Sam felt like his eyes were going to explode. He'd been scrolling through news articles for four hours, and while he'd found some minor articles, they didn't really shed any light on what was going on. Most of the accidents that looked suspicious, the cops called accidents on the part of the driver, and didn't really look into it. Some of the articles called into question the legend of the spirit, but not a whole lot of information was given as to the background. Sam kept going, hoping to find the original accident that the spirit itself died in. So far, he was almost 25 years back and hadn't found much.
Dean sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, as he leaned into Baby's sun-warmed leather seats as the door closed. Mr. Henderson was kind of an asshole, not that Dean can blame him right now, but the man swore he 'wasn't 'no damn drunk driver', wasn't 'too tired', and that 'some damn bright light had run them off the road' coming back from their niece's band recital, and that was enough for Dean to go on confirmation-wise. As far as he can tell, the couple were squeaky clean, Mr. and Mrs. Apple Pie, and Brunch on Sundays kind of folks, quiet and with no real reason to seek any sort of sensationalism. Besides, he'd looked the man in the eyes, man-tactfully ignoring the reaches for occasional Kleenex, and seen the honesty there. The dude had lost his wife of fifteen years. And now he really wanted to gank this vengeful son of a bitch. Dean started the car and went to pick up Sam.
Sam had finally found the article he was looking for when he heard Dean's step on the floor."Hey, check this out. 'Katherine Jones, 19, was declared dead in a single vehicle automobile accident this morning at 2:30. She is survived by her parents and her older brother, Timothy, 23.' Check out the date." He said pointing. It was from 1935. "I found accident reports every few months after. This spirit has killed almost 100 people. We need to take care of this," said Sam, sighing. He knew the pain of losing a loved one too soon... and so did all these families from the last 70 years.
Dean clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder and read over it, squinting. "Looks like we'll need to go back out there tonight, see if we can dig anything up. Think it may be the dead, uh, Katherine chick?"
"Dunno, but it's worth a shot, huh?" Sam said, looking back at his brother. "We could stake out the road, she seems to be in full fledged attack mode."
"Sure, but we're gonna be walkin' most of the way. Not taking Baby back near it." Dean decided, firmly. "You about ready to stop straining your eyes here, geek boy?"
Sam rolled his eyes. "Really?" Even though it'll take longer to walk then to take Baby, it would give Sam and Dean more time to devise a plan. "Geek boy? From the kid who locked himself in the closet with a flashlight and a stack of comics?"
Dean sputtered for a second "That was one time!" Dean had been eleven, and Dad hadn't approved of comic books, and, well, Bobby had let him out... eventually.
"Uh huh" Sam could remember a few other times that Dean got 'stuck ' in the closet, only to be inconspicuously let out by Bobby later. "Anyway, shall we head on over? It'll be dark by the time we get there."
"Already leavin'." Dean headed towards the door, slow enough for Sam and his long-ass giraffe legs to catch up, already going through a mental list of what to grab for the night
Sam caught up in two steps, beating Dean to the door. "So salt, guns, and coffee?"
"And Slim-Jims." Dean's consideried if maybe he should check his lighter when he turned to open the driver's side and got a face full of trenchcoat.
Castiel turned, looking at Dean, looking a little like a kicked puppy. "Planning a hunt, boys?" He asked, looking back and forth between the two, raising an eyebrow, like a teacher would with troublemakers.
Dean stumbled back, surprised, and wiped his mouth 'Geez Cas, watch it, man. Yeah, we're gonna go try and gank that spirit you were talking about last night. You want in?'
Cas looked at Dean, wearily. "I thought I told you to be careful, damn it. Running straight at this thing, that's not being careful. But I'll go, cuz I know there's no changing your mind." (author's note: this is where I kinda slipped up and Cas sounds more like me, and/or Dean, than Castiel.)
Dean squinted at the angel, surprised at both his acceptance of the invitation and at how ...resigned that last bit sounded. "Alright, Cas, you don't have to be so excited. You got another suggestion for how we should go at it?" he ask, gruffly, so as not to seem he's reconsidering.
Cas was a little shocked when Dean asked for a second opinion, and for a moment didn't know what to say. However he quickly collected himself, and started in. "As a matter of fact, I do. Why don't we be a little more proactive than just waiting for a ghost to appear. With my help, we can probably find the skeleton in no time and burn the bones."
Dean smirked a bit at being the one to leave Cas, of all people, at a loss for words, and raised an eyebrow at Sam to silently ask what he thought, with a slight nod. Hell, Dean would take it, he did not want to spend any longer on this hunt than he has to, and was proud of Cas a bit, even, for chipping in. But he, at heart a contrary sonofabitch, was not gonna let the angel win without a bit of ragging on him first. "I dunno Cas, that might take all the fun out of it. You have spirit-radar or some other angel mojo that'll tell you where it is?" The skepticism's laced through with a smile though; you can tell he didn't really mean it.
Sam looked over Cas's head at Dean, with a smirk, he knew Dean might as well be reading Sam's mind about what he thinks, so he didn't vocalize it.
Meanwhile, Cas threw Dean a glare that plainly said "bite me." "You could do it your way, but I can pretty much guarantee you she won't show up unless you bring Baby."
Dean held up his hands in a 'whoa there' type of gesture, with an involuntary twitch of a glance at hood of the Impala. "Alright Cas, no need to get snippy, we'll ghostbust her your way."- a beat- "Since when do you call her Baby?"
"Good." Cas said, seeing the twitch, confused at Dean's last comment, "well isn't that what you call it?"
While all this was going on, Sam leaned on the hood, just laughing while taking in the two of them. Their spats were worse than his and Dean's.
"Yeah, but-" Dean caught a glimpse of his brother laughing, and is nothing if not good at transference of his flustered state. "Shut up, Sam, just because Cas appreciates her more than you."
Sam knew that was meant to stop his laughing, but if anything it just made him laugh harder.
Castiel just watched the Winchester brothers, trying to figure out what's going on. However, any knowledge he's gleaned about the humans does not apply to these two, which frustrates him more than it probably should. Even so, he finds himself laughing along with Sam, mostly at Dean's reaction.
Dean looked back and forth between Sam and Cas and just gave up on the two of them, corners of his mouth curled up helplessly. "Alright, alright chuckleheads, can we just get in the damn car?"
Sam opened the passenger door ready to get in and found Cas already there. With an eye roll, he got in the back seat and leaned over to Cas and whispered, "unspoken rule... you gotta call shotgun... and just teleporting is cheating." With a mischievous grin, he settled back in the seat, not minding as much as he let on, even though he really didn't have room for his long legs.
Dean's world aligned a bit straighter on its axis as he slipped into the driver's seat of his car, but tilted right off again when he looked over at Sam and instead is met with bright blue eyes that were definitely not his brother's. Huh. He didn't remember Cas calling shotgun. He mentally shrugged and pulled out to head to the motel, preemptively warning Sam over his shoulder not to kick his seat.
Cas watched Dean, seeing him jump a little seeing Cas in the passenger seat. "Something wrong, Dean?"
Sam laughed from behind them, "I told you Cas, call shotgun."
"Nah, Cas, you're fine." Relaxed, Dean glances in the rearview and saw something flicker momentarily at the edges. He grasped the wheel tighter but kept driving steadily. "Shit, Sam, watch the mirror."
Sam stared at the mirror for a while, not moving, knowing he was in Dean's way. "Is it gonna do a trick?"
Cas looked at the two of them, utterly lost, and the look on his face made Sam break his mock seriousness and break down laughing.
"What?" Cas asked, knowing Sam was laughing at him. When he got nothing but more laughter, he looked to Dean for help.
Dean missed the visual plea for clarification, alternating between watching the road and the mirror a bit too intensely for the rest of the trip, waiting for it to flicker again. They're almost to the motel when the thTHUMP under the front left wheel happens, where Dean is pretty damn sure there was nothing there to hit.
Sam looked up at Dean, hoping to hear a complaint about a damn dog or cat. However nothing came.
Cas felt the eyes of both Winchesters on him. He quickly got out of the car and headed for driver's side, expecting to see some poor little kitten that wandered into Dean's path. However, he saw nothing. Not even a dent on the bumper.
Dean gave Sam a look that said 'what the fuck' and opened the driver's side door a crack. "Shit, Cas, see anything?"
"No." Cas said, trying not to show how confused, and even a little afraid, he was. He knew the boys would look to him. Sure Dean had his bravado, but even he sometimes had his limits.
"Dude, if this dead chick is fucking with my car I am going to be so pissed-" Dean shut the door and barely waited for Cas to pop back in before driving the rest of the way back to the motel. There's better be no more damn surprises.
"Cas, where is this spirit getting all her power? It doesn't seem like she should be all that different from a woman in white, yet... is it possible she's getting help from someone? Like I dunno..."
"Crowley? No. I don't believe so. I can't believe he'd get involved in something so trivial."
"Well who or whatever it is who's helping her out can knock it right the hell off" Dean bitched in response, closing his door when he gets out with more care than usual, and he resolved to slam the motel door closed instead later. They made it back with no further incident, but his hand lingered on her hood worriedly, and he was torn between looking her over thoroughly now or prioritizing ganking the dead chick first so she's no longer a threat.
Sam rolled his eyes and says "I'm gonna head to the store, get some jerky and salt, and then get some coffee from the diner."
"Yeah Sam, you do that." Dean waved distractedly and starts checking the car over.
Again, Sam rolled his eyes and motioned for Cas to follow, if he wanted. As he walked towards the store, he heard Cas' footfall behind him. "So do you think the demons could have a hand in this? Maybe not Crowley, but..."
Cas caught up to Sam pretty easily, of course it helps when you can bounce from place to place in the blink of an eye. "Well, I think that it's possible that the spirit could be getting some help. I just don't see why Crowley himself would get involved."
Sam looked at Cas and snorts. "Really? Cuz I can come up with two off the top of my head."
The trunk was supposed to be unlocked. but it wouldn't open, which annoyed Dean, who was busy attempting to jimmy it open. He didn't notice the eyes watching him from the rearview mirror.
"What does a dead girl have to do to get some attention around here?" Crowley sighed conversationally, tapping Dean on the shoulder from behind and pointing up at the glaring mirror. Dean startled at the touch and cursed, dropping the wrench, which Crowley's foot dodges neatly. "What the hell do you want?"
Crowley arched an eyebrow and leaned mock-casually against the Impala, not-so-secretly enjoying Dean's intensifying death glare "I want a word with your angel, tiger. There's some dissension in the ranks and possibly a lot of verbiage you wouldn't understand involved." He gestured as Dean opened his mouth indignantly. "Don't worry, I'm prepared to wait. How is the whole end-of-the-world thing going for you, anyway?"
Cas and Sam spent the rest of the shopping trip in silence. Cas found himself watching Sam, and the way he kind of moved differently than when they'd first met. He seemed more grown up and less free than at first. He seemed more like... Dean. Cas found himself shaking away those thoughts before it took him off on a squirrel could feel Cas watching him as they walked back to the car, however, he soon found himself not caring when he saw the black trenchcoat and heard a familiar British accent. "Crowley," he hissed.
"-well you can just take that line of bullshit and shove it right back up your ass!" Dean's pissed and he wanted a drink and if Crowley referred to Sammy as 'the Boy King' ever fucking again he would screw their alliance or truce or whatever it is and attempt an exorcism.
"Ah, the jolly green giant and the renegade, back from foraging."Crowley turned to meet them cheerily, ignoring the snarling Dean and the less-than-enthusiastic reception.
Cas glared at Crowley, and said "You want to talk? Talk. I don't have time for your little games, Crowley."
"You wound me. There's been a shakeup downstairs. I'm not sure who's behind it but last I heard they are currently ...hellbent on causing your pets here trouble. Thought you may want a friendly tip." He spread his hands, all innocence hiding malicious intent.
Sam glared at Crowley at the mention of pets, but listened anyway... this is Cas's conversation.
"And what do you get out of it? You never give friendly tips for nothing." Cas growled. He was tired of having to wheel and deal all the time just to stay out of the way of Crowley on the warpath.
Dean bristled immediately but clamps his mouth shut for once, thinking loud and colorful obscenities at the demon instead.
Crowley smiled, trustworthy as a used bible salesman. "Nothing, yet. I'll be in touch. Although, I'll take some of that coffee for the road." He reached for the cup in Sam's hand expectantly. "The one with the sugar, if you would."
Sam almost told the demon to go back from whence he came and keep his coffee, but he sighed and handed it over, knowing he was not gonna miss the turpentine mix much.
Crowley's smile almost reached his eyes. " 'Ta, Sammy." He threws in, as an afterthought "Oh, and Dean, check the engine." and was gone.
Sam growled at being called Sammy. From Dean, he could take it, but hell if he'd take it from Crowley. Since Crowley was gone, he instead looked at Dean, trying to figure out what the hell the demon had done to the car.
"I HATE that sonofabitch!" Dean threw the cheap screwdriver he was using to try and jimmy the trunk open with at the space Crowley had just been in. The trunk of course now popped open obligingly, with the few various crucifixes all upside down for an extra parting shot. Dean went around to the front, extremely upset. The engine is fine, except for the coagulated blood where the oil should be.
Sam heard a muffled line of cursing from Dean and headed over to see what was up. "What the f-" The word was lost as Cas appeared and whispered in Dean's ear.
Dean shivered involuntarily at the unexpected voice in his ear and missed the words entirely for a second. 'Huh?'
Sam raised an eyebrow, but got under the car, loosened the oil cap and grabbed an old container from the car to drain the blood into.
Cas glanced at Sam, making sure he's still tinkering under the car and looked at Dean, and quietly says, "what did Crowley say before I got here? I heard you mention Sam."
Dean glanced at his brother involuntarily, shoving the flash of the lurking worries that he doesn't want to acknowledge exist about his brother back down where it belongs. "It's fine Cas, just his usual bs line of crap, trying to rile me up." Conveniently ignoring that it totally worked. "Can we just gank this bitch before we have to worry about another demon party crashing this parade?" And there he went, mixing metaphors and blustering through the mix of emotions he's feeling instead of dealing with any of them, settling with pissed-off as default and therefore safest.
Cas looked at Dean, a little confused over the five different mood swings in two seconds, but said nothing about it. Instead, he helped Sam up from changing the oil, "agreed. Let's go."
"Thanks, Sam." Dean acknowledged the bloody specks all over Sam's hands and went round to grab the bags with their gear from the trunk. "Where we goin', Cas?"
Cas almost considered asking to drive since he knew where he's going... but he figured Dean's had enough of a scare for the day involving his car and decided against it. Instead, he got in the back and pointed down the road. He told Dean which turns to make once they got going and soon enough, he can feel the vibration of EMFs radiating. He found the epicenter of it, an isolated area in one of the ditches.
Dean pulled over nearby and made sure to take out the keys. 'Shovels, Sam?'
"What shovels?" Sam said sarcastically. Following a glare from Dean, he smirked and said "left em at the hotel."
Dean made the 'aren't you special' bitchface at Sam. 'Guess you can use your hands then.'
Sam grabbed the shovels from the trunk, "I may not have left these, but I think you left your sense of humor at the hotel."
Dean made a rude remark not-so-under-his-breath about where Sam can shove his sense of humor and takes a shovel. 'Cas?'
Cas caught the shovel Dean threw him with ease. "I'm not sure I understand, how could Sam shove his humor there?"
Dean huffed out a surprised laugh at that. Damn, he'd forgotten about the fine-tuned angel hearing. 'I'm sure he'll figure it out.'
Sam found it hard to stay mad at Dean after he watched this exchange, and as he headed to the ditch, clapping his brother on the back.
Dean went to help his brother, after a quick check with Cas that they're in the right spot. The earth was kind of tough under the initial fine layer of dust, and the bones were probably down pretty deep after so many decades.
Sam got straight to work once Cas gives the go ahead. Dean did what he does best, supervise, while Sam dug and Cas tried to help. Suddenly, Sam gave a shout, "Hey! I found some bones. Human."
Dean came over to examine them, bending down to touch the curve of a finger when 'Ow!' He pulled his hand back swiftly, shaking it. 'It freaking -shocked- me.'
"Did what now?"Sam asked reaching for it, he didn't need Dean's answer, he felt like he was reaching for a doorknob on a carpeted floor in winter.
Dean smacked Sam's hand away anyway, reflexive from years of making sure the damn kid didn't burn himself on crappily stove-top reheated Chef Boyardee. "Yeah, /that's/ normal, what the hell?"
"Hey!" Sam said, out of sheer reflex. "what the hell, man?"
"Don't freaking touch it Sam, what are you, two? Cas any reason that- is that a spark plug? Oh that's real cute, ghost lady." Just cause it's embedded between what look like the last two digits of a right hand.
Cas came over and sorted through the bones, digging through them, and to Sam it seemed like he wasn't even feeling the shock.
However, Cas felt every bit, and worked through it, looking for the piece that was creating the energy. Shortly after he'd started looking, he found it, a little piece of metal looking material, to anyone else, they would've thought it was. However, Cas knew otherwise... and he disappeared.
Dean blinkeed at the sudden absence. 'Cas? Cas!' He scuffed at the ground near the bones that are no longer intent on zapping them, apparently. 'Dammit. Let's make this bitch extra crispy.'
"I dunno," said Sam, "grilled sounds good too."
Dean flicked a crooked smile at Sam for that and proceeded with the salt and burn, emphasis on the burning.
'So... d'ya think we got her? Think we're done?" asked Sam. "And what the hell did Cas disappear with?"
Dean stepped back and watched the flames flickering, bumping shoulders with his little brother. 'Man I hope we're done here. And hell if I know, but I think it was the reason this ghost bitch's mojo was amped up." Dean also hoped the angel will come back soon. It was so damn annoying when he disappeared out of the blue like that.
Sam looked to the sky, expectantly, almost as if he was looking for the angel. "I dunno. You were closer, remember? Or were you paying too much attention to him and not enough to the thing he was holding?"
Dean looked sideways at his brother. "What's that supposed to mean?
"I really have to explain what I mean?" Sam looked at Dean sideways, laughing. He headed back to the car, kicking a pebble on the way. He thought about the pieces of the conversation he'd heard between Cas and Dean. Did Crowley really mention him? If so what did he want?
"Sam!" There was definitely a sputter of indignation aimed at the back of his brother's scruffy brown jacket. It's not- They're not- It's Cas for crying out loud, that's all, he's just got personal space issues and a limited friendpool, it's not like he's, he's Dean's angel or anything- the brand on his arm seems to burn as a sudden reminder- and anyway even if Dean were- not that he is!- no angel would look twice at Dean, not after Hell, especially not the one that'd pulled him out of there. So what if Dean sometimes watched him like he's a miracle; to a nonbeliever he's the closest thing to faith there is.
He watched the flames flicker moodily for a few more minutes; which is just as well, he wouldn't notice the car keys are missing until he got back to the Impala anyhow.
Finding the Impala stubbornly locked, Sam found himself calling silently to Cas, "hey man, if you know anything, you'd share with us right? Or at least tell Dean. You can see how you disappearing like you do messes with his head.. he can't focus after you leave. A little explanation would go a long way, Cas."
Dean's done with the whole introspection thing, and ambled back to the car. He had no idea why he took Sam's comment so damn to heart anyway. He opened the trunk, or would, if he had his keys, which he didn't. A quick shuffle through his pockets also failed to reveal them. Motherfucker. 'Sam, did you take my keys?'
"No... why would I have your keys?" Sam asked, breaking out of his little reverie.
"Cause I don't. They're not here. Shit." Dean knew he didn't drop them but he backtracked immediately anyway, scuffing up dust around the car and to the ditch and back.
Sam looked around, and finally went back to talking to Cas, "You don't have the keys, do you?"
Cas heard Sam and yes, he knew how he affected Dean. He could see it Dean's face whenever he would pop back in. However, he also knew that he had to keep his feelings for Dean in check. Right now, there was no plausible way for the two to be able to express their feelings, especially Dean. Not right now, when he had to worry about the end of the world. No, Dean would always put Sam first. Cas looked at his palm, feeling the weight of the metal from the keys to the Impala. When he'd first taken them, he'd expected to pop right back, but there was more to the artefact than he'd originally anticipated. As he delved into the knowledge his brothers had of the piece, he realized there was more to this artefact than he could ever expect from a simple ghost. No wonder she was able to do what she had done. Unfortunately, it also confirmed what he'd been worrying over, Lilith had plans for the boys.
Dean hadn't found the keys anywhere, and was eyeing the smoldering ashes left in the ditch with half a mind to dig through them. "Sammy, any luck?" His voice, pitched low, worried, and without intending to, really, he sent up a 'Cas?' in mental inquiry.
"No dice, sorry, man." Sam said.
Cas felt a strong surge of surprise hearing Dean's voice. It wasn't like the older Winchester to ask for help. With that, he grabbed hold of his grace and swooped back down to Earth.
"I believe these belong to you," he said, handing the keys back to Dean. "I borrowed them to keep you both from leaving. I hadn't intended to be gone for as long as I was." He watched Dean's reaction very carefully before continuing, "The artefact we found was of Demon construction... and it requires serious power to use. What I'm saying is the only one who could have used it, other than Crowley, is Lilith. If Crowley is as innocent as he proclaims to be, that doesn't leave us many options, does it?"
Dean let out a phrase he learned from a retired ship captain they'd once helped to exorcise a lighthouse one summer, snatching them gracelessly with relief. "Cas, your feathery ass better never take my fucking keys again."
"I'm sorry, Dean, but unless you pray for me, I can't find you, and I couldn't chance losing you before I fully understand what was going on." His voice was a little more pleading than he'd intended, but Dean seemed to get the message.
Dean clutched the jingling metal, but his pissed expression softened just a little at Cas's pleading. Damn, it was kind of hard to stay angry at that, even if taking them was a dick move. "Next time just ask us to wait, huh?"
"I will, thank you, Dean." Cas understood that Dean would be mad, but he knew that he didn't want to lose Dean, or Sam for that matter, he told himself. "Anyway, now that we know that Lilith is here, we need to formulate a plan."
Dean's unlocking the driver's side door. "Uh, we shank every creepy little girl we meet in a five mile radius?" Past the initial relief of getting his keys he was annoyed and sore and wants a shower profoundly more than he wants to deal with the bitch who'd held his contract.
"Yeah, cuz that's the way we do things, Dean," Sam said. Even though Sam knew Dean was talking out of sheer annoyance with Lilith and his time in Hell, Sam had still found himself trying to find a way to save his brother, though Ruby and Crowley both said it was impossible, and so he found himself equally pissed with Lilith.
Cas looked sideways at Dean. He had searched for years for Dean in Hell, not an easy feat. He'd been the only one that his Father had assigned to the task that had stuck to it. Why didn't Dean see that when he questioned Cas's loyalty? Didn't he understand? Sometimes Cas just couldn't understand human emotions, especially those of the Winchester brothers, who kept theirs under tight wraps.