A/N: This chapter is in Evie's POV, Dean's POV and Sam's POV.
SCARECROW
Evie's POV
I started stirring hearing Sam was still awake as usual but there was something else that had made me more aware of the fact he was on the phone sitting up in his bed.
"…We're fine, Evelyn's fine, Dad where are you?" I sat up straight hearing him say 'Dad' and Dean sat up too having stirred at the same time. "What, why not?"
"Is that Dad?" Dean asked him.
"You're after it, aren't you?"
"Sam!" I insisted since we had a right to hear the other side of this conversation too but he wasn't listening to us.
"The thing that killed Mom?" Sam added ignoring me. "A demon, you know for sure?"
"A demon, what's he saying?" Dean asked pulling on a shirt.
"You know where it is?" Sam asked their Dad after a silent pause listening to whatever John had been saying to him. "Let us help you" he listened again and I shared a look with Dean because we might finally get answers to why John left us. "Why not?" he asked making me frown, John refused like I had a feeling he would have.
"Give me the phone" Dean insisted having enough of only hearing one side like I was.
"Names, what names, Dad wh…talk to me, tell me what's going on" he listened again and I could tell by the way Sam's face hardened that John had reprimanded him for not listening and obeying. "No…alright no way!"
"Give me the phone!" Dean insisted again as Sam listened to the phone seemingly getting angrier with his Dad before Dean had enough and grabbed the phone. "Dad it's me, where are you?" I frowned moving closer in hopes I'd hear but still couldn't and saw Dean's face fall. "Yes sir" I frowned looking down knowing he'd given Dean an order. "Yeah I got a pen" he added grabbing some of the motel stationary from the bedside table. "What are the names?" he wrote down the names as John rattled them off to him then pulled the phone away after John hung up.
I watched Dean sigh before we got up going to our room to pack our bags in silence both clueless to what to say to the other, I zipped up my duffel bag looking up at Dean as he mimicked my action then nodded and he walked out leaving me to sigh loudly pulling on a leather jacket and picked up my bag then left locking up and caught Sam's key he threw towards me and returned them just dropping them outside the office door since it was closed given that it was late then climbed into the back seeing Sam was driving and Dean took the passenger seat.
It was still dark and I was resting back trying to catch some more sleep to the steady and comforting purr of Baby's engine, no matter how sick in tired I got from being in her some days while some others there was nothing like Baby, she was home especially to me and Dean, more so Dean.
"Alright so the names Dad gave us, they're all couples?" Sam asked breaking the silence.
"Three different couples all went missing" Dean nodded.
"And they're all from different towns, different states?"
"That's right, yeah" Dean replied and I cracked an eye open since this seemed like an interesting hunt, for me and Dean anyway. "Washington, New York, Colorado, each couple took a road trip cross-country, none of them arrived at their destination, none of them were heard from again"
"Well it's a big country Dean, they could've disappeared anywhere"
"Yeah could'a" Dean agreed. "But each ones route took them through the same part of Indiana, always on the second week of April, one year after another, after another" he added and I frowned understanding why John was sending us now since this week was the second week of April.
"This is the second week of April" Sam replied stating the obvious.
"Yep"
"So Dad is sending us to Indiana to go hunting for something before another couple vanishes?" Sam asked him.
"Yahtzee" Dean replied making me chuckle to myself and give up on sleep and leaned forward crossing my arms on the seat leaning my chin on them.
"He could want to use you and me for bait" I smiled but he looked back with incredulously look.
"Doubtful, the old man doesn't even know about us getting together remember"
"True" I shrugged then looked down at the notes in his hands.
"Can you imagine putting together a pattern like this?" Dean asked looking back at me. "The different obits Dad had to go through, the man's a master" I rolled my eyes but had to give it to him because John was good and had taught me almost everything I know about hunting and I'd never claim to be halfway as good as him.
Before I could agree with Dean, Sam suddenly started pulling the car over and I looked around but nothing seemed to be wrong so I looked up at Dean who was equally as confused before we turned to Sam.
"What are you doing?" Dean asked him.
"We're not going to Indiana" he stated so I raised and eye in question.
"We're not?" Dean and I both asked him.
"No, we're going to California" I frowned not seeing how that made sense. "Dad called from a pay phone with a Sacramento area code"
"Sam-" Dean said rolling his eyes.
"Dean, if this demon killed Mom and Jess and Dad's closing in, we gotta be there, we gotta help" Sam argued cutting Dean off.
"Dad doesn't want our help"
"Well I don't care" Sam protested and I rolled my eyes.
"He's given us an order"
"I don't care" Sam repeated with more force. "We don't always have to do what he says"
"Sam, Dad is asking us to work jobs, to save lives it's important"
"Alright I understand believe me but I'm talking one week here man" Sam insisted. "To get answers, to get revenge"
"Alright look I know how you feel-"
"Do you?" Sam asked cutting him off. "How old we're you when Mom died, four?" I frowned looking up at Sam because that shouldn't mean anything and the look on Dean's face I knew it didn't matter the time of his mom's death, it still hurt Dean to even talk about her. "Jess died six months ago and Evie's alive, so how the hell would you know how I feel?" I glared daggers at him.
"Dad said it wasn't safe for any us" Dean replied not biting to the comment about me. "He obviously knows something we don't, if he says stay away we stay away"
"I don't believe the blind faith you have in the man, I mean it's like you don't even question him"
"Yeah, it's called being a good son!" Dean exclaimed and Sam shook his head climbing out so we followed him wondering what the hell he was doing. "You're a selfish bastard, you know that?" I frowned. "You just do whatever you want, don't care what anybody thinks"
"That's what you really think?" Sam asked him.
"Yes it is" I frowned leaning against the side of the Impala knowing better than to put my nose in this disagreement because they never listened to me anyway.
"Well then this selfish bastard is going to California" Sam replied pulling his bag over his shoulders and grabbed his laptop bag before walking away from us.
"Come on Sam, you're not serious" I finally spoke up frowning and pushed myself off Baby starting to follow him.
"I am serious"
"It's the middle of the night" I yelled at his back.
"Hey I'm taking off, I will leave your ass you hear me?!" Dean yelled and I frowned back at him because that wasn't the right thing to say.
"That's what I want you to do" Sam argued turning back to us.
"Goodbye Sam" Dean said after a second of hesitation before closing the boot and walked towards the driver's side but I stood still conflicted and Sam looked back silently asking me what I was gonna do. "Evie let's go" I turned to Dean before turned back to Sam and frowned.
"Sam-"
"It's okay Eve, I know that it's gonna be Dean, so go" he nodded towards the car but I shook my head walking up to him quickly and pulled him into a hug.
"Evelyn get in the car!" I heard Dean yell out but I ignored him.
"Be careful and call us, you can't do what you did last time okay"
"I will" he replied hugging me back then let go and I sighed finally going over to the Impala getting in with a last longing look at Sam before I closed the door and Dean drove off.
"This feels wrong" I stated once Sam was completely out of sight.
"It was his choice" he spat back without looking at me but I saw his grip on the steering wheel get tighter. "We got our orders" I sighed nodding my head falling into silence the entire drive to Burkitsville, Indiana and was surprised how small and insignificant it seemed but I knew that even the happiest of places hid the darkest horrors sometimes.
Dean pulled the car to a stop and I took in all the sights of the small town before I turned and saw Dean had his phone out looking at it and I knew what he was staring at without even looking at the screen because he'd done this a lot when Sam first left.
"You can call him, you know?" I spoke up but he snapped the phone shut barely looking at me before getting out so I hopped out and followed him up to where we saw a man sitting.
"Let me guess, Scotty?" Dean asked putting up his façade nodding up at a sign that read 'Scott's café'
"Yep" the man replied with a short look up at the sign.
"Hi, my name's John Bonham-"
"Isn't that the drummer for Led Zeppelin?" the man asked us and I inwardly panicked cursing Dean's choice of aliases, he really needed to not pick rock stars and movies stars.
"Wow…" Dean muttered taken aback. "Good, classic rock fan"
"His parents just loved the band that they named him after John, I'm Lucy Watkins" I added hopping to throw him off saying the first name that popped into my head unlike Dean.
"What can I do for you, John…Lucy?" he asked us.
"Was wondering if you've seen these people by chance" Dean asked pulling a couple of missing persons posters that were the most recent out of his pocket showing it to the guy.
"Nope, who are they?"
"Friends of ours, they went missing about a year ago" I replied.
"They passed through somewhere here, I asked around Scottsburg and Salem-"
"Sorry" he cut Dean off holding the posters out towards us. "We don't get many strangers around here" Dean smiled nodding as he took them back.
"Scotty, you got a smile that lights up a room, anybody ever tell you that?" I looked up at Dean fighting the urge to roll my eyes especially as the guy just stared back. "Never mind, see you around" Dean added grabbing my hand as we walked away, I looked down at our entwined fingers wondering what the hell he was doing but didn't say anything as we continued asking around in just about all the stores.
"You sure they didn't stop for gas or something?" I asked showing the two older people at the counter in the general store of the gas station.
"Nope, don't remember them" the guy said saying almost the exact same thing everybody else was, almost too rehearsed not to be an absolute lie. "You say they we're friends of yours?"
"That's right" Dean nodded taking the posters back from him.
"Did the guy have a tattoo?" a younger girl suddenly asked us walking in carrying a couple of boxes and I looked up.
"Yes, he did" Dean replied putting on his best charming smile as she came towards us looking at the picture of the guy, Vince Parker.
"You remember, they were just married?" she asked looking up at the older man and he looked down at the pictures again.
"Your right they did stop for gas, weren't here for more than ten minutes" finally we were getting something out of someone.
"Do you remember anything else?" Dean asked before I had the chance.
"Told them how to get to the interstate, they left town" he replied.
"Could you point us in the same direction?" Dean asked him.
"Sure" he nodded and told us which way to go so we climbed into the Impala and followed his directions but as we were driving through what looked like an orchard we heard the hum of the EMF detector.
"What the hell?" he asked reaching into the back to his bag while trying to keep the car straight but when he couldn't find it he pulled over and grabbed it holding it up to see the needle going crazy with a positive reading.
"Looks like we got a spirit problem" he nodded and we got out walking into the trees taking a look around and I frowned not really seeing anything that would explain the reading but he tapped my arm making me look up to see him nod up at a scarecrow so we walked towards it and even I had to admit it would give people nightmares.
"Dude you fugly" I scoffed with a small laugh as I shook my head at him but frowned when his eyes suddenly fixated on something before he turned grabbing a ladder and moved it beside the scarecrow.
"What?" I asked moving closer as he climbed up stopping when he was eye to eye with the thing staring at it before he moved it's jacket aside and I saw the same tattoo from our missing victim but I pulled out the photo and double checked. "It's a perfect match" he nodded looking back into it's face.
"Nice tat" I frowned confused since this just wasn't making a lick of sense.
We got back into the Impala and Dean turned the car around driving back into town up to the general store and auto repair shop seeing the young girl from earlier and as we got out she smiled up at us.
"You're back"
"Never left" Dean replied smiling back at her.
"You's still looking for your friends?" she asked and we both nodded.
"Mind filling it up there, Emily?" Dean replied nodding at her 'Emily' necklace, I frowned looking at Dean because he never let anybody fill Baby up but him which meant he was digging for answers. "So did you grow up here?" he asked confirming my suspicion.
"Came here when I was 13, I lost my parents a car accident, my Aunt and Uncle took me in" she replied.
"They're nice people" Dean smiled.
"Everybody's nice here" she shot back and I smiled nodding my head.
"So what, it's the perfect little town?" I asked her.
"Well you know it's the boonies but I love it, I mean the towns around us…people are losing their homes, their farms but here it's almost like we're blessed" she replied and I shared a look with Dean.
"You been out to the orchard?" I asked turning back to Emily. "Seen that scarecrow?"
"Yeah, it creeps me out"
"Who's is it?" Dean asked her.
"I don't know, it's just always been there" she replied.
"That your Aunt and Uncle's?" Dean nodded to the car behind her.
"Customer, had some car troubles" Emily replied so I shared another look with Dean.
"It's not a couple is it, a guy and a girl?" Dean asked her and she nodded, well whoever or whatever was responsible for the disappearances and assumed killings just found their new victims. "Well thanks Emily" Dean added paying for the gas then we headed over to Scotty's café walking in seeing the couple.
"Nope it's on the house" we heard Scotty say as we let the door close behind us, he placed two plates of pie in front of the couple.
"Hiya Scotty" Dean greeted him as he looked up seemingly unimpressed that we were in his store, there was something seriously wrong with the people in this town except for Emily that is.
"Can we get two coffees, black?" I asked him with a smile as we walked further into the store as he walked out the back and we took a seat at the table beside the couple.
"Oh and some of that pie too while you're at it" Dean shouted back to Scotty, I laughed softly rolling my eyes at him. "How you doing, just passing through?" Dean asked turning back to the couple.
"Road trip" the girl replied.
"Yeah us too" I smiled at her taking Dean's hand on the table. "Honeymoon trip, right babe?" Dean turned to me slightly shocked that I'd jumped straight to the marriage route but right now it was better than boyfriend/girlfriend and just might save this couples live if we attracted the killers attention instead given we'd stand a better chance than these people would.
"Yeah" he agreed shrugging it off nodding at me with a smile just as Scotty came back over with a jug filled with lemonade and started filling their glasses glaring at us from the corner of his eye.
"I'm sure these people wanna eat in peace"
"Just a little friendly conversation" Dean shrugged as Scotty walked back to the kitchen still glaring at us. "Oh and those coffees too by the way, thanks" I shook my head at Dean before turning back to the couple.
"So what brings you to town?" I asked them.
"We just stopped for gas and the guy at the gas station saved our lives"
"Is that right?" Dean asked her raising his eyes.
"Yeah one of our break lines was leaking, we had no idea, he's fixing it for us" the guy added and I frowned having a feeling it wasn't a coincidence.
"Nice people" Dean and I mumbled at the same time.
"So how long until you're up and running?" Dean asked them.
"Sundown" the guy replied and Dean and I shared a look since that wasn't right, it didn't take that long to change a break-line, even I could do it given my Dad and Dean taught me everything they knew when fixing up a car.
"Really?" Dean asked sharing a small look with me before turning back to them and leant forward towards them. "To fix a break line?" the guy nodded.
"You know my husband knows a thing or two about cars, he could probably have you up and running in an hour"
"I wouldn't charge you anything" Dean added nodding his agreement to my suggestion.
"You know, thanks a lot but I think we'd rather have a mechanic do it" the girl argued.
"Sure, yeah" Dean nodded then sighed. "You know it's just that these roads um…they're not real safe at night" I squeezed his hand signaling him to stop especially as they looked at him like he was mad.
"I'm sorry?"
"I know it sounds strange but you might be in danger" Dean added ignoring my warning to stop.
"We're trying to eat, okay?" the guy said after they shared a creeped out look.
"Yeah…you know my brother could give you this puppy dog look and you'd just buy right into it-"
"Thanks for coming Sheriff" we suddenly heard Scotty say and turned seeing the Sheriff had come in, Dean leaned back in his seat and we shared a look while they spoke before the Sheriff came towards us.
"Like a word, please"
"Come on I'm having a bad day already" Dean sighed leaning further back in his seat.
"You don't want to make it worse" the Sheriff replied a little threatening leaning against the table, Dean looked at me and we nodded getting up walking out to the Impala getting in with the Sheriff following us the whole way and even following behind us the entire way out of town with the sirens blaring right up until we drove over the town line.
"Well that's not really friendly" he nodded and we stopped in the town over until dark then quickly drove back to the orchard grabbing our respected shotguns and ran in finding the couple running away but stopped seeing us.
"Get back to your car" the couple hesitated looking behind them "Go, go!" Dean added when the scarecrow came out.
Dean and I both fired off a shot each before we turned and started running after the couple towards the exit of the orchard firing off a few more shots as we ran and it chased us.
"Go, go!" I repeated when the couple was slowing down.
We finally made it out of the orchard seeing the Impala and turned towards the scarecrow guns raised but couldn't see it anywhere.
"What the hell was that?" the guy asked us.
"Don't ask" Dean replied before we dropped our guns with a single look at each other then got these people back to their car and with some miracle work from Dean repairing the damage they were on their way getting as far away and we returned to the first town over getting a room for the night.
I woke up in the morning seeing Dean still passed out beside me so I got up and headed into the bathroom getting undressed and hopped into the shower and was just rinsing out the shampoo when I heard Dean's voice meaning he was awake and quickly finished up getting out wrapping a towel around myself and walked out seeing him sitting on the bed with his phone pressed to his ear, he looked up as I walked out and I raised an eye silently asking him who he was talking about and he mouthed 'Sam'.
"I'm telling you Burkitsville, Indiana, fun town" I rolled my eyes walking over to my bag and grabbed out some clothes. "No, Evie and I can cope without you, you know" I chuckled dropping the towel and his eyes snapped up towards me like a moth to a flame. "No it's more than a spirit, it's a god, a pagan god anyway" he added surprising me that he'd figured that out but more likely he found my research I did last night before I went to sleep so I quickly pulled on my clothes before walking towards him sitting on the bed and grabbed his phone off him.
"I think he found my notes" I heard Sam laugh. "I figured with the annual cycles of its killings and the fact that the victims are always a man and a woman like some kind of fertility rite" I added before Dean grabbed the phone back off me.
"And you should see the locals, the way they treated this couple fattening them up like a Christmas turkey" I leaned in to hear.
"The last meal" I nodded since it made the most sense. "Given to sacrificial victims"
"Yeah I'm thinking a ritual sacrifice to appease some pagan god" Dean said as I stood up walking over to the table seeing my notes and research still spread out. "And the scarecrow takes it's sacrifice and for another year the crops won't wilt and disease won't spread…nope not yet" I looked up. "I know, I'm gonna head over to the local community college soon, I got an appointment with a professor, you know since we don't have our trusty sidekick geek boy to do all the research" I rolled my eyes at Dean because we did just fine before Sam. "I'm not hinting anything, actually…um I want you to know…I mean don't think-" he trailed off so Sam must have said it for him. "Sam you we're right, you gotta do your own thing, you gotta live your own life…you've always known what you want and you go after it, you stand up to Dad and you always have, hell I wish I…anyway I admire that about you, I'm proud of you Sammy" I was surprised since that was more than Dean had ever said in his whole life and showing that much emotion at one time. "Say you'll take care of yourself"
"He better" I muttered to myself since I wouldn't survive it if I lost either one of them.
"Call us when you find Dad" he added looking up at me before he hung up dropping his phone with a heavy sigh.
"He'll be okay Dean" he nodded so I sighed gathering the papers into a neater pile as he stood up grabbing his jacket. "You better get going, I'm gonna stay here and try to look for more info" he frowned seemingly ready to argue. "Dean go, I'm not going anywhere and with it just the two of us, we don't need to be in the same place, I won't go anywhere without calling you first" he sighed nodding his head throwing on his jacket and grabbed the Impala keys.
"Don't go anywhere period" I rolled my eyes but accepted the quick kiss he gave me before he left.
I spent the next hour or so on my laptop trying to narrow down my own search for any pagan gods resembling our scarecrow just in case Dean struck out with the college professor but so far hadn't found a thing so I reached for my phone dialing Dean's number because he should've been done by now but his phone rang out.
'This is Dean…' I hung up and tried again. 'This is Dean, leave a message' I frowned standing up anxiously.
"Dean call me back" I said leaving a message then waited a couple of minutes looking down at my phone but it didn't ring. "Come on Dean, where the hell are you?" I asked nobody.
Dean's POV
I looked up when the cellar door opened seeing the townspeople dreading in case they had gotten to Eve but saw Emily instead and frowned as her Uncle walked her down here ignoring her cries and questions on why they we're doing this which meant she wasn't in on their craziness, I stood up glaring at them but was at least glad that it wasn't Eve, her Uncle glared at me as if it was my fault before he left without speaking a word.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked them.
"For the common good" the lady replied before closing the cellar hatch.
Evie's POV
I was still trying to get a hold of Dean but had filled his voicemail and hadn't stopped pacing so when I heard my phone finally ring I jumped over to it quickly answering it without even looking at the caller ID.
"Dean!"
"No, it's Sam" I heard Sam's voice instead and sighed. "Where's Dean, I've been trying to call him"
"I don't know Sam, he went to the appointment but that was hours ago and he hasn't been answering any of my calls either, Sammy I'm worried somethings happened" I resumed pacing. "Sam I need your help, please"
"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can and Eve don't worry we'll find him"
"That's not in my nature Sam, especially when it comes to Dean" I replied then hung up and yelled out in frustration throwing my phone watching it shatter against the wall then groaned because that wasn't smart considering now neither brother could call me but I knew Dean wouldn't since there was only ever one reason why he wouldn't answer his phone.
I grabbed my gun out of my bag stashing it in the waistline of my jeans at my back then pulled out my favorite red leather jacket pulling it on before I left the motel.
Sam's POV
I pulled the phone away from my ear after Evie hung up, I'd already had a bad feeling when I'd tried calling Dean for the last hour or so but he didn't answer so I called Evie and after hearing how worried she was I knew something must've happened especially since they always had like a sixth sense when it came to each other being in trouble.
"Our bus came in" Meg said but I shook my head.
"You better catch it, I gotta go" I replied standing up and pulled my bag over my shoulder.
"Go where?"
"Burkitsville" I replied grabbing my laptop and started walking out.
"Sam!" she protested. "Wait"
"I've been trying to call my brother for the last three hours, I just got his voicemail so I called our friend Evelyn and she hasn't heard from him either"
"Maybe his phones turned off" she argued.
"No that's not like him, especially when it's Evie" I argued right back. "Meg, we think he might be in trouble"
"What kind of trouble?" she asked.
"I can't really explain right now, I'm sorry I don't want you to miss your bus"
"But I don't understand, your running back to your brother and his bitch" I frowned at her not appreciating her calling Evie a bitch. "The people you ran away from, why because your brother won't pick up his phone?" I frowned even more. "Sam…come with me to California"
"I can't, I'm sorry" I replied shaking my head.
"Why not?" she asked me.
"They're my family" I replied before walking away.
Dean's POV
"I don't understand, they're going to kill us" Emily asked me close to tears as I tried to break our way out ramming my shoulder into the cellar door but it was useless.
"Sacrifice us" I clarified. "Which is…I don't know classier I guess" I gave up with the cellar door and walked back down the steps. "You really didn't know anything about us, did you?"
"About what, the scarecrow god?" she asked rolling her eyes. "I can't believe this"
"Well you better start believing because I'm going to need your help"
"What about you're friend, that girl you we're with?"
"Evelyn, she'll be looking for me but we…I kind of don't like being the damsel in distress and it'd be easier for her to find us if we look for a way out too" I replied really hoping Eve was okay out there and they hadn't grabbed her but with Emily being here that was doubtful. "Now we can destroy the scarecrow but we gotta find the tree"
"What tree?"
"Maybe you can help me with that, it would be really old the locals would treat it with a lot of respect, you know like it was sacred" I replied looking at her.
"There was this one apple tree, the immigrants brought it over with them, they call it the first tree"
"Is it in the orchard?"
"Yeah but I don't know where" she replied just as the cellar door opened and we looked up seeing her Aunt and Uncle, the Sheriff who was holding a shotgun and Scotty.
"It's time" her Aunt said before they grabbed us and took us to the orchard tying us up with our hands above our heads near the scarecrow ready for nightfall.
"How many people have you killed Sheriff, how much blood is on your hands?"
"We don't kill them" he argued.
"No but you sure cover up after, I mean how many cars have you hidden, clothes have you buried?" I asked him.
"Uncle Harley please" Emily begged.
"I am so sorry, Em" the man replied. "I wish it wasn't you"
"It's our responsibility and there's no other choice since we couldn't find the girl he was with" I smirked glad to hear that Eve was safe.
"I'm your family" Emily replied looking up at her Aunt.
"Sweetheart…" she bent down brushing Emily's hair down. "…that's what sacrifice means, giving something up you love for the greater good, the town needs to be saved, the good of the many outweighs the good of the one" she added before they all started to leave.
"I hope your apple pie is freaking worth it!" I yelled after them hearing Emily sniffling back tears.
"So, what's the plan?" she asked me when they were out of sight.
"I'm working on it" I replied looking around for anything I could use to get untied but nothing was within reach or worth using.
Evie's POV
I kept a low profile as I drove back into town in the stolen car I'd hotwired and headed towards the orchard since that was the first place I knew they'd take Dean given it wasn't hard to guess they blamed us for rescuing the couple and was probably going to try and use us but they didn't have me and I had a feeling poor Emily would be the next on their list.
I pulled the stolen car over checking the bullets in my gun quickly before I got out and headed into the orchard but it wasn't long before I heard heavy footsteps behind me so I quickly ducked behind a tree raising the gun listening to the footsteps getting closer before I spun out slightly pulling the trigger but stopped seeing Sam holding up his hands.
"Whoa, it's me" I quickly lowered the gun. "I've tried calling you"
"Yeah I uh…broke my phone" he stared at me as if I was about to say 'I'm kidding' but then chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"The suns already set, we should go" I nodded so we quickly set off heading to the last place Dean and I had seen the scarecrow since it would be where Dean is, we walked up not seeing anything to start off with but then I heard it.
"Oh my god, oh my god" it was Emily so we walked closer and saw both her and Dean tied to trees.
"Dean!?" I saw him and he sighed in relief.
"Oh I take everything back bad I ever said about either of you's, I'm so happy to see you's" I laughed quickly moving to untie him as Sam untied Emily. "Come on" he urged me on quicker. "How'd you get here?" he asked looking over at Sam.
"I uh…I stole a car" Sam replied and we chuckled.
"That's my boy" Dean said and I rolled my eyes. "Keep an eye on that scarecrow, he could come alive at any moment"
"What scarecrow?" Sam suddenly asked just as I got Dean untied and we both looked up towards the cross where the scarecrow should've been but it was gone.
"Oh shi…" I started but we didn't waste any more time and once Sam finally got Emily untied and ran like hell as Dean filled us in on everything.
"Alright, now this sacred tree you're talking about-"
"It's the source of its power" Dean said cutting Sam off as we continued to run with him holding my hand never letting go.
"So let's find it and burn it" Sam replied.
"Oh in the morning, let's just shag ass before Leatherface catches up" Dean replied but suddenly heard snapping branches and Dean pulled me to a stop as we were surrounded by the townspeople most of them holding guns aimed to shoot. "This way" Dean turned us but we were met by more of them.
"Please let us go" Emily begged looking at her Aunt and Uncle.
"It's okay Emily, she's here now it can take them" her Uncle replied turning his gun towards me and Dean pulled me behind his arm shielding me with a glare at the man.
"You're not going to touch her" Dean growled out angrily.
"It'll be over quickly, I promise" he added as if we'd agree with that. "You have to let him take you's, you have to-" he was cut off as a sickle pierced through his back and Emily screamed turning into Sam's arms to shield her face as the scarecrow grabbed her Aunt before he started dragging their bodies away as the rest of the townspeople fled.
"Come on, come on let's go" Dean urged grabbing my hand again and we ran out of the orchard turning back to look once we were safely out but couldn't see the scarecrow anywhere.
I sighed leaning my head against Dean's chest as I breathed in and out catching my breath before I looked up at him as he looked down wrapping an arm tight around my waist clutching me to his side as he too sucked in deep heavy breaths.
We headed back to the motel Dean and I had been staying in last night and got an extra room since Emily as staying with us too afraid to face the townspeople so it was me and her in one room while the boys took the previous one Dean and I had given there was a few things Emily just didn't need to see but I was wide awake laying in bed unable to fall asleep.
I quietly sat up looking over at Emily seeing her asleep so I got up slipping into my boots as quietly as I could before tip toeing to the door and walked out jumping when I saw Dean sitting on the hood of the Impala with a bottle of bourbon in his hand.
"About time you left that room" he smiled looking up, I rolled my eyes but smiled walking towards him and took the bottle out of his hand taking a swig for myself as I took a seat beside him looking up seeing the night was clear and at least a million stars shining down at us.
"Been a while since we looked up at the stars together" I pointed out and he looked up too.
"Yeah, not since the night Sam told Dad he was leaving for college and Dad dragged me away back to hunt" I smiled remembering that night fondly since it was the night I finally figured out that what I felt for him was more than a crush.
John, Sam and Dean were visiting us at the moment and it was nice to see the boys again especially since I haven't seen them in over twelve months, I missed them when they were gone a lot more than I cared to admit especially to my Dad and of course to Dean.
I thought about him more than I did Sam and John, he was almost constantly on my mind when they were away so after dinner sat around our dining room table I had to get away because it was hard enough controlling my erratic blushing whenever he looked at me, I'd had a crush on him since I was twelve.
I escaped to my secret place in the salvage yard climbing up a stack of cars to a car that only had a vintage leather seat left and leaned back kicking out my feet up on one of the front seats smiling at how clear the night was and could see almost every star that made up the sky.
"What are you doing up there Shortstack?" I jumped looking down and saw Dean standing there with his usual cocky…sexy smirk that always made me go weak at the knees whenever he used it around me.
"Having quiet time which you so rudely interrupted Dean-O" he chuckled climbing up and took the seat beside me. "Did you follow me out here?" I asked him as he settled himself into the seat.
"Maybe" he shrugged. "Your Dad said you've been sneaking out and was worried you'd done it again so I told him I'd look for you" I rolled my eyes never looking away from the stars. "So what are you doing sneaking out, little Evelyn Singer not so innocent"
"Wouldn't you like to know?" I shot back at him and saw him raise an eye.
"Is it a guy?" he asked and if I knew him better I'd say there was a hint of jealously there but that was absurd since there was no way Dean Winchester was into me, he saw me as a sister and that was it.
"No I don't have time for guys" I replied looking over at him. "I…I've been hunting" his eyes widened.
"By yourself!" I rolled my eyes.
"You sound just like my Dad, I'm not a kid anymore and it's nothing that bad, just a couple local ghost hunts so nothing I can't handle on my own"
"Evie you shouldn't hunt on your own, it's dangerous" I rolled my eyes again, I was sick of being treated like some fragile doll that they all needed to shield from the bad things out there hiding in the shadows, I knew and wanted to help.
"Like I said I can take care of myself" I shot back but he sat up turning to face me.
"No you can't Eve" I turned shocked because that was the first time he's ever called me Eve, I was used to Evie and Shortstack but never Eve. "If something…anything could happen to you"
"I'm stronger than I look Dean"
"I know that, you're one of the strongest people I know but if anything happened to you I'd be…" he cut himself off looking down.
"What?" I asked him.
"I'd be devastated" he replied and I frowned looking down. "Eve I uh…" I turned back to him and in that moment everything changed, I knew in my heart that it wasn't just a crush…I was in love with Dean Winchester even if he would never love me back the same way.
"Get out!" we heard my Dad yell and both looked up before sharing a look and quickly climbed down to see what the commotion was...
"Evie" I jumped startled out of my sudden daydream looking back at Dean. "Where'd you just go to?" I smiled shaking my head.
"Nowhere" I replied leaning my head on his shoulder taking his hand in mine entwining our fingers as we shared the bottle of bourbon just sitting in silence neither saying what was actually on our minds.
"Thanks for saving me tonight" Dean finally spoke up, I scoffed and shook my head.
"Like I wouldn't" he smiled wrapping his arm around my shoulders pulling me close to him. "You come for me, I come for you that's our deal" I added and he chuckled.
"Yeah I know" he pressed a kiss to the top of my head but I quickly jumped off Baby's hood moving to stand in front of him and pressed my lips to his, he responded back leaning in deeply pulling my waist flush up against his as we devoured each other's faces and somehow ended up in the back seat of the Impala where we literally fell asleep making out.
"Dean, Evie!" I jerked awake looking around ready to kill but saw Sam standing beside the Impala leaning down to peer into the back seat. "We ready to burn a tree?" I turned to Dean who was glaring at his brother but quickly climbed out stretching out my stiff limbs seeing Emily standing awkwardly by the door and I sympathized for her because everything had changed so dramatically for her.
"Hey Emily, are you okay?" she looked up and nodded her head then smiled.
"You guys are cute together" she nodded at Dean over my shoulder, I turned back seeing Sam and Dean talking.
"Oh we're…uh…thanks" I muttered smiling back at Dean and he met my eyes with a smile.
"Come on, we gotta tree to burn" I rolled my eyes at Dean then gestured down at myself in sleep clothes.
"Let me change first" I replied heading back into our room and changed into some jeans, singlet top, flannel over shirt before pulling my boots back on then walked back out to the Impala locking the door behind me seeing them all in the Impala ready to leave with Sam and Emily in the back.
I climbed into the passenger seat smiling over at Dean as he turned the key in the ignition starting Baby and backed out of the space out onto the road surprising me when he grabbed my hand holding it in his lap running his thumb over my knuckles the entire drive into Burkitsville and to the orchard before parking and grabbed my hand again after we got out and started walking through the orchard looking for this sacred tree.
We followed Emily as she led the way through the many trees before we finally found the tree we were looking for knowing it was the right one by the weird markings carved into the trunk, Sam walked forward with the jerrycan of gasoline and started pouring it over the markings and trunk making sure it was doused appropriately while Dean grabbed a nearby branch using his zippo to light an end of it and Emily looked up watching it light as Sam continued to soak the tree.
"Let me" Emily spoke up holding her hand out for the branch.
"You know the whole towns gonna die" Dean replied but she grabbed it anyway and started towards the tree.
"Good" she said just before throwing the branch near the base of the tree into the gasoline causing the tree to catch fire and start burning right before our eyes and the boys and I shared a look before Dean looked down at me and entwined our hands again making me smile and squeeze back.
We watched the tree burn to the ground before we put out the rest of the fire when the tree was nothing but charred bark and ash then returned to the Impala driving Emily to the nearest bus stop per her request and watched as she boarded a bus to Boston seeing her turn to smile as us briefly, Dean and I both waved before she was gone as the bus disappeared from sight.
"Think she's gonna be alright?" Sam asked us.
"I hope so" Dean replied.
"And the rest of the townspeople they'll just get away with it?"
"What'll happen to the town will have to be punishment enough" I replied lightly hitting Sam's shoulder before we started walking back towards the Impala with Dean and I still holding hands which was odd at how much affection Dean was giving me without probable cause but I wasn't gonna say anything and ruin it.
"So can we drop you off somewhere?" Dean asked looking back at Sam and I frowned glancing up at him.
"No, I think you's are stuck with me" Sam replied with a scoff.
"What made you change your mind?" I asked with disbelief.
"I didn't, I still want to find Dad" he replied then turned to Dean. "And you're still a pain in the ass but Jess and Mom…they're both gone, Dad is god knows where, you, Evie and me we're all that's left" I smiled reaching a hand out to squeeze his hand too…in a brotherly gesture. "If we're gonna see this through were gonna do it together" I smiled nodding at Sam.
"Hold me Sam that was beautiful" Dean replied and I couldn't hold in the laugh we all shared. "Come on" he added letting go of my hand walking around to the drivers seat.
"You should be kissing our asses, you we're dead meat dude" Sam spoke up making me chuckle again.
"Yeah right I had a plan, I'd have gotten out"
"Right" Sam and I replied at the same time knowing he'd had nothing, he got in without another word and I looked up at Sam.
"Fronts yours pipsqueak, he hasn't let go of your hand since last night so I doubt he'll want me up there" I rolled my eyes at the nickname, it was worse than shortstack and hated that they both picked nicknames for me making fun of my size like it was my fault they were tall asses.
"Whatever sasquatch, wasn't gonna let you in the front anyway" I shot back opening the passenger door and climbed in as he laughed getting into the back and we got the hell out of Indiana once again back together the way it was supposed to be since wherever these boys were is where I want to be and nothing is ever gonna change that.
A/N: Please review.