Disclaimer: Don't own anything Supernatural related; the following story and the characters of Riley and Dee are all mine)
Holier Than Thou.
Chapter Nine.
24 years earlier…
His stomach dropped as the plane did; the large turbines screaming as the plane fought its way back to its previous altitude; the captains calm voice crackling over the speakers as he reassured the passengers that all was well, he'd just had to duck a low flying kangaroo. He didn't join in the nervous laughter that followed; in his world, all wasn't well.
He closed his eyes as his fingers went to the amulet round his neck; it was surprisingly light but weighed heavily on him. It wasn't supposed to happen this way but he still heard the long-ago words that echoed through his mind "It will protect you, but you must protect it" and that's what he was doing, protecting the talisman…yeah, protecting the talisman,
He opened his eyes as the plane began its descent, the same descent he was taking. The only difference between them was the plane's descent was marked and steady, and it would rise again; he, on the other hand, was spiralling down, completely out of control…and there would be no resurrection for him. The dreams had made sure of that.
He laughed silently, 'the dreams'… He tried not to think about the dreams that plagued him; that had him waking, bathed in sweat, a tortured scream caught in his throat; the dreams that were now a nightly occurrence. They had started slowly six years ago, but like a train gathering steam, they had built in momentum; gaining strength and charging down the broken tracks of his mind; screaming their nefarious intent as they barrelled him towards what he now prayed would be sweet oblivion.
He had tried to block the dreams; losing himself in alcohol, women…drugs …anything that would grant him release him from his nightmarish shackles. But there was no escape, no pardon for him; the dreams had wrapped their loathsome arms around him; their taloned claws sinking deep as their vicious jaws clamped around his mind and refused to let him go. There was no respite; he saw his death again and again; saw the young woman that would bring about his demise; who would take the talisman and start a chain of events that would ultimately end mankind.
He knew what he had to do; had been shown where the woman was hiding... and he had a name. It was just a first name; her name she'd whispered to him as she'd driven the dagger into his heart, laughing as she twisted it, her eyes aglow with the madness that enveloped her. That one name would be enough, enough to get the job done. He closed his eyes again; settling into the numbness that was now like a well worn coat; he knew this wasn't a hunt; it was murder, plain and simple. He let his breath out in a rush, knowing that once he pulled the trigger he would become the man he'd sworn he never would.
He opened his eyes and looked at his watch, closing them once more as he heard those ghostly words that had been a constant in his lessons; the seductive whisper that taunted him 'protect it…protect it...protect it'
Tomorrow…tomorrow would be the day he'd hold true to the promise he'd made his grandfather.
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The sun was starting its slow, lazy rise over the distant, blue mountains; the hills like dark green waves that rolled towards the property; the soft rustling of the many varied trees like an incoming tide. The almost peaceful stillness was broken as a bird called loudly from a nearby tree, its resonant laugh seeming to mock his every move; daring him to complete his task.
He watched the large wooden cabin as he got into position; his rifle nestled against his shoulder… waiting… the only movements those of the long tussock grass as it swayed in the light, warm breeze …and the weapon as it moved over the home. His finger was held firm but steady on the trigger as he waited. It wouldn't be long.
He was right, the backdoor burst open with a slam twenty minutes later and his rifle moved quickly, following the little girl as she skipped out the door; he moved the scope from her and back to the door and waited. The door opened again; slim legs under a knee-length white skirt taking a step out…his finger tightened on the trigger as he waited for her to move out further. Another step was taken, then another and he moved the cross-hairs to her chest, willing her to take two more steps. The shot had to count, it had to be a head shot….…'come on…, a couple more steps…' he whispered to himself, willing her on…but she stayed where she was…'come on…', he whispered urgently; wanting this nightmare to be over.
"CINNAMON! DON'T YOU PLAY WITH MY SPECIAL PLANTS OKAY?"
"Okay, Mummy!" the little girl sing-songed back.
He released the pressure on the trigger and shook his head slowly; no…. it couldn't be the little girl…please, not the little girl, his mind screamed.
"Cinnamon…"
"I promise" she called over her shoulder.
And he watched as the girl changed direction and headed towards an old wooden fence; climbing it and sitting on the top as she ate an apple, her legs swinging underneath her. He moved the scope up to the girls face and watched her; it was never meant to be a child; he believed it was the woman, he didn't even know about the girl but…he'd heard the name…there was no mistake.
He cracked his neck, closed his eyes, calmed his breathing then took a deep, steadying breath; he put his eye back to the scope and trained it on the little girl, moving the cross-hairs up to her head as he began the slow, steady pull on the trigger…...and she turned, turned and looked directly at him.
He didn't know how long they stayed like that, him looking at her down the barrel of his rifle and her staring as she ate, her little legs kicking back and forth, seemingly not a care in the world. And as the sweat snaked down his brow and through his lashes, stinging his eyes; he lowered the rifle…he had to make sure.
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He walked cautiously towards the girl; his boots kicking up dirt as he made his way up the track that led to the property. She'd been watching him the whole way, munching on the last of her apple, her head cocking left and right the closer he got; his stomach doing somersaults, each acrobatic performance increasing with every step that led him closer to the girl.
He'd waited for her mother to come from the house and chase him off but she hadn't made an appearance by the time he got to the girl. He forced a smile as he came towards her "Hello" he said as warmly as he could.
"Hello" she said softly, her green eyes staring at him curiously.
"I'm a little lost and I was wondering if you could help me" he lied.
She stared at him without any fear "Mummy say I not allowed to talk to strangers"
He smiled "Your Mommy's right" he said as he leaned against the rickety fence next to her "Tell you what, how about I tell you my name first?" she nodded "I'm Jack"
She frowned slightly "You talk funny"
He laughed softly "I guess I do" she studied him as he studied her; his information had to be wrong, she couldn't be the one he had to kill; this little girl with the skinned knees and her t-shirt on back to front; her face full of wide-eyed innocence. This had been a wild goose chase and although the weight of having to kill a child had been taken from his shoulders…his mind screamed in anguish at the thought of the nightmare that would stake its claim on him again tonight.
"Cinnamon" she finally said.
His smile faltered just a little as he heard the name of his killer squeaked out in the voice of a child "That's a pretty name" he said softly.
"It's a silly name" she said, punctuating the statement with a short nod.
"You think so?" she nodded again and he asked for another confirmation "How old are you, Cinnamon?"
She smiled "I'm being four tomorrow"
"Tomorrow?" he asked; his heart plummeting as he realised that she was the one; her future birthday would be his last day.
"Yes. Mummy say she take me to town for ice-cream" she said as her eyes lit up.
"What about your Daddy?" he asked.
"We not allowed to talk about him. Mummy gets upset" she paused "but one day I gonna meet him, I don't care what Mummy say" she whispered conspiratorially.
"You don't know who your Daddy is?" he asked.
She shook her head "But I find him one day and he can take me to the park"
He gave her a small smile "I'm sure he'd like to do that" and he watched as a frown creased her brow "What is it?" and she pointed to his amulet "This?" he asked as he lifted it.
She nodded "I see it one time"
"You did?" he asked, surprised "When?"
"Long time go. But Mummy throw picture in bin"
"Picture?"
"Yes, picture of you"
"What?" he asked; his surprise now tinged with premonistic fear.
"Picture of you" she said again.
"Your Mom has a picture of me?"
She shook her head "No, she throw it in the bin"
His heart was racing "Cinnamon, you think we could go talk to your Mom?"
"Okay" she jumped off the fence and skipped towards the cabin, her dark brown pigtails bouncing out behind her.
Jack vaulted the fence; his mind spinning as he followed the girl towards the house. How on earth could Cinnamon's mother have a picture of him? He shook his head; no, the girl was only four years old, she had to be mistaken; besides, this was the first time he'd ever been to Australia. And if she was who he believed her to be, it wasn't within the realm of possibilities that she was playing him.
He followed her into the cabin; stepping into a bright and sunny kitchen. There was a heavy wooden table in the centre, surrounded by mismatched chairs; an old fridge that had been painted bright red, sat in one corner, drawings the child had done, plastered all over it; and an old wood-fire stove sat in the other corner. Chequered curtains were tied back from the two large windows over the sink and apart from the dope seedlings sitting on the windowsill, it looked like your typical country cabin.
"Mummy! We got visitor!" shouted the little girl as she twirled her curls with her fingers.
Jack put his hand to the small of his back as he heard soft footsteps approach the beaded curtain that separated the kitchen from the rest of the cabin "Cinnamon, I've told you..." the woman stopped dead when she walked into the kitchen, the colour draining from herface as she looked at Jack.
Jack stared as time seemed to stand still; he could hear nothing but the blood rushing through his ears, the almost deafening pounding of his heart beating wildly in his chest and he moved his hand from the small of his back and rested it on the wooden bench as he stared at the woman, willing his knees not to give out.
He finally managed to get enough saliva to unglue his tongue from the roof of his mouth "Virginia…"
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He walked out of the cabin two hours later and found Cinnamon swinging on an old tyre that had been hung from a huge eucalypt tree. She smiled when she saw him and he gave her a tentative smile in return.
"You speak to my Mummy?" he nodded "Did she tell you how not to be lost anymore?"
He laughed softly "Yes, she did" he leaned back against the tree and watched her swing.
"Good. I got lost in the bush once and it was scary. Mummy yelled at me a lot'
"She was probably just worried" he said.
She nodded "That's what she say" she smiled at him again "You want a go, Jack?" she asked as she pointed to the swing.
He smiled at her "No, thanks" he paused "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure"
He paused again "Do you dream?" he asked and watched intently for her reaction.
She finally nodded slowly "Sometimes"
"Are they good dreams or bad dreams?" he asked.
"Sometimes good…sometimes bad..." she looked at him and whispered "really bad"
"Can you tell me what they're about?"
She shook her head "I just wake up really scared…"
He could tell she was lying and went and put a hand to the tyre, stopping it mid-swing. He crouched in front of her "Cinnamon, I have bad dreams too. Real bad, I get scared as well but if you could tell me anything you remember, I might be able to help you"
She stared at him and he could see that she was weighing up whether or not to believe him; she opened her mouth a couple of times but it took a good five minutes before she gave voice to what she saw in her nightmares "I see a bad lady…but I don't see her…she do bad things to people…things from scary movies"
Jack frowned "You see her but you don't see her?" she nodded and he thought on that for a while before finally turning his eyes to hers "Cinnamon, are you the bad lady sometimes?" he asked softly.
She shook her head vigorously, the denial, affirmation in itself; and he could see that she was holding back tears "I never do bad things like that! I'm a good girl! A good girl!"
"Hey, it's alright. I believe you, I do" he said, finally making up his mind about what it was he had to do. He smiled at her "Would it be alright if I stayed here for a while? With you and your Mom?"
"Why?" she asked, brushing at her tears.
"Well, there's a few things I want to teach you" he said.
"I too little for school" she said.
He smiled "These lessons will be a little different from what they teach you in school, but they're very important and I think they might help stop the nightmares"
"Really?" she asked hopefully.
He nodded "I think I was sent here to find you and teach you, Cinnamon. To guide you down the right path…"
"We're going for a walk?" she asked innocently.
He laughed "Of sorts" he paused "So, I can stay?"
"The nightmares stop?" she asked again.
He smiled "I'm think they'll stop for the both of us"
"Okay"
He smiled at her again "Good stuff. Now the first thing we have to do is change your name" and she grinned at him "What's your last name?"
"Riley" she said.
He nodded, of course it was "Well, from now on, your name's Riley, not that silly 'Cinnamon' your mother named you" and he laughed at the relief on her small face "And it's Uncle Jack, Riley"
She looked at him "You my uncle?"
He smiled at her "Yes" he said as he looked into the eyes of the little girl he'd almost killed; the little girl that was supposed to be the one that killed him and bought the talisman to Lilith; the little girl that was supposed to bring about her rise to power; but the little girl he hoped would be his salvation…the little girl that was his daughter.
18 years later…
Dee knocked on the motel door next to the one she was sharing with Riley; her friend had finally fallen into a alcohol-induced slumber and she'd waited until her breathing had the steady, rhythmic cadence of deep sleep before slipping quietly from the room and going next door.
She waited as the door was opened a fraction; a blood-shot green eye peeking through the crack "Dee?" he asked, surprised.
"Need to speak with you Jack" she said as she pushed her way into the room, closing and locking the door behind her. She went straight to his bag, taking out the bottle of whiskey she knew he always kept there.
He laughed softly "Help yourself"
"Thanks, I will" she said as she grabbed two glasses and plonked herself in one of the chairs at the table "Sit" she said and pushed out the opposite chair with her foot.
Jack frowned slightly and took the seat and the proffered glass "Cheers" he said and took a sizeable sip and asked "What's up?"
Dee lit a cigarette, watching Jack through the smoke as she exhaled "Came across some interesting information, Jack and was wondering if you could clear something up for me?"
He didn't give away anything "If I can" he said evenly.
She nodded "Just wondering when or if you're ever gonna tell Riley you're her Dad"
Jack laughed "Dee? I think you've been hitting the bottle a …"
"Don't try and play me, Jack" she interrupted, pulling out a piece of paper and tossing it on the table in front of him. She watched as he reached over, picking up the paper and unfolding it; his eyes scanned it, his face unreadable "It's not a fake…but you already know that" she looked at him "What I don't understand is why you won't tell her. She adores you, Jack. It would bloody well make her year…shit, her whole freakin' life if she knew"
"It's not that simple" he said quietly; there was no way he could lie his way out of this with Dee.
"Yeah, it never is, old son" she said "Still want an answer though"
He sighed and refilled his glass and hers "I'm protecting her" he said and looked at Dee "I need you to do the same"
"I won't lie to her, Jack" said Dee evenly.
"You have to" he said as he stood and started pacing the small room; finally stopping and facing Dee "I can't tell you everything, it's too dangerous...for Riley and for you"
"And you?" asked Dee.
He shrugged "I'll be fine" he said, sighing as he sat back at the table "Dee, I've been on a hunt…if you could call it that, since I was a boy…like my father before me, and his father before him…"
"What are you hunting?" she asked.
"Can't tell you and don't start arguing with me, I can't …it's like a rule and as fond of breaking rules as I am, this one I can't. But the thing I'm hunting…if it finds out about Riley before I kill it…" he shook his head "That's why I don't see her as often as I want, why I keep my distance from her"
"It'll kill her?" asked Dee.
"Worse" said Jack as he looked into Dee's eyes "Much, much worse and if it finds out I have a daughter…it'll come for her and she's not ready"
Dee laughed "Jack, you taught her everything you know and as much of a pain in the arse as she is; she's bloody good at what she does, you made sure of that"
He smiled "Thanks, but I haven't taught her everything I know…I will eventually, when the times right. But understand this, Dee; if you tell her, it will bring something after you both that even I might not be able to stop and I won't risk her"
Dee looked at Jack "One more thing" Jack nodded "You didn't know she was your daughter when you went to Australia, I know that…so why go?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you"
"Try me" said Dee as she lit another smoke and made herself comfortable.
Jack looked at the woman who he now entrusted with his daughters life "I was going to kill her"
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Dee walked out of Jack's room an hour later; swearing to herself and swearing to keep his secret and to watch over Riley; making a promise to him that should she start having nightmares, she was to contact him immediately. She had agreed only because of the fear she'd seen in his eyes and while not wanting to lie to her friend she understood the value of secrets and how they were sometimes important; life and death important. She had garnered a promise from him though; that if the 'nightmares' hadn't begun and he was still on 'the hunt' by the time Riley turned 30; then he would tell her everything, the whole painful truth of it.
She opened to door to her room, slipping silently inside and kicking off her boots. She sat on her bed, watching her friend sleep and wondering just what the hell would scare someone like Jack Riley so much.
The present…
Riley and Dee had been in their room for about two minutes before Dean and Sam walked in; they smiled at Dee and frowned at Riley, who was going through Jack's belongings and studiously ignoring the trio.
"You want give that a rest and tell us what the hell made you go and do something so stupid?" asked Sam.
"That's a no-brainer, Sammy" said Dean as he went to the mini-bar and searched for anything alcoholic.
"You replace it from yours, Winchester" said Dee as she pulled her smokes from her jacket, lit one and studied her friend.
"Riley!" said Sam loudly.
She turned from the bed "What?"
Sam turned to Dee "I'll pay you to let me be the one that kills her"
"Very funny" said Riley as she pulled a metal box from out of the duffel bag and sat on the bed, unlocking it with a spare key Jack had given her years ago and started rummaging through the contents.
"You're more annoying than Dean" muttered Sam.
"Hey! I'm no where near that annoying" said Dean as he sipped at the small bottle of scotch and opened a candy bar. Dee and Sam looked at each other and rolled their eyes "I'm not" said Dean through a mouthful of chocolate.
"Riley, I swear if you don't start talking…" warned Dee.
Riley sighed and pulled her feet up, sitting cross-legged on the bed "I got in touch with Jack…"
"You spoke with him?" asked Sam incredulously and Riley nodded "How?"
"Old mojo…Jack taught me a while ago. It's not something you can just show anyone, he had to get special permission to teach me…so, that's why I had to do it alone"
"That's bullshit and you know it" said Dee as she stubbed her cigarette out forcefully "We could've waited outside the door…but no, not you …you just…" she shook her head "What did Jack say?"
"Couple of things. First off, we need to look into Jewish folklore…he said something about his grandfather's first wife…but his grandfather only had one wife…so not quite sure how that clue works in. Secondly, he said 'find the serpent, find the answer…it's not what's in the blood that saves you but what it bestows on you'…"
"The necklace" said Dean as he stuffed the last of the chocolate in his mouth.
"Maybe" said Riley "But that…thing…I about shat myself when I saw the resemblance to Jack" she shook her head "It's related to him somehow…and I can't even begin to get my head around that'
"Is his Dad dead?" asked Sam.
Riley nodded "Died in a car accident. His grandfather too, old age for him"
"You sure?" asked Dean as he opened another chocolate bar and sat at the table.
"Jack wouldn't lie to me" she stated as she started to sift through the box's contents again, frowning slightly as she pulled out an envelope with her name on it, written in Jack's scrawl.
"Sammy, get the laptop and lets start figuring this shit out while Miss Congeniality over there gets herself organised" said Dean.
"What's that you got, Riley?" asked Dee.
"A letter from Jack, I think" she said as she stood and followed Sam to the door.
Sam turned and blocked the doorway "And just where do you think you're going?"
Riley glared at him "Outside to read this in private" she said and ducked underneath his outstretched arm.
"Riley!" he yelled after her.
"Let her go" said Dee.
Sam shook his head as he walked out, passing Riley as she sat up on the hood of the Impala and opened the letter "I'm watching you" he said and she nodded distractedly.
Dean turned to Dee "Soooo…" he said as he licked the chocolate from his fingers "Wanna tell me what it is you're not telling Riley?" he grinned as she glared at him "Or are you hoping you won't have to now she's reading the letter"
"Bollocks to you, Winchester" she said as she went to the bathroom and slammed the door behind her.
Dean grinned to himself and went to the window; frowning as he watched Riley's fingers tighten on the paper and her face run through a gamut of emotions…the one that worried him most being fear.
To be continued…