The story takes place right after the season 10 finale, after Dean killed Death, the Mark of Cain was removed and Darkness was released into the world. I mentioned before, new characters will be added and thrown in the story and I will bring back several former characters from the show in the upcoming future.
Chapter 17 Mingling and Making More Connections
By the next day, everybody decided not to wallow in sorrow and make the most of their time in their strange new surroundings. So Sam and Dean headed off to the store in the district and bought fishing gear that they needed to go fishing that day. Jimmy the bartender at the pub, gave them directions to the store which wasn't too far from the pub.
After they got what they needed, they invited Ava and Gwen to go with them but Madame Bess feeling out of place with the younger folks, decided to say behind and play a game of bridge Sophie and her new female friends she met at the Bed&Breakfast. So all four of them headed towards the lake which was beyond the hill. They noticed that the lake water was so clear and clean and how beautiful their new surroundings were.
"Wow, this place is beautiful" said Ava.
"I know it looks so peaceful" said Gwen.
"Yeah, this place isn't all bad and it's good day to go fishing, so come on everybody" said Dean hurrying them up.
Sam and Dean set up the fishing rods and they were lucky to bring two extra rods for the women.
"Boy, it's been a long time since I went fishing" said Ava.
"The last time I went was when I was a little girl with my dad and grandpa" said Ava.
"Yeah, I can recall the many times our old man took me and Sam out fishing" replied Dean.
"Did you all catch a lot?" asked Ava.
"Yeah, we caught a few that day and then we gutted it like a deer" he said teasingly.
"Well I for one don't know anything about fishing, I just didn't want to be left out" said Gwen.
"Don't worry Gwen, I'll show you how and it isn't really has hard as it looks" said Sam to her."
Yeah, it's harder if you don't know what the heck you're doing" replied Dean in his sarcastic tone.
"Come on Dean' said Sam glaring at his brother.
"Okay, Sammy lets fish already" Dean answered.
Soon they all had their fishing rods in the lake hoping to catch at least one fish. Dean and Ava seemed to be in competition on who will catch a fish first while Sam was showing Gwen how to use the fishing rod getting behind her wrapping around as he as he grabbed her hands navigating to her on to lower the rod into the water.
Gwen felt a bit of excitement over Sam's arms being wrapped around her as he tries to teach her how to fish all though she tries to act as natural as possible. Sam also felt a bit of excitement as he had Gwen close to him as he taught her how to use the rod but like Gwen he didn't show it and just tried to act as normal as possible. Time passed on and no one seemed to catch anything that until Ava started shouting, "Oh I got one, hey you guys I got one!" in an excited tone. She started struggling her fishing rod to pull up the fish.
"That's great, here let me help" said Dean.
"That's okay I got it" said Ava as she continued to struggle with the fishing rod and eventually she pulled the fish out.
"Awesome babe, you go yourself a doozy" said Dean proudly.
"Yep," said Ava as she kept hold of the fish that was still wiggling around.
"I wonder what am I going to do with it though, I mean I can't necessarily cook it at the Bed&Breakfast" she wondered.
"Well, you can just leave it in our cooler, then we when we all get back to our world, she can bring it home for dinner" said Dean.
"Okay, she said as she placed the fish in the cooler.
They all continued their fishing and Ava couldn't help but tease Dean about him not being able to catch a fish while she did and Dean just gave dirty glances to her. While Gwen tried fishing on her own now as she watched Sam with his fishing and copying what he was doing so she can do it right.
Time passed for a long time and everyone was about to give up when Gwen suddenly felt something.
"Oh, I think I caught something!" she exclaimed excitedly.
"You did, let me help you get it out" said Sam since Gwen was struggling with the fishing rod.
Soon he was assisting her again in pulling the fish out and soon she had pulled out a small fish.
"I did it, I caught my first fish!" Gwen cried looking all happy and excited about her luck.
"Yeah, not bad for a beginner" said Sam quite impressed.
Gwen was so caught up in her excitement that she ended up embracing Sam without thinking and in that moment she suddenly saw visions of Sam's past form his times of hunting monsters killing demons and some horrible and traumatic events.
"Gwen, are you okay?" asked Sam who felt a bit awkward and aroused at the same time over Gwen hugging him.
"Uh, yes I guess I just got carried away over getting my first fish" answered Gwen looking quite awkward and embarrassed.
Sam seemed to accept her answer although he at first had a feeling there was something else but he didn't want to analyze over it. After a while, they all left and headed back to the Bed&Breakfast.
"Wow, just our luck, the chicks catch a fish while we come back empty-handed" teased Dean to Sam.
"Don't worry, boys I'm sure you two will catch up next time" said Ava with sly grin to Gwen.
"Yeah, guys better luck next time huh?" said Gwen also taking fun in gloating.
Sam and Dean just gave each other glances as if to say"whatever". Back at the Bed&Breakfast Gwen couldn't wait to brag to her grandmother about catching her first and only fish.
"Sam showed me how and at first I was about to give up then suddenly I caught one" she cried still excited over her fishing experience. "We may go out fishing again sometime, it was so much fun" she continued.
However, Madame Bess seemed to look a bit concerned rather than happy for her granddaughter's new experience.
"You know, I notice that you and Sam have gotten a bit more friendly" she old her granddaughter.
"Well, Sam is nice as is Dean and Ava" Gwen replied knowing where her grandmother was going with this.
"I see" as Madame Bess gave that look that she usually gives when something is bothering her.
"Come on grandma, Sam is just a friend. We hadn't had this fun since this whole Darkness thing happened and now we'll trapped in this so-called parallel world and we all agreed to make the most of it rather than be miserable the whole time. Going fishing was just a way for us to relax and have some fun" she explained.
"I'm not naïve Gwen, I may be a medium but it doesn't take being a psychic to notice that Sam is a very good-looking nice young man and under these circumstances it would be natural for you two to get a little comfortable with each other, but I don't want you to get hurt dear" her grandmother said.
"I'm not going to get hurt grandma, as I said before we are just friends" answered Gwen.
"I know you say that now dear, but I know how these things work but this won't last forever, you know whenever we get back to our own world, we will go our separate ways and don't want you to get too attached" said Madame Bess.
"I'm aware of that, and I'm not expecting anything from Sam but friendship, It's really okay" said Gwen.
"Well I hope so" said Madame Bess although she knew differently.
Then the four of them, Sam, Dean, Ava and Gwen spent the rest of the day typically hanging out at the pub for hours than and having a good time. Sometime later, Dean went alone to get some snacks mainly pie at the bakery and as he was leaving the shop with his goodies he ran into Rev. Humler.
"Oh, hello Rev, nice running into each other again" said Dean in friendly tone despite not looking forward to running into him again.
"Yeah, that does seem to be a habit. Well, I see you are adjusting quite well into our little community" the reverend replied.
"Yeah, I just decided to get some goodies, I'll be heading off now" said Dean wanting to avoid another conversation with him as he wasn't in the mood for the reverend's more attempts to convert him.
"You know Dean, I would like to take this time to have a word with you" said the reverend. "
Oh, what about?" asked Dean.
The reverend pulled him aside making sure nobody was around listening.
"I would like to know exactly where did you all come from how it is that you make your way into our district?" asked reverend.
"Why do you ask?" Dean asked bit nervous.
"I mean I just get this feeling that you all are from somewhere far away and our district doesn't seem like place you would settle into. I've can read people really good as that is part of my job and there is so much to you, Dean that needs answering" said Rev. Humler with a stern tone.
"You, know reverend, I don't feel comfortable talking about it right now" said Dean not knowing what else he could say.
"Well, you know Dean I don't like to push things and I'm a patient man and a good listener. If you ever feel comfortable enough to confide in me, feel free to come by the church and I will hear you out" said Rev. Humler. "I'll be sure to do that" said Dean.
Rev. Humler was prepared to leave but he turned around to Dean again and said, "You know Dean, you can tell me anything, I will don't judge or condemn you but understand and try to help" he said.
Dean just nodded as they said their goodbye and reverend was soon out of sight making Dean feel so relieved that he didn't have to explain himself. The gang had their dinner hung out at the pub again shooting a game of pool or playing darts.
Late that night after everyone all went to bed, Dean once again woke up from a nightmare and went downstairs where and outside to get some fresh air half hoping to run into Ava again. However, this time it wasn't Ava but Madame Bess he saw standing outside looking out at the sky. She turned to him when she realized he was there.
"Madame Bess, what you doing out here?" he asked her.
"I'm here to here to look out at the stars and hope to get a vision" she said.
"By looking at the stars?" asked Dean.
"I don't expect you to understand, Dean, you are not a psychic, but yes sometimes if I look out at the stars at night, they can tell me something" she explained to him.
"Really?" wondered Dean.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I've look out at the stars before to give me a sign of what will happen" she told him.
"And did you get a sign yet?" Dean asked.
"No, there is nothing. It' is quite unpredictable, sometimes I get a sign sometimes I don't, but enough talking about me, how about you, although I already know why you're down here" she said.
"You do?" asked Dean.
"Yes, you're down here because something is troubling you. In fact, something has been troubling you for a while but you try not to show it, which is your nature to hide your fears and anxieties" said Madame Bess with a look of concern.
Dean just looked awkward and uncomfortable at the idea that she could see right through him.
"I'm fine ma'am" was all he could say since he didn't really know how else to respond.
"No you're not, Dean. You are far from fine. You have so much pain, turmoil and baggage buried under there, and you try to keep it buried and hidden. Like putting on an armor so you won't be vulnerable, yet you are still being haunted by it" she told him sympathetically.
Dean continued to look awkward and uncomfortable and was about to say something else before she interrupted him.
"You know, you won't being to hide your pain forever, it will devour you. You are going to have to let it out and open up and reveal whatever is haunting you for your own sake" she said in a motherly tone.
Then, she reached out placed her hand on his shoulder in tender way. As she did this, she suddenly had visions of Dean's past transactions. She saw the things that happened in his past, to him killing demons, getting the Mark of Cain, killing Addadabon, him giving Charlie that beat down under the influence of the Mark and later finding her bloodied corpse in that bathtub. Also she saw him killing off all the Stynes family including the teenage boy begging for mercy, she saw him beat Castiel to a pulp and almost kill him, his brutal brawl with Sam just before nearly killing him and killing Death instead.
She saw all of this and felt his rage, pain, guilt, hatred and what that Mark was doing to him. After the visions past, she removed her hand from his shoulder and stared up right at him with a caring look on her face. Dean just stared right back at her with a sad look on his face as if he could sense what she had seen and didn't seemed to embarrassing to say anything. Madame continued looking at Dean in a maternal way is if she just wanted to reach out and hug him.
However, all she did was say was,"Oh, you poor thing".