Athena drove the Impala to Missouri's house, Dean glaring at the staring wheel longingly. She pulled in smoothly after Missouri and quickly entered the house. Missouri had already laid out various plants and artifacts on her coffee table. Athena approached and sat opposite her, while the boys had a quick heated discussion. "So, what is this stuff anyway?" she asked in a soft voice.
Missouri glanced up and took in her eager eyes. "Angelica Root, Van Van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends."
Athena ran the objects through her head, thinking out loud. "Angelica root is for warding evil spirits yes?" she asked, picking it up and crushing it. Missouri nodded. "And van van oil is used to repel evil, I think..." she said, sounding less certain. "And crossroad dirt is taken from where humans make deals with Demons," she said, rolling her eyes. Missouri raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't see why anyone would trade their soul! From what I've heard, it doesn't benefit anyone."
Missouri leaned forward and said softly "It's usually to save others. Is there anyone you would trade your soul to save." Her brown eyes met Athena's grey one's as she fell silent.
"What do we do with it?" Dean asked from behind her, startling Athena. Sam came in after him, his lips pressed together, a sure sign he was upset.
"We're gonna put them inside the walls in the north, east, south and west corners on each floor of the house," Missouri said.
"We'll be punching holes in the dry wall. Jenny's gonna love that..." Dean said snarkily.
"She'll live," Missouri retorted, followed by Sam saying "I'd rather that than die."
Dean raised his hands. "Chill, it was just a comment," he said, rolling his eyes.
"This'll destroy the spirits?" Sam asked, obviously trying to move on.
Missouri nodded. "It should. It should purify the house completely. We'll each take a floor, but we work fast. Once the spirits figure out what we're up to, things are gonna get bad."
Dean nodded. "All right. Let's get loaded up."
Missouri turned to Athena. "You wanna put these bags in the car, and wait for us there? I need to have a word with these two boys," She said, turning her gaze onto the boys.
Athena nodded as she grabbed the bag holding everything in it. "Sure thing," She said before walking out, trying not to let curiosity overcome her.
Once Athena was gone, Missouri sighed. "You two wanna tell me what it is you were arguing about?" She questioned.
Dean shook his head. "We weren't arguing."
Missouri gave him a look. "Boy, you must think I'm stupid," She told him. "If the fact Sam didn't look like a little kid who was just yelled at was any indication, how about the fact that I'm a psychic. I sense energies. Don't try to lie to me."
Dean glanced at Sam almost accusingly. "Man, you have got to work on your facial expressions. They're gonna get us caught one day."
"They just did," Missouri stated, clearly not amused with Dean's ability to try to change the subject. "So, one of you gonna explain what you were arguing about?" Dean looked at Sam whose eyes were downcast.
"We were fighting about-" Sam began.
"Whether Dad would show up here, and where to find him next," Dean said, cutting smoothly across him with a lie.
Missouri looked at them, her eyebrows raised. "Boy, it's a dangerous game lying to a psychic and I don't think you're smart enough to play it," she said, her eyes narrowed at Dean. Dean's face was the picture of innocence but Missouri wasn't fooled. She ruffled Sam's hair on the way out. Sam turned on Dean.
"What was that! I could've told her! Why did you bring it up anyway?" Sam yelled at Dean.
Dean didn't look taken aback, merely bored. "Sam, you really want her to tell you you have a gigantic crush on Drie? 'Cause that's the only way you're gonna figure it out," Dean replied, shaking his head. Sam's mouth fell open.
"Excuse me?" he asked, his voice low and controlled.
"You're excused," Dean said with a smirk before exiting the room. Sam strangled the air in front of him, before following him, glaring at his back.
By the time the three hunters arrived at Jenny's house for the third time that week, Missouri was already escorting Jenny out.
"Look, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with leaving you guys here alone," she said, casting wary glances back at the house.
"Just take your kids to the movies or somethin' and it'll be over by the time you get back," Missouri said reassuringly. Jenny took Sairie's hand, balancing Ritchie on the other hip as Adriana passed him to her, still looking unsure. She looked at the group a final time before putting her children in the car and carefully pulling off. There was a moment of silence as they all looked at each other.
"Right," Dean said, rubbing his hands together. "How we gonna do this thing?"
"What are we doing?" Adriana asked, clearly not having been briefed on what was going on.
Dean held up small brown bags. "We're gonna put these inside the walls," He stated tossing a few to Sam who caught them swiftly.
Adriana laughed. "You think the spirits are gonna just let you do that?"
Missouri shook her head. "Of course not. That's why we gotta move fast." She glanced at the group, trying to decide who would be best to go with whom. "Drie, why don't you go with Dean, and Athena, you can go help Sam." Dean looked ready to argue, and the psychic gave him a look, raising her eyebrow at him.
Dean rolled his eyes, grabbing his pack of bags, and heading into the kitchen, pulling Adriana in after him. Sam laughed, shaking his head. "Come on, Athena. We'll take the second floor."
Missouri nodded. "And I'll take the basement," She stated before heading down the stairs to the basement where she was hoping she would easily be able to place the bags in the walls.
"What exactly are we doing?" Adriana asked Dean as she leaned against the counter while he took a hammer and began lightly tapping on the wall, trying to find a hollow spot.
"Putting some mumbo-jumbo herbs into the wall?" Dean offered, hearing the timbre of the noise change.
"Pass me the axe, Drie," he said, and Adriana tossed it to him, handle first. He began whacking the wall, the splintering wood covering the sound of the drawer sliding out behind him. He paused for a second and Adriana cocked her head.
"Can you hear that?" she asked. Dean listened before returning to the wall. The wood cracked and Dean reached into his pocket for the herbs. A whooshing sound was heard and Adriana yelled something, before grabbing a chopping board and flinging it into the path of an oncoming knife. Dean dropped the axe in shock, and turned to see more knives ready to fly. he dropped under a table, pulling Adriana with him. She saw the bag, on the ground, just out of reach. Dean saw her eyes, stubborn set.
"No Drie!" he yelled as she darted out and grabbed the bag, a knife slicing into her arm. She yelped, but managed to make it behind the table, her arm bleeding profusely, a large slit across her forearm.
"Damn," she said, grabbing the table for support.
Dean glared at her. "If Sam kicks my ass because you got hurt while on my watch, I'm gonna kick your ass later," He stated as he grabbed the bag from her before glancing behind him. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before racing forward, shoving the bag into the hole in the wall. The second the bag was placed in the wall, the knives stopped and Dean glared at Adriana again before helping her stand and walk over to the sink. "Hold your arm under the water," He stated, turning the sink and grabbing a cloth from out of a drawer.
Once her arm was rinsed off, he wrapped the cloth around the wound, tying it tightly. "Thanks," She told him wincing slightly.
"If Sam kicks my ass, I'm kicking yours," He stated again before leading the way upstairs where Sam and Athena had gone. "Sam?" He called, and paused when he heard a scuffling noise. He glanced at Adriana before rushing into Sairie's room and saw Sam lying on the ground, a lamp cord around his neck while Athena was being held against the wall by an unknown force. "Sam!" Dean called again before kicking a hole in the wall, and tossing the bag into it. Just like in the kitchen, the cord stopped strangling Sam and Athena was released from her hold.
"The basement," he said in a low hoarse voice.
"Shit," Dean said as he raced down the hallway.
Athena overtook him and vaulted down the stairs, landing lightly on her feet. She pulled open the basement door to see Missouri pinned against a wall by a table. She rolled out of the way instinctively as another table flew at her, catching her leg and tripping her up. She fell forwards, tucking her hands in to save her wrists from breaking on impact. As a result, her nose smashed into the stone floor and she screamed, as the table tried to squish her again. Dean skidded past the entrance, grabbed the door frame and pulled Athena up from the floor, ignoring the blood gushing out of her nose. He grabbed the bag and chucked it into the hole Missouri had managed to make. The basement fell silent, save for Adriana and Sam's approaching footsteps. Dean looked at Athena, who had tears and blood pouring down her face.
"Well, no one help the old lady up," Missouri sad, causing Dean to glance over and pull the table off her. She pulled herself off the ground, brushing down her clothes and rubbing the marks where the table had pressed into her. Sam walked into the basement, followed by Adriana. When he saw all the blood, he looked around in shock.
"Shit Thena," he said, who still had tears coursing down her face. Dean pulled her into a hug while she cried from the pain of it all. He drew back and took her face in his hands.
"Okay, this is most likely gonna hurt like a bitch, okay?" he said, warning her before grasping her nose in his hands and wrenching it back straight. A slight crack was heard and Athena cried out, flailing out at Dean and catching him in the cheek with a fist. She backed away from him, gasping from pain and holding her nose.
"It'll feel better in a few minutes," Adriana offered helpfully.
Athena glared at her. "You break your nose then let me pop it back into place, and let me tell you it'll feel better in a few minutes," She said darkly, holding her nose with her hands still.
Adriana laughed. "I have. What?" She turned to Sam. "Five times?" She questioned and he shook his head, laughing.
"I think it was six."
"Seven," Dean corrected. "Seven times. And I had to pop it back into place each time," He said, heading up the stairs.
"Why do you have count of how many times I've broken my nose?" The blonde girl asked.
Dean turned towards her once he had reached the top of the stairs. "I just told you. I had to pop it back into place after each time, so I kept count because I was annoyed of having to do that to a thirteen year old girl."
Adriana rolled her eyes, stopping in front of him at the top of the stairs. "I'm so sorry I was being selfish by asking you to put my nose into place."
Dean rolled his eyes, smirking. "Apology accepted," He said as they all walked into the kitchen.
"You sure this is over?" Sam asked.
Missouri nodded. "I'm sure. Why? Why do you ask?"
Sam shook his head. "Never mind," He said sighing. "It's nothing, I guess." He stated to say more, but the door opened and Jenny walked into the kitchen, carrying Ritchie and holding Sairie's hand.
"What happened here?" She asked as glanced around at the destroyed kitchen. She noticed the bloody cloth wrapped around Adriana's arm and the dried blood on Athena's face. "Are you guys okay?" She asked them, and they both nodded.
"Yep. Perfectly fine," Adriana told her as Sam glanced at her arm, raising an eyebrow.
"What happened?" He asked.
"She was being stubborn," Dean stated. "Like always."
"Tell that to me the next time I save your life," Adriana retorted. Jenny took in the group again,
shaking her head.
"Sairie honey, run upstairs and close the curtains please?" she asked her daughter. Sairie looked at her with big eyes and did as she was told.
"We'll pay for all this," Sam, ever the gentleman offered.
Dean rolled his eyes. "You mean I'll pay for all this," he muttered under his breath. Missouri stepped out to Jenny, holding her hands out to hold Ritchie for her.
"Don't you worry. Dean's gonna clean up all this mess," she volunteered for him. Dean smirked, not moving. Missouri looked over at him, her eyebrows raised. "Well, what are you waiting for, get a mop," she demanded. Dean gave her a look that said 'you're kidding me' but did as the older woman told him and slunk off to get a mop.
"And don't you cuss at me," she called after his retreating back, shaking her head.
"Thank you," Jenny said, meeting all of their eyes. Missouri nodded and handed the baby back to her, Adriana gave her a hug. Athena sullenly walked past, still holding her nose and Sam shook her hand.
"Yo! Dean!" he called before pulling open the front door, leaving Dean to find his own way out. Athena reached into her pocket and pulled the Impala keys out, holding them out randomly as Dean jogged over to the group. Dean looked at the keys, then at Athena, then at her.
"Don't. Say. A. Word," she said, tossing the keys to him.
"I'll see you youngsters tomorrow," Missouri said, climbing in her car ad pulling away. As soon as Dean unlocked the car, Athena slid in the back, putting her head in her hands. Sam glanced at Dean before following her. Adriana let out an affected sigh, as if she'd rather die than sit in the front with Dean, but climbed in all the same.
"Hey," Sam said to Athena softly, as they pulled away. The thing about the Impala's engine is that it made it perfectly plausible to have two conversations running at once and keep them relatively private. "You all right?" Sam asked her quietly.
Athena nodded. "Yeah. I'm perfectly fine. I just got my nose broken and popped back into place, is all," She said bitterly, rubbing her nose.
"Like Adriana said, it'll feel better after a while," He told her quietly. "Is that all that's bothering you?" He asked and she shook her head.
"No. But," She shrugged. "It's not really something you can help me with," She added and Sam nodded, knowing he shouldn't push the subject.
Up in the front, Dean was trying to be sympathetic to Adriana, but his sarcasm and wit kept getting in the way. "Dean, just stop," Adriana groaned. "Let it go."
"So, you make-out with all guys you meet?" Dean asked and Adriana shot him a glare. He smirked. "If that's the case, I'm all game," He said, winking teasingly. Adriana smacked him in the arm, causing the Impala to swing slightly over the shoulder of the road.
"That's disgusting, Dean," she said, wrinkling her nose. Dean looked at her nose.
"You don't even look like you've had your nose broken once," he said, slightly jealous as he touched his own. Adriana smirked happily.
"I know," she said, her smirk turning into a weary smile.
"Good thing mine doesn't detract from my pretty face," Dean said with a wink, and Adriana laughed. She tossed her hair back, her blonde curls bouncing, still managing to retain their shape even after heavy fighting. Dean smiled, a proper genuine smile as he went to turn off the highway. He glanced back in the mirror to see Sam looking intently at him.
"Dean. Turn around," Sam said. Dean did a double take, and finding Sam serious, pulled the car to a stop.
"What? Why?" he asked, urgency entering his voice. Sam flinched and put a hand to his head, groaning.
"Dean, something's still in there. Now turn around!" he said, flinching at something terrible being shown in his head alone. Dean spun the Impala in a circle and quickly sped back to town.
'What is it Sammy?" he said, looking back at him as often as he could afford. Sam's face eventually cleared of pain.
"I had another vision," he said. Dean nodded, and pulled down Jenny's street, not bothering to slow down. He jerkily stopped the car outside her house. It seemed undisturbed. It stayed that way for the next ten minutes. And the next half an hour after that. And the next hour after that. Dean sighed for the millionth time and stretched his legs onto the dashboard.
"All right, so tell me again, what are we still doin' here?" he asked for the fifth time. Adriana had since curled up and gone to sleep. Sam shook his head.
"I don't know, I just... still have a bad feeling" he said, unable to find the words to explain it. Athena hadn't said a word the entire time they'd been sitting there.
"Why? Missouri did her whole Zelda Rubenstein thing, the house should be clean, it should be over," Dean said glaring at nothing in particular. He looked over at Adriana, her blue eyes hidden by her eyelids. He'd of been asleep too, they both had the ability to knock themselves out. But Sam wouldn't let him. Obviously it must be something important.
"Yeah, well, probably. But I just wanna make sure, that's all," Sam said after a moments silence.
"Yeah, well, problem is, I could be sleeping in a bed right now," Dean said bitterly as he closed his eyes. Sam looked over the house again and saw movement. A figure appeared at the window. It was Jenny, screaming and battering her fists against it, begging to get out.
"Dean! Look, Dean!" Sam said sharply and Dean startled alert. He took one glance out the window before climbing out of the car.
The sound of the car doors opening woke Adriana who instantly hopped out and followed after the three in front of her. "Drie, go with Sam and get the kids. Athena, come with me and we'll get Jenny!" He shouted to the group as they rushed into the house and up the stairs. Dean and Athena were the first ones up into the hallway, rushing past Sairie's bedroom and stopped at a door at the end of the hallway that Dean knew was Jenny's.
"Jenny!" He called to her.
"I can't open the door!" She cried frantically, turning the door knob.
"Stand back!" He called back before kicking the door in, and breaking the lock. It swung open and Dean grabbed her hand, pulling her out of her room. "Come on!" He said urgently, rushing her down the stairs with Athena behind them.
Jenny pulled her hand out of his. "No! My kids!" She said, starting to run up the stairs, but Dean grabbed her and pulled her back.
"Sam and Adriana's got them," Athena reassured her and she allowed herself to be led outside by the two while they waited for the others.
"Drie, go get Richie, I'll grab Sairie," Sam told the blonde who nodded her head and quickly rushed into the nursery, picking the little toddler up out of his crib and holding him on her hip as she rushed into Sairie's room where Sam was grabbing Sairie and picking her up.
Adriana stared in shock at the fiery figure that was emerging out of the girl's closet. It was advancing on Sam and Sairie. Sam held the girl close, and covered her eyes.
"Don't look," He instructed Sairie who nodded and buried her head into Sam's shoulder.
Adriana led the way out of the room and down the stairs once she was sure Sam was ready to leave and had Sairie secure in his arms. They reached the foot of the stairs and Sam stopped, handing Sairie over to Adriana who took her hand in her own. "Sam, what are you doing?" She asked, confused as to why he was doing this.
"Take them outside as fast as you can go, and don't look back," He instructed Adriana, who shook her head, not understanding why he wasn't going to come with her. "Do it now, Drie," he said with more force and Adriana turned and went down the stairs with the two children.
She rushed across the lawn, stumbling slightly under the weight of both Sairie and Ritchie. It wasn't so much that they were heavy as she was short and off balance. She lowered the kids to the ground, and stood up, her breathing pattern normal.
"Drie. Where's Sam?" Dean asked urgently. Adriana met his eyes, worry mirrored in hers.
"He's inside," she said, her breath catching "I think something's got him."
Dean turned and fled into the house, with Adriana close behind him. As he reached the front door it slammed shut. Adriana glanced up at Dean, his face one of absolute panic. She darted forward and tried the handle, but it was locked.