Okay, shall we say it together? 'Chrislover, you SUCK!' I'm seriously sorry, my beautfiful people! I had graduation and a very stressful and poorly coordinated job and no home computer...
But my yucky job has gotten me something I've wanted and needed since the ripe old age of 10: a laptop.
LET THE WRITER'S BLOCK DISSOLVE!
...
Aw crap...still there.
Oh well! I'll do my best mis minions! Enjoy the update and please review! PLEASE? ENCOURAGEMENT DOES WONDERS!
Addie blinked and looked around. If the attic hadn't been full of people seconds before, the change would have been unnoticeable. It was still nighttime outside.
Addie pulled out her cellphone and checked the date. May 16. She'd gone back exactly one day, which didn't give her a whole lot of time.
She orbed downstairs, grabbed her jacket, and scribbled a quick note to the sisters, explaining where she'd be. Then she sensed for Dean, and orbed to him.
"What the hell!?" Dean yelled, turning around in his seat to look at her.
Addie had accidentally orbed into the backseat of the Impala. "Oops. Didn't mean to land in your car."
Dean looked at her like she was nuts. "Get out!"
Addie rolled her eyes and got out. Dean climbed out too, and pointed a handgun at her face.
Addie sighed. "Oh, here we go. What is with all the guns? Compensating for something?"
"Okay, who the hell are you and how'd you get in my car?"
"You really should learn to calm down." She noticed the diner behind him. "You guys eat at places like this often? Wait." She looked around. "Where's Sam?"
That's when the streetlights started to flicker, and the music pouring from the open drivers' side door faded to static.
Addie looked up at the lights. Dean looked into the car. Then they both looked at each other.
"What the...?" asked Addie.
Dean looked back at the diner, and, seeing no movement, ran to the front door. "Sam!" Addie took off after him.
"Sam!" Addie called, entering behind Dean. "Oh my God."
She pushed past Dean to a man slumped over in one of the booths. His blood was everywhere, but she tried to heal him anyway.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Addie slowly closed the man's eyes and pulled back. "Nothing," she said, disturbed at the bloodshed.
Dean went and peered over the counter. Addie did so too, but cringed and stepped back.
"Dean," Addie demanded, grabbing his arm. "Where is he?"
He shrugged her off. "I don't know! He should be in here. I don't know whether to be worried or relieved that he's not. Sam!" He moved to the back door, which pushed open easily. On the sill of the window in the door, though...something yellow...
"What is that?" Addie asked quietly.
Dean looked at her. Then he looked out into the darkness. "Sulfur."
--
"Are you sure you haven't heard anything, Ellen?"
"No, sweetie, I'm sorry. But I'll keep a lookout for any news."
"All right. Thanks."
"No problem." Ellen paused. "Hey, Dean?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful. Ash thinks something big is going down. And I don't think it's just a feeling."
"He doesn't know anything, does he?"
"No, I asked him. He says he has a hunch, but he needs to do a little figuring to be sure of anything."
"Tell him to call me if something comes up."
"I will. Good luck finding Sam."
"Thanks, Ellen." Dean hung up his phone and slipped it back in his pocket. He turned around to see Addie swinging a crystal on a string over a map on the Impala's hood. He walked over to her. "Okay, seriously, what the hell...?"
Addie sighed but didn't look up. "You say hell too much. Try looking up, not down."
"Right. 'Cause you're an angel. You'd know."
She huffed and slammed her hand onto the car. "Look, I'm trying to help you find Sam, aren't I? So why don't you cut the sarcasm and pray that we get to him in time."
Dean scoffed. "Yeah, 'cause you're from the future, you know all about time. Come on, if you were me, how would that sound to you?"
"Okay, I get it. And I get that you're freaking out right now. But could you maybe cut me a little slack? I'm freaked too. This is completely messed up. I was supposed to have enough time to make sure he didn't disappear at all. And this demon has got to be really powerful if it can block me from sensing Sam. So if you want to fix this, we're gonna have to work together, which means you easing up a little."
Dean relented. "Okay, fine, you're right. So, what are you doing?"
Addie lifted the crystal and began swinging it again. "It's called scrying. It's supposed to find people, anybody, anywhere. I'm having some problems, though. Do you have anything of Sam's I can use? It'll make it more powerful."
Dean looked through his pockets and pulled out his wallet. "I have a picture."
"That'll work." He handed it to her. She put it in her hand and continued swinging. They were quiet for a moment. "I can feel it pulling, but it just can't pinpoint anything." She dropped the crystal and sighed, looking down at the picture. "Where'd you get this?"
"From Sam. Said I needed a picture just in case he ever went missing again, like the first friggin' time. Why?"
"I took it." She tucked her hair behind her ear and Dean could see the disbelieving look on her face. "We were sitting on a bench in the quad at school."
Dean watched her for a moment longer. "Okay, what am I missing here?"
"What?" She looked up. "Nothing."
"Yeah. Okay."
"I already explained it to you the first time we met, and I don't feel like doing so again. Deal with it."
"All right, all right. How about this: I'll make random guesses and you say hot or cold."
"Oh jeez, you are such a child." He gave her a 'just do it' look. "Fine. Shoot." She started scrying again.
"You went to school together...and you dated."
"God, no. I mean, cold."
"You had a huge fight and never worked it out."
"...Warm..."
"You pissed him off."
She looked at him icily. "Siberia."
"Okay...he pissed you off?"
"Much warmer."
"He said something."
"Colder."
"He did something."
"Warmer..."
"He ratted you out."
"Colder."
"He broke something."
Addie thought about it. "You mean something material?"
"...Yeah..."
"Cold."
Dean stared at her, and suddenly it clicked. "He didn't piss you off. He hurt you."
"Congratulations, you've reached the surface of the sun." She gave an exasperated sigh and dropped the crystal. "This isn't working." She turned around and leaned back against the car. Dean, still watching her, did the same.
She looked at him. He looked back. "What?" she snapped.
"We're talking about Sam Winchester here, right? Mr. Nice Guy?"
"Yeah, Sam, your asshole brother."
"Care to tell me why he's an asshole?"
"Not particularly." They were coming again, the memories, and the sinking feeling in her gut. Dean was dangerously close to an already sore subject, and he wasn't making it any better.
"All right, fine. How about telling me what's gonna happen to him? I mean, I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but even I can tell there's something coming that you aren't saying."
Crap, Addie thought. "You're right. What else can I say? You're right. But I'm not going to tell you. You're freaked enough already." She rolled up the map and went around the car and opened the passenger door. Dean followed her and slammed it shut.
"Look, I don't know how you fit in with Sam, but he's my brother. If anything is gonna happen to him, I have a right to know, and you have a responsibility to tell me, so start talking."
Addie looked away angrily, and then back at him. "You really wanna know?" Dean nodded. "He's gonna die. Unless I get to him in time, someone's gonna kill him." She opened the door again, about to get in, but then she stopped.
"Dean," she said quietly, not looking at him. "It's fine. We'll save him. We just need some help. I know some people who can help us-"
"No," said Dean, cutting her off. They looked at each other. "We tried it your way. Now, we're gonna try it mine." Dean strode to the other side off the car and got in, shutting the door just a little too hard.
--
"So this Bobby guy, he knows his stuff?"
"He knows more than I do." Take that for what it's worth, 'cause right now I don't know shit.
They drove in silence for a few minutes.
"You know, that offer to orb us there still stands."
"Yeah, sure," he scoffed. "Look, if it's all right with you, I'd rather travel magic-free. I barely trust you, much less your freaky powers. Besides, I don't go anywhere without my car, so unless you can 'orb' a two-ton classic..."
"Okay, just putting it out there."
The silence returned, Dean staring intently at the road and Addie watching the passing landscape out the passenger window. Addie ran a hand through her hair and shifted in her seat.
Dean, uncomfortable with silence, turned on his favorite station. 'Kashmir' by Zeppelin was playing, which felt more than a little inappropriate; it made it sound too much like they were going into battle. He started to play the tape currently in the player. AC/DC's 'TNT' immediately boomed out. He turned down the volume and fast forwarded to 'Back in Black.'
Addie cleared her throat. "Really into the classics, huh? Wow."
Dean looked at her. Then he looked away. Then he looked back at her. "Wow? What's that supposed to mean?"
"Wh-Nothing. I didn't mean anything."
"No, really. You have something you wanna share?"
"It's just...I mean, leather jacket, black Impala, classic rock. You're like..."
"Like...what?"
"Just...uh...well, I mean all that's missing is a guitar, don't you think? You're like, one of those guys."
"One of what guys?"
Addie stared at him, surprised at how he was reacting. "Just forget it. It's not a big deal, there's no need to freak out."
"Then maybe next time you should keep your opinion to yourself."
"Maybe next time you shouldn't ask my opinion unless you're sure you want to hear it."
"Fine."
"Fine." My God, we sound like an old married couple.
They resumed their silent trip, Addie looking angrily out her window and Dean looking angrily out the windshield. Not once did either stop thinking about the other.
Or about Sam.
--
Addie woke up to Dean rapping loudly on her window.
She rubbed her eyes and glared at him. "What?" she snapped.
"Oh nothing. Except we're here."
Addie opened the door and got out of the car. "Well you don't need to be so rude about it."
Dean ignored this. "Hurry up. Bobby'll be starting breakfast."
Addie was somehow unsurprised at the unabashed disarray of Bobby's house. She was not, however, quite expecting the scruffy man in the trucker hat she saw cooking pancakes in the cluttered kitchen.
"Hey Dean," Bobby said, not looking up. "Thought you might be stoppin' by." He paused to check if the pancake was ready to be flipped. "Who's your friend?"
"Addie Lawrence." She gave a little wave.
"How'd you know…" Dean started.
"Ellen gave me a call last night. Told me you lost Sam."
"I didn't lose Sam," Dean said defensively. Bobby gave him a disbelieving look. Dean looked at Addie for support, but she crossed her arms. "Seriously??"
"Like you said, Dean: Sam's your brother. That makes him your responsibility."
"Yeah, and what about you? I thought it was your 'mission' to save him."
"Excuse me if time travel isn't an exact science yet." Her voice was a bit louder than his was.
"Oh, well excuse me for letting my 23 year-old brother go into a crappy roadside diner by himself! WHAT could I have possibly been thinking?"
"Thinking? I'm beginning to wonder if you were dropped on your head as a child!"
"Oh, that's real nice coming from the chick who apparently can't cast a spell to save her OWN life, much less her supposed 'best friend's!'"
That was it for Addie. She felt the rage growing in the pit of her stomach, felt it boiling. She turned away from Dean and Bobby, trying to control the pain and anger that was taking over. Fear joined them, as she realized what was happening.
She fought it down, thinking over and over that she was not her mother. She was stronger. She had to believe that.
"Addie?"
Dean's voice barely registered as she fought for control. But finally, she couldn't stand it anymore.
Bobby and Dean could only stare in awe as Bobby's kitchen table went flying harmlessly but forcefully into the wall opposite them.
Addie opened her eyes and relaxed her shoulders.
"Dean."
Dean could barely find his voice. "Yeah?"
"Don't piss me off right now."
"Dually noted," Bobby answered for him, his eyes still wide.
Addie took a deep breath and faced Bobby. "Sorry about your table."
"Uh, no problem." He reluctantly turned back to his pancake.
Addie grabbed a chair and sat at it, wishing the table was still there so she could put her head down and relax.
Dean pulled up next to her and sat down backwards. "Hey. Um, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have said that."
"It's okay. We were both out of line." She sighed and clenched her shaking hands into fists. "I just have issues with my anger, and if I don't hold back, a whole lot more could get damaged than a table."
"Damn it!" Bobby set the pan down. "Darn stove is broken."
Addie felt some anxiety rising up, but she pushed the feeling away. "I can help." She stood up and walked to Bobby. "Hold out the pan." He did so and she put her hand under it. "This might freak you out a little." Flames appeared in her hand, Bobby yelled, and the pan was suddenly suspended over her hand. "Guess I should've warned you not to let go." Addie took hold of the handle. "This shouldn't take long." She looked at Bobby's pale face and grimaced. "You should sit down." Bobby backed away from her slowly and made his way to the empty chair by Dean.
"Boy, what the hell did you bring into my house?" asked Bobby quietly.
"It's okay Bobby, it's cool. She's on our side."
"She better be, if she can make fire in her hand and send tables flying. We don't want anybody like that on the wrong side."
"Yeah, believe me, I know."
Not much later, the three of them sat in the dining room eating pancakes. Addie looked at the pile of random books and papers they'd pushed back for room with an amused expression on her face.
As Bobby ate his pancakes, he kept shooting glances at her, as if she were about to explode and kill them all.
She noticed and after a moment said, "I'm not gonna fry you, dude. No worries. Really." Addie gave him her best innocent look, and he choked on a bite of food.
Dean slapped him on the back and gave Addie a little smile. She returned it, and took another bite.
"So," said Bobby, clearing his throat, "I don't suppose you two have any idea how the hell you're gonna get Sam back."
"Well I have ideas, but Dean wanted to see what you could come up with. And what I mean by that is he doesn't trust me or my magic yet, and apparently has issues with situations where he's not in complete control. I think it probably makes him feel weak." Addie took another bite and chewed slowly, unabashed at her remark.
Bobby looked at Dean, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. Dean stared at Addie, shocked and pissed.
"Well. You got some serious balls." Dean grabbed his plate and stomped to the kitchen.
Bobby leaned in toward Addie. "Any particular reason you feel the need to antagonize him?"
"I figured he inspired that feeling in everyone."
"You know, for someone who says she's here to help Dean, you're not doing such a bang up job. Why don't you try laying off for a while? The more time you waste pushing his buttons, the harder it'll be to find Sam."
There was a crash from the kitchen, but that wasn't what concerned them; it was when Dean cried out that they knew something was up.
Addie moved faster than Bobby, reaching Dean first. He was kneeling on the floor and holding his head in pain. She knelt next to him and put a hand on his arm.
"Dean, what happened? What's wrong?"
"I don't know..." he groaned.
She put her hands over his head and tried to heal him.
"What the hell are you doing?" demanded Bobby.
"Nothing," she answered. It hadn't worked anyway. "Dean?"
He let out another cry and bent over.
Pictures were flashing through his mind, of Sam and some kind of bell, and it hurt...
Dean groaned again and said, "Son of a bitch!" through clenched teeth.
When the sharp pain finally faded to a dull throb, Dean opened his eyes and looked into Addie's.
"Are you okay?" she asked him.
"Yeah," he answered, struggling to get up off his awkward position on Bobby's kitchen floor. Addie grabbed his arm with both hands and pulled him up.
She led him over to one of the chairs, still without a table, and made him sit down while she got him some water from the sink.
Bobby looked down at Dean. "What the hell was it?"
"I don't know. It was weird. I kept seeing Sam, and some old west type town…and some kind of huge bell." Addie came back and handed him a mug of water. He took it, but didn't drink it. "It-It had a tree on it…"
"So what are you saying, you had a vision?" asked Bobby.
"Yeah, I guess…"
Bobby hesitated before asking his next question. "You mean like Sam?"
"What? No! I'm not some freakin' psychic!"
Addie's eyes narrowed. "There's nothing wrong with being a psychic, Dean. It doesn't make you a freak," she snapped, thinking of Phoebe.
"Yeah, whatever," he said, brushing off her comment and turning to Bobby. "Look, how can we find this place?"
"You said there was a bell with a tree on it…an oak tree?"
"Uh, yeah, I think so. Maybe. I don't know. Why?"
"I know where Sam is. Cold Oak, South Dakota."
"You're sure?"
"Yep. Makes sense, too. It's a ghost town. Got so overrun with spirits, the people just up and left back in the 1800s."
"All right, let's hit the road." Dean stood up.
"Wait. Let me orb us there."
"Uh uh, no way. No freaky stuff. I can haul ass and have us there in a few hours."
"Dean, this is ridiculous. Forget your preconceived ideas about what witches are like for a second and think! Your brother's life hinges on us getting there in time."
"Yeah, and we will. My way."
She let out a frustrated breath. "You are such a stubborn-"
"Yeah, I know. Let's get moving."
--
Addie somehow wound up riding shotgun with Dean…again. Bobby opted to drive along behind them, alone, conveniently letting them know that his car was 'a complete mess' just as Addie had approached it.
So they rode together in uncomfortably tense silence, annoyed with each other and secretly freaking out about Sam.
Dean tried to block it out, but Addie's words ran through his head every other second. 'He's gonna die. Unless I get to him in time, someone's gonna kill him.' His mind kept showing him over and over again the one thing he couldn't stand to see: Sam, his baby brother, dead. And that would of course lead to countless other emotions and thoughts that could actually drive him off the deep end. It figured, he thought to himself. The one time he absolutely couldn't afford to lose it, was the one time he was about to.
Addie refused to dwell on what was coming and simply focused on her growing distaste for the man sitting next to her. If he would just let her orb them there, they could be sure to get to him in time, but noooooooo, Dean had to do it 'his way.' Addie bit down on her tongue hard to prevent herself from flat-out telling him he was an idiot and that wasn't it his way that had gotten Sam taken in the first place?
Behind them, in his busted up old junker of a car, Bobby smirked and rolled his eyes.
"That kid's finally met his perfect girl: someone who can kick the hell out of his sorry ass."
