Part Three: No Regrets
Dean lay in his bed thinking over what Robin had told them. They had done exorcisms before so doing another one wouldn't be too much bother. But still there was something else that was gnawing at his stomach and he just couldn't figure it out.
He turned over onto his back and closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep in him but Robin's face kept flashing in his mind. It was strange but ever since they had started this new hunt, he had been feeling something for the girl in a way he couldn't describe.
It wasn't that he wanted her, it wasn't like that, he just saw something in her which made him crave that stability that came with settling down and marriage. And he started to wonder whether, if he had tried a little harder with someone, if he could of tamed himself for someone, would she have been like Robin? A woman that would love and understand him, demon hunting and all?
But as the thoughts bubbled away in him, he knew they were pointless and shook himself out of his trance, thumping his head onto the pillow. He diverted his mind back to what he was used to, demons and how to kill those sons of bitches.
Much better.
Robin turned on her lamp next to her bed and looked at her watch; it was nearly 3 o'clock in the morning. She'd only been asleep for a couple of hours but didn't feel tired, although the bags underneath her eyes showed a different story.
She climbed out from underneath the covers and pulled a canvas bag onto the bed with her. After a couple of minutes of rummaging, she finally found her most valued possession, the photograph album that Lucas had given for her last birthday.
As she opened it up, she thought about what lay between its pages, all her memories of Lucas were placed in here. There were pictures of them at their first prom together, their last prom, all their birthdays, all their stupid days out they had taken together, the time when they had decided to go to Florida for the weekend but had missed the bus and instead had spent the day at the station instead. She laughed to herself as Lucas' voice echoed in her ears, "yeah, I planned it this way."
But soon her laugh broke down into tears, why did he have to leave her? Why?
She couldn't understand what she had done to him to make him do this.
And as more and more tears fell onto the book, flooding the happy faces of her and Lucas, she realised that even if she found her husband now, things would never be like before, and she wasn't quite sure if she was ready for that change yet.
The sun was glinting at Robin through the trees as she stared out the window, the pretty scenery sweeping past in green shots. She couldn't remember the last time, she had just sat back and watched nature in all its glory. But then what was the point of gazing at the beauty in the world if you had no one to share it with?
"We should be entering Colorado soon," Sam said, turning to look at Robin.
"Good," the girl replied, smiling warmly.
Since she had opened up to them at the diner, the tension and walls between them had broken down slightly and they were finally treating each other with some humanity and friendliness.
"So do you have any idea where Lucas is in Boulder?" Sam asked.
"Yeah, his Aunt had a cabin there. I guess that's where he would be," Robin answered, thinking of the little haven. She had only been there once before but that week with Lucas had been one of the most perfect in her life.
"And you're sure he'll be there?" Dean said suddenly, looking at Robin in the rear view mirror.
"I'm sure. Before he moved to New York, he lived in Boulder, his Aunt taught at the university there. He always told me that was home for him, where he felt safe. I just know he's there, after what Sarah told me, I just knew…" Robin said, her voice trailing off as she remembered her conversation with the girl.
"What exactly did she tell you?" Sam inquired, wondering what information the girl had that would make Robin do what she had done.
"Well Lucas was going to the university to…"
Sarah opened the door to the office and sat down at the desk, opening the files already there. She had to get all this work done before the Professor got back and before her shift at the Orchid started.
"Excuse me?" a voice called at the door.
The girl looked up to see a tall boy with startling blue eyes and dirty blonde hair in wavy curls around his face peering at her.
"Hi…can I help you?" Sarah asked, wondering if he was a student. Although she had never seen him before and she would have definitely remembered someone like him.
"Yeah…umm…" the boy started, walking into the office, rubbing his hands as he did, "I'm looking for Professor Rhett?"
"Oh, I'm sorry but the professor is away this week for a conference…"
The boy's face darkened and his pretty blue eyes fell to the floor. Sarah felt a pang hit her heart at his disappointment.
"If it's important then maybe I could help? I'm Sarah, I'm the professor's research assistant," the girl said, extending her hand.
The boy didn't say anything for a second and then without any warning whatsoever, he grabbed Sarah's delicate hand with his, "I'm Lucas."
"Ok…well nice to meet you," the girl said, feeling slightly flushed for some reason as she shook his hand.
"I assume you're interested in the professor's work in genealogy?" she continued, retuning to her seat behind the desk.
"Yes, I want to find out about my family's history, background, anything really…" Lucas said, his voice low and soft.
"Right well, we'll see if there are any records here. What's your surname?"
"O'Neill," the boy replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice.
"Hmm…that's a pretty common Irish name so there'll probably be loads of references. Is there any specific part of Ireland that your family is from?" Sarah asked, getting up again and walking over to the massive bookshelf.
Lucas walked slowly over to Sarah's side and looked up at the stack of books as if deciding whether or not to reveal some sort of secret. The girl stared at him, not quite sure what to make of the boy.
"Irvinestown, Ulster," he said finally.
Sarah immediately picked up a large book and started to flick through it, carefully scanning for the name of the town and family.
Lucas watched the girl for a few minutes before taking a seat in an armchair near the window. He peered outside at the sky and he could see the grey clouds rolling in, it was going to rain. Not that he minded, he had always liked the rain, the way it felt on the skin, the way it sounded on the pavement.
Once him and Robin had decided the only way to avoid doing a test the next day was to get sick. So in their shorts and t-shirts, they had run outside and danced together for hours. The whole street had been completely empty, it had just been them, alone and free. He remembered Robin's face so clearly in the rain, fresh and clean, filled with laughter and life.
When his Aunt had finally reined them in, their clothes were so drenched they seemed more full of rain than the clouds themselves and they did get sick eventually though not quick enough to avoid the test. But in spite of that, it had been worth it, just to have that beautiful memory now.
"Yeah, I think I've got something," Sarah said loudly, walking over to the boy, the book still in her hands.
Lucas looked up and waited for the news that would seal his fate.
"There's only one listing for O'Neill in Irvinestown. They owned a small farm just outside the village, 10 cows, 5 pigs and a bunch of chickens," Sarah said, flicking through the pages.
"Anything else?"
"Hmm…that's strange," Sarah muttered, as she read the page again.
"What?" Lucas asked urgently, feeling his heart in his throat.
"Well this book is a census and here you can see in 1977, there are 7 family members listed, 4 males and 3 females. But then in 1980, all the male members of the family have disappeared…"
"Maybe they all died?" Lucas added sadly.
"They could of but it seems highly unlikely, I mean if it was sickness, why did it just take out the men? And it couldn't have been old age because 3 of them hadn't even reached 30 yet."
"Stranger things have happened," the boy said but Sarah wasn't listening. Although to be honest, he hadn't really been talking to her anyway.
"Hmm….there must be a reason," Sarah said, her mind racing as she got onto the computer and the internet.
But Lucas knew what she would find because he had already seen it, heard it. And then more than ever, he wished he hadn't gone to Ireland, gone to Irvinestown and found out the ugly truth about his family.
"Oh god," Sarah gasped as she read the newspaper article from the local paper, "look, Lucas."
The boy didn't respond or make any sign he was going to move out of the chair so Sarah read it out loud for him:
"Late yesterday evening, the police were called to the O'Neill residence where the bodies of Sean O'Neill (74), Aiden O'Neill (28), Ciaran O'Neill (26) and Euan O'Neill (24) were found dead. How they died is unknown at present but it is thought they were killed in a freak hunting accident. The night of their deaths, they had been hunting for a mysterious animal that had been attacking their livestock, although no evidence of this animal has been found. They are survived by Imogen O'Neill, wife and mother, sister Katelin and Euan's wife, Orla."
As Sarah finished the article, she looked over to the boy but he was so still, she couldn't even tell if he was breathing.
"Are you ok?" the girl asked tentatively.
"I'm fine," Lucas answered sharply.
"I'm sorry about your family," Sarah said, going over to the boy.
"Thank you anyway," Lucas said, jumping up suddenly and walking towards the door.
"What will you do now?" Sarah said quickly, she didn't know why but she really felt sorry for this man.
"I'm going home…" he said loudly, turning around to look at the girl once more before leaving.
Sarah nodded and looked outside to see the first drops of rain patter down, "I wonder what happened to his family…" she said softly to herself.
"It was the ben side," Lucas said in his head, as he hurried out into the rain, his broken heart washed away by the rain.
Writer's note: Thanks again, Pure. It's nice to have some feedback.