Since this is part three of the "Hunter's Vacation" series. This story is going to be slightly longer, I didn't realize until now, but here's chapter fourteen. I hope you guys enjoy and comment!
Chapter 14
Once back at the hotel, Lark found herself alone in her room putting her clothes inside her bags while trying to figure out who the woman in her hospital room was. She was also trying to figure out what the liquid in that bottle held and why it was important to speak with a woman named Missouri Mosley. The name sounded vaguely familiar, as the name echoed in her brain repeatedly. But her thoughts were interrupted with a soft knock on her door. She pulled the window blind before opening the door.
"Hey..." Dean cleared his throat before handing her a small folder and a small card envelope. "Just need your signature on a few pieces of paper and you'll be the owner of a '66 grey Charger." He gently tossed the folder on the table and Lark walked over, dumping the contents of what was in the small envelope. Her cheeks burned when she found it was the keys.
"Dean..." she stammered trying not to allow her emotions surface. "Thank you for all the help. Don't worry; I'll pay you back as soon as I can."
"I'm not worried about the money." Dean said with a smile watching as she quickly signed the paperwork. "Well, congrats..." he said walking over, picking up the folder and standing closer then needed to Lark. "You're now a proud owner of a...'66...Charger..."
His lips twitched into a nervous smile as his eyes darted to look into hers. Lark felt her heart pounding in her chest and was almost certain Dean could hear it playing her ribs like a xylophone. Slowly their faces leaned in closer, Lark's eyes slowly closing not fully understanding the power Dean had on her, but not expecting what happened next.
"I should get this off to Greg. His wife is picking him up here." Dean's presence slowly backed away and Lark's eyes opened just in time to see Dean walking to the door, shaking his head slowly.
"Dean...How's Christy doing?" she asked really not wanting him to leave.
"She seems to be doing better. She's in the tow truck with Bobby as they had to go pick up her motorcycle. But I don't think she'll be driving it. She's was a bit out of it."
"How's Cas?"
"Good, just says he's recovered some and is hoping that Owens' execution is quick because he was told that he'll get his grace back once he's ceases to exist."
"We can only hope." Lark mumbled feeling the weight of the keys sink deeper in her pocket.
Dean headed out the door before he stopped and turned to face her. "By the way, if you think about leaving town before stopping at Bobby's; I'm letting you know that car will need a little TLC. There's a small problem with the radiator. Plus I wouldn't trust any mechanics in town."
"So I shouldn't trust you then?" Lark asked her eyes sparkling playfully making Dean let a small chuckle.
"I'm not staying in town all that long. So you can trust me." he said before continuing out the door.
Lark bit her bottom lip as she watched Dean leave the room closing the door gently behind him.
~DSCWIN~
Lark was happy that her car managed to make it all the way to Bobby's garage before the engine began to clunk and the temperature gauge went into the red and she had to turn it off. Dean had followed her the entire way before he pulled into Bobby's driveway and to the front of his house. Bobby had left earlier with Christina, who was sitting on a cooler at the garage working on taking her bike apart.
"What are you doing?" Lark asked stepping out of her car after popping the hood allowing steam to escape.
"Just standard protocol for me. Got to make sure that there wasn't any foul play. Dean taught me that." Christina answered softly setting her tools down and walking over to the car making sure to stand away from Lark to give her the sense of peace. "Nice car. Bad radiator I take it?"
Lark nodded. "Yeah, it made it here on a prayer. But now it's going to have to be worked on."
"You want me to look at it or do you want Dean to?"
"If you want to look at it, but if you need to work on your bike, that's fine..." Lark replied letting her sentence trail off.
Lark fought with her inner emotions. Feelings of anxiety and fear played with her knowledge of Christina's behavior. Lark knew she wasn't in danger with her but she didn't want to be accidentally attacked if Christina had one of her strange "fits".
"Lark, I know you're scared of me." Christina said her eyes friendly as they looked at Lark. "But you shouldn't be. I would never intentionally hurt you. But I will understand if you want to wait for Dean to look at this when he finds the time. Or I can look at it now and you can be on your way sooner."
"You know I want to leave?" Lark asked surprised at how well Christina was taking it.
"Yeah, I knew since you came back to Bobby's. You've been jumpier then a jackrabbit on a date. I know it's not entirely me that's making you worried, but it's also being around Dean knowing your history with him. And if I may say so, you should give him a fourth chance. We all know he's an immature buffoon. But he does truly care for you."
"Yeah, I know." Lark said trying not to act nervous around her. Christina peered under the hood before she stopped and looked at Lark.
"Sorry. I'll go get Dean."
"N..."
"Don't. I don't blame you Lark. I've scared you before. Remember when I woke up? I could tell you were scared. So I am not going to take offense. I would just like to know you'll be available if I need to call and talk to you."
Lark nodded quietly. Christina smiled back at Lark and headed towards Bobby's house just as Dean rounded the corner making Lark nervous and jittery.
"Alright ready for me to fix your car?" Dean asked pretending to roll up his sleeves of his tee shirt which made Lark chuckle softly. With a quiet nod she allowed Dean to step forward and lean over the engine to check it out.
"It's not as bad as I thought, I should have it running soon." he told her after looking it over. He headed into the garage for some tools to work his magic on her used, new vehicle.
Knowing she wasn't needed after nearly an hour of watching him, Lark excused herself and headed to Bobby's house, leaving Dean to finish up the work.
~DSCWIN~
The house was warm and already had the sweet aroma of food being prepped for dinner. Christina and Sam both stood in the kitchen talking quietly to each other while Sam sliced carrots. Christina glanced at Lark and gave a sad smile but went back to work rolling out dough for rolls.
Lark walked up the stairs and entered her room tossing her bag to the side and sitting on the bed. She slid her fingers into her jacket pocket and pulled out the vial with the clear liquid inside. She carefully opened the lid and took a sniff.
The smell of sweet ripe fruit invaded her nose. She wondered if it was some kind of nectar, but before she could sample it, there was a knock on the door. Quickly securing the lid on the small vial and setting it in the fold of the blanket, she stood up and opened the door.
"Here you go." Dean said handing her the keys to her vehicle. "It's running good as new."
"Thank you Dean." Lark said smiling and sliding the keys into her pocket. "So...You don't mind me leaving?"
"No, I know it's something you need to do." he said clearing his throat. "I mean, I'm not going to lie, I do fell like we still have a chance, but I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."
"Well, after I deal with a few things then maybe I'll give us another try." she said shyly.
"Hey, take as much time as you need. I'm not planning on going anywhere or do anything stupid." Lark gave him an unsure look which made Dean smile and rub the back of his head. "Alright, not as stupid as I usually would."
"Thanks Dean. For...for everything you and your siblings have done. And I think I'll give everyone a proper goodbye at dinner then leave tomorrow morning to beat all the morning traffic."
"Sounds good." Dean said giving her a brief smile before closing the door to her bedroom and headed back downstairs.
~DSCWIN~
The house was starting to fill with laughter and merriment as the five adults began to gather around the table for dinner. Lark sat next to Dean and could tell he wanted nothing more then to drape his arm on the back of her chair but instead he sat awkwardly eating his dinner.
"So Lark..." Christina said after another round of laughs. "I hear your car's working now. That's good right?"
"It is." Lark said trying not to look sideways at Dean who lowered his eyes to not show the hurt in them. "In fact I was actually planning on leaving tomorrow morning. I have some personal errands I need to do out of state."
The laughter slowly died down as everyone took in what she had said. Dean busied his mouth by shoving some more food so he wouldn't cause a scene.
"Are you going to come back after your errands?" Christina asked softly her voice trying hard not to crack.
"I will...but I don't know when right now." Lark said unsure of herself. "I mean, I will at least check in so you guys don't worry about me and if you need help on a hunt and I can, I'll be there."
"That's better then nothing." Sam injected trying to calm his sister down who began to stare at her food. "Bobby what do you think?"
"I think the lass needs some time alone." Bobby said wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Besides, after all that's been happenin' these last few days; I think ya'll need a break from each other."
"We're not splitting up, Bobby." Dean said his eyes shooting to his siblings afraid that another kidnapping might happen if they split. "Besides, I'm okay with Lark leaving. I know she needs this." he said trying to assure them.
Sam and Christina looked at their brother who picked up his empty plate and set it inside the sink. He didn't say anything else as he headed toward the front door.
"I guess, he's okay with me leaving." Lark said watching as Dean went out the front door and they all heard his footsteps leave the porch.
"At least this time you're saying goodbye before leaving." Bobby said following Dean and set his empty plate in the sink. "But you need to be careful out there."
"I will, don't worry." Lark smiled and finished her meal with casual talk with Sam and Christina, while Bobby went to his room and closed the door.
~DSCWIN~
Night spread through the state of South Dakota as everyone ventured into their rooms and settled down for the night. Dean had made a passing farewell to Lark as he headed for the bathroom, and she answered with a brief smile. She knew that the separation from Dean was a good thing, even though he knew of her feelings for him. She however needed to do some soul searching to find out if her possible future was true or just wishful thinking.
As she lay down, pulling the blanket close to her chin, she tried to picture Dean lying beside her. She tried to picture his strong, warm arms holding her closely protecting her from nightmares or creatures that wished to do her harm. But instead she forced her eyes to close without Dean. She could feel her body relaxing on the bed and before she knew it had drifted off to sleep.
Lark felt her body being shaken roughly which resulted in waking her up. Opening up a sleepy eye, Christina's figure loomed over her. She looked panicked making Lark sit up straighter in her bed.
"Christy..." Lark yawned seeing that it was still early in the morning. "What's the matter?"
"Dean just sent me a text." Her voice was soft and full of panic. "He and Sam are in trouble. We need to go and help them now."
Lark didn't hesitate and grabbed some sweats to throw over her pajama shorts. She picked up a jacket and shoes and quickly threw them on before following Christina out her bedroom door, down the stairs and out the front door.
"What's going on? I thought they were still here asleep?" Lark asked as they jumped onto Christina's motorcycle. Christina didn't answer except handed Lark a helmet which she put on and climbed behind on the back of the motorcycle.
~DSCWIN~
Lark watched as Christina zoomed in and out of traffic dodging cars as if they were standing still. The harsh cold breeze made Lark curl closer to her friend's body for warmth but it was strange when she felt her friend tense up. A red flag sprung up in her mind as they continued to travel until Christina pulled into an underground parking lot. Lark quickly scanned the area for Dean's impala but couldn't see it.
"Where's the Impala?" she asked trying not to jump to conclusions. "Where's Sam and Dean?"
"I don't know where the car is, but they said they were hurt over here." Christina said taking out a flashlight and handed it to Lark as they walked deeper inside the parking structure. Lark noticed the nervousness in her friend as she kept looking over her shoulder as if expecting someone.
The nighttime sounds seemed nonexistent as she could only hear the soft scraping of her shoes on the pavement beneath their feet. Lark was trying to decide what was wrong with her friend when she noticed two pairs of boots off in the distance behind a pillar. She instantly recognized the boots as Sam's and Dean's. As she quickened her pace she saw their clothes and felt her heart pounding in her chest thinking they were hurt.
"I found them." she whispered jogging carefully keeping an eye out for any danger. Christina followed but stopped just a few feet away from where Lark bent down to check for pulses.
Lark froze when she saw two mannequins lying as flat as possible dressed in Sam and Dean's clothes. She heard a hammer on a pistol being pulled back and locking. She gradually stood up and slowly turned shining the light on Christina's face. Her once sparkling eyes were cold and lifeless. It as as if the person standing in front of Lark wasn't her friend at all, but a copycat.
"Christy?" Lark said wishing she had grabbed her weapon before they left but realized that Christina had rushed them out for a reason. It was an ambush for her. "Christy, what are you doing?"
"I'm sorry..." Christina sobbed her gun shaking in her hand. "But I have to do this..." Lark slowly stood up to try and calm her friend down, but Christina flexed her hand steadying the gun in her hand. "I don't want to do this...but I have to do this..."
"Christy, I don't understand. Why do you want to do this?"
"I don't want to do this..." More tears fell from her eyes as she took a step back when Lark took an uneasy step towards her. "Please don't make me do this."
Is she talking to someone else? Lark thought before she refocused on her friend. "Christy I..."
Lark didn't have time to finish or comprehend what had happened. She was stunned by what Christina had said before she felt something hot pierce her skin and shoot through her body. She didn't feel her knees buckle, but felt the coolness of the concrete beneath her back. The pain finally kicked in and she grimaced and groaned. She was in shock from having a friend and sister shoot her for a reason she didn't know. She was shocked that Christina would do something like that to her after everything she had done for her in the past. But knew she wasn't doing this on her own free will.
Lark watched as her blurry vision captured Christina turning around and heading back to her motorcycle, leaving Lark by herself in the dark and cold. She could feel her blood seeping between her fingers where her hand was pressed hard on her abdomen. She knew the dangers of blood loss and knew she needed assistance; but once again, due to her being rushed out of Bobby's house, she had left her cell phone on her nightstand.
~DSCWIN~
Dean gasped, sitting up in his bed with beads of sweat slowly running down his face. Sam woke in the bed next to him and turned on the light. It was strange seeing his older brother wake up from a nightmare and it was strange seeing how it was affecting him.
"Dean, you okay?" Sam asked checking the time with his phone.
"Lark..." Dean jumped out of his bed and quickly stomped his way to Lark's room. He knew that he promised he'd keep his distance from her but he needed to see that she as alright. He knocked on her door and found it slightly ajar. He quickly flipped the light on and felt his heart tighten in his chest. Her bed was empty. Her bags, pistol and phone still in the place she had them the night before when he checked on her.
"Dean what is going on?" Sam asked placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Lark's gone. But she wasn't going to leave until tomorrow morning and her things are still here." Dean turned and looked confused at Sam then walked quickly to his sister's room. Once again an empty room was all he found. "Christy's gone too."
"You think they're in trouble?" Sam asked and Dean shrugged.
"Cas, I need you in the living room. I need to ask you to do something." Dean said his eyes looking upwards.
Sam and Dean quickly rushed down to the living room and found Castiel looking rather confused standing in the middle of the room.
"Why did you call me?" Castiel asked tilting his head to the side.
"Lark's missing and so is Christy. I need you to find them. I'm pretty sure if you were to find Lark you'll find Christy as well."
Castiel nodded and closing his eyes and bowing his head as if in prayer. He stood there quietly for a minute before he vanished. Dean and Sam both swallowed hard hoping that both Lark and Christina weren't in any danger. Dean had started pacing the room when Castiel reappeared holding Lark in his arms, one of her arms draped around his neck while the other one was weakly pressed on a wound. Blood was slipping from between her fingers and Dean was instantly worried that his sister was in the same shape.
"Lark..." Dean gasped gently taking her from Castiel and laying her on the couch. "Babe, what happened?"
"It...It was Christy..." Lark said tears flowing out of her eyes. "She..."
Dean felt his anger starting to boil inside him as he turned to look up at Castiel. "Can you heal her?"
Castiel looked down at Lark and nodded. "But she has lost a lot of blood already."
"That's okay, Sam, we need to get her something to eat and drink to replenish the loss of blood in her body."
Sam nodded knowing what he needed to do. Sam raced to the kitchen and began to rummage in the fridge for Gatorade and in the cabinet for some raisins. Castiel lifted Lark's shirt and placed a hand on her forehead and one on the wound while Dean stood nearby watching closely, holding his breath.
Castiel's grace flowed from his hands and deep inside Lark's wound. Luckily the bullet had passed clean through so he knew it was going to heal completely. Lark's face was pale when he lifted his hand seeing a scar of the entrance wound on her abdomen where she was shot. She drew in several slow breaths as the pain eased.
"Here you go, Lark." Sam said handing her the Gatorade and a box of raisins. Dean helped Castiel to a chair from the kitchen when he looked faint.
Lark took the items in trembling hands and begun to nibble and sip on the drink. Dean grew more confused as he forced himself to sit down in the arm chair and ran his fingers through his hair trying to calm himself before questioning her. He knew Lark had no reason to lie to them and the bullet wound was proving her story.
"Let me get this straight. Christy shot you?" he asked and Lark nodded. "Why would she do that?"
Lark shook her head unsure what to say. "I can't really explain why she would do that to me." she said already feeling herself grow steadily better. "It was like she was fighting to take control over her body."
That didn't sound like his sister at all; he knew she would never hurt Lark even when possessed. She's strong minded; she would never hurt Lark, Dean thought trying to picture the event in his head. He knew that Christina would tell someone what was going on instead of taking drastic measures like shooting an unarmed hunter; a sister figure and friend no less.
The roar of a motorcycle could be heard coming up the driveway and stopped in front of the house where it went silent. Dean narrowed his eyes as he and Sam stood in front of Lark blocking the view from either entryway. Castiel stood guard as well as his eyes narrowed. He was upset that he must have fallen for one of Owens' tricks.
Christina walked through the front door and into the living room to find both her brothers and Castiel standing blocking the view of the couch. Dean's arms were tightly folded across his chest and his eyes were narrow and flashed with anger.
"What?" she asked looking between her brothers and Castiel. All of them could see fear in her eyes as she glanced around.
"Care to explain where you have been?" Dean inquired. He was going to give his sister one chance to explain and tell the truth. He wanted to see if she would before he made any hasty decisions.
"Lark asked if I could take her on a motorcycle ride to enjoy before she left." she said folding her arms as well. Sam and Castiel could tell she was trying to stop her body from shaking. "She then asked me to drop her at a hotel to spend the night since she was planning on leaving tomorrow."
"Really?" Dean challenged. Christina nodded her head, her hazel eyes boring into Dean's green ones. But Dean could see that her eyes weren't telling the truth. That there was a hidden meaning behind it all. "Well, if that's the case why is Lark saying you shot her?"
Confusion and fear crossed Christina's face as Dean stepped back and Lark was revealed. "Dean...I..." she stated her eyes darting as she worked on a plan to explain herself.
Castiel vanished quickly appearing behind Christina. She let out a cry of rage, fear and pain as she tried to break his hold on her. Bobby's door creaked opened and he ran out holding a weapon, wearing a wife beater undershirt and wearing black briefs.
"What in sam hill is goin' on here?!" he growled at everyone in the living room. He looked confused at Castiel who kept a firm hold on Christina's arms. "What are you doin' boy?" he asked him pinching his lips together in a thin line.
"Christina shot Lark and left her for dead." Castiel growled before he jerked her around and shoved his hand into her stomach, touching her soul. Christina's eyes went wide as she let out a muffled cry of pain as Castiel continued to work inside trying to get to the bottom of what was going on. "Not all her soul has been returned...Owens...he tricked us..." Castiel removed his hand and vanished with Christina.
Dean and Sam were confused until they heard the panic room door squeaking closed. Castiel appeared a few minutes later looking upset and determined. "Make sure she stays in that room. I need to check on Owens. I hope it's not too late."
"Too late for what?" Dean asked but Castiel had already vanished leaving them all wondering what he was talking about.
Bobby lowered his weapon and rubbed the back of his head. "Guess I'll start some coffee, then someone can start explainin' what happened."
"I think it might be a good idea to put some clothes first." Sam suggested looking down at his bare legs making Bobby look down and with a huff headed back to his bedroom swearing under his breath.
Sam walked into the kitchen to make the coffee while Dean looked down at Lark and started to step towards the stairs to get dressed himself, but stopped when she grabbed his hand. He could feel her hand tremble and thought it felt too cold.
"Don't...please don't go..." Lark begged, her eyes pleading with him.
Dean nodded and sat down on the couch beside her wrapping his arms around her trembling body. She turned her head and he felt his shirt dampen with her tears when she buried her face into his chest and fished his shirt tightly in her hands like she was afraid he would leave.
"It's okay, Babe." Dean whispered brushing her hair down and kissing the top of her head. He saw Sam nod and slowly leave the kitchen letting the two to be alone while he quietly went up the stairs to get changed. "It'll be okay...I'm here for you. We're going to solve this together." He mumbled quietly as he tried to comfort her. "I promise..."