Part Ten: When Reality Hits…
Robin peered into the woman's eyes and tried to think why that name sounded so familiar to her.
Imogen looked at the girl's puzzled face and smiled gently, "I'm Lucas' grandmother."
"What?" Robin gasped, as the resemblance suddenly hit her. It was Katelin, Lucas' Aunt staring at her. The strong Roman nose and the graceful swan neck, it was all there.
"But…I thought all Lucas' family was dead?" the girl babbled, feeling a throbbing hitting her head.
"Well that is technically true…I am not of the living anymore…" the old woman started.
"You're a ghost?" Robin spluttered, backing away from the spirit.
"Not exactly…It's difficult to explain…"
"No…no…this isn't real," the girl jabbered, shaking her head furiously from side to side. She had lost it. She had actually gone crazy.
"Robin, please, you have to listen…"
"No…no…" the girl said, putting her hands over her ears. She had to block out this crazy voice, try and regain her sanity.
Then with no warning, the old woman grabbed Robin's wrist hard, her fingers pushing into the girl's skin.
Robin tried to struggle free but the woman held her tight.
"I'm here to help you," Imogen stated firmly, her eyes piercing Robin's, "I'm here to help you let go."
"NO!" Sam yelled and rushed forward to stop the pair but as he did, he felt something punch him in the stomach and he fell to the floor.
"Sam!" Dean screamed, as he watched his brother crash onto the ground.
"It's too late," Lucas whispered, as he backed away, terror in his eyes.
"What!" the older Winchester cried. What was happening?
"Put the gun down," a female voice called.
Dean whirled around to see the red headed woman as described by Lucas and Sam, standing in front of him.
"The psychotic banshee, I presume?" Dean quipped, holding the gun so firmly, his knuckles were turning white.
The woman smiled and made a ball with her fist and as she did Dean felt a huge pain grab his heart and he slowly sank to his knees, gasping for air.
"Do not test me, boy," the banshee bellowed, as the wind started to pick up.
Lucas watched powerless as the scene played out, she was here, his fate was completely sealed now. He felt his heart, now the beast's heart jump at the sight of its mistress and his body started to walk forward to her, ready for her commands.
"My dear son," the banshee said, opening her arms to embrace him.
The beast fell into his mother's arms and felt the strength of her power against his body, the transformation was almost complete.
"Aww…how sweet, a family renuion," Dean muttered, trying to stand up but failing. The banshee sure did pack a punch.
The woman flashed a glare at the boy but ignored him; he would be dealt with later.
"How does it feel, my son? Your re-birth?"
The beast smiled, "wonderful but…"
"But what?"
"I feel hungry," the beast growled, turning his eyes to the fresh meat behind him.
"Let go?" Robin said, laughing a little at the woman's suggestion, "I think it's a little late for that now."
"What do you mean?" Imogen asked, gazing at the young woman's pained face.
"Because Lucas is already dead, isn't he?" the girl retorted, turning her face away so the woman wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.
"No, my dear, he isn't. He's still alive…"
Robin spun back around, grabbing Imogen's shoulders tightly, "really? Are you telling the truth?"
"I am but…"
"Then I can still…we still have a…" Robin ranted, her fragmented thoughts spilling out in torrents.
He was still alive. She could still save him, the girl rambled in her head. It wasn't over.
"I have to go…I have to," Robin muttered, turning away.
But the old woman held on tighter to her, "you're not going anyway, not until you hear what I have to say."
The banshee's eyes lit up as the words resounded around the cave. "Of course…but first, you need to shed yourself of this fleshy skin."
The beast smiled and closed his eyes as his mother placed a hand on the top of his head. He would be just like he was before, she thought to herself saying the last words that would completely eradicate the O'Neill family forever.
Dean and Sam watched on as Lucas fell onto all fours, his body starting to sprout grey thick fur and his nose growing longer into a snout. His hands suddenly became claws and his blue eyes turned yellow, as the evil claimed him whole. Soon the man that was Lucas was gone, left was the beast, the animal that Imogen had shot long ago.
"You are complete, my son!" the banshee wailed, her eyes ablaze with insanity.
Sam's heart started to beat more wildly as the full impact of what had just happened hit. Dean and him were trapped in a cave with a werewolf and banshee. Basically, they were screwed.
"So..." the beast began sinisterly, looking at Dean on the floor, licking his lips, but not in a good way, "which body part do you want to lose first?"
The man peered at the wolf in front of him and felt a surge of hate hit him, "how about my foot, so I can't kick your ass?"
The beast roared with anger and lunged forward, his claws at the ready. He leapt onto the man and held his throat with one hand.
"Do not dare mock me!" it screamed, pushing harder on the man's wind pipe.
"Get off him!" Sam yelled, launching a kick into the wolf's side.
It moaned a little as it rolled onto the floor but Sam knew it would recover quickly. He looked down at his brother and knew he would be out for a few seconds while trying to regain some air back into his lungs, so he slipped the gun out of Dean's hands and readied himself for the conclusion he had wanted to avoid.
"Fine," Robin sighed, turning to face the woman, "say what you have to."
"Good," Imogen replied, letting the girl go.
As the old woman paused to think of the right opening, Robin sat on a nearby stone and started to plan her escape.
"I know Robin how much you love Lucas but you have to understand that it's time to let him go."
The girl stared at the woman with blank eyes. This was a pointless conversation.
Imogen seeing her words hadn't had that much of an effect, decided to try another route, "I don't know how much you know about our family history. But what Lucas is going through happened to his father, his uncles, his grandfather…And I'm telling you from experience that you can't stop it. No matter what you do, the beast will get him. So it's better to just let him go in peace, my dear. You just need to let him go."
But still Robin's empty face looked back at Imogen. Her speech was not getting through to her.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Imogen asked exasperated.
"I understand…but I choose not to believe it. Now if you excuse me, ghost grandma, I need to see Lucas."
She didn't have time to play obedient grand-daughter; she needed to get to her husband. She needed answers, not lectures; she needed salvation not a preacher.
"Oh for goodness sake, you can't save him, do you hear me! So stop trying, all you're doing is making it worse on yourself…"
The old woman's patronising tone was getting to Robin now. She didn't have time for this. But the woman carried on and the girl could feel the painful anger she had kept hidden for the past few months swell inside of her.
"Robin, are you listening to me? If you want to help Lucas, you need to let him go…"
"Shut up!" the girl screamed, her voice reverberating around the forest.
Imogen fell silent with shock. No one had ever spoken to her like that.
"Don't tell me what I can and can't do! I love Lucas and I want to save him! I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand…" Robin spat, heaving with rage.
"Someone like me?" Imogen asked slowly, a quiet anger building in her.
"Someone that obviously couldn't be bothered to save her own family…" the girl sneered.
And before Robin could think another thought, Imogen had slapped her across the face.
"Don't you ever say, I didn't try to save them! You selfish, arrogant girl, how dare you! You don't think I wanted to rush off all hot-headed, to save my husband and sons! I did, of course I did! But I realised that, I was being greedy and that instead of doing what I wanted, I should do what the people that I loved wanted me to. But then you probably wouldn't understand anything like that…"
The girl stood stunned, the raw skin on her cheek burning with the woman's palm print while the harsh words crept into her heart, their truth punching reality into her. And Robin couldn't take it anymore and she collapsed onto the ground in hysterics. Her tired body heaving with a fatigue that drains the soul and the mind.
The beast got up onto its hind legs and smelled the scent of fear, as he eyed the brothers, huddling together for protection.
Sam put an arm around Dean, pulling him into an upright position, clearing his airways.
"Are you ok?" he whispered gently in his brother's ear.
"I'll be fine…give me the gun," Dean hissed back.
"No…I'm going to do it," Sam stated firmly, passing the gun subtly to his other hand, away from Dean.
The older Winchester wanted to argue but his throat was badly bruised and it hurt like hell when he spoke, so for one of the first times in his life, he allowed his brother to step up to the plate and take the swing for the team.
The banshee watched as her son stalked around the pair, swishing his tail from side to side, taunting them to try and escape, wanting the chance to rip them to shreds. But as she watched the scene, she felt something sliver across her skin and she turned her head towards the entrance of the cave. She could hear the voices; she could hear that meddlesome old woman…
Imogen watched as the girl bawled her heart out onto the floor and slowly her angry demeanor melted and she bent down to hug her.
"Hush now…" the old woman cooed, stroking the girl's hair softly.
"I'm sorry…" Robin sniffled, as she tried to stop the tears.
"It's ok…it's ok," Imogen murmured, feeling her own eyes welling up.
But then she felt the wind swirling around her and the cold whipping her skin and she knew.
"I was wondering when you would appear…" the old woman muttered, standing up.
Robin wiped the last of her sobs away and turned to see a striking red-headed woman staring at them.
"You can never leave well alone can you? Even when you're dead, you won't leave me be," the banshee answered.
"I'm not here for you…I'm here for her," Imogen replied, placing a comforting hand on Robin's shoulder.
The girl huddled closer to the woman; she didn't like the way the redhead was looking at her.
"Her? Who is she?"
"She is Lucas' wife."
The banshee smiled, "you mean she was…"
Robin knew the woman just wanted a reaction out of her but she didn't have anything left to give. Lucas had died a million times tonight and now she was too worn out to cry or scream anymore.
"Don't think you can hurt us anymore."
"Oh really…and why is that?"
Imogen nodded and closed her eyes before in a low whisper, she began to pray.
"Ár nAthair atá ar neamh, go naofar d'ainm; go dtaga do ríocht."
As the words glided towards the banshee, she felt a pain inside of her.
"Go ndéantar do thoil ar an talamh, mar a dhéantar ar neamh. Ár n-arán laethúil tabhair dúinn inniu; agus maith dúinn ár bhfiacha."
"NO! Shut up!" the banshee screamed, but Imogen didn't stop. As the words built up, the trees started to sway violently, leaves ripping from them and battering into the trio on the ground.
"Mar a mhaithimidne dár bhféichiúna féin; agus ná lig sinn i gcathú."
The pain was so unbearable, the banshee screamed in her head. What spell was this?
Robin who was observing the scene from the floor, was transfixed by the woman's words, unable to move; not even the storm around her caused her to flinch. She felt strangely warm, having Imogen close to her. And then as she watched on, she heard a small voice whisper to her…
"Go…say goodbye to him," it said softly.
And with one more look at the old woman, Robin crept away, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders. Ready to face what she had to.
"Ach saor sinn ó olc. Amen," Imogen finished, as the prayer ended and the wind died down.
She opened her eyes and found the banshee weakened on the floor. It was done. As she heard her family calling her back, she quickly looked off into the distance and hoped that Robin would make the right choice and that finally, the curse would be over.
Writer's Note: LOL, no I'm not trying to kill you, Pure...but glad, you're still enjoying it. And this was the penultimate chapter now, only one left and then an epilogue and it's done.