I know it's been a while in coming but for once I'm being kind to you!!! I have written a long chap that gets everything out of the way (sort of) as Hope goes to get Bonnie and we see what (or who) Dean has been doing! Hope is so cool but Luc gets the award for his gaellic moodiness and general distrust. Cole is the new Ninja Poppins, Bobby's freaking out, Sam's cute and as for Logan? With the help of Lily he's rocking it hard!
You'll need a song~ 'The Unforgiven' by Metallica.
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"Hey Buddy, you play that song one more time I'm gonna have to show you the door." The barman said tiredly.
"I like it." Dean replied glaring up at him with bloodshot eyes full of danger.
The barman rolled his own eyes and left the guy to it because he was a half hour from changing shifts and he didn't need the hassle; the drunk may have twenty years on him but he looked handy with his fists and he was willing to bet a months' salary he was packing heat.
"Whatever." He said shrugging to the guys at the end of the bar as The Unforgiven by Metallica rang out yet again.
Dean looked at the all male clientele, most of them were keeping to themselves except one guy who was also on his own drinking a beer and watching him with interest, he was huge and Dean wondered if he would get a fight out of him.
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub the unforgiven
They dedicate their lives
To running all of his
He tries to please them all
This bitter man he is
Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
A tired man they see no longer cares
The old man then prepares
To die regretfully
That old man here is me
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
Dean had been in the bar all day and to say he was drunk would be a massive understatement but he didn't care. He had no idea where he was other than he was somewhere in Alaska, beyond that he couldn't care less as he tried in vain to drown his sorrows. He wasn't totally heartless and knew Sam would be tracking him so had called and asked for a time out. He knew it was a nasty trick knowing Sam couldn't follow but seeing his older brother lose it wouldn't do him any favours either. He felt sure that the kids would help out with their little brother and was aware of the fact that Hope's birthday was the following day but he desperately needed some breathing space.
He could feel the energy pound in his veins and drink was doing nothing to dull the sensation. There were only two ways he knew to alleviate the testosterone when it mounted to these levels and that was fighting or screwing. Dean was in no condition to seek out a hunt and although he had done his best to annoy the regulars they seemed understandably reluctant to take him on. That left one remaining outlet and the thought sickened him. The very idea of being with another woman was repulsive given the reason for his current misery but at the same time he saw no other option than having pointless and mindless sex with a stranger.
Knowing he would have to move to a bar containing more X chromosomes Dean laid out some notes and gestured at the bar tender. The weary guy wandered over with a sigh. "Yeah?"
"Where does a guy need to go to get laid in this town?"
"I don't think you're in any state to be with a chick right now dude."
"Why don't you let me and the female population be the judge of that?"
The tender reluctantly gave him the name of a place where he knew the staff and knew he would have to call ahead to warn them that trouble was on the way.
When Dean left the large guy at the end of the bar finished his beer and slipped quietly out of the back.
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"Well we can't take him with us." Hope argued with her brother who was pacing the room with baby Logan who hadn't stopped screaming since Dean had left.
"I'm not letting you go alone sis forget it." His eyelids drooped and his muscles bulged as he held the squalling baby at arms length and bounced him up and down in an effort to get him to calm down.
"We can't leave him with Sam and Brooke, it's not fair."
"So I have to play Mrs Doubtfire?" He asked angrily.
"Logan and Logan can't be in the same room together, it's just weird and I'm the only one who can go get Mom so we have no choice."
"What am I supposed to tell the others when they ask me why you've disappeared on your birthday?"
"Tell them Luc took me somewhere romantic."
"I hear purgatory's lovely this time of year." He said sarcastically.
"Don't be like this Cole it's hard on me too."
"I don't like not being there for you."
Hope couldn't believe that Dean had left and she had wanted to go and find him but Sam had told them to drop it knowing that he needed some time alone. Hope was now facing her eighteenth birthday, impending death and resurrection as a solo artist and she hated to admit that she was terrified. Pausing a second she looked at the brother she adored. "Luc will be with me, Dylan's done his bit with the spirit board and as soon as I'm back then we'll come get you. Don't worry." She added.
"Sure." He looked back at her and Logan stopped crying for a blissful minute as Cole leaned forwards and hugged her. "Love you."
Hope gave him a tight smile and nodded. "Yeah me too." She said with a cough before she left the house with Luc to go and meet Logan as pre-arranged.
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Back in his hotel in San Diego Luc stared at Logan with suspicion as he fastened the 'soul catcher' around Hope's neck. They had stolen it two days before from a museum which Luc was less than thrilled to find out about later on. The huge gemstone was said to come from an ancient Mayan culture and supposedly had the ability to play host to Bonnie's soul until they passed it to someone else.
Now as he watched Heather prepare the drugs and fill the bath with ice he wanted more than anything to carry Hope away from this madness and take her far away. He couldn't understand a family that were so willing to sacrifice themselves in order to spare themselves the pain of bereavement. Luc was sad about his girlfriend's mother but he had lost nearly everyone he had ever cared about and to him death was a mere fact of life. To watch Hope go through this was almost more than he could bear but if he thought he could stop her for a moment he would have tried.
"How do you feel?" Logan took her by the shoulders.
"I thought I would feel different when I got to eighteen but I feel just the same." She shrugged.
"You know what you're doing?"
She glanced at Luc. "Yeah…you put me under and I have five minutes, Ling helps me find Mom, I suck her into my lucky charm and you bring me back. Easy."
"You'll be fine."
"And you're sure Dad's ok?" She asked him.
"He's drunk and spoiling for a fight but I won't let anything happen to him." Logan smiled as he flexed his sore and bruised knuckles remembering punching his own father unconscious in the early hours.
She felt reassured that although Dean thought he had escaped, his youngest son had been keeping an eye on him since he had left home. Turning to Luc she brushed a hand over his angry looking forehead. "Cheer up."
He grabbed her fingers and squeezed them tight. "I want to kill you myself." He said hurt that she was so willing to give everything up, like he didn't matter at all in this decision.
Hope smiled. "Get in line I'll see you in five." She turned with a wink and went to the bed taking a seat as Logan squeezed the air bubbles out of the syringe.
"Lie down." He said gently as he urged her rigid body into a reclining position. He took a moment to look at her. "You're the baddest of all the Winchesters and I know you can do this."
Luc rolled his eyes angrily as the syringe went into her arm and Hope realized there was no going back. She looked apologetically at the brother she barely knew and held out a hand. "Luc, stay with me."
The gesture appeased the Frenchman more than anything could as it was possibly the most loving thing she had ever done in the whole time he had known her. He knew he would always come second to her family and hunting, but the fact that his was the hand she wanted to hold at that moment made him happier than he could imagine feeling under the circumstances. He sat down on the edge of the bed and everything was quiet as he kissed her and held her gaze before her eyelids closed making her seem like she was sleeping.
After a few seconds her back arched suddenly and he flinched. "What's happening?!"
"She's going into cardiac arrest." Logan replied coolly.
"Jesus…did she know this was going to happen?" He almost shouted as Hope convulsed in pain and her body lifted from the mattress.
"She knew."
Luc's hands went to her face and stayed there until she was finally still and her head fell to one side her unseeing eyes holding onto his horrified ones.
Logan checked the pulse in her neck and looked at the others. "She's gone." He bent down and scooped her off the bed carrying her limp body into the bathroom with Luc hot on his heels. Her brother had his shirt sleeves rolled up and he laid her down in the ice bath fully clothed. He attached a heart monitor to her chest and looked at his wife who was stood in the doorway with a stopwatch. The continuous beep of the machine was depressing and Luc felt like he was going to be sick as they all settled in for the longest five minutes of their lives.
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Dean groaned as he opened his eyes and coughed, he hadn't had a hangover in months and he felt awful. He moved his jaw and could tell someone had hit him, checking his knuckles Dean could see he'd got in a shot too. He couldn't remember much about the previous night but renting a motel room and fighting was a total blank. He looked around him for something familiar and saw the duffle from the trunk lying on the ground. He opened it and grabbed a bottle of whiskey as he sat on the bed and glugged at his hair of the dog.
After a few minutes of drinking he put on his boots and shades stepping out into the cold sunshine. The motel was the usual kind of dive he would stay in and he located the office with no problem. He saw a young dark haired girl at the desk and blinked as memories of his wife flooded back to him.
"Can I help you?" She asked in a strong Alaskan accent.
"Were you here when I checked in?"
"No, my Dad was."
Dean nodded and rubbed at his stubble.
"You don't remember do you?"
He had the good grace to be embarrassed. "Not much."
"He said you were wasted, didn't want to rent you the room but the guy you were with paid double for two nights."
Dean's mind immediately went to Sam but that was ridiculous. He looked back into the parking lot and saw the Impala sitting there and knew he wouldn't have been capable of driving. "Do you know what this guy looked like?"
"I don't think Dad would have mentioned it except…"
"What?"
"He was so big, said he saw Grizzlies that were smaller." She laughed at the thought.
Dean had a vague recollection of a huge man in a bar the night before and wondered if he was being stalked because he certainly hadn't been cruising for men in the place. "Did he stay long?" He asked in a worried tone touching his ass without thinking about it.
She shook her head. "Just a couple of minutes I think, he said you would probably ask that's why Dad told me."
"He leave a message?"
"Nope."
"Can I have a quick look?" Dean pointed at the registration book and she handed it to him. Looking down he spotted himself straight away; he had been checked in under the name of Kirk Hammett who was Metallica's lead guitarist. "Did he pay by card?"
"Yeah." She searched for the slip and looked at it. "Lars Ulrich, that mean anything to you?"
Dean's eyebrows shot up causing him more pain and he muttered a vague thanks in the girls direction before returning to his room. He had no idea who his mysterious benefactor was or if it was him that Dean had fought with. He considered moving on but decided if the guy came back he could handle himself.
Dean undressed quickly and ran a shower taking a second to remember it was his only daughter's birthday and the day that could change her life forever. He picked up his cell and pressed for Hope's number which went straight to voicemail. With a sigh he disconnected without leaving a message and dialled Cole's number.
"Dad." Cole sounded slightly surprised and flustered which was hardly surprising considering the noise that Logan was making in the background.
Dean ducked his head and felt even more of a loser. "Hey, I'm sorry for bailin'."
"Just come home Dad." He said quietly.
"Is your sister there?"
"No, she went out."
"Why's her phone switched off?"
"Why's yours?" His tone was accusatory.
"I deserve that…just wish her a happy birthday from me."
"Great, now you gonna tell me how to get Logan to stop screaming? It's been two days and as much as I love him I'm losin' it Dad."
Dean grimaced knowing when all the kids were little they had only calmed down for him. "Is he sick?"
"I took him to Chris and she says he's fine."
"Try a drop of whiskey in his milk and some Metallica."
"Are you joking?"
"He's a Winchester; it works for all of us except Sam." Dean's mind switched to his brother. "How is he?"
"Disco dancing…what d'ya think?"
"C'mon dude I know you hate me right now but gimme a break."
Cole sighed. "I'm sorry, you know what he's like…he thinks you're lying dead somewhere."
"I'm fine."
"You get wasted?"
"Yeah."
"Laid?"
Dean shrugged and looked in the mirror at his naked body putting a hand on his full balls then turned and checked his ass remembering the man. "God I hope not."
Cole laughed wondering which one of them was the Dad. "Well promise me you won't, it's not a good way to honour her memory by hooking up with a random bimbo."
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Hours seemed to have passed and the ice in the bath was melting as Luc gripped the edge of the sink with white knuckles and it threatened to come away from the wall.
"Wait." Logan stood up and Luc turned quickly to see that the gemstone which had been sapphire coloured was now red like a ruby and pulsating lightly. "She's got her, way to go Hope."
"Save the party 'til she can join in." Luc pushed him to one side and placed the heart monitor on her and picked them up as one before rushing back to the bedroom and placing her on the thick carpet. Tilting her head back he checked her airway and blew into her mouth.
"I can do compressions." Logan said.
Luc ignored him and started them himself. "And break every rib in her body?" He said as he tried to get her heart restarted.
"Power up the defibrillators just in case." Logan said to Heather who was already on it.
Luc was breathing into Hope's mouth again and willing everything that he had into her.
"Here." Logan had another syringe. "Dean's blood." He said as he put it into her arm and Luc continued to pump her chest.
"Where did you get Dean's blood from?" He shouted. "How long?!"
"Seven minutes twenty." Heather said.
"Last night when he was unconscious." Logan said at the same time.
"Putain!" Luc was starting to panic and knew he would never forgive himself if something happened. "C'mon…"
"Hang on…" Logan grabbed the heart monitor. "Listen." There was the tiniest of beeps coming from the small machine and Logan checked her pulse. "Is she breathing?"
Luc put his cheek to her mouth. "A little."
"Logan." Heather said stopping the watch. "Seven minutes forty two…that's exactly how long you knew your Mom for."
"Ok, let's get her to an ER." Logan said trying not to think about it as she was still unresponsive.
"Where?" Luc grabbed her in his arms again.
"Cedars Sinai in LA, I have a contact." He said. "Hold on tight."
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Bobby walked into the kitchen to see Cole half asleep with Logan sat on his lap sucking happily on a bottle. Cole looked exhausted and Bobby didn't blame him as he probably hadn't had a break in hours.
"You hangin' in there?"
Blood shot eyes stared through him. "He's the best contraceptive in the world." He sighed even as he played with his little brothers' bare toes.
Bobby laughed. "Coffee?"
"Yeah."
"You were just the same but not as bad as Hope. We used to call your Daddy the Baby Whisperer and if he left your Mom alone with the two of you she used to lose it, like she was a bad mother 'cos you missed him so much."
"How does he have that effect on us?"
"If you love Dean nothin's ever the same again but if you're a part of him then even if he's only gone for a few hours..."
"…it's like a vacuum?" Cole nodded and knew they were doing the right thing. "He told me to put whiskey in his milk."
"Did you?"
"I would have given him a hash brownie if I thought he might calm down."
"Whiskey's harmless you all had a spot every now and again."
"That explains a lot."
"I know it's tough." Bobby said putting two mugs down on the table before taking a seat. "But there's somethin' you have to understand about Dean."
"Yeah?"
"He was brought up like a soldier, he got no affection or love that I ever saw so he did everythin' he could to make his real Dad proud and…" He exhaled. "that meant bein' the best Marine he could be, he was never allowed to show emotion or heaven forbid cry so all of that was repressed. All his childhood was about protectin' Sam and followin' orders, he was more of a Dad to his brother than John ever was, it's what makes him so awesome now and it's why he won't allow you to see him weak."
"That sucks. He's different now though."
"A lot of that is because of your Mom, she was the first person who never wanted to change a thing about him and I swear he never had that in his whole life. I mean even me and your Uncle wanted him to change somethin' like; be more sensitive, don't drink so much, don't call me 'gimp'." He chuckled. "She was the coolest woman you can imagine, and for him to have someone who accepted him like that and let him raise you how he wanted was amazing. You know what her last words were?" Bobby coughed and sipped his coffee.
"No." Cole sat forwards.
"Last thing she ever said to him was 'don't ever change' now that's real love."
"Huh." Cole sat back. "Why can't he even talk to Sam though, they're so close?"
"He would do anythin' to protect him, even from this so rather than share it which ironically is what Sam needs he'll just disappear 'til he pulls himself together and turns up laughin' and jokin' like nothing happened."
"I hate thinking of him sat alone somewhere drunk and miserable."
"I wish I could tell you it was the first time kid but he's used to it. Don't worry Dean'll outlive us all."
Cole thought for a moment as he turned Logan and held him to his shoulder putting down the bottle. His phone vibrated on the kitchen table and he grabbed it like it was a life raft in an ocean. "Yeah?!"
Bobby watched him through narrowed eyes as Dylan appeared silently in the doorway.
"Thank God, that's great. See you soon." Cole sighed and shared a smile with Dylan who skipped happily from the room as he hung up on Luc.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing…my amps needed fixing, I'm gonna go pick them up in a little while."
"How old am I?" Bobby asked him.
"What?"
"D'ya think I was born yesterday? Son, I got a bullshit radar bigger than this house. What're Hope and that Frog up to?"
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Bonnie always used to tell Brooke that when Dean was down then all he generally needed was sex and a laugh which was something that the diminutive Italian had no problem with supplying.
Although Brooke wouldn't change Sam for anything she wished it were as easy for her to ease his troubles. Brooke had known like Bonnie from the beginning that the brother's came as a package and when one was gone the other became a half person. It was something most people would have a problem understanding but having spent so long with them she accepted that even she and the kids couldn't fill the Dean sized void in Sam.
There were times when Dean had been hurt or in danger and she had gone above and beyond the call of duty to help him because if anything happened to him she knew she would lose the husband she loved. It was almost like they were one person and only functioned at half capacity when apart.
She sat on the bed with Sam going through his range of motion exercises which was something he hated although he loved the massage at the end. He had tried to keep up with the physio in his brother's absence but his heart wasn't in it. Brooke didn't blame Dean for leaving, he would be doing more than enough of that himself but she still worried and tried to keep Sam going until he returned.
"It sounds like Logan's finally fallen asleep." She said. Although he had been screaming for a couple of days they never complained as it was nice to hear in the absence of noise from Lily.
"Cole'll make a good Dad one day." He agreed distractedly as she bent his right knee for him.
"Dean's fine."
"I know but I should be with him."
"It's you he's protecting, you know that."
"Sometimes I think he still treats me like a kid."
"He just needs time, don't take it personally. He knows you find it tough to watch him suffer but that's not your fault."
"When I feel like that I need him around but he can't get away fast enough when he's on the edge."
"'Cos you're the youngest, it's normal I think."
"Nothing about our relationship is normal."
"Says who?" She smiled. "I don't think there are any other family's like us in the world so who cares?"
He smiled back. "Is this ever what you imagined your life would be like?"
Brooke laughed. "Not in my wildest dreams but I wouldn't change it."
Sam realized he had never asked her. "What did you imagine it would be like?"
"Seriously?" She thought about it. "Even when my parents were alive I was pretty solitary being the only child. They were really quiet reserved people." She tried to imagine what they would think of her now. "I don't remember having dreams or ambitions."
"Really?"
"My life before the accident is a bit of a blank and after that I never really thought I would amount to much."
"What?"
"I don't mean it in a sad way but it was about getting through the day and seeing the next one, I didn't think too far ahead and certainly never about marriage and kids."
"That's awful."
"Not really, just an existence." She said with no remorse. "I think that's why I love Dean's way of life…I'll never really be alone."
"I thought you wanted the house and a normal life."
"Sweetheart if I was with you I would be happy living in a beach hut in Nicaragua."
Sam laughed and took her hand. "Nothing ever freaks you out."
Brooke took the invitation and moved on top of him. "There's a lot that freaks me out Sam, but we'll be together forever so I have no worries right?"
"Right." He looked up at her and knew that if he didn't have her then he would have fallen to pieces a long time ago. "I think it's making things harder on Dean seeing us together."
"I'm starting to see that but I just can't resist you sometimes Sam."
"You're crazy."
"Because I find you sexy, now who's being sad?"
"Maybe we should just tone it down when he's around."
Brooke kissed him slowly. "I agree, but for now should I put the scarf on the door?"
"Does this count as part of the workout?" He asked hopefully.
"Nice try."
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When Hope walked into the kitchen Cole took a second to hug her. "How d'ya feel?"
She shrugged. "Winded but happy." She lifted her tee shirt and he could see the bruises Luc had made on her ribs. "He's gone for a drink in the cellar." She shrugged.
Bobby suddenly moved towards her and she backed into the counter when she saw the look on his face. "You daft woman!" He said.
Hope looked at her brother for help. "What did I do?"
Bobby looked at the gemstone she was wearing. "Take a wild guess."
"You told him?" She shouted at Cole.
"Don't blame him." He took a deep breath. "I've seen some stupidity in my time and most of it comin' from Dean but not much compares to this." Bobby said.
"Huh?" Hope took a second to check the door was shut. "Grandpa, I love you and I know you're old and stuff but we had a problem and I just fixed it so save me the sermons because I've just had a gutful of God's work and I'm about done."
"You don't know what you're messing with Girlie."
Hope looked at him and suddenly found her strength as she changed her stance and went on the offensive. "Actually I think of all the people in this room I'm about the only one who knows exactly what I'm messing with 'cos I've been there and I brought back a little souvenir."
"Your arrogance is gonna get you killed."
"Only once today but I'm still here to tell the tale."
"Your mother would never allow this, neither would Dean."
There were few rules in the household but one of the main ones was that you respected Bobby and didn't talk back to him. Hope wasn't one for rules and she was willing to stand her ground.
"There's only one way to find out but as far as I can tell Dad's not here 'cos he went off to get laid and drunk in no particular order. As for my Mom, the last time I saw her she was screaming his name at the top of her Angelic little lungs. The pair of them are miserable and that means the rest of us are too so I'm bringing her back to where she belongs; by his side."
She met his gaze and held out her hands. "So far I think my arrogance has done pretty well today, and you're not gonna make me feel ashamed of who I am or what Dad made me; I'm just fulfilling my destiny."
Cole watched as she stared Bobby down and won. "What have you done?" Bobby asked dumbfounded.
"Nothing yet." She looked at her watch. "But it's barely Midday so gimme until at least two to really shake things up."
Bobby sat down heavily. "You're doin' it ain'tcha? You're really gonna bring her back."
"That's the plan." She smiled.
Cole held Logan to him and watched them both knowing he had to intervene. "Bobby, it was the only way. You don't know what we do."
"It ain't natural." He said leaning back.
Logan was asleep in Cole's arms as he sat down next to his grandfather. "You see this baby Grandpa?" Cole asked. "You have no idea of what he's capable of." He took a deep breath. "We're not asking for your permission here, but I want you to know that this kid is gonna change the world one day and we have to make sure that he gets the chance to do that."
"Dean will never accept this, not in a million years."
Hope cocked her head and shrugged. "Ok, it's not the easiest sell in the world but he's hit rock bottom and Mom's pretty persuasive so I reckon he can deal."
"My God." He couldn't think of anything else to say.
"I'd love to stay and blow out my candles and stuff but we have to go." Hope told him as Cole handed the sleeping baby to Bobby.
"Where are you goin' now?"
Hope laughed as she touched the medallion around her neck. "Probably best you don't know."
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Logan, Cole and Hope met on the same road where Cole had first come face to face with his little brother a couple of days before. Logan was already waiting for them when they drove up and they got out of the car to join him on the roadside. His hands were clasped in front of his expensively attired body and he was holding a brown folder smiling as usual when he saw them.
"You ok?" He hugged Hope briefly and paused to touch the gemstone around her neck.
"I'm fine." She shrugged.
"What's in the folder?" Cole asked not wanting to talk about his sister's adventures.
Logan held it up and went to the hood of the truck to put it down. "This is Lily's labor of love." He sighed and they could see the pride on his face at the mere mention of her name. "When I first came up with this plan and realized we would need a new body for Mom she started doing some hard ass research; this is incredible."
"What is?" Cole and Hope joined him.
"She's got a list of possible candidates for us to chose from."
"Like a pageant?" Hope frowned.
"Yeah." He smiled liking the sound of it. "When Bonnie's in the body the feelings, thoughts and memories will all be hers. But I don't really know Dean all that well so I figure you could tell me a little more about the type of woman he likes, ya know physically."
"He doesn't really have a type, when it comes to women it's open season." Hope said.
"Busty Asians." Cole said immediately.
Logan laughed loudly. "You can't be serious?"
Cole looked at them both with raised eyebrows. "Trust me."
"I don't want a busty Asian Mom!" Hope stared back.
"I'm just tellin' you what he likes." Cole raised his hands defensively.
Logan was still smiling, the more he found out about Dean the more he loved him. "I think we should make this a democratic process, go with the majority ruling, besides…I don't think there are any Asian women in here."
"Have you got photos?" Hope asked.
"Some do but it's a little more involved than that which is what makes Lily a genius. All the women in here are going to die today somewhere in the world, it has to be today 'cos corpses don't time travel well." He explained. "They have no families, are between the ages of thirty five and forty two and have no genetic abnormalities that would affect them or their children later on." He saw their looks. "You never know, Dad may want more kids some day."
"That's some amazing research." Cole sighed.
"Especially considering they need to have died in a way that causes no visible damage to their body. "
"Wow. So how do we choose?" Hope suddenly considered the responsibility of the task.
"I guess we have to find someone who we can be comfortable with but Dad will still think is hot."
"That's kinda gross." Hope looked like she had a bad taste in her mouth.
"No one too tall." Cole said suddenly. "He needs to feel like the Daddy and he loved the fact that Mom was tiny. "
"Yeah," Hope joined in knowing her mother better than Cole did. "She likes feeling dominated and protected so I agree."
"Really?" Logan frowned as he flipped through the sheets of paper. "I always wondered where I got my height from." He lifted out a couple of candidates. "Well there goes Clara and also Renske the Scandanavian pole vaulter." He glanced at the last. "Shame, she looked a lot like me. OK…anything else?"
"If we can't have an Asian, how exotic can we go?" Cole asked.
"Lily stuck with Caucasian's but Zoe here had a mother who was from Tahiti."
"Sounds good." Cole took the bio and saw the picture. "Dude, we're looking for a wife not a freakin' sparring partner." He shuddered and put it down with the other rejects. "Next!"
"Any Italians in there?" Hope asked.
"Nope but we have a lovely looking Cuban?" He picked up another bio. "Marie-Luz a professional dancer from Havana, thirty six and about to die of carbon monoxide poisoning."
Cole whistled and Hope glared at him. "She's not for you bro. Ewwww."
"She has a point Cole, try to be objective…she's gonna be your mother."
"This is just plain weird." He answered.
"But she's one possibility." Logan put her to one side. "That leaves two more; an American called Vanessa; five foot five one hundred and ten pounds."
"That's a bit thin." Cole frowned and had a look, there was no picture but he read quickly. "Dies of an overdose? I think we should rule out addicts."
Hope nodded. "Could be a genetic predisposition to addiction and Dad really doesn't need a junkie in his life right now."
"Fair enough." Logan added her to the others. "That leaves Hannah, an Englishwoman who's about to drive her Volvo into a lake."
"Why?" Cole asked before Hope could.
"She lost her husband and only child in a house fire and she's all alone." Logan put the picture down on the hood. "She's a brunette, five foot four, hundred and twenty five pounds and thirty seven years old."
"She's pretty." Hope said looking at a printed off newspaper clipping of her sitting with a little boy and a middle aged man. She had a nice smile and looked happy. "I think we have a winner."
Cole shook his head. "I'm voting for the hot Cubana."
Logan watched them both with interest. "Think like Dean guys, which one would he prefer?"
"Hot Latina." Cole waved the photo. "She's a dancer Hope, that means she's bendy."
"I don't know…I think there's something poetic about this woman wanting to die so she can be with her family and Mom wanting to live for the same reasons. I think they would want to swap places."
"She has a compelling argument man." Logan looked at his brother.
"Dad would love Marie-Luz; she's what he goes for."
"Who said you were the sensitive one?" Hope shook her head. "First time she steps out of the bathroom in a towel are you gonna be able to think of her as Mom?"
Cole frowned. "You're right." He looked just like Dean did when he lost something he really wanted; like a pouting child. "Let's go with the martyr."
"Don't be a sore loser." Logan said with a smile. "I like this one…so maybe I'll look like her adopted child but she's a little like Bonnie and a classic beauty...ageless."
"You're not into porn are you bro?"
"Not so much." Logan laughed.
"I have a feeling that's gonna change when your raised by Dad."
"So what now?" Hope asked ready to get down to business.
"Now we go get her and it's not gonna be easy because you're gonna have to go against all your instincts and watch someone die."
"At the bottom of a lake?" Cole said.
"You can swim right?" Logan said. "Now we have to get her out of the car as soon as she dies and then we're out of there."
"Before transferring Mom?" Hope was confused. "Why can't we just do it right away?"
"If you do that then you'll be stranded in the Lake District."
"Why?" Cole was confused.
"Because this Logan will cease to exist." Hope looked at her brothers. "As soon as we change his future he'll disappear."
"Right, so I have to get you to Dad's motel, then go get Heather and head home. I'll need ten minutes max."
"Then we bring Mom back." Cole caught on. "I can't believe we're doing this."
"Do you think she'll freak out?" Hope voiced her main concern out loud for the first time.
They all looked at one another and the uncomfortable silence lasted a full minute.
"I'm sorry guys but you'll be on your own to deal with that but we won't find out until we do this so are you ready?"
Cole looked slightly nervous and Hope tucked the gem inside her tee shirt to keep it safe. "Yeah." She said holding their hands as they all walked through the wormhole.
Cole was steadier on his feet this time and kept a tight hold of Hope as they all managed to walk through together. They looked around at the beautiful English countryside with the lake nestled between rolling hills dotted with woodland. Everything was lush and green, the birds were singing and everything was peaceful.
Cole frowned. "Where is she?"
Hope stepped forward and looked at the surface of the water seeing bubbles. She started to run. "Shit….we missed it."
Logan grabbed her arm. "We can't risk you losing the vessel, stay here. I must have overshot the timeline, damn! Cole?!" He shouted as they both sprinted for the waters' edge and dove in.
The brothers's had no problem locating the grey Volvo and swam down to it easily. They could see Hannah inside sitting peacefully as she waited for death to claim her. Cole began to pull at the door and Logan shook his head pointing upwards. They swam for the surface and trod water. "We're not here to save her dude, give it a couple of minutes."
"We can't just let her die."
"It's what she wants, she made her choice."
"This is so wrong." Cole shook his head.
"Stay here then." Logan took a deep breath and dove back under with a grace that belied his size. Cole grimaced, looked at his sister briefly on the shore and then followed him.
When he made it back to the car Logan was at the drivers' side and had his feet braced on the door as he got a firm hold of the handle. The pressure on the inside and out was equal and the door was stuck fast. It was obvious that the woman was dead and her body pressed against the seat belt as her hair floated about her head like a halo.
Cole watched as Logan closed his eyes and adjusted his grip on the handle as he suddenly pulled and the metal gave. Watching in shock he was amazed when the hinges tore free and the whole panel came away in Logan's hands which were the size of baseball mitts. Discarding the door he wrenched the belt free with no effort, grabbed Hannah's body and kicked once more for the surface.
Hope started to wade through the water to help as Logan carried his second dead woman of the day. He and Cole were both panting heavily but they knew there was no time to waste.
"We have to go." He passed the body to Cole who struggled to get a grip on the small wet woman he nodded finally and Logan took them back to Alaska.
"Where are we?" Cole asked as he placed the woman on a motel room bed and looked around.
"Nowheresville, Dean's in room twelve, when you have her cleaned up and lucid then…" He shrugged because none of them had thought this far ahead. "I…er…brought some things up here for you." He gestured at the bags. "I'm guessing she'll have to wear something of yours Hope, I didn't want her turning up in Bonnie's old clothes."
"Good thinking." Hope frowned knowing they were going to have to say goodbye and Logan shocked them both by getting tearful.
"It's been amazing to meet you guys and to be able to do this, but I won't remember a thing about it."
"We will." Hope nodded.
"The Logan you grow up with will be different to me."
"And not so well dressed." Cole grinned.
"Listen, there's something else I need to talk to you about."
"What is it?"
"Lily." He checked his watch and wiped the water from his face. "When she's two, the Doctor's are going to want to put an implant in her head, whatever you do don't let Sam and Brooke go through with it."
"Why?"
"She'll be in pain for years afterwards and it'll block any psychic abilities she has." He took a breath. " She was born a deaf mute, just accept it because she does. She's not like the rest of us and you'll realize that pretty quickly."
"What do you mean?" Cole asked.
"She's the most intelligent and sensitive person you'll ever meet but physically she's vulnerable. It took me a while to get into it but now it's up to you. In my world we don't hunt but in the new one we will which means that you have to make sure Dean raises me to protect that girl ok?"
"You have our word." Hope smiled.
Logan smiled. "Come here." He lifted Hope off the ground and hugged her tight. "You're amazing, thank you for everything you've done. Just…go easy on Luc."
"Who am I to deny my baby brother anything?"
He turned then to Cole and hugged him too. "Your soul mate's out there, and don't worry…you haven't got an evil bone in your body."
"Thanks."
He stepped back. "I better go get Heather; gimme two minutes then do your thing."
They both watched as he walked backwards through the portal and waved one last time before disappearing.
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How much are you dying to see Bonnie and Dean back together. She better have some tricks up her sleeve that's all I can say!
xxx
