A/N: Sorry for the wait, guys. Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season. Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story. Happy reading!
"This isn't right." Sam said pushing the paper back in front of MJ. "Look, you've got the square root of 32 as 4.6, that's way off." Sam pointed out the error on the page, looking up at his sister to find her gazing out the window, her expression pensive and her attention on anything but trigonometry. He nudged her shoulder. "Hey. If you want to finish this sometime today, you need to pay attention." He gently scolded, handing her a pencil.
MJ reluctantly turned to Sam, her forehead creased in concern. She took the pencil with a sigh and leaned over the paper.
Sam was silent for a moment, watching her while she worked. It had been two days since MJ's first therapy session and Sam had noticed a difference in her. A difference that in his opinion, was not for the better. She seemed more polite, less demanding, more careful about how she approached her brothers. She had endured their two hour lessons each morning without so much as a single eye roll. Sam was all for manners and good behavior, but he didn't like where it seemed to be coming from: Fear. He suspected after her breakdown that night, right after her session that she was petrified of being sent away from them. In a way he was pissed at her. He could not fathom how after everything they had been through over the past eight months that she still did not trust that she was here to stay.
While she hadn't complained once, he did notice that she was not at all focused on her work. More often than not she was staring off into space, appearing to be deep in thought, as if she were contemplating all of the mysteries of the universe. Sam had decided he would not ask her about her change in demeanor. As much as it annoyed him to see her acting so withdrawn, he thought that for now it was best not to confront her about it. He had shared this opinion with Dean who had almost immediately dismissed it. If Sam was frustrated, it was nothing to how Dean seemed to be fairing. Dean's theory, and he was quick to share it with Sam, was that they should force MJ to open up to them about what was bothering her, even if it meant shaking the truth out of her. Problem solved.
Sam couldn't help but grin now as he watched MJ rub out the incorrect answer, thinking about Dean's reaction. Dean was all about reacting. Shoot first, ask questions later. This was often the best plan when hunting, but when it came to raising a teenager, Sam felt a more subtle approach was needed. He had tried to convince Dean that it was best to continue to try and show her through their actions that she was safe and could talk to them, rather than confront her and force it out of her. Trouble was, subtly was not in Dean Winchester's vocabulary.
"Where were you just now?" Sam asked MJ as she completed the problem and slid the paper back to Sam.
MJ shrugged, folding her arms over her chest. "Just thinking about the case. Wondering what Dean got from Valerie's family." She responded. Sam knew she wasn't being completely truthful.
As if on cue, they heard a key in the door and then Dean entered, his tie loose and his jacket slung over his shoulder.
"It's hotter than hell out there." He said by way of greeting, kicking off his shoes. "I swear real cops should get hazard pay for having to wear these monkey suits in the dead of summer." He shucked off his pants and unbuttoned his shirt as he fiddled with the thermostat, turning up the AC.
"Ew, Dean. Pants?" MJ complained, shielding her eyes from the sight of her eldest brother walking around in his boxers.
"Get over it." Dean called over his shoulder, as he stood in front of the AC vent, trying to cool off.
"What'd you get?" Sam asked.
"Well, Valerie's parents, sisters, even her grandparents absolutely insist she wasn't seeing anyone. Which kind of blows our jilted boyfriend theory."
MJ frowned. Adrian's brother had confirmed that his sister had dumped her boyfriend the night before her death because she had caught him cheating. Just like Susan's boyfriend got the boot right before Susan was killed. While they knew the boyfriends hadn't actually killed them, MJ wasn't ready to give up on the possibility that their recent break ups were somehow related to their deaths.
"Did the family give you any friends you could follow up with? Maybe Valerie had a boyfriend that she didn't want her family to know about for some reason." Sam asked.
Dean pulled on a pair of jeans before walking over to the table and grabbing Valerie's police file. "No, and look." He said laying the open file in front of Sam on the table. "Even the roommate said she was single. If she was seeing someone she was hiding it well."
"Yeah, or the roommate's covering for Valerie for some reason." MJ muttered, not looking up from the math problem she was attempting.
Both brothers looked up at her for a moment before turning to one another. Dean raised his eyebrows in question and Sam shrugged in response. "Worth a try." Sam said, closing up the file. "We're just finishing up. We'll go with you." He said getting up from the table.
"Yes." MJ said, relieved to be done with trig for the day as she snapped her book shut.
"Okay, but let's forgo the suits. Even feds must do casual Friday, right?" Dean asked hopefully, clearly dreading the idea of putting the tie and jacket back on.
"Hey, as long as we have badges and a pushy attitude, I'm pretty sure you could show up in those Scooby Doo boxers and still get answers." Sam teased. MJ grinned, but stayed quiet.
"I don't own Scooby Doo boxers." Dean defended, as they headed out the door. "But if I did they'd have Daphne front and center." He said with a smirk. "Mmmm, Daphne."
Sara, Valerie's housemate, was in the middle of moving when they arrived. A moving truck was parked out front and there were boxes everywhere, throughout the house. She seemed pissed to see them right from the get go. Her anger only intensified when Sam asked her about Valerie's romantic life.
"I don't understand why I have to answer these questions again." Sara was packing boxes in the living room, angrily throwing items around. "I already told the police everything."
"I'm sorry to put you through this again, but we just want to be thorough so we can determine exactly what happened to Valerie." Sam said calmly. "You're sure Valerie wasn't seeing anyone?"
"Not that she told me about." Sara said, walking quickly from the living room into the kitchen and beginning to empty her cupboards. Dean gave Sam an exasperated look before the three siblings followed after her.
"Did you ever suspect she was seeing someone in secret?" Dean asked.
"Why would she do that?" Sara said, not looking up. Sam noticed that her hands were shaking furiously.
"Maybe the guy was married or something and so she had to keep it quiet." MJ suggested.
Sara suddenly lost her grip on the glass in her hand and it fell to the floor, smashing instantly.
"Shit." Sara spat, her face flushing and eyes welling up with tears. She bent to clean it up, her breath hitching as she began to sob. Sam stooped down, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Leave it. Come sit down." Sam guided her to a kitchen chair, while MJ retrieved a broom and Dean picked up the larger pieces of the shattered glass, placing them in the trash.
Sam sat across from Sara at the small kitchen table. "I know this is difficult, but we need to know what happened." Sam said in a quiet, reassuring tone.
Sara looked up at him, but said nothing. Sam just looked back at her, waiting for her to speak.
Finally, when Dean was ready to threaten to arrest her, Sara opened her mouth.
"Valerie and I were more than roommates. She was my girlfriend." Sara began. Dean paused in his cleaning, to stare openmouthed at the young woman. MJ had to elbow him, hard, in the ribs to get him to stop gawking. Sam only nodded, encouraging Sara to continue. "She had never been with a woman before and she wasn't ready to tell her family, so we kept it secret." Sara paused to wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. "Two days before…I told her that I had slept with my ex-girlfriend. I didn't want to lie to her anymore, it was killing me. She was angry and she asked me to leave, so I did. The night of the accident I came back here to grovel, to beg her to take me back. She couldn't forgive me so I left." Sara looked up at Sam, her face contorted in hurt and anger. "The last time I saw her she told me that I broke her heart." Sara dissolved into sobs. Sam handed her a tissue and waited for her to compose herself before asking another question.
"That night you came back, did anything unusual happen. Anything at all that seemed odd or out of place to you?"
If Sara found the question strange, she didn't show it. She shook her head. "Val locked herself in her room and I tried to talk to her through the door, but she blasted her stereo, so I just…left."
Sam shared a look with Dean and MJ. MJ took a step toward Sara.
"This may seem like a strange question, but do you remember what song was playing when you left?" MJ asked.
Sara looked up at her, her brow furrowed in confusion. She looked back to Sam, as if asking him if this girl was serious. Sam nodded for her to answer.
"Yeah, it was that Beyoncé song. I thought it was weird because we both hate pop music." Sara shrugged. "I figured maybe she could relate to it, though." She said, her voice riddled with guilt. She took a deep breath, and gave Sam a determined look. "Look, since this really couldn't possibly have anything to do with how she was killed, can you keep it off the record? She didn't want to be outed, and I want to respect her wishes."
Sam nodded. "Of course. I don't think there's any need to include the…details in our official report."
"Official report, huh Sammy?" Dean asked as they walked back to the Impala. "Kinda wasting the charm there, wouldn't you say? I mean she plays for the other team." He said with a smirk.
"Shut it, Dean. I wasn't flirting, I was being human. Giving the poor girl some peace of mind." Sam defended.
Dean chuckled. "Whatever you say, Sammy." Sam just glared at Dean as they got into the car.
MJ leaned forward over the seat back, her head between her brothers as Dean started the Impala. "What is with this song?" She asked, frustrated.
Dean turned to glance at her before returning his attention to the road. He was glad to see she was expressing an interest in the case. He hadn't seen her animated about anything in two days. It was a small victory, but he'd take it.
"Okay," Sam said, turning sideways in his seat to face both siblings. "We have three victims, all of whom had just broken up with their significant other for cheating."
"And all three got a wardrobe makeover courtesy of Edward Scissorhands." MJ added. She had excused herself to use the bathroom and checked Valerie's closet finding all of Valerie's clothes in the same state as Susan and Adrian's.
"And Irreplaceable was playing when all three were killed." Sam finished.
Dean snorted a laugh. "So, what, they're all pissed and scorned and put on this crappy pop song and it summons the spirit?" He asked, clearly skeptical.
Sam shook his head. "No. I think the spirit is making the song play. You heard Sara. Valerie didn't listen to that kind of music. And it would explain why MJ suddenly had it in her head at Susan's apartment and why it was blaring in the Impala when we left there."
"So we're looking for a spirit with shitty taste in music?"
Sam and MJ gave Dean identical admonishing glares.
"Okay, okay," Dean gave in. "So the spirit, for some reason, is linked to the song." He theorized.
"Yeah, that makes sense." MJ said, her eyes wide. "I mean, in Susan's apartment, it was like the song was invading my head. I could barely think straight it was so intense."
Sam cast a worried glance at his sister. So far, the spirit hadn't affected anyone else in this way. Why was MJ so sensitive to it? Sam's gaze shifted to Dean and he saw his own worry reflected in his brother's eyes.
Sam noticed MJ eyeing him suspiciously and cleared his throat. "Spirits are often drawn to strong emotions. Not much breeds more rage, hurt and anguish than being cheated on."
"It's not just that, though." MJ said thoughtfully. "They weren't just pissed, they were all determined that they weren't going to forgive their partner. That's a pretty specific emotion."
Sam smiled at his sister. "How'd you get so smart?"
She blushed slightly, returning his smile. "I guess I take after my brother."
"Thank you. That means a lot to me." Dean said.
"Ha!" MJ shook her head, sitting back in her seat. "So what now?" She asked.
"Well the first killing was thirteen days ago. So we need to look at deaths around that time that might have resulted in this type of angry spirit."
"Ah, yes, the garden variety adultery-victim killing spirit." Dean said sarcastically.
"You have a better idea?" Sam asked.
Dean made no response as they pulled into the motel parking lot, but then as his siblings made to get out of the car, he threw his hand up. "Wait!" He all but shouted. "I do have a better idea."
Sam looked at him, unconvinced. "Yeah, what's that?"
"Food." Dean said with a smirk. "I'm freakin' starving, man."
Sam rolled his eyes. "Okay, but let me grab my computer so I can do some research while we eat."
"Hurry up!" Dean yelled after him. He adjusted the rearview mirror so he could see MJ reflected in it. She was sitting quietly in her seat, arms folded, gazing thoughtfully out the window. Dean turned in his seat so he was facing her, draping one arm over the seat in a would-be casual gesture. It was wasted on MJ who could tell from one look at Dean's face that he was nervous. He cleared his throat, and MJ gave him her full attention, waiting.
"I talked to Jenna while I was out this morning. You have another session tomorrow night." He said evenly, not sure how she would react to this news. "The therapist wants to see you twice a week for now." He added when she remained silent, just looking at him.
He noticed that her face grew paler and her mouth was set in a firm line, but this was her only real reaction. She gave a quick nod and muttered "okay" before returning her attention to her window.
Dean turned back around in his seat, heaving a great sigh. He hadn't known what her reaction would be, but he had anticipated some sort of actual emotion. Anger, anxiety, hell even waterworks would have been better than what he got. Finding himself at his breaking point with the entire situation, Dean quickly got out of the car slamming the door behind him. He took to pacing the parking lot until Sam emerged from their room, case files and laptop in hand.
Sam stopped short when he caught sight of Dean, wearing a hole in the pavement between the Impala and the sidewalk. "What's wrong?" He asked him as he looked to the Impala, making sure MJ was safe inside. "What happened?"
"Nothing happened, Sammy!" Dean said in a harsh whisper. "That's the problem!" With that Dean got back in the car, waiting for Sam to do the same.
The drive to the diner was silent, but tense, Dean's eyes never wavering from the road. MJ said nothing, but Sam could tell she was well aware of Dean's frustration and the fact that it seemed to be caused by her. Sam wondered how much longer the two of them could keep this up. MJ keeping everything bottled up inside and Dean keeping his cool and not exploding on her. Sam knew it was only a matter of time before it came to blows, yet again, and he wasn't stupid enough to think he had any chance of preventing it.
Once they had ordered their lunch, MJ took to perusing the case files while Sam opened his computer and began researching deaths around the time that Adrian Dunham was killed. He worked in silence for several minutes. Dean's patience expired when the waitress brought their drinks.
"Find anything?" he asked before adding cream to his coffee.
"Yeah, too much." Sam answered. "There's way too many deaths to look through all of them." He shook his head, gesturing toward the screen. "Even if I narrow it down to just the week before that's over fifty people. This could take a while."
"17-2(3)…what is that?" MJ muttered reading from one of the files. She flipped a few pages, her eyes going wide. "Noise ordinance." She said answering her own question. She looked up at her brothers. "Sam, can you access police reports for the week or so before Adrian's death?" She asked.
Sam nodded. He looked around the diner, making sure no one was close enough to catch wind of what he was doing. "Yeah, I think I can hack into them, why?"
"When the police got called the nights of Adrian and Valerie's deaths, the calls were dispatched as Noise Ordinance complaints. Patrick reported that he heard screaming in Susan's apartment so her call was dispatched as a welfare check, but we know the music was blaring when she died." She said, scooting closer to Sam so she could see his computer screen.
Dean straightened in his seat, catching on. "So maybe our ghost was killed while that sappy, crap song was playing and someone made a noise complaint to the police."
Sam was clicking away now, occasionally glancing around to make sure no one was watching. He gave a nervous sigh. "You know we could just go down the street and ask Chief Carr for the records. It's a little less illegal."
Dean snorted a laugh. "Yeah, he was jumping out of his seat to give us a hand, I'm sure he'd get right on it." He said sarcastically.
Sam quickly snapped the laptop shut when the waitress returned with their food. He gave her a polite smile while he waited for her to depart, quickly opening the computer and continuing his search once she had turned away.
Dean dug into his burger, casting the occasional glance at Sam, while MJ just picked at her chicken fingers, too anxious to see what Sam had found to eat. After what seemed like an eternity, Sam looked up at them, his eyes alight. "Here we go." He said.