So the journey is beginning. Let's see how things work out now.
Chapter Two
Christina turned on her side only to feel her arms tied to the bed the rough straps buried deep into her skin making her start to whimper. As her eyes opened she saw she was still inside the hotel suite causing her to look scared thinking she was under a prank from her older brothers but her heart stopped in her chest as the bathroom door opened and Spencer strolled out wiping his bloody hands on a white towel. Christina tried to scream for Dean and Sam but found her voice paralyzed.
"So beautiful like the day I started to take your soul." Spencer said strolling to her bed and sitting on the edge and stared at her. He gently brushed his fingers against her skin, which burned like holy water on demons as he smiled in joy seeing her twitch and groan in her bed. "This isn't a dream, little Winchester." Spencer cooed leaning down close to her ear. "Its a nightmare. It's how I can tell you..." he leaned in close his lips barely scraping her earlobe as he whispered seriously into it. "You will never be free of me. So if I die you will die as well."
He pinched Christina's jaw leaned in closer and kissed her gently. She felt her wrists release from the restraints and began to slap and hit Spencer who returned in grabbing her wrists and held them tight.
"Christy!" Spencer said his voice worried began to change into Sam's. "Christy! Wake up!"
Christina's eyes flew open as she saw Sam looking down at her his face full of worry. Heavy footsteps ran up the stairs and Dean appeared too worried to be daydreaming about his evening encounter with Lark.
"It's okay." Sam said slowly releasing his sister's wrists and helped her into a sitting position. "It was just a nightmare." His sister's body trembled beneath his hand just as she curled herself smaller into a tight ball as she just felt silly for having such a bad nightmare.
"Is she okay?" Dean asked when he saw goose bumps running up her skin.
"Just had a nightmare." Sam said and both of them were relieved that she slowly sat up and looked up at both of them. "Want to talk about it?" he asked and she shook her head.
"Just need a shower." Christina said which both her brothers nodded and allowed her to head behind the closed door. The two brothers silently looked at each other before heading downstairs wanting to give their sister some time alone.
~DSCWIN~
Lark was pouring over a newspaper as she sipped her morning tea trying to distract herself from her night visit with Dean. Her stomach rolled when she saw the hurt in his eyes and she knew she needed to give him an explanation why she left that night instead of telling them the next morning. She had asked Sam about Christina but he kept dodging around the subject of her friend and younger sister not actually coming out and telling her she was still suffering from what had happened to her.
"Would you like a refill on your tea?" a young preppy girl asked her as she made her way to the tables.
"I'm good thank you." Lark said but the young girl stayed at her table. Lark looked up at the young waitress with questioning eyes trying to be polite as she didn't like people staring at her. "May I help you?"
"There's a man outside that's looking at you." she said her voice starting to quiver with uncertainty. Lark turned around wishing it was Dean standing there but it was instead Castiel looking a little more disheveled then she remembered. "Do you know him?"
"Yeah, he's a friend." Lark waved at Castiel and motioned him to come inside to sit with her. Castiel complied and moved inside the cafe, not wanting to cause a riot if he were to appear out of no where.
"Lark." Castiel greeted nodding politely at the woman standing there.
"Would you like something to drink?" the waitress asked.
"No thank you I'm good." Castiel said and the woman left giving Lark a 'be careful' look.
"Cas, is everything alright?" Lark asked sensing something in his eyes as he looked at her. They didn't seem confusing or complex. They seemed more, human.
"I lost some of my grace as punishment for helping break Owens out of his holding cell." Castiel explained sitting straighter in his seat. "I thought you'd be with the Winchesters. Are you not traveling with them anymore?"
"No I'm not..." Lark said her head and eyes lowering onto her nearly empty tea cup. "Dean and I had some...words after they got back from New York and we decided to go our separate way." She looked up at the confused angel and tried to get a better look at his face. "Were you there when we were having dinner? I thought I felt you nearby."
Castiel remained silent but nodded slowly. "I wanted to tell everyone that I wasn't going to see you for a while as I served my punishment. But I didn't want to interrupt the happiness that I saw."
Lark nodded an understanding. "Well if you need to know where they are try looking in room 501 at the Antler Inn not far from here. That's where I saw Dean last." Castiel nodded his thanks as Lark finished her tea and set down some dollar bills to pay for the drink. As she stood up her finger slid across her newspaper causing the thin paper to slice into her flesh. She grimaced in pain for a moment and looked down at the line of blood across her finger.
Castiel reached towards her and gently gripped her finger. Lark watched the tiny glow before it quickly vanished. A paper thin scar had replaced the blood. "I hope you don't plan on getting hurt worse than that."
"I'm going to try not to." Lark smiled thinking the angel was telling a joke. "So are you going to head to Dean and the others?"
"As soon as we walk out. I'm not sure how these people will react to a man disappearing."
"Good idea." Lark agreed. She led the way to the front of the cafe and out the door before heading to her car.
Castiel looked around and saw too many people around and decided to climb into the passenger side of Lark's car. She didn't seem to mind as she pulled away seeing the angel looking straight ahead as she headed for another town to look for another case after dropping Castiel by the hotel.
"Thank you Lark." Castiel said as she drove and stopped next to a hotel a few minutes later.
Castiel recognized the black Chevy Impala that sat with the trunk open and saw Dean walking out of the room carrying his duffel bag. He froze when he saw Lark's car pull up. Castiel waited until Lark stopped, allowing the angel to exit the car.
"Cas, where have you been?" Dean asked tossing his duffel bag inside his trunk before joining Castiel at Lark's car.
"I was being punished for taking Owens out of his cell." Castiel said standing by the car. Lark sat there debating if she should just wave goodbye or get out and stay for a few minutes.
"Well it's good that you're at least vertical." Dean said slapping his angel friend on the back. He bent down at looked at Lark with a calm expression. "Want to come inside for a few minutes?"
"I should get going actually." Lark said waving at Castiel who walked inside the hotel to help the others to gather their supplies. "But I'll see you again sometime."
"Is that a promise?" pressed Dean gently.
"Not a promise but a hope." she answered and drove off quickly before Dean could try and stop her.
He shook his head slowly knowing he screwed up. As he got closer to the door Christina came out looking flushed as she wanted to see someone. But judging from the disappointment his sister wanted to see Lark.
"Don't I feel loved." she said coldly before she let out a forced sigh. "Anyways, got a call from Bobby. He has something in Albuquerque, New Mexico."
"What is it?" Dean asked knowing his sister wanted to change the subject as she felt a little miffed not seeing or talking to Lark.
"Chupacabra." Christina said before letting out a sigh and then froze holding her breath for a good twenty seconds before opening her eyes as if nothing had happened, but Dean knew it wasn't normal.
"You alright?"
"Yeah. I'm fine." Christina said looking as Castiel and Sam came out carrying the rest of the bags. "Well, let's get going. We've got a sixteen hour drive ahead of us." Dean nodded quietly as he watched his sister climb into the back of the Impala. Sam and Castiel had finished putting bags inside the trunk and got into the Impala too.
~DSCWIN~
Lark couldn't believe she left before letting Dean say anything to her. Did I want him to stop me, she wondered as she drove out of town. Was I wanting him to tell me to stay? Her mind continued to buzz with questions that she failed to notice the light had turned red. Lark had only a moment to react as a truck pulling a large camping trailer collided into her car sending it skidding across the asphalt and down a small embankment. Glass, metal and bags flew around Lark as she felt her body being thrown about the cab of her car. Blood trickled down the side of Larks head as lights moved in and out of focus. Sparks danced around her as rescue workers fought to get her out of her vehicle. Before darkness enveloped her, the face of Dean appeared in her mind, his green eyes large and full of longing. The phantom feel of his touch on her skin was the last thing she remembered as the rescue crew pulled her out of her crushed vehicle and placed her on a gurney.
"You need to hold on, ma'am." one of the rescue squad workers said as they pushed Lark to open doors of an ambulance. "You're going to be aright."
~DSCWIN~
Lark woke up with a splitting headache as bright lights seared the insides of her eyes. Looking around as she sat up, she realized she was inside a bedroom at Bobby's. A soft rap at her door had her scooting back against the headboard before the door opened showing Dean holding a tray of breakfast foods and a single rose in a vase.
"Happy Mothers day, Baby." Dean grinned as he sat down and place the tray of food across her legs. Lark felt something move underneath the blanket and it startled her. "Easy Babe. Don't over react. She started moving yesterday. It's still amazes me too."
"She?" Lark asked looking confused up at Dean and noticed a small silver band on his finger. She glanced down and saw a matching band on her own finger. Lark was really confused now by all of this. "Dean how did I get here?"
"Yeah I know you're as happy as I am." Dean said not bothering to answer her question. It was like he didn't even hear what Lark had said. "But I know you'll be a great mom." He leaned forward and gently kissed the side of her head. Lark moved her hand up and down in front of Dean's face and saw no reaction from him. She slid out of her bed to see her stomach wasn't swollen and the moving had stopped. Turning back she continued to watch as Dean began to play out a scene of happiness with a non existent Lark. Curiously, Lark glanced down and saw the ring was no longer there.
As she moved to the door she felt stitched up skin pulling at the side of her head and she raised fingers to gently trace a long stitched wound at the side of her head. Knowing she wouldn't be stopped Lark rushed out the door and fell onto a forest floor. She could feel the cold mud under her hands as it oozed between her fingers and wetness coming through her jeans making her legs chill.
Something growled behind her and she spun around surprised to see she was wearing hunting clothes. A large black shape reared back showing a row of sharp white teeth. Blood red eyes gleamed as it searched for her. Lark slowly scooted backwards trying to get away from the shape but a stick snapping caused her to freeze. The black creature let out a growl and moved in for the kill as drool dripped from its mouth and flew around as it gnashed its teeth together. Lark scrambled to her feet wanting to get away from the creature.
As she looked back she was no longer in the woods but inside a house she hadn't been in for years. This was the place where she had spent her remaining childhood after the age of eight. "Lark? Come on down for dinner!" Lark found herself in her grandparent's home surrounded by many happy memories. They had taken her in after her parents died in a car accident. She moved towards the door when it opened showing a kind looking older woman with a soft smile on her face. "Lark, come on my little dove." the woman chuckled much to Lark's enjoyment.
"Gra-Grandmother..." she stuttered slightly throwing her arms around the woman's body, but the woman didn't hug back. Once again, Lark was in an already programmed dream. Releasing her grandmother, Lark moved back trying to understand what this was and was there a way out of it.