Chapter Twenty - Revelation
Texas 2006
The Winchester brothers could not have picked a more suitable town to spend a leisurely two days resting and recharging their energy. While they had been on edge and close to exhaustion when they arrived, they were now leaving with a bright outlook and a renewed vigor for their hunts. The only negative they saw was their reluctance to leave this tranquil town and the people therein.
As strange and yes, "weird" as this town had initially appeared, it had grown on the brothers and as they prepared to depart they felt a certain nostalgia about leaving this particular town in their rearview mirrors. Of all the towns that had come and gone in their odyssey across this nation, none had held the same appeal.
Although he was loathe to admit it, Dean mused that while he had felt some sadness previously at leaving some of the people they had helped and befriended he had never before felt regret at leaving a town. It was strange how this town almost did seem to take on a personality of its own. Perhaps Sam had been right about the town wanting them to come.
Whatever the situation, the Winchesters were incapable of settling down anywhere in the near future so there was no other choice than to pack up their stuff and again hit the open road. Evil was still waiting for them around the next bend, and they would hardly want to disappoint.
Gabrielle seemed genuinely sad to have them check out and when they went to pay, had refused their money.
"No need for that. Aggie settled up your account. She gave me a present for you too, but she said she didn't want you opening it in town. She doesn't like emotional scenes."
She handed them an old wooden box with brass handles on each end and a latch that could be padlocked if desired.
Dean didn't quite know what to say, he wasn't used to receiving presents period, but especially not something this old and probably significant to this town's matriarch. He wasn't sure exactly why she would feel the need to bestow a present on them, yet somehow he knew to just accept it and not question her intent. If he had learned anything these last few days, it was to sometimes just accept things for what they were.
"You tell Aggie thanks for us, will ya?" Dean remarked still touched by the generosity and charm of this lady and her town.
"Aggie is a very interesting lady. How long has she owned this town anyway?" Sam inquired.
"Aggie's family has owned this town since 1876. This was a corrupt town before she and Jake cleared out the vermin and restored the law."
"You mean her ancestors cleaned up the town. Don't you?" Dean asked with a puzzled look.
"Oh, of course, her family is what I meant. She's fourth generation. They really saved this town." Gabrielle replied with a sweet smile.
"So how long has she and Jake been married." Sam asked.
"I can't say exactly, they've been together a long time though. He loves that woman like no one's business. He can't stand to be apart from her more than a few nights. Happiest couple I've ever known."
"Well, I guess we better get movin'. You take care." Dean smiled and considered he had never so quickly felt such a connection as he did with this sweet girl Gabrielle. She seemed so familiar to him like he had known her a very long time. Good thing he was leaving town or he might be tempted to corrupt her, and he had a feeling this Jake fella might just object to that.
Gabrielle took hold of his arm with a tender touch, the look on her face one of great sadness at bidding farewell to a dear friend. Tears welled in her eyes as she bravely smiled at him.
"You take care of yourself, Dean Winchester. You come back and see us again, you hear?" She whispered as she brushed her fingers against his face and tenderly kissed him, softly touching his lips, pausing for just a moment. She took a short breath and her voice seemed to catch as she turned to Sam. "See you around, Sam."
"Take care." Sam waved good-bye as he slid his long frame back into shotgun position as Dean slid in behind the wheel. Sam silently wondered just what exactly his big brother had done to warrant such a display of affection.
They slowly drove through town past the saloon with its hitching post out front with three horses tied up, past the livery with its blacksmith stoking up his fire to shoe another horse and on out of town into the vast expanse of the Texas open range.
They drove quietly without conversation or heavy metal music blaring, just the quiet contemplation of another way of life, a simpler time when the hustle and bustle of modern living didn't invade and overcome all aspects of one's life. They reflected on a way of life where lazy days of leisure intersected with good, honest hard work, and simple conversations with old friends filled your day to overflowing with the simplicity of it all.
An hour later they came upon the next town and Dean pulled into the first gas station he saw to refill the Impala. After he pumped his gas he went into the quickie mart to pay, and pick up a few munchies to sidetrack his junk food withdrawal which was just now hitting him.
"Not too many towns along this stretch of highway are there?" He struck up a conversation with the attendant, a grizzled old man who had probably spent his life in this desolate country.
"Nope. You best make sure you have a full tank or you could end up stranded in a lot of Texas. We're the only town this side of Austin for two hours." He replied.
"Well, except for Valentine." Dean answered as he pulled out his MasterCard to pay.
"Valentine? What you talkin' about Mister?"
"You know, Valentine, Texas. Home of Romance. Nice little town about an hour back." Dean replied.
"Mister I don't know what you're smokin' but Valentine don't exist no more."
"What? Come on now. We were just there."
"Look Mister. I don't like playing none of these games. You pay for your stuff and you get out."
"Look this isn't a game. Just tell me what you know about Valentine. Would ya please?" Dean sincerely looked into the man's eyes and hoped he would consent to explain his disturbing statement.
Sam had gotten bored and decided to pick up a few of his own snacks since Dean always seemed to get the least healthy choice that existed. He walked through the door just in time to hear the part about Valentine not existing. His ears perked up and he joined in the conversation.
"Sir really, we don't want any trouble, we're just confused. Please tell us what you know."
The old man studied both of the young strangers and determined neither appeared stoned or drunk. He considered maybe they were just misinformed and proceeded to set them straight.
"Valentine was a notorious town back in the late 1870's. Old man Carpenter owned the town and I guess he corrupted all the town's officials and pretty much ran things how he wanted. Bad goings on back then, murders, robberies, just general mayhem and no one did anything about it until them Winchesters came to town."
Sam cleared his throat and barely got the word out as his brother echoed him.
"Winchesters?" They asked in unison as their eyes locked.
"Yeah, three of 'em. Jake was the pappy and his two sons Deke and Scott."
Dean and Sam just looked at each other, not knowing whether this was just another extension of the weirdness they had left behind or the beginning of a new weirdness that would continue from here.
"And what exactly did these fellas do?" Dean asked.
"Well they cleaned up the town. Got rid of all the bad guys and made it into a nice little town again." The old man replied.
"So why isn't the town there any more?" Dean prodded with an insistent tone.
"Well, ten years after they cleaned it all up, Jake came back to claim his bride, the lovely Aggie, a former working girl if you know what I mean." The old coot laughed at the thought.
"Aggie? His bride was named Aggie?" Dean questioned as the weirdness factor headed off the charts.
"That's what I said, Aggie. You got a hearing problem there, young fella?"
"Uh, no….. Anyway, so what happened?" Dean stammered.
"Well they got married, but those Winchesters had enemies and on their wedding night, they crept into town and burned it to the ground, killing Jake and his new bride. The whole town burned down and was never rebuilt. Jake's sons buried their dad and rode away."
"Anything else you know about these Winchesters? What happened to them afterwards?" Sam asked.
"Nope. That's the legend though. The story of Valentine, Texas." The old man finished and turned with a shrug to go back to stocking his jerky on the strips that hung by the front counter.
Dean picked up his purchases and slowly walked with his brother out the door.
"We need to get back there now and figure this out." He stated.
"What do you think we saw? Ghosts? I mean we spent two nights in a town full of ghosts and we didn't even realize it?" Sam asked.
"Man, I don't know. But…. what other explanation is there? I mean Jake and Aggie? Not exactly common names. I knew there was something up with that town. And then me having that weird dream about Gabrielle."
"What weird dream about Gabrielle? You never mentioned a dream."
"Uh, didn't I?"
"No."
"Yeah, all right, I had a dream, you know."
"I know what? What are you saying Dean?"
"I had a dream about Gabrielle and ….. me. You know, one of those dreams."
"And that would be unusual because….?"
"Cause it wasn't just….sex, it was making love. Man, it felt real, it was like a memory and then the way she looked at me after, it was like she saw it too." Dean confessed, all the feelings and weirdness of this situation beginning to rattle even the stalwart hunter.
"Oh, wow!" Sam exclaimed as the significance of this revelation hit him. Dean having sex dreams was one thing, but this was entirely out of character. Suddenly Gabrielle's special farewell to his brother made more sense. "So what is going on here?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure as hell gonna find out." Dean threw his bag in the back seat and started the engine.
"Come on. You coming or what?" He yelled at his brother as Sam lagged behind.
Dean peeled out of the gas station back down the long road to Valentine.
TBC
Special thanks to all the reviewers who shared their time and thoughts with me. Just a reminder to all readers, even if you read this story long after it was written, I would still love to hear from you if you enjoyed it. Reviews are our only payment for spending hours writing our stories. (for me it is a slow, painstaking process! LOL)
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One final chapter to go and again, thanks so much for taking the time to read my story. Time is our most precious commodity! Oh, to have that 30 hour day!