Final chapter - very condensed from the original version but hopefully readable. Thank you all for reading and the reviews. This is rated T for blood and words of cuss.
Day or night, it could have been either above them because time and direction was lost as they snaked their way through the underground maze that Charles had thrown them into. He had sent wave after wave of Sidhe to attack them. No matter how hard they fought, or with what weapon they chose the sheer number of them that kept coming overtook them in the end. First Dean, then Abigail, next Sam. Picked off one by one until only Bobby and Castiel were left topside.
The maze was tight, dark and damp and barely big enough for him to move through.
"SAM!" Dean called out until he was hoarse but there was no answer from his brother. He just kept moving through the tunnels turning whatever direction his gut told him. Soon his flashlight began to flicker and on his last turn left it went out leaving him in darkness.
Sam's flashlight had gone out right as the temperature dropped around him. He pulled his phone from his pocket for light and cocked the Colt Abby had given him. As soon as he cocked he was thrown against the opposite wall, the Colt falling to the ground along with the only source of light. The only thought he had was to yell for Dean. "DEAN!"
In the darkness Dean heard his brother's yell and began shouting "SAM!"
Following his brother's shouts he found Sam, bathed in an unnatural blue light, against the wall. Instinct took over mixed with fear of losing his brother again and he fired the Colt. The blue light burned brighter for a second before it disappeared and only the dim light from Sam's phone broke through the darkness.
A shrill woman's scream pierced the tunnels!
"Lisa!" Dean mumbled as he helped Sam up. Both began to run toward the scream. Dean's flashlight was working now making the trip through the tight tunnels easier.
The tunnels got wider as they got closer to the scream. As they got closer they could hear more sounds, like a machine and chanting, and could see a dim light ahead. Dean, knowing Sam was safe sprinted ahead of his brother and entered the chamber first.
"Lisa!" He yelled as his eyes adjusted to the sight before him. Charles was going to fucking pay!
Before the Winchesters was a horrible scene. An altar in the shape of a large inverted pentagram was rising out of a well in the center of the room. Tied to two of the points were Lisa and Allan and the brothers could see that both were slowly dripping blood into the well below. On the chamber floor was another pentagram deeply etched into the cold marble. There was no sign of Charles.
They made a dash to the altar but were stopped by an unseen force knocking them to the floor, weapons knocked out of their hands. The force was dragging them toward the altar and they were powerless to resist. They were thrown on the vacant points and tied down by a still unseen force.
"Dean?" Lisa's weak voice ripped at his chest. He couldn't lose her. He was no father and Ben needed his mother. Hell Dean needed her!
"Hang in there Lisa, don't you dare fall asleep." His voiced was strained with emotions. "We're going get out of this. I promise. Hang in there."
"Sam, you ok?" He looked over to his brother.
"Fine Dean," Sam said. Suddenly he yelled.
Dean struggled at his binds but they held. "Sammy!"
Sam was trying to muffle the pain in his voice by exhaling sharply. "Something just cut my arms. Oh God I'm bleeding Dean. Lots of blood." He could see his blood running down his arms and into the well below.
He was losing it! He felt his own arms open up and blood begin to flow. He struggled but the more he struggled the quicker the blood ran.
Abigail was trying to find her way through the tunnel when a cold air blew past her. A second later she was inside a blue light, unable to move, hardly able to breathe. She was beginning to feel sleepy and yawned trying to stay awake. As she sank to her knees and closed her eyes she felt a warm embrace. When she woke up she was no longer in the tunnels but in a crypt! The names on the walls belonged to her ancestors, she was in the Colt crypt. Groggily she stood up and realized she wasn't alone. A child was standing along the opposite wall. He flickered across the room to stand in front of her. She reached out to touch him but he took her hand in his.
"It's going to be ok," he said with a reassuring smile.
"My brother he's dying. I have to find them."
"I will take you to them but first you need to know how to defeat Charles." She was now in the memories of that fateful year through the eyes of the littlest Colt, John, and what he saw was truly horrifying! But she also saw the way to stop Charles.
"Take this," he held out a small knife, his knife that his sister had given him on his 8th birthday. "She said it was special." John's voice was that of an innocent child but this child had witnessed such horror in his short 9 years of life Abby wanted to hug him, to comfort him.
"Remember what you saw," he said and she felt sleepy again.
She woke up in the middle of the marble floor. The knife she felt in her pocket. It was small enough she could palm it. Any advantage she could get she would need. Her friends were bleeding out, she didn't have much time. Abigail ran to the altar to draw Charles out, unfortunately it worked a little too well and the knife slid out of her hand as he threw her against the side of the altar. He picked the knife up as he walked toward her.
"Such a cute little thing," he said about the knife as he put it in his pocket. "You know I remember John having this. He tried to fight me off with it but it was too small to do much damage. I bashed his skull in with a rock. But you, I'm going to slit your throat and watch you bleed into the well."
He held Abigail's head over the edge of the well and drew out his blade. From behind them she heard a child's voice and then a young woman's voice. It distracted him enough that she got free and ran to the opposite side of the well, grabbing two knives off the table. Climbing up on the altar she cut Dean free first as he was the most coherent and shoved a knife into his hand so he could help her cut the others down.
"Where's Charles," he asked?
Abigail motioned with her head to the center of the floor. Dean's eyes went wide for a second before he was cutting Lisa free. Abigail had Sam loose and Dean cut Allan free. Once everyone was off the altar it was up to her and Dean to get them to safety.
From the center of the floor Charles stood surrounded by the ghosts of those that he had wronged. John and Bessie were present, Simon was there too and so was Mary. Dean wanted to know what was going on but they had to get their loved ones out - somehow. There was a bright light and blood curdling screams coming from the center of the floor. The next thing they knew they were topside with Castiel and Bobby over them.
Though Dean was weak from blood loss he had Lisa in one arm and Sam in the other. He was the oldest Winchester damn it and he was always going to be the hero but he wouldn't mind a little competition from his awesome baby brother from time to time. He hugged both close to him.
Abigail had Allan cradled in her arms. Soothing his hair, trying to stop the blood.
"What the hell happened down there," Bobby asked?
"It came down to a cursed object," Abigail said still holding her brother tightly. Bobby was helping her with the bleeding.
"When Charles murdered John Colt John was carrying a pocket knife his sister had given him. The death was so horrific the knife became cursed with Colt blood and Charles'. All the wrong that Charles had done seeped into that knife binding the souls of the wronged in it. All it had to do was get back to Charles, the ghosts would be set free and angry spirits took care of the rest."
"These spirits coming topside," Dean asked?
"No, they got what they needed – revenge. They should be at rest now."
"Castiel," Dean called for his friend. "We need some help here."
Castiel took over, working his angel mojo on the injured.
"Abigail," Allan said weakly as he opened his eyes.
"Shh," she said and kissed his forehead. "I'm here."
"Nessa?"
"She's fine. Aunt Grace is taking care of her."
"What happened?"
"What do you remember?"
"Not much," he said as he looked around. The setting sun hurting his eyes.
"Let's get you home," his sister said helping him up.
Lisa was relieved to see Ben waiting for her on the porch. Nessa was beside him and as soon as her dad got out of the car she flung herself into his arms! The family was together, with an extended family as new allies, and everyone was safe. Couldn't ask for a better hunt.
Everyone was wanting to get back to their normal lives but recovery took a while. After a week at the mansion it was time to go. Abigail and Lisa had formed a fast sisterly bond made stronger by the fact the kids in their lives were attached at the hip.
"You will come see us soon." It wasn't a question it was a demand to the Colts.
"Of course," Abigail said as she hugged the woman goodbye. Allan gave her a hug as well. "And you are welcome here or in the city whenever you want," Allan said as Dean opened the car door and she got in.
Next goodbye was Dean and the Colts. "It's been real," he said to Allan shaking his hand. "See you soon." He walked over to Abigail.
"Abby," he just pulled her into a hug. "Take care of yourself. They depend on you."
"And you take care too. Look out for Sam."
"Always." Dean yelled for Ben to come on.
"Bye Nessa," he said and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Dean wanted to say that's my boy but the look on Allan's face made him keep it to himself. He just smiled.
Bobby was going to take Sam to get his truck from Red Springs and then Sam would meet up with Dean at Lisa's. Sam knew Dean was anxious to get Lisa and Ben home, he also knew that Dean wanted him to go with them now. He knew Dean didn't really believe his brother was back and as long as Dean could see him, hold onto him he was real. It would take time and what their future held made him nervous. Would Dean leave them and go on the road? Sam wanted to hunt, needed to hunt with or without Dean but it would be nice to have him along for the ride. It was Dean's choice he reminded himself. Things were going to be different this time around.
"Four days and then I'm going to hunt your ass down if you aren't there," Dean said to Sam as he pulled him into a tight hug.
"I'll be there in three," Sam said relieved to have his big brother looking out for him still, though unnecessary. He doubted Dean would ever be able to not look out for him.
"You better. I want a call ever three hours." Dean let his brother go and got into the car.
Sam hugged Lisa. "Thank you for looking after him."
"Be careful Sam," was all she said. She knew she would never be able to look after Dean Winchester, she was just his moral support, his helpmate in life but she would try her damnedest.
They watched the Impala drive away. Bobby was packing the van. Sam had already put his bag in the back and was looking for Abigail. He saw Allan first trying to comfort Nessa. The girl was already missing his nephew. When he walked up however she put on a brave face and gave him a big hug. At the end of the day she had three heroes: her dad, her aunt, and Sam Winchester. He hugged her back.
"You take care of your dad and aunt ok."
"Yes sir," she said and quickly ran into the house. Embarrassed and giggling like a little girl would around her hero.
"Allan, nice to meet you. Take care."
"And you. What are your plans?"
"Spending time with Dean and his family, catch up. Perhaps in time we'll hunt again but right now I just want to wrap my head around the past few months. Sort some things out."
"Sounds like a good plan."
"Hey have you seen your sister?"
"She's helping Grace inside. I warn you though Grace is putting together one hell of a picnic basket for you and Bobby. The lady goes all out."
He laughed as he walked inside. Grace was a true hostess, they had wanted for nothing from the very beginning.
Sam found Abigail alone in the kitchen. He had an urge to dust flour in her hair but resisted.
"Here," he handed her the gun back.
"Keep it. You'll be hunting soon enough. It'll come in handy."
"Thank you," he said as he stepped closer. "About us…this bloodoath, bloodtie whatever heavenly mandate…"
"We let whatever happens happen," she said cutting him off. "We don't fight it we just be ourselves, live our lives and see what comes. We'll see each other often. Let's not rush it. See where we are in about five years."
He cocked his head sideways and looked at her funny. "Why do you say five years?"
"Just a silly little dream I had."
He wasn't going to tell her he had a silly dream too. "Sounds good," he said as his hands tangled in her hair and pulled her in for a kiss.
It was the deepest, most passionate kiss either had ever experienced. When it was reluctantly over they just looked at each other with a smile on their face.
"We are so screwed," he said with a laugh.
"Very much so," she smiled.
A horn honked outside. Bobby was impatient to get on the road. Well he was more impatient to get into the basket that Grace had packed with every type of goody imaginable it seemed.
"See you around."
"You better," she said as she walked him outside.
As the last of the visitors left the mansion the ghosts of the past assembled at the windows. The storm had been adverted for now but there was more heartache, more drama coming for the Winchesters, Colts and Remingtons. Nothing was ever going to be easy but the first obstacle to breaking the curses had fallen even as the next obstacle was solidifying on the horizon.
The End of The Heart of Everything.