Sorry about all of this character development and inner struggle stuff. Talk about SNORE! I promise, some butt-kicking is on its way!
Chapter 2- The Little White Church
Two days of driving and the inside of the Impala was silent. It was Dean's turn to drive, leaving Sam to get some sleep and Dean time to think.
While they had mostly patched up, the Winchester brothers' relationship was still, in a word, uncomfortable. Dean still felt a bitter taste in his mouth as he recalled the most recent event: Sam abandoning him for Ruby, a demon who used the younger Winchester to leave the gate of Hell wide open for the man himself, Lucifer. Dean tried to blame the whole ordeal on the black-eyed home wrecker, but deep down, he knew it was Sam who closed the door on Dean, not Ruby. While Dean had come to a point to where he could forgive Sam, the relationship had still taken damage. No matter how many times Sam apologized and Dean forgave, there was always going to be the fact that Sam released Lucifer and began the end of the world in the back of Dean's mind.
A pothole awoke Dean from his thoughts and brought him back to the present. He stroked the Impala's dash and cooed, "Sorry, Baby. I'm a little out of it today."
He read the address Sam had scribbled on a napkin again. It was taking them to the southeastern part of Ohio, a small town by the name of Circleville. Sam had researched it while Dean packed their stuff, but nothing stood out in the results.
Sam had asked, squinting at the luminated computer screen, "Don't you think there would be something happening if this 'weapon' is such a big deal? Someone had to have seen or heard something if it got to Castiel, right?"
Dean glanced up from the clothes he was stuffing in a plastic bag. "I don't know, man. If demons are trying to keep this 'weapon' to themselves, they probably don't want to stir up trouble."
Sam nodded and stared back down at the computer screen. "I suppose so. Hey, Dean?"
Dean continued to pack. "Yeah, Sammy?"
"Do you think this could be it? Our shot at stopping Lucifer? At…cleaning up my mess?"
Dean stopped and bit the inside of his cheek. He could hear the hope in Sam's voice and after years of hearing that same hope, he still couldn't squash it. He turned to his little brother and felt an even stronger pang of guilt. Sam wasn't doing too well hiding what he wanted to hear Dean say. His green eyes still did that dopey doe-eyed thing that suckered both Dean and their dad countless times. Dean felt the words weigh down on his tongue, but he chose to swallow them. He grinned at Sam, saying nonchalantly, "I don't see why not. Lucifer has to have a weakness too. We'll just have to find it."
Sam gave him a small smile, then closed the computer with a snap and started to pack. When Sam turned his back, Dean let his own smile drop and started tying his shoes. He had stopped trying to fool himself a long time ago.
Another pothole shook Dean out of the past. He swore under his breath. Haven't these people ever heard of asphalt?
Two hours later, Dean found the address Cas had given them. In front of him was a small, white church sitting on top of a grassy hill. It was October, so the leaves had already changed and were starting to dot the grass with a spectrum of colors. The church was graced with a small cross on its steeple and a few cars in the parking lot.
Dean rolled up the graveled driveway and parked in the parking lot. Sam blinked and sat up, stretching his arms so they touched each side of the car. "Are we here?"
"Yep." Dean held up the napkin and pointed at a sign with chipping paint and a matching address. "'Circleville Community Church'." He turned to his brother. "Get any sleep?"
Sam tucked his long hair behind his ears. "Not really. Just kind of dozed in and out."
Dean nodded and squinted up at the building. There were lights on inside, letting off a soft, orange glow. Dean never felt comfortable in churches. He never took the time to analyze why and was content with steering clear of them whenever possible. He squirmed at the warmth the light seemed to emit in the pit of his stomach.
Sam commented, "Looks like there are people inside."
Dean swallowed the nausea he began to feel. "Yeah." He opened the door and got out of the Impala. Sam followed suit. After a moment, Dean turned to Sam, resting an elbow on the hood of the Impala. "I don't know, Sam. This doesn't look like a place to hide a demon-killing weapon. Sure you got the address, right?"
That's when they heard the scream.