Hello hello! Back with another chapter for you! I'm just going to throw out a quick thanks for those of you whom have made it this far, and send you on your way! As always, I hope you continue to enjoy! Xoxo-NickyLynn
The sheriff's response to Ariella, Sam, and Dean being found at the scene of Bill Carlton's accident had not gone over very well. After emergency services had shown up and the waters futilely searched, he had practically demanded that they take a trip down to the station with him to give full statements. Ariella had been nervous to do so, but had complied, none-the-less, following behind Sam and Dean as they were led into the station. She was caught by surprise as she stepped through the doorway to the sheriff's office, however, finding Lucas sitting inside with his mother, looking more scared than she had seen him before.
"Hey, I wasn't expecting to see you guys here." Andrea said in surprise, coming to a stand as they entered the room.
"What are you doing here?" The sheriff asked her as he and the others moved further into the room.
"I brought you dinner." Andrea answered, lifting the bag of take out she had been holding for emphasis.
"Sorry, Sweetheart. I really don't have the time." He told her in response, letting out a sigh as she made his way around the desk, stripping off his jacket as he went.
Andrea's worried eyes fell on Dean and the others for a moment before she turned back towards her father. "I heard about Bill Carlton." She told him. "Is it true? Is something going on with the lake?"
Bill let his own eyes trail over to the hunters before giving a shake of his head. "Right now, we don't know what that true this." He told her honestly, looking rather frazzled by the entire situation. "But I think right now, it would be best if you and Lucas went on home."
Lucas's response to that statement was to shoot up from his seat and rush across the room towards Ariella. She let out a small grunt as he threw himself into her, surprise coloring her face as he wrapped himself tightly around her waist. "Woah, Lucas, hey." Ariella said, dropping a hand onto his shoulder as all eyes fell on the pair of them. He was whimpering into her side as he clung to her, the fear rolling from him nearly palpable. "Lucas, what is it?" Ariella asked in concern, doing her best to ease the panic from him.
"Lucas!" Andrea called out in surprise as she grabbed hold of him, doing her best to pry him away from Ariella. "Lucas, it's okay." She tried to tell him, wide eyes moving from him up to Ariella, not sure what to do.
Lucas only clung to Ariella harder, refusing to let his mother pull him away. Ariella wasn't sure what had gotten him so worked up, but whatever it was…he wasn't absolutely terrified. "Lucas, it's alright." She said softly, echoing Andrea's words as she ran her hand down his arm comfortingly. "It's going to be alright. I promise."
His grip on her slowly eased up as Andrea continued to pull him away, and as she managed to get him off of her, his eyes met Ariella's. They were shining with all the words he just couldn't make himself say, and it left Ariella's heart clenching in her chest. "It's alright." She told him again, feeling helpless to ease away the fear in him.
Andrea was able to pull him from the room then, and it nearly ripped Ariella's heart right out of her chest as she watched a look of despair wash over him. They locked eyes as he was ushered from the room, leaving Ariella biting her bottom lip as the door swung shut behind him.
"Alright, sit." The sheriff commanded once they were gone, an audible sigh leaving him as he dropped himself down on his chair. "One of you better start talking."
The three of them planted themselves in the chairs opposite him obediently, Dean taking the lead in explaining everything that went down with Bill Carlton. The sheriff watched Dean recant their story with a look of disbelief, and by the time he was finished, he looked downright angry.
"So, let me get this straight." He said moodily, leaning back into his chair as he pulled his arms up across his chest. "You see something attack Bill's boat, sending Bill—who is a very good swimmer, by the way—into the drink and you never see him again?"
"Yeah." Dean answered, turning to pass a look onto Sam and Ariella, who only nodded in agreement. "About sums it up." He confirmed, turning back towards the sheriff.
"And I'm supposed to believe this?" he questioned skeptically. "Even though I've already sonar-swept that entire lake and what you're describing is impossible."
"Look, I know this is hard to believe, but you've got to trust us-" Dean began before the sheriff cut him off with an unamused laugh.
"Trust you?" he repeated. "Boy, I don't even know who you are. I know you ain't from Wildlife Services." He revealed, face growing serious as Dean, Ariella, and Sam's dropped. "That's right. I checked." He told them. "The department's never even heard of you." He said before pointing out Ariella. "And I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume that press badge you've been flaunting around ain't real either."
"See, now, we can explain that." Dean tried to tell him with a nervous laugh.
"Enough!" the sheriff shouted, causing Dean's jaw to snap shut. "Now, I don't who you are or what the hell you're doing in my town, but this is where it ends. The only reason you're even breathing free air is because one of Bill's neighbors saw him steering out that boat just before you did. So, the way I see it, we've got ourselves a couple of options here. I can either arrest you for impersonating government officials and hold you as material witnesses to Bill Carlton's disappearance…or…we can chalk this all up to a bad day, you get in your car, you put this town in your rearview mirror, and you don't ever darken my doorstep again!" he seethed, pointing a shaking finger in their faces.
"Door number two sounds good." Sam responded quickly, not wishing to test the man's anger any further.
"That's the one I'd pick." The sheriff told him harshly before lifting his chin towards the door. "Now get the hell out of here."
The three of them didn't waste any time in shooting up from their chairs and practically running back to the motel. Sam and Dean got to packing their bags rather quickly, ready to split town before they ended up behind bars, but Ariella couldn't seem to bring herself to do the same. She watched them rush around the room gathering their belongings, and when Sam caught sight of her just sitting on the bed, biting on her bottom lip and looking lost in thought, he paused to give her a puzzled look.
"You waiting on us to help you start packing, or-?" he asked, casting his hands out to the side expectantly.
"I don't think we should leave yet." She said, causing Dean to freeze mid-action as he zipped up his bag.
"What are you talking about?" Sam questioned with furrowed brows. "Did you not hear the sheriff? The jig is up. We need to leave town before he changes his mind and tries locking us up."
"I know, Sam." Ariella said, letting out a frustrated sigh as she stood back up to stand across from him. "But something doesn't feel right about this." She tried to explain. "Lucas was terrified back there."
"So, the kid's gotten attached to you and didn't want to leave." He responded with an unconvinced shrug. "Bill Carlton's dead. Peter's gotten his revenge. The case is over."
"But what if it's not?" Ariella pressed, eyes sweeping from him over to Dean. "What if we missed something? I promised Lucas that I wouldn't leave town until we stopped this thing. I'm not leaving until I know for sure it's over." She explained with a shake of her head.
"Ari-" Sam said, taking a stop closer to her. "That sheriff threatened to arrest us. If we keep poking around, he's going to end up making good on that treat. You really want to end up in a scenario where they run your prints and figure out your status as a wanted fugitive?"
"He's right." Dean added before finishing zipping up his bag and throwing it over his shoulder. "We should really take this chance to get out before it's too late."
Ariella let her gaze move back and forth between the two before letting out a breath. "Look, I understand why you guys want to get out of here so bad. Hell, you should get the hell out of here. But, I'm not leaving until I know for certain this is over." She told them obstinately. "I can't."
"Ari, you should really-" Dean began to say, stepping closer to her and Sam.
"This isn't a debate!" she shouted in frustration. "If you want to go, then go, but I'm seeing this through to the end."
"Even if it ends with you behind bars?" Dean questioned with an arched brow. "Don't think we'd come back to break your ass out if it happens." He warned.
"Let's not pretend like you haven't been itching for the opportunity to kick me to the curb from the beginning." She tossed back at him with a roll of her eyes. "If Peter really is done claiming victims and I manage to steer clear of the sheriff, then I'll meet up with you in the next town. If not, and I get bagged, then that's on me."
"Ari-" Sam tried to protest.
"Sam, I've been hunting alone for a long time." She told him assuredly. "It's fine."
"Let her stay." Dean said as he stepped past the pair, making his way to the door without any further argument. "If she wants to be reckless, then let her. Ain't our problem." He said before pulling the door open and leaving, letting it slam shut behind him.
Sam let out a long sigh as he let his eyes trail from the door back onto Ariella, torn between what he should do. "Just go, Sam." Ariella told him, motioning to the door. "I'll be fine."
Sam's jaw twitched in response, knowing there would be no convincing her to leave. Without saying anything else, he scooped up his own bag before following after Dean, leaving Ariella to her own decisions, regardless of the consequences. The sound of the Impala roaring into life could be heard filtering in through the thin walls shortly after, followed by the sound of tires squealing against pavement. Ariella let out a sigh as she listened to them drive away, wondering, for a moment, if she was making a mistake. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment in thought, but as the memory of Lucas clinging to her in the sheriff's office filtered through her mind, she knew this was the only choice she was capable of making. She moved for the door then, steeling herself in her decision.
By the time she made it to Andrea's, the sun had begun to set, leaving the area bathed in darkness as Ariella moved across the lawn towards the front door. She knocked against the wood a few times and waited before Andrea opened the door a couple minutes later, wrapped in a robe and looking rather frazzled by the late-night visit. "You?" she asked in shock upon seeing Ariella standing there. "What are you doing here?" she asked in confusion as she pulled her robe tighter around herself, scanning behind Ariella for Dean and Sam, presumably. "My father said-"
"Look, I know how this might sound, but I really need to speak with Lucas again." Ariella told her, not sure how she was going to convince the woman.
"No." Andrea said firmly, shaking her head. "No, whatever this is, you just leave my son out of it. We've already been having a hard time adjusting to everything, and ever since you and your friends showed up, Lucas has been worse than ever. Whatever you've been saying to him has got him scared beyond belief! I should have never let you anywhere near him." She said sharply before moving to shut the door.
Ariella stuck her boot into the doorframe before it could latch into place, however, keeping the door from shutting on her face. "Andrea, I know you love your son and you're just trying to protect him, and you've got no reason to trust me, but I swear to you I'm just trying to protect him, too. I'm trying to protect both of you."
"You're right. I don't trust you." Andrea said, eyes dropping down to Ariella's foot, which she then retracted from the doorframe. "And we don't need your protection. Now, get the hell off my lawn before I call my father." She threatened before slamming the door. Ariella let out a groan as she heard the deadbolt slide into place, not sure how else she was supposed to convince Andrea. The truth was, the mother had every reason to doubt her. Hell, if Ariella had been in her shoes, she'd probably have slammed the door in her face too.
She made her way back across the lawn then, knowing that banging on her door again would only make things worse. She paused, however, as she felt eyes watching her. She turned to find Lucas staring out of one of the second-floor windows. They locked eyes, and Ariella could practically hear the thoughts emanating from the depths of his, even through the dark. Don't go, they said. She pulled her gaze away after a moment, heading back towards her car with a huff, where she fully planned on waiting out the night. Andrea may not have let her inside, but that didn't mean she couldn't stand watch from outside.
And that's exactly what she did. She stayed in her car, eyes glued to Lucas's window as the night continued to creep in around them. As she sat in the darkness, however, the minutes ticking by, she began to wonder if maybe Sam and Dean had been right. Maybe the case really was over, and she had just ended up hyperfixating on the kid because of her own troubled childhood. She didn't know why it was her gut told her to stay…whether he was truly in danger or not…either way she continued to sit there in the silence as the night stretched on.
Just shy of an hour later, however, movement in the window caught her attention and she jolted forward in alarm as she caught sight of Lucas banging on the glass in terror. The knot of worry that had been growing in the depth of her gut blossomed into an icy jolt of fear as she took in his panicked face, and she was running before she knew what she was doing.
When she made it to the door, she brought her leg up and thrust it against the wood of it as hard as she could. She had to kick it several times before the frame splintered under the force of it, small pieces of wood flying through the air as it flung open. She rushed inside, finding Lucas already halfway down the stairs, looking even more terrified than he had seemed from the window. He latched onto her arm as soon as she was close enough, yanking as hard as he could against her, trying to pull her upstairs with him as he let out a desperate moan.
"What's wrong?" she tried asking as she let him pull her along, realizing she had yet to see Andrea. Lucas just grunted louder and he pulled harder, and as the sound of splashing hit Ariella's ears, she quickly figured out what he had been trying to tell her. She sprinted towards the bathroom as her heart shot up into her throat, the sound of somebody struggling underwater pushing her legs to go faster. She threw herself against the door, easily pushing it open to find Andrea submerged in the bathtub, clawing at the side of it as she desperately tried pulling herself free of the spirit trying to claim her life.
Ariella rushed towards her, quickly dropping down next to the tub and plunging her hands into the unnaturally dark water. She latched onto Andrea's arms, prying against the supernatural force keeping her under. She pulled as hard as she could, feet slipping against the soaked tiles as she fought to free Andrea from its grasp. For a moment, she feared she would not be able to pull her from the water, but, with another surge of resolve and a scream, she managed to pull Andrea back up through the surface.
Andrea sucked in a gulp of air as soon as she breached the surface, filling her air-deprived lungs with oxygen again as Ariella finished pulling her from the tub. The two of them spilled onto the floor together in a heap of labored breathing, Ariella left staring at the black water sloshing over the edge of the bath. She pulled her eyes away to check on Andrea, making sure she was alright, only to find her stuck staring at the water too. "It's okay." Ariella told her shakily, suddenly finding herself thankful she had been so adamant on staying. She craned her head back to the doorway then, finding Lucas staring at the two of them with wide, terrified eyes. "It's okay." She said again, this time directing the statement towards him, letting her head drop down against the tile as her adrenaline began fading away. "It's okay."
Sam was sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala as Dean drove them down the highway, having been lost deep in thought since they had left Lake Manitoc. Leaving Ariella behind had left him stewing in doubt the entire drive. He knew once she had her mind set on something, there was no talking her out of it…she had always been annoyingly stubborn in that regard…but he couldn't help but wonder if he should had tried harder to convince her to leave. He wondered if Dean had been thinking the same, for neither of them seemed to be in a particularly talkative mood. It had been a quiet drive. Dean hadn't even bothered to turn on any music. He was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of his cellphone then, the sound filling the otherwise silent car and startling him. He pulled the phone from his pocket, eyebrows dipping as he read Ariella's name flash across the screen.
"We ain't turning around to bail her out." Dean tossed out with a grunt, having guessed who was calling.
Sam rolled his eyes at the comment before flipping open the phone and pulling it up to his ear. "Yeah?"
"It wasn't over." Came Ariella's response, causing Sam to sit up in his seat as concern filled him.
"What happened?" he asked, his serious tone pulling Dean's eyes onto him. He pulled the phone away from his ear and instead put it on speaker and held it up between them.
"It came after Andrea." Ariella told them with a sigh.
"Is she-?" Sam began to ask before she continued.
"No. I was watching the house and got to her in time." She explained. "Guys, this thing's not done yet. Andrea…her husband…what if the Carltons weren't the only family this thing is targeting?"
"You think the sheriff was in on Peter's disappearance?" Dean asked, already turning the wheel to make a u-turn.
"I don't know." She admitted, sounding downright exhausted by it all. "Look, I know you said you wouldn't come back if I got myself in trouble, but-"
"We're already on our way." Dean said as he turned them around. "Just stay put and keep them away from any water."
"Wonderful." Ariella quipped before the line went dead as she hung up.
Ariella snapped her phone shut before turning and pushing the front door back open. The door swung open with a loud creak as she stepped back inside the house, its hinges having been damaged from Ariella's attempt at breaking through. She did her best to push it back into the frame, though the latch had been completely destroyed, leaving nothing to hold it in place. Ariella frowned at the warped door before turning towards Andrea, who was sitting on the living room couch with Lucas on her lap, stroking his hair absentmindedly.
"I'll fix that." She stated awkwardly, jabbing a thumb at the door behind her.
Andrea's hollow eyes drifted from the empty space in front of her, to the door. "No, it…it's fine." She replied. "I should have just let you in when you asked." She said as Ariella walked into the room, filling the plush chair across from them. "I can't…..oh, none of this makes any sense." She cried out, dropping her face into her palms. "I don't understand what's happening."
"It's a vengeful spirit." Ariella told her honestly, letting her eyes trail from Andrea to the sleeping child on her lap. It was well past two o'clock now, and though she was sure Andrea was exhausted, she doubted the woman would be getting any sleep that night after what she had experienced.
"A spirit?" Andrea questioned skeptically, pulling her face from her hands. "Like…like a ghost?"
"Yeah. It's this kid, Peter Sweeny, who died back in the seventies…murdered…maybe drowned in the lake." Ariella explained with a lift of her shoulder as she pulled her legs up under her. "We think Bill Carlton had something to do with Peter's death and that's why it was targeting his family."
"But why would it come after me?" Andrea asked with wide eyes. "Or my husband? We had nothing to do with-"
"We're still trying to figure that out." Ariella told her with a sigh. "But, in all honesty, it might be less about you and more about your father."
"My Dad?" Andrea questioned with furrowed brows. "You can't think that he….that he was involved with something like that."
"I think that people can harbor some dark secrets…even from those they love the most." Ariella admitted.
"No." Andrea denied with a shake of her head. "No, my father….he-"
"Look, it doesn't really matter what we think he did or didn't do." Ariella said with a wave of her hand. "The fact is, it's after you…and we know this thing's got a connection to Lucas. Which means that neither of you are safe right now. You go nowhere near water until this is over. No baths, no doing dishes…hell, I don't even want you near a toilet." Ariella instructed sternly. "We ride out tonight down here where you're safe and when Sam and Dean get back here we'll try to find this thing's body and put an end to it."
"What do you mean find it's body?" Andrea asked, looking more confused by the minute.
"We salt and burn the bones, then…poof…no more ghost." Ariella explained with a wiggle of her fingers. "Assuming there is a body to burn." She then added with a tip of her head as she contemplated that scenario. "If it's down in that lake somewhere I'm not sure what more we could do than just get you out of here….at least until the lake dries up."
"How…I mean, who are you?" Andrea asked. "How do you even know all this stuff?"
Ariella drew in a breath as she dropped her head onto the back of the chair, debating how to answer that. "When we first met, I told you the truth." She decided to say after a moment, bringing her head back down to lock eyes with her again. "When I was a kid, something killed my mother…something inhuman. And I've spent my entire life since learning everything I could about monsters like it. This world…it's…it's full of things you could never even imagine. Vengeful spirits are just the tip of the iceberg. Me, Sam, and, Dean…we've faced things much, much worse…so trust me when I say we're going to keep you and Lucas safe. We're going to protect you."