Disclaimer: I don't own Supernatural, or any of the season finale plot I use to fit the story. Warning: contains season finale spoilers! A/N: Thanks to all who reviewed!
When we arrived at Bobby's, it was dark. I practically stumbled out of the car, half-asleep, rubbing my eyes. I hadn't gotten a good night's sleep in awhile, and the effects were beginning to catch up with me. We walked up to the door, and Sam knocked loudly, shouting Bobby's name.
Bobby appeared at the door in his usual attire, trucker hat and all. He looked pretty shaken up; I couldn't blame him, though. This war—this Demon—was putting everyone on edge, especially with his latest attack. The old hunter glanced around cautiously, and ushered us inside. As soon as I stepped through the door, I was met with the heat of the fire, which felt nice, considering it was freezing outside. The house was small, and somewhat cozy, if you could call it that. It was definitely a hunter's home, though. There were weapons on display throughout the house, different symbols of protection drawn skillfully on the walls, and salt lines laid out everywhere.
"Glad to see you all together…and in one piece." Bobby declared, as we followed him into the living room, where there were piles upon piles of books on any supernatural subject that you could ever think of. Bobby's house was the Mecca of paranormal information; he was definitely the 'go-to' guy.
"We're ready to fight this thing," Dad said. "Do you have any new leads?" Bobby walked over to a large table by the window, where a map was spread out. The three of us crowded around it, interested.
"Well, I found something, but I'm not sure what it means." Bobby told us.
"What is it?" Sam asked, his eyes filled with a sudden curiosity.
"Demonic omens," Bobby replied. "Like a friggin' tidal wave. Lightning storms, cattle deaths…out of nowhere. Except here. Southern Wyoming." He placed his finger on the map, circling the region in which he was speaking of. "It's totally clean. Almost like demons are surrounding it."
"And you don't know why?" I questioned. Bobby shook his head.
A hurried knock on the door made the four of us jump, caught completely off guard. We all glanced at each other, and then Dad and Bobby went over to answer it. Sam and I followed behind them. Bobby opened the door hesitantly.
Ellen was standing outside.
"Ellen." Dad and Bobby said simultaneously, both relieved. Ellen came in, and Bobby shut the door as Dad pulled her into an embrace. We were all visibly thankful that she had made it here safe and sound. Once Dad let go of Ellen, I ran to her and wrapped her in a hug, tears beginning to make their way down my face.
"Oh, Alyx…Sweet Pea…I'm so glad to see you." Ellen said, calling me by the nickname she had used ever since I was a little girl. Dad told me that my mother had called me Sweet Pea all the time when I was a baby; Ellen carried on the nickname after my mom died.
After Ellen and I broke apart, the group of us walked back to the living room. Bobby was getting out a flask of holy water. He poured some into a shot glass and gave it to Ellen. Ellen stared at it for a moment.
"Bobby, is this really necessary?"
"It's holy water—shouldn't hurt." Bobby said. Ellen downed the glass without a problem, and handed it back to the old hunter.
"So, Ellen, what happened? How'd you get out?" Dad wanted to know.
"I wasn't supposed to," she confessed. "We ran out of pretzels, of all things. Dumb luck, let me tell you. I was out when Ash called to tell me to look in the safe." She paused, glancing at her hands for a second, holding back tears. "I was gone not more than fifteen minutes. I came back, and everyone was dead. Lot of good people there…lot of good hunters…all of them gone. I keep asking myself, why me? Why was I the lucky one to live when so many others died?"
"Ash…" I muttered quietly. Ellen nodded sadly, and patted me on the shoulder out of understanding.
"You said something about a safe?" Sam noted. Ellen nodded.
"Demons get what was in it?" Bobby inquired.
"No." Ellen answered. She pulled out a map from her pocket, unfolded it, and spread it on the table over the other one. The map was of Wyoming; there were five X's on it, marked in thick, black marker. Bobby looked it over, then left the room shortly, returning with a book in his hands. He was scanning the pages, intrigued by a new discovery.
"What'd you find?" I asked.
"You're not gonna believe this. See those X's? Each one marks an abandoned frontier church—mid nineteenth century. All of them built by Samuel Colt."
"Wait. Gun-making Samuel Colt?" Dad asked, as the new information sunk in.
"Yeah. It turns out that he also built private railway lines, connecting the churches." Bobby picked up a random marker lying on another table, buried partially beneath other items, and connected the X's. It formed a five-pointed star.
"A Devil's Trap." Sam observed.
"Iron lines," I recalled. "Demons can't cross them."
"Exactly." Bobby smirked, proud of my supernatural knowledge.
"I've never heard of anything that massive." Ellen stated, slightly shocked.
"No one has." Bobby agreed.
"All these years…and they haven't been broken? They still work?" Dad asked.
"Well, yeah. All of the omens Bobby was talking about…the demons must be circling it, and they can't get in." Sam pointed out.
"Yeah, but they're obviously trying to," I said. "What's in the center?"
"I checked," Dad declared, flipping through the pages of Bobby's book, "There's nothing but an old cowboy cemetery in the middle."
"But what's so important about it? What's Colt trying to protect?" I wondered.
"Unless…he was trying to keep something in." Dad suggested.
"Now, there's a comforting thought." Ellen replied sarcastically.
"Whatever it is, it's gotta be pretty damn important. I mean, the Demon can't even get through, right Bobby?" Sam questioned.
"It's too powerful. You'd practically need a bomb to destroy it. There's no way a full-blooded demon could get across it."
Then a startling realization hit me.
"No," I said slowly, "But I know who could…"