Word Count – 14'207 words. (35 pages in size 9 font)
Winchester and Cain
Chapter 13 – Route 666
The three of us were stood outside a petrol station, Sam had a map laid out on the car bonnet and Dean was stood a little way away with his phone to his ear. I was trying to help Sam find out the quickest route to Pennsylvania, but my complete lack of American road knowledge wasn't contributing at all. I squinted in the bright sunlight and tilted my head as I squinted at the map: surely Sam must have figured out the best route, because I had. "Why don't we go through this state here, and cut through this one to get to Pencilvainya?" I pointed to the state on the map.
Sam frowned at where I had pointed to, he reached over and moved my finger up the map so it rested on a completely different spot, "Because the state you were pointing to was Idaho, not Pennsylvania." He smirked.
I stared dumbly at the map, "Oh." I said quietly.
"Yeah, oh." Sam chuckled and turned to Dean, who was finishing his phone conversation, "Ok. I think I found a way we can bypass that construction just east of here. We might even make it to Pennsylvania faster than we thought." He explained.
Dean lowered his phone thoughtfully, "Yeah. Problem is, we're not going to Pennsylvania."
I frowned, "We're not?"
"I just got a call from an, uh," Dean glanced at me, "An old friend. Her father was killed last night, think it might be our kind of thing." He explained hurriedly.
"What?" Sam and I said simultaneously.
"Yeah. Believe me, she never would have called – never, if she didn't need us." Dean nodded, as if he was trying to convince himself. He strode over and got into the car quickly, "Well, are you two coming or not?" He asked. Sam and I exchanged dubious looks before getting in after him.
After enduring an hour of small talk, I decided to lean forward and ask the question that both Sam and I really wanted to ask, "Hey Dean?"
"Yeah?"
"By 'old friend', do you mean...?" I trailed off, finding myself unable to ask him properly.
"A friend that's not new," Dean caught my expression in the rear-view mirror, "But she does not consider me to be any friend of hers, so it's fine." He explained.
"So..." Sam filled the silence, "Her name's Cassie, huh? You've, er, you've never mentioned her."
Dean pulled a surprised face, "Didn't I?" He asked.
Sam looked at his brother expectantly.
Dean sighed and rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we went out."
"You mean you dated somebody? For more than one night?" Sam looked a little doubtful, "Other than Steph, you mean?" He quickly added.
"Am I speaking a foreign language? Dad and I were working a job in Ohio, she was finishing up college. We went out for a couple of weeks." Dean explained, I shrugged, no longer interested in Dean's past relationships. His old girlfriends were none of my concern, I trusted Dean with my life. And I meant that in every sense of the word.
"And..?" Sam pressed.
Dean shrugged a little, keeping his eyes glued on the road.
"Look, it's terrible about her Dad, but it kinda sounds like a standard car accident. I'm not seeing how it fits with what we do." Sam continued.
I leant forward, "Which, by the way, how does she know what you do?"
Dean cleared his throat, looking a little shifty.
"You told her," Sam's eyes bored holes into his older brother, "You told her. The secret. Our big family rule number one – we do what we do and we shut up about it." Sam was slowly working himself up, "For a year and a half I did nothing but lie to Jessica," I winced a little at the mention of his recent girlfriend, "And you! You go out with this chick a couple of times and tell her everything?" Sam was shouting now, proper, full out raging at his brother. Dean stayed silent, staring straight ahead of him.
I decided to interject, "Hey, Sam?"
Sam didn't take his eyes off his brother, "What?" He snapped.
"You guys told me within a few hours of meeting me." I pointed out quietly.
The younger Winchester pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah, but that's because you've been doing something similar to us since you were eleven, Steph. Plus, you're a little different from everyone else." He finally tore his blazing gaze from his brother and softened when he looked at me, "And anyway, we both told you so it doesn't really count. I just can't believe him." He glared at Dean again. I stayed quiet as Dean put his foot down, the car speeding a little faster, the elder Winchester's eyes glanced at the radio, and I silently begged him not to turn it on. But he did, he turned it up too, making Sam all the more angrier. I sighed and shook my head, turning my attention out the window at the lovely lack of scenery this road had to offer.
We followed Dean into the town's local newspaper office, two middle-aged men were in there with a girl with her back to us, she was wearing a black chiffon day dress and her hair was a mass of wild dark curls. The atmosphere in the room was tense and felt like a charge of electricity waiting to zap, you could sense that the group in here were arguing. One of the men sighed exasperatedly, "Jimmy, you're too close to this. Those guys were friends of yours," The man turned to the girl, "Again, Cassie," Ah, I turned my full attention to the girl now, silently speculating what she looked like. All she needed to do was turn around, "I'm very sorry for your loss." The man apologised to Dean's infamous ex and left. The other man walked away and Cassie sighed and turned to us, her eyes instantly going to Dean. Dean had an apprehensive look on his face as he nodded at the girl and grinned, I took the opportunity to study her fully now she I could see her face. She was very pretty, but she wouldn't particularly stand out to me – maybe I was feeling biased, and I think she was wearing too bright a shade of lipstick.
Cassie kept her eyes on Dean, "Dean." She stated.
"Hey Cassie." Dean smiled, staring back at her, I wondered what was going through his mind. After a moment he cleared his throat awkwardly, "This is my brother, Sam. And this," He wrapped his arm around my waist and I tried t give her a friendly smile, "This is Steph." Cassie's gaze flickered to Sam and she gave him a half-smile, but her gaze lingered on me, I could've sworn I saw her lip curl – only for a second. But it was enough.
"I'm sorry about your Dad." I offered to her, even throwing the girl a fake smile.
"Yeah," Cassie nodded, "Me too." She said lamely.
I nodded too but didn't reply, instead I kept my gaze fixed on her expression, trying to analyse Cassie's façade as she stared longingly at Dean.
Cassie had taken us to her Mother's large country estate house, situated on the edge of town. She left the three of us in the lounge whilst she went to make us all a drink, we all stood around awkwardly, off-handedly complimenting the decoration of the room but none of us had taken a seat. Neither Sam or I had commented to Dean about Cassie, and personally I wasn't looking forward to it, and I wanted to prolong the topic as long as possible. "My Mother's in pretty bad shape, I've been staying with her," Cassie explained as she came in carrying a tray loaded with a teapot and cups, "I wish she wouldn't go off by herself. She's been so nervous and frightened, and she was worried about Dad." Cassie admitted sadly as she set down the tray.
"Why?" Dean asked.
Cassie shrugged as she began pouring the tea, "He was scared – he started seeing things."
"Like what?" I asked, keeping my tone as gentle as possible.
"He swore he saw an awful-looking black truck following him." She answered.
"A truck," Sam echoed, "Who was the driver?"
"He didn't talk about a driver," Cassie replied as she handed out cups of tea, "Just the truck. He said it would appear and disappear. And, in the accident, Dad's car was dented – like it had been slammed into something big." She explained.
Sam accepted his cup politely, "Thanks. Now you're sure this dent wasn't there before?" He asked.
Beside me Dean was staring at his tea like it was going to kill him, I smiled into my cup as I took a sip, enjoying the warming nostalgia that tea bought of home. Dean deposited his cup on a side table and pulled a face as Cassie continued talking, "He sold cars. Always drove a new one. There wasn't a scratch on that thing. It had rained hard that night, there was mud everywhere. There was a distinct set of muddy tracks leading from Dad's car... leading right to the edge, where he went over." Cassie answered, she bowed her head and sniffed in an attempt of composure, when she lifted her head back up her brown eyes were shining with tears, "One set of tracks. His."
"The first was a friend of your Father's?" Dean pressed.
"Best friend," Cassie nodded, "Clayton Soames. They owned the car dealership together. Same thing – dent, no tracks. And the cops said exactly what they said about Dad: he 'lost control of his car'." She made a noise of disgust as she combed her hair through her fingers.
"Can you think of any reason why your Father and his partner might be targets?" I asked her.
Cassie shook her head, "No."
"And you think this vanishing truck ran them off the road?" Sam pressed.
Cassie made a face, "When you say it aloud like that... Listen, I'm a little sceptical about this... ghost stuff... or whatever it is you guys are into." She cast an uneasy glance at Dean after she said this.
Dean huffed, "Sceptical." He repeated, "From what I remember, I think you said I was nuts."
"That was then." Cassie replied evenly, meeting Dean's hard gaze and holding it for a moment, "I just know I can't explain what happened up there. So I called you." She explained. I opened my mouth to say something, but was interrupted when the door opened and an ageing woman entered, Cassie took the opportunity to cross the room and take the lady's arm, "Mum. Where have you been? I was so-."
"I had no idea you'd invited friends over." Her Mother cut her off abruptly, looking at the three of us in turn.
"Mum, this is Dean, a..." I narrowed my eyes at her obvious pause, "Friend of mine from... college. This is his brother, Sam and that's... Dean's girlfriend, Stephanie." She introduced us, pointing to each of us in turn to her Mother.
"Well, I won't interrupt you." Cassie's Mother smiled thinly.
"Mrs Robinson," Dean stepped forward, "We're all very sorry for your loss. We'd like to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind?"
The woman looked slightly affronted, "I'm really not up for that right now." She explained, then without another word she left the room, leaving the four of us to exchange glances.
The next morning Dean got a call from Cassie saying there had been another accident: a car crash had occurred on the same road where Cassie's Dad had died, the car had 'veered' off the road and ended up in the field next to it. When the three of us got to the crash site we found it swarming with emergency vehicles, we found Cassie – wearing a short leather leather skirt with a low cut blouse. Great. She was walking with the man from yesterday among the officers and paramedics, the car lay upturned in the behind them as we approached them. "Morning." Sam greeted in a grim tone, nodding to the wreck.
"Did the cops check for additional denting on Jimmy's car, see if it was pushed?" Dean asked, cutting straight to the chase.
The man's eyebrows pushed together in a confused frown and he turned to Cassie, "Who's this?" He asked her.
"This is Dean and Sam Winchester, and that's Stephanie," Cassie pointed to us each in turn, "Family friends," She explained briefly, "And this is Mayor Harold Todd." She introduced the man with a tight smile.
"Well, pleasure to meet you three, I'm sure, despite the unfortunate circumstances..." The Mayor trailed off as he shook our hands, "And in response to your previous question, Dean," The Mayor jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the ruined vehicle, "There's only one set of tyre tracks. And one... doesn't point to foul play." He replied, hedging a little.
Cassie cleared her throat, "Mayor, the police and town officials take their cues from you. If you're indifferent about-."
"Indifferent!" The Mayor protested, cutting Cassie off.
Cassie narrowed her eyes, "Would you close the road if the victims were white?" She challenged, my own eyes widened in surprise: I didn't expect Cassie to be so accusing, I glanced at the boys and saw they shared the same looks of amazement.
The Mayor paused, "Are you suggesting that I'm racist, Cassie?" He glared, "I'm the last person you should talk to like that." He snapped, I noticed his right hand twitching a bit – as if he was so angry he was going to strike the girl. Not that I was going to do anything to stop that. But Dean would. He stepped away from my side and stood protectively in front of Cassie, but Cassie didn't need protecting.
Instead she raised her chin defiantly, "And why is that?"
The Mayor smirked and crossed his arms, "Why don't you ask your Mother?" He said in a wicked tone, without waiting for a reply he walked away, leaving the four of us standing in the field.
After dropping Cassie off home, the rest of the day had been uneventful; Dean and I were both in the bathroom whilst Sam had requested privacy to get changed; we had to get dressed up to pose for a fake insurance company, "Well, she seemed nice." I said to Dean as I dried my wet hair from the shower.
He nodded, "She is."
"I feel kinda bad for her, especially as she has to look after her Mum alone now, too." I continued, folding up the towel and draping it across the radiator.
"Mmm." Dean agreed, his eyes fixed on a spot on the floor.
"Hey," I said, walking over to him, "Is everything ok?"
Dean raised his head a little as he looked at me, "Fine." He edged a smile.
I raised an eyebrow, "Just fine?"
"Just fine." Dean confirmed.
I rolled my eyes and kissed him, letting the seconds turn the kiss into a moment. We didn't bother to stop when the door opened and Sam walked in, he scrunched his face up as soon as he set his sights on us, "Ew, guys! I really don't wanna see gross stuff like that." He protested, he was in the middle of buttoning up a crisp striped shirt.
Dean groaned against my lips and reluctantly broke off the kiss, "Don't be such a baby, Sammy." Dean scolded, shooting his brother a look.
Sam glanced at me and then looked away, his cheeks reddening, I smirked and grabbed a towel and used it to cover myself. "Dean," Sam said, "Please put some pants on – for everyone's sake." He pleaded.
Dean chuckled and nodded, "You're the biggest prude, Sammy." He teased and walked past his brother and into the adjourning room. He gave me a secret smile as he shut the door, I grinned to myself and grabbed the black dress I used for impersonating a federal agent or a representative.
As I slipped into the tight black fabric I heard the boys conversing outside the door, "I'll say this for Cassie, she's fearless." I heard Sam say.
"Mm-hmm." I heard Dean's reply, I was quite glad that he sounded uninterested about Cassie.
"Bet she kicked your ass a couple of times." Sam's tone was joking now, although I wish he'd stop, "What's interesting is you guys never really look at each other at the same time," Sam continued, I found my eyes narrowing as I pulled on my black tights, "You look at her when she's not looking, and I've seen her check you out when you look away." I could hear the smile in Sam's voice now, I was going to kill him. "It's just a... just an interesting observation in a, you know, observationally interesting way." That was enough, I grabbed the stupid heels that went with the stupid outfit and snapped my palm against the air, the door flew open, almost snapping from it's worn hinges as I stalked through.
I set my icy gaze on the younger Winchester, "Don't you think we might have more pressing issues here, Sam?"
Sam's grin had long gone from his face and he squirmed, much to my satisfaction, "Nu- It's just..." He sighed and took a deep breath and tried again, "Hey if I'm hitting a nerve-."
I cut him off before he could finish his argument, "Trust me, I think I have enough on my plate rather than worry about what Dean's supposedly doing. I trust him enough to not betray me by doing anything stupid with Cassie, because he knows I'd kill him if he did. Now let's go – or did you want to annoy me any further?" I finished my rant with a piercing glare at Sam before grabbing Dean's hand and pulling him out the door, Sam trudged behind with a red face.
I ignored Sam the entire car journey over to the docks on the edge of the town, and walked ahead of him even as we approached the two old men having lunch on the pier, "Excuse me, are you Ron Stubbins?" I asked the man politely, but of course I knew it was him, we had studied these two men before coming here.
Ron's eyes travelled appreciatively down my body before nodding, I tried not to shudder in revulsion as Dean stepped in front of me, "You were friends with Jimmy Anderson?" He asked in a clipped tone.
Ron frowned at him, irritated that he could no longer see me, "Who are you?" He asked.
"We're Mr Anderson's insurance company. We're just here to dot 'I's' and cross 'T's'." Dean assured him hastily, wanting to move on to more important matters.
"We were just wondering," Sam stepped forward, "Had the deceased mentioned any... unusual recent experiences?"
Ron regarded him with tired, wary eyes, "What do you mean, 'unusual'?"
I stepped around Dean, "My colleague is referring to experiences such as visions, or maybe hallucinations. It's all part of a standard protocol medical examination." I explained smoothly.
Ron stroked his chin thoughtfully, "And what company did you say you were with?"
"All National Mutual. Tell us, did he ever mention seeing a truck – a big black truck?" Dean asked, taking over.
"What the hell are you talking about? Are you even speaking English?" Ron exclaimed.
Ron's friend leaned forward, "This truck," He said, "A big, scary montser-looking thing?" He asked.
Dean glanced at Sam and I, "Yeah actually," He nodded, turning to Ron's friend.
"Hmm." Ron's friend nodded slowly.
"What?" I asked.
"I have heard of a truck like that." Ron's friend replied.
"You have? Where?" Sam pressed.
Ron's friend shook his head, "Not where. When. Back in the '60s there was a string of deaths. Black men. Story goes, they disappeared in a big, nasty, black truck." He explained.
"Did they ever catch the guy who did it?" Dean questioned.
The old man shrugged, "Never found him. Hell, not sure they even really looked. You see there was a time, this town wasn't too friendly to all it's citizens." He said pointedly. I remembered one of the History lessons the reflection had sat in once, it was about the racial discrimination in America that only ended in the late 1960s. The reflection had sat through it attentively, and had absorbed everything the teacher had been talking about whilst it's classmates had stared out the window or at their desks in boredom.
"Thank you." I said, before the three of us turned away and walked back to the car.
"Truck," Sam said, "It keeps coming up, doesn't it?"
Dean nodded, "You know, I was thinking. Have you ever heard of the Flying Dutchman?" He asked.
"Uh yeah, a ghost ship, infused with the Captain's evil spirit. It was basically part of him." Sam nodded as he cliff-noted the old folk story.
"You think we're dealing with the same thing." I anticipated Dean's response.
He nodded, "Uh-huh, think about it: a phantom truck, an extension of some bastard's ghost, re-enacting past crimes."
"The victims have all been black men." Sam shrugged, thinking over the possibility of it.
"I reckon it's more than that. They all seem connected to Cassie and her family." Dean replied.
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, "Of course it is." I muttered bitterly under my breath.
"Alright. Well, you work that angle, go talk to her." Sam suggested.
I frowned at Sam: was he stupid, or was he just really asking for a box? I opened my mouth, but Dean put a hand on my shoulder, "Maybe I will, because we're just friends." He emphasised.
"Oh, and you might wanna mention that other thing." Sam smirked.
Dean frowned whilst I stared blankly at the younger Winchester, deciding whether to hit him in the face or the stomach, "What other thing?" Dean asked.
"The serious unfinished business." Sam's smirk grew wider.
Dean fell into an obstinate silence and I narrowed my eyes, "I swear to God, Sam." I hissed.
Sam burst out laughing, "Oh come on, Steph, you must have seen it too! Dean, what is going on between you two?" He asked his brother.
"There's nothing going on between them, Sam! Right, Dean?" I turned to Dean for help, but tilted my head when Dean shifted a little.
"Alright. So... maybe Cassie and I were a little bit more involved than I said." Dean admitted.
I stared at Dean, "You're kidding."
Dean stayed silent and ran a hand through my long dark hair and scoffed before getting into the car and huffing in the backseat: what if he really did still have feelings for Cassie, and I was just his rebound? What if... I shook my head angrily. Geez, a voice in my head sounded, get a grip, Valkyrie. Look at yourself. The voice was right: I'd become this... this silly little girl in the space of a few weeks. And I was going crazy over this thing with Dean. Ok, it would truly suck if I was just his rebound, but if we ended it I was damn sure it would be on my terms, not his.
Sam and Dean got in the car silently and we pulled away from the dock, it was only until we'd passed the local bar did I realise something: that voice in my head... I knew exactly who that voice was...
Darquesse.
Dean's P.O.V
I felt truly awful about lying to Stephanie about Cassie, but I honestly thought that she'd never have to find out about it. When she was defending me in front of Sam in the motel I wish I'd said something, but she was so angry at Sam and I really, really didn't want to deal with that. Although Sam was being really annoying with his teasing today, it's like he was asking for a punch from Stephanie, I wouldn't have stopped her if she did hit him, he really was being annoying today. With heavy steps and a deep sigh I climbed the porch to Cassie's house and gave three hesitant knocks on the door. This wasn't going to be easy.
Cassie answered it with her usual cheeriness, "Dean!" She exclaimed happily, her bright lipsticked smile lighting her chocolate eyes, they were dark, but not as dark as Stephanie's.
"Hey." I gave her a smile.
"Come on in." Her smile grew wider when she saw I was alone, and stepped aside and opened the door wider.
I stepped through and walked until I reached the living room, where I turned and hesitated, "So... You busy, or..." I trailed off lamely.
"The paper's doing a tribute to Jimmy. I was just going through his stuff... his awards, trying to find the words." Cassie gestured to the mass of paperwork on the desk and I nodded.
"That's gotta be tough." I offered.
"For years this family owned the paper. The Dorians? The had a 'White's Only' policy. After they sold it Jimmy became the first black reporter. He didn't stop until he became the editor, he taught me everything..." She explained, casting a sad glance over the desk, "Where's your brother?" She asked.
I shrugged, "Not here."
Cassie nodded slowly, "And, uh, and Stephanie?" She asked.
"She's with Sam somewhere." I shrugged again.
"Alright. So, uh, what brings you here?" Cassie asked.
"Trying to find the connection between the three victims," I answered, "By the way, did you talk to your Mum about what Todd said about not being a racist?"
"I did," Cassie nodded, "She didn't wanna talk about it."
"Right." I nodded lamely.
There was a heavy pause.
"So," I cleared my throat, "Just then, why did you ask where Sam and Steph were?"
"Nothing. Nothing important." Cassie shrugged.
"Could it be because, without them it's just you and me? Not you, me, Steph and Sam – which would be easier?" I challenged.
Cassie's eyes widened in protest, "It's not easier... Look, I..." She trailed off and I scoffed and turned away.
"No," I cut her off, "Forget it. It's fine, we'll just keep it strictly business."
Cassie sighed in exasperation, "I forgot you do that."
"Do what?" I turned back.
"Oh, where we get, what's the word? Close. Anywhere in the neighbourhood of emotional vulnerability, you back off. Or make some joke. Anything to shut the door on me." She explained, the anger bristling in her eyes.
I narrowed my eyes and barked a laugh, "Oh, that is hilarious." I stormed over to her and towered over her, "You see, I'm not the one who took that big final door and slammed it behind me."
"Ok, wait a minute-."
"And I'm not the one who took the key and buried it." I added.
Cassie put her hands on her hips, "We done with this metaphor?"
I held up my hands, "All I'm saying is I was totally up front with you back then, and then you nailed me for it."
"The guy I'm with – the guy I'm hoping might be in my future, tells me he professionally 'pops ghosts'." Cassie snapped, holding up a hand for quotation marks.
"That's not the words I used." I protested.
"And that he has to leave, to go work with his father." She continued angrily.
"I did!"
"All I could think was: if you wanted out fine, but don't tell me this insane story." Cassie's anger was overtaken by hurt as it washed over her eyes, nevertheless I was too angry myself to stop and consider her.
"It was the truth, Cassie!" I said, raising my voice, "And I notice it didn't sound insane the minute you thought I could help you."
"Well back then I thought you wanted to dump me." Cassie glared.
I stared at her in shock for two seconds, "Whoa! Now let's not forget who dumped who, ok?"
"I thought it was what you wanted." Cassie crossed her arms.
"Well it wasn't."
"I didn't mean to hurt you." She continued.
"Well you did."
"I'm sorry!" Cassie's voice was raised now.
I sighed heavily, "Yeah, I was too."
The girl raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean, you were?" She asked.
"Yeah, in case you hadn't noticed, I'm with Steph." I frowned.
"Yeah, but-."
"But nothing, Cassie." I cut her off and sighed.
She reached up and stroked my cheek, "You're telling me that you never thought about me after you left?" She whispered, the feelings I had been keeping down before I met Stephanie came rushing up to the surface and we stared at eachother, the silence was deafening.
And then it happened.
Our lips furiously met and I pushed her back until she hit the wall, my hands running through her hair and reintroducing me with her body.
"It's been four hours, Sam, he can't have been with Cassie this whole time, could he?" I asked Sam for the umpteenth time. I had been spending the entire time changing between fiddling with a flame in my hand, playing with the shadows in the room and pacing nervously whilst Sam sat on a chair watching me the entire time.
"It's fine, Steph. They're probably just catching up, or maybe Dean stopped for food or something." Sam shrugged.
I plopped on the nearest bed. Calm, Valkyrie. Calm. "Yeah, maybe you're right." I sighed. The phone next to Sam on the coffee table started buzzing, and Sam lazily answered it.
"Hello?" Sam asked. I sat up, part of me hoping it was Dean, but the other part was telling me not to be so ridiculous. "Really? Oh, we're sorry to hear that. Yeah, we'll be right there." Sam shut off the call and stood up.
"What happened?" I asked, standing up with him.
"Another body's been found just outside of town, body completely broken." Sam explained briefly.
"Has the body been identified yet?" I asked, shrugging on my beloved black jacket.
"Yeah, I'm just gonna give Dean a call. Meet me downstairs?" Sam replied, I nodded and left the younger Winchester to his own devices.
Dean's P.O.V
I was lying on my back in Cassie's bed next to my ex, thinking about Stephanie.
Yep, she was gonna kill me.
I stared up at the ceiling contemplating what to do, I had two choices: either come clean with Steph, or lie to her.
Lying seemed easier, but Steph was so turned on all the time, and she picked up on everything. Hell, she probably already knew about Cassie and I already. Cassie suddenly stirred and smiled as she looked up at me, "We should fight more often." She said.
"Absolutely." I replied in a monotonous tone.
"Actually, we were always pretty good at fighting," Cassie continued, not noticing my stiff tone, she indicated our position, "This we were good at." Her smile grew wider, she gently glided her soft fingers up and down my arm. Stephanie popped up in my head again and I shifted away from her automatically, Cassie sat up as I got up from the bed, "I don't get it, what's wrong?" She frowned sadly at me.
I sighed, "Cassie, remember that girl that was with me and Sam when we first met up with you?"
Cassie frowned then nodded, "Yeah, the dark-haired girl, right?
"Right. Well, the thing is... I'm sort of... with her at the moment." I stumbled over my words awkwardly.
Cassie's frown disappeared and she broke into a coy smile, "Well, you're not with her at this moment, are you?" She reached up and stroked my bare chest.
My jaw clenched a little at her touch but I fought against the feeling and backed away, "Cassie, this is wrong." I told her.
"Then why does it feel so good?" My ex sighed, I stayed quiet and started putting my clothes on, ignoring Cassie's stare. "Why'd you tell me?" She suddenly asked.
"Huh?" It was my turn to frown as I buttoned up my shirt.
"When you told me who you really were, why did you?" The girl continued.
I shrugged thoughtfully, "I don't know. I guess I couldn't lie to you." I confessed.
"Dean. You told me that story... it scared the hell outta me. I thought you were nuts – dangerous, even..." Cassie trailed off, then frowned at the floor, "Actually, maybe I was looking for a reason to walk away." She admitted quietly.
I nodded slowly, "In my work, I, uh, I see horrible things. Things that can't be explained, I deal with them. But working things out with you?" I scoffed, despite everything, a smile crept onto my face.
Cassie smiled too, "I'm a scary one, alright," Her hand found mine and rested on top of it, "Well, usually, things get worked out. When you really want to."
It took me a few seconds to work out what she was trying to say, and when I did my hand moved away, "Cassie... I can't do this. It's unfair to Steph – and I really want me and her to work." I explained.
Cassie sighed and looked away, an uncomfortable silence settled.
Thankfully my phone started to ring, I answered it in relief, "Yeah?"
"Dean? Where are you?" It was Sam.
"I'm, uh... I hit a bar on the way back, lost track of time. Sorry, Sammy." I lied smoothly, Cassie bit her lip and got out of bed to change.
"Not as sorry as you're gonna be. Steph's gonna kill you," Sam answered.
My insides clenched. Oh God, no.
"She is?" I asked in a dreaded tone.
"Yeah man, you went four hours without calling in," Sam continued, oblivious to my sudden panic, "Anyway, we got another call. Another body's been found in a field next to the same road the other victim died on."
"You're kidding?" I asked in a more upbeat tone, trying to ignore Cassie as she pulled on her shoes and shot me one last look as she exited the room.
"No, Steph and I are heading down there now, meet us there?" Sam replied.
I nodded, even though Sam couldn't see, "Yeah, sure. I'm on my way now." I shut the phone off and sighed in relief, but it was only until I reached the door did I realise I had made a decision: Steph and Sam didn't need to know about what I did with Cassie.
I found Sam and Steph all dressed up posing as federal agents, Sam was wearing his monkey suit and Steph had donned that dress we bought her when we had to pose as Homeland Security officials for the plane crash. It was tighter than tight, sheer black and clinging to her like a second skin, it was short enough so I could see how muscled and toned her legs were – and the black heels she was wearing only enhanced them. As I approached the crash site Sam spied me over the officer's shoulder and he nodded his head towards me, "And he's with me." Sam said to the officer, the man nodded and lifted up the police tape to allow me to pass. Steph was a little way away talking to two officers, Sam grabbed my arm and pulled me a little way away from the crowd. "Where were you?" Sam asked.
I feigned confusion, "I told you. I hit a bar on the way back from Cassie's." I replied.
Sam narrowed his eyes, "And yet you don't smell of alcohol at all?"
I rolled my eyes, "What? Man can't go in a bar and order a non-alcoholic drink?"
"You can't." Sam shrugged, "Come on, Dean, where were you really?" He pressed.
I stayed silent, although I knew Sam would be reading me like a picture book.
"I'm guessing you and Cassie worked things out?" Sam guessed.
I shrugged, "You could say that."
My brother sagged, "Oh my God. You had sex with her, didn't you?"
"It's not like that," I said quickly, "I've been regretting it ever since, trust me."
Sam ran a hand through his shaggy hair, "Steph's going to kill you."
I shook my head jerkily, "No, no, no. She's not gonna find out. Please Sam." I looked at my little brother with imploring eyes.
Sam didn't respond, his attention had moved to something behind me. I turned to see Steph approaching, a big, dazzling smile lighting up her features. "Where have you been?" Steph asked as soon as she stopped.
"Oh you know," I painted a big smile on my face as I hugged her, "I hit a sweet bar on the way back."
Steph was quiet as she hugged me back, I inhaled her smell and closed my eyes: I definitely didn't want to let this go. "Good. I was worried for a moment there." Steph replied.
I let go of her, "You were?" I tried to be nonchalant.
She raised an elegant eyebrow, "Worried in the four hours you were gone? Uh... yes!" She smiled that smile I loved so much again.
I turned to Sam, "So, what happened?"
Sam was staring at me, although it looked like he was focused on something else, his mind was clearly thinking about what I'd just told him. "Sam?" Steph called his name lightly. Sam snapped
out of it and his eyes met mine.
"Uhh... Every bone rushed, internal organs turned to pudding, and, uh, what else..?" Sam trailed off, clearly distracted.
Stephanie sent him a bewildered look, "And the officers are all stumped, but by the looks of it, my guess is something ran him over." She finished.
"Something like a truck?" I asked.
Steph nodded, "Yep." She said, popping the 'p'.
"Are there any tracks?"
"Nope." Steph shook her head.
I sighed heavily and ran a hand through my hair, "What was the mayor doing here anyway?"
"He owned the property," Sam piped up, "Bought it a few weeks ago."
"Yeah, but he's white. He doesn't fit the pattern." I pointed out.
"Plus the killing didn't happen on the road, that doesn't fit either." Steph added.
I sighed again, "Great."
Sam had said that we all had to look into the case a little more, so that meant research. He went to the library whilst Steph and I had to go to the newsroom. Where Cassie worked. She was, at first, surprised to see me, but after the initial shock of seeing me again faded she maintained a civil manner towards me and ignored Steph altogether. Steph and I were at a computer whilst Cassie was eyeing me by the coffee machine, sending me longing looks. Eventually, Steph leaned over to me, "Didn't you work things out with her?" She whispered.
I shrugged, "I think so." I answered briefly, not wanting to talk about it.
Steph sighed and turned her attention back to the computer screen, Cassie walked over holding a cup of coffee, "Do you need help with anything?" She asked me.
"We're trying to find a link between those killings back in the sixties and what's going on now." I answered, nodding my head towards the computer screen.
"It looks like there wasn't a lot about it in the newspapers." Steph piped up.
"Not surprising," Cassie gave Steph a dull look, "There was probably minimal police work, too. Back then equal justice under the law wasn't too literal around here." She explained stiffly, Steph gave Cassie a hard stare and I cleared my throat a little awkwardly. My phone started to ring and I actually sighed in relief as I answered it.
"Yeah?"
"Okay, the courthouse records show that Mr. and Mrs. Mayor bought an abandoned property. The previous owner was the Dorian family for, like, one hundred and fifty years." Sam's voice reached my ears and I frowned at the new information.
"Dorian?" I echoed.
I turned to the girls, "Didn't you say the Dorian family used to own this paper?" I asked my ex.
Cassie nodded, "Along with almost everything else around here. They were real pillars of the town."
Steph tilted her head, "Dorian, where have I heard that before?" She murmured, then turned back to the computer and bought up an article with a headline that read:
DORIAN STILL MISSING:
CYRUS DORIAN MISSING FOR MORE THAN A WEEK
"Huh," I said, reading the headline, "That's interesting."
"What?" Sam asked, still on the phone.
"This Cyrus Dorian guy – he vanished in April of '63. The case was investigated but never solved. That's right around the time the string of murders was going on back then." I explained.
"Well, I pulled a bunch of paper up on the Dorian place, it must have been in bad shape when the mayor bought it." Sam replied.
"Why?"
"The first thing he did was bulldoze the place." He answered.
I turned to Cassie, "Mayor Todd knocked down the Dorian place?"
"It was a big deal. One of the oldest houses left, made the front page." She nodded.
"Sam, you got a date?" I spoke into the phone.
"Uhhh, the third of last month." Sam replied.
Steph heard and began typing onto the keyboard, she bought up another article and turned the screen to show me:
MAYOR BUYS, BULDOZES HISTORIC HOME. HERITAGE COMMITTEE QUESTIONS CIVIC LEADERSHIP
"Sam get this: Mayor Todd bulldozed the Dorian family home on the third. The first killing was the very next day." I told my brother, glancing over the article.
Valkyrie's P.O.V
"I hate her, Dean. I'm sorry, but I do." I scoffed as we entered our motel room. After we had researched more about the Dorian family we left Cassie and regrouped with Sam. After spending a few hours being in the same room with her, I decided that I didn't like her.
"Steph." Sam cautioned as the boys entered after me.
"What? She ignored me, Sam." I snapped, running a hand through my hair frustratedly, "She's such a – a bitch!"
"Well, as soon as this case is done you'll never have to see her again. Can you do that, or are you really that difficult?" Dean replied, following Sam into the room.
I bit my lip, knowing I must have hit a nerve with Dean there. Maybe I had stepped over the line a little, instead I sighed, "Fine." I said dejectedly.
"Good. Now let's get some food. I'm starving." Dean smiled, clapping his hands together, "What do you want? Burger, Pizza..?" He turned towards the door.
Sam and I exchanged a glance, "Whatever you're having is good." Sam shrugged, sitting down on one of the beds and stretching.
"Burgers it is." Dean grinned and headed for the door, before his hand could reach the rusting door handle his phone burst into his usual guitar rift. He frowned when he saw who it was and answered, "Yeah?"
Across the room, you could clearly here what the person was saying, "Dean! Dean! T-the truck – it's here!" It was Cassie, and she sounded close to hysterical. The sultry undertone was gone from her voice, it was laced with genuine fear.
"Ok, Cassie. Everything's fine. It's gonna be alright, where are you?" Dean replied in a calm voice.
"I'm at home, it's outside the door." Cassie answered, her voice had reached a new pitch, which in itself was impressive.
"Ok, stay there. We're on our way." Dean said.
"Hurry!"
Dean shut off the phone and looked at us, "We gotta go." He opened the door and rushed out, Sam and I following close behind.
When we arrived at Cassie's house it was around 3am, and the first lights of dawn were dappling over the violet sky, the pastel canvas was speckled with speckled with small, wispy clouds. The truck was nowhere to be seen, so Cassie came running out as soon as we pulled up and jumped into Dean's arms and embraced him tightly. Needless to say I was already holding back the urge to hit her – and we had only been here a few seconds. It was impressive, really.
Eventually Dean managed to gently push Cassie off, "Come on, let's get inside." He said, slowly pulling away from her and pointedly walking over to stand next to me. Cassie took a long look at Dean and I before nodding slowly and walking back inside, Sam followed after her. "I saw that, by the way." Dean said as he wrapped an arm around my waist as we walked slowly up the driveway.
I raised an eyebrow, "Saw what?"
"That look you gave Cassie." Dean smirked, "She may have missed it, but I sure as hell didn't."
I feigned a look of innocence, "I don't know what you're talking about."
Dean rolled his eyes, "Sure you don't." He said playfully. We reached the door and suddenly Dean stopped, "Steph?" He called.
I gave him a smile, "Yeah?"
"I have to tell you something." Dean announced in a serious tone.
My smile faded, "What is it?"
Dean was quiet for a minute, staring at me.
"Dean?" My mind was going at a mile a minute, all these possibilities springing up in my head, but my face maintained my mask of calm.
"It's just... you know when I went to Cassie's?" Dean stuttered.
There was an empty feeling growing in my stomach, "Yeah?"
"I, uh, I... was thinking about, uh, if you ever go back home I'll never see you again." The older Winchester murmured, his fingers stroking my waist longingly.
I relaxed, expecting the worst, then I was hit with waves of sadness at his point, "But Dean, I don't think I'll ever be going home again. There's certain adept discipline known as 'Shunting' where people can literally put people in other realities and dimensions. I've been shunted before, and you always go back after a few trips there and back. Well, I haven't gone back home and I've been here for months, so I think I'm stuck here." I explained sadly.
Dean mirrored my sad smile, "I wouldn't use the word 'stuck'." He said, stroking my cheek gently, I closed my eyes against his touch and when I opened them, Dean was leaning down, his lips met mine and I closed my eyes again, savouring the moment. We slowly backed up until my back hit a wall, we stayed there for a moment until Dean deepened the kiss, his hands running through my hair at the same time, then his hands went down past my neck and his fingers danced over my body.
We were interrupted by a loud cough in the doorway, I reluctantly pulled away from Dean to find his brother stood there with an annoyed look on his face. "Guys, now is so not the time for that." Sam groaned.
I smiled a little sheepishly, and left Dean by the wall and entered the house. Cassie was in the living room with her Mother. They were both sat down on one of the sofas that was in the room, Cassie gave me a suspicious look when I entered, "Where's Dean?" She asked.
"He's, err," I looked back at the hallway, Sam had closed the front door and he looked like he was having a word with his older brother outside, "He's outside with Sam." I answered, turning back around to the two girls.
"Oh." Cassie replied.
"Yeah." I nodded awkwardly.
There was a silence.
"You know what? I'm gonna go make some tea." I suggested, gesturing towards the kitchen.
"Yeah, you do that." Cassie nodded in agreement.
I walked away, entering a cupboard and the pantry before finding the kitchen in the maze-house.
Dean's P.O.V
Ok, so Steph wasn't Cassie's biggest fan, I could understand, especially when we pulled up my ex came running out and jumped into my arms. Maybe I should have really thought about taking this hunt before jumping onto the case. "Come on," I said to Cassie, gently pushing her off, "Let's go inside." As soon as Cassie was off of me I walked over to Steph and stood beside her, just in case Cassie got the wrong signals. My ex gave me a long look, I knew she was thinking about earlier, I returned her a look, silently communicating with her. She eventually nodded slowly and flounced off towards the house, Sam followed her. "I saw that, by the way." I gave Steph a look as I wrapped my arm around her waist, she wasn't as soft as Cassie, but she was firmer – more toned after the lifestyle she had led, if she took her jacket off that dress she was wearing allowed you to see just how well maintained and used her muscles were. I think Steph had the jacket tailored to fit her like a second skin to serve as a ruse to enemies, the jacket only allowed people to see her figure, making her appear as an easy opponent to fight.
Steph raised a dark eyebrow, "Saw what?" She asked in a light tone as we slowly walked up the driveway.
I smirked at her, "That look you gave Cassie. She my have missed it, but I sure as hell didn't."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Steph shook her head, her eyes widening innocently.
I rolled my eyes, "Sure you don't." I teased. When we reached the door I suddenly stopped in my tracks, making a quick decision in my mind, "Steph?"
The dark-haired girl gave me a smile, "Yeah?"
I took a deep breath, "I have to tell you something."
"What is it?" She asked, her good mood slowly deteriorating along with her smile.
I hesitated, trying to pick the right words to tell her – but how do you tell someone you cheated on them with your ex?
"Dean?" Steph prompted, her face a masquerade of serenity.
"It's just..." I fumbled for the correct phrase, "You know when I went to Cassie's?" I asked, opting for another approach.
"Yeah?" Steph frowned a little.
"I uh..." I hesitated again, then changed my mind, "I... was thinking about, uh," I picked a random topic, "If you ever go back home I'll never see you again." I explained, my fingers gliding over her waist.
Steph visibly relaxed – she must have been expecting me to drop a bomb on her... which I was, "But Dean, I don't think I'll ever be going home again. There's certain adept discipline known as 'Shunting' where people can literally put people in other realities and dimensions. I've been shunted before, and you always go back after a few trips there and back. Well, I haven't gone back home and I've been here for months, so I think I'm stuck here." Steph explained, a sadness shining in her eyes as she recalled all these old memories from her past.
I reached out and stroked her cheek, "I wouldn't use the word 'stuck'." I smiled sadly. She closed her eyes and I leant in to her slowly, finding her lips. She was surprised at first, but she accepted and returned the kiss, we slowly backed up until Steph stopped at the wall, I waited a moment until I decided to take the kiss further, my hands ran through her hair before moving down past her neck and around her body.
A loud cough from the doorway prevented us from going any further. Steph slowly pulled away and looked over my shoulder, but I could tell just from the cough who it was, "Guys, now is so not the time for that." Of course, it was my little brother blocking me, I would've rolled my eyes if I'd cared enough. Steph had a sheepish grin on her face as she left me by the wall and walked inside, I went to follow her but Sam shut the door and stood in my path.
I sighed, "What is it?" I asked.
Sam crossed his arms, "You know what, Dean. What are you doing?"
"What?" I protested, keeping my voice in the same hushed tone as Sam's so no one would come outside, "Steph and I are two consenting adults, there's nothing wrong about what we were doing."
My brother glared, "That's not what I was talking about, Dean. You had sex with your ex several hours ago, and now you're fooling around with Steph? It's not right."
This time I did roll my eyes, "I don't have to explain myself to you. Now move."
Sam glowered at me for a few moments before he scoffed and stepped aside and allowed me to go in, I reached the door when he grabbed onto my shoulder, "Just this time, Dean. But if you screw up with Steph again, I'll tell her." He threatened, I didn't respond and entered the house.
Valkyrie's P.O.V
After making a pot of tea I put two cups on a tray with the pot and bought it out to the two women in the living room. As I was entering the room a door on the other side of the house opened and Sam and Dean appeared as I set the tray down on the coffee table, "Thanks." Cassie muttered, although it sounded a little begrudged.
"So, Cassie, did you see who was driving the truck at all?" Dean asked, sitting down on an armchair, Sam moved and sat in the other armchair, whilst I remained on my feet.
"Seemed to be no one. Everything was moving so fast, and then it was just gone... why didn't it kill us?" Cassie replied.
Dean shrugged in return, "Whoever's controlling the truck wants you afraid first."
"Mrs. Robinson, Cassie said that your husband saw the truck before he died." Sam said to the ageing woman gently.
Mrs. Robinson stared at a spot unknown to everyone else on the floor. Cassie leant forward and frowned, "Mum?"
Mrs. Robinson's gaze snapped snapped up, "Mm?" She looked at the three of us blankly, "Oh, Martin was under a lot of stress. You can't be sure what he was seeing." She answered in a dull voice.
"Well, after tonight, I think we can be reasonably sure that he was seeing a truck. What happened tonight – you and Cassie are marked, ok? And your daughter could die." Dean pointed out.
"So, if you know something, now would be a really good time to tell us about it." I added, giving the ageing lady a small, friendly smile.
Cassie's frown deepened, "Hey, guys-."
Her Mum cut her off abruptly, "Yes. Yes, he said he saw a truck." She said, nodding.
"Did he know who it belonged to?" Sam asked.
Mrs. Robinson's eyebrows creased together in a thoughtful expression, "He thought he did."
"And who was that?" I pressed, trying to be as nice as possible.
The woman made a noise – as if she had been kicked in the throat, I looked at her intently and saw she was choking back tears, "Cyrus," She said in a strained tone, "A man named Cyrus."
I glanced at Dean and we shared a look: the named sounded so familiar... Dean pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it, I recognised it as the article we had researched earlier, "Is this Cyrus?" Dean asked, showing Mrs. Robinson the article photo.
Mrs. Robinson nodded, her hands were shaking a little, "Yes, but Cyrus Dorian died more than forty years ago." She replied.
My eyes widened in surprise, "How do you know that? The paper said he went missing, how do you know he died, Mrs. Robinson?" I asked her gently.
The woman took a deep breath, and looked up at us with bright eyes, "We were all very young. I dated Cyrus for a while, but I was also seeing Martin – in secret of course. Interracial couples didn't go over too well back then," She explained, "When I broke it off with Cyrus, and when he found out about Martin... I don't know, he – he changed. His, err, his hatred – it was frightening." Her voice was breathless, her eyes reliving the moments.
Sam looked over to Dean and I, "The string of murders." He muttered.
"There were rumours," Mrs. Robinson nodded, "People of colour were disappearing in some kind of truck, but nothing was ever done." The tears that had pooled in her eyes overflowed her lids, and streamed down her ageing face, "Martin and I, we were, uh, going to be married in this little church near town. But at the last minute, we decided to elope – we didn't want the attention."
"And Cyrus?" I asked.
Mrs. Robinson sniffed loudly, and I almost flinched in disgust, "The day we set for the wedding was... the day someone set fire to the church," She started the inevitable sobbing, "There was a children's choir practising. They all died."
Sam handed her a tissue, "Did the attacks stop after that?"
The woman shook her head, her eyes red and holding a broken melancholy in them, "No. There was one more. One night, that truck came for Martin. Cyrus beat him something terrible," She closed her eyes and exhaled, "But Martin, you see, Martin got loose. He started hitting Cyrus, and he just kept hitting and hitting him..." She trailed off and didn't continue.
"Why didn't he call the cops?" Dean frowned.
Mrs. Robinson's eyes snapped open and she set her sights on Dean, the melancholy replaced with incredulity, "This was forty years ago! He called on his friends, err, Clayton Solmes and Jimmy Anderson, and they put Cyrus' body into the truck and rolled it into the swamp at the edge of his land, and all three of them kept that secret all these years!" She exclaimed, her tone bordering on the verge of hysteria.
"And now all three are gone." Sam concluded.
"So Is Mayor Todd," I nodded, and stepped closer to Mrs Robinson, "Now, he said that you, of all people, would know that he's not a racist. Why would he say that?"
The woman regarded me for a moment before replying, "He was a good man, a young deputy back then who was investigating Cyrus' disappearance. Once he figured out what Martin and the others, he did nothing. Because he knew what Cyrus had done." She explained.
Cassie sobbed beside her Mother and she looked at her with sad eyes, "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought I was protecting them," Mrs. Robinson started crying again, joining her daughter in the tears, "And now there's no one left to protect." She cried.
"Yes there is." Sam comforted, nodding his head to Cassie, she looked at Dean but he looked away awkwardly, not meeting her gaze. Her Mother took her daughter's hand in her own, and they cried silently.
The three of us were stood outside the car after saying our brief goodbyes to Cassie and her Mother, we were leaning on the bonnet of the car watching the sun slowly rise up in the pale iris-coloured sky. "My life was so simple; just schools, exams, papers on polyentcentric cultural norms." Sam scoffed and we chuckled.
"So, I guess I saved you from a boring existence." Dean smiled, "And saved Steph from being stranded on the side of the Centennial Highway." He added.
Sam leant forward, "Actually, if you think about it – you were the one who was all for leaving her." His younger brother corrected.
I rolled my eyes, "And what makes you think I was stranded? I'd have figured something out."
Dean raised an eyebrow, "Oh please, you had no idea where you even were, Steph."
I frowned, "Yes, I did." I protested.
"Oh yeah?" Sam challenged, "Tell us, Steph. Where exactly is the Centennial Highway?"
"It's, uh," I scoffed, "This is a stupid game, guys. Everyone knows where the Cen-thingy Highway is."
Dean and Sam exchanged a look, "So you can tell us where it starts and ends, huh?"
I nodded confidently, "Yup."
"Then where is it?" Dean smirked.
I faltered. Damn. "It's... It's – It's in America, guys. Come on." I rolled my eyes and jumped off the car as the boys laughed.
"Yeah..." Sam trailed off, trying to change the subject, the smile drfited off his face and he stared off into the distance, "You know something? Occasionally, I miss boring." He said in a sad, mournful tone. His eyes flashed with pain and I knew he was thinking about his former girlfriend, Dean and I exchanged a look, sharing a silent message which said: Quick! Change the subject!
"Alright, so, this killer truck-." Dean said in a cheery tone.
Sam cut him off with with a laugh, "I miss conversations that didn't start with "this killer truck:." He smiled.
Dean nodded and chuckled, but it sounded a little forced, "Right. Well, this Cyrus guy..." He trailed off and Sam and I looked at him expectantly.
"Yeah?" I tilted my head, rubbing my eyes a little tiredly, feeling drained after all that had transpired recently.
"He was... evil on a level that infected even his truck, and when he died, the swamp became his tomb. The spirit was dormant for forty years." He continued. I nodded as I followed on his words, suddenly thinking about the wonderfully ordinary idea of something so simple and comforting as a bed.
"So what woke it up?" I asked as I stifled an unexpected yawn.
"The construction on his house — or the deconstruction?" Dean shrugged.
"Right," Sam nodded in agreement, "Demolition or remodelling can awaken spirits – make them restless. Like that theatre case we did years ago in Illinois."
"Yeah. And the guy who tears down the family homestead, Harold Todd, is the same guy that kept Cyrus' murder quiet and unsolved." Dean finished.
"So, now his spirit has awakened, and out for blood." I pointed out.
"Yeah, I guess," Dean nodded, "Who knows what the ghosts are thinking, anyway?"
Sam sighed, "You know we're gonna have to dredge that body up from the swamp, right?" Dean smiled falsely at his brother and Sam visibly drooped, "Aw, man."
"Swamps and corpses, my life is beyond glamorous." I sighed.
Dean chuckled and the boys jumped off the car, his arm wrapping around my waist when he was close enough, "You said it."
I smiled up at him, but felt a twinge of sadness and nostalgia: I had used that line back in my old world, and previous memories came rushing up and brimmed in my mind. "Hey." A voice from behind us made the three of us turn, it was Cassie. She had managed to change in an even tighter and low cut top in the short time we had been outside, just the sight of her irritated me now, and all my sadness evaporated along with my smile. "She's asleep, so now what?" Cassie asked.
"You're gonna stay put and look after her, we're gonna go deal with Cyrus." Dean told her.
"And don't leave the house." I added, Cassie's gaze switched from Dean to me and her eyes hardened instantly. I untangled myself from Dean and stalked slowly towards her, "Well, you can leave your house if you really want," I said lightly, "But we won't always be around to save you." My voice undertook to a more clipped and snarky tone, Cassie noticed it and her eyes narrowed like a cat's.
"Well I don't know about that, Dean's pretty handy in a tight spot." Cassie replied, a knowing smile spread across her features.
I snapped.
My hand flashed out like a snake, my palm aiming for the underside of her stupid jaw. Before it met it's target someone grabbed it, I turned to glare at Sam, who had one of his giant hands wrapped around my wrist, "Steph, don't!" Sam hissed, pulling me away from Cassie forcefully.
"Sam, I swear she's asking for it." I growled, glaring daggers at Cassie.
"Let it go, ok?" Sam murmured, I took a few deep breaths and calmed down, "Good? Right, now apologise to Cassie." He ordered.
I shook my head stubbornly, "Not a chance."
"Stephanie." Sam's tone had a harsh, authoritative edge to it.
"Sam." I replied, giving him a look. I looked at Dean over his shoulder, realising he hadn't said a word during the entire exchange.
After a long, drawn out moment Sam exhaled deeply, "Fine. Cassie, I'm really sorry about Steph's behaviour, but I also think you owe her an apology too." He released my hand and crossed his arms.
Cassie let out a pained sigh, "Sorry." She muttered.
"See? Isn't that just so much better?" Sam raised an eyebrow as he looked from me to Cassie.
"Go to hell, Sam." I muttered under my breath, but he didn't hear.
Instead, Sam nodded, satisfied, "Right, now that's over and done with. I think it's time we leave." He turned and got in the car without another word, I followed behind him and didn't look at either Cassie or Dean as I got into the vehicle and slid into my customary seat behind Sam.
"Sam, I-," I sighed deeply, swallowing my pride, "I'm sorry, ok? I'm just really tired and Cassie hasn't exactly been the easiest person to get along with, but I didn't really want to hurt her."
The younger Winchester was quiet for a moment as he stared out the window with a thoughtful expression on his features, "You know," He said, breaking the silence as he finally turned around, "You could've just said that outside."
I looked away, "I know."
"Then why didn't you?" He asked.
"Because sometimes it is easier to be hated by everyone rather than swallow your pride." I said softly, turning my attention to the corner of my jacket. Sam stayed quiet as I yawned and leant against the chair, closing my eyes and resting my head against the headrest.
"Steph?" Sam asked after a moment's silence.
I kept my eyes shut, "Mmm?"
"Do you think you'll ever get back to your real home?" Sam asked.
My eyes snapped open and I stared at Sam, outside you could hear Dean and Cassie's muffled tones, "I think my old life is just a memory." I admitted quietly.
Sam looked away and then looked back at me, "If there was an opportunity for you to go home... Would you take it?" He asked.
I frowned: Sam was asking a very difficult question, "I, er... Sam... You know I care for you and Dean – but I was just dropped here unexpectedly, you know..." I trailed off as I saw Sam's eyes widen by a fraction, "But now I've gotten to know you both... Sam. I just – I don't know." I finished, unable to continue.
Sam nodded slowly, but didn't reply. The driver's door opened and Dean stepped into the car, "So, we gonna go dredge a swamp, or what?" He smiled, the tension lifting as it lit up his features.
The swamp was on the corner of the land Mayor Todd had been in the middle of demolishing and constructing, even though the Mayor had died this week, the local council hadn't yet come to a decision whether to continue the build or freeze everything, so the tools and machinery had just been left out for anyone to use. Anyone like, say, Dean, Sam and I. Dean hot wired the truck and drove it as near to the swamp's edge as possible, whilst Sam and attached a winch to the front grill and stepped back. "Are you sure this will work?" Sam called to his brother as we both eyed the winch with uncertainty.
Dean waved a hand, "Oh sure it'll work. Besides, I've used one of these a hundred times." He patted the steering wheel with an air of confidence, whilst Sam and I exchanged a hesitant look. Dean lowered the dredge into the swamp, Sam and I watched on in silence as Dean manouvered the machinery.
After three minutes I cleared my throat, "Uh, Dean?" I asked.
Dean's expression was set in a frown of concentration, "Yeah?"
"Don't you want my to, uh, try with the air?" I offered.
The elder Winchester shook his head stubbornly, "No, I can do this."
"Ok then." I sighed and glanced at Sam.
"Wanna place bets?" Sam asked.
I raised an eyebrow, "With what money?"
Sam sighed, "Right yeah, forget this job includes having no income whatsoever."
I gave the younger Winchster a small smile, "We could bet with other things, what do you have in your pocket right now?"
"Uhh," Sam dug in his pockets, "A cheap phone and an old tissue, you?"
I put my hand in my jacket pockets, "A cheap broken phone and a," I bought out something delicate and held it to the light, "...On second thoughts I'm gonna keep these." I smiled, realising what they were.
Sam frowned, "Why, what are they?"
"They're healing herbs, like a natural anaesthetic. Keeps the pain away if you're shot or something. I must have had them in preparation of going up against someone." I explained.
"Who?"
"Uhh, before I was put here my partner and I were trying to stop this thing from happening. Something was giving normal non-magic people magic—and not just a little a little, vast amounts were being given to them. There were these four teenagers, and they were driven mad with the amount of power they had, and were killing innocent people, and there's not always time to go to a medic and get checked out, so I carried around these herbs in case we fought them and I got badly injured." I continued, putting the herbs away and clicking my fingers and generating a spark, I caught it and allowed it to grow, the warm amber glow lit up Sam's face in the dark.
"You must really miss them." Sam murmured, staring at the flame in my palm.
"Who?"
"Everyone." Sam shrugged, "Your parents, your partner, friends..." He trailed off and paid attention to something over my shoulder, I turned to see a dirty, rusting old black truck, covered in debris and decaying plants from the stagnant water.
"See?" Dean said in a triumphant tone as he jumped down from the machine, "Told you I had it handled."
"We'll give you a gold star when we get home, then." I drawled.
Sam laughed and held up the salt and some petrol, "Right, let's do this."
The three of us divided up and crept around different sides of the car, looking for the signs of a body inside. Once we were satisfied nothing would jump out at us once we opened the door, we met at the driver's door. Dean cautiously opened the door and eased it open, it swung stiffly and jerked to a half-open stop. We peered inside and found the body of Cyrus Dorian, his body still decomposing. "Oh, gross." Dean wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell.
"Uh-huh." I nodded, stepping back to allow Sam a better view, "Carry him out and lay him on the grass, then we can light him up."
The boys groaned as the eased the body out of the car and carried it out of the vehicle, "I don't see why you're not helping." Dean complained.
I smirked, "I believe it's called manual labour for a reason, guys."
"Whatever." Sam frowned as the boys lowered the corpse onto the cold grassy floor.
Sam poured salt over Cyrus' rotting body whilst Dean simultaneously poured petrol over it, then I stepped over with a flame in hand, I hovered over the body with my hand held out. "What's wrong?" Dean asked.
I paused, "I'm trying to think of something to say."
Dean shrugged, "How about, see you in hell, bitch?" He offered.
Sam frowned at his brother, "Well, that's dumb."
"Good enough." I dropped the flame and the corpse erupted into a brilliant fire. Behind us, an engine sounded and we turned to see the truck roaring into life, only one headlight shone brightly, whilst the other vainly held a dim glow against the gloom.
"Well, goddamn." Dean breathed as the three of us stood staring at the vehicle.
"So, burning the body had no effect on that thing?" Sam asked, indicating towards the truck as it stood, almost glaring at us in the dark as we stood beside Cyrus' burning body.
"Sure it did – now it's really pissed." A ghost of a smile played on Dean's lips.
I rolled my eyes, "But I thought we just got rid of Cyrus' ghost?"
"Apparently not the part that's fused with the truck." Dean shrugged and nodded his head towards the imposing black monster-vehicle as it's engine gave a guttural growl. The elder Winchester suddenly pulled me in for a kiss and then walked towards his car.
Sam and I frowned, "Where are you going?" Sam asked.
Dean reached the car and gave us a mischievous smirk, one that I had come to adore so much, "I'm going for a little ride."
"What?" I tilted my head in confusion.
"I'm gonna lead that thing away," Dean pointed towards the truck, it had turned away from us and had it's headlights on Dean, watching him almost expectantly, "That rusted piece of shit – you two have gotta burn it."
"How the hell are we supposed to burn a truck, Dean?" Sam protested.
"I don't know, figure something out." Dean opened the trunk and tossed us a bag of objects, presumably weapons, and Sam caught them. I glanced at the truck, and made a quick decision. I took off running and cleared the distance between Dean and I in record time, I reached him and he frowned, "What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like, genius? I'm coming with you." I rolled my eyes, pulling on the collar of his shirt and kissing him quickly, "And if you say a word about trying to protect me, so help me God, I'll take your gun and shoot you."
Dean smirked and opened the passenger door, "Get in."
Dean floored the vehicle and we exited the field, swerving out onto the road and gunning it along the straight, I turned around in my seat and bit my lip, "It's out the field and coming for us, Dean." I warned him.
Dean's eyes were glued to the road but he gave a small nod, "I know."
"Do we have a plan?"
"Nope." Dean said, popping the 'p'.
I stared at Dean for a moment, my mind going down through the possible outcomes – most of them led to one certain thing. Instead I smiled, "Sounds good." I replied, Dean smiled back and pushed his foot down harder on the pedal, the car's speedometer slowly increased, when I turned to check on the truck my smile fell. It was closer than ever before.
After a few more minutes, I could see cracks appearing in Dean's bravado, the next time he gave me a confident smile, I could see it was strained. His phone was on the back seat, I gestured and it flew into my awaiting palm. I flipped it open and dialled a number, "Hey you gotta give me a minute." Sam answered.
"Uh, yeah. Thing is, Sam, we don't exactly have a minute." I replied, "Hang on." I moved the phone from my ear and tapped a button so it was on speaker phone.
"What are we doing, Sammy?" Dean asked, his tone slightly stressed.
"Uh... Let me get back to you." Sam answered, then the call cut off.
I sighed as I looked in the mirror to see the position of the car, "Damn." I muttered, and Dean's eyes flickered up to the mirror.
He scoffed in annoyance, "Screw this." Suddenly, Dean jerked the steering wheel and the car squealed and turned a sharp left, shooting through a gap in the hedges of a field. I smiled when I saw the gap was too small for the huge truck, then the truck burst carelessly through the hedge and aimed behind us, the vehicle giving an incredible amount of speed and nearing the back of Dean's car.
Dean's phone rang once more once we were back on the deserted road, I picked up immediately and kept Sam on speaker phone again, "Alright, guys?"
"This better be good!" Dean snapped.
"Where are you?" Sam asked, keeping his tone calm.
"We're in the middle of nowhere, with a killer truck on our ass! It's like it knows exactly where I'm gonna drive to nest!" The elder Winchester replied, anger and irritation dominating his voice.
"Guys, guys, listen to me, it's important. I have to know exactly where you are." Sam responded.
I squinted out the car window at the trees and fields that flew past at the break-neck speed we were going at, we suddenly passed a sign, "Decatur Road." I said.
"That's two miles off the highway, Sam." Dean added.
"Ok, are you headed east?" Sam asked.
I shrugged whilst Dean sighed, "Yes!" The truck slammed into the rear of the car, and we were thrown forward, my head slammed into the dashboard and stars burst behind my eyes, the phone clattered to the floor. "Son of a bitch." Dean growled, "Steph, can you hear me?"
I blinked, trying to clear away the haziness and winced at the buzz in my ears, "Yeah." I croaked. Through the confusing fog I saw Dean's shape stoop to pick up something, the small bright light told me it was the phone.
"Ok, uh, turn right. Up ahead, turn right." Sam instructed, Dean jerked the car to the right and I groaned as my head rapped against the window.
Dean glanced at me, "Sorry."
"You guys make the turn?" Sam piped up.
Dean nodded whilst I forced myself to check the mirror to see where the truck was, it had followed our right-hand turn, "Yeah, we made the turn! You're gonna need to move this think along a little fast!" Dean shouted.
"Alright, see the road up ahead?" Sam asked.
"No!... Wait – yes, I see it!" Dean nodded, even though Sam couldn't see.
"Ok, turn left." Sam told him.
"Dean." I whispered, he looked at me and I pointed out his window, the truck was beside us, neck and neck.
"Perfect." Dean groaned and slowed the car down slightly, once the truck had overtaken he veered left and moved onto the other road, "Ok, now what, Sam?" He asked, slightly more relaxed.
"You need to go exactly seven-tenths of a mile and then stop." Sam ordered.
Dean and I did a double-take, "Stop?" I repeated in a doubtful tone.
"Exactly seven-tenths, guys." Sam repeated.
Dean sighed, "Watch the meter for me." He told me, then began to drive slowly forward, the truck completely out of sight, I counted as the meter slowly went up.
"Now." I said. Dean nodded and slammed on the brakes, the car jolted to a screeching stop. The black truck materialized at the end of the road in front of us, and our breathing quietened.
"Guys, you still there?" Sam's voice broke through the silence in the dark.
"Yeah." Dean answered.
"What's happening?" Sam asked.
"It's just... staring at us at the end of the road, what do we do?" I replied.
"Just what you two are doing. Bringing it to you." Sam clarified, I glanced at Dean and didn't bother to reply. At the end of the road, the black nightmare-car began speeding towards us, the seconds began to drag out as it neared.
"Come on, come on." Dean muttered, the car drew closer to us at an alarming rate, and I shut my eyes and prepared for impact.
But it didn't come.
"Hey, you guys still there?" Sam's voice made me open my eyes, I stared at the empty road and frowned.
"Where'd it go?" I asked.
"You're where the church was." Sam replied.
Dean and I exchanged a confused glance, "What church?" He asked.
"The one Cyrus burned down, when he murdered all those kids." The younger Winchester answered.
I peered out Dean's window at the old, abandoned rubble, "There's not much left of it." I commented.
"Yeah, but church ground is hallowed ground, whether the church is still there or not. Evil spirits can't cross over hallowed ground, sometimes they're destroyed. So, I figured maybe that would get rid of it." Sam explained.
Dean and I sat in silence for a few moments, absorbing what Sam had just said.
"Maybe?" Dean exploded, "Maybe?! What if you were wrong, Sam?" He demanded.
"Huh. Honestly, that thought hadn't occurred to me." Sam replied, I groaned and leant my head on the headrest and shut my eyes.
"Bastard." I hissed.
Sam laughed and was then abruptly cut off, I didn't bother to reopen my eyes as Dean turned back on the car engine, "'Well, that honestly didn't occur to me'." Dean imitated his brother, "I'm gonna kill him."
Sam and I leant on the bonnet of the car the next morning at the docks as Dean and Cassie walked slowly towards us in deep conversation. "I wonder what they're talking about." I muttered.
Sam shrugged, "Dunno." He answered shortly, but there was something in his eyes that I couldn't decipher. I brushed it off and stood up from the car as Dean and Cassie neared, I gave him a big smile as I approached them, Dean's arm wrapped around my waist and he gave me a quick kiss, when we turned to his ex I saw a pain cloud her dark eyes.
"Hey, Cassie?" Cassie looked up at me, "I'm sorry for the last time we spoke, it was pretty rude of me to do that, and you didn't deserve it."
Cassie gave me her first genuine smile, although it was tiny, "Yeah, I'm sorry too, Stephanie. What I said was totally out of order."
I took a long look at Cassie, quietly contemplating whether to smash her nose in or forget it, then my brain decided and my shoulders shrugged, "Bygones?"
She nodded, "Bygones."
Dean grinned, "Well, now that's sorted, we gotta get going."
Cassie looked at him and they shared a look, she looked like she was contemplating something herself, and turned to me and opened her mouth, then thought better of it and shut it, "It was nice seeing you again, Dean." She gave Dean her best sultry smile and I rolled my eyes.
The elder Winchester chuckled, "Yeah, you too, Cas." He hugged her briefly and then took my hand and led me towards the car where Sam was sat, watching the exchange thoughtfully, I wondered what he was thinking about.
He waved to Cassie and looked at us, "We good to go?" He asked.
I nodded, "Yep, let's go."
Sam's P.O.V
I was driving for once, and after much protest, Stephanie had eventually fallen into a much needed sleep in the back, her head was leant against the window, her jacket layed out across her as she slept quietly. "I like her." I suddenly said.
Dean looked at me, "Huh?"
"Steph, I like her." I repeated.
Dean frowned, "What are you trying to say, Sam?"
"Not like that, Dean. I meant I like Steph as in I think she's a good addition to us." I explained.
Dean nodded slowly, "Well, I like her too."
"Yeah, I noticed." I rolled my eyes, "I don't think she's going anywhere soon."
"Well, where can she go?"
"I meant back to her reality, Dean. You must know she misses it." I replied, glancing over to him.
Dean nodded, "I know she does." He said quietly.
"You know what you did with Cassie?" I asked, Dean stiffened in his chair and nodded once, "Are you ever gonna tell her?"
My brother pulled a face, "Probably not." He admitted, I sighed and tapped the steering wheel in annoyance, Dean watched my fingers then rolled his eyes, "What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking: if you do something like that again, one way or another, Steph's gonna find out and when she does, she'll kill you." I replied.
Dean stayed quiet for a moment and pulled out some sunglasses and put them one, "Wake me up when it's my turn to drive." He said, then yawned and slumped in his chair.
Author's Note: Sorry it took so long to update! I have exams in about 7 weeks and my school have decided to make us stay behind everyday for an extra hour, and then I have to walk home and when I get in I'm just too exhausted to even think about writing. I admit I also had some reluctance to do this chapter because I found it really hard to fit Valkyrie into the story, but hopefully it fits. Tell me what your thoughts on this chapter in your reviews, I know they seem like effort but they really do make my day! You know the drill by now – unless you're a new reader, 10 reviews till an expected update!
Oh, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
-Blue-Eyed AngelGirl