Disclaimer: I wouldn't be broke if I owned Supernatural. And I'd make the Winchester men give each other a group hug already.
"What are we looking for again?" Dean asked Sam as they drive to meet Missouri and their father at the old house.
"Nothing yet but Missouri wants me to try and feel something out." Sam explained looking at the sketch in his hands.
"Sure you don't just need to get laid?" Dean asked snatching dream girl's picture from Sam's hands.
"Unlike you I occasionally think with my upstairs brain." Sam said reaching for the picture.
"Stop it you'll make me crash, then I'll have to kill you." Dean said holding the paper just out of Sam's reach.
"Your car has survived worse." Sam growled practically climbing over Dean to get his picture back. They swerved dangerously as his oversized elbow smacked the wheel on accident.
"Fine bitch, take your damn picture just get off me." Dean said shoving the picture at his brother and righting the car before they really did crash.
"Jerk." Sam said smoothing out the paper before folding it and putting it safely in his jacket pocket.
"So Sammy?" Dean said after a few seconds of silence.
"What?" Sam asked, irritated enough without any extra help from his older sibling.
"Occasionally means you actually do think with 'little Sammy' sometimes right?" Dean asked smirking.
"You're an ass!" Sam said turning five shades of red. He looked out the window and tried to ignore his brother laughing at him.
"Where are those boys?" Missouri asked frustrated. They were standing outside the house waiting for them. Jenny had taken the kids for a nice long walk while they looked around the place. She didn't need much convincing to leave them alone in her house for awhile.
"Their probably arguing about something." John said dismissively. He was on edge. Being at the house wasn't sitting well with John. He was two minutes away from bolting, thinking up any excuse to leave. It was easier the day before when he thought he had to kill something there.
"John stop it, your giving me a headache. Just go inside and wait for the boys." Missouri scolded rubbing her temples. His inner grumblings could wake the dead, the telepathic dead anyway.
"You want me to go in there?" He asked incredulous. The alone part was left out but she heard it loud and clear in her head.
"John," She said gently laying a soft hand on his arm. He stiffened for a moment before relaxing. Being comforted was not one of his strong points.
"You can't avoid this place forever."
"Sure I can, that's why I sold it after it was rebuilt." John said lightly looking straight ahead. He bit the inside of his mouth to distract himself from where he was.
"What did spend the money on?" Missouri asked raising an eyebrow he couldn't see.
"Ammo." He grinned at her showing where Dean got some of his old charm from.
"Go inside, it'll be good for you." Missouri said a bit more forcefully. She'd been trying to get her old friend to go into the house for years after Mary died. To get a little bit of closure.
"I don't want closure." John said gritting his teeth.
"Are you the mind reader here or am I?" She demanded irritably, running his arm to take the sting off her words.
"Do it before your children get here." She told him leaving no room for arguments from him. He locked eyes with her trying to stare her down but she just looked calmly back. John Winchester was a stubborn bastard but he had nothing on Missouri Mosely.
"Your a real pain in the ass, you know that?" John asked rubbing his beard in something attune to resignation.
"Uhhuh." Missouri replied gesturing for him to get inside already.
John turned towards the opened front door. Three steps and he'd be In There. He gave her a warning look that said if she ever implied to anyone that he was afraid to go in there he'd come after he with a shotgun full of rock salt.
"I'd feel you coming John." She called to him as he disappeared through the front door.
She sighed to herself and shook her head, these Winchester's took so much looking after.
It wasn't until she heard the motor that she looked up to see a motorcycle slowing to a stop across the street from where the house stood. Missouri stood a little straighter as the rider stepped off the bike and took off the helmet, revealing a head of red hair. She shook out her ponytail and turned to face Missouri for the first time. Her breath caught momentarily when she recognized the young woman from Sam's nightmare.
"Damn." Missouri swore falling back into the porch swing, with just enough presence of mind to be glad Dean wasn't present to point out her slip. She'd never be able to live with the boy after that.
John walked slowly through the doorway bracing himself for the onslaught of sense memories. He ran a hand along the far wall of the living room. It was one of the few parts of the house that hadn't been burnt to crisp that night, so he could pretend for a second that it was the same as it was twenty-three years ago, when he had to repaint it after Dean got marker and showed off his knowledge of shapes on the wall. Dean also drew a kitty cat on his father's face while he napped on the couch. He could hear Mary laughing at his dismay and telling him it was his fault for falling asleep while he was watching the four year old.
John closed his eyes trying to lose himself in that phantom sound, till he heard voices outside.
Jack had been fully planning on walking to the house that afternoon. More stealthy, less gas money and she hadn't just finished eating the left half of a diner's lunch menu when she came up with her grand plan. After paying the bill she left a sizeable tip if only because of how impressed she was by how big the waitress's eyes widened when Jack started to chow down. That and the never ending Coke glass made her worthy in Jack's eyes.
After the short walk to her motel convinced her that the least strenuous mode of transportation was best, Jack grabbed her helmet(safety first when your on the run from the boogeyman, she thought) and prepared to ride over to the Winchester house. A cautious nature made her slip a butterfly knife into her boot, paranoia made her put loaded .38 in back of her jeans under her sweater, she threw on jacket over that. She picked up her small, worn backpack and unzipped the front pouch. Inside were two white envelopes and her fake i.d.'s. She ran a finger along the top envelope, the paper was soft from being handled often, the letter inside read and reread. She zipped the bag back up and tossed it on the bed. It was time for her to go.
Jack came to a stop across the street from the house parking there. She felt a pair of eyes watching her as she removed her helmet and shook out her ponytail. She made sure to show no outward sign she knew she was being watched and turned slowly, casually to meet the eyes of her watcher. A woman was standing on the long front porch of the house, sitting a bit hastily after looking at Jack's face and damnit if Jack couldn't feel the power in those eyes.
The energy felt like the one from the day before, something subtle but strong trying to feel her out. Jack smirked and put her helmet on the seat of her bike and crossed the street. She wanted to know about this house and no psychic was going keep her from it.
But a black '67 Chevy nearly did. The driver was speeding a little and apparently arguing with the passenger about something when he came to an abrupt stop a few inches ahead of her in front of the house. Jack froze momentarily, thinking how ironic it would be to die by getting run over after everything else she'd survived. She looked into the passenger side window of the car as she continued toward the house, somewhat faster now, wanting to get out of the way of any other oncoming classics with bickering drivers.
The dark haired man locked eyes with her and froze, completely ignoring whatever it was the blonde sitting next to him was saying. His green eyes widened a fraction and she forced herself to look away. Any other day she'd have taken the time to ogle and flirt with the two handsome men, one of whom was staring straight at her, but she had something important to do.
"Hey hold on a second." She heard him call after her as she walked swiftly to the front steps of the house. The car door opened and closed with a loud slam and she felt rather than heard his hasty footsteps as he caught up to her.
"Sam what's wrong?" The driver called after his friend.
"Wait a second." Sam repeated sounding frustrated planting himself firmly between Jack and the house. He was so tall she had to crane her neck to look into his eyes and underneath the baggy sweatshirt and jeans she could make out a lean build.
"Excuse me, I'd like to go inside my house please." Jack said calmly grasping at the first lie that came to mind.
"I guess its to bad you don't live here then." A male voice behind her said nonchalantly. She could swear she heard the man smirk.
"And you know this because?" Jack raised an eyebrow at the one in front of her.
"A woman named Jenny and her two kids do." The woman piped up from the porch. She stood now and walked down the steps. Jack followed her every movement with her eyes.
"Who are you?" Jack asked starting to get annoyed. She'd wanted to check the place out by herself and feel its history. See if it felt the same as her family's old home.
"We could ask you the same thing." Said the blonde. Jack half turned and gave him a slow once over. Dark blonde hair, tall but not as tall as the brunette with the same green eyes. He had his arms crossed over his chest and smirked at her, his eyes shining with amusement at her obvious leering. She smirked right back. He had lips to die for.
"She's-" The brunette started.
"Not blind dude." Golden boy stated rolling his eyes at Sam.
"Why are you here?" The woman asked her, looking deep in her eyes. Whatever she was looking for she didn't see it because she gave up after a moment, looking frustrated and confused.
"Who's out there?" A fourth voice cane from inside the house.
'Wonderful.' Jack thought biting her lip in annoyance.
"Madeleine Keith." Jack called out the fake name as an answer to both his and the blonde's question.
"Who?" The man who appeared in the doorway had Sam's looks about him. All dark and broody, with a slight beard that was more stubble than anything else.
"Things seem to be getting a little crowded around here so if you'll excuse me." Jack said coolly trying to go around Golden boy to retreat. She'd wait and go around the block to find a back door into the house.
"You didn't answer Missouri's question." He said stepping in front of Jack quickly and quietly. The motion made caution alarms go off in her head. He moved the way she did. When she thought about it now the guy he called Sam did too.
"Why am I here?" She asked faking confusion.
"Yes."
"Well that's the great philosophical question isn't it? Higher power, evolution or maybe I just like the food." She answered sarcastically trying to step around him and getting blocked again.
"Dean." Sam said with a warning tone in his voice.
"What are you doing at this house?" Dean clarified, his lips twitching upward at her answer.
"You caught me," She held up her hands in mock surrender. "I'm a fire groupie and I heard this place burned down a few years back. Thought I'd check it out." Her voice was thick with sarcasm.
Dean's eyes narrowed dangerously and he stepped away from her. The silence roared in her ears, she had a feeling she'd just said something very wrong. The brief flash of pain in the man's eyes confirmed it but she bit back any guilt she may have felt.
"Madeleine." Sam came around to look her in the face. He looked so concerned, so worried and she realized it wasn't directed at his friend, it was all for her.
'What the hell?' She thought. Her day had started out so well.
Sam watched Dean freeze and pull away from her as if she'd just slapped him across the face. With those words she might as well have. He touched the pocket that held the sketch of her from his dream.
It was close, really close, the picture he'd rendered from memory. She was younger up close and prettier. Her shoulder length hair was a rich shade of red with the bottom inch dyed black like it was singed, pulled back barely brushing the collar of her black jacket. She was about 5'8" with a somewhat lean frame, clothed in jeans and a low cut blue sweater that brought out her dark brown eyes against the backdrop of creamy white skin. She had delicate high cheekbones that still held some of that youthful softness that made her look all the more fragile. Full lips with an upward tilt to them finished out the face that was contorted in sorrow not two nights before.
Jess said she would come to him and need their help. But now what was he supposed to do? Ask her if she was feeling okay? Tell her about them? He had no clue.
"Madeleine." He started softly using the name she'd given them moments before. He stepped between her and Dean watching her eye him subtly, sizing him up in a way where he barely noticed it.
"What are you guys doing here, while we're playing twenty questions." She drawled like it was only mild interest and not a human barrier that kept her from leaving.
"We used to live here, till it burned down." Sam said simply. She flinched and he thought he saw some flash of emotion in her eyes but it was gone to fast.
"Sorry." She said looking away briefly before meeting his eyes. She had penetrating eyes, eyes that saw too much, they reminded him Missouri or Max or what he saw in the mirror after a vision tore through him in his sleep.
"You're just a kid." It slipped out before he could stop himself. Her eyes hardened and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"No I'm not." She said narrowing her eyes in a way that was very familiar to him.
"I just want to be on my way." She said in a low voice tensing, ready to run at the first opening she got, or fight at the first sign of trouble.
"Why'd you come to this house?" he asked her slowly, keeping his hands from his pockets to show her he meant no harm.
"She wanted to feel it." Missouri answered for her.
"What?" Sam asked, looking past the girl to Missouri. His father was watching the girl like hawk. And Dean was glowering, still smarting from the flippant way she spoke of their tragedy. Sam had a feeling that was more defense mechanism than anything else though.
"Your a psychic?" Sam asked feeling relieved, maybe this wouldn't be as hard as he thought. He felt like kicking himself for not remembering that feeling of power from his dreams, but try as he might he couldn't get that feeling now standing in front of her.
"I have the oddest impulse to say I'm rubber and your glue. But how 'bout we stick to the pots calling the kettle psychic." She said smoothly.
"We can try that." Sam said smiling.
"I'm not gonna get to leave here anytime soon am I?" She asked pursing her lips together.
"Nope." Sam replied shaking his head.
"Shall we go inside and talk then?" She asked raising an eyebrow at him. "Or would you rather have this conversation outside where neighbors and the occasional passing squirrel can here us?"
"Lets go inside." He said giving the universal gesture for Ladies First. She smirked and turned to walk past Missouri up the steps. She paused in front of John and met his eyes unflinchingly. That in itself was a feat, Sam thought. And he had a feeling the day was about to get a lot more interesting.
TBC………