Chapter Nine – Conversations
Philip promised he would drop Lori home and he would go to his own house. Sam and Dean guaranteed to fill in the details for Philip. The teenagers were not allowed to be involved in the investigation. It was hard for the young teens to accept but the couple soon had to accept the facts: This was all dangerous and it was Sam and Dean's job to take care of it.
Amy, Dean, and Sam were back at the Oakland Hotel. They walked along the third floor in a tired and worn way. She took her card key out, swiped at the detector, and the three entered Amy's hotel room.
It was about six in the evening, yet it already felt like bedtime for the young adults.
She threw her jean jacket on the bed and Amy sat down to remove her boots. Sam entered the conjoining hotel room to throw in his jacket and shoes; Dean did the same. Amy sat on her bed for a moment with her hands on her knees. She took in a deep breath and slowly undid the top three buttons of her flannel shirt, revealing a white tank top underneath. A part of her was still cold. Chills ran along her spine and neck.
Get some sleep, Amy…she assured herself. Just sleep…
Sam and Dean came back into the room.
"Hey, Amy," Sam suggested gently, "get some sleep, okay? Dean and I will still be up…research a bit more…"
"Sounds like a plan…" Amy whispered tiredly.
The three both heard the sound of Amy's cell phone going off. She made a short grunting sound before reaching into her pocket and pulling the Razr out. She opened the black flip phone and answered.
"Hello?" Amy asked softly. Her eyes were getting heavy. "Oh, Dean Karajan…good evening…I'm quite fine, and you?...yes…I'm almost half-way done with the necessary conference hours…"
Dean and Sam both sat down at the table with Dean's and Amy's laptop. They each opened up the computer notebooks and went directly online.
"But sir…" Amy quietly protested in the phone. "I have 'till the twenty-eighth of December…yes sir I know but-"
She paused for a moment. Her eyes grew slightly large. Sam and Dean both heard the man's deep voice. It was muffled, but by the tone the dean of Northwestern had, he seemed very upset.
"…Yes…I completely understand…gotcha…you have a Merry Christmas too, sir…" Amy whispered bitterly into the phone. She hung up the cellular device rather quickly and closed her eyes. "Son of a bitch…" she murmured.
"What is it?" Sam asked.
Amy groaned and explained, "Dean Karajan of Northwestern…that bastard…he wants me to complete my ten hours of conference attendance by the twentieth of December…"
"That's tomorrow," Dean noted.
"I know…" Amy whispered. "Dammit…and he wants me to complete extra hours if it is 'at all possible'…dammit…"
"Hey, you have six-and-a-half more to go…" Dean reassured. "Go tonight and do about three hours if you can…do the rest tomorrow…"
Amy sighed. "I can't believe he's threatening my job…"
She stood up slowly and grabbed her jean jacket and cell phone. She walked over to the table and Amy patted the guy's backs and replied, "I'll be back by ten…have fun without me…"
"Don't worry Aimes, it'll be a breeze…" Sam said softly. He gave her a smile and Amy grinned back. She gave them a short wave before opening the hotel door and closing it behind her.
Dean and Sam both focused back on the computer screens.
Dean sighed and shook his head.
"What?" Sam asked.
"Amy…" Dean replied. "I can't believe she's trying to fight for her job and do all this crap with us too…"
"She's always been a hard-working, dedicated girl…no worries…she'll get through this too…" Sam explained calmly. "Now...what's the plan…"
"Well, I was thinking…"
O.O.O.O.O.
7:40 P.M….
Amy stared down at her cell phone. She returned the device back to her coat pocket and slumped in her seat. She sat in the large auditorium of Hartsfield College. Every seat was filled – which was a surprise – while an elderly professor was speaking at the podium. The old woman was discussing the importance of art in our nation's high schools…and she recommended we all band together and protest that art classes should be a core class and not an elective. Amy could hear the murmurs of people who agreed…mostly those who disagreed. She could also feel that Amy was not the only one annoyed to be here. A professor, who was about sixty years of age, sat quietly beside her. He seemed sad. He's only here because his family didn't invite him home for Christmas…Amy knew sadly. She stared at the old man. He was a grandfather of more than four children.
Most of the older adults here were only attending the conference in Wendy Falls because they had no other plans for the holidays. After all, hotel rooms and accommodations were already paid for by the universities…it was basically a free vacation. But a lonely one.
She could still feel the agitation in the room. Most of the people were blocking out what they were hearing. They thought of Christmas and their families. Some envisioned Christmas trees and small children opening presents. Others were glad they could attend church on the morning of the twenty-fifth. Some professors here were accompanied by their spouses. Well that's good…Amy thought.
She blocked it all out quickly. Amy did have complete control of whether or not she chose to use this power. It was strong and very perceptive. Having her mind completely open allowed her to feel and know what others around her felt and knew. Her number one rule was to never use this ability around Sam and Dean. She knew they had faced many horrors and depressing memories. Although allowing herself to see and feel the things they had dealt with would have been a help…it was still violating their personal space.
Amy had allowed herself to let her mind go for a moment when Dean and Sam had arrived. It was just for a moment but she had been able to sense something about what had happened in the month they had been separated.
The old woman in the front continued to talk. If Amy wasn't so tired and wasn't forced to come here, she would have actually enjoyed the presentation. She tried to picture paintings and sculptors…her favorite artists…Da Vinci, Caravaggio, Jan Van Eyck, Tintoretto, Castagno, Bernini, Michelangelo, Dali…
Sam…
Dean…
O.O.O.O.O.
7:58 P.M…
"Okay…so you already have tranquilizers…we shoot the animal…exorcise it…everything should be okay, right?" Sam asked, eating his plate of food he had ordered from room service.
Dean paced Amy's room. "Sounds like the plan to me…and just in case…we should shoot the demon in the head…after all, that's what Billy Walker did to the wolf that killed Ana Maria…"
"Sounds good."
"Sounds easy."
"Too easy…" Sam thought. He placed his fork down on the empty plate and leaned back in his seat.
"C'mon Sammy," Dean whined. "Just because it's simple doesn't mean something's wrong with it…remember the evil bugs?...all we did was hang out in an attic and eventually the bugs just went away…remember the shape shifter…I just had to shoot it…salting and burning old corpses is easy, Sam…and Bloody Mary?...I just held a stupid mirror in front of her and whoosh! she's gone…and how about the Woman in White…we didn't even do anything – except you crashed my precious car in the house – her dead kids were the ones to take care of her…"
"Okay okay okay, I got it," Sam rolled his eyes. "When do you suggest we do this?"
"Tomorrow morning…early…" Dean mumbled. He yawned and stretched his arms in the air.
"We do need to get some sleep," Sam agreed. He tried to fight back a yawn. "I just hate it that Amy has to be at that stupid conference…I think I'll wait up for her to come back before I hit the sack…"
"Yeah, me too…" Dean agreed.
"And hey…" Sam reminded. "Bloody Mary didn't go whoosh…" He laughed.
"Hey, there was total whooshage…" Dean protested mockingly.
O.O.O.O.O.
8:16 P.M….
Her eyes rolled annoyingly at the screen of her cell phone. She closed it again after looking at the time five times every minute. She sat in her seat like her students would – her leg was crossed over the other and she leaned back in her seat and tried to focus more on the ceiling. She felt so tired, so worn out. She wished she could be back at the hotel researching with Dean and Sam. It felt unfair.
Wake up…or you'll fall asleep…not a good thing for a professor to do…Amy thought.
She sat up in her seat slightly and stared at the new speaker in the auditorium – a thirty-year-old man who was discussing a new academic plan for teaching Chinese art.
Amy's eyes were no longer on the professor…
No one else in the room noticed a young woman standing slightly beside the professor.
But Amy did.
The young woman wore a silvery, gray nightgown. Her white face was staring directly at Amy. Her blonde hair rested across her shoulders.
Quickly, Amy got out of her seat at the end of the row. She walked up the top aisle and exited the auditorium doors.
The blonde girl was no longer beside the professor…
O.O.O.O.O.
Amy came into the Ladies bathroom. She threw off her jacket and tossed it on the clean white counter. The bathroom had a row of ten stalls and on the opposite side of the room were ten marble sinks.
She turned on one of the faucets and let small droplets of water to run through her fingers. She turned off the faucet and dabbed her neck with her wet fingers. Amy slowly waved off her hands and reached for a tissue box beside the sink. She cleaned her hands off and looked up to stare at her worn expression in the mirror.
She wasn't alone in the bathroom.
Not only was Amy staring at her own reflection, Amy was also staring at another reflection…Jessica's reflection…
Amy peered into the mirror plainly and continued to dry off her hands.
"You're tired…" Jessica whispered.
"Had a rough day," Amy replied to Sam's dead girlfriend.
Amy rested her hands on the edge of the bathroom counter. She stared into the mirror, her eyes focused on Jessica.
"Jessica, Sam has been having some pretty bad dreams lately…he thinks you're haunting him…" Amy asked.
Jessica shook her head slowly and shrugged. "It's not me…you know that…"
"I know…" Amy replied. "At first I thought it was just Sam and him feeling guilty…but it's more, isn't it…"
There was a new figure in the mirror now. Amy turned to her other side and saw another woman – she too had long blonde hair that swayed by her shoulders. She wore her own white nightgown.
"Hi Mrs. Winchester," Amy greeted with a small grin.
"How many times do I have to tell you…call me Mary…" Mary smiled back.
"You've been telling me that since I was twelve…" Amy laughed.
Jessica giggled as well.
Mary stared lovingly at Amy. "Amy, darling…"
"Mary," Amy whispered. "What's going on with Sam? He's having horrible images of Jessica..."
"It's not just his guilt…" Mary corrected. The ghost stared at Amy for a moment and continued. "It's this whole town…Wendy Falls carries a terrible, tragic story with it…"
"Billy Walker."
Mary nodded. "You remember how you felt in the manor…you felt so cold…" Amy nodded. "Sam is having the same type of reaction…but it's been happening since he and Dean came here…"
"We all know Sam is very powerful…although it doesn't show much yet," Jessica's voice echoed. "His perception is much high than yours, Amy…you felt something when you walked into that manor…Sam felt this when he got into the town…"
"You must be careful, Amy," Mary explained. "The longer this demon continues to stay…the more it will feed off of Sam's guilt…"
"It's feeding off of Sam's guilt…" Amy realized. "A part of Sam still blames himself for your death, Jess…and Billy can relate…"
"The longer Sam is in this town and the longer it takes to destroy the demon…it will become much more difficult to kill…the wolf will pick out what you three plan on doing…"
"I hope you guys can help…" Amy asked hopefully.
Jessica gave a soft smile. "You know we can't intervene so much…helping fight that Magi spirit back in Illinois was bad enough…not to mention holding onto your soul so you wouldn't completely die…we can only give you so much information and guidance…"
"I know I know…if you help me out too much…you two will be forced to cross over…you tell me this constantly…"
"Amy…" Mary whispered softly. "You must be strong…and take care of our boys…what else is troubling you…?"
Amy sighed and looked back down in the sink. She stared up into the mirror and admitted sadly, "I hated seeing Billy and Ana Maria…I wish I could have seen them the way I see you…talk to them the way I talk to you…and I wish I could tell Dean and Sam everything…"
"You know what would happen…" Jessica replied sadly.
"I know," Amy sniffed, "if they knew I could see and talk to the dead…especially the two of you…"
"They would lose focus…they would want to talk to us constantly…" Mary noted. "If they knew about this power that you have…the mission at hand would be lost..."
"I feel like I'm lying to them," Amy whispered sadly. "I know I've already told them what you wanted them to know…but still…Sam and Dean could use me as a direct link to the two of you…it could help them so much-"
"Amy-" Mary whispered.
"I mean," Amy continued, "Sam could officially let go of Jessica's death and stop blaming himself – especially now – and Dean…I know he feels so alone…he's always felt this way…Mary, just talk to him directly-"
"I already did," Mary whispered. "You picked out that the boys went back to Lawrence, right?"
"Of course I did," Amy murmured. "The moment I hugged the two of them…I knew they went back to Kansas…and I knew they saw you…but it was such a brief moment…"
"It was enough…for now…" Mary said gently.
"We know you want them to be happy…" Jessica whispered.
"Happy is one thing," Amy replied, "alive is another…"
O.O.O.O.O.
8:35 P.M….
"I can't believe it…he just picked up and left to go to England?" Sam asked.
Dean nodded. He sat on Amy's bed with his back against the headboard.
"Apparently she and Michael talked again…but the good doctor couldn't handle this…so…he left the country…" Dean explained bitterly.
"Poor Amy…" Sam sighed. "Michael was a good guy…he handled the Natiskawa thing okay, I thought…"
The two brothers remained silent.
Sam leaned back in the chair and rested his chin on his fist.
Poor Amy…she loved Michael…
He cocked his head to the side and turned to Dean.
"Well…it means Amy's back on the market…" Sam whispered.
Dean turned to his younger brother. "Hey, don't talk about her like that-"
Sam gave his brother a cocky smile.
He sighed and Dean shook his head.
"What?" Sam laughed.
"I know what you're thinking…" Dean murmured. "We've been through this…and you're wrong…"
"Please!" Sam protested. "It's been clearly evident since the two of you were thirteen…"
"It's Amy…" Dean repeated. "C'mon…Amy…my best friend and partner in crime during high school…"
"I see the way you two look at each other-"
"Hey, remember my belief?" Dean mocked. "Being alone is better…especially for a freak like me-"
"Amy's the same as us…she's a freak too."
Dean gave his brother a wry look. "It's Amy…"
"Exactly."
O.O.O.O.O.
8:57 P.M….
Amy had her arms crossed over her chest in the mirror. She gave a small smile to the two figures in the mirror on each side of her.
"I just wish I could tell them everything…"
"We know…" Jessica replied. "But it's not time yet…you'll know when the time is right…"
"Remember Amy," Mary echoed, "remember your role in this…"
Amy slowly nodded. "I'll eventually lead Sam to his 'ultimate power'…"
The two ghosts nodded.
"Watch over Sam…" Jessica reminded sadly.
Mary smiled and gave Amy a quick wink. "And take care of Dean…"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Amy laughed.
O.O.O.O.O.
9:10 P.M….
It's Amy…Dean thought. He stood out on the balcony. It was freezing; of course, Dean wore his heavy leather jacket with his hands in his pockets. There were so many stars in the sky, it was unbelievable. The town's lights were still on. Dean could see the woods from here…Amy…
Sam remained inside. He sat on Amy's bed with his back against the headboard. The T.V. was on but he wasn't paying attention.
Jessica…
O.O.O.O.O.
9:43 P.M….
The yellow taxi cab parked outside of the Oakland Hotel. Amy stepped out after paying the driver and entered the hotel.
Sam…Dean…I wish I could tell you everything…
O.O.O.O.O.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed! More coming soon!
P.S. This chapter was written rather quickly…no blame for any errors, I hope!
Reviews/Feedback appreciated!
Happy Holidays! Happy New Year!