A/N: Here we go this should be the last chapter. So buckle up.
Chapter Seven
"Why does Grandma hate Uncle Dean?" Kayla asked as her mother tucked her in.
"Grandma doesn't hate him. Daddy can just be difficult to deal with, and Uncle Dean was raised differently. So when Daddy gets difficult and Uncle Dean sees it as mean Uncle Dean tries to correct Daddy."
"Does Grandma hate Aunty Autty?" Kendra asked. Martha kissed Kayla's forehead before moving to the next bed.
"No sweet heart. Grandma doesn't hate anyone."
"But she told Autty to never come back." Martha smoothed her daughters hair out and tucked the blanket tight around her.
"Grandma was just upset. You'll see, Autumn will be here again before you know it."
"But what if she stays away forever and ever?" Martha smiled and kissed her daughter.
"I have known Aunt Autumn and Aunt Athena since we were little girls, just about your age. In all that time no one could ever keep them away from something they loved. Do you remember Uncle Josh telling you about them and Snow Prancer? How the horse had to be sold and your aunts ran away to find her? They love you guys more than that horse. They'll be back." Martha was trying hard not to flat out lie to her girls. She really didn't know if the Daemons would ever be back.
"Are you sad Mommy?" Kelly asked as her mother came to her.
"A little sad. But I'll be okay."
"I'm big sad." Martha pulled her daughter into her lap.
"Girls, Autumn and Athena have a very important job."
"We know Mommy. They kill monsters so they can't hurt little kids." Kendra agreed.
"Right. So it might seem like a very long time before they can come back and see you but they'll come back. I promise they'll call on your birthdays just like they always do and whenever you get heartsick for them you can call them. But right now," she gave little Kelly a squeeze. "I need you to be big girls and go to sleep. Things will be alright." Kelly climbed out of her mother's arm and wiggled under her blankets.
"Is Daddy mad?" she asked.
"Daddy scares me when he gets mad." Kayla piped up.
"Me too. He starts yelling then he hurts things. Like what he did to Spots." Kendra reminded her sisters of their Dalmatian puppy that their father had killed when they hadn't done as they were told.
"Daddy is a little mad but Mommy won't let him hurt you girls okay? Now go to sleep." Martha kissed Kelly's head and stood up.
"Night Mommy." all three girls chimed.
"Night angels." she stopped at the door to turn out the light. The second darkness consumed the room three little nightlights kicked on. Martha watched her daughters for a moment she wished would fill all eternity. "Love you."
"Love you too Mommy." came the soft whisper.
Martha closed the door leaving just a crack so the light from the bathroom would be able to seep in. Down the hall just a bit was Nick's room. Pooh Bear graced his walls with honey pots and bees on the border, a large stuffed Tiger sat in the rocker, a little Piglet leaned against Kanga with little Roo in her pouch, and the greatest depressed donkey to ever live, Eeyore, was tucked in her son's tiny arms. When she was a child she'd always imagined heaven as a place full of clouds and beautiful angels with huge feathered wings. Harps constantly playing and mixing with the voices of so many people singing church hymns. There was no end to the warmth and laughter of her heaven. But it was different now. Now her heaven was this time of every night. When she assured her daughters that even though so little was right with the world they were safe and always would be. When her son slept so peacefully he might already be curled in the arms of an angel in heaven. There was Johnson and Johnson No More Tears baby shampoo floating through the air dancing with hundreds of stories starting with 'Once upon a time' and ending with 'Happily ever after'. This was perfection. Heaven.
Martha crossed the room gently padding on the soft carpet. She stroked the head of her sleeping child. Then cranked the mobile over his bed letting the "I'm Just a Little Black Rain Cloud" play cutting in between the scent of shampoo and fairy tales. A shadow crossed the room spiking fear in the young woman. She turned around and there stood Billy-Jack leaning into the room fingers wrapped around the door frame. He nodded in the direction of their bedroom. She took another look at her son before following her husband. As every night he watched her change into her nightgown and didn't climb into bed himself until she was nearly asleep
"John! It's me. The demon is coming after Martha. You know where the house is get there like yesterday!" Autumn threw her phone down and pushed harder on the gas. If the cops wanted to pull her over they could just follow her to the house. Hell they might even turn useful.
"Autumn, you need to slow down before you get us killed." Athena warned gently. They both knew it wasn't ever going to happen. You don't just learn about this guy and take it slow.
"Teenie, on my phone hit 5 then send and hand it back to me." Autumn said glancing at the clock it was just after eight.
"Why? Whose number five?" Athena queried doing as she was told.
"It's Jen. There are some things that can be done once we get there to get a lock on this son of a bitch. He's not leaving that house alive." Autumn took the phone and growled impatiently at the ringing.
"Hello Jennifer Raining's office, Molly speaking."
"Hey Molly. Get me Jen, now." Autumn tried to sound polite but her nerves had ebbed away all her patience.
"I'm sorry, who is this?" the young woman on the other end asked.
"Santa Clause. It doesn't matter who the hell this is just get me Jen."
"Ma'am you need to calm down do you have an appointment?"
"No, this is Autumn Daemon. I'm an old friend of Jen's and if I don't speak with her right now innocent people are going to die." Autumn could hear Molly gulp.
"Just one moment please." she heard the phone crash against the desk and buttons being frantically pressed.
"What's wrong Autty?" just hearing Jen's voice calmed her considerably.
"We've been traveling with the Winchester boys. Well, Sammy's having vision or something. A friend of mine is about to be attacked by John's Demon. What do I do?" Jen took a long moment before responding.
"I don't know. John's supposed to have the colt now. I'd call him in."
"I did that. No answer." Autumn was starting to get jittery again.
"There's a practice. It's not been done in a very long time. Since before my family got in the business."
"What is it?"
"Autumn, hunters stopped because they started becoming less and less members of society. It probably won't even work." Jen tried to explain.
"Jen, I don't fight to lose. What do I do."
"If a person is possessed by the demon they have access to all of it's weak points. According to what I've been told, a possessed person would need to form all their emotions into a sort of dagger and drive it through the heart of the demon. The most important emotion in this has to be love, like for the targeted person, and the possessed has to be in a state of pure selflessness."
"How do you form the dagger?"
"Autumn, no one knows. When you do this your in essence making your soul a weapon. You and the demon are both destroyed. You really have a better chance at shooting the damn thing with the colt. But that's not the best plan either. Too big a risk of missing…. I can try and call Will. He's got the books." Autumn let out a sigh and muttered a prayer under her breath.
"No, all the information would get scattered we'd never be able to do anything with out messing it up. A ritual to weaken the demon could end up strengthening it. Or we could even make him immortal." Autumn looked over at Athena who was chewing clear through her lip. "We can't risk that either. You have John's number?"
"Yea."
"I'm driving, no distractions. Will you keep trying to get a hold of him. Tell him its going to be at my house. He'll know where that is."
"Okay, be safe. I don't want to put more crosses in my yard." Jen tried to sound cheery.
"We will." Autumn closed her phone and dropped it back on the seat between her and her sister.
"This'll all work out Autty, it always does."
Nick's fussing woke Martha up. She sat up and looked at Billy-Jack, no surprise he was sound asleep. She slid out of bed and practically glided into her son. He quieted when he saw her. She whispered to him for a moment until his little eyes closed again. Martha yawned and turned around to leave. But there was a dark shadow of a man in the door way. She wasn't sure how she knew but she knew it wasn't her husband. The little hairs on her arms stood on end, even her eyebrows stuck up. Her blood ran cold. But she forced herself to speak.
"Who are you?" her voice shook. The man didn't answer. "Who are you and why the hell are you in my house?" she tried again.
She managed to keep her voice level but this didn't seem to have any affect on the man. She stepped forward gathering herself up as she did. Puff up like a male turkey it works for the. She made it two steps before she was slammed back against the wall by an invisible force. Now, she knew something was wrong. The lights in the hall were flickering. The baby monitor was picking up the police scanner. Martha found herself sliding up the wall toward the ceiling. As she gazed down panic stricken things started to click she knew what was going on now.
"HELP!" she screamed.
Nick woke back up and started crying. Surely, someone would wake up. Even if it were just the girls, they'd get Billy-Jack up. She opened her mouth to yell again but no sound came out. An incredible pain erupted in her stomach. She could feel a hot, sticky, liquid seeping through her white gown. The pain didn't even compare to the natural childbirth she'd had with the girls. She couldn't control the tears that began raining on her son. Blood and tears fell staining the afghan Athena had crocheted for him. The baby kept screaming at the top of his little lungs. As much as she hurt all she wanted to do was comfort him.
The shadow man stepped into the room and went to lean over her son. He caressed the child's head. It was the strangest thing she'd ever witnessed. For this thing to be so evil it was so tender with her child. She felt a voice echo in her head.
"Shh child. It's almost over."
But little Nick wasn't having any of it he kept screaming. Then the fire started. Just as her stomach had exploded with a red blossom it down sprouted fire. The flames immediately covered the ceiling burning her alive. She started screaming careless of the fact that no one could hear her. The roar of the flames made her deaf to all sound. The intense heat blinded her from the rest of the world.
Dean and Sam were out of the car the second it shut off. The whole upper level of the house was engulfed in flame. Athena was trying to hold her sister back on the front porch and not doing too good a job of it. But besides the two women there was no one else insight. They both knew this meant that Martha and her family were still trapped inside. Together they rushed the porch.
"Go in get the kids get out." Dean said commanded. No one blinked before diving in the house. The stairs were right inside the door. Together they raced up them. Even above the flames eating at the house they could hear the girls cries for help. Just barely Dean caught a glimpse of Billy-Jack standing in the door way of a room just a few yards away.
"Billy! BILLY!" Autumn didn't hesitate before jumping into the fire. She took hold of her ex and shoved him back toward the others. "Get the girls and get out!"
"AUTUMN NO!" Billy-Jack turned too late. The woman had already gone into the nursery. Dean had been standing stock still watching this unfold. He hadn't noticed Sam and Athena go in the girls' room.
"Daddy!" Kayla dove out of Sam's arms into her father's. All three girls looked fine faces buried into the chest of their captors.
"I'll get Autumn! Get them out of here!" Dean told the others. Sam started to say something but he shook his head. "No time just get out!"
"Now! Move! MOVE! MOVE!" Sam shouted sounding ever bit like his father.
Athena and Billy-Jack stumbled down the stairs. Arms out feeling for the wall. The smoke was too thick to see now. Dean pressed on hand against the nearest wall. It was so hot. He followed it until he got to the next door. He poked his head in. Bathroom. Swearing he came back out and moved to the next one. Autumn held a small bundle against her chest trying to find away past something that was blocking the door. He pulled his shirt up over his mouth and nose then took a closer look. A beam had fallen in front of the door. The house was going down! When he looked up Autumn was smiling at him.
"Take the baby. Save yourself." she said it so calmly handing over the child. Dean excepted it tucking the boy into his coat where he wouldn't have to hold onto him much and could work at getting Autumn out. "I'm fine. I'll be out in a minute." she was still smiling. She must have lost it. "Go before you can't."
"I'm not leaving without you." he told her. She shook her head.
"Get Nicholas out. Then if your still stupid you can come back. But get him out. Save the baby, dork." she actually managed to last part teasingly. Dean clutched the child closer to him.
"I'll be back."
The fire seemed to chase him out. It licked at his heels the whole way. He burst through the front door the same time the fire truck pulled in. Billy-Jack stood motionless, his daughters were gathered around Sam and Athena. All of them had their eyes locked on the front door. They were waiting on Autumn now. Dean collapsed a safe distance from the house. He peeled off his coat but it had started to melt to him. A fire fighter was on him in no time. Several others had hoses and were soaking the house.
"Is anyone else inside?" the man asked. Dean nodded panting.
"Yes, two women. Upstairs. Door two. On right." The fireman turned to his commrads and repeated this information.
"Let me see the kid." Dean didn't hesitate. Nick didn't seem to be breathing. No movement at all came from the baby. So while Billy-Jack stood with his son Dean went to watch with his brother. Kendra climbed up into his arms, and laid her head on his shoulder. Just as the firemen were ready to storm the house Autumn walked out. She moved almost like a puppet. She was slow and drawn out in her every move. She reached the end of the path that led to the front door and dropped.
"Oh God." Athena handed Kayla over to Sam and flew to her sister. An ambluance had shown up by this point and EMT's were on Autumn. One of them pushed Athena back. Sam sat the girls down, and they quickly attactched themselves to Dean, then went to Athena. She turned into him as he wrapped his arms around her. "Oh God." she said again. "Please." she pressed herself closer to Sam as if she could meld into him.
As the fire died down the sky opened up and snow poured to the ground thick and heavy. The EMT's carried Autumn right past him on stretcher. Her arms were charred black and her face blistered. Her hair was black and looked like if you touched it, it would all just turn to ash. Dean felt his chest tighten as he looked at her. It was like one of those horrible car accidents where no matter how bad you want to look away you can't. Kendra burst into tears. It wasn't fair. Hadn't Autumn been through enough?
"Where's Mommy?" Kelly asked tightening her grip on his leg.
"I don't know."
"Is Autty alive?" Kayla asked hugging herself.
"I don't know girls. I just don't know."
A/N: So that was it. What happened to Autumn? Did Jen get ahold of John? Is little baby Nick going to make it? Why was Autumn so calm in the fire? You really want to know don't you? Well, then I guess you'll have to read the next story. I'll start it tonight, but that don't mean it'll be up by the time you read this. The next story is going to be titled From the Ashes. So look for it. If you haven't read The Boogeyman or Race to Kill you should read those and follow the Daemons and Winchesters from the start. MUCH LOVE. Thanks for reading R&R! Sarah and Katie