Catching Up
Chapter 4 – Phantom Traveler
"On United Britannia flight 2485, a man possessed by the spirit of the Phantom Traveler causes the plane to crash, leaving only seven survivors," Sam read off with a wicked grin. "I bet Dean remembers this case really well."
"In your dreams," Dean grumbled.
"More like in your nightmares," Sam countered.
"Oh sweetheart, you're not still nervous about heights are you?" Mary asked with a motherly tone. "My poor baby. I still can see your face when we took on that big Ferris wheel at the fairground."
"Aw poor baby," Sam cooed.
"It doesn't surprise me that you have not yet progressed past your infantile ways," said Cas.
"Let's just start this damn episode!" Dean barked, furiously jabbing the play button. As if Dean's mood wasn't bad enough, the recap started once more at the top of show. "Seriously? Do we have to go through this with every episode?"
"Remember in that universe, it's just a show and it is the first season after all," Sam said reasonably. "They need to hook people."
"Hope it stops soon," Dean wished. The show started with a traveller obviously nervous. "See that guy is afraid, I was more hesitant."
"But you see what I meant about being open to possession," Sam pointed to the black haze. "I wonder if that was one of Crowley's…"
"Who's Crowley?" Mary asked.
"King of Hell and Dean's BFF," Sam snorted.
"Okay he is not my BFF, we're on decent speaking terms," Dean corrected.
"You're on decent speaking terms with the devil?" Mary went wide-eyed.
"No, no, no, Lucifer is the devil but during this time, he's trapped in a cage inside Hell. Crowley just runs the place, less of a demonic overlord – though he does have his moments – more like a politician/businessman." Sam clarified but if anything Mary was even more perplexed. In the show, the plane went down and the scene cut to someone in bed.
"That has to be Dean," Mary laughed lightly. "I'd recognize that sprawl anywhere. And hunters' sleeping hours haven't changed at all."
"Can't get over how young we were," Sam said watching TV!Sam and TV!Dean banter back and forth. "It feels like I'm watching another lifetime. Imagine us before apocalypses?"
"Yeah we lost that pretty quickly didn't we? Sometimes I wonder if we ever really had it," Dean exhaled.
"If that knife is any indication…" Cas brought their attention to TV!Sam pulling a huge blade from under Dean's pillow. The warm feeling Mary had had just moments before dissipated, she couldn't help it, it wasn't Sam or Dean's fault but that didn't mean she couldn't berate herself. "Did you often get repeat customers so to speak?" Cas inquired.
"Not really," Dean shook his head. "The supernatural often attract more supernatural so if it was something we figured might come back or entice others, we gave the people our number. Most of the time we never heard from them again which is good in my books."
TV!Sam and TV!Dean met with Jerry and listened to the recording. They heard the plane's pilots try to radio for help before there was a vicious roar and everything went silent. "That is one nasty spirit," Mary commented awed.
"Sadly it's not very high up on the list anymore," Sam informed her. The show once again shifted to outside the copy store, "He freezes my laptop regularly but has no problem counterfeiting DHS IDs."
"You know it's been a while since I've actually tried," Dean mused. "Maybe I ought to give it a go, see how it works."
"No survivors, well that's cheerful," Mary grimaced.
The show moved to when TV!Winchesters were interviewing the survivor at the mental institution. "Its times like these that I find humans fascinating creatures," Cas tilted his head. "Here we have a man who is so ready to run away from the truth that he convinced himself that he has a mental disorder and put himself away."
"Lies are comforting Castiel," Mary explained. "A lie can be anything, there is only one truth and often times it's something we'd rather not acknowledge." Later, Mary quirked an eyebrow at the wife, "What kind of life do you have to have in order for acid reflux to be consider strange?"
"What kind of life do you have to have in order to consider impersonating a member of Homeland Security normal?" Sam shrugged.
"This is a wicked song," Dean bobbed his head to the music as their counterparts got suited up. "Might have made the whole monkey suit thing fun. Hey my old EMF! Sam never did appreciate my genius."
"I refer you to the comment about freezing my laptop," Sam made a face.
"Dumbass cops," Mary rolled her eyes. "Someone broke into a high-security warehouse? Let's make as much noise as possible and hope they don't run away."
Sam looked between Mary and Dean, "So much is being explained right now."
"Those poor men," Cas watched sadly as the demon possessed the pilot at same time, TV!Sam and TV!Dean discovered the presence of sulphur and conclude their creature is a demon. They watched the demon take down the pilot and his friend. Then TV!Sam and TV!Dean were discussing different demons and what to do about it.
"HA! 'Demons aren't our normal gig'! That's how you know this was a long time ago," Sam snickered.
"Why didn't you call Bobby Singer?" Cas looked at the brothers.
"Don't know, we didn't really talk to Bobby during that first year," Dean frowned.
"Dude you were really bad at lying," Sam scoffed. "Your sister is in the hospital?"
"I didn't hear you coming up with anything smart ass," Dean snarked.
However do you put up with him? Sam put real physical effort into not upending everything and demanding the voice show itself. He pointedly ignored it, focusing on what was happening with the brothers on the plane. One painfully awkward conversation stewardess later and dealing with TV!Dean's anxiety and Sam managed to calm back down. "And the award for subtly goes to Dean!"
"At least Amanda isn't giving you guys trouble about it," Mary carefully watched her boys in action. They took the co-pilot down and managed to expel the demon from him but not before taunting TV!Sam about Jessica. "Son of a bitch."
"Language mom," Dean said with a smirk.
TV!Sam finished the exorcism and the plane, which had been about to crash, leveled out. "That's was too close," Mary sighed in relief.
"Way too close," Dean agreed. "But Sammy has gotten pretty good at memorising Latin, doesn't need a scrap of paper."
"Did you have to sound like a soccer mom when you said that?" Sam ribbed.
"Oh well, time for grub." Dean leapt up. "Mom can we have that stew you used to make? The one with the special rice?"
"AKA the one Dean has yet to shut up about for the last few decades," Sam added.
"Of course," Mary stood. "Castiel you'll be joining us right?"
"I -" Cas opened his mouth but Dean pointed a warning finger at him. "Yes."
"Great." Mary clapped her hands together. "Dinner it is."