See Chapter One for summery and disclaimer.
Chapter Two, Past Haunts
After cleaning up Dean pulled her against him in the bed so her head came to rest on his chest. Burying her face in it to breath in his sent deeply Dean wrapping a protective arm around her. It would have been an altogether nice feeling lying there with him if Dean felt at all the way she did. She could still feel him churning with fear frustration and more then a smattering of confusion.
"You know it might help if you share your worries with someone." She told him. "I'm not your little brother and you don't have to know it all or always be alright for me Dean." She told him.
"Eris, I don't know what you are talking about." Dean told her.
"Dean, I'm an empath. I know how you're feeling remember?" She asked him and he sighed.
"You want me to tell you I'm scared? I'm scared, afraid that it is the thing that killed my mother and Jess. Afraid it won't be it. I'm frustrated because I haven't got a clue what the hell is going on which leaves me confused about everything." Dean told her voice slightly defensive.
"You don't have to know everything, you know? I know Sam wants you to make everything all right cause you're his big brother but he also knows you are human Dean. He'd understand." She told him.
"I want to kill this thing so bad, but I'm scared as hell to face it, afraid we won't be able to kill it. Scared I'll lose one of them, or both. They have so much of them selves invested in this Eris." Dean told her voice desperate.
"And you have so much of yourself invested in them. It's only natural." She told him.
"I don't know what I would do if I lost one of them Eris, even with them here I barely feel like I'm keeping it together sometimes." Dean confessed in a shaky voice.
"Hopefully you won't have to know that for a long, long time Dean. Loosing your brother is a pain I would never wish on you." She told him in a voice choked with emotion.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking about…" Dean started arms tightening only to stop as she covered his mouth with her hand.
"It's alright Dean. Trust me, it's never, not in the back of my mind, it's not something I forget that you could painfully remind me of. It's nothing to apologize for." She told him.
"Alright, if you're sure." Dean told her and she nodded.
"Can I ask you, what you did when you said you went to the bathroom at the gas station?" She asked Dean.
"Called my dad and left him a message telling him what was happening." Dean told her.
"Hopefully, he can help." She told him Dean nodding. "Want to try and get some more sleep?"
"Yeah, probably gonna be a long night tomorrow." Dean told her and she nodded kissing him before settling back in to sleep.
The next day they showed up just after the garage John Winchester used to co-own with an old friend opened, Dean recalled the man coming over for dinner or to watch a game more then once. She could feel waves of sadness and sappy sentimental feelings coming off of Dean while Sam was just sharp minded eyes set on the goal of finding out more about what happened to their mother and Jess. They were walking and talking with the man in his busy garage their cover as rookie detectives Eris only someone 'assisting the police' as she had no fake police badge.
"You and John Winchester, you used to own this garage together?" Dean asked the man as they followed behind him.
"Yeah we used to," The man replied with a chuckle. "A long time ago. Matter of fact, must be, twenty years since John disappeared. So why the cops interested all of the sudden?"
"Well we're reopening some of our unsolved cases, and the Winchester disappearance is one of them." Dean replied.
"Uh-huh, well, what do you want to know about John?" The man asked them.
"Whatever you remember, you know. Whatever sticks out in your mind?" Dean replied.
"Well…He was a stubborn basterd, I remember that. And, uh…oh, whatever the game, he hated to lose. You know, it was that whole Marine thing." He told them nodding his head. "But, uh…well, he sure loved Mary and he doted on those kids too."
"But that was before the fire." Sam interjected, interrupted him.
"That's right." The man replied face falling as he answered with a nod.
"He ever talk about that night?" Sam asked him.
"Nah, not at first. I think he was in shock." He replied.
"Right but eventually, what did he say about it?" Sam asked him.
"Oh, he wasn't thinking straight. He said…uh, he said something caused that fire and killed Mary." He told them.
"He ever say what did it?" Dean asked Eris wincing inwardly at his choice of words knowing the man wouldn't respond well.
"Nothing did it. It was an accident, an electrical short in the ceiling or walls or something. I begged him to get some help but, uh…" The man trailed off shaking his head.
"But what?" Dean asked him.
"Oh, he just got worse and worse." The man replied frustration in his voice evident at the situation even all these years later.
"How." Dean asked him.
"Oh, he started reading these strange old books. He started going to see this palm reader in town." The man told them, Dean instantly zeroing in on that information.
"Palm reader, what uh…do you have a name?" Dean asked hands going to his pocket for a notepad.
"No." He replied scoffing, Dean nodding at the answer.
They didn't get anything more of any use or interested off of the man, before they left the garage. They were on the look out for a phonebook to look into area psychics and hope something jumped out at them. She and Dean leaning against his Impala while Sam stood at the phone booth flipping threw the phonebook. Finally he seemed to find the page finger running down the list until he got to what they wanted, reading.
"Aright, so, there are a few psychic's in town." Sam told them. "There's uh, there's someone named El Divino, there's …" Sam chuckled glancing up at them. "There's the mysterious Mr. Fortinsky," He told them Eris offering him a grin before Sam glanced back down at the book to continue reading. "Uh, Missouri Moseley, some dude…" Sam continued Dean's head shooting up cutting Sam off.
"Wait, wait. Missouri Moseley?" Dean asked him in surprise.
"What?" Sam asked clearly wanting him to clarify.
"That's a psychic?" Dean inquired clearly surprised.
"Uh," Sam paused looking back down at the phonebook. "Yeah, yeah I guess so."
"In dad's journal…" Dean said pausing as he reached in the backseat of the Impala for said item. "Come here. Look at this. First page, first sentence. Read that." Dean said handing the book over to Sam after flipping to the right spot Eris reading over Sam's shoulder.
"'I went to Missouri…and I learned the truth'" Sam quoted aloud as he read from the journal.
"I always thought he meant the state." Dean explained sheepishly clearly excited at the lead.
They drove over to her place after getting the address only to find them selves sitting in a waiting room for almost an hour. Dean was clearly becoming restless and impatient he didn't like the long period of waiting and inactivity it made him antsy. Eris grabbed his hand and helped focus on calming him like before Dean squeezing her hand quietly in thanks as he began to feel the effects. Not long later she began to sense movement from the back of the house before she began to hear them approaching.
"All right then, don't you worry about a thing." A dark skinned woman said with a chuckle coming out of the back of the house threw a hall followed by a man. "Your wife is crazy about you." She assured him escorting him to the door getting thanks before he left. "Whew! Poor basterd, his woman his cold-banging the gardener." She told them turning back in their direction before chuckling ruefully and walking off back down towards the hall.
"Well, why didn't you tell him?" Dean questioned in confusion.
"People don't come here for the truth, they come for good news." She said pausing to turn and look back at them. "Well? Sam and Dean come on already, I haven't got all day!" She complained pausing to glance at Eris.
"I don't welcome intrusion." She told the woman who she felt focusing her abilities in on her.
"Nor are you open to a reading, I understand. I'm not fond of other's reading me, myself. Your welcome here too, of course." Missouri assured her.
"Eris Sydelle Cross." She told her politely with a nod.
Sam and Dean sharing a surprised look that Missouri knew their names without being told the three of them followed her deeper into the house. She led them into what looked to be another sitting room, possibly where she did all her readings. It looked rather comfy and cozy with an open welcome feeling to it.
"Well, let me look at you." Missouri told them holding her hands out to the boys indicating they should stand before her Eris reaching out to take Deans hand reassuringly as she stood beside him Missouri chuckling. "Oh, you boys grew up handsome." Missouri said chuckling again and glancing at Dean. "And you were one goofy-looking kid, too."
Sam chuckled at that bit of information Eris fighting one herself as she smiled despite herself.
"Sam." Missouri said happily taking his hand. "Oh, honey." She gasped sympathetically in a pain filled voice. "I'm sorry about your girlfriend. And your father…he's missing?" Missouri questioned in concern.
Sam and Dean shared an impressed look Eris admitting the woman had some power, she could almost sense it humming to life while she read Sam.
"How did you know all that?" Sam asked her in confusion.
"Well, you were just thinking it, just now." She replied getting raised brows from Sam in surprise.
"Well, where is he, is he okay?" Dean asked her voice full of hidden hope and desperation.
"I don't know." Missouri replied frowning at Dean.
"Don't know?" Dean repeated in confusion. "You're supposed to be a psychic, right?"
"Boy, you seem me sawing some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician?" She asked Dean defensively who was gaping and shaking his head at her guiltily like a little boy caught with his hand in the cook jar. "I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room but I can't just pull facts outta thin air! Sit please." She said nodding towards a couch they settled into.
"Boy, you put your foot on my coffee table I'm gonna whack you with a spoon." She warned Dean who hadn't so much as raised his foot of the floor with a stern voice and finger raised in warning.
"I didn't do anything." Dean told her defensively eyes wide in surprise.
"Well you were thinking about it!" She told him pointedly, Sam chuckling and smiling at Dean who raised his brows at him in a 'whoa' gesture.
"Okay, so…our dad. When did you first meet him?" Sam started after a brief pause leaning forward towards Missouri who sat facing them.
"He came for a reading, a few days after the fire." Missouri explained to them. "I uh, I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess, I drew back the curtains for him."
"What about the fire? Do you know about what killed out mom?" Dean asked her leaning forward with interest now as well.
"A little. Your daddy took me to your house. He was hoping I could sense the echo's, the fingerprints, of this thing." Missouri explained.
"And could you?" Sam asked her
"I don't…" Missouri shook her head unsurely.
"What was it?" Sam asked.
"I don't know." She told them exhaling a shaking breath at the memory. "But it was evil."
"That's all you got?" Eris asked with a frown.
"I don't do well with echo's, I work better in the present." Missouri told her. "What about you, girl. You've got some heady power."
"Have to go into the old nursery to pick up any place memory and we only saw the first floor." She explained with a shrug.
"So, what brings y'all here? What is it about your old house that has brought you boy's back?" Missouri asked them standing to pace around behind her chair.
"I've had these dreams. Visions really, that come true." Sam told her Missouri nodding seemingly unsurprised. "I had one about the family living in that house, they were in trouble and needed help. Our help." Sam told her.
"So, you think something's back in that house?" Missouri stated more then asked.
"Definitely." Sam replied in a sure voice nodding.
"I don't understand." Missouri told them shaking her head and moving back into her seat.
"What?" Eris asked her curiously.
"I haven't been back inside, but I've been keeping an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it acting up now?"
"I don't, but…dad going missing and Jessica dying and not this house, all happening at once? It just feels like something's starting." Sam explained.
"That's a comforting thought." Dean told him in a troubled voice.
"There is only one way to be sure. We need to go back there and read that house." Missouri told them, all of them nodding in agreement.
They had taken Dean's Impala Sam sitting in the back while Missouri followed behind them in her car. It was new for Eris working off of someone else's vision, but it was kind of nice to be as well. She just hopped that they could help the family and nothing happened to them in that house. She also hopped whatever it was and whatever happened that they all got out of this intact and all right.
"Sam, Dean, Eris. What're you doing here?" Jenny asked them after opening the front door her son in her arms Eris getting a wave of helplessness and frustration from her.
"Hey, Jenny. Uh, this is our friend, Missouri." Sam told her Eris and Dean parting so she could see the woman standing on the walk behind them.
"If it's not too much trouble we were hoping to show her the old house, you know, for old times sake." Dean told her flashing his charming smile.
"No, you know, this isn't a good time. I'm kinda busy." She told them turning to shut the door.
"Listen, Jenny, it's important!" Dean told her in an urgent voice. "Ow!" He complained flinching when Missouri whacked him upside the back of the head.
"Give the poor girl a break can't you see she's upset?" Missouri scolded him. "Forgive this boy. He means well. He's just not the sharpest tool in the shed." Missouri told Jenny voice sincere and apologetic. "But here me out."
"About what?" Jenny asked in confusion.
"About this house."
"What're you talking about?"
"I think you know what I'm talking about. You think there is something in this house something that wants to hurt your family. Am I mistaken?" Missouri asked her.
"Who are you?" Jenny asked water filling her eyes.
"We're people who can help, who can stop this thing but you're gonna have to trust us just a little." Missouri told her Jenny looking around outside as if she was searching for an answer out there before sighing and nodding stepping aside to let them in.
Jenny agreed to let them do what they cold telling her how she just found her son locked in the fridge, child lock still engaged. Eris could feel her panic and horror at the memory waves of gratitude coming off her that her son was all right. After listening to her and reassuring her Missouri explained that they wanted to tour the house by them selves. After agreeing Missouri headed upstairs straight to the little girls room she and the boys following behind.
"If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it." Missouri told them as they entered the room.
"Why?" Sam asked her.
"This used to be your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened." Missouri told him walking over hand out to read near the little girl's bed while Dean pulled out his homemade EMF detector. "That an EMF?" Missouri asked him when she looked over and noticed.
"Yeah." Dean answered her distracted while he tried to take readings.
"Amateur." Missouri scoffed get an indignant look from Dean at the remark working around the room, Dean nudging Sam to show him and her the readings he was picking up, high-level readings. "I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved but this ain't the thing that took you mom." Missouri told them shaking her head.
"Are you sure?" Sam asked as if unwilling to give up hope yet Missouri nodding surely. "How do you know?" Sam asked her
"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's something different." She told them walking over to the closet.
"What is it?" Dean asked as she opened the closet and walked inside.
"Not it…them." Missouri clarified. "There's more then one spirit in this place."
"What're they doing here?" Dean asked her.
"Scars." Eris said more to herself Missouri nodding in agreement.
"They're here because of what happened to your family. You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you. It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds, and sometimes wounds get infected." Missouri told them Eris moving into the closet after her sensing the second presence stronger in there.
"I don't understand." Sam told her with a pained look on his face.
"This place is a magnet for paranormal energy. It's attracted a poltergeist…a nasty one…and it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead." Missouri told them.
"You said there was more then one spirit." Sam told her.
"There is." She told him walking back into the open closet. "I just can't quiet make out the second one. Eris?"
"Something. I've got place memory, their mom and god. The darkness and so much evil, death. Mary!" She cried shuddering as John's emotions washed over her. "Oh, god John, you poor thing."
She sensed so much it was hard to untangle it all, pain and fear and desperation. She felt Mary's last feelings, her last thoughts for her boys and John's safety. She was dead by the time John got there but was still in the room watching. She could sense the presences as John got Sam and handed him off to Dean so he could try and help Mary.
"I can't make out the second one either, it's almost as if the poltergeist is blocking me. I sense a duel presence, but it's almost layered. Making me think the poltergeist is trying to control or conceal the other spirit. I don't know it's really hard to get a clear reading." She told them.
"Well, one things for damn sure…nobodies dying in this house ever again. So whatever is here how do we stop it?" Dean asked in a determined voice.
Missouri had a cleansing ritual in mind and they set out to her house for the supplies. Eris took the moment to clear her mind and focus trying to pull in energy from the air around her. She was going to need every bit of strength for the fight to come she could feel it. She was by no means sure but a small part of her wondered if the reason she was having trouble sensing the second spirit is because it was Mary and her spiritual presences was getting messed up in Eris' head with her place memory presences in the house from her death.
"So what is all this stuff anyway?" Dean asked as he and Sam watched Eris.
She was sitting at the table in Missouri's house putting the spell bags together for the cleansing ritual they planned for Jenny's house. Missouri gathering up the ingredients from her well stoked room all around them, Eris spotting several hard to find ingredients from where she sat.
"Angelica root, Van Van Oil, Crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends." Missouri explained.
"Yeah and so what are we supposed to do with it?" Dean asked her
"We're going to put them inside the walls in the north south and east corners on each floor of the house." Missouri told him.
"We're gonna be punching holes in the drywall, Jenny's gonna love that." Dean commented.
"She'll live." Missouri told him sitting down to help Eris assemble the last bags.
"And this will destroy the spirits?" Sam asked her from where he stood leaning on the back of a chair.
"It should. It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor but we'll work fast. Once the spirit's realize what we're up to, thing's are gonna get bad." Missouri warned them.
They sent Jenny out to the movies with her kids to keep her out of harms way while they worked. Missouri took the basement while Dean took the first floor Eris taking the second while Sam took the attic. She knocked a hole in the bathroom wall, the daughter's room, and the son's room taking the mother's room last. Kneeling down on the floor to tap the wall to make sure she missed the studs and found a hollow point to punch a hole in. She was just about to do it when she caught movement from the corner of her eye a cord snaking around her neck tightly and cutting off her air yanking her to the floor.
Eris tried to pull it off but couldn't so she tried reaching forward to finish the job but the cord around her neck kept her out of arms reach of the wall. Gasping for breath she slowly slid back down to the floor trying to pry the cord loose with her hands again. She could feel the cord tightening while she fought for air her mind moving frantically as she tried to think of something to do. Her mind was blank and panic was threatening when she heard Dean storming into the room.
"Eris!" He cried out voice full of alarm.
Then he was kneeling by her on the floor Eris letting the cord go, so, Dean could try her hands falling weakly to her chest. Dean groaned with strain as he tried with all his not inconsiderable strength to get the cord loose from around her neck. When he realized it wasn't going to work he ran and kicked a hold in the wall shoving the last bag in sending a ripple effect throughout the building. Then he was back lifting her up so she was leaning forward against him to make it easier for him to unwrap her neck. Gasping for air her throat burning Eris buried her forehead in the crook of Dean's shoulder while he held her tightly after getting it free.
"Okay, you're okay." Dean told her voice reassuring.
"Sam?" She questioned, voice rough.
"I'm fine," Sam asked from the bedroom door. "You guys?"
"I'll live." She answered voice still rough.
"Missouri." Sam said moving downstairs to check on her.
"You sure your okay, Eris?" Dean asked her with worried eyes.
"I'm always okay." She joked which fell flat in her obviously not okay voice. "It was a little more of a close call then I would've liked."
"Yeah, no disagreement there. We'll have to get some ice on that." Dean said eyeing her neck in concern fingers tracing the edges of her marred skin gingerly.
tbc
13
