Wrap me in a bolt of lightning
Send me on my way still smiling
Maybe that's the way I should go,
Straight into the mouth of the unknown
I left the spare key on the table
Never really thought I'd be able to say
I merely visit on the weekends
I lost my whole life and a dear friend
I've said it so many times
I would change my ways
No, never-mind
God knows I've tried
Call me a sinner, call me a saint
Tell me it's over I'll still love you the same
Call me your favorite, call me the worst
Tell me it's over I don't want you to hurt
It's all that I can say. So, I'll be on my way
Call Me
Cole's POV
Miami, Florida
Jefferson's House
John knocked on the door of the house we were at for the second time in the few minutes we'd been out here. We hadn't gotten a response however we knew that Jefferson was here, he just wasn't answering. There were little telltale things such as leaving your porch lights on, door unlocked, and your car in the driveway that gave it away.
We decided to let ourselves in, moving easily through the large foyer with faux marble flooring – or maybe it was real, I didn't really know – and out toward the back of the house where there was a large open living area overlooking a swimming pool.
John crossed over to the liquor cabinet and helped himself to a whiskey while I peered up the stairs that led to the second floor.
"Jefferson?!" I called out, receiving no reply.
I shrugged at John who smirked, shaking his head.
"Maybe he's out with friends?" I suggested and John took a sip of the whiskey and then nodded toward the pool.
"Well, you got the friends part right," he said and I looked out the window, following his line of sight. I gasped in slightly amused horror as the scene before me unfolded, and like a train wreck, I couldn't seem to look away.
Jefferson was lying on a massage table under the back porch, completely buck naked as a couple of girls in nothing but skimpy bikinis attended to him. He was lying on his back, his head thrown back in the throes of ecstasy as one of the girls rode him like a she was about to take first place at the local rodeo. The second girl had her hands all over his torso, licking and playing with a nipple as I saw him moan. I was suddenly grateful for the doors being closed, because the audio of Jefferson in the middle of an orgasm did not sound like something I wanted to know about.
I turned away, almost blushing to see John shaking his head with a chuckle.
"Are you going to say something?" I asked and John raised his eyebrow.
"Like what? I'm not going to ruin the man's fun, we're about to ask him to put his life at risk for us, at least let him enjoy every man's fantasy first," he said with a grin, sliding an arm around me.
"Every man's fantasy huh?" I asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes.
"Oh please like you wouldn't like to get your hands on The Rock in duplicate," he said with a grin.
"That's... beside the point!" I said with a return grin.
"What is the point?" Jefferson's voice said suddenly, and I turned to see him leaning casually in the doorway to the porch, a toweling robe tied around his previously naked body. The twins were hovering nearby, watching him with smiles on their faces.
"Girls, why don't you go upstairs and make yourselves... comfortable." He said with a smile, and they nodded, ignoring us as they walked through the living room to the stairs.
"What can I do for you John?" Jefferson asked, moving over to the liquor cabinet and taking the whiskey John offered him.
"I need your help," John said, looking at him.
"Well, well, things must be serious," he said with a grin, knocking back his drink. "What are you after? Vampires? Wendigo? The Dingo that ate that baby?"
John rolled his eyes and poured himself another drink, drawing out the conversation. Jefferson sighed and shook his head, moving to sit in a comfortable leather chair, watching John curiously.
"I have all night," he said casually, raising an eyebrow.
"You sure about that?" John teased, nodding toward the stairs. Jefferson smirked and looked back toward where the girls had gone.
"They'll wait," he said confidently with a smile.
"You sure?" John asked with a smirk.
"Positive."
I threw my hands in the air and stalked through the middle of the pair, turning to face them. "Could we do away with the pissing contest guys? They might wait all day but I got a parasite inside of me that says I gotta go pee, and then I'm gonna be thirsty, and hungry, and I can't knock back a fifth of whiskey to butch out and beat you at the man games!"
Jefferson raised an eyebrow at me and then got out of the chair. "Well, only one woman I've heard of that speaks like that. You must be Cole, Beth's told me a lot about you," he said. I nodded, crossing my arms.
"You're pregnant?! Congratulations!" He said with a grin and an appreciative once over. John seemed to think twice about the smile because he walked over, slipping his hand around my waist. This movement wasn't missed by Jefferson.
"What? You two? It's his?!" Jefferson asked incredulously before looking at John, an ear-splitting grin formed across his face. "Ah. Those little blue pills must be treating you well, eh Winchester?"
John snorted and shook his head, groaning slightly. I looked at him and he smiled, pulling me a little closer.
"Just... let's get down to business, huh?" John said and Jefferson nodded.
"Please do, as you know, I have plans waiting on me," he said with a raised eyebrow.
"I need you to come on a hunt with me," John said and Jefferson crossed his arms, looking at him curiously. "I'm going after Grace."
That got Jefferson's face to break he looked incredulously at John, shaking his head. "No, no way is she still alive after all these years," he said and I realized with a start that Jefferson knew of Grace – that was a new piece of information.
"You know her?" I asked.
"In a manner of speaking," Jefferson said. "We've crossed paths."
"You need to help me, for Patrick," John said and Jefferson looked down at his hands before turning bright blue eyes up and nodding.
"Of course, you don't even have to ask," he said. "I'll pack, we'll leave straight away." The joviality had left his face, suddenly this bleach-blonde, blue-eyed beach bum was all business, and there wasn't even a complaint that his evening had just been ruined. I looked at him curiously; if that had been me, I'd have been cussing a blue streak at John.
"We'll pick you up in the morning, enjoy your time with the doublemint twins," John said with a grin, pulling me toward the front door. "I got a pee-driven bottomless pit of hormones to feed anyway," he said with a grin and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Bastard!" I cursed, shoving him softly but smiling at him.
We left the Englishman to his twins, and retreated to the safety of the truck. "I could really go for a steak right about now," I said, climbing into the passenger seat. "And then dessert back at the motel," I offered suggestively, raising an eyebrow.
Jefferson's House
The Following Day
"So where are we heading?" Jefferson asked as he chucked his bag by the hall leading to the front door.
John and I were helping ourselves to some food before we set out for Illinois. We were also currently filling Jefferson in on the Grace O'Malley situation.
"I picked up some omens near Chicago. And Grace recently developed a nasty habit of tailing the kids, which is where they currently are." John said to Jefferson.
Jefferson leaned back against the counter worry furrowing his brow. "Why? That makes no bloody sense why would a demon be so interested in the kids?" He asked.
I glanced away from him and down at the pizza I was busily picking toppings off.
John answered. "It has something to do with Beth for some reason they seem very interested in her. And I've been doing my best to keep them separated." He explained.
I picked the last of the onions off the piece of pizza I was currently considering eating, when Jefferson's voice directly to my right surprised me. "You know sweetheart if you're going to pick all the good stuff off my pizza, why did you pull it out to eat?" He asked reaching out and plucking the discarded toppings from my plate.
My reflexes were just a bit quicker than his were and I reached out slapping his hand away from my food. I turned to face him, "I'm pregnant and hungry. This was the only thing I felt like eating in your fridge. Mouldy cheese doesn't really do it for me." I said snippily. "If you want to keep that hand don't touch my food." I added warningly.
Jefferson raised an eyebrow clearly not intimidated. Many people usually made that mistake, however most of them only made it once. A slow cocky grin spread across his face. "Well, well, sweetheart, aren't you testy."
I glared at him. "Call me sweetheart again and it'll be a while before you can entertain any lady friends." I growled.
His eyes widened in shock, but it didn't stop the grin from reappearing on his face. "Touché." He replied, moving out of arms reach from me. John leaned back in his chair an amused grin forming on his face as he watched the two of us bickering. This was going to be a long hunt.
John shook his head resuming the conversation. "As I was saying we need to catch Grace and exorcise whatever demon is riding her around. She's been used for long enough."
Jefferson shook his head in agreement. "I can't believe that demon has used a single meatsuit for so long. It's almost unheard of."
John nodded, "Well might as well get moving." He said authoritatively "No point in sticking around here."
I followed them out into the driveway while Jefferson tossed his bag into the back seat of his Plymouth Roadrunner. I smiled rolling my eyes as John gave the car an appreciative once over, turning to the truck I climbed in the passenger seat getting comfortable. It would be a while before we made it out of here now that they were talking cars.
Motel Room
"Okay. So we've managed to pinpoint mass clusters of omens to the Chicago area." John said spreading a map out along the table. "We've also got omens, here in Cicero, Westchester and Burbank." He said with a sigh.
I groaned, the nineteen hour drive had caught up with me and I wanted to do nothing more than sleep. I moved towards the single queen in the room flopping down on my back, still listening to them discuss ways to track down the demon.
"Are we boring you Sleeping Beauty?" Jefferson's cocky English voice reached my ears. I threw my arm over my eyes blocking out the light.
I growled threateningly as I felt him lower himself next to me.
"Oh yes I see the appeal now. You think so much better flat on your back with your eyes closed. Don't worry, the big boys can get some work done while you sleep dearest Aurora..." Jefferson said with a cheeky grin.
I moved my arm, turning in time to see the huge grin as he teased me. I simply glared at him my hand twitching, itching to go for the knife in my boot, or the gun at the small of my back.
I glanced at John and he was watching us both with an amused expression on his face. He was probably reading my reaction in case he had to save a friend. I smirked at the thought. I moved then rolling so my face was above Jefferson's. "Call me princess, sweetheart, Aurora, Sleeping Beauty or anything else to do with a fairy tale again I will go for your nuts." I said softly my smirk still in place.
I rolled back onto my back, when suddenly I found myself pinned to the bed, my hands above my head, Jefferson hovering over the top of me. The move was so fast I practically missed it. I drew in a shocked breath. I recognized what was happening to me, but it was happening so fast I couldn't stop it.
So many years had gone by since my assault I practically forgot about it but every once in a while when I completely let my guard down some flashback or trigger would manage to slip through and I'd be so caught up in it I forgot to breathe my way through it and I simply reacted.
Jefferson replied easily, cockily with, "You don't exactly scare me Snow White. I'm pretty sure of my chances; you're rather easy to take." However in that moment I wasn't seeing or hearing him. I saw flashes of someone else, someone I'd trusted, flashes of three men forcing themselves on me.
My breathing was coming out in short erratic irregular gasps. My eyes widened and I fought, instinct taking over as my mind refused to believe what was right in front of me, instead taking me back into a dark empty void where I was completely and utterly alone and defenceless.
Jefferson's eyes widened with the realization that something else was going on here within our previously good-natured fun. I desperately fought to free one hand from his grasp but instinct had him tightening his grip, which caused me to panic more. He backed off sitting up and releasing my hands. Considering I was already in the middle of a panic attack I attacked the minute I could lashing out with a thrust to his nose.
He pulled away quickly but not before my palm connected with his nose, backing away as soon as he was able to, putting some distance between my violent defences and his well-mannered intentions. I managed to regulate my breathing and force my mind to compartmentalize my fears talking myself through what I intellectually knew was a flashback. I felt John's reassuring weight on the mattress next to me, and I fought not to attack him as well. My mind felt fragmented, disoriented, broken. I recognized the scent that I managed to pull myself together by, I smelled John. I inhaled deeply drawing him into my lungs forcing myself to slow my racing heart, and fighting back my instinctual need to defend myself.
I breathed slowly and deeply forcing my tense muscles to relax as John reached for me, drawing me into the shelter of his body, if we'd been alone he would have pulled me into his lap, and held me however he knew my pride would never allow such a display of weakness in front of other people. I tucked myself in under his arm, breathing my way out of the darkness.
"You okay?" He asked quietly. I nodded, unable to speak just then.
"Oh I'm fine thanks for asking." Jefferson said darkly, however I glanced up in time to see the apology and humour dancing in his eyes. Apprehension filled me as I took in his hand grasping his nose. Oops.
John grinned glancing down at me then back to Jefferson. "Serves you right. She warned you not to call her anything cute and you turned around and called her Snow White. I'd bust you in the nose too!" He said with a laugh.
Jefferson rolled his watering eyes, "Jesus Xena, I think you broke my nose!" He said complaining.
I shivered preparing myself to stand and go make sure I hadn't actually caused any serious damage. John moved next to me and there was a Bible flying across the room, Jefferson ducked it grinning.
"Idiot, that's a princess too!" John snapped darkly.
Jefferson smirked. "No that is a fierce warrior goddess which definitely matches her personality now that she's managed to break my nose." He said with a chuckle.
I rolled my eyes, beginning to relax a little more. "I didn't break your nose you big cry baby." I said going along with their teasing.
John nudged me, "You sure you're okay?" He asked softly.
I looked at him seriously. "I'm good."
"Okay." He said pressing a kiss to my temple before moving from the bed back to the table. "Now as I was saying before you two decided to go all Chuck Norris on each other, if we can figure out which omen set belongs to Grace we would know where to attack, and leave the other three to whichever hunters happen to be in the area." John said turning back to business. I forced myself to focus going back to the job at hand.
"What if we used a tracking spell?" I asked. "Use it as a tracer?"
Jefferson shook his head, "That wouldn't work. Do you have any idea how much evil is running around Chicago?" He stated.
"What we need is an extra set of hands." John said thoughtfully. "Got any contacts in the Chicago area?" He asked looking at Jefferson.
Jefferson shrugged. "I'll see what I can do." He said noncommittally.
"If we knew the demon's true name, would that give us better luck with a tracking spell?" I asked suddenly.
John and Jefferson both looked at me. "It would be the equivalent of a supernatural lo-jack." John said a grin forming across his face.
Jefferson shared his look of excitement, turning to leave, he said, "I'm gonna go see what contacts I can rustle up in the area, maybe see if anyone's heard of a new powerful big bad coming to the area that might be able to help us out."
When the door clicked shut and John and I were alone, I moved to the table leaning into him.
"You sure you're okay?" He asked again.
I sighed. "Yeah." I said dejectedly. "It just seems to come back and bite me in the ass at the worst possible time you know?" I said softly.
"I do." John agreed. He grinned down at me, "Man you sure had him scrambling back from you though." He said with a chuckle.
I snorted, groaning softly. "Ugh. I should really go apologize." I said.
John leaned down pressing a kiss onto the top of my head. "Okay." He said. "But you don't owe him an explanation, if you don't feel comfortable giving him one then don't." He said sternly.
I smiled before sliding out from under his arm moving to the door. I stopped short when John kept hold of my wrist pulling me back into him. "What?" I asked softly smiling up at him.
"I haven't said goodnight to the baby yet." He said dropping a hand down to my stomach. I was barely showing this early in the pregnancy, but small changes had started to occur, things that only John or I would notice.
John pushed me back towards the bed kissing me. "Okay, yeah I should give him some time to cool down first." I said tilting my face up expectantly for a kiss.
"Mmmhmm." John agreed kissing me again. "That's a very good idea."
A half hour later, I made my way down the catwalk to the room Jefferson was staying in. I heard his voice clearly speaking to someone; however, it was when another voice answered that I paused, curiosity getting the better of me. How in the hell would he have run across another hunter already?
"Are you sure about this?" Jefferson said and there was a pause.
"My contacts are certain, he'll be there," a woman's voice said from behind the door.
"Forgive me if I'm a little sceptical darlin'… the last time…"
"Last time was not my fault," she cut him off and I smirked at Jefferson getting a talking down from a woman.
There was a pause and I rested my hand on the handle to the door, but I couldn't bring myself to enter, I was curious as to where this woman had suddenly turned up from after Jefferson had been fairly non-committed about whether he had any Chicago contacts.
"Come on baby, have I ever turned you wrong?" The woman asked and I thought I heard a sigh that sounded slightly like a moan.
"We go find this demon, he'll have the intel you need," she said. That was all I had to hear.
I opened the door stepping into the room and seeing Jefferson and a pretty blonde woman standing close to each other in the middle of the room. She was peering up at him, but as the door opened she turned intense green eyes to me and I was instantly reminded of Dean's eyes. The resemblance stopped there: tall, leggy, and with a body to die for she looked like a supermodel, not a hunter, and I felt a moment of insecurity rush through my five foot three frame.
"Great let's go." I said all thoughts of apologizing to Jefferson flying from my mind. It would be over soon, I could feel it.
Jefferson frowned at me his eyes widening a fraction of an inch in shock. "Cole?" He said cautiously. "Uh this is Altea, a fellow hunter from the Chicago area." He finished.
"Yeah I figured and from what I just heard she can lead us to a demon who can give us Grace's demonic name. Let's get a move on." I said turning away and striding back to the room I was sharing with John.
Sleep suddenly didn't seem as important anymore, I could sleep when this was over.
Cicero, Illinois
Foreclosed House
I wasn't entirely sure I trusted this woman Altea, however she had a lead that could take us to Grace and get us one step closer to vanquishing her, so we were going to take it. John and I had followed Jefferson's Roadrunner down the block from an abandoned and foreclosed house in Cicero, Illinois only a few miles directly outside of Chicago's city limits.
I watched through the windshield as Jefferson and Altea climbed out of the car, turning back to us as John cut the engine. John and I got out, moving to the bed of the truck as the false floor containing our weapons glided out noiselessly. We loaded ourselves up with the usual salt rounds, guns, holy water.
I glanced up at John. His game face was on, that impenetrable mask that made it impossible to tell what he was thinking. I stepped up to him gaining his attention. "You okay?" I asked him.
He swallowed dropping his gaze down to his gun which he was checking over. "Yeah." He said not offering anything else.
I nodded, wanting to say more but feeling unsure of myself and unable to get it out.
Jefferson and Altea moved around the back of the house preparing to trap the demon inside, while John and I blocked his only other exit. Once we'd salted all the doors and windows we could find on the outside of the one story house, John moved up to the front door knocking insistently.
The door opened as I stood to the left of it, my gun drawn. I forced my way inside as the demon saw both of us, his eyes instantly turning jet black. He turned and ran, tearing a path of destruction through the house. He made it to the back door, however Altea and Jefferson where there pouring a line of salt behind them blocking the demon's exit.
We had him. I smiled triumphantly, lowering my gun. I knew better, just because you have a wild animal cornered does not mean they're defenceless. The demon turned back toward John and I using his telekinetic powers on us. John was flung across the room, landing hard on the floor. As I turned to go to him the demon caught me to, flinging me face first into a marble counter top that served as a bar to the kitchen area. I connected with it solidly a sharp wicked blow low to my abdomen. I rolled the minute I was able as Jefferson opened fire on the demon momentarily distracting him. Jefferson managed a head shot and the demon collapsed temporarily out.
John and I both rose shakily to our feet. I pressed a hand to my mouth as a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm me. I rushed past the others into the kitchen where I vomited in the sink.
When I glanced through the window into the living room I saw John spray painting a devils trap on the floor and Jefferson securing the demon to a chair in the middle of the trap. Altea was standing just outside of the trap her rock salt rifle trained on the demon.
I fought down another bout of nausea, concerned. I was twelve weeks along, my nausea and vomiting had stopped nearly two weeks ago for certain. I ignored my body shrugging off my symptoms. We were too close to taking down Grace. I could wait a few days.
Jefferson moved through the front of the house, heading for the roadrunner which had a gallon of Holy Water freshly prepared in the trunk. I paused, feeling a cramp run through my abdomen; I reached out a hand leaning against the breakfast bar, one hand moving to my stomach. My belly felt tight and rigid.
I tensed. I needed to go to a hospital. But we were so close. Surely this could wait a few more hours. Just long enough for us to get Grace. Once we took down Grace we would be that much closer to taking down Azazel.
John came to stand beside me, his gaze taking in the hand resting on my stomach, and the other hand bracing on the breakfast bar, my knuckles clenched tight and white around the edge of the counter top. "Nicole, are you okay?" He asked.
I fought with myself, I wasn't okay I knew that. This shouldn't be happening, but I was reluctant to voice my concerns to him. We were so damn close. I nodded giving him a tight lipped smile that I knew I wouldn't be able to pull off for long. I tried not to double over as a stronger contraction threatened to blow my cover.
John looked at me suspiciously. I tried to keep my face as normal as possible I'd just lied to him again. I seemed to be doing that a lot lately. He narrowed his eyes at me. "Are you sure? Cole you took a pretty hard hit to the stomach. Is the baby okay?" He asked, trying to work an answer out of me around my lie.
"The baby's fine." I said softly. Then another contraction started, this one did force me to double over. I moaned, as John stepped into me gripping my arm.
"Yeah right you little liar. Come on we're going to the nearest hospital." He said his tone of voice leaving no room for an argument. And at this point I wouldn't have argued anyways. I knew what these signs meant but I didn't want to believe that this could be happening to me. To us.
"I'm taking her to the hospital." John said to Jefferson and Altea. "Call me when you get something of use out of this demon, then exorcise him and send his ass back to hell." John said.
Jefferson nodded, looking concerned at me; Altea watched the demon with deadly intent, not even giving us a second glance.
Hospital
When we got to the hospital, John and I walked through the automatic doors of the Emergency Room, we knew better than to check in and actually go through the waiting room. The triage nurse met us at the door, taking my arm and looking me over with a critical eye. Finding nothing outwardly wrong, she turned to John for an explanation.
I opened my mouth before he could answer. "I'm about 12 weeks pregnant and I took a really hard hit to the abdomen." I said quickly. "I'm having contractions but as far as I know of I'm not having any bleeding." The nurse didn't look overly concerned, but she took us to a private curtain and began checking my vital signs.
My heart rate was a little elevated but the rest of my vital signs were normal. She gave me a gown and left me to change while she went to gather supplies, and start a chart for me.
A short while later she came back when I was changed and seated on the stretcher. I looked away from John smiling at something he'd said when another woman entered the curtained area dragging a machine with her. An ultrasound machine.
The dark sinned woman smiled at me. "Hi my name is Eleanor. I'm going to be doing an ultrasound so we can see what's going on with your baby." She said giving me a warm smile.
I nodded in agreement. The nurse had come in with her and she took the moment to ask. "Have you had anymore cramping since being here?" I answered her shaking my head no. We'd been here an hour already.
"I haven't had any more cramping, contractions or bleeding." I said truthfully as John leaned forward tangling his fingers in mine.
The nurse nodded her head. "All right well I'm inclined to believe it was a passing scare, but we're gonna get you checked out just the same okay?"
"That's why I'm here." I said trying not to think about what we were missing to be here. At the same time, I was touched. I knew how much it must have cost John to come here with me rather than track down Grace and by extension Yellow Eyes.
Eleanor was pressing a few buttons on the machine, and then she removed a wand from the ultrasound. I looked at John, which made me feel a little better. He was watching her with a raised eyebrow looking a little lost and concerned.
Eleanor pulled the sheet down a little towards my thighs, while raising my gown to expose my stomach. I gripped John's hand tighter, my gaze searching his face. He relaxed a little smiling down at me, then glanced back at Eleanor a questioning if somewhat relieved look coming over his face.
"Okay so this ultrasound is gonna be done over her stomach?" he said indicating the lowered sheet and raised hospital gown. "Geeze for a minute there I thought that was gonna be used as a probe." He said to me lowering his voice, although with Eleanor in hearing distance, she still caught it.
I opened my mouth to explain it to him. Eleanor beat me to it. "No sir this will be done through the stomach. She's far enough along we should be able to get a decent picture." She said. "Although depending on how the baby is positioned that may still be an option we'll have to take." She added and I grimaced uncomfortably.
I swear I saw John pale and I fought not to grin at his expense. "Why don't you wait outside?" I asked him quietly.
He lowered his gaze to mine. "No, I'm fine I'll wait right here with you." He said.
I leaned back trying to relax a little. But I couldn't help tightening my grip on John.
Eleanor clicked a few different buttons taking numerous shots from many different angles before finally settling on the ones she liked the best. When she was done, she turned to me offering me a small smile and a towel to get myself cleaned up with. "Okay it looks like I'm done. I'm gonna get these to the doctor and she should be in here momentarily to let you know what's what." She said
"Okay. Sounds good." I said attempting to keep my voice light.
She exited the room closing the door behind her, and not a moment later John's phone began ringing. I watched as he glanced at the caller ID, and then let it keep ringing. I rolled my eyes. "You should at least talk to them." I said softly.
John looked at me. "I know. I will. I just need to get rid of Grace first. Then I'll make more of an effort with them." He said sighing.
I smirked. "You know I'm just curious are you gonna be this much of a deadbeat dad with our child?" I asked playfully.
John chuckled and tugged on a stray curl. "No because someone's gonna have to keep you from going all exorcist mommy on the kid. It'll be my job to keep him alive. And if he's anything like I was as a boy that will be a full time job." He said then added. "Or if he's anything like you were as a kid, we might be in a little bit of trouble." He said laughing.
He scratched absently at his bearded jaw. "You remember that time Dean blew up that car?"
I almost snorted my eyes going wide and I quickly averted my gaze. I did remember. I remember Dean had been in quite a bit of trouble over that particular incident and that the genius behind snatching the C-4 from the Impala and tossing it into an old gas tank and lighting fuse had been my idea.
John had all eyes on me even as his phone vibrated indicating a new voicemail. "Uh yeah about that. You know Dean didn't really blow up that car. He just kinda happened to walk by as I was hauling ass in the opposite direction." I said, embarrassment colouring my cheeks.
John's eyes kept their amused expression. He enjoyed watching me squirm. "Somehow I knew that." He said lightly.
"It kinda sucked cause I could have been farther away by the time the car blew but I had to go back and get him. He took me at my word though and we both just hauled ass outta there." I said explaining it away. Now I felt almost guiltier than I had then, but that was a long time ago and I hadn't wanted to get into trouble.
I'd come out with a pretty neat scar out of the deal though as a piece of the bumper had flown off and shaved off the skin on my arm. Dean had beaten me behind a few cars and wrenched on my arm tossing me to the ground but not before the car had already blown shrapnel everywhere.
Dad and John had come barrelling out of the house running for the salvage yard. It was one of the few times I'd ever seen them both so worried. But it wasn't long before that worry had faded into a kind of desperate fury.
"Wait how did you know Dean wasn't the one to pick the Impala and take the C4?" I asked curiously.
"Well since I taught you how to pick a lock when you were little, and your dad kinda frowned on it I didn't bother teaching Dean how to pick a lock until he was about fifteen. He couldn't have done it." John said.
My eyes widened. It suddenly dawned on me how much trouble Dean had been in for that stunt. And because I was the one who came out injured and needing a few stitches, I was in the clear because I was the sweet little girl who couldn't have possibly done something so dangerous; and yet Dr. Evil had been in the house.
"Man. And you were so hard on him too." I said feeling even more guilt than I had a few minutes ago realizing how hard John had been on Dean.
John shrugged. "Dean's a tough kid and a stunt that bad needed someone to take the fall for it, you both could have been killed." He added.
I bit my lip. "So if you knew it was really me and not Dean why didn't you rat me out?" I asked. Apparently he'd been covering my ass longer than I'd realized.
John shot me a roguish grin. I knew I wasn't going to like what came out of his mouth next. "I didn't want to ruin your daddy's little princess image." He said laughing at my expression of outrage. How dare he go there!
I doubled up my fist punching him in the stomach; he didn't even act like he felt it he just laughed more, grabbing my hand as I pulled away from him.
"You're just lucky the preacher's daughter wasn't around, Dean was always taking the fall for some of her stuff," I said with a grin.
John looked amused and sat back. "That right?"
"Oh yeah, she's got a little wild streak to her when Dean's around, that daughter of yours," I said with a laugh.
"Funny, I always thought she seemed to tame Dean a bit," John said.
"She did, and he brought out her wild side, that's why they're good together." I said, thinking about it. John shook his head with a smile. "It's also why they were so self-destructive when you were doing the whole thou shalt not sleep with your sister routine," I pointed out. John grimaced and then shrugged. Nothing he could do about it now, what's done was done.
John leaned over me pressing his lips to mine. I eagerly accepted opening my mouth to his. I moaned when he quit as the curtain pulled back, the doctor entering. John made no hurried movements to cover our actions, although it made many people uncomfortable around us. "I swear you're the devil's daughter." He said his voice deepening and taking on a husky quality that often left me shivering in desire.
I grinned licking my lips as he pulled away turning towards the doctor. I barely managed to turn a self-satisfied smirk into a welcoming smile when the pretty blonde introduced herself.
"I'm Dr. Drake." She said her gaze darting between the two of us. I thought I detected a slight censure in her gaze until she looked at John suddenly it was gone, replaced with a look of desire. My smile grew wider at that.
"Well according to your ultrasound results the baby appears to be progressing nicely. You were brought in for a possible miscarriage?" She asked.
I nodded my head. "Yeah I was having cramps, but no bleeding and this being my first baby; I just wanted to make sure nothing was wrong."
"I see." She said. "Well everything is okay on that front. You won't even have to stay for observation." She said. I sighed in relief, I hadn't even thought about having to stay longer. "However if you begin having anymore contractions, especially if bleeding occurs you'll need to come back in." She said.
"Okay." I agreed.
She turned away to leave then turned back. "Did you want to know what you're having?" She asked.
I inhaled as John and I looked at each other. An excited grin crossed my face as I sat up on the stretcher, throwing my legs over the side. I was practically bouncing in my seat; the stretcher was even shaking slightly. "I wanna know. What about you do you wanna know?" I asked quickly and excitedly.
John just grinned at me. "Well if you want to know, then I want to know." He said smiling at me and turning back to the doctor nodding for her to continue.
"Well as a nurse you know that ultrasounds are not entirely accurate this early on. Sometimes a little girl can look like a boy and vice versa. So you'll have to wait until about twenty weeks to be one hundred percent certain." She said pausing. "However, at this moment it looks like you're having a boy." She said smiling at us both.
I grinned feeling almost giddy with excitement. Now it was real. We had proof besides a psychic's word and a few, well ten, home pregnancy tests to confirm it. We were having a baby. And even better it was a boy!
As we walked out of the hospital I was chattering nonstop, which was a rarity for me. But I was happy hopeful and totally psyched!
"Can you believe it? We're having a boy!" I said as John and I walked to the car. I threaded both arms through his as we made our way through the parking lot.
"No." John said.
I kept on chattering as we walked I barely heard him anyways. "Of course I would have been happy either way, but a boy. Wow thank God!" I exclaimed. "Could you see me with a girl?" I added, not caring about the answer. "We'd probably kill each other when she hit puberty. And you'd have out every gun you owned on the table and cleaning them all just for her to be picked up for a play date." I said, snorting at the image however, I knew with certainty that I was right. There was a reason Beth hadn't dated much in her teens, other than the major crush she had been sporting on Dean.
John just smiled down at me letting me carry on like a complete and utter idiot, and I knew I was probably getting annoying, I was almost to the point where I was annoying myself. Thank God for Jefferson's timing. He totally burst my happy little dream bubble with real life demon crap by placing a call to John.
"Hey," John answered. "Did you exorcise the demon yet?" He asked and listened to the reply.
"Yeah. Okay we'll meet you guys back at the hotel." He said. "We can go over specifics there."
"Did they get the demon?" I asked.
"Yeah they got him, and they also got a name. Abaddon." He said glancing at me. He started the truck his brow furrowed. "I don't know why, but that name sounds so damn familiar to me." He said. "Like I've heard it somewhere before, I just can't remember where."
He let the truck warm up while he dialled his voice mail. I wasn't surprised to hear Dean's voice come through on speaker phone. "We think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom. So, uh, this warehouse – it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can." Dean said.
I frowned. "Looks like you were right about Grace stalking the kids." I said worriedly.
John flipped his phone closed and put the truck in gear. We weren't far from the hotel, simply minutes.
When we got to the hotel Jefferson was there demon proofing the room. "Where's Altea?" I asked when I saw him painting a devil's trap on the ceiling. I walked into the room finding salt at the window, and moving into the bathroom salt had barred that window from access too.
When I moved back into the main room I looked up at the ceiling where a standard devil's trap was painted. I did a double take, taking in the width of the door, and the size of the trap. I cocked my head to the side. John noticed my weird look and came to stand next to me. Cocking his head and scoffing at the trap.
"What?" Jefferson asked sounding a little defensive.
"Did you happen to take geometry in school?" I asked.
"Yes of course, analytical geometry was required." He said sounding prim and proper with his English accent. I shifted my gaze blinking up at John, this was too perfect. He opened the door wide for us.
"Well, would you mind analysing your devil's trap in relationship to the door?" John asked with a huge grin on his face.
I smirked ready for the second punch. "Yeah genius you missed half the door! She can walk right in." I added.
Jefferson grinned at us chuckling like a maniac. It was actually a little scary. My eyebrow rose as I realised he had an ace in the hole. "Au contraire mes amies." He said softly pointing to a spot where the moulding had carefully been pulled up to reveal the cheap linoleum that they hadn't even bothered to glue down. Underneath was a perfect devil's trap spanning the entire length of the space that was left for us to pass through.
I grinned at the brilliance that was Jefferson's cunning. "Freaking brilliant!" I said moving forward to admire the work. "God man I could kiss you right now!" I said staring up at him in awe.
Jefferson shot a hesitant look back towards John, I risked a glance behind me and John had narrowed his eyes at the both of us, his gaze warning the younger man off. I smirked moving closer, but not too close.
Jefferson swallowed and licked his lips gazing down at me. "Well, you ever tire of the senior citizen over there and need a fresh perspective feel free to look me up." He said softly that English lilt I'm sure had driven more than one woman wild throughout the years. "However until you make that clear to him, please restrain yourself from my obvious good looks and charm, I'd like to be able to leave this hunt in one piece and not in a matchbox." He said smirking at me.
I laughed at the thought. Yeah not the first time I'd been warned about other people's safety when it came to John and I. Rather John's personal feelings regarding me and other men.
Motel Room
Chicago, Illinois
I finally got the chance to sleep while Jefferson and John were gathering ingredients for the tracking spell. I woke when I heard the door open my hand sliding under my pillow to my knife.
I rolled to face the doorway expecting to find John and Jefferson however, Grace stood before me. She paused slightly in the doorway, her gaze glancing up and scanning the ceiling of the dingy motel room. She took note of the improperly drawn devil's trap and a cocky smile slipped into place. Still she paused her overzealousness had already gotten her trapped with John and I once before.
I inhaled sharply and rolled off the far side of the bed coming to my feet thankfully I was still dressed in the clothes I'd been wearing, but I'd disarmed so that I could sleep, now I was only armed with my knife.
"You've got something up your sleeve." She said softly, her voice sounding clear as a bell but still cautious.
I shot her a confused glance. "Um hello, sleeveless." I said haughtily, indicating my bare arms the t-shirt and over shirt I'd been wearing were temporarily discarded on a nearby chair.
Grace narrowed her eyes at me, taking a wary step into the room skirting around the Devil's trap on the ceiling. "That's funny." She said softly. "You're a funny little girl." She said with a twisted smile. She stepped further into the room, closing the door behind her. She paused before taking another step, toeing up a rug and revealing the trap underneath. "Just how dumb do I look?" Grace asked with a smirk, stepping around the second devil's trap.
I shrugged backing away, I was officially worried. "Hey man a girl can never be too careful especially in this day and age." I said warily trying to keep distance between us.
"Tell me you still gonna have pithy retorts and witty little comebacks when I cut your tongue out. And leave your naked broken body in bed for Dear John to find when he comes home and realizes he has once again failed to protect one of the few people he cares most about?" She asked her eyes lightening into a brilliant blue as if she found everything she'd just said hilarious. And knowing her she probably had.
I widened my eyes and arched an eyebrow. Yeah I had nothing for that. Taking a step back I glanced at the clock in the room. How much longer was I going to have to stay here and baby sit?
Grace stalked forward, and I fought my instinct to back away yet again. She hit the edge of the trap and almost bounced back like she was hitting a solid wall. Her face twisted into a snarl and she growled at me, attempting to take another step forward and again bouncing back.
"Well well. Long time no see Grace." An arrogant English voice said from behind her. I lifted my eyes to meet Jefferson's. I'd never been so thankful for another person's presence in my life. He stepped past the edge of the devil's trap.
"Where's John?" I asked Jefferson.
He looked at me. "He said he was going to go see the kids."
I drew back my eyebrows drawing together. "Seriously? We're a little busy here." I said.
Jefferson shrugged. "I guess we'll just sit on her."
John's POV
Boarding Room
Chicago, Illinois
The boarding room manager was only too happy to provide me with the kids' room number. I made my way down the hall to the room they'd been assigned. I figured they couldn't be long, the warehouse they'd been at had a young woman fall from its depths and while I seriously doubted she'd died, I figured she wouldn't bother us for a little while.
I leaned down, deftly picking the lock and stepping inside, locking the door behind me.
I moved towards the window staring out of it and took a deep breath. This was the first time I would have seen my children in over a year – longer for Sam. I would need them to help me get through this. Now that Nicole was going to be busy for a little while, I needed someone else to give me a hand.
Fear gripped me as I thought about the dangers I could be placing them all into. However, they deserved to be in this fight. If anyone else was going to help me take down this demon it would be the kids.
I turned my head slightly I could hear footsteps coming down the hallway. Then I heard them bickering, definitely my kids. I fought back a small smile that threatened to escape.
When I heard the scraping of the key in the lock, I turned my back to the room at large, not stupid enough to move. They would come in armed, even if their guns weren't drawn they had quick enough reflexes and I didn't need to risk getting shot. Nicole would kill me if I came back injured.
It took the kids a moment to spot me, Dean was the one who saw me first, and I felt a rush of pride for my son. I'd done everything I could think of to make him as strong and protective as I could. He was the best.
"Hey!" Dean shouted and I turned slowly not daring to make any sudden moves. Dean didn't appear armed but I knew Beth would be. The lights flipped on before I even turned fully around and suddenly I was face to face with them.
Dean stood shocked and staring as did Beth although to give her props she was at least armed. Dean hadn't bothered to pull his gun, although his hand moved to the waistband at his jeans. He dropped it once he saw me. I heard Sam fumbling through a bag of weapons, but when he heard Dean's voice again he paused glancing up to see me.
"Dad?" Dean questioned his eyes staring disbelievingly at me. I smiled warmly at him. Shifting my gaze to each of them in turn.
"Hey kids." I said, smiling at them. Dean stumbled towards me as if in shock. I met Dean half way tears in my eyes, and hugged him to me. God it felt good to be with my children again. I looked over Dean's shoulder with a smile at Beth and shifted my gaze to Sam. I let go of Dean to greet the other two.
I looked at Sam who'd moved to stand next to Dean. "Hi Sam." I said.
"Hey Dad." Sam said softly, dropping the bag of weapons at his feet, but not moving to hug me. I turned around, glancing at Beth who was standing by the door still.
"Get over here Bethie." I said with a smile and she crossed the room for a hug. I held her tight and kissed the top of her head before resting my arm around her shoulders and turning to the boys.
"Dad it was a trap." Dean said, looking apologetically at me. "I didn't know, I'm sorry." He looked defeated, like he had failed me in some way.
"It's all right. I thought it might've been." I said gently.
"Were you there?" Beth asked, looking up at me.
"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive. She was the bad guy, right?" I asked with a smile.
"Yes, sir." Both Dean and Sam said in unison.
"Good." I said proudly smiling at my kids. "Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before."
"The demon has?" Sam asked, looking pointedly me.
I nodded in the affirmative. "It knows I'm close. It knows I'm going to kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to Hell – actually kill it." Beth turned to look at me as I said that. Dean looked surprised.
"How?" Dean asked. I smiled at them, not opening my mouth. I didn't want to tell them until I found the Colt. I couldn't get their hopes up; the other hunters I'd contacted regarding the Colt had told me it was nothing more than a legend. I couldn't tell them until I was sure about the legend being the real deal.
"I'm working on that." I simply answered.
"Let us come with you." Sam said. "We can help." Dean threw Sam a warning look, but Sam being Sam ignored it.
"No, Sam. Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in the crossfire. I don't want you hurt." I said, looking down at Beth.
"Dad, you don't have to worry about us." Sam said.
"Of course I do," I glanced at all three of them in turn. "I'm your father." I said my voice breaking a little. I let go of Beth and moved towards Sam, just a subtle shifting movement. Beth joined Dean, wrapping her arm around him.
"Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one Hell of a fight." I said softly turning my attention back to my youngest.
Sam sniffed, blinking back tears. "Yes, sir."
I paused, just studying my son.
"It's good to see you again. It's been a long time." I said finally, with a smile.
"Too long." Sam said, and I stepped forward hugging him to me, tears in both our eyes.
I felt a shiver of awareness pass through me, like someone had a gun trained on me, an itch between my shoulder blades and I stiffened at hearing Beth scream. Suddenly something I couldn't see and couldn't attack flung me across the room and I connected with a grunt, hitting the kitchen cabinets.
I opened my mouth from the pain, rage, and fury I felt at being unable to defend myself, I couldn't even see whatever was attacking me. Four long furrows opened up along my shoulder then down my thigh. My immediate thought was hellhounds but so far the only demon I knew of who worked consistently with hellhounds was Grace, and Jefferson, Cole and I planned to hunt her down in a bit.
Dean was forced to the floor by something, as was Beth, gashes opened up along her back as she rolled, protecting her stomach and vital organs. I watched Dean roll away from her and across the floor as he was attacked. Sam dove for the weapons bag and fumbled in it.
"Shut your eyes!" He yelled. "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" He pulled a flare out of the bag and lit it. The room was filled with a piercing white light and smoke. I shut my eyes instinctively.
"Dean?" I heard Beth call out, he responded a few yards from me.
"Go Beth, get out!" I heard him respond.
"Dad!" I heard Dean yell.
I responded. "Over here." I called. Dean made his way to me and helped me get my feet under me. We both leaned heavily on each other, feeling our way blindly across the room. We met Sam and Beth by the door, coming from the other direction and we all ploughed our way through, coughing and trying desperately to drag fresh air into our lungs from the smoke.
We made it down to the Impala, parked in the alley behind the building. Sam put the bag in the back seat of the car. "All right, come on. We don't have much time." Sam said, looking furiously about at us. "As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back." He said.
"Wait, wait. Wait!" Dean said, looking at us all. "Sam, wait." He whispered. Dean looked from Sam to me, and then said what the other two least expected. "Dad, you can't come with us."
"What? What are you talking about Dean?" Beth asked, looking between us all.
"You kids, you're beat to hell." I said, shaking my head. I'd been right, I knew it was too dangerous to involve them, it would be better if I went this alone.
"We'll be all right." Dean said.
"Dean, we should stick together. We'll go after those demons..." Sam was interrupted.
"Sam! Listen to me!" Dean yelled. "We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop, they're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him." I watched my son. He was right. I sure as Hell wasn't going to put my children back into the kind of danger I'd just exposed them to.
"Meg was right." Beth said tearfully. "Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's... he's stronger without us around." Sam shook his head at their protests.
"Dad, no." Sam reached out to put his hand on my shoulder. Dean had slid his arm around Beth almost protectively, and she leaned into him with a wince at her back injury before gazing at me sadly.
"After everything, after all the time we spent looking for you – please. I gotta be a part of this fight." Sam said, fighting back tears.
"Sammy, this fight is just starting." I said. "And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me son. Okay? You've got to let me go." We stood there, unmoving, as I gazed at him, preparing for the fight I was going to have to have with him. But it never came. Sam simply patted my shoulder, before letting me go.
I turned my attention to Beth and Dean, stepping forward and placing a kiss on Beth's forehead, before looking to my son, issuing a silent order that I knew I didn't even have to think. He would be careful and he would keep them safe, just as he was trained to do.
I turned away from them, walking to my truck. I looked back at them one more time and smiled.
"Be careful, kids." I said, climbing into the truck and starting the ignition. I grimaced at the pain shooting along my chest. Now I had to go see Nicole. Having her around certainly did help keep me out of the emergency room.
Motel Room
I parked the truck and got out slowly feeling a little stiff. I needed to wake Cole and get some stitches, then go collect Jefferson and Altea, so we could do the tracking spell and go get Grace. I pushed open the door with a sigh, and stopped dead in my tracks.
Jefferson was sitting on a chair by the window his gaze glued to the TV, where Wayne's World was playing. Cole was laying back on the bed her eyes closed and one hand absently rubbing her stomach. But neither of these things where what stopped me. Grace was tied to a chair, her back to me, facing where she could keep an eye on both Cole and Jefferson.
"Oh thank God you're here!" She exclaimed, and I raised an eyebrow at her as I moved to stand around the side of the bed, since when did a demon greet me like that. "Look, they already did the whole torture me thing, I swear and they can fill you in later but you've got to do me a solid please exorcise me. Please John! I'm begging here!" She said sounding bored to death.
Cole sat up on the bed her gaze falling on me, on the blood tracking steadily down one side of my face. "What happened to you?" She asked worriedly frowning at me.
"Kids ran into a few Daeva." I said with a sigh.
"Are they okay?" She asked.
"Oh my God! Can we get on with this already! Between watching Goldie Locks play with herself and James Bond watching Wayne's World I think I'd rather be in Hell right about now." Grace said getting impatient and tugging at her bonds.
Beside me Cole growled, and sat forward threateningly.
I reached over putting a hand on her thigh so she subsided, while Jefferson let out a loud guffaw at something that had happened on screen.
"You guys tried to get everything you could out of her?" I asked quietly.
Cole looked up at me and shrugged, opening her mouth to speak.
"Please! These two wouldn't know how to do a good interrogation if it bit them in the ass!" Grace said her voice growing more obnoxious by the minute.
Cole shot her a dark look but subsided.
"What about Beth? Did you find out why they were after her?" I asked and Cole shook her head.
"She's been remarkably uncooperative."
Jefferson turned off the TV and came to stand beside us, his gaze on Grace.
"Grace's daughter, what do you want with her?" I asked, moving around in front of the demon. She stared at me, smirking, and it was gut wrenching to see because for all intents and purposes I was staring into the eyes of a woman I considered a sister.
"You'll need to do a little more than talk at me Johnny baby," she said with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh we're just getting started sweetheart," I snarled at her, but the truth was, my mind was shot, I had no idea how I was going to make her talk.
I ran my hand across my eyes, looking at Jefferson who was frowning at Abaddon.
"Let's start with what you're doing up on the surface," Jefferson said, turning to a table where he had laid out a few devices. In all my years that I had known him, Jefferson had grown from a frightened young man into the bad boy of Miami. Sometime during the period where I'd lost touch with him and Patrick, and him calling me for assistance on a job in Philadelphia, he'd changed and the rumours I'd heard were the stuff of nightmares.
Somewhat boyish in his good looks and charm, there was a hidden side to Jefferson that not many saw, a darkness sitting just below the surface. A few mutual acquaintances had said he'd fallen into some of the dark circles during a hunt, and never dug himself out, enjoying the strange mixture of pleasure and pain discovered in the domination circles of California where he had a penthouse suite and visited frequently.
My suspicions were confirmed when he turned with a whip, and placed it to soak in some holy water.
I swallowed, having second thoughts. What if Grace was alive in there? Could we save her? Didn't I owe it to Beth to bring her mother home if I could? Jefferson saw my hesitation and stopped, watching me silently, an unspoken question hanging in the air.
There was a noise behind me and I turned to see Altea standing in the doorway, her eyes dark and menacing.
"Altea, why look who the cat dragged in," Abaddon said with a smirk, "isn't this delightful?"
"I didn't know you were consorting with whores now John," Abaddon said with a smirk.
"Shut your mouth bitch," Altea snarled and reaching out without breaking the circle, she slapped Abaddon hard.
"I'm surprised at you John, really," Abaddon said, rolling her eyes. "Consorting with…"
Jefferson back handed her this time, and harder than Altea. She spat up blood and glared at him.
"I'm going to rip your skin from your bones and eat it," she threatened, her eyes turning into black pits of evil.
"Yeah, I don't think so sweetheart," Jefferson said, looking cockily at her.
"Please, you don't find yourself a tad hypocritical? Altea is one of my finest whores," Abaddon said, looking the girl up and down.
"Not anymore," Altea said and I frowned. A demon working with whores? What exactly did Abaddon mean? I watched Altea and Jefferson exchange a look and then Jefferson picked up the whip, the water dripping from the leather.
I took a deep breathe, and let it out, my nerves were shot I suddenly found myself not wanting to do this. But it was Grace I couldn't simply let her rot. And Abaddon had come to close to the kids on more than one occasion. She had to be stopped.
I licked my lips, hesitation coursing through my veins. Grace would die.
Cole tangled her fingers through mine as a gesture of solidarity. I turned my gaze past Jefferson to Grace's face. If she was in there somewhere, she was suffering horribly. She needed me to do this. I took another breathe, standing and pulling away from Cole.
"Make her talk," I said.
"Well aren't we the one for the theatrics?" Abaddon asked, laughing haughtily. "You'll get nothing from me."
"You forget Abaddon, like you said, you trained me," Altea said and I watched as her hand quivered by her side, not from fear, but rage. I made a mental note to get the story behind that remark out of Jefferson when this was all over, there was something not right about that girl, and I wanted to know how it was she came to be trained by a demon in torture.
"John, I think you should take Cole and wait outside," Jefferson said, looking at me. His unspoken words were clear as day, as strong as she was Cole wasn't going to stomach whatever he had planned, especially in her given emotional state thanks to a raging set of hormones. I wasn't sure I wanted to watch it either, if Abaddon were to let Grace come to the surface… I would falter.
"Can you do this?" I asked him and he nodded once.
"He can," Altea confirmed. "Jefferson is a master at his work."
I didn't really want to know about that, I'd heard enough.
"Don't do anything… permanent," I said and Jefferson nodded.
"If she's alive in there, it won't be from my wounds that she dies," he promised and I nodded.
"Call us when you're done," I said, "I want to cast this evil bitch back to Hell myself."
Jefferson nodded again and I took Cole's hand, pulling her toward the door. She resisted, of course, but a frown soon bent her to my will and we left, the door closing ominously behind us.
Two hours later we were summoned inside. Cole had managed to patch me up in the meantime, the gashes I'd received from the daevas were now stitched, and I was enjoying the soothing feeling of lidocaine across the worst of them.
"We're done here," Jefferson said when the door opened, and I walked back into the room to see Grace's body hanging in the chair. She was panting and there were red welts along her arms, legs and other bare patches of skin. The face they hadn't touched, it was as beautiful as the day it had been taken and I closed my eyes, thinking back to how happy Grace had been before the demon had come for her.
"Where's Altea?" Cole asked and Jefferson paused to look at us.
"Gone," he said, choosing not to elaborate and Abaddon cackled, her voice raspy and raw from the screaming she had been doing.
"You got everything you could?" I asked and again Jefferson nodded.
"Do you think she's still alive in there?" He asked his voice sounding hollow, almost as if he didn't want to know the answer.
"I don't know." I said watching Grace sadly. The demon continued to struggle almost loosening her bonds. "We'll know soon enough."
I took a deep breath, moving to face Grace and sighing when the black eyes of Abaddon flashed at me. Jefferson handed me a journal with the exorcism in it and I found my place, pausing for a moment, knowing that soon it would be over for Abaddon, but that my hunt would still continue.
"Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, et secta diabolica," The Latin flowed from me comforting me in the thought that these words would help bring Grace some semblance of peace.
"Ergo draco maledicte et section, Ergo draco maledicte et legio secta diabolica, Ut Ecclésiam tuam secúra tibi fácias servire libertáte, te rogámus, audi nos." I finished the exorcism standing with Cole and Jefferson. My voice grew stronger, my resolve firmer as Abaddon started to scream against the rite, thrashing against the bonds that were holding her to the chair. She howled, angry and frustrated, cursing us in a language that was so old I didn't even recognize it. With a final curse the demon was forcefully expelled from Grace, pouring forth in a cloud of black smoke, spewing forth to the floor where it sank into the carpet, flashing red with flames as it finally disappeared. It was done.
I approached the chair cautiously as Grace's head hung low, her hair hung in long damp tendrils, framing her face. When she groaned, the sound spurred me into action.
Cole reacted quickly as well; she slipped her knife from a holster in her wrist, moving around behind the chair to cut Grace free.
I tipped one hand under Grace's chin lifting her gaze to mine. Her once strikingly beautiful blue gaze now appeared as a dull grey, the light and happiness that had once shone through clear and bright as she looked at her daughter and husband that was now gone to be replaced with despair.
Grace's gaze locked on mine, and she struggled desperately seeking the right words to speak. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see you again." She said softly, her voice sounding hoarse and dry.
Cole moved quickly to the other side of the room and when she returned, she had the ice bucket full of water, and a washcloth. She also returned with a glass of cool water for Grace to drink.
I looked gratefully to her and took the glass, tipping it towards Grace's mouth. She swallowed weakly, her strength was fading quickly.
"Thank you brother," she said with a raspy voice, and I could tell from the look in her eyes she wasn't talking about the water.
"Hang in there Grace, we'll get you to a hospital…" I said and she coughed, shaking her head slightly.
"Too late for that John," she said softly, her head lolling against my arm. "I'm dying."
"No…"
"It's all right John…" she coughed, and I lifted her head slightly, passing the cup of water to her lips again. She drank greedily and then gasped, laying her head back again.
"Ella…"
"Is safe," I said. "She's beautiful Grace, stubborn just like you, kind and always looking after everyone…" Grace smiled, getting a faraway look in her eyes.
"I always knew she would be…" Her words were cut off by another coughing fit and this time there was blood on her lips when it subsided. I wiped it away with my thumb, tears welling in my eyes.
"Is she happy?" Grace asked and I nodded.
"Yeah, yeah she is Grace… she's in love…" I said, smiling.
"With Dean…" Grace said, smiling.
"How did you…?"
"I always knew… I knew before … from the first time I saw them…" she trailed off. "A long time ago."
"Yeah, it was," I said, my voice starting to break.
"Where's Patrick?" She asked, her eyes turning to look past me. They locked on to Jefferson who was hovering behind me and she smiled. "There you are…"
Jefferson looked surprised, but I'd seen this before, many times in Nam. So close to death that the dying would start to hallucinate, often mistaking others for their loved ones.
"Yeah, he's here Grace," I said, looking sternly at Jefferson who didn't even hesitate, he moved to take Grace's hand, smiling down at her. There was a sob from beside us and I looked up to see Cole holding her hand across her mouth, tears streaming down her face, I lifted Grace into Jefferson's arms, and he cradled her in his lap, her head resting back against his arm while I stood up to wrap my arms around Cole.
"My beautiful husband…" Grace said. "You never…stopped…looking…"
"Never," Jefferson said, looking down into her eyes. She reached a limp hand up to caress along his cheek.
"I'm sorry beloved," she said, closing her eyes for a moment and then looking up at him again.
"There is nothing to be sorry for," Jefferson said.
"You remember that time… down by the lake? The first time you told me you loved me?" Grace asked, her voice growing faint.
"How could I forget?" Jefferson asked, brushing his hand across her forehead and she closed her eyes, smiling.
"I love you," she said softly and Jefferson kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you too Grace."
Cole sobbed again, burying her face into my chest and I held her tightly, blinking back tears as I watched the woman I'd called sister start to fade.
I felt desperation choke me. It suddenly dawned on me how I was losing everyone I'd ever dared to care for. Mary, Patrick, now Grace. I was the only one left. It occurred to me how everyone had left I was the only one still here and fighting. The kids were ready to take over now.
Tears clouded my gaze as I looked at Grace, she was dying and she looked over at us. "It's okay John. I'm ready...I've been trapped…so long…" She said her voice coming out as a breathy whisper.
"Tell Dean to look after my daughter," she said quietly, before shifting closer to Jefferson.
"I'm tired Patrick," she said, her head starting to fall into his shoulder.
"Then sleep my love, I will be here when you wake up." She smiled again and then closed her eyes for the final time, this time sinking her face into Jefferson's chest. He held her tightly, rocking her and fighting off his own tears as she slipped away from us.
Cole's POV
Miami Beach, Florida
It was late at night. There were tons of people out partying this late at night, even on the beach. There were dozens of bonfires lit up every hundred feet or so. Each had its own group of partygoers. I smiled just enjoying myself it was so rare we took a decent night off that didn't involve earning some cash in a pool hustle or a poker game, or just John and I enjoying each other's company. Tonight we were enjoying ourselves outside of our usual comfort zone.
I looked up at the sky watching the stars as John and I walked along the beach. It was warm, the salty air misting over our faces as the waves rolled gently into the beach. I sighed happily. I couldn't remember being this happy for a very long time.
I felt peaceful and carefree. John and I continued past the raucous partygoers, I had no clue where we were going; however, John must have some clue. We continued down the beach and around the rocky outcroppings into a more secluded spot. There was a small-scale fire going with a blanket and picnic basket along beside it.
"What's all this?" I asked curiously.
John moved towards the blanket, tugging my hand so that I'd follow him. "Honestly?" He asked.
I narrowed my eyes giving him a suspicious look. "No, you're welcome to lie to me." I said jokingly. Now my curiosity was piqued. This was weird.
John moved to the picnic basket pulling out a plate. I smiled. Pie! I moved then settling myself on the blanket already laid out. John settled himself in behind me pulling me back so he was supporting the both of us.
Taking the fork and scooping up some pie, I opened my mouth as he gave me a bite. I moaned at the sweet dark chocolate cream filled my mouth. One thing I'd noticed since getting pregnant I was craving chocolate non-stop.
I leaned my head back onto John's shoulder glancing sideways into the flickering flames of the fire. "So what are we going to do now?" I asked softly.
John sighed. "Start looking for the Colt I suppose." He said quietly. "Nicole, I need to talk to you about something, and I need you to understand, honey." He added.
I tensed. I didn't like the sound of this. "Okay." I said slowly my nerves filtering through me. I knew what this conversation was going to be about.
John offered me another bite and I took it to hide my nerves. God this pie was delicious.
"I need to actively start searching for Azazel now that the last remaining knight is in Hell." John said his voice serious. I nodded dropping my head back against his broad chest. "Nicole baby, it's too dangerous for you to be with me right now, you could get hurt."
I stilled rolling my eyes and stiffening a bit. I knew that I'd come so close to getting killed today. I remained silent, my heart heavy. I knew this didn't mean what my brain automatically went to, he wasn't leaving me, he was protecting me, and he'd come to me when he could much like we'd done over the years.
I looked sideways into the flickering flames of the fire I didn't want him to leave me. Some selfish irrational part of me wanted John to stay with me, to love me and this baby I was carrying more than he wanted to get revenge for his wife. But I knew it would never happen. I would always be second to this mission, this crusade of his.
"I don't want you hurt; I need you and our son to be safe. Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" He asked me.
I almost nodded. I did understand. Then I furiously shook my head. "No, John. I don't understand. You don't want me with you. You're worried you can't be as reckless when I'm with you." I said anger coming through in my voice. As soon as the words left my mouth, I knew they were true.
"This is about me keeping you safe." He said softly.
I scoffed rolling my eyes. "Dammit John, I'm not made of porcelain. I'm not some glass doll you can wrap in bubble wrap and put on a shelf somewhere I have a life to live too!" I snapped.
John sighed unwinding his arms from around my waist and moving up beside me. "I know you have a life to live too. That's why I want you safe and out of this fight so you and our child are safe." He looked out to the rolling waves of the ocean, then sighed turning back to me. "If something were to happen to you I wouldn't survive it, Nicole I need to know you and our baby are safe."
I rolled my eyes glancing away fear uppermost in my mind. "What about me?" I questioned softly. "You're so set on keeping me safe and keeping me alive. John who's gonna bring you home?" I asked furiously tears pricking my eyes. "You know you've never stopped to think about what would happen to me if I had to live without you. I don't know how I would do it. I don't know how I would keep going. I can't bear the thought of never waking up to you again!" I said anxiety at having to live in a world where he wasn't raising my voice.
John wrapped his arms around me pulling me into the comfort of his chest. I swiped a hand over my face, these damn tears I felt like I would forever have tear tracks burned into my skin, this baby had to stop messing with my emotions I couldn't get the job done if I couldn't stop crying.
He kissed the top of my head, reassuringly. "That'll never happen baby. I'll always come home to you. It would take a lot more than Hell to stop me." He said rubbing my shoulder reassuringly.
I sniffled, pulling away from him. I ran another hand over my face wiping away the last of my tears. "I'm sorry." I said. "This day has been stressful enough and now we've gotten a chance to relax and enjoy ourselves, and I've ruined it." I said chuckling weakly. I raised a self-conscious hand to my hair attempting to fix something while the tears dried onto my skin.
"You look beautiful baby." He assured me.
I sniffled and rolled my eyes. What did he know?
John lowered his head to mine and I couldn't help myself, hideous or not, I lifted my face for a kiss. I moaned into the kiss loving the feel of his mouth on mine. I continued to kiss him climbing up into his lap and enclosing him in my arms. His tongue circled mine, drawing another moan from me, and disappointedly I broke away from him, my breathing shallow my lungs burning for air. I made a small sound of protest as John continued to press small kisses into my lips.
"Nicole?" John questioned pulling back to meet my gaze.
I sat back, confused, watching him. He smiled at me; the love I saw reflected there was unbelievable sometimes I still couldn't believe he was mine. I returned his smile, determined to recapture that perfect moment where I was in his arms and we were enjoying ourselves.
He licked his lips, and I smiled at the familiar gesture. "I love you." He said softly.
I smiled lightly. "I know. I love you too." I responded.
Author's Notes: Song for this chapter Call Me by Shinedown
Thank you to BellaDonna78 for continuing to be an awesome beta and a good sounding board for future ideas that currently are in the making.
Oh also I wanted to let you all know I may be starting a new story as kind of a prequel to this prequel. So stay tuned for that one hopefully it will be coming soon.
As always please read and review.