Author' Note: I am so sorry for the long delay in updates. I've really been struggling with my mental health the past few years and I just personally find it hard to write when I'm in a bad head space. That being said I promise to try harder to get updates posted in a more timely manner. If anyone is still reading this I hope you enjoy the chapter. A few parts a little clunky but overall I'm happy with it. Reviews do help to motivate me so if you have the time please leave one. Thanks for reading and enjoy the chapter.
Trigger Warning: There is mention of SA and stalking ending in death in this chapter. If this is material that would trigger you please do not read. I do not want to cause anyone any emotional distress.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Supernatural. All rights belong to the writers and creators of the show
"Alright, let's go over what we know," Dean said. "Highway 41."
"There's been twelve accidents over fifteen years," Sam said. "Five of those were fatal. All of them happened on the same date each year."
"And each year the witnesses claim the same thing," Fallon added. "They see a woman appearing in the middle of the road being chased by a man drenched in blood."
"So, there are two spooks haunting this highway," Dean said. "Fallon, do you have a feel on them?"
"Yeah, I…. Dean, stop the car!"
"Holy…" Dean cried and slammed on the brakes. The car stopped just in time.
"There's one of them," Fallon said watching the female spirit beg them to help her.
"I don't think she knows she's dead," Sam said slowly.
"Yeah, I kind of have that same feeling," Fallon agreed.
"So, what do you think we should do?" Dean asked.
"I don't know," Sam said.
Dean turned to face Fallon. "This is your area of expertise. Should we tell her straight up or ease her into it?"
"She won't believe you if you tell her now," Fallon said. "I could prove she's a ghost to her instantly, but that would be dangerous. It's a nasty shock."
"Okay, so, we'll handle her like we would a human victim," Dean agreed.
Sam rolled down his window. "Calm down," he soothed. "Tell us what happened."
"There was a man who ran out into the road," the woman, Molly, explained. "It was an accident."
Fallon opened the car door and stepped out of the car. "Let's get to the berm," she said ushering Molly away from the Impala. "We can't be parked in the middle of the road." Molly shot her odd glances as they walked to the shoulder of the road. Fallon did her best to keep from twitching. Molly didn't know she was a ghost. She had no idea why she felt so uncomfortable in Fallon's presence.
Dean pulled the car over to the side of the road and he and Sam joined them. "Okay. So, what happened after you saw the man appear?"
"I swerved a… and we crashed," Molly explained. "When I came to the car was wrecked and my husband was missing. I went looking for him, but that's when the man from the road, he…he started chasing me."
"Did he look like he lost a fight with a lawnmower?" Dean asked.
Molly looked surprised. "How did you know that?"
"Lucky guess," Dean replied.
"I think maybe you should come with us," Sam said. "We'll take you back to town."
"I can't," Molly said shaking her head. "I have to find David. He might have gone back to the car."
"We should get you somewhere safe first," Sam insisted. "Then Dean, Fallon, and I can come back. We'll look for your husband."
"No, I'm not leaving here without him." Molly crossed her arms and stared at them defiantly. "Would you just take me back to my car, please?"
"Sure," Fallon said picking up on the negative energy that was starting to emanate from Molly. "Tell us the way."
Molly led them into the woods. "It's right over here," she said as they cleared two trees. They followed her gaze to a tall tree right ahead. There wasn't a car there. Fallon walked closer and gazed up at the tree. She could see the scar the car had left on the trunk of the tree fifteen years ago. The tree had survived and continued to grow, but Molly couldn't see that. "I don't understand. I'm sure this is where it was. We hit that tree right there. This…this doesn't make any sense." She walked towards the tree and then around it. Fallon made her way back to the boys.
"We have to get her out of here," Sam said. "Greely could show up at any second."
"He's close," Fallon told them.
"What are you gonna tell her to get her to leave?" Dean asked.
"The truth?"
"Not yet," Fallon said. "She'll freak out. She's close to doing so already. I think my presence is pushing her to a break down. I think I should leave."
"No," Dean said, "we need you on this one. We can't read the situation."
"Alright," Fallon agreed as Molly came back towards them.
"I know it sounds crazy, but I crashed into that tree," Molly insisted. "I don't know who could've taken it. It was totaled. Please. You have to believe me."
"Molly, listen, we do believe you," Sam told her, "but that's why we want to get you out of here."
"What about David?" Molly cried tearfully. "Something must have happened. I have to get to the cops."
"Cops…that's a great idea," Dean exclaimed. "We'll take you down to the station ourselves. So, just come with us. It's the best way we can help you and your husband."
"He's right, Molly," Fallon said. "Staying here isn't safe. I'm sure your husband would want you to be safe."
"Okay," Molly agreed. They made their way back to the Impala. Molly slid into the backseat with Fallon. Fallon almost found it funny how she and Molly sat pressed up against the doors, as far away from each other as possible. It wasn't out of dislike. It just wasn't comfortable for two ghosts to be in close proximity to each other. Too much energy.
"We're supposed to be in Lake Tahoe," Molly said out of the blue when they got back on the road.
"You and David?" Sam asked.
"It's our five-year anniversary," Molly said.
"A hell of an anniversary," Dean commented.
"Right before," Molly sighed, "we were having the dumbest fight. It was the only time we ever really argued… when we were stuck in the car."
"You don't have to explain," Fallon said. "We know how that goes."
"You know the last thing I said to him?" Molly asked sadly. "I called him a jerk. What if that's the last thing I said to him?"
"Molly, we're going to found out what happened to your husband," Sam told her. "I promise."
Suddenly, the radio switch on and "House of the Rising Sun" started playing. "Did you…?"
"No," Sam replied.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Dean sighed.
"This song," Molly said slowly.
"Let me guess," Fallon cut her off. "It was playing when you crashed." Molly nodded.
The music cut and static crackled from the car's stereos. "She's mine," a male voice croaked. "She's mine. She's mine."
"What is that?" Molly asked freaked.
"Shit!" Fallon cried as Greeley appeared in front of the car.
Dean floored it. "Hold on!"
"What are you doing?!" Molly screeched as the car barreled towards the man…and then went through him. Greeley vanished. "What the hell just happened?"
"Don't worry, Molly," Sam said. "Everything's gonna be alright." The car began to shudder and slow down.
"I think you spoke too soon," Fallon said.
Dean steered the car back to the shoulder of the road and it came to a complete stop. He turned the key in the ignition a few times, but the engine wouldn't catch. He sighed. "I don't think he's gonna let her leave."
"Yeah, I caught on to that," Fallon said as they all exited the car. Dean tugged Fallon aside as Sam tried to calm down a freaked Molly.
"Think you can get the car running again?" he asked.
"I could get it running again," Fallon said.
"Great!" Dean exclaimed. "Let's make that happen."
"I don't think it's a great idea," Fallon replied.
"Why not?"
"Because Greeley's just going to stop it again," Fallon said. "And I don't want to get into a pissing contest with him. He's been a ghost longer than I have."
"You've taken on powerful beings before," Dean pointed out. "You can take on Greeley."
Fallon shook her head. "It's not about whether I can do it or not. Molly's one upset away from losing it. I don't want to know what she'll do with me and Greeley throwing all that energy around. And she's not the only one on edge. I'm on edge. Greeley's on edge. Our skin is crawling."
"I know it's uncomfortable for you to be around other spirits," Dean said.
"Multiple hauntings aren't just uncomfortable for the humans," Fallon said. "There's too much energy."
"So, what do we do here?" Dean asked.
"First, we calm her down," Fallon said. "And then I think we're going to need to start easing her into the idea that ghosts exist."
"Should we tell her she's…"
"Not if we don't want her to lose it on us," Fallon said. "We're not going to say a thing about her." Dean nodded and the two walked closer to Sam and Molly. Molly was still freaking out.
"This can't be happening," she groaned.
"Well, trust me," Dean said. "It's happening." He tugged open the trunk of the Impala and started pulling out weapons.
"I said calm her down," Fallon hissed between her teeth, "not scare her more!" Molly started to back away from them.
"Well…okay," she said. "Thanks for helping, but I think I got it covered from here."
"Wait, Molly, wait a minute," Sam tried to calm her down.
"Just leave me alone," Molly cried backing up a few steps.
"No, no, no," Sam said. "Please, you have to listen to me."
"Just stay away."
"It wasn't a coincidence that we found you, alright?" Sam called after her.
"Wow, you two are great at calming people," Fallon muttered.
"You said we need to tell her the truth now," Dean said.
"What are you talking about?" Molly asked. "Tell me the truth about what?"
"We weren't just cruising for chicks when we ran into you," Dean said. "We were already out here hunting."
"Hunting for what?" Molly asked.
"Ghosts," Dean replied.
"Way to sugarcoat it for her," Sam said dryly.
"You're nuts," Molly said backing a way. Fallon teleported in front of her. "What? How did you…you were over there."
"I was," Fallon said. "I teleported in front of you."
"I don't understand," Molly cried backing away a few steps.
"I'm a ghost," Fallon said. "You know it's true. You know what's going on here. You saw that guy disappear into thin air."
"We think his name is Jonah Greeley," Sam said. "He was a local farmer that died fifteen years ago on this highway."
"Stop," Molly pleaded.
"One night a year, on the anniversary of his death, he haunts this road," Sam continued to explain. "That's why we're here, Molly. To try and stop him."
"And I suppose this ghost made my car disappear too?" Molly replied still in denial.
"Crazier things have happened," Dean replied.
"You know what?" Molly said. "I'm all filled up on crazy. I'm gonna get the cops myself."
"I didn't want to have to do this," Fallon sighed.
"What are you…oh!" Molly groaned as Fallon stuck her arm through her chest.
Fallon grimaced. "Believe us now?" she gritted flickering the slightest bit. Molly was looking slightly transparent as well, but Molly didn't notice that.
"I believe you," Molly said giving her a wary glance. "I still want to get the cops."
"I don't mean to be harsh," Dean intersected, "but I don't think you're gonna get too far."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Molly asked.
"It means that plan A was trying to get you out of here," Dean said. "Obviously that didn't go over too well with, uh, Farmer Roadkill."
"To phrase that in a nicer way," Fallon said shooting an annoyed look at Dean, "Greeley isn't going to let you leave this highway."
"Every year, Greeley finds someone to punish for what happened to him," Sam explained. "Tonight, that person is you."
"Why me?" Molly cried. "I didn't do anything!"
"That doesn't matter," Sam said sadly. "Some spirits only see what they want."
"So, you're saying this Greeley took my husband?" Molly asked.
"Molly, look, we're gonna help, alright?" Sam soothed. "But first you have to help us."
"How?" Molly asked.
"Why don't we start at the beginning?" Fallon suggested. "Can you take us to where you first saw Greeley?"
"I think so," Molly said.
They treaded back to where Molly's car had driven off the road. From the accident site Molly lead them through the woods until they arrived at a run-down cabin. Its windows were broken and the forest was reclaiming the area. The four of them walked inside the cabin.
"This is it," Molly told them. "This is where I saw him."
"Must have been his hunting cabin," Dean said glancing at the rusty tools hanging on the walls and a bloodstained table in the room. "Seemed like a real sweet guy."
"It's just the tools of the trade, Dean," Fallon said, though her nose was wrinkled from the disgusted look on her face.
"There was no markers or headstones outside," Sam said.
"You're looking for Greeley's grave?" Molly asked surprised. "Why?"
"So, we can dig up the corpse and salt and burn it," Dean replied.
"Oh," Molly said dully. "Naturally."
"That's how you get rid of a spirit," Fallon explained.
"And that'll save David?" Molly asked.
"Well, this is what'll help both of you, provided there's a corpse to be found," Sam said.
"So, how do we find it?" Molly asked.
"I'm not sure," Sam replied. "After Greeley died, his wife claimed the body. And that was the last anyone saw of her. So, good guess, she brought him back here. But they had a thousand acres. He could be buried anywhere on them."
"Super convenient, right?" Fallon added sarcastically.
"This is really what you guys do?" Molly looked overwhelmed. "You're like Ghostbusters?"
"Minus the jumpsuits," Dean said looking annoyed. "This is a fascinating conversation and all, but this highway is only haunted once a year, and we have until sun-up to wrap this thing up. What do you say we move it along, okay? Great."
"Ignore him," Fallon said as he headed out the door. "He can be an ass sometimes."
"What are we looking for?" Molly asked when they were all outside again.
"Greeley's house," Sam answered. "Maybe he's buried there. Look for roads or paths or something. Stay close."
"Okay," Molly agreed.
Suddenly, a voice filled the air around them. "Molly?! Molly, help me!"
"David?!" Molly cried. "David?!" She started to go towards the voice.
"Molly, don't it's not David!" Fallon exclaimed, but too late. Greeley reappeared and grabbed Molly. A gunshot went off and Greeley dissipated.
"Whoops," Dean said.
"Are you alright?" Sam asked Molly.
"What has that son of a bitch done with my husband?" Molly cried.
"Just take it easy," Sam said. "You're gonna see David again. You will."
"Hey!" Dean called from a few feet away. They hurried over to him and he pointed ahead. "Follow the creepy brick road."
The group began to follow the brick road. Dean and Fallon were in the lead. "Hey," Dean said after a moment his voice low so only she could hear him. "Can we talk for a minute?"
Fallon gave him an odd look, but nodded in agreement. "Sure." The two of them stepped off the path. Sam shot them a look as he passed with Molly. She looked back at Dean. "What's going on?"
Dean looked uncomfortable. "So, I know I've been trying to back off the ghosts are evil stuff lately, cause uh, that upsets you, but, uh, we have to convince Molly to let go and move on, and…"
"Convincing her that she could turn into the same monster Greeley is will get her to do just that," Fallon finished for him.
"Yeah," Dean sighed. "Exactly that. I just wanted to mention it to you…"
"So, I wouldn't get mad," Fallon said. "It's fine. I understand what you're doing."
Dean shook his head. "That's not it," he said.
"Then why did you bring it up?"
"Because I want you to know that I don't mean a word of what I'm about to say," Dean said. "Not when it comes to you. You're different. You're not like other ghosts. You're… well, you're just you."
Fallon didn't know what to say. Dean had been making an effort since their last fight to not say anything negative about ghosts and to be nice to her, but she hadn't thought his feelings about what she was had changed at all. She just thought he was putting an effort in to be friends regardless of his actual feelings towards ghosts. What he just said though made it seem like he had finally started to see her as a person and not a ghost. She should be happy, elated even, but instead she just felt unsettled and even a little guilty. Lately, she had been thinking what Dean said about ghosts was right.
She forced a smile though and nodded. "Thank you for saying that," she replied ignoring the awkwardness that had filled the atmosphere over the brief pause. "I think we better catch up with Sam and Molly.
Dean frowned. "Yeah," he agreed. "We should." They stepped back onto the brick road and started after Sam and Molly. Fallon glanced down in surprise when Dean slipped his hand in hers. When she glanced up at him, he was smiling and she couldn't help but smile too.
Fallon and Dean caught up to Sam and Molly just as they rounded a curve in the path. A creepy, run-down house greeted them. "You know, just once I'd like to round the corner and see a nice house," Dean grumbled.
"I'm sure it was a nice house once" Fallon said repressing a shudder. She and Dean quickly surveyed the grounds but did not find a grave.
"Any luck?" Sam asked when they entered the house.
"Yeah, right. Is it ever that easy?" Dean said.
"I guess not," Sam sighed.
"You and Molly check upstairs," Dean ordered. "Fallon and I will cover down here. See if you can find any notes or records telling where he's buried."
Fallon took one end of the house while Dean took the other. She had just finished rifling through the entertainment center when Dean rejoined her. "Find anything?"
"No. You?"
"Nothing," Dean replied. "Let's see if Sam and Molly had any luck." The two went upstairs and followed the sound of Sam's voice to a bedroom. He and Molly were discussing the nature of ghosts.
"They weren't evil people," Sam was telling Molly. "A lot of them were good. Just…something happened to them. Something they couldn't control."
"Sammy's always getting a little J. Love Hewitt when it comes to things like this," Dean said. "Me? I don't like them. And I sure as hell ain't making apologies for them."
"What about Fallon?" Molly said. "You like her."
"No, he doesn't," Fallon said quickly before Dean could reply. "He tolerates my presence cause I've proven useful and I'm not vengeful yet."
"Fallon…"
"It's alright, Sam," she said. "I'm just stating the truth. Anyway, we found nothing downstairs. You two have better luck?"
"No. Found every piece of mail or receipt they ever had, but nothing about a grave so far," Sam answered Fallon, though his gaze was on Dean who was closely inspecting a wall. "What?"
"There's something behind here," he replied handing Fallon his flashlight so he could more easily push a dresser further down the wall, revealing a small hidden door. "Great. Locked from the inside."
"I got it," Fallon said, snapping her fingers. The all heard the lock click. They brushed a few cobwebs aside as they entered the room.
"It smells like old lady in here," Dean complained.
"Oh!" Fallon gasped and turned away at the sight of a rotten corpse hanging from a beam on the ceiling.
"And that would explain why," Dean sighed. "Well, now we know why nobody ever saw her again."
"She didn't want to live without him," Molly said sadly.
"Dean, give me a hand," Sam said, grabbing a chair and moving towards Mrs. Greeley.
"Really?" Dean groaned.
"What are you gonna do?" Molly asked.
"We can't leave her like this," Sam said.
"Why not?" Dean asked.
"She deserves to be put to rest, Dean" Sam said.
"Please take her down," Fallon whispered softly.
"Oh, alright," Dean agreed. He steadied the corpse as Sam stood on the chair to cut the rope. "Son of a…"
They brought Mrs. Greeley outside and Fallon used her powers to create a grave and they buried her.
"So… if you put Greeley to rest too what happens to them?" Molly asked.
"That answer is way beyond our pay grade," Dean replied.
"You hunt these things but you don't know what happens to them?" Molly said incredulously.
"Well, they never come back," Dean replied. "That's all that matters."
"After they let go of whatever's keeping them here hey…just go," Sam added. "I hope some place better, but we don't know. No one does."
"What happens when you burn their bones?" Molly asked.
"Well, my dad used to say that was like death for ghosts, you know?" Sam said. "But the truth is we don't know. Not for sure. Guess that's why we all hold on to life so hard. Even the dead. We're all just scared of the unknown."
"The only thing I'm scared of is losing David," Molly said. "I have to see him again. I have to." Fallon, Sam, and Dean shared a look.
"Can I have a word with you two?" Sam said, and then headed for the house. They followed him in and left Molly in a separate room.
"What's up?" Fallon said.
"I think we should tell her about her husband," Sam said.
"We can't," Dean replied.
"Dean, it's cruel letting her pine for him like this," Sam said. "I don't like keeping her in the dark. Fallon, what do you think?"
"I'm not sure now is the best time," Fallon said. "She's volatile. She's on the precipice of discovering what she is. I'm not sure intervening right now would be helpful."
"See? It's for her own good," Dean said. "I know you feel guilty, alright? But let's just stick to the plan. Then we'll tell her."
"Tell me what?" Molly asked entering the room. "What aren't you telling me? It's about David. You know what happened to him."
"Molly…"
"Sam, don't…"
"Don't what?" Molly snapped "Don't tell me because I'll mess up your hunt? You don't care about me or my husband!"
"That's not true," Sam and Fallon said.
"Really? Then whatever it is, tell me, please," Molly begged. Suddenly the song "House of the Rising Sun," began to play. "He's coming!" They all began to look around when the window burst and Greely grabbed Molly and dragged her outside. Fallon, Dean, and Sam followed them out but both ghosts were gone.
"This guy is persistent," Dean grumbled as they re-entered the house.
"We have to find Molly," Sam said.
"Before he destroys her," Fallon added.
"We got to find Greely's bones," Dean said. "And, uh, no pressure or anything, but we got less than two hours before sunrise."
"Okay, let's search through the house again," Fallon agreed. They quickly began to tear apart the home in their search.
"Hey!" Sam cried calling the other two back to the living room. He held up a photo album. "Check out this picture. It's dated February 6th, 1992."
"That was like, two weeks before the accident, right?" Dean said.
"Yeah," Sam replied. "It looks like the hunting cabin, but I swear there's a tree there right where they're standing."
"Brilliant, Sam," Fallon said.
"What?" Dean said.
"It's an old country custom, Dean," Sam explained. "Planting a tree as a grave marker."
"You're like a walking encyclopedia of weirdness," Dean huffed as they rushed out of the house.
"Yeah, I know," Sam grumbled. The three ran to the hunting cabin.
"Dean, go help Molly," Fallon said. "Sam and I have the grave," She and Sam rushed to the tree and Fallon used her powers to unearth the grave. Sam quickly covered the corpse with salt and gasoline before dropping a match on Greely.
The four of them regrouped and headed back to the Impala. They were all relieved to see it. "Ooh baby, it's been a long night," Dean sighed as he climbed into the driver's seat. Fallon settled into the back flickering a bit from the extended time in Molly's presence. Sam sent her a concerned look from the passenger seat. Fallon gave him a weary smile.
"Alright, Molly, let's get you out of here," Sam said turning his attention away from Fallon.
"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what happened to my husband," Molly said tearfully while standing outside the car.
"Molly…"
"All this time…I've been looking for him, and you knew that…that Greely killed him, didn't you?" Molly cried. "He's dead."
"No, Molly," Fallon said. "David's alive."
"What?" Molly said. "He's alive?"
"We'll take you to him," Sam said. "Come on."
Molly slid in beside Fallon and they drove into town. As the sun was beginning to rise, they pulled up in front of a typical suburban home.
"He's in that house," Sam turned to glance back at Molly.
"I don't understand," Molly said confused.
"You will," Sam said. They got out of the house and approached the house. Molly peered into the front windows. They could see David pouring a cup of coffee. He was visibly older than Molly at this point.
"That's not…it can't be," Molly said but cut off when a woman joined David. He smiled and kissed the woman who'd joined him. Molly stepped back from the window. "What's happening? Who is that?"
"That's David's wife," Sam replied. Molly stared at him like he'd grown two heads before turning back to the window looking crushed. "I'm sorry, Molly. Fifteen years ago, you and your husband hit Jonah Greeley with your car. David survived."
"What are you saying?" Molly cried.
"We're saying there isn't just one spirit haunting Highway 41," Dean said. There are two. Jonah Greeley and you."
"No!" Molly cried. "That's not possible. It's our anniversary. February 22…"
"1992," Sam finished.
"Molly it's 2007," Fallon said.
"Oh god," Molly gasped as reality hit her.
"Hey," Fallon soothed. "It's gonna be alright."
Molly left the window and sat down on the steps of the porch. "Why didn't you tell me when you first saw me? Why wait until now?"
"You weren't ready," Fallon answered. "You wouldn't have believed us."
"And you needed me for bait," Molly said snidely.
"Well, we needed you," Sam agreed.
Molly's shoulders slumped. "David…"
"Molly, we brought you here so you can move on," Sam said.
"I have to tell him…"
"Tell him what?" Sam asked. "That you love him? That you're sorry? Molly, he already knows that. Look, if you want to go in there, we're not going to stop you."
"Yeah, but you're gonna freak him right out, for life," Dean said.
"David's already said his goodbyes," Sam said. "Now it's your turn. This is your unfinished business."
Molly glanced at Fallon. "What's holding you back? Why didn't you pass over?"
Fallon shook her head. "I'm not ready to leave. Molly you are. Your nightmare can end here."
Molly sighed. "What do I have to do?"
"Just let go," Sam replied. "Of David. Of everything. Once you do that, we think you'll move on."
"But you don't know where?" Molly cried.
"No," Sam admitted. "But Molly you don't belong here. Haven't you suffered long enough? It's time. It's time to let go."
Molly nodded and stepped away from the house. Fallon and the boys watched her walk across the yard and then disappear in a flash of light.
"I guess she wasn't so bad for a ghost," Dean said after a moment. Fallon glanced up at him and then remembered everything he'd said about ghosts in the past. She nodded and walked down the sidewalk and past the Impala. She heard two pairs of feet hurrying after her.
Dean grabbed her wrist and turned her around. "Fallon, I'm sorry! I didn't mean that like it sounded. I…"
"I know," Fallon said. "I knew how you meant it." Dean and Sam sent each other confused looks before looking back at her.
"Then why are you leaving?" Dean asked.
"Because whether I like it or not you were right about me," Fallon said. "About ghosts."
Dean shook his head. "You're not like most ghosts, Fallon. You're not angry and vengeful."
A tearful smile broke across Fallon's face. "I'm angry all the time, Dean!" she cried. "And it's gotten worse since yellow eyes."
"Well then he caused it…"
"He didn't, Dean," Fallon said. "I've been angry for a long time. Since before I met you even."
"Fallon," Sam said and she glanced over at him. "Fallon, knowing what happened to you I can't blame you for being angry. You have every right to be angry. It would be weird weren't angry about what happened to you. That doesn't make you vengeful or evil. Maybe if you just talked about how you're feeling…"
"No," Fallon said. "I can't. I'm sorry. I have to go."
"Fallon, don't," Dean pleaded grabbing onto her wrist again.
Fallon phased out of his grasp. "I have to go." She turned and began walking away again.
"Fallon, wait!" She turned around and glanced back at Sam. "You can come back whenever you want. Go sort out whatever you need to. We'll be here when you're ready to come back." She nodded and then she teleported away from them.
She found herself back in her home. She hadn't planned on coming here and was about to leave when she heard a noise from the kitchen. She made her way there and phased through the swinging door that separated the kitchen from the foyer. She smiled a little when she saw her mother sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a steaming hot cup of coffee.
"Hi Mom," Fallon said and sat down in the chair opposite her. Her mother's only response was to pick up the newspaper lying on the table between them. She was quickly interrupted though by the kitchen door swinging open abruptly and banging off the wall.
"Oh good, you're awake." Fallon glanced over to the door and saw her grandmother standing there fully dressed with shoes on her feet and her purse in hand.
"Good morning to you too, Mom," her mother muttered. "And I know I've told you to not push on that door so hard. You're going to damage the wall." She finally looked up from her paper and frowned at her own mother's appearance. "Where are you going?"
"Where are we going," Fallon's grandmother corrected.
"Oh mother…"
"Don't 'oh mother me'. We need to visit Fallon's grave. Go get dressed. I already woke up Veda."
"Mom, why do we need to visit Fallon? We placed flowers on her grave last week, remember? They don't need to be replaced so soon."
Fallon's grandmother snorted. "We're not going because of flowers. We're going because Fallon needs our help."
Her mother opened her mouth to argue before sighing and placing the newspaper back down. Fallon watched as her mother quickly gulped down her remaining coffee and rinsed the mug in the sink before placing it in the dishwasher. Her sister entered the kitchen then, her red hair gathered in a messy bun at the top of her head.
"Is there at least time for breakfast before we go?" she asked plopping down in their mother's now empty seat and pulling her shoes on.
"Your mother will stop at McDonald's for us on the way," their grandmother replied. Their mother shot her a dirty look as she exited the room to get ready. Fallon couldn't help but smile at the normal family dynamic. She was glad to see these relationships were not damaged by her absence. She stayed with them as they got ready and followed them out to the car listening to their banter and bickering on the ride and through the McDonald's drive thru all the way to the cemetery. She then watched as the parked alongside her grave. They got out of the car carrying a blanket they lied across the grass at the foot of her grave. Her mother and sister helped her grandmother down onto the blanket and she watched them as they ate quietly for a while.
Her mother grew more distressed as each moment passed. Fallon watched as she turned towards Veda. "Did you really not know Evan was stalking her?" she asked. "She didn't say anything to you? Even a hint?"
Veda looked appalled. "You've asked me that a million times before. She never said anything. Why don't you believe me?!"
"You're sisters," her mother said. "You always kept each other's secrets."
"I wouldn't have kept that a secret!" Veda cried. Fallon opened her mouth hoping to find a way to intervene but her grandmother beat her to it.
"Knock it off. This is not helping Fallon."
"Mom, Fallon is dead," her mom said, pain etched into every inch of her face. "It is too late to help her."
"She may not be alive but she is not at rest," her grandmother said. Fallon startled. She knew her grandmother could not see her, but perhaps she could sense her. Though how she would have sensed her when Fallon had arrived at the house after her grandmother had decided on this family excursion was beyond her.
"I wish you wouldn't say that," her mom replied.
"And I wish it wasn't true, but it is," her grandmother said. "The cards don't lie." Fallon rolled her eyes. Her grandmother had always been into tarot cards. The rest of the family just considered it one of her quirks and didn't take it seriously. Even though Fallon knew a little better now she still didn't think her grandmother had any actual ability to communicate with the afterlife. She had a different motivation for bringing her daughter and granddaughter here.
"Oh mother, not again with the tarot cards," her mom sighed. "That's just nonsense."
Her grandmother sniffed. "You can believe what you want, but the cards speak the truth and Fallon needs our help."
"Mom doesn't want to help Fallon," Veda said angrily. "She just wants to blame me for her death."
"That is not true!" her mother cried.
"Then why are you trying to blame me by accusing me of keeping such a horrible secret?"
"Because I…because…because if it's someone else's fault then it can't be mine!" her mother broke down.
"Mom," Fallon and Veda said together.
"I missed something," her mother sobbed. "Somewhere I missed something. A clue in something she said or how she was acting. She had to have been trying to tell me in some subtle way what was going on and I missed it!"
"Mom, she didn't tell anyone what was happening, except for Mason," Veda said. "And that was only because he came home from work early and Fallon was screaming at Evan to leave. Honestly, the real person responsible for Fallon's death is Fallon!" Fallon jerked back a step in shock and stared woundedly at her sister.
"Veda!" her mother gasped.
"What? It's true!" Veda cried. "If she'd told someone we could have gotten her help. Maybe Evan wouldn't have been able to follow Fallon and Mase to D.C. Or maybe they wouldn't have gone." Fallon watched on guiltily as she watched her mother and sister in tears. She had done this to them.
Her mother reached out to her sister and pulled Veda into her arms. "It's not your fault," she told her.
"Well, it's not yours either," Veda cried.
"I know," their mother said. "I guess I just want to pin the blame on someone who's not dead. I hate not being able to give her justice. At the end of the day though, while he may be dead, Evan is the only one to blame." Veda nodded and the two continued to hold on to each other until their tears passed.
After a moment, Veda pushed away. "I feel better now."
"Me too," her mom said.
"Good," her grandmother said. "Now finish eating so we can pack up and go back home."
Veda and her mother turned to gawk at her grandmother. "I thought you demanded we come here to help Fallon," Veda said.
Her grandmother nodded. "Sometimes the best way to help others is to help yourself." Veda and her mother glanced at each other and then rolled their eyes before turning back to their meals.
Fallon watched them finish and pack up but didn't follow them home. She realized now she had caused her family a lot of pain by keeping secrets. If she had just been honest about what was happening things could be different now. Or maybe they wouldn't be, but at least her family wouldn't have so many questions over what could have been different.
After awhile she left the cemetery. For a week she wandered around aimlessly. Two thoughts kept chasing themselves around her mind. What if she'd told someone what was happening? And then that followed by both Dean and Sam telling her if she wanted to talk, they'd listen. She didn't want to talk. She had never wanted to talk about what happened. But nothing good had come from staying silent. Even now she felt the emotions around what had happened bottling up inside her. She couldn't hold it in forever. And she didn't want to.
Using her power, she reached out to find the boys and teleported outside of a motel in Los Angeles when she found them. Taking a deep breath, she phased through their door. The two looked like they were discussing a case. At first, they didn't notice her but then Dean's gaze landed on her as he looked away from Sam and he abruptly stood up from his seat.
"Fallon?!"
Sam's head snapped as he looked over his shoulder at her. "Fallon! You're back!"
Fallon glanced back and forth between the two boys before walking past them to the bed on the far side of the room. She sat down on it and stared blankly at the wall. She didn't look back at them, but she felt them share a look before they both joined her, sitting down on either side of her.
"Fallon, are you okay," Sam asked softly.
"It was a frat party," Fallon said.
"Fallon?" Sam questioned.
"The night Evan…the night he… the night he raped me," Fallon forced out. "I was at a frat party."
"You don't have to tell us this, Fallon," Dean said.
"I know," she answered, but she told them everything. She told them what happened leading up to the rape, what happened during, and what happened after. By the time she finished she was sobbing. "I couldn't tell anyone. If I did it was real!" She saw Sam start to move to hug her, but he hesitated. She reached out instead and he pulled her against him, letting her cry on his shoulder. Dean held onto her hand, gently running his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. She felt better than she had in a long time, and she realized then what her grandmother's motivation had been. She'd gotten her mother and sister to let out the hurts and angers they were holding over her death so that they could feel better. Somehow her grandmother knew that her she would get the message too.