't known the brothers for very long but she had a feeling that Dean wasn't one to admit something like that very easily. She glanced down at the claddagh ring on her finger and tugged her hand out of Sam's. The brother's watched as she changed the position of the ring so that the heart was now pointed inward.
"What's that for?" Sam asked.
"To show that I'm in a relationship", Clary replied "the heart pointed outward means my heart is open…I'm single. When its pointed inward, like now, it means that someone has captured my heart. Or more specifically two someones" she gave them both a smile "my soulmates".
A week later saw Clary at Bobby Singer's house watching Dean fix the impala through the window. Despite the older Winchester claiming that he needed her, he'd been very distant. Not that she blamed him. After all, his father had died.
"You think he'll come in any time soon?" Clary asked hearing Sam approach.
"No idea", Sam replied "but I've found something on one of my dad's old phones".
"What was it?" Clary asked.
"A four month old voicemail from some woman named Ellen. She says that she can help, didn't say what with though", Sam explained "I ran a trace on her phone number and I got an address".
"And you want to go check it out", Clary surmised "see what this Ellen person says by 'help'".
"Yeah, I do", Sam agreed "Do you want to tell Dean?"
"It's probably best if you do it", Clary replied, turning her gaze back to the window.
"No, I think you should do it", Sam said, making the ginger look at him "you've barely spoken to each other this past week".
"Doesn't bother me", Clary said though Sam could tell that was a lie. He can see it in her eyes. There was a mix of both understanding and hurt. "Losing a loved one is never easy and people deal with grief in different ways. In your brother's case, its keeping to himself and working on the car. And I think I'm going to head home".
"Then you're coming back, right?" Sam asked hoping she that would. Dean had asked her to come with them on the day of John's funeral but with him being distant…
"Of course I am", Clary assured him, making the Winchester relax "I just need to see my family and get some more stuff" she took his hand "I'll be back before you know it", she promised.
"Are you going to tell Dean you're going?" Sam asked.
Clary glanced out of the window for the third time and shook her head. "He's got more important things to focus on", she said "just tell him I'll be back in a few days".
Sam nodded "Alright, I'll tell him", he promised.
"Thanks", Clary said, taking out her phone from her pocket and dialled Magnus.