January 8th, 2010
It was the next day. Alex was sitting in a diner, munching on a bag of chips. Sam sat across from her, on his laptop, and Dean was out getting gas.
"Hey hey hey." Sam suddenly leaned in, interested.
Alex looked up, sliding a potato chip into her mouth. "Hm?"
"I may have found us a case. Alliance, Nebraska. The police report says something clawed through a girl's skull."
"Ooh. Heart missing?"
"Doesn't say. No details have been released." Sam eyes rolled upwards in thought. "Nebraska's only the next state over. Might be worth checking into."
Alex nodded. "Yeah. Clear it with Dean, and we can leave now."
Sam looked up, obviously confused to see her instead of Dean. Then he blinked. "O-Oh yeah. Sorry. I'm use to having these conversations—"
"With Dean. I get it." Alex held out the bag. "Chip?"
"Wow. I'm gone for ten minutes and you're already offering him my food." Dean slid into the booth next to Sam, grabbing the bag for himself.
"Uh, first off, you've been gone for almost half an hour. Secondly, those are my chips." Alex took the bag back. "What took you so long? I thought you were getting gas."
"Got distracted. Figured you and Sam could use a little more alone time." Dean reached for the bag, but Alex pulled it away.
"Oh yeah. We had a good talk. All about you, actually." Alex stuffed a chip in her mouth.
Sam rolled his eyes. "I found a case." He turned his laptop so Dean could see. "Police say that something clawed through a teen's skull. Sounded like our kind of thing."
Dean nodded. "Alliance, Nebraska. That's only half an hour out." He clapped Sam on the back. "Good going. Let's go."
...
Sam and Dean stopped at a gas station to change into their suits. "If we're going to a morgue, why can't I go?" Alex leaned over the seat, pouting. "Please? Besides, it's not like Bobby's going anywhere. They can just call him if they need me."
"Fine. Give him a call. If he says yes, then fine."
"Yes!" Alex fell back in the seat, pulling out her phone.
She dialed Bobby's number, and it rang. Then it rang again. Then Bobby answered. "What do you want?"
"Bobby! Hey. How are you doing?"
"Good."
"So, me and the Winchesters are checking out a case in Alliance. In Nebraska."
"I know where Alliance is."
"Okay. Well, we're going to see a body, and I wanted to go—"
"So you need me to back you up when they realize you're obviously not FBI."
"Bobby. Please? Something scratched a girl's brain out. That's pretty interesting. Please?"
"Fine. Whatever. Ain't like I'm busy over here."
"Thanks!" Alex hung up, then got out of the car. She grabbed her bag, and hurried in to the bathroom.
...
Alliance, Nebraska
Ten minutes later they were standing in the Alliance Morgue. Sam and Dean held up their FBI badges. "Agents Page and Plant, FBI."
"Gentlemen." They were standing in front of a doctor. He looked over at Alex. "Who is she?"
Alex held up her own badge. "Agent Banner. FBI. I'm a specialist."
"A specialist. A little young, aren't you?"
"I assure you, I met every qualification the FBI has in place." Alex held the doctor's gaze until he looked away. Yes.
"So what brings you by?"
Sam cleared his throat. "We need to see Amber Freer's body."
"Really? What for?"
Dean put his badge away. "The police report said something clawed through her skull?"
"You didn't read the autopsy report that I sent out this morning?"
Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "W-We, uh, had serve issues," Sam stuttered.
The doctor shrugged, but walked away. The three hunters followed, stopping when he opened the morgue refrigerator and pulled out the metal slab. He pulled back the white sheet that covered the body, revealing a teenager girl. "When they brought her in, we thought she had been attacked by a wolf or something," he explained.
Sam and Dean grimaced at the bloodied hole, and Alex wrinkled her nose.
"Or something," Dean agreed.
"But we were wrong." The doctor picked up a small plastic bag next to the cadaver's head. He showed it to the three of them. Inside the bag was a fake nail, although it as cracked and covered in blood.
Sam narrowed his eyes. "Is that a . . ."
"It's a press-on nail." The doctor put the bag back down. "We found it in her temporal lobe."
"So she did that herself?" Alex looked confused.
"Is that even possible?" Sam added.
"Uh-huh. She scratched her brains out. It'd take hours, and it'd hurt like hell, but it's possible."
Dean looked astonished. "How?"
"Pick your acronym. OCD, PCP, it all spells crazy."
Sam reached over and pulled back the sheets to reveal Amber's hands. The right hand had only four of the press-on nails. They were clean, but cracked.
"My guess," the doctor continued, "Some sort of phantom itch. I mean, an extreme case, but . . ."
"A phantom itch?" Dean sounded skeptical.
"Yup." The doctor pulled the sheet back over the cadaver's head before sliding the slab back into the metal cupboards. "All it takes is someone talking about an itch - or thinking about one, even - and suddenly you can't stop scratching."
Sam looked slightly disturbed. "Thanks doc." He unconsciously reached up, itching under his collar. As Alex watched, Dean scratched his ear, and she resisted the temptation to scratch as well.
The doctor didn't notice. "Anything else I can do for you?"
The Winchesters exchanged looks, and Sam shook his head. "Thank you for your time. And, uh, if anything strange happens, give us a call." He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a card.
"Sure thing." The doctor watched them leave.
...
"Okay, that was strange." Alex slid into the backseat. "She scratched her brains out? Funky."
"Yeah. That's strange."
"Even more strange than a werewolf." Dean started the car. "Should we swing by the police and get the file?"
"May as well. Then we'll talk to any witnesses."
...
Twenty minutes later, Alex was sitting in the Impala, arms crossed. The car was parked in front of the house Sam and Dean were in; they were talking with the Hall family, who had found Amber's body. Alex flipped mindlessly through the report on her lap. Amber had been babysitting Jimmy Hall. The parents had found Amber on the couch when they came home.
She heard voices, and she looked up.
"Dean," Sam was saying, "there's no way itching powder made that girl scratch her brains out. It's just ground-up maple seeds."
Alex opened the door, stepping out.
"If you have any other theories, I'm open to them." Dean stopped by the driver's side door.
"You found something?"
Sam's phone rang, and he whipped it out.
"The kid said he put itching powder in Amber's hairbrush," Dean told Alex.
Alex huffed in laughter. "Itching powder made her scratch her brains out? Isn't that a myth?"
"We'll be right there." Sam hung up. "Uh, there's a new body at the hospital."
Dean opened the driver's side door. "Well, then. Let's go." He started the car as Sam and Alex got in.
...
They quickly made their way down the hall to the morgue. "Doctor." Sam waved him down.
"Oh. Hello." Dr. Weaver motioned them over. "Thanks for coming so quickly."
"We hadn't gone too far." Dean reached the body bag first. "Another one?"
"Not the same thing, but I thought I'd call you anyways." Dr. Weaver unzipped the body bag, and Alex stepped closer. The body was browned, the skin black and cracking in some places. The eyes were gone, and the hair was black and thin.
Sam and Dean grunted, and Alex tipped her head. She's seen something like this before. With Bobby. She leaned closer, sniffing curiously.
Dean wrinkled his face. "Gross."
Alex straightened up. "He was electrocuted?"
"Exactly." Dr. Weaver zipped the body back up, and a nurse rolled it away.
"Any idea how?"
"Eh, maybe a loose wire or a piece of equipment shorted out. So far, we haven't found anything."
Sam watched the body go away. "Witnesses?"
"Yeah. A guy in there - Stanley." The doctor pointed down a hallway. "He says he saw it, but he's not making a lick of sense. Senile."
"Thanks." Sam led them away.
"Did you have to smell the body?" Dean glanced down at Alex.
"He smelled like pork. Which means he was cooked." Alex smirked.
"Gross."
The turned into a room to find an old man sitting in a chair. He was facing away from them, looking out a window. "Uh, Mr. Stanley?" Sam cleared his throat.
"It was a joke," the old man insisted feebly. "I didn't know it would really work."
"What would work?"
Mr. Stanley looked up at Dean. "All I did was shake his hand." He held out his hand; all three could see that he was holding a joy buzzer.
Alex bit her lip. "That would do it," she muttered quietly.
Sam and Dean exchanged looks. "C-Can we borrow that?" Sam asked.
"I don't want it." Stanley took it off of his finger and held it out.
Sam hesitantly took it, pocketing it quickly. "Uh, thanks. One more thing. Where did you get it?"
"The conjurarium."
...
They hurried out to the car. "What the hell?"
"I don't know." Sam ran a hand through his hair. "I, uh . . . I don't know."
"You think it still works?" Dean unlocked the car. "We should test it, you know."
"On what?"
Dean smirked. "I got an idea."
...
Half an hour later they were in their motel room, all dressed in casual clothes. Dean placed a ham onto an aluminum tray, eyeing it appreciatively. "Yum."
Sam handed Dean the joy buzzer. "I took the batteries out."
"Alright." Dean put goggles on his face, taking the joy buzzer. He looked over at Sam and Alex, who were standing behind him. "You ready?"
"Hit it, Mr. Wizard."
Dean held the joy buzzer over the ham, took a deep breath, then pressed it against the hunk of meat. The crackling sound of electricity filled the air. As Alex watched, the meat blackened, and the sweet scent of cooked ham filled the room.
Dean pulled back, and the crackling noise stopped. The ham, however, still sizzled in a tantalizing manner. "That'll do, pig."
Alex snickered, stepping forward.
"What the hell?"
Dean shrugged, taking off his goggles. His eyes didn't leave the ham.
"That crap isn't suppose to work," Sam continued.
"This thing doesn't even have batteries." Dean quickly removed his gloves, tossing the buzzer on the table.
"So . . . so what? Are we looking at cursed objects?"
"Sounds good." Dean reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. With a flick of the wrist it opened, and he cut off a piece of ham. "Maybe there's a powerful witch in town." He took a bite, nodding appreciatively.
Alex quickly followed suit. "Is it good?" she asked, tearing off a slice for herself.
"Mm-hmm." Dean took another bite. "Is there any link between the itching powder and the joy buzzer?"
Sam shook his head. "Uh, one was made in China, the other Mexico, but they were both bought from the same store."
Dean cut off another piece of ham. "Hmm." He held it up. Sam shook his head in disbelief. Dean took a bite. "Your loss."
"Should we go?" Alex took another piece. "Damn," she mumbled around the food. "This is delicious. Sure you don't want some?"
Sam shook his head again. "N-No."
Dean stuffed the rest of his slice into his mouth. "Let's go," he mumbled around it. He hesitated for a second, then pocketed the joy buzzer.
...
It was barely ten minutes before they had pulled up in front of the Conjurarium. All three got out, Dean locked the car, and they made their way into the shop. Alex looked around. Toys and prank items were everywhere, hanging on the walls, or laying on shelves.
"Sam!" Alex turned to see Dean holding up a whoopee cushion. He was grinning at his brother. Alex glanced over at Sam to see him shake his head and look around. Dean brought the whoopee cushion up to the front desk, dropping it on the counter.
A man came out of the back room. Seeing Dean, he walked up to the desk. "Welcome to the Conjurarium, sanctum of magic and mystery."
Sam joined his brother up at the counter, and Alex slowly made her way over. "You the owner?" she heard Sam ask.
"Yep."
"You sold any itching powder or joy buzzers lately?"
"Yeah, a grand total of one of each. They aren't exactly big ticket items. Look, you boys here to buy something or what?"
Alex looked over to see Dean pull out his wallet. She took a second to study the owner. Male, very short brown hair. Not attractive - then again, she hung out with the Winchesters; maybe her standards were a little high. He still wasn't attractive. Alex shook her head, clearing her thoughts to finish her analysis. He was wearing a white button down with thin blue stripes, and the shirt was slightly wrinkled. Yeah, he wasn't attractive. And he was old.
"So, you get many customers?" That was Sam. Alex walked over to him, standing close enough that their shoulders barely brushed. She pulled back slightly, eyes coming to rest on a packet of itching powder on the counter.
"Kids come in. They don't buy much, but they're more than happy to break stuff. These days, all they care about are their iPhones and those kissing-vampire movies. The whole thing just make me so —"
"Angry?" Dean guessed.
The owner paused, then nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I am angry. This shop has been my life for twenty years, and now its wasting away to nothing."
"Which is why you hate them."
"I suppose."
"So you're taking revenge." Dean pulled a rubber chicken from the display next to him and slapped it on the table. "With this." Dean held up the joy buzzer from his pocket. The owner face showed confusion, which quickly turned to horror as Dean slammed the joy buzzer against the chicken. Electricity crackled through the hair, and the room began to stink.
"Oh no!" The owner let out a small cry, jumping back. He tripped, falling to the ground.
"Dean . . ." Alex began, eyes flickering between the owner and the melting rubber chicken.
Dean pulled back.
Sam cleared his throat. "Yeah, something tells me this guy isn't a powerful witch."
"Sorry, sorry." Dean quickly retreated. Alex and Sam followed, pushing their way into the street.
"Smooth." Alex hurried over to her side of the car.
"Well, that's a theory down the drain." Dean unlocked the car, sliding in behind the wheel.
Alex followed. "Now what?"
"Now we wait." Dean waited until Sam had the door closed before he started the car. With a quick glance behind his shoulder, he put the Impala in drive and pulled out into the street.
...
Nothing happened for the rest of the night. They had ham for dinner — Dean had also gone out and got french fries and beverages. Sam and Dean had then sat at the table for a while, discussing the case. Alex shivered, looking outside to see the sun setting. "Dean," she whined, "turn up the heat."
Dean glanced back at her. "Can't. Heater's broken."
Alex frowned, walking over to them. "It was working this afternoon!"
"Well, take a look, but it's busted."
Alex knelt beside the space heater, placing her hand on the cold pipes. "It's like, thirty degrees out there," she whined again.
Sam nodded. "Yup."
"Looks like we'll be piling in the same bed tonight." Dean smirked slightly. "Unless Sam decides to take up the whole bed again."
Alex looked at the beds. "Could I . . . could I combine the beds?"
Sam and Dean glanced at each other, then Dean shrugged. "Knock yourself out."
Alex jumped up. "Awesome." She hurried over to the beds, and stared at the nightstand in between the beds. Then she unplugged the lamp, laying it on the bed. She started dragging the nightstand out to the middle of the room. She saw Sam glance at her with barely concealed amusement, and she smirked back at him. Then she turned her attention to the bed. The mattress was on a heavy bed frame.
She gave it an experimental push, and didn't budge. So she pulled the mattress off. She fell back with a huff, the mattress partially landing on top of her. She stood up, already breaking a sweat. "I need to get in better shape."
...
Ten minutes later, she had maneuvered the two bed frames so they were right next to each other. Then she hauled the mattress back onto its frame. "Done!" she exclaimed, falling down onto the mattress and pumping the air with a fist.
"How are we going to sleep in that?" Dean made his way over to them. "Unless you want to sleep in the crack."
"No no no." Alex stood up. "We sleep horizontally." She paused. "I haven't gotten the sheets yet, but you'll see."
"Alright." Dean left her to her work.
...
Another ten minutes later, and it was done. Alex collapsed on the mega-bed, eyes closing. "There. Done." She heard Dean approached, and she cracked open an eye, looking up at him.
Dean shrugged. "Nice." He walked past her to the bathroom.
Alex frowned after him. "Your welcome for me working my ass off!" She heard Sam snicker, and she sighed. "Fine. Whatever. I'm going to bed." She pointedly crawled under the sheets, curling up in the middle. Then she turned on the tv.
Dean came back out. "What? No. You don't get to sleep in the middle."
"Uh, yeah, I do." Alex didn't bother sitting up. "First of all, I made this bed. Second of all, I'm the smallest, which means I can't put off as much body heat as you guys. Thirdly, yeah. I kind of like the idea of sleeping between you two. You're like space heaters." When Dean didn't answer, Alex turned her attention back to the tv.
...
Alex didn't remember falling asleep. But she woke up with a start, gasping for breath. Cold, starry moonlight shown through the thin window curtains, casting its light on the bed. Alex felt herself shaking. It wasn't from the cold; she looked to both sides to see the Winchesters. No. Her nightmare came back with such a force that she felt sick to her stomach. She shifted to her left, wrapping her arms around the first body she found. She wasn't sure who it was, but it brought comfort.
She pressed her head into the man's back. It was Sam. She could tell by his smell. He didn't stir, and she pushed herself even closer.
Behind her, the bed shifted, and Alex opened her eyes. "Dean?"
"You awake?" Dean's sleepy voice reached her ears.
Alex quickly shifted backwards into his arms. "Nightmare," she whispered.
Dean grunted, one arm coming to rest around her waist. "That sucks," he mumbled. Within a few seconds, he was back asleep.
Alex slowly followed suit, comforted by his presence.
...
The sun woke her up. Alex opened her eyes, letting out a groan. The bed was empty to her left. Sam was up. Behind her, there was a yawn as Dean held her even tighter. Alex kicked back her legs, catching him in the knee. "Let go of me," she grunted. "I have to pee."
Dean didn't move, so Alex rolled over in his arms until she was facing him, face even with his neck. He was still asleep. She placed her hands against his chest, literally pushing herself away.
Dean opened his eyes sleepily. They blinked in confusion. "Hey."
"You're a jerk." Alex rolled over to Sam's side of the bed. It was cold. She sat up, looking around. "Sam?"
Dean threw back the covers, getting up. He was still wearing jeans and a black shirt. "Fuck it's cold."
"Uh, yeah. It's January. In Nebraska." Alex reluctantly got up, hurrying over to her bag to pull on Sam's thick sweatshirt. "Can we please get someone in to fix the heater? Or at least get a different room?"
Dean pulled on his shoes. "I'll see what I can do." The door opened, and Sam stepped through. Dean didn't even look up. "Hey."
"Hey. You read the paper?"
Dean did look up at that. "Does it look like I've read the paper?"
Sam dropped the local newspaper on the table. Alex looked up. He was already dressed in his suit and tie. Dean walked over to him, picking it up. "What?" His face twisted into a frown.
"Yeah. I know." Sam's eyes flickered over to Alex before going back to his brother. "We should go check it out."
"Okay." Dean nodded. He brushed past Alex on his way to the bathroom, leaving the girl staring after him.
Alex turned to Sam. "What?"
"A man was admitted to the hospital last night. Someone pulled out all his teeth."
"Can I come?"
"No."
"Please? It's cold in here."
"No. Just stay here." Sam looked over her shoulder as Dean stepped out, having quickly changed. "Ready?"
"Yup." Dean grabbed a blue stripped tie off of the dresser, laying is around the back of his neck. He then shoved his wallet into his pocket before grabbing the car keys. He looked over at Alex, who sat sitting on the bed. "We'll be back in an hour or two," he promised, quickly tying the tie. "Stay warm."
Alex huffed in disappointment as they left.
...
Dean and Sam came back two hours later, just as promised. "Well?" Alex was curled up on the bed, wrapped tightly in all of the sheets. The tv flickered, but no sounds came out.
Sam immediately made his way to the bathroom, grabbing his backpack on the way. Dean just shook his head. "This town is nine levels of crazy."
"Pray tell." Alex folded up her journal, letting fall onto the mega-bed next to her.
Dean wandered over to her, sitting crosslegged on the bed. "Well, first off, the man who lost his teeth claims it was the tooth fairy. Someone broke in, wearing, uh," Dean hesitated, then let out a noise of unbelief, "wearing wings and a pink tutu. He, or whatever it was, pulled out all his teeth and left thirty two quarters under his pillow."
Alex winced at the thought of someone pulling out all her teeth. "Ouch." Her teeth ached just thinking about it.
"That's not all. Three kids were admitted with stomach ulcers. Says they got them from mixing Coke and Pop Rocks. And another guy . . . his face froze."
"Froze?" Alex tipped her head. "What do you mean?"
"I mean froze. Like this." Dean pulled on the sides of his mouth, crossing his eyes. He held the face for a second, then dropped his hand.
Alex grinned. "Please do that again."
"No."
"Please?"
"No. Never again." Dean got off the bed. "Get dressed. Sam wants your help."
Alex didn't move from under the blankets. "Why?" The door opened, and Sam stepped out. "Why?" she repeated, turning her head to look at the taller Winchester.
Sam met her gaze. "Huh?" He looked over at his brother.
"She's gonna help you."
Sam's brow furrowed. "I can do it by myself, Dean."
"Just take her. She needs to get out."
Alex tossed back the sheets. "Fine, whatever." She slipped on her shoes, shivering at the cold. "Where are we going?"
Sam shrugged. "Library?"
"Okay." Alex grabbed her backpack, shoving her journal into the front pocket. "Can we get lunch? I'm hungry."
They left.
...
"So what are we doing?" Alex slid out of the front seat of the Impala. "Dean was remarkably unhelpful."
Sam led the way into the library. "Whatever this is, it's reshaping reality. All these myths are coming true. It has the powers of a god. Or a trickster."
Alex's face lit up. Trickster. Gabriel. She knew the Winchesters met him at some point during the apocalypse. Could it be now? "The Trickster?"
Sam huffed. "I hope not."
"I hope so." Alex pushed open the heavy library door, eyes closing momentarily in contentment at the rush of warm air. "I want to meet him."
Sam frowned. "Really?" His frown deepened. "I hate him."
"Mystery Spot. I know. I have the books." Alex skipped over to a table, sitting down. "I like him."
Sam dropped his bag on the table. He walked away, but Alex heard him muttered, "Great," under his breath.
Alex smiled. Sam was fun to tease. She did like the Trickster - well, she thought she would like him when they met. Shaking the thought off, Alex pulled her journal out of her bag, dropping it on the table. Then she pulled out her second journal, setting it beside the other. She opened the first. It was a dark brown, and slightly worn; even though it was two years old, the pages were barely half-filled. With a sigh, she started documenting the last case.
Sam joined her just as she finished. He dropped a map on the table, and Alex looked up. "Whatcha doing?"
Sam didn't immediately answer. First, he dropped a stack of newspapers on the table. "I'm going to see if anything else strange has happened." He looked up. "What are you doing?"
"Journal." Alex closed it and dropped it next to Sam.
He took it, flipping through the pages. "Nice cow."
"Thanks." Alex laughed. He was talking about the werewolf case down in Texas. "I thought it was an appropriate thing to draw."
"Are you caught up?"
"Yeah, finally." Alex reached for the second journal, rolling her eyes. Sam was just like Bobby. Always on her case for not writing in her journal. She flipped open the second book to the forth page. She had started using the second journal for writing down spells or profiles on the different things they hunted. Right now, she was translating the entire Rituale Romanum. She wasn't very far.
...
They were there for about an hour. Every one and a while, Alex would break the silence to inquire about a word she didn't know, but otherwise the only sounds coming from that table were the scribbling of pens and pencils.
Finally Sam let out a grunt, setting down the pen. "Interesting."
Alex looked up. "What's that?"
In front of Sam was a map of the town, large red x's in several spots. "I marked each place that these strange things have happened." He met Alex's gaze. "The newspapers didn't show much, but, uh, this is interesting." He turned the map. "Look. All the cases all within a two mile radius."
"Like a, like a blast zone of weird." Alex studied it, interested. "Cool."
Sam quickly folded the map, shoving it in his backpack. "Come on. We should tell Dean."
Alex quickly threw her things in her bag. "Can we get food?"
"Maybe."
...
They didn't. Instead, they went straight back to the motel. Alex pulled her jacket tighter around her, wishing she had a winter coat. They walked up to the motel door, and, as Sam fumbled for the keys, Alex hopped on one foot, waiting to get inside. The door opened, and Alex pushed past Sam. "Oh God." Her eyes closed. "It's warm."
Dean smirked. "Got the heater fixed." He shoved a slice of ham into his mouth.
"Dude, seriously - still with the ham?" Sam shook his head, rolling his eyes.
"Ooh." Alex spun around. "Food!" She sat down at the table, shedding her coat, and reached for the food. She ignored Sam's disapproval.
Dean defended himself through a full mouth. "What? We don't have a fridge."
Sam pulled the map out of his backpack and put it down on the table in front of his brother. "Well, I found something."
"He did," Alex agreed. She cut off more ham.
Dean stood up, looking down at the map as Sam pointed at the red x's. "Um, tooth fairy attack was here, Pop Rocks and Coke was here, then you've got itching powder, face freeze, and joy buzzer." He pointed to each 'x' in turn. "All located within a two mile radius."
Alex stood up to get a better view.
"So, we've got a blast zone of weird, and inside, fantasy becomes reality."
Sam glanced over at Alex. She shrugged, knowing what he meant. She had said almost the exact same thing to him ten minutes ago. Usually it meant she remembered the case. This time, it was total coincidence.
Dean broke Alex out of her thoughts. "And what's the A-bomb at the center?"
"Four acres of farmland . . . and a house." Sam pointed respectively.
Dean frowned. "Our motel isn't in that circle by any chance?"
"Yeah. Why?"
Dean hesitated, then held up his hand. Alex wrinkled a nose to see that his right palm was covered in hair. "Really, Dean?"
Sam looked away, closing his eyes. "Ugh, dude." He sighed. "T-That's not what I think it is, is it?"
Dean shrugged, obviously not embarrassed. "I was bored. That nurse was hot." He grinned. Alex rolled her eyes.
Sam frowned. "You know you can go blind from that too."
Dean's grin faltered for a second, but he shrugged it off. "Give me five minutes. We'll go check out that house." He walked past his brother, heading farther into the motel.
"Hey, do not use my razor!" Sam yelled after him.
As Dean past Alex, she saw him smirk. Then he disappeared into the bathroom. Alex turned back to Sam. He was shaking his head. "How do you put up with him?" she partially joked.
Sam huffed. He didn't answer.
Alex walked over and stripped off another piece of ham. She held it up to the Winchester, shaking it slightly. "Sure you don't want a bite?" When Sam didn't respond, she winked.
Sam sat down at the table. "I-Is it just me, or are you flirting with me a lot more than usual? Like, a lot more."
Alex looked down at Sam, head tipped. "I dunno," she finally admitted. "I guess." With a smile she added, "Just making up for lost time." She sat down as well, and her teasing smile faded. "Seriously. You were gone for like a month and a half. I missed you."
...
Five minutes later, Dean pulled the Impala up alongside a farmhouse. The ground was bare, the sun was bright; it almost looked like spring. But the nip in the air reminded everyone that it was in fact January. Alex pulled Dean's jacket tight around her, shifting uncomfortably on the cold leather seat.
Dean turned the car off, and both he and Sam got out. Alex started to as well, but Sam stopped her with one large hand. "Stay here."
"It's cold," the young woman whined.
"We'll call you if we need you." Dean slid his handgun into the back of his pants. "Keep an eye out for weird things."
Alex frowned, but obediently got back into the car. She closed the door with a soft huff. She watched as Sam and Dean walked up to the front door. Dean rapped on the door, and they waited, glancing around. Then the door opened. Alex couldn't see past the two tall hunters, and she pouted childishly. It wasn't fair that she had to stay behind. It was cold.
Sam turned around, looking straight at Alex. He waved her forward, and Alex sat up, confused. But she quickly got out and hurried over to the Winchester. "What?"
"The kid says you can come in."
Uh, okay." Alex stepped into the farmhouse. Sam followed and closed the door.
"Are you in the FBI too?"
Alex looked down in confusion. In front of her stood a young boy, barely ten years old. "Uh . . . yeah. That's me." Alex fumbled through her pockets for her badge. She quickly checked to make sure it was the right one before showing it to the kid.
He reached out and studied it carefully. "Okay." He handed it back to Alex. Then he turned and walked into the kitchen.
Alex glanced questioningly up at Dean, who shrugged. "He's the only one home," he mumbled before following the boy. Alex followed them into the kitchen.
"What's that?" Sam was asking.
"It's called soup." The boy turned off the stove and took the pot off of the burner. "You heat it up and you eat it." He poured it into a bowl as Sam chuckled.
"Right. I, I know. It's just, um . . . I used to make my own dinner, too, when I was a kid."
"Well, I'm not a kid." The boy carried his bowl over to the table.
"Right. No, I, I know. Um . . ."
"I make my own lunch too sometimes," Alex pointed out casually, cutting off Sam's stuttering. "Name's Riley, by the way."
"And I'm Robert." Sam held out his hand, and the boy shook it, introducing himself again.
"Jesse, nice to meet you."
Dean held out a picture. On it was a drawn picture of a masculine man wearing a tutu and pink wings. Alex held back a laugh. "Did you draw this?" Dean asked.
Jesse nodded. "It's the tooth fairy."
"That's what you think the tooth fair looks like, huh?" Dean looked at the picture again, mouth twisting into a slightly amused grin.
"Yeah. My dad told me about him."
Dean glanced at his brother, a message passing between them. "Huh."
"What, didn't your dad tell you about the tooth fairy?"
Dean turned his attention back to the kid and let out a small chuckle. "My dad told me different stories." He put the drawing down on the table.
"Well, the tooth fairy isn't a story."
Sam shifted his weight, looking down at the boy. "What do you know about itching powder, Jesse?"
"That stuff will make you scratch your brains out!"
"Rock Pops and Coke?"
"You mix them and you'll end up in the hospital. Everyone knows that." Jesse scrunched up his face slightly as the question.
Dean pulled out the joy buzzer and hold it up.
Jesse gasped, face wide with fear. "You shouldn't have that?"
"Why not?"
"It can electrocute you."
Alex squinted in confusion at his answers. Everything he believed was coming true in this town.
She almost missed Dean's reply. "Actually, it can't. It's just a wind-up toy. It's totally harmless. Doesn't even have batteries."
"So it can't shock you?" Jesse's face became one of confusion again.
"Nope. Not at all. I swear."
The boy studied Dean for several seconds before nodding his head. "Oh. Okay."
"I mean, all it does it just shake in your hand. It's kind of lame. See?" Dean suddenly pushed the joy buzzer into Sam's chest. Sam jumped with a strangled cry, and Alex started as well. It buzzed, but otherwise nothing happened. Dean shoved the toy back into his pocket, smirking as Sam glared. "What did you say your name was again?" He stepped forward, picking back up the drawing.
"Jesse."
"Well, Jesse," Dean dug around in his pocket, here's my card." He held it out to the boy. "If you need us, give me a call, okay?"
"Okay." Jesse studied the card carefully before dropping it on the table.
"Yeah. We should be going." With that, Dean walked away.
Sam and Alex followed.
...
"Dude, what the hell?" Sam hurried down the porch steps after his brother.
"I had a hunch," Dean shrugged. "I went with it."
"You risked my ass on a hunch?" Sam's voice shook with anger.
Dean snorted. "You're fine. Besides, now we know who's turning this town into Willy Wonka's worst nightmare."
"The kid." Sam stopped beside the car.
Den turned to face him. "Yeah. Everything Jesse believes comes true. He thinks the tooth fairy looks like Belushi, uh, joy buzzers really shock people, boom, that's what happens."
"Yeah, but convince him the joy buzzers don't actually work, and they go from killing machines back to crap toys."
"He probably doesn't even know he's doing it." Dean glanced back up towards the house. He must have spotted Jesse, because he waved. Then he turned back to his brother. "How is he doing it?" He unlocked the car door and slid in.
Alex got into the backseat. "Ever run into anything like this before?"
"Never." Sam adjusted his seatbelt as Dean started the car.
"Okay. Something new." Alex put on a pondering face. "I don't remember anything about this, so . . ."
"So that means squat." Dean turned out onto the main road. When Alex made an offended noise, he added, "Listen. Recently, you've been more miss than hit on these kind of things."
Alex slumped in her seat, slightly hurt by Dean's words." I try," she mumbled, just loud enough for them to hear. They didn't respond, and she fell into brooding silence.
...
They went straight back to motel. Dean and Alex got out, and she turned up her collar against the wind. "Dean." Sam held out his hand. "I'm gonna see what I can dig up on Jesse, okay?"
"Yup." Dean tossed his brother the keys. "Keep her safe."
Sam grunted and got back into the car. It purred to life and drove away.
A icy wind hit Alex square in the face, and she shivered, teeth rattling in her skull. She shifted closer to Dean. He wordlessly put an arm around her shoulder, drawing her near. Then he led her towards their motel room.
He unlocked the door, and Alex pushed her way through. The room was warm, and she closed her eyes in bliss. "The heater's working," she purred.
Dean closed the door behind them. "And you say you lived in Minnesota for most of your life?" he half-teased.
"In Minnesota, I had a coat." Alex flopped down on the mega-bed. "Dean . . ." she whined.
"Shut up."
Alex chuckled. She wiggled under the covers and turned on the tv.
...
After a little while, Dean joined her on the bed with a leather-bound book. He leaned against the headboard, long legs stretching out in front of him. Alex rolled over, resting her back against her legs. A hand came to rest on her side, and Alex closed her eyes, listening to her show's dialogue.
...
The door opened, and Sam stepped through. Neither Dean nor Alex had moved. When the door slammed closed, both looked up.
Sam studied them for only a second before speaking. "So, I dug up what I could on Jesse Turner. It's not much. Uh, B student, won last year's Pinewood Derby. But get this. Jesse was adopted. His birth records are sealed."
"So you unsealed them, and?" Dean started to shift, and Alex groaned. He ceased.
"There's no father listed, but Jesse's biological mom is named Julia Wright. She lives in Elk Creek, on the other side of the state."
Dean closed his book and tossed it onto the bed. He stood up, and Alex groaned again. "Let's go find her, then." He pulled on his suit jacket, glancing at Alex.
She shook her head. "No thanks. I'm warm, I was comfortable. I'm gonna stay."
Dean shrugged. "Suit yourself." He took the keys from his brother and opened the door. They left.
"Have fun storming the castle," Alex drawled after them. She shifted in the bed, grumbled an obscenity under her breath as the lack of Dean next to her.
...
The sun began to set, but Sam and Dean didn't return. Alex wandered mindlessly around, munching on the leftover ham. At five thirty, however, she got hungry. She searched through her bag for any loose change. She found a twenty dollar bill, and she grinned at her luck. Then she pulled on an extra jacket and reached for the door.
Fuck. She needed a spare key. She quickly backtracked. That could've gone badly. She searched the table; nothing. With an angry frown, she realized that Sam had the spare key. "Dammit," she huffed before stopping over to her bag. She pulled out her lock-picking kit and shoved it into her pocket. Then she stomped out of the room, swearing at Sam under her breath.
...
She ate at a Chinese restaurant down the street before returning to the motel. She knelt down, pulling out the lock-picking kit. She swore at Sam one more time - she was in a bad mood, sue her - before she inserted the torque into the keyhole.
After a minute, her hands started to go numb. She tried one more time with the rake, and the door swung open. Alex grinned, moving forward while standing up. She hit a body with a thud. Impulsively she pushed away, balling her fists, ready to strike.
She dropped her fists as she recognized the man. "Oh. Hey." She pushed her way into the motel and slammed the door. "Uh, what are you doing?"
Castiel watched as she crossed the room. "Dean told me to come here." His lips twisted into a small frown. "He said you would be here. Where were you?"
"I was getting dinner." Alex flopped down on the bed, turning back on the tv. She stared at the screen for several seconds before turning her attention back to the angel. "So. What's new with you?"
"Nothing." Castiel didn't move.
"Mm." A small pause. "You doing okay?"
"My grace is still fading." Castiel stepped towards her, then stopped. "Alex, I . . ."
The door opened, and Sam stepped through. Castiel stopped, gaze dropping to his shoes before turning to look at Dean.
Sam's gaze flickered from Alex to Castiel. "I take it you got our message." He sat down at the table as Dean entered, closing the door behind him.
"It's lucky you found the boy." Castiel's tone changed, Alex noted. More . . . professional? Deeper? She couldn't place it, but there was a change.
"Oh yeah," Dean was saying, "real lucky. What do we do with him?"
"Kill him."
Both Winchesters froze. They stared at Castiel, eyes widened with shock and confusion. Alex jumped off the bed. "Cas-"
"This child is half demon and half human," Castiel cut her off, eyes still trained on Dean, "but it's far more powerful than either. Other cultures call this hybrid cambion or katako. You know him as the antichrist." He walked over to the Winchesters.
"Antichrist?" Alex seemed shocked behind words. "You sure?"
Castiel sat down at the table. As he did, there was a large farting sound. Alex blinked in confusion, staring down at the angel. Then she understood. She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Castiel didn't seem to understand. The noise continued as he shifted in his seat. "That wasn't me," he told them. He pulled out the whoopee cushion and dropped it on the table.
"Who put that there?" Dean asked, trying to keep a straight face.
Sam grimaced at his brother's immaturity. "Anyways. I, uh, I don't get it. Jesse is the devil's son?"
Castiel let out a sigh. "No, of course not. Your Bible gets more wrong than it does right -"
Alex whacked him over the head. "Don't be stupid," she chastised. "The Bible says nothing about the antichrist being Lucifer's son."
Castiel looked up at her. "I-"
"Trust me, I've looked up all things Bible-apocalypse related." Alex crossed her arms.
Castiel just cleared his throat. He looked slightly embarrassed, and didn't argue. "Either way, the antichrist is not Lucifer's child. It's just demon spawn. But it is one of the devil's greatest weapons in the war against heaven."
Dean watched their interaction carefully, only speaking after Castiel had finished. "Well, if Jesse's a demonic howitzer, then what the hell's he doing in Nebraska?"
"The demons lost him. They can't find him. But they're looking." Castiel turned in his chair to face the Winchesters once again.
"And they lost him because?"
"Because of the child's power. If hides him from both angels and demons. For now."
"So he's got, like, a force field around him. Well, that's great. Problem solved." Dean leaned his hands on the back of Sam's chair.
By the look on the angel's face, it was obvious he didn't agree. "With Lucifer risen, this child grows strong. Soon, he will do more than just make a few toys come to life - something that will draw the demons to him. The demons will find this child. Lucifer will twist this boy to his purpose. And then, with a word, this child will destroy the Host of Heaven."
"Now I know that's not in the Bible." Alex muttered.
Castiel didn't turn to look at her. "I told you the Bible got most things wrong," she heard him reply.
"Wow. I've never heard you be smug before."
Her words were drowned out by Dean's protest. "Whoa whoa whoa, whoa. Wait. You're saying that - that Jesse's gonna nuke the angels?"
"We cannot allow that to happen."
"Wait." Chair legs cried out as they were pushed backwards, allowing the younger Winchester to stand up. "We're the good guys. We - we don't just . . . kill children!"
Castiel stood up to even the height difference between him and Sam. "A year ago," he growled, his voice dropping, "you would have done whatever it took to win this war."
"Things change," Sam growled back, holding the angel's gaze.
Dean moved to position himself between them, a hand resting on his brother's arm. "Okay. Hey, look, we are not going to kill him. Alright? But we can't leave Jesse here either." He glanced at Alex. When she grunted in agreement, he continued. "We know that. So . . . we'll take him to Bobby's. He'll know what to do. With him, a-and with Alex, we can figure this out."
"You'll kidnap him?" Castiel's frowned deepened. "What is going on in this town, it's what happens when this thing is happy. You cannot imagine what it will do if it's angry. Besides, how will you hold him? With a thought, he could be halfway around the world."
"So we-"
"So we tell him the truth," Sam interrupted. "You say Jesse's destined to go dark side. Fine. But he hasn't yet. So if we lay it all out for him, what he is, the apocalypse, everything, he might make the right choice."
No one spoke for several seconds. Then Castiel let out a growl. "You didn't. I can't take that chance." He disappeared.
Sam glared at where the angel had stood. "Dammit!"
Alex shifted awkwardly when Dean's gaze came to rest on her. "I, I don't know, guys. I'm sorry. I don't remember."
Dean's eyes flashed in frustration. "Dammit." He echoed his brother. "We have to get to Jesse's." He ran out the door. Sam and Alex exchanged worried looks before following close behind.
...
Dean sped down the road, cursing under his breath. "If Cas touches that kid," he growled, gripping the wheel even tighter. The car jerked as he accelerated even faster.
The Impala skidded into the large driveway, kicking up dirt. The doors were flung open, and all three jumped out. Sam reached the front door first. With a kick, the door flung open, and the two Winchesters pushed their way in. Alex followed close behind. Jesse stood in the corner, eyes wide, staring at them.
"Was there a guy here?" Dean asked sharply. "In a trench coat?"
In response, the boy pointed to the floor. In front of him stood a small plastic figure. Even from the back, Alex could tell who it was. She hurried past Dean and knelt down, picking it up. "Oh, Cas," she murmured, eyes narrowing in pity. "What did he do to you?"
She looked up at Dean, and then at Sam. Dean looked at Jesse. "We need to talk."
Alex watched as they went into the living room. She looked back down at the Castiel-figure. "I hope you can hear me," she finally said, voice growing sharp. "Because you're a total idiot. Why the hell did you think that would work? You're the one who said he could destroy all of heaven. And you thought you could take him on on your own?" She shook her head. "We'll get you fixed."
She carried him into the living room. Jesse was sitting on the couch, and Sam was sitting in a chair. Alex crossed the room and placed Castiel on the mantel, turning him so he could see the room. "Can he hear us?" she asked casually. "Or see us?"
"I-I don't know," Jesse stammered out.
"Well, I hope you turn him back soon," the girl joked, but underneath her words was a sense of darkness. "But after I'm done with him, he'll wish he was still like that."
Neither Winchester showed any interest in her humor; Alex even doubted that they heard the last part of her sentence.
"Was he your friend?" Jesse asked, eyes flickering up to Castiel.
"Him? No."
"I did that." The boy's gaze didn't leave the mantle. "But how did I do that?"
"You're a superhero."
Jesse looked at Dean, confusion written across his face. "I am?"
"Yeah, yeah." Dean knelt down in front of him. "I mean, who else could turn someone into a toy. You're Superman - minus the cape and the go-go boots. See, my, my partners and I, we work for a secret government agency. It's out job to find kids with special powers. In fact, we're here to take you to a hidden base in South Dakota, where you'll be trained to fight evil."
"Like the X-men?"
"Exactly." Alex nodded.
"Exactly like the x-men," Dean confirmed. He chuckled. "In fact, the, uh, the guy we're taking you to -he's even in a wheelchair."
Alex grinned, casting a glance at Sam. He seemed amused.
Dean continued. "You'll be a hero. You'll save lives. You'll get the girl. Sounds like fun, right?"
Suddenly, Dean was thrown sideways. He hit the wall hard, pinned there by an invisible force.
Alex spun around to see a woman walk into the room. Blonde hair, green jacket, jeans. "They're lying to you," the woman said. Sam was thrown back beside Dean.
Jesse jumped to his feet.
"Don't get up, dreamboat. Can't hurt you. Orders." With a flick of the demon's hand, Alex found herself between the Winchesters. She turned to the three of them. "You, on the the other hand? Hurting you's encouraged." She flicked her wrist again.
Dean was flung forward, hitting the opposite wall. Then he was thrown back next to Alex. Dean let out a loud cry.
"Leave him alone!" Jesse cried, eyes wide.
The demon turned her attention back to Jesse. She leaned down, studying his face. "Jesse. You're beautiful." Her voice was sickly sweet. "You have your father's eyes."
The young boy tried to sound confident. "W-Who are you?"
"I'm your mother."
Alex struggled at her invisible bonds, letting out a gasp as they were tightened. Her feet dangled above the floor, pinned against the wall.
"No, you're not." Jesse's eyes flickered over to the three hunters.
"Mm-hmm. You're half human . . . half one of us."
"She means demon, Jesse." Dean's words were cut off as the demon straightened up and closed her fist. Dean let out a groan of pain, and the demon turned back to the boy.
"Those people you call your parents, they lied to you, too. You're not theirs. Not really."
"My mom and dad love me." Jesse seemed genuinely confused.
"Do they? Is, is that why they leave you alone all day? Because they love you so much? These people - these imposters - they told you that the tooth fairy was real and that your toys could hurt you and a hundred other things that aren't true. They love you so much, they made your whole life a lie. Look into your heart, Jesse. You've always known you weren't theres. You've always known you were different. Everyone has lied to you. They're not FBI agents." She pointed a finger at Dean. "And you're not a superhero."
Jesse looked over at Sam, then his eyes went back to the demon. "Then what am I?"
"You're powerful You can have anything you want. You can do anything you want."
"Don't listen to her Jesse!" Dean groaned in pain again as the demon held up a fist.
"They treated you like a child. Nobody trusted you. Everybody's lied to you. Doesn't that make you angry?"
Jesse balled his fists, and his face darkened. The room started to shake, and the lights flickered. Alex looked up at Sam, eyes wide.
The demon looked elated. "See? It does make you angry. But I'm telling you the truth, Jesse." As she spoke, a glass vase on the mantle shattered. "Wouldn't it be better if there were no lies? Come with me and you can wash it all clean. Start over. Imagine that - a world without lies."
"She's right," Sam suddenly said. "We lied to you." The demon looked at him, eyes bleeding black. "But I'll tell you the truth," Sam continued. The demon raised a hand, clenching it into a fist, and Sam gasped for breath, head lolling back. "I just want . . ." he gasped out, "to tell . . ."
"Stop it."
Sam fell to the ground, gasping for breath. Everything stopped shaking, and Alex let out a breath.
Jesse looked up at the demon. "I want to hear what he has to say."
The demon looked down at the boy appreciatively. "You're stronger than I thought," she mused.
Sam pulled himself to his feet, and Alex struggled at her invisible bonds, but to no avail. "We lied to you," Sam began. "And I'm sorry. So here's the truth. I"m Sam Winchester. That's my brother Dean, and my friend Alex. W-We hunt monsters."
"Except when you are the monster," the demon interjected, a smile twisting on her face. "Right Sammy?"
Sam ignored her. "And that woman right there, her name is Julia. She's your mother. But the thing inside of her, the thing you're talking to - it's a demon."
"A demon?" Jesse repeated. He looked up at the woman, eyes narrowed in confusion.
"He's done nothing to lie to you since the moment you met him," the demon insisted. "Don't listen to him. Punish him."
"Sit down and shut up." Suddenly the demon was forced backwards into a chair. She struggled to speak, but was unable. Alex struggled again, already knowing it was useless.
"There's, uh, kind of a . . . a war between angels and demons," Sam continued carefully, warily watching the boy, "and . . . you're a part of it."
"I'm just a kid."
"You can go with her if you want. I can't stop you. No once can. But if you do . . . millions of people will die."
"She said I was half demon." Jesse looked up into Sam's face. "Is that true?"
"Yes. But you're half human too. You can do the right thing. You've got choices, Jesse. But if you make the wrong ones, it'll haunt you for the rest of your life."
The boy's eyes grew slightly wider as the reality set it. "Why are you telling me this?!" he pleaded, tears welling up.
"Because I have to believe someone can make the right choice, even if I couldn't."
Jesse was silent for several, long seconds, eyes first on Sam, and then on the floor. Finally, he turned to the demon, fists clenched. "Get out of her," he commanded.
The chair the demon was in slid backwards, hitting the wall. The woman threw back of her head, and black smoke billowed upwards, flying up the chimney. As the demon left, Alex and Dean fell to the ground. "How did you do that?" Dean panted, looking over at Jesse.
The kid shook his head. "I just did."
Dean grinned. "Kid . . . you're awesome."
Alex leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath. She looked up at Jesse's voice. "Is she gonna be alright?"
Dean got to his feet, glancing over at Julia. "Eventually." He bent down, and Alex watched as he picked up something off the ground. It was Castiel. Alex struggled to her feet. "He okay?"
"As fine as he can be." Dean turned to Jesse. "Look, uh, truth is, he's kind of a buddy of mine. Is there any way you could turn him back?"
"He tried to kill me."
"Right. Uh. But he's a - he's a good guy. He was just confused."
Jesse didn't say anything.
"He's really not that bad," Alex added. "Like Dean said. He was confused. He, uh, he thought this was going a different direction."
When Jesse still didn't respond, Dean sighed. "Okay. It's been a long night. We'll . . . talk about it later." He put Castiel back on the mantel.
"What now?" Jesse looked up at Sam.
Dean glanced back at his brother. When he nodded, Dean turned back to Jesse. "Now we take you somewhere safe, get you trained up. You'd be handy in a fight, kid."
"What if I don't want to fight?"
"Jesse." Sam stepped forward to sit on the table in front of the boy. "You're powerful. More powerful than . . . pretty much anything we've ever seen. That make you-"
"A freak," Jesse interrupted.
"To some people, maybe. But not to us. See, we're kind of freaks ourselves."
"I can't stay here, can I?" Jesse looked around his home.
"No." Dean shook his head. "The demons know where you are, and more will be coming."
"I won't go without my mom and dad."
"There's nothing more important than family," Sam agreed. "We get that. And if you really want to take them with you, we'll back your play. But you got to understand - it's gonna be dangerous for them too."
"What do you mean?
"Our dad . . . he would take us with him wherever he went," Dean explained.
"Where is he now?"
"Dead," Sam answered bluntly. "A demon killed him."
"Look, Jesse . . . once you're in this fight . . ." Dean bent down to Jesse's level, "you're in it till the end, win or lose."
Alex nodded in silent agreement. She looked up at the mantle, and picked Castiel up, rolling him in her hands nervously. Realizing what she was doing, she quickly held him still.
"W-what should I do?" Jesse asked, eyes wide.
"We can't tell you," Sam said quietly. "It's your choice. It's not fair. I know."
Jesse turned his gaze to him. "Can I go see my parents? I, I need to . . . say goodbye."
Dean nodded. "Sure."
"Of course," Sam echoed. He watched Jesse hurry up the stairs.
When he was out of sight, Alex put Castiel back down with a sigh. "You think he'll come quietly?" she murmured.
"He will," Sam promised. He wandered over to the fireplace and picked up the Castiel figure. He examined him mindlessly, then put him down.
"He's been up their a long time," Dean finally said.
"Give him a little longer," Sam insisted. However, he glanced up the stairs. When Jesse didn't reappear, he finally said, "Maybe we should go check on him."
Dean nodded, and crossed the living room in four strides. Sam and Alex hurried after him. They pushed themselves into the boy's room, and stopped dead. It was empty.
"He's gone."
Alex spun around at Castiel's voice, a smile across her face. "Hey."
"Where?" Sam asked, cutting her off.
"I don't know." Castiel tipped his head as he looked at Sam. "Jesse put everyone in town back to normal - the one's still alive."
Sam walked over to the small bed and picked something up. "Hey." Alex turned to see that he was holding a piece of paper.
"What does it say?" Dean walked over to his brother.
Sam quickly scanned the note. "That he had to leave to keep his parents safe, that he loves them, and he's sorry."
Dean turned to the angel. "How do we find him?"
Alex shook her head, and Castiel frowned. "With the boy's powers, we can't. Not unless he wants to be found." With that, he was gone.
Sam dropped the note, and Dean let out a huff. "Crap."
"Now what?"
Dean brushed past Alex. "Now we go home."
...
Five minutes later, they were in the Impala. "You think Jesse's gonna be okay?" Dean finally asked, breaking the silence.
Sam took a deep breath. "I hope so."
"You know, we destroyed the kid's life by telling him the truth."
"We didn't have a choice, Dean."
"Yeah." Dean was silent for a second before speaking again. "You know, I'm starting to get why parents lie to their kids. You want them to believe that the worst thing out there is mixing Pop Rocks and Coke - protect them from the real evil. You want them going to bed feeling safe. If that means lying to them, so be it. The more I think about it . . . the more I wish Dad had lied to us."
Sam sighed. "Yeah, me too."
Alex leaned forward, resting her head on the back of the front seat. "My parents - my real parents - they lied to me. When my mom was dying. They said that she was fine, that she was just tired, even when there were days where she wouldn't come out of her room." She shot a glance at Sam. He twisted his head to look at her, then quickly looked away, their heads being too close for comfort. "I thought she just didn't want to see me, you know? When she died, I was right there. Sitting on her bed, reading her a book. I didn't even know what happened." She fell into silence.
Not knowing how to respond, the Winchesters simply didn't.
...
They swung by the motel, and Alex crawled into bed. "What's the date?" she muttered.
Sam glanced at the clock. "Uh, still the tenth?"
"Eleventh in half an hour." Dean sat down at the table, pulling his laptop close. Alex flicked on the tv. After a few seconds, she decided on a nature documentary about the antarctic.
There was a flutter of wings, and Alex looked up to see Castiel standing by the Winchesters.
Dean glanced at the angel. "Hey Cas. What's up?"
"I didn't find Jesse." Castiel looked over at Alex, and then at the tv. When neither Winchester responded, he tipped his head, wandering over to her.
Alex scooted out of the way to make room. "It's about penguins," she explained.
"Huh. Funny creatures." Castiel sat at the edge of the bed, eyes trained steadily on the screen.
"Yeah." Alex watched the angel out of the corner of her eye. An idea sparked her in mind, and she batted it back and forth before speaking. "Where do you keep your angel blade?" she finally blurted out.
Dean coughed loudly, obviously covering up laughter. Alex shot him a glare, assuming the worst. Castiel, however, turned his body to face her. The silver gleam of the weapon appeared as it slid out of his right sleeve, slipping seamlessly into his hand.
Alex nodded. "Okay. Cool." She watched as the blade slid back up into his sleeve, then reached out, grabbing his forearm. She felt nothing.
"W-What are you doing?"
Alex pulled his arm across his lap, mind completely focused on the task at hand. "Where is it?" she grunted. She slid her hand up inside the trench coat. She felt the inside of his elbow, but there was nothing. She glanced up to see Castiel watching her, a confused look upon his face. She pulled back, blushing slightly, but ignoring it nonetheless. "How?"
In response, Castiel lowered his arm slightly, and the weapon slid out. Alex took it from his hands. "Careful," the angel warned. "It's sharp."
"It doesn't look sharp." Alex held it upright, staring. There was a loud thud, and Alex jumped. She cried out as the blade slipped, sliding across her chin before landing on the blankets.
"Sorry." Dean reached down to pick up his gun. He glanced at Alex, lips twisting into a small frown. "You, uh, got something . . ." He motioned to his chin.
Alex swiped the back of her hand across her own chin, grunting in frustration to find blood. "Dammit."
Castiel picked up his weapon. "Maybe I should go." Before anyone could protest, he was gone.
Alex kept wiping away the red liquid. "Dammit!" she repeated again, this time with more conviction. She got up and disappeared into the bathroom.
...
She came back out a few minutes later. Her chin had stopped bleeding, but it was deep enough to probably leave some sort of scar. As she stepped into the main room, Dean got up. In three strides he had crossed the room and promptly collapsed on the giant bed.
"You going to bed?" Sam sat down at the table and pulled out his laptop.
"Hell yeah. Screw consciousness, that's what I say."
Alex sat down next to Sam. She flipped out her knife and sawed off the remaining ham off the bone. "I actually don't like ham," she pointed out absently before nibbling on the meat.
Sam just shook his head. "How's the chin?"
"I'll live."
Sam grunted in acknowledgment. He logged on to his account, and effectively tuned Alex out.
Alex gave up and curled up on the bed next to Dean. He grunted, turning his head to look away from her. The young woman tried to pull the blankets up over her. She stopped. Dean was laying on them. "Dean," she whined. "Move your ass."
Dean purposefully ignored her. Alex turned, pressing her feet against the hunter's side. Then she pushed. "I said move!"
It did little, but it did free up enough blankets for her to crawl under. She lay there, thinking, listening to Sam's incessant typing and Dean's steady breathing until she drifted into a light sleep.
...
Okay. Unfortunately, I won't be able to post again until Sunday the 19th. I'm going on vacation with my family, and there's no wifi up there. None at all. *sigh*
But hey. Gabriel's coming.