SUPERNATURAL

THE PARCAEX RITUAL

Chapter Ten

Bella stirred and sat up in her bed. Sam and Dean heard the movement and instantly stopped for a second, watching Bella open her eyes and adjust to the surroundings.

"Where am I?" Bella asked, looking around.

"Horner's Hilltop Motel, New Hampshire," Dean answered, walking over to her and crouching down, "And it's good to see you too."

"What? Who are you?"

Dean looked shocked, and turned to Sam, who shrugged and stood up.

"You don't remember us?" Sam asked, and Bella shook her head, "Well, what do you remember?"

"Its all very blurred," she clenched her eyes as if looking into the past, "I remember…I see a man, a black man, he's… he's asking me for something."

"What was this mans name?" Sam insisted.

She strained her mind, "He told me, but I can't remember."

"What did he ask you?"

"He wanted to know where somebody was."

"Did he say who?"

"Yes, but its still a little foggy," She looked almost in pain as she attempted to remember, "Somebody called Woolchester, or something like that."

Dean and Sam glanced at each other, both thinking the same thing. "Was his name Gordon?" Dean asked.

"Yes," she looked up, "Yes it is, I remember now. So who were you again? And how did I get here?"

"I'm Dean and this is my brother, Sam. Gosh it is so weird to be introducing myself to somebody we've known for such a long time. You were kidnapped by a bunch of guys and they knocked you out. I'm guessing that they triggered something which has caused this memory loss."

"Memory loss?"

"Well, if you don't remember us, then yeah, I'd say you were suffering from Amnesia of some kind. Sam, could I speak to you outside for a second?"

"Wait," Bella started, "Something else is coming back. I remember a dark place, some kind of box. I was trapped. Was this where they had hidden me?"

"Yeah, sure," Dean smirked, "But give us a few moments, please."

She nodded and Dean beckoned Sam outside, making sure that they were well out of earshot.

"I think she's telling the truth, Dean. She really doesn't remember anything."

"But why doesn't she remember us? If Gordon went to her looking for us, then surely that was after we had met!"

"I don't know, Dean. This kind of thing can happen, and maybe it's not just short-term."

"So what? She tried so hard to get herself out of that coffin that she bumped her head?"

"No, I don't think so, she doesn't seem to have any bruising. My best guess is that she was so terrified being stuck inside that coffin and the emotional Trauma caused her brain to go into shock. It just escalates from there."

"She can't remember anything about us at all?"

"No, I don't think so, but isn't that a good thing?"

"How is Bella suffering from emotional trauma a good thing?" Dean asked, looking sincere.

"Well, we could take her to a hospital?" Sam suggested.

"Sam, in case you've forgotten, Bella and I are both dead, and you're wanted by the US Government."

"Okay, okay, what are we supposed to do then?"

"Well, I say we find somebody that knows her and pass her off into their care, that way we're not slowed down as we hit the road."

"But Dean, who would she know? I doubt she's got anybody, it's like she isolated herself from the whole world after she had her parents killed."

"Okay, well, we'll ask her, okay? If not, then we can take her on the road as we visit Bobby's pal and somewhere along the line we'll dump her and leave her."

"Dean!"

"All right, all right, we'll find a way then."

The two of them re-entered the motel room to see Bella sitting and staring at her reflection in a dark television screen.

She looked up at the two of them as they approached, and it seemed that now she'd gotten a rough idea of where she was, she had become more calm and confident.

"Bella," Dean began, "Have you got any family or friends that can take you in?"

"Not that I know of," Bella answered, "I usually go out on my own, after my parents death." She turned away, a small tear in her eye.

"Bella, how did your parents die?" Sam asked her, and she turned to him.
"Why?" She asked suspiciously, "What do you know?"

Dean stepped forward, knowing that she remembered this detail, "We know what you did." He said simply.

"What?" she questioned, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You made a deal. You were given ten years to live, just so this demon would kill your parents for you."

Bella was almost in tears, "How do you know all this?"

"Because you told me," Dean said, "And I watched your parents car slide off the road, and it was no accident."

"How did you see it? There were no other cars around and it was twenty miles from the nearest town."

"You and I both watched it happen, Abbey. No more than a day ago."

"Okay," she said, standing, "Now I know you're both crazy. My parents died fourteen years ago, and I was no where near there at the time. And how the hell did you know my real name was Abbey?"

"There are many things we know that you would be surprised about," Dean answered, "Now sit down, there are some things that you've missed, and we should probably fill in the blanks before you go out on your own, let us help you."

"Help? Help with what? I've got less than three weeks before my time runs out, and I've got to find this bitch and kill her before she kills me."

"Its too late," Dean said, "Because your time was up over a month ago now."

"What do you mean?"

"You stole from us a valuable weapon and tried to deal with Lilith for your soul. Only it didn't work, Lilith took the colt and told you that you would also have to kill Sammy here to stay alive."

She sat back down again, "It's coming back to me," she began, "I remember it now."

Sam and Dean looked at each other, "Bella, how did you find Lilith?" Sam asked.

She sighed, "I didn't, Lilith found me."

"Why would she come to you?" Dean asked.

"Because somehow she knew what I wanted. She came to me in a dream and told me to meet her at this bar when I woke up. I thought I was nuts but I went, and She then told me to track down Sam Winchester and kill him, and only then would she free my soul. But I don't understand! Why didn't I die? Did you kill her?"

"No, you did die." Dean started, "You were in hell for a few weeks before you came and found me after my deal was done."

"I was in hell?"

"Yes, and there were these visions that we were thrown into, of something either in the past, present, future or something that hadn't even happened, just designed to screw with your head."

"And you saw my parents death?"

"We did," he answered, and Sam was as shocked as Bella to hear this, as Dean hadn't told him much of hell at all, "Its true, we watched your parents car drive down the road towards us, and when a dark smoke entered the top of the car, it spun off the road and crashed."

"Oh my god," she said, holding her hand to her mouth, "I would have hated to see that."

"Well," Dean continued, "It wasn't long after that, we were walking along that same road when Sammy here used some old ritual to bring the two of us back, but you were trapped inside a coffin. That was the dark box you remember."

She sat in silence, her eyes wide with shock. Sam and Dean didn't blame her; she had just found out that she'd spent a three-week holiday in hell.

Dean broke the silence, "Are you able to go off on your own again? Or would you like to travel with us for a day or two until you're ready."

"Well, if it's no trouble, could I stay with you guys until tomorrow? I'm just still adjusting to the whole fact that I escaped from hell, and I no longer have to worry about dying. But that bitch who put me there is still going to pay."

"All right," Dean said slowly, "Well, Sammy and I are going into town later to visit a friend, are you okay to stay here on your own?"

She nodded and stretched her legs out, "I think I'll go for a walk, I feel really weak and I have to keep my blood pumping."

Sam and Dean hit the road in the Impala; though they left the Motel closed and Dean had painted Ansazi symbols on the door.

"What's Bella going to do while she waits for us to get back?" Sam asked, "I mean, we just locked her out of the motel room. And did we really need to leave the knife? We could have used it!"

"Sam, It's not safe to be carrying it about with Demons looking for it everywhere. I mean, we don't even know whether we can trust this Cotalus guy. By the way, how far is it to the nearest town?"

"Did Bobby even tell you where this guy lives?"

"No, all he said was that his friend lived in the area."

"Then how the hell are we meant to find him?"

"We'll just drive until we find something."

"Oh, great," Sam sat back and pulled a lever so that the seat slowly retracted down until he was lying flat.

"Well, get comfortable down there, why don't you, Sammy."

"Dean, we don't know how long we'll be driving for, so I figured I'd rest for a bit."

"Whatever, man."

They had been driving for no more than fifteen minutes when Dean slowed down and gestured to Sam to look out the window.

He looked upon a large sign sitting to the side of a dirt road, "Cotalus car repairs?"

"And that pentagram engraved above the name? I think we've found our man."

Without another word, they drove into the driveway and up to a small house with a large shed attached to the side. They could hear a loud noise from inside and Dean stopped the car.

The two of them got out and walked into the shed to see a large man standing at the edge of the shed with his backs to them, working a loud cold-saw on a large piece of metal.

He clicked a button and switched off the machine, "Well, well, well," Cotalus said, turning around to face them, "Sam and Dean Winchester, what an honour."

Dean laughed, "Honour? Come on, we're just a few regular hunters like yourself."

"Me? A hunter? Nah, not for a few years now, but I still keep in touch with others. I just forge weapons and such for the hunters who swing by every now and again.

"And as for regular? Guys, you don't know how famous you two are amongst other hunters. Some of the stories we've heard about you, wow. A few years back there were literally hundreds of hunters like your father after that Azazel fellow, but he was just too difficult to track. But then you boys came along out of nowhere and within a few months you'd figured out a way to kill the bastard."

Dean looked pretty happy with himself, "Well, we learned from the best, didn't we."

"Yes, I knew your father quite well, he used to come to me when he needed a specific type of weapon. Not long before he died he came to me asking for a certain gun. He said it was old, and it would have had an inscription on the side in Latin. I forget what it said but I told him that I've never heard of such a weapon, and he left.

"You boys probably don't know this, but your father and I worked a few jobs together not five years back. A very skilled hunter he was, never making a mistake. He was very clean with his work."

"But our father liked to work alone, he always has. Why did he let you work with him?"

"Because he had no idea what these creatures were and had no experience with them at all. I'd been hunting for twice as long as he and had seen much more, so I knew how to handle them."

"Was that all?"

"Yeah, But anyway," he said, "Lets talk about why you're here. Bobby said that you wanted me to hook you up with a few weapons, is that right?"

"That would be great," Dean replied, "What will it cost us?"

"Cost you? Boys I ain't gonna be charging you! I forge these weapons to help people, not to take away their money. Plus you're not the only ones who know how to run a credit-card scam. I have all the money I want and I don't need any more from you, thanks boys!"

"Thankyou," Sam started, "So what've you got for us?"

"Oh, you're going to love these I can assure you."

He took them around to the back of the shed and into one of the rooms extended off it. It was huge. And what was more, it was packed full of weapons of all sorts.

"Over here boys," Cotalus beckoned them, "I've arranged a small stash of knives and guns for your possession."

Into a corner on a table there sat a large range of brilliant and sophisticated looking weapons, much more than Dean had expected. He was completely ecstatic at them and was caught speechless. He just stood there with his mouth agape, staring at the table in front of him.

"Wow Dean," Sam started, "I never knew you'd be so emotional about a few knives."

"Cotalus!" Dean exclaimed, "These weapons are awesome! You made these?"

"Sure did, my good friend, and their all yours as long as you don't start hugging and crying on my shoulder in thankyou."

"No problem. Well, Sammy," he said, "I think we've put this off for long enough! Let's go find ourselves a hunt."

Sam laughed, "Sure, Dean."

They loaded the weapons into a few duffel bags and carried them out of the shed and emptied them into the back of the Impala.

"Now she's got a few toys to keep her company now," Dean laughed, "And you thought that he wasn't trustworthy."

"Dean," Sam scowled, "That was you."

"What?" he asked, "What are you talking about? I recall the conversation clearly, as well as a lot of wining from you about not wanting to bring the knife."

"Yeah, whatever Dean."

Dean turned to Cotalus, nodding in salute, "Thanks again, I'll be sure to swing by should I ever be in the area."

Cotalus laughed, "Yeah I really doubt that, your father said the same thing, and I never heard from him again."

"Yeah, he does that," Sam smiled, "See you."

"Bye," he waved, and as they reversed out, he re-entered the shed to continue his work.

When Sam and Dean arrived back at the motel, they instantly knew something was wrong. "Oh hell no!" Dean exclaimed as they ran up the staircase to find that the front window to their motel had been broken into.

Sam pulled out the key and opened the door, and instantly Dean ran over to where he'd hidden the knife, "Damn it!" he yelled, kicking the side of his bed.

"Did they take it?" Sam asked, as he walked over into their kitchen.

"Yes!" Dean looked furious, "I could punch myself! By the way, where's Bella?"

"Dean?" Sam asked, "You should probably come and take a look at this."

He walked over to where Sam was standing and looked upon a note written roughly on the refrigerator. It was just a single message that read 'Cheers, and thanks for your help.'

"I thought you said we could trust her?" Sam walked off and sat down on his bed.

"Well, she was much different back in hell! I could have sworn that she'd changed!"

"Oh, you're joking!" Sam exclaimed.

"What? I really thought she had!"

"No, not that. Dean, not only has she taken the knife, but out whole supply of salt and holy water."

"Oh well, we didn't have much of that anyway, and salt isn't exactly the rarest substance to find."

"Hang on, how did she get away without any money or a car?" Sam questioned.

"Well, knowing her she probably stole one of the cars parked at this motel, Sam. And we were gone more than forty minutes so who knows where she is now."

"So, she was pretending to have amnesia?"

"Well, she's always been a good actor now, hasn't she? Not to mention having a lot of experience conning people too."

"Dean," Sam laughed, "Its almost funny that Bella seems to steal the most valuable and most powerful possessions we have, right at the time when we need them most."

"Yeah, she's a bitch like that."

"What I don't get is why she took it this time. I mean, what uses would she have for it?"

Dean thought about this for a minute, "Well, she did say that she wanted vengeance on Lilith, unless…"

"Unless what?"

"Unless she was working for those Demons. She has been with them for a good five or six hours, so what if they had planned the whole thing? What if she's handing one of the most powerful weapons of all time over to a Demon."

"Why would she do something like that?"

"Well," Dean began, "If something gave her the right offer, I doubt she would refuse. She's pretty greedy."

"Well, we're going to have to stop her."

"But how? We don't have any idea where she is!"

Sam sighed, "Well I don't think there's much point just sitting around here and hoping the knife will just come back of its own accord, so I say we get a move on."

"Good idea, Sammy," Dean nodded, "Lets hit the road."