Author's Note: First, I would like to apologize for the late update. This not my favorite episode so I was feeling pretty unmotivated to work on this chapter. On top of that I've had two very busy weekends that didn't leave room for writing. I am hoping to get back on schedule with remaining chapters. Second, you may notice the title of the chapter says part A. That's because this episode directly leads into the next so I am combining them. If you read this story from season one you know I do this occasionally. I hope you enjoy the chapter. If you have time please leave a review. Thanks for reading!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Supernatural. All rights belong to the creators and writers of the show.
"There are only two towns in the U.S. named Rivergrove," Sam said tensely from the passenger seat of the Impala.
"How come you're so sure it's the one in Oregon?" Dean questioned.
"There was a picture," Sam muttered. "Crater Lake."
"What else did you see in this vision?" Fallon asked. As they normally did, Sam's vision came on quickly and unexpectedly. And just like they normally did, they found themselves trying to catch up and prevent the disaster from happening with the limited information Sam got from his visions.
"I saw a dark room, some people, and a guy tied to a chair," Sam said.
"And I ventilated him?" Dean added, remembering a detail Sam left out.
"Yeah," Sam admitted. "You thought there was something inside him."
"Like a demon?" Fallon questioned.
"I don't know," Sam replied.
"Well, all your weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed demon somehow," Dean said, "so was there any black smoke? Did we try to exorcise it?"
"No," Sam said. "Nothing, you just plugged him, that's it."
"Well, I'm sure I had a good reason," Dean said defensively.
"I sure hope so," Sam replied.
"What does that mean?" Dean cried indignantly. Sam remained silent. "I mean, I'm not gonna waste an innocent man."
"We know that, Dean," Fallon said placatingly while glaring pointedly at Sam. "These visions are spotty. Sam's just telling you what he saw. Who's to say further methods weren't taken first, right, Sam?"
"Right," Sam sighed. "Look, we don't know what it is. But whatever it is, that guy in the chair's a part of it. So let's find him and see what's what."
"Fine," Dean replied tersely.
"Fine," Sam answered in the same tone.
"You two are idiots," Fallon grumbled in the backseat as they pulled into Rivergrove.
Dean parked the car in front of one of the shops on the main road and they all got out and walked up to a guy polishing his rifle. "Morning."
"Good morning," the man said glancing up at them. "Can I help you?"
"Yeah," Dean replied pulling a fake badge out of his coat pocket. "Uh, Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard. U.S. Marshals."
The man looked past them right at Fallon. "And the girl?"
Fallon jumped, but quickly schooled her expression to keep the surprise off her face. "Regina Simpson. I'm a new recruit. They have me shadowing these two." She crossed her fingers hoping the man would buy her explanation.
"What's this about?" the man asked, and she sighed a breath of relief.
"We're looking for someone," Dean answered.
"A young man, early twenties," Sam filled in. "He'd have a thin scar right below his hairline."
"What'd he do?" the man asked.
"Well, nothing," Sam replied. "We're actually looking for someone else, but we think this young man could help us."
"He's not in trouble," Fallon added.
"I think maybe you know who he is, Master Sergeant," Dean said. "My dad was in the Corps, he was a Corporal."
"What company?" the man asked.
"Echo 2-1," Dean answered.
"So, can you help us?" Sam pushed.
"Duane Tanner's got a scar like that, but I know him," the man said. "Good kid. Keeps his nose clean."
"Oh, I'm sure he does," Dean answered. "You know where he lives?"
"With his family up Aspen Way," the man replied.
"Thank you," Dean answered.
They began to walk back to the car when Sam suddenly called them over to him. He referenced a telephone pole he was standing in front of. Fallon glanced puzzledly at the pole and then her eyes widened as she read a word carved into it.
"Croatoan?" she said. "What does that have to do with anything here?"
"Croatoan?" Dean repeated sounding confused.
"Yeah," Sam answered waiting for Dean to catch on, but he just gave them both a blank look. "Roanoke? Lost colony? Seriously, Dean, did you not pay any attention in history class?"
"Yeah!" Dean replied defensively. "Shots heard round the world, how bills become laws…"
"That's not school," Sam sighed. "That's Schoolhouse Rock."
"Whatever," Dean muttered.
"It's not whatever, it's history," Fallon said. "Roanoke was one of the first English colonies in America. It was set up in the late 1500s, but it didn't last. When a ship returned from England some time later all the people in the colony had disappeared. And all they could find was a single word carved into a tree, Croatoan. And nobody really knows what happened to these colonists! There are theories. Some people believe they all died in an Indian raid. Others think disease took them out, but no one knows for sure. They were just gone. Almost like they were wiped out overnight."
"You don't think that's what's going on here?" Dean questioned sounding nervous. "I mean…"
"Whatever I saw in my head, it sure wasn't good," Sam said. "But what do you think could do that?"
"Fear," Fallon answered. "Fear makes people do irrational things. It leads to paranoia, suspicion, and mistrust. That's what your vision seems to show."
"But what could cause fear like that to happen in some no where town in Oregon?" Sam asked.
"Well, I mean, like I said," Dean replied. "All of your weirdo visions are always tied to the Yellow-Eyed Demon somehow so…"
"Maybe he's causing it," Fallon finished.
"We should get help," Sam stated. "Bobby, uh, Ellen maybe?"
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Dean agreed.
"I don't think that's going to be an option," Fallon said.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked.
"There's no signal for your cell phones, and all the phone lines in this town are cut," Fallon answered. "We can't reach anybody from here."
"I'll tell you one thing," Dean commented after a moment of shocked silence, "if I was gonna massacre a town, that'd be my first step."
"If this is something to do with the demon, do you think maybe one of the special children are behind this?" Fallon asked. "That's usually who Sam's visions focus on."
"Well, there's one way to find out," Sam said. "We need to talk to this Duane Tanner guy."
The three walked up to cabin that had a sign stuck to the mailbox with the name Tanner on it. It looked like your typical home, but Fallon felt on edge just looking at it. "I'm feeling something, guys," she told Sam and Dean.
"We'll be on alert," Dean replied as they got out of the Impala and walked up to the front door. Dean knocked and a moment later a teenaged boy opened the door.
"Yeah?" he asked.
Dean quickly flashed his fake badge at the kid. "We're looking for Duane Tanner, he lives here, right?"
"Yeah, he's my brother," the kid replied.
"Do you know where he is?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, he went on a fishing trip up by Roslyn Lake," the teen replied.
"Your parents home?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, they're inside," the teen replied as an older man walked up behind him. The man looked concerned.
"Hi. U.S. Marshals, sir," Dean addressed the man. "We're looking for your son, Duane."
"Why?" Mr. Tanner asked nervously. "He's not in trouble, is he?"
"No, no, no, no," Dean assured him. "We just need to ask him a couple of routine questions, that's all."
"When's he due back from his trip?" Sam asked.
"I'm not sure," Mr. Tanner replied evasively.
"He sounds like he knows where he is," Fallon commented.
"I don't," Mr. Tanner replied quickly. "And you're with them?"
"She's new," Sam said. "Can we speak with your wife?"
"She's not here right now," Mr. Tanner told them.
"Your son said she was," Fallon said.
"Did I?" the teen asked nervously.
"She's getting groceries," Mr. Tanner said. "So, when Duane gets back, there's a number where he can get a hold of you?"
"Oh no, we'll just check in with you later," Dean replied. They turned and began to walk back to the Impala. When they heard the door close, they stopped and turned to look at each other. "So, that was kind of creepy, right? A little too Stepford?"
"Something is going on in that house," Fallon said. "We need to get inside."
The group quickly sidled down the side of the house and peered in through a window in the back. Inside, a woman, presumably Mrs. Tanner, was tied to a chair. In front of her stood her husband and son wielding a knife. Without preamble Fallon lifted her hand and blasted the back door open. Mr. Tanner began to rush them with a knife, but Dean blasted him with his gun. The kid jumped through the window and ran. Fallon saw Sam raise his gun to aim for the kid but slowly lowered it. She then turned her attention to Mrs. Tanner who was sobbing in the chair she was tied to.
"Don't worry," she said. "We'll get you out of here." She began to work with the knots while Dean wrapped up Mr. Tanner and brought him to the Impala. Sam helped her with the rope and then the two lead her out of the house to the car.
In a few minutes after leaving the house they pulled up in front of the hospital clinic Mrs. Tanner had directed them to. Fallon and Sam helped the woman inside.
"Hello?" Sam called out. "Hello? We need a doctor here!"
A young woman rushed out from a backroom and her eyes widened when they landed on them. "Mrs. Tanner, what happened?" she asked rushing forward.
"She's been attacked," Sam replied.
"Doctor Lee?" the woman called over her shoulder.
A woman in a doctor's coat stepped out from the back room. "Bring her in," she urged. The woman who'd first came out, her name tag read Pam, lead them to a back room. Before they could get there Dean came in with Mr. Tanner's corpse over his shoulder. "Is that…"
"Mr. Tanner?" Dean finished.
"Was he attacked too?" the doctor asked.
"Uh… no, actually, he did the attacking and then he got himself shot," Dean replied.
"You could say that a little less casually," Fallon grumbled. Dean shrugged.
"Who are you three?" Dr. Lee asked.
"U.S. Marshals," Dean said. "I'd show you my badge, but…"
"Oh. Sorry," Dr. Lee replied. "Bring him back here."
When they had everyone settled in a backroom the doctor began to look over Mrs. Tanner, who began to tell them what happened. "They beat me," she cried. "They tied me up."
"I don't believe it," Pam murmured.
"Beverly, do you have any idea why they would act this way?" Dr. Lee asked. "Any history of chemical dependency?"
"No, of course not," Beverly replied. "I don't know why. One minute they were my husband and son, and the next, they had the devil in them."
Fallon and the boys shared a glance. "We gotta talk," Dean announced to the room before motioning for Fallon and Sam to follow him out to the waiting room. When the door closed behind them, he turned to face them. "Those guys were whacked out of their gourds."
"Are we thinking possession?" Fallon asked. "Multiple demons in one place?"
"If it is a possession there could be more," Dean said. "I mean, God knows how many. It could be a friggin' Shriner convention."
"Great," Sam sighed.
"Of course, that's one way to wipe out a town, you take it from the inside," Dean said.
"That somewhat correlates to what I said earlier about fear," Fallon said. "But you wouldn't need a demon to possess a human to take them out that way. Maybe a demon was just the catalyst for all this."
"I don't know," Sam said. "We didn't see any of the demon smoke with Mr. Tanner, or any of the other usual signs."
"Something turned him into a monster," Dean stated. "And you know, if you would have taken out the other one there'd be one less to worry about."
"I'm sorry, alright?" Sam replied tensely. "I hesitated, Dean. It was a kid!"
"No, it was an "it"," Dean said. "Not the best time for a bleeding heart, Sam."
"Okay, that's enough," Fallon said stepping between the two and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. She felt both of their tension and anxiety flow into her. She took a deep breath in order to not let the emotions control her before giving them both a stern look. "Fighting will get us nowhere." Both boys nodded and relaxed. She let go of their shoulders. The door to the backroom opened and Dr. Lee stepped out.
"How's the patient?" Sam asked.
"Terrible!" Dr. Lee exclaimed. "What the hell happened out there?"
"We don't know," Fallon answered.
"Yeah?" Dr. Lee replied angrily. "Well, you just killed my next-door neighbor."
"We didn't have a choice," Dean told her.
"Maybe so," Dr. Lee replied tersely, "but we need the county sheriff. I need the coroner…"
"Phones are down," Sam stated.
"I know, I tried," Dr. Lee said. "Tell me you have a police radio in the car?"
"Yeah, we do," Sam said. "But it crapped out just like everything else."
"I don't understand what is happening," Dr. Lee said, distress clear in her voice.
"Neither do we," Fallon said. "But we're going to figure it out."
"She's right," Dean said. "But our priority is getting everyone out of here. How far is it to the next town?"
"It's about forty miles down to Sidewinder," Dr. Lee answered.
"Alright, I'm gonna go down there, see if I can find some help," Dean said. "My partners will stick around, keep you guys safe."
"You're not going alone," Fallon said. "You need back up. Sam can keep an eye on things here, but I'm going with you."
"She's right, Dean," Sam agreed. "I'll keep an eye on things here. Take Fallon with you."
Dean nodded. "Keep everyone here safe," he said. "C'mon, Fallon."
Fallon dazed out the windows at the empty streets they passed by. She knew she should be thinking about their current case, but she couldn't help but dwell on the guilt she felt from using the new power she'd discovered. Since she'd figured out what she'd been doing during their case with the crossroads demon she'd been good about sticking to her promise to control it. She'd learned the signs for when she was using the power and had learned how to stop it. But she'd also learned how to purposely use it; like she had just earlier with Sam and Dean.
She felt torn between feeling justified in her actions, after all, if Sam and Dean started fighting, they would lose focus on the case, and feeling guilty for messing with their emotions without their knowledge or consent. She knew both boys would be upset with her if they found out. So far, both seemed completely ignorant of her new power and she wanted to keep it that way. She just needed to stiffen her resolve and let the boys work their emotions out themselves.
"Are you okay?"
"What?" Fallon jumped.
"You're rather pensive over there," Dean commented.
"I was just thinking it's strange," Fallon said, "that everyone in this town seems able to see me."
"I think it has something to do with what's going on here," Dean said.
"Yeah, I agree. It's just… it's funny," she said. Dean gave her a confused look. "From the moment I died all I've wanted is for people to see me, and now that they can… I don't know, it just doesn't feel natural."
"I think you're just not used to it anymore," Dean said.
"I guess," Fallon replied before turning forward to look at the windshield. She frowned. Ahead of them a blockade of several cars and armed locals locked them in the city. "Dean."
"Oh great," he muttered as he slowed to a stop.
Fallon jumped as something thumped against the roof of the car. "Dean, I think we should leave," she whispered just as a man approached the driver's window.
"Sorry," the man said. "Roads closed."
"Yeah, I can see that," Dean said casually. "What's up?"
"Quarantine," the man answered.
"Quarantine?" Dean repeated. "What is it?"
"Don't know," the man replied. "Something going around out there."
"Uh-huh," Dean said slowly. "Who told you that?"
"County Sheriff," the man said.
"Is he here?" Fallon asked.
The man glanced at her. "No," he replied. "He called. Say, why don't you two get out of the car and we'll talk a little?"
"Like hell," Fallon said nervously glancing at the people in front of them. They were moving closer.
"I'd sure appreciate it if you got out of the car, just for a quick minute," the man said again. This time more threateningly.
"And I said not happening," Fallon replied using her power to knock the gear into reverse and slam down the gas pedal.
"Jesus!" Dean exclaimed as the locals started firing at them.
Fallon, using her power, slammed on the breaks, and then shifted them back into drive before turning them around and slamming on the gas again. When they had cleared the barricade Dean finally protested.
"Okay, stop! Stop!" he shouted. Fallon listened. "I can't believe you just messed with baby."
"I just saved our lives!" Fallon cried. "You're really going to complain about me controlling the car?! Your car would have become part of the blockade if you'd sat there any longer!"
"Okay, okay!" Dean grumbled before stepping on the gas again. "Quick thinking."
Fallon sighed. "So, what are we going to do now?"
"I know you don't want to leave me and Sam, but I think you're going to have to go for help," Dean said. "Get Bobby or Ellen. Both if you can."
"Not possible," Fallon answered. "I can't teleport out of here. I've been trying since we realized the phones are down. I'm just as stuck here as everyone else."
"Dammit!" Dean cried punching the wheel. He took a few deep breaths before saying anything else. "We'll head back to the clinic. Figure it out from there."
"Dean, what if we can't?" Fallon asked. "Figure it out, I mean."
Dean looked over at her. "We will. I promise," he told her.
Fallon nodded and then looked back at the road as she saw someone running out of the woods. "Look out!" Dean slammed on the breaks and they stopped just feet away from a man carrying a large rifle.
"Get out of the car!" the man screamed. "Out of the car!" Dean and Fallon glanced at each other before slowly stepping out of the Impala.
"Alright, easy there, big guy," Dean said and then quickly aimed a hand gun at him. Fallon got ready to use her power if they guy started to pull the trigger to the rifle. "Put it down!"
"Lower it now!" the man barked back.
"Put it down!" Dean repeated.
"Are you one of them?" the man asked.
"No!" Dean cried. "Are you?"
"No!"
"You could be lying!" Dean said.
"So could you!"
"Oh, this is ridiculous!" Fallon shouted stepping between the boys. "Both of you drop your weapons for a minute." After a moment both lowered their weapons by a few degrees.
"What's going on with everybody?" the man asked.
"We don't know," Dean answered.
"My neighbor… Mr. Rogers, he…"
"You've got a neighbor named Mr. Rogers?" Fallon and Dean asked amused.
"Not anymore," the man said. "He came at me with a hatchet. I put him down. He's not the only one, I mean, it's happening to everyone."
"We're heading over to the Doc's place," Dean told the man. "There's still some people left."
"No. No way," the man said. "I'm getting the hell out."
"There isn't a way out," Fallon told him. "They've set up a barricade at the only way out of town. We're trapped. Come with us."
"I don't believe you," the man said.
"Fine," Dean replied moving back to the car. "Stay here. Be my guest." The man hesitated before pulling out a hand gun, which he kept trained on Dean and Fallon as he slid into the backseat.
"Well, this ought to be a relaxing drive," Fallon muttered.
When they got back to the clinic the three of them rushed for the door. Dean began to bang on it. "Sammy, open up!"
The door swung open to reveal Sam's relieved face. "Did you get to a phone?" he asked.
"There's a road block," Fallon told Sam as the guy who'd rode in with them, he'd told them his name was Mark, went into the back room. "Nobody can leave."
"What's going on out there?" Sam asked them when the room cleared.
"I don't know," Dean replied. "I feel like Chuck Heston in the Omega Man. I mean, Sarge is the only sane person we could find. What are we dealing with, do you know?"
"Yeah," Sam answered. "Doc thinks it's a virus."
"A virus?" Fallon repeated. "I've never heard of a virus that could do this. What do you think?"
"I think she's right," Sam said.
"Really?" Dean said.
"Yeah," Sam said. "And I think the infected are trying to infect others with blood-to-blood contact. Oh, but it gets better. The, uh, the virus? Leaves traces of sulfur in the blood."
"A demonic virus?" Dean exclaimed.
"Yeah, more like demonic germ warfare," Sam said. "At least it explains why I've been having visions."
"This is crazy," Fallon muttered resting her forehead in her hand.
"It's like a Biblical plague," Dean commented without humor.
"You don't know how right you are, Dean," Sam said. "I've been poring through Dad's journal, and I found something about the Roanoke colony."
"And?" Dean questioned.
"Dad always had a theory about Croatoan," Sam said. "He thought it was a demon's name. Sometimes known as Deva or sometimes Resheph. A demon of plague and pestilence."
"But Roanoke was hundreds of years ago," Fallon commented. "Nothing like that has happened since. Why here? And why now?"
"I have no idea," Sam replied. "But who knows how far this thing can spread. We have to get out of here. We have to warn people."
"They've got one!" Mark's voice called from the back room before they could continue their conversation. "In here!"
"What do you mean you have one?" Fallon asked rushing into the back room.
"The wife," Sam answered from behind her. "She's infected."
"We've gotta take care of this," Mark said. "We can't just leave her in there. My neighbors, they were strong. The longer we wait, the stronger she'll get." Dean nodded and started to walk towards the locked door with his gun in hand.
"You're gonna kill Beverly Tanner?" Pam asked dismayed.
"Doctor, could there be any treatment?" Sam asked. "Some kind of cure for this?"
"I don't even know what "it" is," the doctor replied.
"I told you, it's just a matter of time before she breaks through," Mark said, agitated.
"Just leave her in there!" Pam cried. "You can't shoot her like an animal!"
"I don't think we have a choice," Dean said continuing to the door with Mark in tow. They budged open the door and then a gun shot rang out through the lab. Fallon glanced away.
As the hours passed the anxiety grew. Fallon listened as the group bickered about whether they should attempt to escape or if they were safer here. She felt as if she were in a daze. It was like watching a bad movie and she couldn't leave the theatre.
"This is what it's like to see society break down," she murmured.
"Well, one thing's for sure," Sam said, "we can't stay here. We've gotta get out of here. Get to the Roadhouse. Somewhere. We need to let people know what's coming."
"Yeah, good point," Dean commented gruffly. "Night of the Living Dead didn't exactly end pretty."
"Well, I'm not sure we've got a choice," Mark said joining their conversation. "Lots of folks up here are good with rifles. Even with all your hardware we're easy targets. So, unless you've got some explosives…"
"We can make some," Fallon said interrupting him. She grabbed an empty bottle and turned back to face the three men with a smile. "Molotov Cocktail, anyone?"
"Fallon, you're brilliant!" Dean exclaimed grabbing the bottle off her.
"Glad you're just catching on to that," Fallon replied snarkily, but smiling. "Hey, Doctor Lee, where do you keep your Potassium Chloride?!" She and the boys explained to the doctor and Pam how to make the explosives and the group got to work. They had a few done before someone started banging on the door. Fallon followed the boys out front. Mark was right behind her.
"Hey!" a man cried from outside. "Let men in! Let me in! Please!"
"It's Duane Tanner," Mark commented. He pushed passed them and opened the door for the man, who stumbled in. "Duane, you okay?"
Fallon noticed Sam staring in shock at the guy who just joined their party. "Sam, you okay?" she asked.
"That's the guy who…"
"Who I wasted in your vision?" Dean finished.
"Yeah," Sam said.
"Who else is here?" Duane asked drawing their attention away from Sam's vision.
"Hey, easy there chief," Dean addressed the guy suspiciously. "Hey Doc!" The doctor stepped out of the lab and started warily at the new comer. "Give Duane a good once-over, would you?" She beckoned them all into the lab.
"Who are you?" Duane asked aggravated.
"Never mind who I am," Dean snapped. "Doc."
"Yeah, okay," Doctor Lee agreed.
"Duane, where have you been?" Mark asked.
"On a fishing trip up Roslyn," Duane answered. "I came back this afternoon. I…I saw Roger McGill being dragged out of his house by people we know! They started cutting him with knives! I ran. I've been hiding in the woods ever since. Has anybody seen my mom and dad?"
"They didn't make it," Fallon told him as Dean shifted uncomfortably.
"You're bleeding," Doctor Lee said staring at a gash on Duane's leg.
"Where'd you get that?" Dean asked.
"I was running," Duane said. "I must have tripped."
"Tie him up," Dean ordered. "There's rope in there."
"Wait…"
"Sit down!" Dean cried pulling his gun on him.
"I'm sorry, Duane," Mark said. "He's right. We've got to be careful."
"Careful?" Duane cried. "About what?"
"Did they bleed on you?" Dean asked.
"No!" Duane replied.
"Doc?" Sam interjected. "Any way to know for sure? Any test?"
"I've studied the bloodwork backwards and forwards," Doctor Lee said. "It took three hours for the virus to incubate. The sulfur didn't appear in the blood until then so no, there'd be no way of knowing. Not until after Duane turns."
"Dean, I gotta talk to you, now," Sam said stepping out of the room. Dean and Fallon followed him out. He turned to face them. "This is my vision. It's happening."
"Yeah, I figured," Dean replied.
"You can't kill him, alright?" Sam pleaded. "Not yet. We don't know if he's infected or not."
"Well, I think we're pretty damn sure," Dean said. "He shows up out of nowhere, he's got a cut on his leg, his whole family's infected?"
"None of that proves anything, Dean," Fallon said.
"Fallon's right," Sam said. "We should keep him tied up, and we should wait and see."
"For what?!" Dean cried. "For him to Hulk out and infect somebody else? No thanks. We can't take that chance." Fallon's eyes widened when Dean started to shove Sam back towards the wall behind him. Sam braced a hand against his chest to stop him. "Hey, I'm not happy about this either, but it's a tough job and you know that."
"It's supposed to be tough, Dean," Sam said. "We're supposed to struggle with this, that's the whole point!"
"What does that buy us?" Dean grouched.
"A clear conscience, for one!" Sam cried.
Dean shoved him back again. "Well, it's too late for that."
"What the hell's happened to you?" Sam asked holding him off again. Fallon watched with her anxiety peaking. She could feel anger and fear radiating off both boys as they argued. She knew she shouldn't use her new power, but she was afraid of what might happen if she did nothing. Dean shoving Sam again made her decision for her.
"That's enough!" she cried stepping between them and placing on hand on each of their chests. Immediately, she felt anger and fear start to build inside her, but she grit her teeth and forced the emotion back. "You're acting like the infected." She felt Sam relax and he took a step back.
"She's right," Sam said. Dean looked like he was going to argue so she concentrated on her power a little more and finally he nodded his head.
"Yeah," he agreed stepping back. "She's…" But the second he stepped out of her touch his anger stirred back up. "No, wait a minute, we need to…"
"Dean," she said placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need to give this guy a chance."
"You're right," Dean sighed, "we…" Shock filled his eyes and he took a step back from her as if she'd slapped him. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm not doing anything," she replied quickly.
"Yeah you are," Dean cried. "You're… you're…."
"Dean, she didn't do anything," Sam said coming to her defense. Fallon winced guiltily.
"Yeah, she is," Dean insisted. "She's messing with our emotions! She's messing with our heads!"
"That's ridiculous," Sam said. "Fallon would never do that."
"She just did!" Dean said. "When she touched us, we both calmed down, didn't we?"
Fallon watched as doubt filled Sam's face. He turned to face her. "Fallon?"
"I had to," she whispered.
"See?!" Dean cried.
"I had to!" Fallon repeated. "You were going to hurt each other!"
"How long have you been messing with our emotions?" Dean asked angrily.
"Dean, that's enough. Back off…"
"I don't know," Fallon admitted cutting off Sam.
Dean snorted. "I don't know why I'm surprised. You are a ghost after all."
"Oh, again with the ghost thing!" Fallon snapped glowering at him. "I can't control when I get a new power. Why is it always the same thing every time one surfaces?"
"Because it proves that you're becoming vengeful!" Dean shouted. "That you're going to become evil!"
"I'm evil?" Fallon cried. "You were the one who was going to blast that guy's brains out without waiting to see if he is infected!"
"I'm just trying to keep these people safe," Dean said.
"So am I!" Fallon said.
"Alright, alright!" Sam cut in. "Fighting's not going to solve anything."
"Yeah, only one thing will solve our current problem," Dean huffed pulling out his gun and heading back to the lab.
"Dean!" Sam cried starting to follow him, before stopping with a sigh and turning to face Fallon. "How long have you been able to manipulate our emotions?"
"Why should I answer you?" Fallon snapped. "So you can call me evil too?"
"I don't think you're evil, Fallon," Sam sighed. "Neither does Dean. He's just freaked out. You know how he gets…"
"Yeah, I do!" Fallon cried. "Every time I get a new power. It's the same story over and over again!" Fallon turned and grabbed a pillow off the waiting room couch and threw it across the room before turning back to face Sam, who looked shocked at her actions. "I'm sick of it! I'm sick of being treated like public enemy number one by him every time I do something I…" She felt angry tears burn her eyes but she refused to let them fall. "I'm sick of it."
"I know," Sam said. "I get it."
They stood in silence for a few moments before she felt her anger diminish. "I don't know when this power developed," she said. "Probably awhile. I only noticed it recently. I've been learning to control it, so it doesn't happen anymore, but… I thought it was necessary in this instance."
"I'd say you made a good call," Sam stated. "I didn't hear a gun shot. So what you did worked."
Fallon shook her head. "He was worked up again when he walked away," she said. "He decided not to shoot him on his own."
"Well, let's go work out a game plan," Sam said.
"You go," Fallon replied.
"Fallon…"
"I don't want to be near him right now, Sam," Fallon said. Sam nodded and went in the lab. Fallon took a few deep breaths before picking up the pillow she'd thrown. She stayed out in the waiting room for awhile until she felt she'd cooled down enough to re-enter the lab. She quickly got to work helping Pam and Doctor Lee work on the explosives. Even after they'd made all the explosives they could she stayed away from the boys. She didn't want to deal with Dean.
She went back out to the waiting room to get some space. With nothing to do she started flipping through outdated magazines. She was about halfway through one when she heard banging around coming from the lab. Fallon tossed the magazine down and hurried back into the lab to see them all huddled around the supply closet.
"She bled on him," she heard Mark say.
"Bled on who?" Fallon asked pushing to the front of the group. She froze as she saw Sam on the ground in the closet and Pam's dead body lying next to him. "No!"
"Alright, everyone, back up," Dean ordered hauling Sam to his feet and ushering him over to a stool. "Doctor, check his wound."
"What's she need to examine him for?" Mark questioned. "You saw what happened."
"Did her blood actually enter your wound?" Doctor Lee asked.
"Come on, of course it did!" Mark shouted.
"We don't know that for sure," Dean replied testily.
"We can't take a chance," Duane said.
"We did on you," Fallon snapped.
"You know what we have to do," Mark told them.
"Nobody is shooting my brother!" Dean cried.
"He isn't gonna be your brother much longer," Duane said. "You said it yourself."
"Nobody is shooting anyone!" Dean snapped back.
"You were gonna shoot me!" Duane cried.
"You don't shut your pie-hole, I still might," Dean threatened.
"Dean, they're right," Sam intervened. "I'm infected. Just give me the gun and I'll do it myself."
"Absolutely not," Fallon said at same time Dean said, "Forget it."
"Dean, I'm not gonna become one of those things," Sam insisted.
"Sam, we've still got some time," Dean said.
"Time for what?" Mark cried. "Look, I understand he's your brother, and I'm sorry, I am. But we gotta take care of this."
"I'm gonna say this one time," Dean ground out, "you make a move on him, you'll be dead before you hit the ground. Understand?"
"Then what are we supposed to do?!" Mark shouted.
Dean hesitated before pulling out his keys and tossing them to Fallon. "Get out of here. Take the explosives and get the weapons out of the trunk. You've got enough firepower to handle anything now."
"What about you?" Mark asked. Dean grabbed a stool and sat down beside Sam.
"Dean, no," Sam said. "Go with them. This is your only chance!"
"You're not getting rid of me that easy," Dean replied and then looked at Fallon. "What are you waiting for, Fallon? Get out of here."
Fallon looked away from him and right at Sam. She rushed forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and squeeze gently. She pulled away and gave him a watery smile. "Bye, Sam," she whispered.
"Goodbye, Fallon," Sam replied sadly.
Fallon saw Dean open his mouth to say something, but she didn't give him the chance to say anything. She turned around to face the others. "Let's go," she ordered and led them out of the clinic. "Mark, you're up front with me."
"Got it," Mark agreed.
As they approached the bridge Fallon gave out orders. "When we get there, nobody hesitate. You shoot down anyone who takes a step toward you and then you toss the explosives at them. Mark, you hold them off us while we push the cars out of the way. Everyone understand?"
"Yes," they all answered.
"Good," Fallon said and took a deep breath before rounding the curve that brought the bridge in view. No one was there. She drove them closer and then stopped the car a few feet in front of the parked cars.
"What the hell?" Mark muttered.
"Doctor Lee, stay in the car," Fallon said. "Mark and Duane, come with me." The two men followed her out of the Impala and they carefully approached the blockade and peered into the cars. They found no one.
"What do you think happened?" Duane asked.
"No idea," Fallon replied.
"Do you think they went back into town?" Duane questioned again.
"No," Mark said confused. "There was no one in town."
"Well, what should we do?" Duane asked.
"I can drive you lot out of here to the next town if you want," Fallon said, "but I'm going back."
"Let's go let your partners know about this," Mark decided after a moment. "Maybe you can talk Dean into leaving his brother behind."
"I wouldn't count on it," Fallon replied. They went back to the car and let the doctor know their new plan. She seemed more hesitant but didn't protest as they turned around. Fallon drove through the streets of the town for a bit to see if they could find anyone, but everyone was gone. With that determined she brought them back to the clinic. She rushed out of the car and headed back to the lab. Both boys looked over at her as she came in.
"What are you doing here?" Dean asked. "Why aren't you getting everyone out?"
"You need to see this," she told them and walked right back out of the lab. She heard both boys follow her. They stepped out into the parking lot and joined the group.
"What the…"
"There's no one," Dr. Lee stated. "Not anywhere. They've all just… vanished."
"I think we can agree it's safe to wait and see if this virus will appear in Sam, now," Fallon said. "After all, if he is infected, we only have to deal with one of them." She saw that Duane and Mark disagreed, but they didn't argue.
"I'll take a blood sample," Doctor Lee said. "Let's see what happens."
"Great," Fallon said. "I'll stay with you two. The rest of you, scour through town. See if there's any survivors."
"Yes, ma'am," Mark and Duane quickly agreed.
"Wait, a minute…"
"Dean, go with them," Sam urged. "You'll be back quickly enough." Dean didn't look happy but followed the other two out of the parking lot.
Fallon waited with Sam as the hours passed and finally Doctor Lee looked up from her microscope. "It's been five hours and your blood's still clean," she said. "I don't understand it, but I think you dodged a bullet."
"Oh, thank God," Fallon sighed slumping against Sam's side. He wrapped an arm around her and smiled before glancing back at the doctor.
"I was exposed, though," he said. "How could I not be infected?"
"I don't know," Doctor Lee replied. "You're just not. I mean, you compare it with the Tanner samples…what the hell?"
"What?" Fallon and Sam asked.
"Their blood," Dr. Lee said looking back up from the microscope. "There's no trace of the virus. No sulfur. Nothing." Silence settled over them.
"Let's just get out of here," Fallon said. They went and joined Dean.
The group was saying their goodbyes, but Fallon ignored them mostly. Although she wanted out of this town as quickly as possible, she didn't want to be around Dean still. She had thought of leaving, but she didn't want to go back to having nothing to do with her days, so she'd decided to stay. But she had no intention of putting up with Dean's behavior towards her this time. She'd help on their cases and that's it. The rest of her time, she'd spend elsewhere. And her resolve was firm, so she ignored the olive branch Dean was trying to extend to her as they got in the car. She stared out the window as the town disappeared behind them.