Chapter Two: Jack of All Trades
"Family will always be our greatest strength and our worst weakness."
When Aiden Winchester woke up the next morning he immediately groaned. His body ached and he had the mother of all headaches. He got out of bed and stretched, wincing as his back cracked. Aiden saw that almost all areas of his body were black and blue.
"Terrific," He mumbled. "Fucking poltergeists."
He walked stiffly out of his room, entering the main area of the bar. Most people were still asleep, at least the people who had stayed overnight. The one person Aiden wasn't surprised to see was Hailey. Looking at the girl who somehow looked like his sister but so very different was disconcerting. Aiden was half convinced that he had dreamed her up yesterday in that hazy mix of concussed and exhausted but there she was.
"Still can't sleep, huh?" Aiden asked sliding into the seat next to Hailey.
"Apparently," Hailey mumbled. "An insomniac no matter what. Lucky me."
"So, Castiel pulled your soul out of your old body and did what?" Aiden asked. "I mean are you possessing someone? Is that actually your body?"
"It's mine," Hailey shrugged. "As far as I know, anyway. I've never really seen anything like this before. I mean Sam and Dean came back but they both hopped back into their bodies. Beelzebub did something to mine."
"And your abilities?"
"Gone," Hailey frowned. "It's weird. This body feels like it's been mine for my entire life. I'm not even freaked out when I see brown hair instead of blonde."
"Our lives are fucking weird," Aiden muttered.
"Yeah," Hailey agreed.
"But, I'm glad you're back," Aiden confessed. "We weren't working well without you around."
Hailey glanced over at her brother, her eyebrows knitting together in concern. She could only imagine what the past few months had been like for them. She felt guilty for taking so long to get back home but she had to make sure that what Castiel told her was the truth. She refused to put her family in danger just because she was the last surviving member of The Trinity.
She was saved from having to respond verbally to what Aiden had said by the creaking of the backroom doors opening. Neither Aiden nor Hailey had the time to turn around before Dean was already scolding. "What are you doing up?" Dean fussed, "Aiden, you were unconscious only a few hours ago."
"It's all good, Dean," Aiden shrugged, and then winced as his body protested the movement.
Dean caught the wince and scowled at his youngest brother, "Oh, really?"
"Yup," Aiden said. He may have been hurt but it wasn't the worst injury he had ever had. He was up right; nothing was broken, so as far as Aiden Winchester was concerned, there was no cause for fuss.
"There's coffee," Hailey mentioned noticing the stand off her brother's were doing.
Hailey was very much use to Dean's mothering ways, especially when one of them was hurt. She also knew that out of all the siblings, Aiden was the least likely to tolerate it when he didn't feel it was warranted. Of course Dean could bully his way into caring for his siblings but unlike Hailey, Aiden couldn't be carried and manhandled into doing what she didn't want to do.
Dean didn't bother to speak because of all the things the roadhouse had on hand, coffee was always one of them. The oldest Winchester dropped into the seat on the other side of his sister and took a hearty swig of the hot coffee. Dean had hoped that Hailey would somehow find her way back to them, but he had given up that up as a fever dream when Castiel had informed the brothers that it was impossible to bring back what wasn't human. Clearly there had been a loophole that either Castiel neglected to mention or one even the Angel didn't know about.
It all felt like things came together a little too easily. How had things have gone from impossible to not in the space of a few months? Either Castiel knew where Hailey had been this entire time and lied. Or the Angel was out of the loop when it came to the youngest Winchester. Either way, Dean was far from happy. That anger was only dulled by the fact that Hailey was alive and well.
The front door of the Roadhouse swung open startling the siblings who had fallen into an easy silence. All swiveled around, prepared for a threat to find Darren Whitman, and his older siblings, Marley and Alex walking into the main room.
"Holy shit," Alex gasped. "Aiden what the hell happened to you?"
"Poltergeist," Aiden shrugged.
"Hey Alex," Dean greeted. "Marley, Darren."
"Dean," Marley grinned before looking over at Hailey quizzically. "Who's that?"
"It's Hailey," Aiden said.
"This a joke?" Darren spat.
"No," Hailey responded, looking offended. "Of course it's not a joke."
"Hailey?" Darren whispered, his eyes welling with tears.
Hailey broke away from her brothers to run into Darren's open arms. For his part, Darren barely managed to catch her, skidding back a few feet with a breathless laugh.
"I don't believe this," Darren whimpered. "Is it really you?"
"In the flesh," Hailey affirmed.
Darren seemed suspicious of the girl who was claiming to be his fiancé. But, he reasoned that nothing could snow the Winchester brothers as well as Ellen and Jo Harvelle. There was also something in his gut that told him that Hailey Winchester was in his arms, where she belonged. And, if nothing else Darren Whitman had learned a long time ago that you should never go against your gut, it's your operational antenna. It had kept him alive more times than he could count.
There was also the fact that these last six months had been hell on earth. The fact that Hailey and Darren weren't together all that long was irrelevant, if anything it made everything hurt even more when she was gone. His eyes were damp as he took in the woman in his arms. The more he looked at her; the more she reminded him of Hailey. Though the light brown hair was rather disconcerting but the sapphire eyes were the same dark shade of blue.
The two young hunters were locked on each other's eyes, which is how they didn't notice when their siblings suddenly left the room, talking loudly about any upcoming hunts, how the apocalypse wasn't raging as hard as they had anticipated. The end of days aside, Hailey and Darren couldn't pry their eyes away from one another, as if they were afraid that if they looked away the other would be gone.
"I can't believe it," Darren sighed.
"Come on, Dare, stranger things have happened," Hailey smiled.
"Don't," Darren warned. "Please, just, don't."
If Hailey's hurt by Darren's tone she hid it well. She figured that the ones she left behind would be hurt by her death. But, reconciling that idea with the actuality is enough to leave her breathless and in tears. She cuddled into his side, ignoring the way that Darren tensed before he relaxed almost a minute later. Then he was holding her like a life line.
When looking back on her life, there are a lot of moments Hailey never expected. Most of them bad, but this one where she's holding on to her fiancé is something she never could've dreamed of. This one nice moment was something that makes this life worth it. When there was so much death around them, they had to pause and recognize the good moments; otherwise it was so easy to lose your mind.
"What brings you to the Roadhouse?" Hailey asked some time later.
The young couple had sprawled on the couches that separated the main bar from the private area that Jo and Ellen called home.
"We've caught wind of some demonic activity in Carthage, Missouri," Darren shrugged. "Came back to rendezvous and heard that Aiden got hurt."
"What is it with Carthage?" Hailey mused, curling further into Darren's side.
The two lovers hadn't been outside of touching distance since they were reunited only a few hours ago. Hailey pretended that she didn't feel the desperation in Darren's eyes whenever he looked at her.
"Battle of Carthage," Darren says, even though they both are well aware of the lore.
It had been one of the reasons why John Winchester as well as Meredith and Charles Whitman had been strict about history. You had to know history, enough to recall it because it could save your life. The Battle of Carthage had been bloody and ruthless. The kind of battle that poisons the Earth and leaves a dark mark, a wound that supernatural entities thrived on. Witches could make more powerful spells with it, while ghosts and poltergeists gained strength. Carthage had been giving hunters problems for years.
"Do you ever wonder what our lives would be like if we weren't hunters?" Hailey asked, suddenly.
"Yeah," Darren shrugged. "I did a lot when I thought you were dead. Things just didn't seem worth it anymore."
"Darren, I'm so…"
"Don't," Darren interrupted. "Don't apologize, I know you fought. I know how hard you tried."
"Still," Hailey responded, placing the palm of her hand on his cheek, "I never wanted this to hurt you."
"It wasn't your fault," Darren insisted. "Death isn't something that happens to you, it happens to everyone around you. To the people you leave behind. Things were hard, Hails, I won't lie to you about that. But, I'm so, so glad that you're here with me now. I still can't believe it."
Hailey shifted herself around, settling on top of Darren's lap, her arms thrown around his neck as their eyes locked. "I'm not going anywhere. Ever again."
Darren pulled Hailey closer; his hands wrapped in her now soft brown hair and pressed his lips to hers. Hailey sighed happily, immediately deepening the kiss, her hands running through his short hair. Hailey ground herself down on Darren's lap, grinning in satisfaction as he moaned into her mouth.
"I think we should go somewhere a bit more private," Hailey suggested, once she broke the kiss.
"I think that's a great idea," Darren agreed.
Hailey placed her hands on his shoulders, using him as support to rise to her feet. Darren quickly stood up, grabbing Hailey's hand and directing her to one of the Roadhouse's bedrooms. Once they were in the room, Darren had turned and pushed Hailey against the now closed door. This time the kiss was more forceful, desperate.
"Wait," Darren panted. "Wait. One second."
"What is it?" Hailey whispered.
"I just realized that I should give these back," Darren said.
His hands went around his neck pulling a chain over his head. On the necklace were two rings, the couple's engagement rings. That engagement seemed so long ago now.
"You kept them," Hailey breathed.
"Of course," Darren replied.
He pulled both rings off the chain placing them in Hailey's open palm. Hailey gave her ring back to him before sliding his ring back on his finger. Smiling Darren then slid her ring back on. She held it aloft with a smile. The ring meant as much now as it did the night Darren had given it to her. It was a Whitman family heirloom that he had given to her and it meant everything to her.
Hailey turned twisting the lock on the bedroom door before shoving Darren against the wall and pressing her against his. He was surprised for a moment before taking control of the kiss, turning them so that her back was pressed against the wall. He grabbed her leg, right behind her knee, lifting it up to rest on his hip as he pushed closer to her. Darren's entire body was leaning against Hailey's keeping her flush against the wall. Her feet just brushed the floor as Darren had shoved one of his legs between hers.
"Dar-"
"I know," Darren hissed, barely pausing to break the kiss. "Gotta be patient, baby."
Hailey moaned when Darren moved from her mouth to her neck biting down on the fragile skin. When he finally removed his hands from her arms it was only to grab ahold of Hailey's shirt and ripping it open, sending buttons flying. Darren didn't wait for her to react removing her bra, and the tatters of her shirt, and starting to unbuckle her pants before Hailey could even formulate a sentence. Snapping into movement, Hailey moved pulling off her jeans, toeing off her shoes before jumping back into Darren's outstretched arms.
With a laugh Darren pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her cheek before he laid Hailey gently on the bed. She shot back up, hands flying to undo his belt buckle as Darren's tongue slid into her mouth and his hand palmed one of her breasts.
As they continued to make out, Hailey hadn't realized that Darren had taken off the rest of his clothing until he crawled in between her spread legs, sliding into her with one quick thrust. Hailey gasped in surprise then moaned with pleasure as he pulled out only to slide back into her again. Hailey's hands grabbed his shoulders for purchase as she threw her head back allowing herself a few moments of peace and pleasure.
Aiden's Point of View
"Are you guys out of your mind?" Alex snarled, looking fit to burst as he paced back and forth. "I know you guys miss Hailey but that chick isn't her. There's no way."
"Castiel said that it is," Dean said trying to soothe his best friend. "Out of all the horrible shit in our lives you can't believe the one good thing?"
"Too good to be true, man," Alex shook his head.
"She knows things that only Hailey would know," Sam said. "She even looks like she'd be a Winchester if she had more Dad than Mom in her."
"You both came back from the dead and into your meat suits, your sister couldn't?" Alex growled.
"Hay always has to be different," I smirked. "Besides Beelzebub apparently did something to her body, made it so no soul could ever return."
My words didn't seem to have any effect on Alex as he continued to pace, his fists opening and closing. He looked fit to burst.
"Alex, you need to calm down," Marley ordered. "If you weren't almost ninety percent sure that Hailey was Hailey, you wouldn't have let Darren out of your sight."
"Mare," Alex began.
"Dude, if you're not going to believe a fucking Angel of God, nothing we say is going to hold any weight," I pointed out.
"Our lives are weird," Alex whined.
"Just figured that out?" Marley rolled her eyes. "I knew you were slow on the uptake but damn, brother."
"Oh, fuck off," Alex grumbled.
"All the facts are there," I shrugged. "Either you see them or you continue to try and delude yourself."
"Well, I know one person who will definitely know if Hailey is who she says she is."
"Yeah?" Sam snapped. "And, who's that?"
The door to the roadhouse opened with a bang, startling both the Winchester brothers and the Whitman siblings as one confident, lilting voice answered, "Me."
"Natasha Colson," Alex smiled. "Just the girl I wanted to see."
"You know, Alex, my abilities aren't some parlor tricks," Natasha scolded moving further into the room. "Although, I'm pleased that you finally believe me when I say that I'm clairvoyant."
"Sweetheart, after the things you told me, I believe you one hundred percent," Alex responded. "So, is Hailey Winchester among the living once more?"
Instead of answering Natasha strolled up to me with a smile.
"Taz," I grinned lazily.
"You mind, sugar?" Natasha questioned, holding out her hand.
I had seen her do this to other people, my sister in particular, which I why I knew that she wanted to see what I had seen. I placed my palm in hers and watched as her eyes clouded over as she fell into a trance. I could feel her presence in my mind and I showed her how Hailey looked now. After a few more moments Natasha let go taking a step back. Her eyes regained focus before misting up.
"Castiel was telling the truth," Natasha stated firmly. "The circumstances of her new body makes sense, almost as if someone made her a whole new body, getting her father's hair and keeping her mother's eyes and complexion. I've never seen anything like it."
"How could this happen, though?" Marley asked.
"I don't know," Natasha confessed. "It's not natural that's for sure. As far as I can tell the moment Hailey died, she was instantly reborn without her memory or her abilities. As far as I can tell it's predestined. Something knew that the Trinity was going to die the night Lucifer was released from his prison and had a backup plan in place."
"What does that mean?" Dean asked.
"Honestly?" Natasha scoffed throwing her hands up in the air. "I don't know."
"…But," Sam started.
"Believe me, Sam, I realize exactly what I just said," Natasha frowned. "Honestly I can't get a read on her, it's like she was plucked from the ether. But it is Hailey. I can feel it in my bones."
"What if you're being tricked?" Sam asked. "What if we're all being played?"
"It is not often, Sam Winchester, that someone or something can pull the wool over my eyes," Natasha growled. "My word is my bond and Hailey is amongst the living once more."
"Jesus," Sam mumbled.
"But, if she was reborn shouldn't she be a baby or something?" Marley asked.
"Like with everything the Winchesters have ever been involved in, I think that Hailey's case is unique," Natasha answered. "As in has never happened before, probably will never happen again. Something wanted or needed Hailey to be alive and now she is. For what purpose we don't know but she is here. Now."
"I am here," Hailey agreed, opening the door to that hallway that led to all the bedrooms. "If there is a purpose, I haven't been informed. My telekinesis is gone; the trinity's prophecy was fulfilled. So, if we can find any answers to why I'm alive. I'd love to hear it. Because I don't think I was resurrected out of the goodness of someone's heart."
Ellen came out of the hallway from behind Hailey. She moved past her dropping a dozen papers on the bar top. Sensing that something happened the others in the room gathered around to look at the information assembled.
"Okay, kids," Ellen said, interrupting the previous conversation. "We can't keep beating around a bush that we don't even know the details of. Sooner or later we're gonna find out what brought Hailey back, and we'll deal with it when that happens. Until then we have to focus."
"Ellen's right," Dean agreed. "We need all hands on deck here."
"What's the plan then, Dean?" Sam asked.
"We have to figure out what's going on in Carthage," Dean replied gesturing to the stack of paper. "Look at all these missing persons reports."
"There's over twenty," Ellen stated. "Just from the past week. Someone went to check it out, he missed the last check in window. Something's going on. Something big."
"Lucifer rose," Hailey wondered. "Has he done anything?"
"It seems like he's putting a lot of things in motion," Dean began. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are real. We've dealt with War, wasn't pretty. The other three haven't made their appearance."
"Well, shit," Hailey mumbled.
"We're moving out within the hour," Dean ordered. "Anyone who wants to assist is welcome."
"You're not going out there alone, Dean," Alex scoffed.
It seemed like a consensus that every one was going to come out on this hunt. Whatever was going on maybe having the numbers was the way to go. Hailey stood off to the side as everyone split up to pack up their things and get ready to go. She felt restless in a way she hadn't since she returned to this life. The urge to hunt and do something was thrumming through her veins.
"What's up, Hails?" Dean asked.
"I don't have any stuff," Hailey confessed. "Nothing that would help today anyway."
"We never got rid of your things," Dean replied.
"Thanks, Dean," Hailey whispered.
"It's good to have you back, Hailey," Dean said. He pulled his sister into a hug, still blown away that his sister was in his arms that she was back. It was almost too good to be true.
"Well, let's see if you still feel that way after this," Hailey mumbled. "I'm probably rusty."
"Somehow I doubt that kid."
Whether or not Hailey was rusty remained to be seen. Either way she was not missing this hunt. Because of the injuries Aiden had sustained, he would be staying at the Roadhouse, along with Natasha. They would make sure that the Roadhouse stayed up and running while Ellen and Jo assisted on the hunt.
"You guys stay safe," Aiden ordered as Sam, Dean and Hailey circled the impala.
"Always," Dean replied, handing Aiden his things. "Bobby should be on the way up, may need him on the horn."
"You got it, Dean."
The Winchesters all hugged before getting in the impala. With one last wave to Aiden, they drove off quickly meeting up with Ellen and Jo in their station wagon and with the Whitman siblings in one of their mustangs. Dean drove past both vehicles putting the impala in the lead of the convoy.
It was about a six and a half hour drive from Madison, Nebraska to Carthage, Missouri. A short road trip all things considered. The atmosphere in the impala was heavy in anticipation. Sam, Dean, and Hailey didn't exactly know what they would be walking into. And in the life they led, not knowing a hunt put you on an uneven playing field.
"We found the Colt," Dean announced. "Two weeks ago."
"Really?" Hailey wondered. "Where was it?"
After Aiden had tried to shoot Castiel when we first met the Angel, it had been misplaced. The Winchester's weren't sure exactly how it vanished but they had more concerning matters once Castiel had knocked Bobby, Aiden, and Hailey unconscious.
"A demon had it," Sam stated.
"A demon handed over something that could kill them?" Hailey repeated. "Why would it do that?"
"Well, he figured that once Lucifer finishes exterminating the humans, the demons would be next. So, he told us to shoot the Devil in the face."
"That seems like it's going to be easier said than done," Hailey mused.
"Probably," Dean agreed. "Who knows what parlor tricks Lucifer has up his sleeve."
"We're going to need all the help we can get," Sam sighed.
"I couldn't agree more," Castiel said, appearing in the backseat next to me.
With a gasp of surprise, Dean barely managed to keep the impala on the road.
"Cas, what the hell?" Dean demanded. "Haven't we talked about this? No sudden appearances when I'm driving."
"I apologize," Castiel stated. "I agreed with Sam. Or do you not think my assistance would be useful."
"How'd you even know I said that?" Sam demanded.
"There is power in names," Castiel replied.
"What are you talking about?" Sam scoffed.
"I find your derision confusing," Castiel stated. "Names have a meaning, a magic if you will. Angels are in tune with that particular magic."
"Meaning your just eavesdrop on people," Dean snapped. "Just waiting to drop on in."
"Dean, I understand you're upset with how we handled Hailey but I was under orders."
"We can talk about that later."
"Maybe you should ride along with someone else Castiel." Hailey suggested.
"Just one more thing," Castiel stated.
Before anyone could respond, he grabbed Hailey by her arm yanking her close before touching a hand to the top of her head. He chanted quickly in Enochian. Both Winchester brothers shouted in alarm as Hailey let out a scream, arching her back, before slumping into unconsciousness.