Disclaimer:I'm not sure if I put this on the first chapter or not. But like everything else on I don't own this.
Chapter Two
"So you kept contact with them last year but not us?" Dean asked as soon as the younger two were gone.
"No. They called me kept me posted one where they were and what they were doing. I only returned their call the other day because Autumn didn't sound right. But I know why that was, now." John folded his arms over his chest and nestled down in the couch.
"Why?" Used to Dean wouldn't ask questions, he wouldn't open is mouth to get anything other than orders. But things had changed.
"I ordered the girls to stay away from you and Sam." he didn't need to look at his son. He knew Dean was confused and trying to mask it. "They were weak and vulnerable. I know how you are with girls and the last thing we needed was you to get involved with one of them."
"Weak and vulnerable, shouldn't we have been with them more so because of that? You put their lives at stake over worrying I wouldn't keep it zipped?" John looked at his son from the corner of his eye.
"Look at them, if you had an opening?" Dean made a face bouncing his head around. "Exactly. Autumn had just been put through a wall. It wasn't just physical weakness and vulnerability. It was everything."
"Dad." John grinned.
"How bad are your arms?"
"I'll survive."
"They aren't as bad as Autumn's are they?" Dean picked up on the hint of emotion in his father's voice.
"No, I was more covered and wasn't in there as long. She was in the nursery."
"Sam and Athena won't be back until tomorrow night at the earliest we have a place for the night?" Dean shook his head. "Good, then they can't kick us out."
"Who's Sage?" Dean asked settling in next to his father. He felt like he was ten again waiting on Sammy who had broken his arm.
"She's a healer. Back at one time she was a doctor, but she lost her license practicing medicine outside of an office. Athena puts a lot in her." John pushed himself up. "Want me to just start at the beginning?" Dean nodded, now it was just like when Sam broke his arm. "I dropped Autumn and Athena off with the Rainings. They have a place set up in Montana. They train hunters and have access to more information than any single hunter has ever dreamt of. It's sort of like a summer camp for beginners. I left the girls up there with Red Raining, he said he'd keep an eye on them and sharpen their edges. Athena and Red's son William took a real shine to each other. William convinced his father to let him take the girls on a few hunts. From what Red said Autumn just invited herself along. They were together about six, seven months when his dad called for him. Said to leave the girls with his sister. Red had been hunting a shadow shroud for a while. William got there in time to watch his father die. He picked up where his father left off. Wasn't two days before he called Athena and told her to come armed heavily. Autumn and Athena go to his motel room and he was on the bed the shadow shroud was on him. He ordered Athena to shoot him. The bullet pierced the shroud and then went through his chest. Put a hole in his heart. Autumn put him and her sister in the mustang and took them to Sage. Then the girls went back to continue the hunt. It took them a week to get back to Sage. William had regained enough strength that he was gone. That I know of neither ever talked to him again. But William is alive and well somewhere and that's enough for Athena to believe she can heal her sister."
"I guess." Dean stared at the clock. Twenty minutes since Sam left. He and John had nothing to talk about and he still wasn't happy with his father for blaming Sam for the demon getting away. A doctor walked up and saved him though.
"You two with Autumn Daemon?"
"Yes. Why? Is she okay?" Deans heart sunk.
"She's fine. I was just going to say, you don't have to sit in the waiting room, you can come back and sit with her if you like. There's a couple chairs back there for you."
"That'd be great." Dean said. The two men stood up and followed the doctor back to Autumn.
"You should talk to her, let her know you're here."
"Can she hear us?" John asked. The doctor hugged her clipboard and shrugged.
"There are studies that say she can." she sucked her bottom lip in and chewed at it for a moment. "Others say she can't. I believe she can."
"That's good enough for us. Thank you." John dismissed the woman. "What are we supposed to say to her?" Dean sat down in one of the chairs and watched his father pace. He couldn't bring himself to look Autumn full on. He should have gotten her out, never should have left her alone in that fire.
"Just talk Dad."
"How'd you kids meet up?" Dean relaxed enough to get his jaw moving. He jumped into meeting Athena in the bar. John interjected here and there with information on how they should have handled any given situation. On occasion Dean would pat Autumn's hand and ask her if he had the story right.
"You've done that?" Sam asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, it was fun." Athena laughed at Sam. It was the first time she'd actually laughed since the fire.
"How many people have been skydiving… that you know."
"Umm Autty was with me. We did that together." Athena took a quick glance from the road over at Sam who was staring at her. "What?"
"Nothing. I'm just … nothing."
"No, what?"
"Don't worry about it. So I thought you were afraid of heights."
"I was… and still am. But it was fun."
"Would you do it again?"
"Definitely. But I'd rather not think about that right now, Autumn's still on my mind."
"She shouldn't be, Teenie. She's going to be fine. Dean and I aren't going to let anything happen to either of you." Athena shook her head.
"She's in a coma, Sammy."
"Okay, we're not going to let anything happen to either of you while she's in the hospital, good enough?"
"Yeah. Hey Sammy?"
"What?"
"I never really told you this, but I love you."
"What?"
"Like a brother. Dean's like a big brother to me and you're kind of the same, only you're my age. I look up to you guys. Kind of like Autty, only I grew up with her and we're a lot closer. But you guys are like brothers to me. I love you both. But you can't tell Dean. He'd find a way to turn it on me later, I'm sure." Sam didn't say anything for a long time he just stared out the window and tried to process all this new information. "Sammy! Promise?"
"Yea, yea. I promise." he nodded.
"Thanks." Athena leaned forward and turned up the radio in hopes the voice would fill that hole in her.
"Panic at the disco?" Sam asked.
"What? You don't like it? I could put Led Zeplin on if you'd prefer that."
"No… please no."
"Why? Dean plays it?"
"All the time." Athena laughed at Sam and then began singing 'But It's Better If You Do'. Sam looked over at Athena and shook his head. She reminded him so much of his brother, radio turned up, singing, and beating the tune on the steering wheel.
It was about a half hour past dusk when she pulled off the highway onto a dirt drive. Way back off the road was an ivy covered shack. It couldn't have been larger than three rooms and had an out house in the side yard. Athena navigated the pot hole filled driveway and parked the car. She turned in her seat to face Sam.
"No matter what stay in the car until I signal you." she ordered.
"Why? What's going to happen?" he asked puzzled.
"She usually does a lot of yelling, threatening, and shoot her shot gun in the air unless you're bleeding or obviously dying." Athena said releasing her seat belt and climbing out of the car.
"How'd you meet her again?" Sam called after her. Without turning around Athena answered.
"Long story."
Usually she wouldn't even think about knocking on the woman's door but today was different. Autumn needed her possibly more than ever, and she wasn't going to let fear stop her. She raised the brass knocker and smacked against the door several times. She was rewarded with the sound of a gun being cocked and the door opening just a crack.
"Who is it?" the hermit woman inside demanded.
"Daemon." Athena replied. The gun came out first followed by a woman with black wiry hair and a large hooked nose, poised at the very time of which sat a disturbing wart where three little hairs grew. Sage pointed the gun right at Athena's chest.
"What is it girlie? I told you before I don't have your little boyfriend." she barked.
"Autumn was in a fire, caused by a demon. She needs you." Athena watched as Sage's razor sharp yellow-green eyes softened.
"Get the boy out of your little pimpmobile and get in here. I'll have to hear the whole story if I'm going to help you." she swung the gun around and went back inside. Athena motioned for Sam to get out of the car and walked inside.
"Sit." Sage demanded. Athena did as she was told. "Now tell me what went wrong this time."
"We were at Thanksgiving dinner, everything was fine besides how many times Dean hit Billy-Jack and how many times Betty got pissed at him and everyone else. And then one time Betty got tremendously pissed and threw us out. So we're driving along and about three hours later Dean and Sam pull over because Sam had a vision that the demon was coming after Nick." About this time Sam walked in.
"Who's Nick?" Sage asked.
"It's Martha and Billy's six month old baby… or was." Sage nodded.
"Okay, go on."
"We drove all the way back to Martha's house and by the time we got there it was too late. Autumn was in the nursery so she got burned really bad. Martha and Nick are dead now and Autumn's in coma. That's why I came here. I need your help." Sage closed her eyes and a hairless cat jumped up in her lap.
"Don't stand there boy sit." she instructed Sam stroking the cat. "Is the coma caused by the burns?"
"Not directly." Athena answered.
"Meaning…"
"Meaning they put her in a chemically induced coma to serve as an escape from the pain and Autumn turned out to be allergic to it. The reaction to the medication on top of everything over whelmed her system and collapsed her lungs."
"So she's dead. Why are you here if your sister is dead?"
"She's not dead."
"You just told me her lungs collapsed."
"Yes, but she's not dead."
"How is she not dead?"
"Well, ma'am. Autumn was technically dead for two minutes, but she came back." Sam interrupted.
"Oh I see. Why couldn't you of just told me that, Athena?" Sage asked.
"I was trying to but you kept asking me questions." She answered.
"Hey." Sage pointed a finger at Athena. "Don't get smart with me, girly. I won't come to… which hospital is she at again?"
"Jewish Hospital in Cincinnati Ohio."
"Your sister's Jewish? Huh… I never knew." Athena shook her head. "How severe are her burns?"
"A lot of third degree where the skin was showing where it wasn't they're not as bad." Athena answered.
"You said this was a demon fire? How strong a demon?" Sam actually laughed earning himself a glare from both women. "This is not a joke boy. If you think this is funny I'll set a demon fire on your ass."
"Sorry." Sam said hanging his head.
"It was the demon that killed Mary. And Jessica, Sam's girlfriend. It's extremely strong."
"Guess it's not your girlfriend no more is it, boy?" Sage laughed, but no one else found it funny in the slightest.
"Can you help us or not?" Athena asked. Sage nodded.
"Even if I couldn't I'd come and try. Autumn hasn't forgotten me yet." Sage said standing up and going into a Hoosier cabinet. "Athena you know where the bed is go. You two need to rest you look like shit. I'll pack my things and wake you when I'm done." Athena started to protest but the woman just pointed. "Go now little missy."
"Is she always like that?" Sam asked following Athena into the only other room in the house/shack.
"Pretty much. But she's good at what she does. Sort of like your father." Sam cocked his brow.
"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Athena shrugged.
"Whatever." she laid down in the bed after shoving a pile of clothes off. "We actually have to sleep though or she'll kill us." Sam sighed then awkwardly crawled into the bed next to Athena.