Hello Beautiful SPN Family! Here's part 3 of the Candy Man!
Special thanks as always to Jenmm31. The Sam to my Dean! Girl- you're going to kick butt tomorrow! I believe in you!
Here's the final chapter of this case. Please leave me a review or a PM to let me know if you liked the whole "case" thing, or if I should just stick to one shots, LOL! But regardless, I hope you enjoy!
A/N- if you haven't, please read the previous 2 chapters. Otherwise, this won't make a lick of sense :)
Disclaimer- see profile.
"Dean. She's not here."
Dean refused to acknowledge Sam's words. He continued to tear apart the room, looking for his daughter. He pulled the blankets off the untouched beds; he flipped over the one end table left standing in the entire room.
"Dean," Sam began.
"No," Dean said, low in his throat. He stormed into the bathroom, ripped the shower curtain off its rungs, hoping that he had been wrong the first time- that maybe Natalie was hiding in the bathtub and he had just missed her. When he once again discovered it was empty, he chucked the plastic curtain under the empty sink. He thundered back into the room, his eyes scanning the detritus for something- anything else to check, to look under, to destroy. Sam tried again.
"Dean," he said, this time with a bit more force in his voice.
"No. No no no no NO!" Dean screamed. He wildly looked around for the nearest object to throw. Since all the tables and their various contents had been upturned, he looked down to the floor. He leaned down, and shoved the table that he had just up ended half way across the room. Sam sidestepped through the wreckage, and grabbed Dean by the shoulders. He shouted into his brother's face.
"DEAN!"
"Sam, I'm going to kill them. Whatever or whoever took her." Dean said, his low even tone betraying the panic and fury exploding out of him. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch."
Sam grabbed tighter. "Yes, yes we will. But you need to calm down and breathe first."
"CALM DOWN?!" Dean raged, cutting Sam off. "My daughter is missing, taken by God knows what, and you're telling me to CALM DOWN?!"
Seeing that trying to hold Dean back wasn't working, Sam wrapped his large hand around the back of Dean's head forcefully, essentially holding his head in place, and forcing him to look into Sam's eyes. He pulled him in close, so they were face to face.
"Listen to me man," Sam said, his own voice dropping into a low growl. "You need to get your head in the game." Dean struggled to pull away, but Sam only tightened his grip. "No, listen to me! Look- yes, I know she's your daughter, but she's my niece too. And if you think that I don't want to catch whoever it is that took her just as badly as you do, you've got another thing coming. But if you run after whatever this is half-cocked, running on nothing but anger, that's not helping- you're only putting Natalie in more danger. You know that." At the mention of her name, Dean finally stopped pulling against Sam. He stood silent, every muscle and tendon in his body solid steel. But he was listening. Sam rushed on. "We need to figure out what took her, and where she is. Then we go in, both barrels locked and loaded. But not until then."
Dean's eyes were still hard as ice, but Sam could see that his words were slowly sinking in. Suddenly, Dean took a ragged, gasping breath.
"You're right, you're right," Dean said, struggling to breathe. "Sorry," he growled, more out of the fact that he knew he needed to say that rather than actually feeling sorry. Sam knew that for Dean, this was a huge step in the right direction. He let him go, and Dean shook himself, trying to break out of the emotional rollercoaster and back to a place where he could actually start thinking and help his kid. He pressed his lips together, but didn't speak, trying to focus his thoughts.
"Alright. Let's take a look around, let's see if we can figure this out?" Sam said, a wary eye still on his brother. Dean just nodded, one short jerky nod, and began analytically assessing the room. He immediately went for the sofa bed, where he yanked Natalie's pillow off the mattress.
"She's armed," he said, a tiny modicum of relief in his voice. He had taught her to always keep a weapon close when she was sleeping. He knew she preferred sleeping with one of her silver throwing knives under her pillow, which was not there at the moment. That helped him get into sharper focus, knowing that his little girl at least had a deadly weapon with her. His eyes then hit the golden retriever puppy that she always kept with her- the one he had given her when she was five. It was just lying, forgotten, on the ground. That almost sent him over the edge again. He tore his eyes away from it, and tried to focus on Sam instead.
Sam was looking around at the room. "And she put up a hell of a fight," he observed, looking at the wreck that had formerly been a rather nice motel room.
"So what does that mean?" Dean pressed, his voice still laced with tension.
"It means that she didn't just disappear, like the other cases that we've been working on."
"Yeah, yeah- there was no signs of struggle with them. Okay- does this mean that it's not supernatural? Whatever the thing was that took her?" Sam shook his head.
"I don't know-" As he was shaking his head, his eyes caught the slick, wet stain on the otherwise perfect royal blue wall. It was under the framed picture of the picnicking family, which was the only thing in the room that was still intact, still hanging perfectly straight on the wall. That was bizarre. How had a picture hung on a wire managed to escape the whirlwind? He walked slowly towards it, reaching his hand out to the runny, sticky substance on the wall.
"That better be the bastard's blood on that wall," Dean spat out angrily. Sam touched the stuff- it was cold. And way more runny than blood. He reacted with surprise, then ran his finger through the stuff, and held it up to his nose.
"Dean- it's not blood," he said breathlessly. Dean stormed over to him, and ran his own finger across the wall. He sniffed it the way Sam had just done, then tentatively touched it to his tongue. Sam and Dean looked at each other at the same time.
"It's...chocolate?" Sam said, confused. The facts rolled together in Dean's mind. It suddenly came to him.
"The Candy Man," Dean said, pure rage filtering into his voice.
They were out the door in a heartbeat.
*SPN SPN SPN*
Natalie wasn't sure where she was. She had tried to track the movements of the car, but it was very difficult, owing to the fact that she was blindfolded and shoved in a trunk. She had been working on the rope that was binding her wrists together, but was having no luck. This asshole had done a damn good job tying her up. The car screeched to a halt, and she began wriggling desperately, knowing that he would be opening the trunk in a matter of moments. She wanted nothing more than to pop out of the trunk like a deadly jack-in-the-box, but damn, these ropes were tight. She heard the trunk open, and felt the rough hands pick her up and effortlessly throw her over his shoulder. She gritted her teeth for two seconds- why did she seem to be missing the Winchester Sasquatch gene, making it so easy for her to get tossed around? Being deprived of sight due to the blindfold seemed to be heightening her other senses. The overwhelming smell of caramelized sugar was enough to confirm exactly where she was.
"Really?" she said dryly. "You had to blindfold me so that I wouldn't know that we were going to your damn shop? How stupid do you really think I am, you jerk-off?"
"Now, now," Rett said, in his warm, fatherly, yet extremely creepy tone. "There is no need for that kind of language, young lady."
"Yeah? How about I just kick your ass instead?"
Rett didn't answer- he just clucked his tongue disapprovingly. He had opened the door to his shop, and walked through, carefully locking it behind him. Natalie wriggled again, trying to break his grasp on her.
"Stop that," he scolded, his grip tightening. "I don't want to drop you on accident." That just made her start squirming harder. He sighed, and shifted her higher up onto his shoulder, effectively causing her to lose any ground she had just gained trying to get away.
"Now really, Natalie, if I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it by now." That made her stop for a moment, and think about what he said. It was true, in a weird way. Even though she had nearly taken him down at the motel, one cheap, lucky, well timed kick to the gut had doubled her over, and made her his captive. He had tied her up and tossed her in the trunk, but hadn't killed her, or even knocked her out. So what the hell did he want her for then?
"That's better," Rett said, feeling her stop fighting for a moment. Natalie snorted derisively.
"If you think that for one second, you can let your guard down around me, buddy boy, I'll kick you in the fucking crotch so hard that you'll have to go through puberty all over again!" she snarled.
"What did I just say about language?" Rett scolded, opening another door. Since she was slightly disoriented, Natalie wasn't sure, but she thought it may have been the Employees Only door that Anthony had walked through earlier that day. She felt herself being carried down the stairs, which was rather uncomfortable owing to the fact that her stomach still ached from where Rett had kicked her, and the sore spot was bouncing against his shoulder. He seemed to realize that she was in pain, and slowed down a bit.
"I'm sorry if this hurts you, honey. But you know, you didn't have to throw that temper tantrum like you did. I wouldn't have had to tie you up."
"Temper tantrum?! You abducted me, you asshole!"
"That is the last time I'm going to warn you about your language, young lady!" They reached the bottom of the stairs. Rett set her down, and moved her towards the center of the room. He then quickly unbound her hands, but left her blindfold on.
"Boys!" he yelled out. "Come and meet your new sister!"
Sister?
Rett removed her blindfold, and she blinked in the sudden light. When she could see again, she could make out two people walking towards her, one of them being rather small, the other, much taller. She stared at the toddler. Sure enough, it was Aiden. And she was willing to bet the other boy was Jonathan. They just stared at her, and she stared right back. Rett clapped his hands enthusiastically.
"Well, now, this is beautiful!" he gushed. Natalie turned to him with a look like he had just declared that he was going to be trying out for the lead in "Swan Lake". Her stunned expression didn't seem to affect him at all.
"We're finally together! Our perfect, loving family," he said in a twisted Hallmark Greeting Card quip. "Come on now, let me see that smile of yours, darling." He stepped in closer to Natalie. Jonathan reached out and pulled Aiden behind him when he did that. Natalie pressed her lips together, determined to never show him her teeth again. He just smiled patronizingly.
"Come on now, angel."
"Fuck off."
Rett shook his head. "I warned you about your language. And you really should smile when someone tells you to." He reached up towards his mouth. "You never know when you may lose that pretty smile of yours." He removed the teeth from his mouth like they were dentures. Natalie almost threw up when he turned to her and showed her what was left of his smile. His teeth had been replaced with what appeared to be live, writhing maggots. An ungodly noise reverberated from his mouth, like the maggots were screaming. She turned away, horrified. Rett popped the dentures back into his mouth- the writhing larvae were suddenly silenced. Natalie clenched herself around her middle, utterly aghast at what she'd just seen, and prayed for all of her bodily fluids to stay inside of her where they belonged.
"I'm going to go get your mother. She's not going to be too pleased with your attitude, young lady. I suggest you choose a better one before she gets here." With that, Rett turned on his heel and walked out of the basement room to an adjoining storage room. When Natalie was sure that she wasn't about to blow chunks everywhere, she turned to the boys.
"Are you guys alright?" she asked, swallowing hard to keep the bile in.
The little boy was clinging to the other teen's pant leg, his thumb popped in his mouth. The older teen looked at Natalie.
"Yeah, yeah, we're okay. What's your name?" he asked.
"Natalie. And I know that you're Jonathan..." she said, looking at him. Then her gaze shifted to the young boy. "...and you're Aiden, right?"
Jonathan stared at her in surprise. "How did you know our names?"
"My dad and uncle have been looking for you, ever since you went missing," Natalie explained.
"Are they cops or something like that?" Jonathan asked.
"Yeah. Something like that." Natalie scanned the room. It was empty. The far wall had some plumbing pipes attached to it, but otherwise, the room was completely bare.
"It's okay. It's going to be okay," Jonathan said, trying to reassure her. She just ignored him, and kept searching for anything that she could use a weapon, or any escape route.
"I know you're probably scared," Jonathan continued.
"I'm not scared," she said, lying through her teeth.
"But they really don't want to hurt us."
Natalie turned her full attention to him on that. "They?"
Jonathan nodded. "They're actually pretty nice people, as long as you behave yourself."
"Yeah, well, I don't know who "they" are, but screw that, I think we should try to break out of here."
Jonathan shook his head vigorously. "No, that's not a good idea. They want us to stay here. And besides, there's no way out."
Natalie smirked. "Well, I may know a trick or two, Jonathan."
He smiled, as if trying to mollify her. "You really think that you have something up your sleeve that I don't?" In response, Natalie shook her sleeve, and her silver knife dropped into her hand. Jonathan's eyes went wide at the sight of the weapon.
"Well, I didn't know you meant literally," he stammered. Natalie nodded in response, and began the visual sweep of the room again before speaking.
"Listen to me. I know about this kind of situation that we're in, and you're just going to have to trust me," she said in a rush. "When I figure out how to get us out of here, you take Aiden and go, do you understand?" Aiden started suddenly shaking his head, and withdrew his thumb from his mouth.
"Mommy won't like that," the little boy said, terrified, clinging to Jonathan. Natalie's eyes met the older boy's.
"Mommy?" she asked him warily.
Suddenly, a flash of brilliant light came from the storage room that Rett had just walked into a few moments ago. Natalie cursed under her breath, her eyes dilating madly again, trying to keep her from going blind in the onslaught of light. She held up her hand, and made out a silhouette walking towards her. Her hunter instincts clicking on instantaneously. But whatever this thing was, it didn't seem to be an immediate threat. It was walking calmly, serenely even, towards the three of them.
"You're finally here," the creature breathed. Natalie was surprised- since when did monsters have silky, flowing voices? She squinted, and the light in the room seemed to go back down to a normal level. A tall, statuesque woman stood before her. Her long black hair was knotted up with golden cords and ropes. She appeared to be wearing all white, and was twirling a large diamond on a ring on her left hand. Rett was right behind her, staring at her adoringly.
"Who the hell are you?" Natalie asked. The woman didn't answer the question, but tilted her head, and gave Natalie a warning look.
"I don't like children using that sort of language. It seems your father was right about your mouth. You really should be more careful about the words you use, Natalie," the woman said, disapproval in her voice.
Natalie just stared at her. "What do you mean, my father? He doesn't give a damn about how much I swear," she said. Dean had (for the most part) always found it hilarious when she swore.
The woman shook her head, as if listening to the ravings of a toddler. "Not your other father, dear. Your new father," she said, and gestured to Rett behind her. Rett just gave Natalie a nod of his head, as if to say, I warned you about your language. Natalie was stunned by the woman's words. Then the Winchester Anger started surging through her veins.
"Well, hate to tell you, but I'm not in the market for a new father. I kinda like the one I've got."
"He no longer matters, darling. It would be best if you just forgot all about him, and learn to love your new, perfect family."
"Go to hell, bitch."
The woman's face pinched in anger. She turned quietly to Rett. "It seems like I'm going to have to deal with this disobedience now. Dearest- please take the boys into the other room." She turned back to Natalie, rage burning in her eyes. "I need to teach our daughter a lesson."
*SPN SPN SPN*
The engine of the Impala roared as Dean floored it. They weren't that far from the store, but Dean wanted his entire arsenal with him. Mess with a Winchester? Yeah, there was going to be hell to pay. But mess with a Winchester's Daughter? Dean gritted his teeth and smiled nastily at the thought. The Candy Man had better be prepared for an unholy World War 3 that started with an atomic bomb shoved right down his throat. His eyes burned with fury, singularly focused on the road in front of him, demolishing the miles between him and his kid. The Impala sped through the night like the wind. Dean couldn't help but feel that Baby knew that Natalie was in danger, and wanted to get her back just as badly as he did. He gave a slight affectionate squeeze to the steering wheel, silently encouraging her to keep up the pace. Sam was in the passenger's seat, loading every weapon they had within reach.
"Why did he take her?" Sam said aloud.
"Doesn't matter. He's going to die," Dean growled in response.
"Dean, it just doesn't make sense. Why would he take Natalie? He said that he and his wife had kids, that they were..." Sam stopped suddenly, the words from their conversation with Rett clicking in his brain. "...trying for a third." Sam took a slow, ragged breath. He turned to Dean.
"Rett took the other two missing kids, Aiden and..." Sam said, blanking on the name.
"Jonathan," Dean said shortly.
"Right! Jonathan! He and his wife must be kidnapping kids!"
"That is one sick son of a bitch, Sam. Who kidnaps kids?" Dean growled. He shook his head, narrowing his eyes, willing Baby to go even faster.
"Yeah, he's messed up alright." Sam agreed, his own voice laced with anger. Another fact occurred to him, one that didn't make sense.
"What about the light that everyone saw then? When the boys disappeared? How come there were no signs of struggle with the other victims? And what about the older guy that went missing a couple months ago?" Sam asked, all the thoughts tumbling out of his head. Dean thought a moment, then snapped his fingers.
"I'm willing to bet you dollars to donuts that the older dude is Rett. Didn't you say he looked familiar?" Dean said, taking his eyes off the road for a moment to look at his brother. Sam gasped.
"You're right! He kind of looks like the missing guy, the picture on the flyer. God, how did I not see that?" Sam said, furious at himself.
"It's because it doesn't exactly look like him," Dean said, thinking hard about the picture. "I mean, it looks like he's been altered or something, kind of- I don't know- disguised in a way."
"What? You mean like a shape shifter?"
"No, those are exact duplicates. It's like, I don't know how to say it- like he was changed, you know? Like his DNA or something was shifted so he just looked different enough."
Sam thought hard about that. What had the power to alter human appearance? A sudden thought came to him- Natalie and him sitting at the table, studying the Greek gods...Rett's altered look...the picture perfect family on the motel room wall, untouched, completely intact...
"Dean. It's Hera," Sam gasped.
Dean turned in surprise. "Who?"
"Hera. Greek goddess of marriage. The one that Natalie and I have been studying. She's obsessed with the perfect family. She's trying to create the perfect family by kidnapping people and making them into her new gang. I'm guessing Rett is just a pawn, the Father character in her perfect family picture."
" Yeah- he said he and his wife moved her a couple of months ago. Didn't the first guy go missing around then?" Sam nodded his head vigorously. "So is Rett not the one doing the kidnapping then?"
"Think about it. We set up all sorts of anti-supernatural stuff in every room we check into. I'm guessing she couldn't come into the room..."
"But Rett could. She just waltzed into the other houses, took the kids..."
"That explains the flashes of light."
"...but Rett had to get Natalie." Dean gripped the steering wheel tightly. "Man, did that son of a bitch back the wrong horse."
"I'm willing to bet that Hera kidnapped Rett too, and fed him Nectar of the Gods."
"What the hell is that?!"
"It's this stuff that they drink on Mount Olympus- it's not meant for mortals, but they can use it in small doses to control people," Sam said, recalling the lesson with his niece. "That's why Rett looks different- Hera used the nectar to alter Rett's DNA so he wouldn't look the same and people wouldn't think he was the missing guy. She's probably also controlling him with it. Nectar is toxic though, to mortals." Sam shuddered. "If she's been feeding it to him by mouth, I'd hate to see what other effects it has on him."
"Yeah, well, I'm going to cram all of their mouths so full of nectar they won't ever make it back to Mount Olympus," Dean threatened, his foot still firmly planted on the floor. Another horrifying thought came to Sam.
"I don't think Rett's the only one."
"So what? You think this goddess chick is feeding other people nectar too?"
Sam turned to Dean. "It's got to be in the chocolates."
"Are you serious?!"
"Think about it. That's why everyone in this town is so gung-ho to keep their lawns perfect, their store fronts all nice and happy looking, to look like the perfect community. They've all been to the new candy store and eaten the chocolates! This whole freaking town is under the spell!" Sam took a deep breath. "And we've got another problem," he added. Dean rolled his eyes.
"Another one? Great. I was thinking we were kind of low on problems right now, that's just great."
"Hera's immortal."
"So?"
"So that means we can't kill her."
"When has that stopped us before?"
Sam shook his head. "No Dean, you don't understand. She has the power of the gods behind her. She's going to be immune to everything we've got."
Dean's knuckles cracked as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. "So what you're saying is some Immortal Bitch has my daughter, and there's nothing I can do about it?" Sam didn't say anything.
"Well, fuck that. I don't care if I have to bring Heaven or Mount Olympus or whatever down, I'm getting Natalie back."
"Maybe we can combat Hera's power with...another god's power or something," Sam mused, trying to think of a solution.
"Great. Got Hercules on speed dial?"
Sam didn't answer- his brain was whirling into overdrive. He suddenly found the answer he was looking for.
"Yes. We can do that," he said to himself, trying to quickly formulate a plan.
"Okay, how?" Dean pressed, his tone forceful. Sam turned to look at him.
"I just really hope Natalie did the reading I told her to."
*SPN SPN SPN*
Two minutes later, they were silently entering the Candy Man's store. A quick cursory look around told them that they were not in the store front, so Sam quickly picked the lock to the Employees Only door. They were silently making their way down the dark stairs, Dean in the lead. They reached the floor of the basement. The thick darkness was too much for them, so Sam clicked on his pocket flash light, shining it around the room. The beam of light fell on a small dark haired figure sitting limply on the ground, leaning up against the opposite wall.
Dean cursed under his breath. Natalie was unconscious, tied with her hands over her head. Her little fingers were curled over as if she had been there, knocked out for a while. He ran over to her, quickly pulling his pocket knife out, and began cutting the ropes that bound her hands. He was worried when he saw how stiff her fingers were curled, but he could also feel the slight warmth in them, letting him know that she was still alive. He glanced quickly at her face, not wanting to take his eyes off the rope he was cutting, but needing to know that she was alright. A large bruise was blossoming on her left cheek, like she had been back handed. Dean's blood boiled at the thought of anyone hurting her like that. He was sawing away at the thick ropes with a vengeance, almost but not quite making it through the first one, when he felt the barrel of the gun on the back of his skull. He froze immediately, his hand still right beside Natalie's.
"Now, I wouldn't do that if I were you," came Rett's sickly sweet voice. Dean slowly stood up. With barely any discernible movement, he slipped the pocket knife in between Natalie's curled fingers. It stayed there. Dean prayed that she would wake up soon and be able to use it to cut herself the rest of the way free. He turned around slowly, raising his hands. Sure enough, Rett had a gun trained right at his face. Sam was on the other side of the room, trying to speak, but something had removed his voice. He watched as his brother tried to move, but his feet were stuck to the floor. A woman, tall, wearing all white, was standing next to Sam, twirling a lock of his long hair around her fingers. So that was why Sam hadn't sounded the alarm- the woman was holding him in place, silent. She turned her eyes to Dean.
"That's better," she purred. She walked over to Dean. "Can't have you undermining my authority." She gestured carelessly towards Natalie. "My daughter needed to be punished. I don't appreciate you trying to set her free when she hasn't learned her lesson yet."
Dean stared at the goddess incredulously. "YOUR daughter? Oh, lady, have you got your lines crossed. That one," he said, pointing to Natalie, "belongs to me."
The goddess gave a superior smirk. "She WAS yours. She's mine now."
"Like hell she is."
"I can see where she gets her charming linguistic skills from."
"Yeah? Then try this one on for size. Get bent."
Hera turned to Rett, with a can you believe this look on her face. "These people are always so ungrateful. Here I am, just trying to create a perfect family to combat this disgusting, imperfect world, and I get nothing but rudeness and filthy words." She shook her head sadly. "Such a shame."
Rett nodded like a slave to his master. "I know dearest. We'll finish him off, and then he can't say anything mean to you anymore," he said, practically drooling on the goddess. Hera smirked, but looked back and forth between the brothers.
"No, I don't think so," she mused. Her eyes trailed up and down Dean's body, then she slowly made her way back to Sam, who was still struggling to break free of her hold. She ran her fingers through his hair again. He tried to jerk away from her, but there was only so far he could move.
"They're both rather handsome. I could be in the mood for some...family pets," she said, her voice silky and dangerous. Rett's face twisted in amusement at her words. He turned to face Dean, who still had his back to Natalie. Dean spoke up, trying to divert Hera's attention off of Sam.
"Okay, look, you Olympian bitch. Let the kids go, and you can do whatever you want to me. Just let them go, they don't deserve this," he said. Rett laughed in response.
"What family is going to miss them? Aiden's parents are always fighting; Jonathan's parents are always away. And as for Natalie- well, she has a better chance with me as her father than she ever did with you."
Dean was about to lean forward and rip Rett's throat out, but Rett suddenly gasped, and looked up. Dean's pocket knife was sticking neatly out of his forehead, the handle still quivering. His soon to be dead eyes rolled down, and looked in surprise behind Dean. Dean whirled around.
"Bite me, bi-atch."
Natalie's one wrist was still lashed to the pipes on the wall, but she had only needed the one free hand to throw the blade. Blood poured out of the wound in Rett's forehead, and ran down into his open mouth. As he fell, Dean paid him no attention, racing back to the wall to his daughter. Natalie shook her free arm, her silver knife dropping into her hand again. Dean snatched it and began cutting the other rope as quickly as he could. Just as he was slicing through the last fiber, Rett hit the ground with a resounding thud. Hera watched, seemingly indifferent. Dean pushed Natalie behind him as Hera took two steps towards the former father of her kidnapped children. She tilted her head, as if studying him.
"Pity," she said, her voice lacking emotion. "I liked him. He worshipped me." She gave one final look at Rett, then swung her eyes up to Dean. "Do you have any idea how long it takes me to train a new male?" She rolled her eyes, apparently annoyed at having to go through the rigorous trial of finding a new slave yet again. Her eyes turned cold, and she smiled.
"At least I still have my children," she hissed. She reached out a hand towards Natalie, who suddenly rose a few feet off the ground, gasping for air.
"NO!" Dean screamed, and rushed the goddess, tackling her around the middle. He had caught her by surprise with his sudden charging, and as she hit the floor, so did Natalie. Natalie took a gasping breath, the air rushing back into her lungs, and saw Sam on the other side of the room, suddenly able to move. He raced around to the storage room, where Jonathan and Aiden had suddenly appeared. He blocked the door way, and Natalie saw Jonathan draw back his fist.
"No! They're here to help us!" she yelled, hoping that Jonathan was listening. Her voice didn't get to him in time- he landed a punch in the small of Sam's back. Sam just grunted, barely touched by the weak left hook, and turned to give Jonathan the evil eye. Jonathan's now panicked eyes swung to Natalie, her words finally registering in his mind.
"Oh! Um, okay. Sorry, dude!" he said quickly, looking back at Sam. Sam just rolled his eyes.
Dean was still wrestling with the goddess. He was on top of her, pinning her wrists to the ground. She was writhing beneath him, trying to break free.
"You know," Dean said, unable to keep his snarkiness to himself, "If you weren't trying to steal my daughter, this would be kinda hot."
At that, Hera suddenly dislodged him from on top of her, and flipped him so fast, slamming him into the concrete floor, that he was completely winded.
"I take it back," he gasped, barely able to breathe. Her eyes had fire in them, and she raked her nails down his face, leaving a trail of three gashes.
"Ah, c'mon," he panted, trying in vain to grasp her wrists and keep her from shredding his cheek again. "Not the face- that's my money maker." This only enraged the goddess further. She grabbed him by the lapels of his jacket and slammed him into the concrete once more. Sam saw that Dean was in danger of losing his battle, very quickly. He fished in his pocket for his vial of holy water and a Zippo.
"Natalie!" he hollered. Natalie's eyes tore away from the fight between her father and the goddess, and met Sam's. He tossed her the vial and the lighter, which she caught with lighting precision. "Summon the goddess Hestia!" he yelled. Natalie's eyes grew wide, and once his words registered with her, he saw her instantaneously switch to action mode. She opened the vial, and poured it over her head. She wildly looked around, searching for something to start a fire with. Finding nothing in the bare room, she pulled off her shoe, and immediately set fire to it using the Zippo. She placed it on the ground, and in a loud voice, called out, "O Hestia, goddess and protector of families, I plead with you, come before me." Thank God she did her homework, Sam thought in a rush.
Natalie watched around the room, but didn't see anything change. Dean had managed to kick Hera off of him, but she instantly pounced again, like a deadly kitten. Natalie frantically caught Sam's eye.
"It didn't work!" she yelled, desperation in her voice.
Sam held out his hand to her. "Try again!" She steeled herself, trying to remember Hestia's full title, and called out once more.
"O Hestia, goddess of the hearth and protector of families, I beg of you, come to us!"
A sudden rush of light in the room blinded them all for a moment. When Natalie could see again, she was surprised. A small girl stood in the middle of the room, maybe around her age, wearing a simple white dress. There was nothing to suggest a god-like power, except the halo of golden light surrounding her. Other than that, perfectly normal. Hera stopped wrestling with Dean at Hestia's sudden appearance. She stood up, leaving Dean curled over in the dust.
"What are you doing here?" she snarled at the young girl. Hestia stared up at the Queen of Heaven benignly.
"This child summoned me," she said, and pointed at Natalie. Hera's eyes bore holes into Natalie.
"It seems I now have to teach you a lesson about playing with fire," she snapped threateningly. She made a move towards Natalie, but was stopped by an invisible wall. Hestia had held up her hand, and apparently Hera couldn't move. Hera's face was astounded, and she turned to Hestia with a look that promised death.
"How dare you stop the Queen of Heaven!" she screamed at the young girl. Hestia didn't even blink.
"You have overstepped Zeus's law, your Majesty," Hestia said, in a quiet, calm voice. "We are not to interfere with mortal lives. And I am the guardian of mortal families. You must not harm the Winchesters any longer."
Hera's eyes narrowed. "And a pathetic minor goddess like you is going to stop me?" she said, her silky voice growing dangerous again. Hestia smiled.
"Yes," she said simply. A sudden pulse of golden light radiated off of Hestia. Hera was thrown back, and for the first time, Natalie could see fear in the goddess's eyes. Hestia opened her mouth.
"You will not harm the Winchesters any longer. As the Goddess of the Hearth and the Protector of Families, I place them under my protection from your interference," she said, her voice no longer quiet and gentle, but powerful and commanding, reverberating though the room. Hera screamed, her frustration exploding out of her, and with another flash of light, she disappeared.
Dean quickly picked himself up off the floor, and with a quick look at his daughter and his brother, began dusting himself off, rolling around his aching muscles from where Hera had clobbered him. Natalie took a step towards the goddess.
"Thank you, goddess," she said quietly, with reverence in her voice. Hestia had returned to her regular glowing level, and turned to smile at Natalie.
"You're welcome, child," Hestia said, tilting her head and smiling. "Are the others safe?" she asked, looking at Sam. Sam turned to the side, and Jonathan came out of the store room, with Aiden in his arms.
"Um, yes, yes your...goddessness, we're alright," Jonathan stammered, in awe of everything he had just witnessed. Hestia seemed to smother a smile at the word "goddessness", but she schooled her features to stay kind.
"Good. I'm glad. I will return you to your families, but you must be cautious in telling this tale to other mortals. Do you understand?" Hestia said, looking at both boys. Jonathan nodded intensely, but then looked at Aiden. Natalie knew they were wondering the same thing. How do you tell a four year old to stay quiet? Hestia seemed to realize the issue at the same time they did. She glided over to the boys. Aiden was staring at her in wonder, his thumb still in his mouth. Hestia smiled gently, and reached out to place a hand on his forehead. The young boy instantly fell into a deep sleep, a smile on his face, slumped against Jonathan's shoulder. Hestia's eyes met Jonathan's again.
"The young one will not remember anything of what he's seen here. And now you must make a vow to never tell the truth of what you witnessed today, young man. Make it to me, now," she said, the hint of power and command back in her tone. Jonathan nodded quickly.
"I vow to never speak of this, your Majesty," he said, almost tripping over his words. Behind him, Natalie saw Dean roll his eyes at the teenager's awkwardness. She felt the laugh welling up inside her, but after remembering Rett's horrific smile, she wasn't sure if she could ever smile again, so she stifled her grin.
Hestia smiled at Jonathan, and reached out to touch his forehead this time. In an instant, both he and Aiden vanished.
"Whoa," said Dean. Hestia turned towards him at his outburst. "Where did they go?" he asked.
"I sent them back to their homes. Aiden will be found, sleeping in his bed. His parents are at their home, right now."
"And Jonathan?" Sam asked.
Hestia nodded. "His parents return from their cruise today, and they will be none the wiser."
Dean's eyes then started scanning his own daughter for any signs of hurt or damage. She was staring at the still form of Rett on the ground. Dean's heart twisted as he realized what this was- her first kill. She had seen he and Sam take down any number of supernatural creatures- she had even exorcised a demon once- but this was the first kill by her own hand. He walked over to her, his hands shoved in his pockets.
"Hey," he said quietly to her. "You okay?" She continued to stare at the dead man, and didn't respond. Dean sighed, and stepped in closer to her. "You kept your head, you remembered your training. A lot of adults wouldn't have been able to stay calm and focused the way you just did, kiddo." Again, no response.
"You did what you had to do," he said stoically. "There was no saving him, not when Hera had altered him like that- you know that, right?"
"Yeah, I know that," she responded quietly, still staring at the body.
"You saved me. He would have blown me away in a second if you hadn't stopped him." Dean nudged her, causing her to look up into his face. "You saved my life tonight."
When the truth of that statement hit, Natalie's eyes widened. She had always wanted to be just like her father- saving people, and hunting things- and for the first time, when Dean said that, she realized that she just might get her wish. She still didn't want to smile- the best she could do was a sideways grin, but she wrapped her arms around Dean's waist, and buried her face in his chest. He wrapped his arms around her in response, and just stood there, holding her.
When they finally broke apart, they both looked up, in tandem, to see the goddess staring curiously at the two of them. Without a word, she turned to look at Sam. She stretched out her left hand to him. He gingerly took it, and she tugged, pulling him towards his brother and niece. She reached her right hand out to Dean. When her hand connected with his, she started in surprise, and looked quickly back and forth between the brothers. Sam and Dean exchanged a look- they had no idea what she was doing. She gently let go of their hands, and then her eyes trained on Natalie. She took a tentative step forward, and reached out her hands towards Natalie's face. Natalie didn't move- she knew she was in no danger from Hestia, and was curious as to what the goddess wanted. Hestia's hands gently cupped Natalie's face. Natalie felt a warm, rushing sensation, similar to the feeling she got when she and Matilda had touched hands. But this time, she didn't question it. She simply let it be. For one brief second, Hestia's face registered joy, and then she stepped away from Natalie again, stepping back so she could see all three of them.
"You all have a much bigger part to play in your quest than you realize," the goddess said simply. The three of them looked at each other for a split second, before training their eyes back on her.
"What does that mean?" Dean asked. Hestia tilted her head slightly, looking at him.
"It is not for me to tell you. You will discover it on your own." She reached out her hands to the brothers once again, and they both took them.
"But I can tell you this. You must all take care of one another. It is important that you continue on this journey together, no matter what it takes," Hestia said, the power creeping back into her voice. "Make a vow to me. Swear that you will protect each other." Without a moment's hesitation, they all spoke up.
"I will," said Dean.
"I will," said Sam.
"I will," said Natalie.
Hestia smiled once again at the family, and with a flash of light, she was gone.
*SPN SPN SPN*
"You know, I kind of feel bad," Natalie said, as they loaded their duffle bags into the trunk the next morning. "I mean, that motel room was so nice, and boy, did we destroy it good."
Dean shrugged and grinned. "Not the first time, won't be the last." He hollered into the room as Natalie scooted into the backseat of the Impala. "Come on Sammy, what are you waiting for- the rapture?"
Sam walked out of the room with his infamous bitch face on, and slapped Dean's .45 into his hand. Dean just stared at it, then shrugged again, and gave Sam his cheeky grin. "Thanks bro." Sam just laughed it off, and got into the passenger's side.
While Dean was shutting the trunk, Sam turned to Natalie inside the car.
"I can't believe it took me that long to figure out what was going on," he said to his niece. "I mean- come on- Heaven's Rock is another name for Mount Olympus, for god's sake."
Natalie smirked. "We hadn't gotten to that part of the lesson yet, so I didn't get it either. Totally understandable." Sam smiled at his niece's justification, essentially letting him off the hook.
"Hey," she piped up suddenly. "Why did you want me to summon Hestia? Why didn't you or Dad do it?"
Sam shrugged. "Well, the ritual needed someone pure of heart, and quite frankly, between the three of us, you were the best bet." At that moment, Dean opened the driver's side door and climbed in. Natalie continued her conversation with Sam.
"Well, can we kind of lay off the Greeks for a while in lessons? I think I'm going to throw up if I have to read anything about a god or goddess right now."
Sam laughed. "Sure thing, Bug. How about some Shakespeare?"
"Oh god, now I'M going to throw up," Dean grumbled, turning the ignition. Natalie giggled to herself. She still hadn't really smiled since last night, and she wasn't sure when she was going to really smile ever again, but it did feel nice to laugh, even just a bit. She dug her hands into the pocket of her coat, leaned back, and stared out the window as Dean pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards their next adventure. When her hand hit the contents of her jacket pocket, her eyes went wide. Well, maybe there was a chance she'd smile again. She fished the cellophane bag out and leaned forward, dropping her arms over the front seat.
"Hey," she said, offering up the small bag, plastering the look of innocence on her face. "Do you guys want a Sweet Cherry Drop?"
THE END (of this case, anyways)! What did you guys think? Thank you so much for reading, hugs and high fives all around! Love, Emma
