Content Warning: Language and violence
Disclaimer: any words or phrases in bold in the story are not my own and are credited to the writes of Supernatural.
In a cheap motel, somewhere in Oklahoma, it was the middle of the night. Riley and Dean had cuddled up on one of the beat-up beds while watching "Tombstone". He had fallen asleep, but would never be sick of that movie. Sam had been asleep for hours and Riley was in and out of a twilight state with so much on her mind.
She sensed something coming from Sam and turned to him. It was fear. Not a minute after she felt him, his eyes flew open and a gasp escaped him. She reached out for the scared hunter.
"Sam, are you ok?" Dean woke from Riley's reaction.
"I-I think it was just another nightmare."
Riley knew that he wasn't just "having nightmares" either. She didn't know how she knew, but she did.
"I told ya, you gotta stop drinking caffeine at night. You can't handle it, man." Dean tried to cuddle back into Riley to go back to sleep.
Riley looked at Sam with concern. "You sure you're ok, Sam? You wanna talk?"
"No. No, I'm okay. Go back to sleep."
She picked up the remote from the side table and turned off the tv. Riley knew Sam was far from okay, but she couldn't force him to open up.
"Who was that woman?"
Riley nuzzled into Dean, hearing Sam's thoughts.
The next morning, Dean is at the motel table looking up possible cases. Sam was on his bed sketching and Riley is getting ready with the bathroom door open.
After rambling with different possible cases that elicited no response from Sam, Dean spoke up. "Am I boring you with this hunting-evil stuff?"
Sam was completely lost in his sketches as he drew the same tree from his dream over and over again. "No, I'm listening. Keep going."
Riley walked out as she continued to comb her hair. She put down the comb on the dresser and walked over to Dean. As she leaned over him to see what he was looking it, he leaned his face into hers.
She smiled. "Well, are you guys hungry? I say we grab some breakfast."
"You just get me don't you?" He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
"Wait." Sam got up and ran to their bags. After sifting through one for a moment, he pulled out a family picture. John, Mary, and the boys are standing in front of the old house. A large tree was behind them that looked like it was begging to be climbed. Riley and Dean walked over waiting to see what was going on. "I knew I'd seen this tree before."
"What's going on, Sam?" Riley sat next to him on the bed.
"I know where we gotta go next. Kansas. We gotta go home."
Confusion was all over Dean's face, "What are you talking about?"
"Look, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I dreamt about this tree. I dreamt about our old house. There was a woman inside the window and she was screaming for help. I think whoever's living there now, is in danger."
"I'm sorry, what? Are you saying you want us to drive all the way to Kansas because you had a dream?" The oldest Winchester stood and walked towards his brother.
"I didn't know how to tell you guys, but...I have nightmares and sometimes they come true."
Riley's eyes grew. Did Sam have a vision? Nothing was impossible now that she was developing telepathy as time went on. She decided not to say anything.
"What if this is the same thing that killed our moms and Jessica?" Sam's eyes pled with his brother to understand.
"Sam, I swore I would never go back to that house." Dean could feel a lump in his throat as the idea of being "home" again was too much to bear. Riley could feel it and went to wrap her arms around him from behind. Her head peered around his torso and he held her there tight.
"Dean, I think we have to trust Sam's gut on this. I mean what if he's right? What if this is our chance to get this son of a bitch? We have to at least try." She kissed his back and held onto him to let him know she wouldn't leave his side. She took a step to the side, her one arm still wrapped around Dean and looked at them both. "It's time to go home, guys."
Baby pulled to a slow stop next to the curb on a sleepy street. They all looked across the way and saw the old Winchester house. The large tree from the picture stretched out and shaded the entire front lawn. Sam knew that was where they were supposed to be.
Dean felt sick to his stomach and memories from that terrible night still ran through his head. Riley's mind connected to Dean's and she could feel the pain in those memories. She was too young to remember the night mom had died. But Dean remembered everything about the night he lost his own mother. Coming up behind him from the back seat, she threw her arms around him and kissed his neck. "You good?"
He took her hands that laid on his chest and kissed them. "Ask me later."
They all walked up to the door and knocked. A blonde woman with a small frame answered the door. Sam's heart sank when he realized she was the woman from the dream.
"Can I help you?"
Back in the car, the hunters tried to piece the puzzle together.
"Ok, so Jenny said she hears scratches. Lights are flickering there's something wrong with the plumbing. That sounds like a malevolent spirit to me, Sammy. And then the daughter mentions seeing a figure on fire in her closet? What the hell, man? Not only is something going on in the house, but you're having dreams that predict the future?" Dean's drug his hands down his face trying to come to terms with everything.
Sam couldn't wrap his mind around it all. "All I know Dean, is that family is in danger, and we have to help."
"I know this is hard on both of you," Riley started. "But we have to work this like any other case. We look into the history of the house (which we already know), we talk to the locals, and we dig up everything we can find."
"You're right. Let's start with the old garage dad used to work at. Maybe they'll know something." Dean hit his turn signal and flipped around in the right direction.
It was only a few blocks away to the garage. They pulled in and walked towards the entrance. The sound of drills and machinery whirred in the background and the smell of grease in the air. When inside, a husky man in a blue uniform jumpsuit saw them. "You guys been helped?"
"Actually, we're wondering if you happened to know John Winchester? He worked here years ago." A part of Dean was excited to hear about his family and the other wanted to run away and never look back.
"John? Jesus, he's been missing 20 years. Yeah, we worked together. He was a tough son of a bitch. A good worker. He adored Mary and doted on those kids. It was heartbreaking to watch him after it all happened."
"You mean after the fire?" Sam quickly asked.
"Yeah. John just wasn't the same. He started reading these weird books and whatnot saying something killed Mary. He even went to some psychic in town. I told him to go get help but he never listened."
"Alright, well thank you for your time." Sam walked at a brisk pace to the phone booth on the corner. Dean and Riley followed behind him.
He pulled out the yellow pages in the booth and sifted through local psychics. He read out loud, "Oh, look! 'Ted the Incredible' will help us find our past lives and discover our animal spirits."
A look of discomfort and judgment came over Dean's face. "Pass."
"Well, there's a Madam Serena, a Missouri Mosely…"
"Wait. Missouri? That's a psychic?" Dean ran back to the car, grabbed his dad's hunting journal and jogged back. "Look, the first line on the first page. 'Went to Missouri today and I learned the truth.' I always thought he was talking about the state."
"Ok, we know who we're looking for now. I say we go grab some food because I'm starving." Riley reached down to her growling stomach.
Besides the food, the boys knew the main reason she wanted to head to the diner. Home was so close and her patience to get there had worn thin.
Dean smiled at his hungry girlfriend. "Sounds like a plan. There is never a bad time for pie."
Riley began walking towards Baby, Sam, and Dean trailing behind her. She heard a faint buzzing that flew by her face and she flipped around with a yelp. "BEE! Oh shit, it's a bee!" She pulled her leather jacket over her head as far as it would go in a desperate attempt to protect herself and ran to the car. The brothers threw back their heads in laughter as she flew the door open, got inside and slammed the door shut. Wiping tears from laughter off their face, they joined her in the car.
"So, my tough girl can go head to head with monsters and demons, but runs in terror at the sight of a bee?" Dean was still attempting to catch his breath as he grabbed his aching stomach from laughter.
"Haha, very funny," Riley said in annoyance. "How am I the only one traumatized by bugs after our last case? I will never be the victim of a bee ever again." She shuddered remembering the night they saved a family from an insect curse. "So many bee stings."
As Riley looked over to Dean, his grip kept tightened and loosened around the wheel as he shifted in his seat. He was taking deep breaths and Riley could feel how nervous he was. It was enough to make her feel like she was going to be sick.
"Oh, god. If Deb doesn't like me as Riley's boyfriend, I'm screwed. I can NOT fuck this up."
Riley's face lit up and her smile grew wide on her face. "Sweetheart, calm down. Deb loved you and she's still gonna love you."
Dean looked at her with confusion. "How the hell did you know I was thinking about that?"
"Shit." She immediately realized her mistake and had to find a way to fix it. "Oh, come on, Dean. You're all shifty and nervous. You feel like I'm 'bringing you home to mom'."
"Please please please let him buy that," she thought.
He turned to her and inhaled deeply. "You're right. I'm freaking out. I just-I don't wanna ruin anything, you know?"
"Dean's never really 'met the parents before'." Sam was getting a kick out of watching his big brother squirm.
"Shut up, Sammy."
Riley's dimples showed as she grinned. "You won't. I promise. She's gonna love you." She took his hand and rubbed it lovingly between both of hers and kissed it. The energy in the car changed and he was finally calming down.
"Home." Riley got out of the car as soon as it had come to a stop. She stood holding onto the door and looked at the diner. Every time she came back, it was like a piece of her heart had been put back into place. This time though, there was an energy radiating from the little diner. It was familiar and strong. Something about it gave Riley comfort. It felt like love. "Deb."
With a giant smile on her face, she looked at the boys and let out a small squeal of excitement. Leaving them behind, she ran inside.
Seeing her in her element, feeling safe and happy, nothing brought Dean more joy. When she wasn't hunting, she was carefree; goofy even. He laughed to himself. Watching her reminded him of all the little reasons he fell in love with her.
The diner was fairly quiet as she scanned the room looking for her family. Debbie was towards the back putting new warm pies on the racks. Riley started to pick up her walking pace and headed towards her when Deb's eyes caught her. Without a word, Deb ran to her niece and grabbed her in a tight embrace. They both tried to hide their emotions and held each other in silence.
Deb sniffled as she pulled away and looked at Riley. Her hands pushed her niece's auburn hair out of her face. "Oh, my girl. I missed you so much. It's never the same without you."
"You have no idea how much I've missed you. It felt like it took forever to get here. I was just too excited. By the way, where's-"
As if on cue, Finn came barrelling down the back stairs. He had heard Riley's voice from upstairs and couldn't wait another second to see her. Running straight for her, Riley fell to the floor as her best friend lept into her arms. He whined and whimpered over and over while his tail wagged uncontrollably. "FINN! Oh, buddy, I missed you so much. I'm so sorry I was gone for so long." She kissed his head and continued to pet and rub him all over. Finn couldn't contain his excitement.
Sam and Dean walked in and watched the euphoric look on Riley's face at the reunion of her and her partner.
Deb let out an exasperated sigh. "Finn! You know better than to be in the diner."
"Aw, Deb. Give him a break. He missed me." She got up with a giant grin on her face and pat her side for Finn to follow her as she led him to the back room.
"Sam. Dean." Deb hugged the boys and welcomed them back home. "Thank you for taking such good care of my girl."
"Hey, there were times when she was taking care of us. Don't know what we would do without her," Sam replied.
"I know the feeling." Deb wiped her hands on her apron and knew that she would have to say goodbye again soon. "How about you boys let Riley know that I'll bring you out some lunch? You can all go sit on the front patio. That way she can stay with Finn. Lord knows I'm not gonna be able to pull them away right now."
Before Dean could get out a word Debbie spoke, "and yes, Dean. I'll bring the pie." He smiled. "Oh, and you and me? We gotta talk." She smirked and got back to work.
Dean gulped in a panic and Sam found the entire situation far too amusing.
Sitting in front of the diner, there were five round stone sets of tables spread out on the patio. They all had large red umbrellas over them that connected to the center of the tables. The main road was as busy as usual for a small town. There were families walking together, a few cars going by and music played from inside the diner.
Riley had found a spot and Finn sat as close to her as possible; his head on her lap. She pet him and spoke to him about how much they missed each other. The boys sat across the table and watched as Riley had completely lit up with him around.
Deb had already come and gone with food. Her niece filled her in on as much of their trip as she could and about why they had come back to Lawrence.
Debbie knew Riley too well. She could see the love she had for Dean. She was thrilled she wasn't hunting alone anymore. But the thought of Riley falling in love only to lose him, scared her to death. Back in the diner, she cleaned the counter top and watched as her surrogate daughter laughed with her newly found family.
A female voice with a southern tone spoke out as she came out of the diner. "Sam and Dean Winchester? Is that you?"
All three spun around to see a thick, dark-skinned woman with a kind face. None of them recognized her.
"And Riley Munroe. My goodness. I got three for the price of one." She walked over and sat at one of the tables next to the group.
"I'm sorry, who are you?" Sam questioned.
"Oh, how rude of me. I'm Missouri Mosely. I've been looking for you three."
Looking at each other in disbelief, no one knew what to say. Missouri continued. "I knew both your fathers. You boys have grown up so handsome. And Riley, you look just like your beautiful mother. I know you all are wondering how I found you and probably have a thousand questions. Here's my address." She handed Riley her business card. "Come by anytime today, we have so much to catch up on. And feel free to bring your golden companion. He's adorable."
Missouri walked away and the brothers and Riley sat in shock. "Well, at least she's expecting us now," Dean joked.
Missouri's house wasn't more than a few blocks from the diner, so they walked. It felt good for them to stretch their legs after the long drive and Finn was loving every minute.
They stopped at the marked address and went inside. There was a sitting area that Missouri had made out of the foyer of her home. Tapestry draped all over the walls and the smell of incense filled the air. Towards the back, a doorway covered in hanging beads and a smiling Missouri came through. "Well, come on back you four."
She took Sam's hand. "Oh, sweetheart. I'm sorry about your girlfriend. And your father? He's missing too?"
"Yeah. How did you know that?"
"You were just thinking it." She moved to Riley and a smile grew over Missouri's face as she touched her hand. "You are something special aren't you, young lady?" Her face fell and sadness was written all over her face. "Oh, your father passed."
Riley took a deep breath, trying not to let her emotions become too much to handle.
"I'm so sorry for your loss. He was a wonderful man and he loved you very much." Riley shook her head in gratitude and swallowed hard. Trying not to cry, she feigned a smile.
She ushered the team into her main sitting area and even guided Finn to a comfortable pillow on the floor. Dean sat down and Missouri jumped up. "Dean Winchester if you put your feet on my coffee table, I'm gonna whack you with a spoon." His face was in shock.
"I didn't-I didn't do anything-"
"You were thinking about it."
He sat back politely but with his eyes wide, looking like a kid that got caught with a cookie before dinner. Sam and Riley tried not to laugh.
"So, you three were looking for me?"
"Yeah, how did you know that?" Riley asked excitedly.
Missouri laughed. "Well, your aunt makes the best pies in town, and I happened to be picking one up shortly after you showed up. She had mentioned that you all needed to speak to me."
"So, you're not psychic?" Dean asked with skepticism in his voice.
"Do I look like a magician to you, boy? I can't just pull information out of thin air. I read some thoughts and pick up energies around me. I don't know everything." She was irritated with the oldest Winchester.
Again, like the child in trouble, he sat back and decided to be quiet. He had been shamed enough.
"So, we heard you knew our dad?" Sam was eager to know more.
"Yes. Your father came to me after the fire. I was the one who told him the truth. I told him what was really out there."
"Were you the one that figured out it was a demon?"
She nodded her head with fear growing in her eyes. "I walked through that house after everything happened. John had hoped I would pick up on something, and I did. Oh, and it was evil. I could still feel its yellow eyes staring at me and it felt as though I was swallowed into darkness. I've never felt anything like it." Missouri took a moment. "It's the same thing that took your mother too, Riley. Both your fathers were hunting for it, desperate to avenge their lost wives. I actually introduced them to each other. They needed someone who could understand their pain."
"That's funny. I actually never knew how they met." Riley imagined a young John and Jack teaming up with a fire lit beneath them. She was proud to be his daughter.
"And he was so proud to be your father." Missouri looked at her and their eyes met. "You can hear me can't you, honey?"
She knew. Missouri knew about her gift. Was it a gift? "...yes. I can."
Ms. Mosely smiled at Riley and continued the conversation. She knew the young hunter wasn't ready to share her secret with Sam and Dean. "So, you're here because of the house. It's acting up again. Let's go, together. It's time we put an end to this."
Nerves grew in Sam's stomach. "It doesn't feel like an end to me. It feels like something's just starting."
Walking through the old Winchester house, Missouri felt around. She touched items, walls, and stood in rooms trying to pick up energies. They all followed her as she went into the little girl's room upstairs.
"This was your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened."
Sam stood in the doorway and slowly walked in. He had imagined the bedroom a thousand times before, but being there was something completely different. It was almost as though the memories lived and breathed in that room.
Dean couldn't stomach walking in. He stood in the hallway and flashbacks ran through his mind of John giving Sammy to him and telling him to run. Riley could hear the pain in him. It was more like agony. When the emotions were strongest, that's when her ability seemed to kick in most. She reached out for Dean's hand and laced their fingers. "Together," she said. With the courage she gave him, they finally walked inside. As they did, Riley looked up at the ceiling where Mary Winchester had died and a scream echoed through her mind. She shook her head and tried to shut it off without worrying Dean.
Knowing that the little girl had seen an entity on fire in her closet, Missouri opened it and walked in. "Well, I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved, but this ain't the thing that took your mom. I'm sure of it. No, this is something different, and there's more than one spirit in this place."
The brothers looked at each other unsure of what to feel. "What are they doing here?" Dean asked.
"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. This place is a magnet for paranormal energy." Missouri turned to look around the room. "It's attracted a poltergeist; a nasty one. And it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead."
"You said there was more than one spirit." Sam hung on her every word, hoping that there may be a sign of his mother.
She nodded. "There is. I just can't quite make out the second one."
"Well one thing's for damn sure," Dean walked further into the room. "no one's dying in this house ever again. So whatever's here, how do we stop it?"
Missouri convinced Jenny and her family to leave for the evening. She promised that the house would be safe when she came home. The plan was to stuff magic warding bags in the north, south, east and west corners of the house in the hopes to purify it.
Walking into the basement together, Missouri and Riley studied the area. "When exactly do you plan on telling them all your little secrets, sweetheart?"
Riley's heart jumped into her throat. Missouri knew everything. She didn't know if she was relieved to no longer be the only one who knew or if she was terrified. She hesitated before she spoke. "I don't know. I'm scared to. I know they're my family now, but we've hunted people with 'abilities'. What if they see me as a monster?"
She walked to Riley and took her hand in hers. "When you're ready to tell those boys your secret, they'll still love you. Especially that stubborn one of yours. Don't be afraid of who you are."
Riley smiled. "Thank you," she thought.
Meanwhile, Sam had taken the upstairs part of the house and Dean was on the main floor. Spreading out, they broke into walls in the corners of the house.
In the basement, as Missouri and Riley found appropriate spots. They put the bags in the opposite corners. The poltergeist felt the energy in the house begin to shift and it wasn't going to leave without a fight. A large dresser that had been stored away, flew in Riley and Missouri's direction. They yelped as it hit them and held them tightly against the wall.
As Sam went to place his warding bag in the wall, an electrical cord snapped out at him and wrapped tightly around his throat. On the floor now, gasping for air, he tried in desperation to get it off.
At that same moment in the kitchen, a knife shot its way at Dean's head. He turned and ducked as it nearly missed him and drove into the wall. Realizing what was happening, he grabbed the table beside him and flipped it to use it as a shield. He covered his face as six large knives stabbed into the wood.
Dean ran upstairs to check on Sam only to find him barely conscious. He tried to pull the cord off his gasping brother but couldn't fight the powerful energy. He grabbed the warding bag and put it in the wall where Sam had chopped it open. As he did, a bright and nearly blinding light shot through the house. The cord fell from his little brother's throat as Dean went to make sure he was okay. He held him close as Sam finally caught his breath.
Standing in the kitchen, the group looked around. The house had been trashed by the poltergeist but it was quiet.
"Are you sure this is over?" Sam couldn't help but feel doubt and wonder if there was more they should be worried about.
"I'm sure." Missouri turned to Sam curious. "Why do you ask?"
"No, nevermind." He sighed heavily. "It's nothing I guess."
Riley could feel Sam's concern and wondered if he was feeling something more. How deep did his abilities actually run?
Jenny walked in with her kids. "Oh my god, what happened?"
Sam smiled and let out an awkward laugh. "Yeah, sorry about that. We'll uh-we'll pay for all of this." Dean shot a look of "what the fuck" at his brother and Missouri felt it.
"Don't worry," she said. "Dean's gonna clean up this mess." Again, Dean's face read the same and even more so this time. "Well, what are you waiting for, boy? Get the mop." He turned to leave with irritation. "And don't you cuss at me." Turning back to Missouri, he again was the kid in trouble. Sam and Riley had to once again stifle a laugh.
Drained from the day, Riley, Sam, and Dean sat in the Impala in front of the house. "Why are we still here, Sam? Missouri did her thing and the house should be clean. It's over." Dean was tired and wanted to rest.
"Yeah, maybe." Sam's eyes were still scanning the windows of the house. "I just wanna make sure."
Riley leaned her head against the passenger side window. "I would kill to go to sleep right now."
Sam jumped when he saw Jenny in the upstairs window. "Dean! Dean!" It was exactly as he saw it in his vision. She was pounding away and screaming for help.
They all ran as fast as they could up to the house and back inside. "You guys grab the kids, I'm gonna get Jenny!" Dean yelled as they headed up the stairs.
Riley ran to get the little boy and held him tight. Coming down the hall, she saw Sam coming out of the girl's room telling her to shut her eyes and not to look. The fire spirit was in the room walking in their direction.
Dean and Jenny waited outside as Riley ran out with the kids. "Where's Sam?" Dean yelled.
"He gave me the kids and something pulled him back in. We have to go back!" She gave the children to their mother. Before the two rushed back to save their partner, the door slammed shut.
Getting the shotgun with salt rounds, Dean handed it to Riley and grabbed an ax from the trunk. They ran back up and Dean began to chop at the door. He yelled for Sam. Little did he know, his brother was being tossed across the kitchen like a ragdoll. An unseen force, threw him against the wall one more time and held him there as he fought to get free. The fire spirit appeared once again and walked towards him.
Finally inside, Riley and Dean saw what was happening. They were shocked and terrified. She raised the shotgun and readied to fire.
"No! No! Don't!" Sam pleaded.
Riley turned to him. "What? Why the hell not?"
Sam's face softened. "Because I know who it is. I can see her now."
As he spoke, the fire ceased and revealed a beautiful Mary Winchester. Dean shook as he looked into the face of the woman he missed more than anything. She walked up to them and lovingly looked into their eyes. They held back tears as they finally saw their mom again.
"I'm sorry," Mary said as she looked at her boys. Tears now ran down their faces. They didn't understand why she would say that.
She walked to the center of the room and looked up. "You, get out of my house, and let go of my son." Bursting back into flames, her spirit shot back up to the ceiling. It spread out only to finally disappear.
Sam was released from the wall and Dean looked around desperately searching for his mother. Riley stood in shock and was overwhelmed by the love that had glowed from Mary. It brought tears to her eyes. But, it was finally over. She had sacrificed herself to protect her boys. Her spirit fought off the evil poltergeist.
Back on the porch, Missouri sat next to a sad and confused Sam. "Well, there aren't any spirits in there anymore for sure this time."
Sam's heart broke a little. "Not even my mom?"
She shook her head and reached out to comfort him. Missouri spoke hesitantly. "Sam, I'm sorry. You sensed it was still here, didn't you? Even when I couldn't."
"What's happening to me?"
She shook her head again. "I wish I had answers for you, honey...but I just don't."
After taking in enough for one day, the gang headed back to Deb's. They agreed to stay in the apartment instead of a motel. Debbie had insisted.
The lights were off with only the tv glowing. Sam had dozed off with Finn at his side on one end of the long couch. Dean sat with Riley's head in his lap as he began to feel more and more relaxed. She had curled up under a blanket and was sound asleep herself. He absently stroked her hair. Dean realized how different his life had been before his last trip to Lawrence. Coming home brought him to her.
Dean looked up as Deb sat on a chair next to the sofa. She smiled at the couple.
She whispered, trying not to wake the others. "You really love her don't you?"
Caught off guard by the question, he looked back down at the sleeping auburn-headed woman in his lap. Dean brushed her hair off her face and then looked back at her aunt.
"I do," he whispered. "Very much."
"Be good to her. She doesn't let people in the way she has with you. I don't want to see her get hurt."
"Deb, I could never hurt her."
Her worry had dulled as she watched how peaceful Riley was in his arms. She stood and put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want me to help you get her to bed?"
"No, it's okay. I don't want to wake her."
Debbie grabbed two extra blankets and covered Dean around his shoulders. She went to then put one on Sam. "Goodnight, Dean. Welcome to the family." They smiled at each other before she turned to go to bed.
Driving down the road the following night, the group had decided to drive to the next town to catch a movie. Def Leppard came on the radio and Dean and Riley were lost in the music. They loved when they could mess around to their favorite songs. He played the beat on the steering wheel while she sang along. Sam sat in the back and smiled but rolled his eyes. They were sometimes too much to handle when they were together, but he loved them both.
Dean's phone rang and he turned down the stereo before flipping it open to answer. "Hello?"
Missouri spoke through the line with panic in her voice. "Something terrible is about to happen. You have to get back to the diner now! It might already be too late!"
Riley looked up as Dean's expression changed into fear. "What? What's happening?"
"We gotta go back." He slammed on the breaks sending Baby skidding before effortlessly flipping the car in the other direction. His foot pressed down hard on the gas as they sped back down the road.
As they neared the diner, a bright orange light came from up ahead. Riley's heart pounded in her chest as Sam spoke up, "Oh my god."
Coming around the corner, the diner was engulfed in flames. Riley gasped in horror seeing her home set ablaze. Onlookers from the town had gathered. There was sadness as their beloved diner was burning.
Before Dean could put the car in park, Riley jumped out of the car and ran inside the burning building.
"RILEY!" Dean yelled in terror only to watch her disappear into the fire. Sirens rang out nearby.
Flames ran through the diner as she tried to make her way through. The heat hurt her lungs when she breathed and the air was thick with smoke. "Deb? DEB?!" Riley ran up the back stairs to the apartment in a full sprint.
She kicked in the door and anxiously looked for her aunt. Screaming her name a few more times, she could feel the fire around her growing stronger. Riley began to panic when she couldn't find her.
Dean came rushing in behind her as the ceiling began to creak. From outside the door, he yelled, "Riley! We have to go!"
"I have to find her! I can't find her!" She coughed from the fumes.
She turned towards Debbie's room and saw the entire room lit in fire. A black shadow figure stood in front of the door as the fire raged on. Riley could feel the evil surging through the house and knew exactly who was looking back at her. "NO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. The bedroom door slammed shut; the figure disappearing behind it.
Before she could charge towards the room, Dean had caught up to her and grabbed her. "She's gone! She's gone, Riley! Let's go!"
Sobbing, she took Dean's hand and he ran in the direction of the stairs with her in tow. The ceiling began to cave in. The sound of glass breaking and the fire crackling surrounded them.
Sam paced next to the Impala, his hands on his head fearing the worst. He was crying. Dean and Riley came running out of the diner and he finally exhaled. As the couple reached the parking lot, they turned to face the burning building. There was nothing they could do but watch as Riley's home was slowly destroyed.
Riley began to weep and fell to her knees. Her sobs turned into screams of pain. Both of the brothers came to her sides and knelt beside her, holding her as her whole world came crashing down.
"I can't feel her anymore," she sobbed. "I can't-I can't feel her. I can't feel her, Dean."
Not knowing what she meant, he pulled her head into his chest. All he could do at this point was hold her.
Suddenly a realization came over Riley. "Oh my god. Where's Finn?!" She shot up and began to yell for him through the tears. "FINN! FINN?!"
A small whimper came from the building next door. She turned to see her beloved retriever. He was covered in ash but seemed unhurt. He shook as he hurried over to her and she hurled herself towards the frightened dog. "Finnick!" The dog cried in fear as she wrapped her arms around him.
"It's ok. You're safe. I got you." She sobbed into his fur, clutching his collar and pulling him close.
It seemed as though the world had gone silent as if mourning a great loss. Sam and Dean watched with tears in their eyes as their partner wailed in agony. They knew, there was no coming back from this.
After a terrible night, Riley, Sam, and Dean had gone to Missouri's house. She knew they would need food, sleep and a place to feel safe. She had even closed her business to keep the house quiet and to tend to the kids.
It was sometime after noon, and Dean walked down the stairs. He sulked into the kitchen to find Sam at the table with his head in his hands and Missouri sitting across from him. She had coffee in her hands and her face looked heartbroken. They turned when Dean came in.
"How is she?" Sam had been worried all morning.
"She's not good, Sammy." Dean poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked exhausted. They all did.
Sam exhaled before speaking. "The fire marshall called. He said they have no clue where the fire originated. There were no faulty wires or broken gas lines." He paused. "And uh-they found Deb's body."
Dean closed his eyes and tried to hold back tears. "I was really holding out hope that-" He sat down and ran his palm down his face. "I don't know what to do. She's devastated. I can't even get her out of bed."
"She needs time." Missouri's voice was low and sorrowful. "Riley is in too much pain right now. We have to just wait until she's ready."
Tears filled Dean's eyes and a lump grew in his throat as he spoke. "I uh-I can't fix this for her. I can't make it right. All I can do is sit with her and watch her suffer. It's not right."
"None of this is right. None of you have deserved the pain you've all been through; the loss you've all experienced." Missouri did what she could to console Dean. "You are doing all you can for her. She's gonna need you now more than ever, though. The both of you. You're all the family she has left."
An hour or so later, Dean headed back towards the room he was sharing with Riley. He took a deep breath and exhaled before opening the door.
Looking in the room, he saw a broken woman, curled up in a ball on the bed. She was still in her clothes from the night before. He had tried to help her get undressed but she wouldn't budge. Riley stared off into the distance with silent tears flowing down her cheeks. Her face was vacant.
Sam had bathed Finn earlier to remove any evidence of the fire. The dog, loyal as always, never left her side. He laid behind her, his head tucked into her neck.
Dean closed the door behind him and walked over to her. Sitting down on the bed beside her, he softly spoke. "Sweetheart? Can I get you something to eat?" When she didn't answer, he sighed and gently rubbed her arm. Dean wanted nothing more than to scoop her up and kiss her, but he knew that was what he wanted, and not what she needed.
He leaned down and kissed her head. "I'm here if you need anything. We all are." After a minute, he stood to walk towards the door.
"I need to tell you something." Her voice was raspy and tired. He turned to face her just happy she had finally spoken.
Dean knelt by the bed and took her hand. "I'm here. What is it?" Finn got up and moved to the foot of the bed to lay at Riley's feet.
"I've been keeping secrets from you. From both of you." She sniffled and turned her eyes to face him.
"What do you mean?" He spoke with patience and understanding, hoping she would just keep talking to him.
"Ever since the day we met, I started feeling things. Energies, emotions…" Riley didn't even care if she sounded insane at this point. She had gone numb and needed to get the words out. "I started being able to hear people's thoughts."
He blinked a couple times as he tried to process what she just told him. "Honey, I think you're really tired. Maybe you should get some sleep."
"No, Dean. I know I'm not making any sense, but it's the truth."
"...I don't even know what to say to her," Dean thought.
"Just say you believe me." Riley's telepathy still only happened randomly. She had very little control over it. But she was relieved that it worked now when she needed it to.
Dean's eyes grew as he looked up at her. She forced a closed smile and nodded. Slowly he came to terms with what had just happened between them.
He stammered. "What-uh...did it-" He pulled his thoughts together. "Wait, is that why last night you kept saying you couldn't feel Deb anymore?"
Tears ran down Riley's face as she nodded. "I know I should have told you. I wanted to. But I was too scared. I thought you would think I was crazy or evil and leave me."
Dean took both of her hands into his and squeezed them. "Look at me. If I go somewhere, you're coming with me. There isn't anything that could ever make me think you were evil. You are the best person I have ever known. I'm a better person because of you."
Riley felt love radiating from Dean in its purest form. His heart ached to see her in pain and she could feel how deeply connected they were. Her pain was his.
"I wanted to tell you before we came back to Kansas, but then Sam's visions started and it was all too much." She sniffled again. "I'm so sorry."
"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry for. I get it, okay? I know why you didn't tell us. We're gonna figure it all out together. I promise."
Riley scooted back and motioned for him to lay with her and he did without hesitation. All he had wanted since the night before was to hold her. Dean put his forehead to hers and breathed her in as he brushed the hair away from her face.
"I love you, Dean."
He closed his eyes and soaked in the warmth of her in his arms. "I love you, sweetheart."
A week had come and gone since the fire. The first few days were the worst. Riley barely moved or ate. Dean tended to her every chance he got and Sam was more than happy to help. The boys offered to leave and get a hotel while Riley recuperated, but Missouri wouldn't have it. "My home is yours," she told them.
It was a Saturday afternoon. Missouri and Sam were downstairs deep in conversation. They were determined to find out what was happening to him and Riley with their new abilities.
Dean walked down the upstairs hallway with a tray in hand. He had made Riley a sandwich and a coffee. It seemed that bringing the food to her was the only way he could get her to eat. Getting closer to their room, he heard a soft tune. Dean beamed with joy when he realized Riley had picked up her guitar again and was singing.
Standing at the door, he watched as his best friend strummed the guitar. Her voice was heartbroken and soft but sounded beautiful. She was singing Fleetwood Mac's "The Landslide". Dean had no desire for her to stop.
Riley sat in one of Dean's comfortable shirts and a pair of pajama shorts. Her hair was in a messy bun and her glasses sat in front of her teary red eyes. He loved seeing her with that guitar in her hands and knew it was almost therapeutic for her as she sang on.
"Oh mirror in the sky, what is love? Can the child in my heart rise above? Can I sail through the changin' ocean tides? Can I handle the seasons of my life?" Riley stopped as her pain welled up in her throat. She took a breath and continued; fighting back tears. "Well, I've been afraid of changin' cause I've built my life around you. But time makes you bolder, even children get older and I'm gettin' older too..." Stopping again, she sniffled and put the guitar next to the bed. Riley rubbed Finn's fur to soothe herself. He had fallen asleep to the melody next to her.
Dean finally decided to go in. "Hey, honey. I brought you some lunch."
"Oh, thank you. That was really sweet of you," she said turning to him and wiping away the remaining tears.
"That was beautiful, Riley."
The lump in her throat returned. "That uh-that was the song Deb sang to me as a kid. When I missed my dad or got scared at night, it was her way of calming me."
He hadn't prepared himself for that response. Placing the tray on the side table, Dean sat next to what he thought was the most beautiful woman in the world. He rubbed her back and she collapsed into his chest and sobbed. Holding her tightly, he ran his hand over her hair. "It's ok, sweetheart. I'm here."
The next morning, Sam, Dean, and Missouri sat in her parlor and attempted to make a game plan. They looked at maps on Sam's laptop and tried to pinpoint possible locations of demonic activity. There had to be a way to locate the monster that had terrorized their families.
Dean excused himself and went into the kitchen. Flipping open his phone, he called his father in one last desperate attempt.
"You've reached John Winchester. If this is an emergency, call my son Dean at 785-555-2476." The tone beeped.
"Dad, I know I've called you before, and hell I don't even know if you're getting these messages." He took a deep breath trying not to let his voice break. "But things have been happening, dad. We had to go back to Lawrence. I have so much to tell you about what happened back at the old house. But-Riley, my girlfriend...she lost the only family she had left. The demon that killed mom, her mom, Jess-it took her aunt. We have to find him. Please.." Dean's voice finally breaking, "dad, I need your help. We need your help. Call me back." He flipped the phone shut and put it to his forehead as he tried to compose himself.
There was thudding coming down the stairs and Dean ran out of the kitchen. Missouri and Sam followed the sound as well. As they all met in the foyer, Riley had come down with Finn and her duffle bag. She was putting on her jacket and lacing her boots.
"Riley, where are you going?" Sam asked in a worried tone.
"I can't sit here any longer. I have to go after it. That thing is out there and more people are gonna get hurt. I have to do something. No one else I love is going to die because of this son of a bitch." Her words had a bite to them and some came out seething through her teeth as she fought back tears.
Dean flew to her side where she was putting on her shoes and placed his hand on hers. "Sweetheart, if you're ready to go, we'll go."
"No, I'm gonna go get the Mustang and set out with Finn. I can't leave him behind now."
He put a finger under her chin and gently turned her his direction. "You don't have to leave him anywhere. He's coming with us, and you are too. There is nowhere you can go that I won't follow you. We do this together."
Sam was surprised that his brother was willing to take the dog with them. He knew full well that Dean never allowed dogs in the car and that he wasn't a huge fan of them, to begin with. He smiled seeing his brother doing all he could for the woman he loved.
"Dean, you don't have to do that," she sniffled.
"Yes, I do. If he's family to you, he's family to us." She threw her arms around him and his thoughts ran through her. "I would do anything for you, Riley." Everything he said; he meant every word.
"Well, it looks like it's time for you four to get going. I'll pack you all some food for the road." Missouri was so worried for the group but beamed with pride.
Everyone was packed and ready to go. Dean threw everyone's luggage in the trunk and made sure everything was ready. All three took turns saying their goodbye's to Missouri.
The youngest Winchester hugged her tight. "Thank you, Missouri, for everything. I don't know what's happening or why, but I know that we wouldn't have made it this far without you."
"You take care of yourself, Samuel. Trust your instincts and listen to your visions."
Dean and Missouri may have had a bumpy start, but they grew to love each other. "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for us. For her."
"No need. You take care of her. Riley's gonna be the one that saves you all." Not knowing what she meant by that, he hugged her.
With tears in her eyes, Riley wrapped her arms around her new friend. "You have been so good to us. I don't know how to repay you."
Missouri sent her thoughts into Riley, "you take care of yourself, and those boys. That's how." Riley smiled. "You have a gift, Riley. It's going to take you down some bumpy roads, but it's there for a reason. Let it guide you. Trust in yourself." She spoke out loud, "you all will always have a home here. And should you ever need a babysitter for your little Finn? I'll happily take him."
With another hug and a quick kiss on the cheek, Riley gave her one last look. "Thank you, my friend."
The hunters loaded into the car and Finn joined Sam in the back seat.
"Don't be strangers, you hear me?" Missouri yelled out.
"We won't!" Dean smiled back. He started the car and the engine roared. "You guys ready?" He looked over to Riley looking for a sign that she was alright.
"Ask me later," Riley replied. He smiled at her response and with a final wave goodbye, they pulled away from the curb and eased onto the road.