Title: Aftermath (Part Three)
Author: fatedtoflames (DJ)
Pairing: John Constantine/Chas
Rating: Strong PG-13, may go up later
Spoilers Movie: Lots.
Summary: Chas had a family, of course, though John had never made an attempt to get to know them. But after Chas's death, secrets are revealed that may force John to get to know them better than he'd ever wanted…and force him to protect them from forces beyond their control.
X-Posted to three Constantine communities(total) and my private LJ.

A half hour later John was sitting in the home of Father Lawrence, an acquaintance of his from the church. John didn't have a TV or VCR at his home, so he'd gone to the closest place he could think of that did, carrying the box full of videotapes.

He eventually convinced Father Lawrence to let him use the TV (a feat in itself, considering the last electrical appliance he borrowed from this man ended up in five thousand pieces in some homeless man's shoes, don't ask), and he settled down to watch the tapes.

He grabbed the oldest tape and popped it in the VCR, pushing random buttons until the tape played. Static at first, then…a birthday party?

John narrowed his eyes, feeling Father Lawrence's eyes on the TV as well from over his shoulder. It was most definitely a tape from a birthday party. Chas's, now that the name on the cake came into focus. His fifteenth birthday party.

He wouldn't have given you these tapes unless there was something on them you needed to see, John thought, watching as Chas gave the camera a grin and blew out the candles. Then, the camera panned upward, and John practically leapt back from the TV as it focused in, and Father Lawrence gasped and crossed himself.

A half breed. A hideous, malformed half breed with scraggly strands of red hair. But the image was flickering, changing, morphing between human and half breed.

Flickering between Jodey Kramer and a creature purely born of Hell.

Nobody being videotaped noticed this; everything went on as usual fro a birthday party, as far as John could tell. Not even Chas seemed to notice anything out of the norm. John began to fast-forward, and it was the same through the whole tape. Every time the camera panned across Jodey, she was flickering and melting between normal human and hideous, slimy hell-beat, not unlike Balthazar's true form.

Father Lawrence brought out some tea, seeing that this was going to be a long, harrowing process. John went through every tape, and about four tapes in it changed from family events to a set of hidden cameras Chas had set up in the house. Four rooms displayed on one screen.

Eventually John became used to seeing the strange form of half-breed, but he never became used to seeing the fits of temper see would throw, always aimed at Chas and not their mother. When Mom was around the girl was a perfect angel; but the second she left, Chas was getting everything from shoved into walls, cut with butcher's knife, and having boiling water thrown at him.

"He was trying to figure out what she is. He couldn't tell she was a half breed," John said, more to himself than to Father Lawrence. "And if he didn't succeed before she killed him, he wanted me to figure it out for him."

God, Chas, why didn't you tell me you were living with a violent half-breed? I could've deported her, or…or something.

"John…I don't think she's a half breed," Father Lawrence said, and John looked up at him.

"What brings you to that conclusion, Father?"

"Well…half breeds can control their outer image, even on tape and in photographs, unless they're weakened by something. And I don't see her as being an influence peddler of any sort. She resorted to acts of violence instead of temptation."

"So…what is she then, some kind of demon?"

Father Lawrence paused and considered. "I think we're dealing with some kind of prolonged, incomplete possession."

"That's something for the movies."

"It's possible," Father Lawrence continued. "There was a documented case of a prolonged possession over 12 years in San Bernardino. Difference was, the victim was a priest, and that was why he could fend off the demon himself for so long."

"So…either this girl is a nun or the demon is having some personal problems. And I'm guessing it's the second one."

Father Lawrence chuckled and shrugged. "You'll have to be careful with this one, John. There's no precedence set on how to deal with prolonged possessions of this degree."

"Well, what happened to the priest in San Bernardino?"

"He stepped in front of a train. On purpose."

"…Oh."

John watched the rest of the tapes and grew more and more concerned; the acts of violence were getting worse, more violent and less predictable. He was shocked that Chas had never told him, and that he'd never noticed Chas's constant injuries.

There was something more to this that he wasn't seeing. The only way to find out what that was, though, was to see it for himself by going to talk to Jodey or by finding Chas.

"Father Lawrence…I need you to find Chas for me."

"I don't know, John, the balance doesn't allow for-"

"We're talking about a fourteen-year-old girl here, Father. Chas may have some information that isn't on these tapes that could save her. Find him for me."

Father Lawrence shifted uncomfortably. "If you really need me to, I'll see what I can do."

"Good. I'll talk to Jodey, you find Chas. We'll get these pieces put together one way or another."