Disclaimer: I still don't own the characters and, sadly, am making no money from them.

Thanks for the feedback so far. No one likes Wally... awww... poor Wally. LOL.

Scars from the Past

Chapter 3

"You've got to find a job for Dean." John said to Jim. "I have to get him out of here."

"John, he's fine –"

"I know he's fine. I know he can take care of himself. But I need him out of here."

"John, at the risk of really pissing you off," Jim paused. "this job – are you sure you should be working it? Wally drives you crazy, you hate dealing with black magic –"

"Someone needs help. Help that I can give. You know I can't turn my back on that."

"What if I find someone else?"

John shook his head. "Just find a job for Dean; get him out of here for a few days."

OOOOOOOOOOO

The next morning, Wally called to say Michael Barrett had been moved to the ICU and was now on a respirator. John was worried; time was running out and he hadn't found a way to break the curse. Another witch could remove it, but his conversations with other witches would end as soon as Ellen's name was mentioned. No one wanted to interfere with something she created, not even the more upstanding practioners of the black arts.

Since the court delivered its decision about her building, Ellen had been laying low and not even Wally and his degenerate contacts had been able to find her. There were rumors, but nothing panned out.

John still harassed Jim to find something for Dean that would get him out of town for a few days. Dean fully accepted whatever reason John gave him when he'd turn down offers of help; he was the perfect soldier because he didn't question John's orders. Still, though, it was bothering the man.

To help keep him out of the way, Jim put him to work. There was a secret room at the church where he stored weapons and reference materials; he asked Dean to inspect all of the weapons, clean them and make any necessary repairs. It was something Jim had been meaning to do for a while, but he hadn't made time for it. Dean recognized the task for what it was, but he did it without complaint.

Dean hadn't tried to talk to John about Wally any more after his father revealed their true first meeting though he still couldn't help but think there something John wasn't telling him. He searched his memory for anything that might shed light on the truth, but he came up with nothing. In reality, he wasn't sure he wanted to remember anything else and that was what kept him from talking to Jim again.

OOOOOOOOOOO

Two days later, Jim found a job that John felt comfortable letting Dean tackle alone. As much as the father wanted his son away from this case, he didn't want to put the boy in a situation he wasn't ready to handle. It was a simple haunting, probably a poltergeist, in a town four hours away. While it would require some research, it wouldn't keep him gone for long. John was grateful for the timing, though, because just that morning he heard a rumor about Ellen's location that proved to be accurate. He had complete trust in his son's skills and abilities, but he had reasons for wanting to keep Dean away from her, as well.

OOOOOOOOOOO

In the morning, Dean drove away with mixed emotions. He hoped his father would call in backup for his meeting with Ellen, but Dean didn't hold out a lot of hope for that. On the other hand, he was glad to be doing something useful and pleased his father trusted him enough to send him off on a job alone. He knew the reason behind it, but he decided not to concentrate on that.

He would be at his destination by twelve; the owners of the house were expecting him to stop by in the afternoon. After talking with them, he'd determine what kind of research needed to be done and hopefully be able to complete the job in just a few days. He didn't count on the car breaking down two hours out of town.

OOOOOOOOOOO

John walked into the apartment, various weapons and talismans hidden on his body. It was barely light enough for him to see; Ellen had all of the curtains closed and the only light was coming from candles burning throughout the room. She closed the door behind him, smiling in welcome.

"To what do I owe the honor of a visit by the great John Winchester?" she purred.

Ellen was tall, nearly as tall as John, but very slim. She was probably in her 50's, but looked much older. Dressed all in black, she had long silver hair that hung in waves over her shoulders. John smiled coldly. "I don't really have to tell you that, do I? You must know I've been looking for you and you must have wanted me to find you, or I wouldn't be here."

She smiled and sat down in one of two wing-back chairs. "Have a seat."

John sat across from her in the matching chair.

"You're right," she began. "I did know you were looking for me, although I'm not sure why. We don't generally have intersecting paths."

"I'm here to talk to you about Michael Barrett."

A cold smile played on her lips. "Really."

"I want to negotiate with you. What will it take for you to lift the curse?"

She laughed, though there was no humor in it. "What could you possibly have to offer me?"

"Don't underestimate me."

"I imagine you've tried to life the curse yourself."

"I've investigated various avenues."

"You don't have the ability." she said, looking at him critically. "You have many abilities, but not that one. Interesting. What is your interest in Michael Barrett?"

"No personal interest. I've only met the man once." John said conversationally. "But I'm told he does good work for the community."

She laughed. "So what I've heard is true. You are a Boy Scout."

John found himself smiling. "Where have you heard that I'm a Boy Scout?"

"Here and there." she waved her hand. "He's going to cost me a lot of money."

"You have a lot of money, from what I hear. Besides, he was only trying to help the people that live in your building. Interesting choice to go after the attorney, by the way."

She looked thoughtful for a moment, then smiled again. "You assume that's all I have in mind."

"Let's just deal with one thing at a time, all right?" John suggested. "What will it take for you to release Barrett?"

"How did you even find out about this?" she asked.

John sighed, he was becoming annoyed although he hadn't expected the talk to go smoothly.

"Friend of a – of an acquaintance." John said.

"More like stepbrother of an acquaintance."

John didn't show his surprise.

"You have quite a reputation, Mr. Winchester. I'm sure it's well earned." she shifted in the chair. "But sometimes it's easy to overlook things. Perhaps you've done that here."

"You're not going to deny having placed the curse, are you?"

"Absolutely not." she laughed. "But perhaps the reason I did it isn't as cut and dry as you think."

"I'm not sure I'm really interested in the reason." John said, not letting his uncertainty show through.

She looked at him. "Maybe you should be."

"Let's cut to the chase, here, shall we?"

"No, I don't think so." she looked at him, candle flames reflected in her bright eyes. "There's more going on here than you know. Until you figure it out, you can't negotiate in any meaningful way. I'll see you out now."

John didn't appreciate the cloak and dagger conversation, nor did he appreciate being dismissed. He wasn't used to not being in charge of a situation and he didn't like the feeling that, despite his careful investigation, he had missed something important. Even though he didn't really have a choice, he walked toward the door willingly. Ellen stood in the hallway as he waited for the elevator.

"Mr. Winchester," she called lightly. "Do say hello to your son, Dean, for me."

John felt cold as the elevator doors slid shut.

TBC