Dawn – chpt 15
by: sifi
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Sam and Bobby groaned, Dean shook his head, his eyes widening, his mouth bending in an uneasy smirk, "Nuh... No..."
"I'll go get the book, you guys get her back toward the shed," Bobby frowned turning back toward the house.
"Yeah," she nodded wiping her face dry with the sleeves of her jacket, "But that's not the worst part," a fresh fall of water ran down her face as she looked pleadingly at each of the men, "Morgan..." she sniffed shaking visibly, a nearly hysterical laugh bubbled into her hand.
"Morgan?" Dean frowned.
"You're brother Morgan?" Sam asked turning his frown to Dean.
She nodded but couldn't bring herself to look at either of the men, "He won't shut up..." she tried to explain through clenched teeth. "He keeps saying things... he knows things, he always did, but..." she shook her head, her right hand balled into a fist that pressed against her forehead, "...they were so pretty... all colored red... and sticky... and I saw the eye, he left ONE of them, and it was beautiful against the red..."
She took a shaky breath and looked sidelong at Sam, "How did YOU get in?" she asked pressing her hand to his chest, "I can feel it... it touched you... but did it get inside?" Looking up into his eyes, confusion and curiosity now the top layer of her expression she grabbed his chin and ground her teeth while forcing the muscles of her left hand to work, to hold his bearded face steady for a moment, "Is it in there Sam? Did it get in you?"
"What's she talkin' about Sam?" Dean asked feeling his belly starting to go heavy and sparkly with fear, is THAT why you haven't been able to shake this fever dude? Are you fighting something besides blood poisoning?
Something changed deep in her eyes as she moved Sam's head, returning his gaze back to hers, "You do know what you may have to do... don't you?"
He cracked a tiny smile and shook his head, "It's gonna be okay," he nodded then turned his attention back to Dean.
"Sam?" the elder hunter questioned expectantly.
The younger Winchester shook his head, his eyes glued to hers as his heart pounded and parts of the nightmares that had tried to wind themselves through him seemed to make a little more sense now, "I don't know, I don't think so..." he shrugged and seemed to contemplate for a moment, "but maybe, maybe it's been tryin'..." he turned with a sad smile to Dean, "I thought it was just dreams Dean... you know, fever stuff..."
She turned her hand against his cheek, "Mmm burning up..." then cast her eyes down again and huffed a near chuckle, "... almost burned up... shoulda just stayed and breathed it in... mm'already useless, nuthin left..." she sighed as resistance seemed to leech from her muscles and Sam felt himself holding her more tightly.
Dean frowned at his brother and grasped Laura's chin, "Once we get her settled inside you're gonna tell me about these damned dreams Sam... and I'm not talking about the visions."
Then he turned his attention to the obviously exhausted woman in his brother's arms, "No no, c'mon now you gotta fight it Laura, you gotta try and push this thing out of you okay? Morgan's dead... he's free, you gave him that, whatever you're hearing it's not him..."
"She's gonna go down Dean..." he tried to adjust his grip as his big brother grabbed her too, helping to hold her up.
"Shhhh... shh shh shhhh..." her head fell forward and were it not for the boys, she would have fallen on her face, "...had to bring it with so they would come, I had to keep it inside..."
"What?" Dean asked not wanting to believe he'd heard her right.
"The bloodhounds are coming... they needed the taste..." she half smiled and looked up at the sky.
Sam followed her gaze expecting to see the darting dark gray igigi coalesce into a swarm and start to roll toward them, but strangely enough, he realized they'd cleared the area. There wasn't a gray one to be seen.
"Anything Sam?" Dean asked.
The young hunter frowned for a second before his expression opened up and seemed to fill with possibility, "I uh... yeah... I'm not... I think so..." he squinted into the distance just above the tree line where the air seemed to shimmer. At first it was almost imperceptible, but once he reminded himself of what he'd seen so long ago he couldn't help but begin to foster a little bit of hope.
"Laura... are those? They are right?" he asked pointing at what Dean could only see as blue skies.
Bobby and Ajax jogged up to them with the rites of Exorcism in his hand and looked over his shoulder following Sam's finger out into the open skies.
"S'goin' on?" he asked.
Sam's teeth clenched as he started to put some pieces together, "You did this on PURPOSE!?" he demanded looking between Bobby and Dean, then back at the silver and gold columns that were approaching.
"What? What'd she do?" Dean asked, then held her head up, "What did you do!?"
"The igigi aren't only the dark ones that feed on us, and demons... there's other ones, in a way they're like people Dean... what we see, Laura and me... is kinda the essence of the being... if it's evil and malicious it's gray and mottled and twisted...but there are these golden ones... and silver...and copper..." he tried to get his grip back as the woman went lax, nearly folding in half over his arm.
"Alright, alright put her down Sam..." Dean directed.
"Hey Dean... you and Sam still got those charms I gave you?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah,"
"Uh huh," they nodded together after sharing a quick look and smirk.
"Sam you hang onto yours," Dean scowled digging into his wallet for the thin, "The added protection of the charm itself could be the only reason that thing didn't get up in ya..." he shook his head, "Still sounds pretty dirty," he lowered himself to the ground beside the woman.
"Y'think we oughtta get the others out here so they can see?" Bobby asked.
Sam's gaze went somewhere else as the memory of his brother, barely just turned seven, on his knees in the middle of Pastor Jim's office, his body trembling, his throat working as if something invisible was trying to claw its way out of him, followed by bands of golden light sliding over him from the feet upward to the crown of his head over and over again until he seemed to just glow for a long moment.
Anunnaki... king of the igigi... he was scared of me, he used Dean, Enki's own to try to kill me, the pieces of the puzzle continued to slide around inside his head, some of the connections making sense while others were less certain, could it sense Yellow eyes in me? Was it what he did to me that had him scared? Because somehow he knew what I might have to do, what MIGHT have to happen IF we can't find another way?
"Hey!" Dean smacked his brother lightly, "Where'd you go?" he asked, nervousness breaking through his voice.
"I don't think you'll be able to see anything..." he shook his head swallowing hard as two golden and four silver igigi circled mere feet above them, their faces smooth and barely even hinting at features unlike the gray ones whose every imperfection and corruption was visible writhing through them, "Put the charm in her hand Dean," he instructed, "They're ready."
"I hope to hell you know what you're doing Sam," he grumbled.
"Not me... her, if I understand right..." he nodded, "It'll be okay Dean... I think."
"I'm so reassured," Dean pressed the charm into the palm of her right hand, clasping her hand in his and holding it tight.
He watched, his gaze moving between his little brother's transfixed expression of an odd sort of wonder, and the sudden collapse of Laura's chest toward the ground.
"Sam!" he grumbled sternly watching the flesh of her throat ripple as if something was clawing its way out, very like what happened to Sam when Bobby broke the binding link Meg had burned into his forearm and she was finally forced out, only this time he couldn't see anything emerging into the sky like one could with demons.
"They're drawing it out..." Sam muttered watching as one by one the four silver igigi each pressed what he figured would be their mouths to hers, each time, her chest and belly collapsing almost violently to the ground, how is she not breaking... he wondered watching the ribcage nearly flatten again and again until there was nothing left to draw.
The two golden ones held their position, each with two silver bloodhounds at his side, one by one their heads cocked to the side, a gesture of recognition, perhaps deference, but Sam was almost certain, allegiance, first to him, then to Dean even though he could not see them, and Sam was fairly certain they knew that.
"Is it done?" Bobby asked noting Sam's gaze returning to the tree line as if he was following something.
"Yeah," Sam nodded.
"Laura?" Dean shook her by the chin but she was out cold, "Think she can cross the barrier?" he asked.
"I think so," Sam nodded.
"Get outta the way," Bobby grumbled crouching low to sling the woman over his shoulders. Without hesitation he crossed the barrier and headed for the house with Sam, Dean and Ajax in tow. The dog's smile and lolling tongue all the proof they needed as Dean slid the charm back into his wallet and turned Sam to face him.
"Fill me in," he ordered.
Sam nodded toward the Impala.
A moment later, leaning easily against the trunk he started to explain to Dean what he'd surmised. Anything else... well he'd just have to see.
--
"Oh hell..."
"Son of a bitch," Tom and Shep said together as Bobby returned to the house and walked straight through to the boys' room with Laura over his shoulder.
They dashed in behind him and Mercy would have followed except a large GMC pulled into the drive and parked beside the woman's car.
"Someone in a GMC's here..." she called.
"Tamara and Jack..." Bobby called from the room seconds before the door shut sealing all three men inside with the unconscious woman.
"What the hell's going on?" she sighed watching Sam and Dean greet a pretty black woman and a tall bald black man.
The boys each hugged the woman tight and firmly shook hands with the man as they were all introduced. She'd heard about Tamara and her late husband Isaac a few times in her own travels and knew they were gifted hunters, but had never had the fortune of meeting them and she was anxious to, but wasn't about to leave Gary unguarded. She tossed a glance over her shoulder at the man who she had no doubt would be trying to play on her desire to know what was going on, Thank God Dean taped his mouth shut.
"Don't even think it Gary... you know me better than that," she smirked plopping back into her chair and tilting her beer bottle back while she continued to puzzle between the notebook and the translation book. So far she'd managed to get a few key words from what might be the first couple sentences but nothing was certain.
"Mmmkay... so we have, 'tower', 'battle'? or is it 'war'? ... 'threaten'? no, 'challenge'... yeah," she flipped back and forth. "These guys are so lucky I have a puzzle fetish," she muttered softly as the front door opened with Tamara leading the way.
She rose quickly, smiled at the two newcomers and shook each of their hands, "I'm Mercy Abbott. You're Tamara and Jack right?" she nodded.
"You're Bobby's niece... s'great to meet you..." Tamara smiled then flicked her thumb to Jack, "This is my brother in law, Jack. Who else is here?" she asked, then looked at Gary inside the key, "You've already got a demon?" she asked.
"Shep and Tom, Bobby of course, some chick named Laura..." she glanced at the closed bedroom door, "Who apparently had a bit of trouble on the way," she hitched her thumb at Gary, "and the idiot tied up in the key is Gary Nelson... he was dumb enough to try and attack Sam."
Tamara chuckled and dropped her head, "Bought in to the hype eh?"
"Yeah, apparently."
"Never met 'im did you?" she asked over Mercy's shoulder.
"And lemme guess the girl Laura... last name Finnegan?" Tamara asked.
"Yeah how'd you know?" Mercy asked as they dropped their bags at the foot of the stairs and followed her into the living room.
"She's got a reputation for being a little bit of a nutter, but that's not all," she smiled.
"Have a seat... can I get ya a couple beers?" she asked retreating to the kitchen.
"Oh hey we brought a demon..." Jack called.
"Eeee ooo," Gary hmm'd beneath the tape.
"You too?" Tamara asked.
He nodded.
"Gary said he's got one too... which car is his? Ours has a shaft of holy wood through her heart," Tamara asked.
"I don't know," Mercy shrugged handing over the beers then yanked the tape off Gary's mouth, "Where's your car?"
"About a quarter mile East inside a copse of trees, the demon's in the trunk, and from the sound of it not as bad off as theirs is," he worked his mouth glad to have the tape off.
"Why would you try to attack Sam?" she asked.
"He's destined to lead an army of demons Mercy... no matter who he is today... he HAS his destiny, we all have our destinies, it's immutable," he sighed.
"You've been hearing what we've been talking about here, we have a two fronted war to fight in the HERE and NOW... you can't judge someone on the basis of something they haven't DONE yet!" she shook her head and slapped the tape back over his mouth before fishing out his car keys.
"I'll go get it," Jack offered.
"Thank you," Mercy smiled easily, "be careful we don't know what might be lurking around outside the wards."
The bedroom door opened and for a moment everyone froze as Bobby took a couple hasty steps, paused and turned to greet the new arrivals.
"Tamara!" he hugged her tightly for a brief moment then offered his hand to her brother in law, "You must be Jack... Bobby, I hear you're picking up the ropes pretty quickly."
"Nice to meet you, Tam's told me a lot about you..." he shook his head, smiled and sighed, "It's a strange new world out there."
Bobby smiled tightly "And it's about to get plenty stranger."
"They brought a demon... So did Gary, it's in the trunk of his car," Mercy cocked her eyebrow at him.
"Damn," Bobby scowled, "Mercy, I need you to get started painting some seals in the shed, Dean and I didn't get it finished thanks to this... idjit," he hitched his thumb toward Gary.
"I'm just gonna go get his car," Jack motioned to the door and headed out.
"Sam and Dean still outside?" Bobby asked.
"Yeah," Mercy nodded, "What's up? Anything I can help with? I was pre-med remember?"
Slowly Bobby nodded, "I know sweetheart, but..." he shook his head obviously torn, "If there's anything we can't handle I holler okay."
Voices; Shep's, Tom's and apparently Laura's wafted out from the open door.
"I said sit your ass DOWN!" Shep hollered taking them all by surprise, "Singer where the hell are you!"
"Coming..." he sighed moving to the bathroom where he grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink then returned to the room closing the door securely behind him.
"That sounds like one picnic I'm glad to not be at," Tamara smiled looking between the notebook and the open tome on the table, "What's this?"
Mercy shook her head, "I don't know, something Sam came across I think... been trying to decipher it a bit but it's slow going," she half groaned.
"I love puzzles," Tamara scooted closer while Mercy showed her what she'd deciphered so far.
--
Beneath the dead forests' ground cover it saw through the emissary's eyes and something deep inside trembled at the bright and uncorrupted streaks that wove their way through these foreign blue skies, No! It can't be... I refuse to believe it! it thought as the six beings hovered. But I've won! The Emissary is USELESS! This is NOT possible! No! Not when I am THIS close! it tried to use the woman, tried to move her as it had the men in the bar but to its infernal frustration it could not.
I have no choice... it realized and tried to withdraw but again, found that it couldn't. Somehow, the emissary had done something, somehow she'd managed to make it unable to extract itself from the wounds it had created in her mind.
As it watched through her slitted eyes, Anunnaki's bloodhounds descend toward her; it felt searing, twisting heat. It remembered the last time it felt such a sensation and the return for vengeance that it swore, and as it felt part of its consciousness torn from the emissary and devoured from existence by the bloodhounds, it drew harder on the dead lands around it and somewhere, something dry began to smolder.
--
tbc.
Please R&R.
Thanks.
sifi.