Chapter Six
The house was quiet and the only sounds were the settling of it as darkness descended over the countryside. Lark had busied herself with finishing some research Bobby had started for another hunter since he was kind enough to bring her car back here. She looked up when Cas came back down downstairs and joined her.
"How is she?" Lark asked not seeing Christina with him.
"She is...cleaning her weapons and didn't want any company." he said taking a seat across from her.
"Do you know what's going on with her? It's like her entire personality has changed since she was happened. Can that angel still be messing with her in some way?" Lark questioned.
Castiel shrugged his shoulders. "I know he is secure in Heaven's prison. I checked on him myself. I have petitioned with the other angels that his grace be taken from him and he remain behind bars for the atrocities he committed on the humans."
"Too bad you can't just throw him into Hell and see how likes being tortured everyday." Lark mumbled just loud enough to be heard.
"That could actually be done, but only if his grace is removed."
"Be honest with me Cas, do you see a change in her?" Lark questioned wanting his opinion.
"I do think she has become rather cold and uncaring about certain things. It seems she is still having flashbacks of her torture and hears him in her head."
"Can he project his thoughts even if he's in prison? Could he somehow be taunting her or if it Christina thinking she hears him?" Lark asked. "I know she is better physically, but maybe mentally she's still messed up. I mean a trauma like that, dying and then coming back...Man that's gotta throw you for a loop. Maybe something's been scrambled in her head."
"Bobby took her to see a doctor friend of his and the doctor gave her some medication to take hoping it will help."
"Has it? Are you sure she's taking it?"
"You will have to ask Christina. She's not allowing anyone to question what the doctor told her. Wouldn't even let Dean and Sam go in with her. She's being very vague and secretive about it all."
"That's not like her at all. I'm going to talk to Bobby when he gets back and get his opinion. Maybe he's seen something we haven't."
"That might be a good idea." Cas agreed.
"I know no one's going to like it, but I'm only staying for another day or two. At least until I find another car. I still have a couple of person things to take care of."
"But you will tell Dean that you're leaving?"
"Yeah, he won't like it, and it will probably hurt him but if we have any chance at all of getting back together...I have to leave. There's something I need to do alone."
"Since you've been gone Dean has not been taking care of himself and I heard Sam arguing with him about putting himself in harm's way. I think that's how he got injured on that last hunt. He know he made a mistake telling you what he did, but I'm not sure he knows how to fix it."
"Maybe it can't be fixed." Lark said sadly.
Neither knew that Christina had come downstairs and was listening to them talk about her and then she heard Lark say she was leaving again. A slow, simmering rage started building inside her because she knew Dean would be devastated if Lark left. She had warned her what would happen but it didn't seem to make a difference. As the rage began to build more it began to scare her. A soft voice began to echo in her mind. Fearing she was loosing grips on everything, she silently went up the stairs and entered in her room.
"I'm almost finished with this research and I'm going to take a hot shower and turn in. I'm still a bit chilled from my rain shower earlier." Lark told Castiel as she stretched her sore back and felt a shiver run down her spine. She figured it was from the soaking she got, but her sixth sense was telling her differently. Lark had a sense of dread creep into her mind and she wasn't sure why.
"Alright. I'll stay down here unless Dean or Sam prays for me." Castiel said getting up to got into the living room.
"Night Cas, and thanks for helping me today. You didn't have to do that."
"Yes I did. You are part of this family and Dean says we take care of our family."
"Thanks." she said softly wondering if that was true. Was she still part of this family? Lark made her way upstairs to the spare bedroom and grabbed an old tee shirt of Dean's to use as as night shirt before heading for the bathroom to shower.
~DSCWIN~
The sound of Lark's cell phone ringing beside her head made her stir. She knew that staying at Bobby's house was strange but she needed to keep an eye on Christina while her brothers were out of town on a case. She rolled over and grabbed her phone just as it stopped ringing. A small notice told her she had missed a call from Dean. Her finger trembled over the call back button but instead turned off her phone. She wasn't made at him, but she didn't want to talk to him just yet. There was a soft knock on her door and Lark slowly sat up.
"Come in." she said rubbing her eyes to get the sleep out of them.
Christina's face poked around the edge of her door before pushing the door all the way open. "Morning." she said with an awkward smile. "Just wondering how you slept?"
"I slept fine. How about you?"
"I slept great! I don't remember even falling asleep, but I woke up great, full of energy...I hate to throw in my money now but the sleeping pills seem to be working quite well."
"Well, that's good." Lark said giving her a warm smile. "Glad things seem to be better today."
"Lark, I want to apologize for what I said last night. I know I shouldn't blame you for leaving. I know I can't take back what I said. I can't take back the threat I made. I was fighting with so many things at once that I latched on to whoever was closest and attacked. Somethings physically. I mean, I did stab Sam in the arm and attacked him once. But you...You had your reasons for leaving; as we both know, Dean can be a complete dumb-ass sometimes. He thought he was saving you but when you left, we all knew he hurt you deeply."
"Yes, that's true." Lark said nodding still not getting a good vibe from Christina but she would play alone." So what's the plan today?"
"Well, I was actually coming to ask if you wanted to spend some time together. Mend the bond that we...I mean I ruined last night. I want us to be friends again Lark. I want to have my sister back."
Lark gave a small sideways smile and nodded. "Alright. That sounds like a great idea."
"Great! Well, I'll let you get ready and I'll be downstairs making something to eat."
Lark chuckled when Christina left with a smile on her face; a bright counterpart to her sour disposition the night before. Her phone began to ring again in her hand and let out a soft chuckle as Dean's name appeared.
"Morning." Dean said once she answered. "Did I wake you up?"
"Yeah." Lark said grabbing more of Christina's clothes to change into. "What's going on?"
"Just wanted to check in and see how things were going."
"Seems to be fine. Your sister's better; it seems these pills the doctor gave her yesterday seems to help her you. At least that's what she told me."
"Well, that's good to hear. Listen, we're going to be a while since this case is one tough nut to crack."
"Shoot, do you need us to come and help?"
"No, we'll be alright. We might need you to help with research since Bobby is stuck in Wyoming."
"Why what's going on?"
"Car problems. He managed to get your weapons and bags from your car but says he can't save it."
"It's okay. It's just something to help me get from point A to point B. I can probably find a cheap used car around here and have Bobby make sure it's in good running order. So when would you guess Bobby will get back?"
"I say in about two to three days. Why, are things not good between you and Christy?"
"No, I'm not saying that at all. I just feel a little weird staying at his house without him here."
"Well, you know as much as everyone that Bobby treats you like a daughter. You shouldn't feel weird. You have no idea how much Sam and I would crash at his house for a few days. It's like a stable home and it's a great place to fix up vehicles when you don't trust those mechanic shops."
"Well, I won't argue with that." Lark said sipping on some jeans and grabbed a belt that hung on the back of the bedroom door. "So keep us posted and let us know if we need me to do something. Or if you need us to come and help with the case."
"Will do. For now just keep my sister in check. She's a firecracker."
You got that right; Lark thought hanging up. She quickly threw on her shirt and headed downstairs where she found Christina already fixing breakfast and Castiel sitting at the table keeping an eye on her but looked up at Lark when she entered.
"How are you feeling today Cas?" Lark asked looking to see if she could help Christina with breakfast.
"Better." he replied but Lark could still sense something still troubling him.
"Lark, would you place the orange juice on the table please?" Christina asked lifting up a pan and scraping scrambled eggs into a bowl. Lark did what she was asked and placed a pitcher of orange juice onto the table. Castiel began to fill up the two glasses on the table with the drink and shook his head when Lark silently asked if he wanted some.
"By the way, Dean called. He said Bobby's going to be stuck in Wyoming a few more days." Lark said as Christina started to bring over plates and bowls full of steaming food. "He has some trouble with his truck."
"Oh, I heard. Bobby texted me this morning." Christina said sitting down and Lark slipped into the chair next to her. "But I do appreciate the reminder. Cas, do you want to come with us today? I don't want to keep you here since Lark and I want to hang out."
"No, I'll be fine alone." Castiel said but gave lark the look of 'call if you need me'.
"Oh, okay." Christina looked a little hurt by his refusal but quickly replaced it with a smile by the smells of the food she had slaved over to cook.
~DSCWIN~
Lark and Christina drove into town in silence. The radio was playing quietly in the background as they drove and lark knew this was uncharacteristic of her friend. She thought back to when they were driving in New York to the Mohawk reservation and thought back to how animated her friend was.
As Christina turned off her truck, which she had fixed a few days after waking up, Lark turned and saw something flashing in her friend's eyes. It wasn't darkness but the look of someone searching for help. It was as if a demon had possessed her and was just trying to act like her.
"Hey, do you mind if I stop by this internet cafe for a few minutes." Lark asked wanting to do some research she had to stop the night before.
"Yeah, that's fine. I'll just be in the store across the street looking at some motorcycle parts I need."
At least that's consistent to the old Christina; Lark thought knowing, much like Dean, Christina had a good head on her shoulders concerning vehicles.
"Say I'll give you an hour then how about we grab some lunch and then maybe go see a movie?" Christina suggested.
"We'll see. I'll have to buy some clothes, because no offense, your clothes are either too loose or too tight."
Christina chuckled and blushed a little. Something that seemed like the old Christina. "Yeah, it's like sometimes my body can't make up its mind whether it wants to be short, tall, fat or skinny."
Lark let out a chuckle as well, careful to keep an eye on Christina's eyes to make sure she wasn't going to be angry. But there wasn't any indication of anger.
"Well, I guess I'll see in a few then." Lark said waving to her friend before heading towards the Internet Cafe.
She watched as Christina looked both ways before crossing the street and vanished inside the parts store. She entered the cafe, paid for time on the computer and sat down. Keeping an eye up to see if Christina was coming out of the store, Lark began searching for an affordable vehicle close by. She needed to be prepared to head out once again to do a few personal things before Dean came back so that they could talk about their future. Something about what she had experienced with the young girl in her dream gave her the impression that she was supposed to keep some kind of relationship with him. When the memories of seeing Dean bleeding from an attack because he was upset she was gone invaded her thoughts she shook her head to rid herself to them. She knew that he had blamed himself for her leaving.
"Mommy..." Lark moved her head to the sound of the voice of the same young girl and saw her standing a few computers down wearing a cute white lacy dress. "Mommy I want to go."
Lark opened her mouth to say something thinking she was talking to her, but saw the girl's mother stand up and gently take the young girl by the hand. A small beep from Lark's phone made her jump as if was a text message from Bobby saying he got his truck up and running and he'd be home first thing the next morning. She looked back and the woman and child were gone. She glanced around but didn't see them anywhere and wondered what was going on. Why would she be seeing the young girl again and like this?