Title: Calls Me Home
Summary: A journey through fifteen seasons of Supernatural through the eyes of two Winchesters and a Singer.
Characters: Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Ruby Singer, Bobby Singer, John Winchester, and a whole ton of others.
Disclaimer: Everything you see here belongs to Eric Kripke and Co. The title belongs to the song "Calls Me Home" by Shannon LaBrie.
Author's Note:
Chapter Forty Nine
It was late at night. Sam stood at the crossroads gripping the Colt tightly. The Crossroads demon appeared in the form of a woman. His stare grew cold when he saw her.
"I know all about your deal with Dean. I want you to let him out of it now." He aimed the Colt at her.
"Ah Sam, no can do. I no longer hold that contract. It's now in the possession of a higher level demon. Even if I could, it's iron clad. Hell, I could kill you both right now for trying to break it just like I said I would, but it's more fun this way to see how desperate you get." She teased clearly taunting him a bit.
"Then you're no good to me." Sam pulled the trigger shooting her in the head.
Morning rolled around and Ruby was pleasantly surprised to find breakfast waiting when she walked out of the bathroom dressed for the day. It was only afterward when the boys were putting their bags in the car that things started to become tense between them. She wasn't sure what was going on until she heard them talking about the Colt. The blonde sighed when Sam confessed to killing the Crossroads Demon.
Her blue eyes narrowed a bit toward the younger Winchester. "I get where you're coming from, but what part of trying to break the deal will get you both killed did you not understand? Look, I don't want to lose Dean either, but I'm not about to risk both of you just to save him because I know he would never ever want me to risk you."
"I can't just sit around and do nothing, Ruby. He'a my brother." Sam sighed.
She softened slightly toward him. "I know. When you died, it was so sudden. We never got to say goodbye. At least now, we can make every moment count with Dean."
"Alright, I get it. I'll try, but I'm not going to stop hoping that there is a way out of this mess for him." He admitted.
Leaving the motel, Dean drove them to Sea Pines, Massachusetts where there was a strange case of a woman drowning in her own shower. Their first stop was to see Gertrude Case. She was the aunt of the victim, Sheila.
Ruby gave her a sympathetic look. "We're very sorry for your loss."
The older woman smiled softly at her. "Thank you, dear. I don't understand though. I already went over this with the detectives."
"Well, we just want to review the case again. Dot our i's and cross our t's." Dean tried to explain.
She gave them a knowing look. "You work with Alex, don't you?"
"Yes, of course. Alex. Apologies for misleading you, Mrs. Case." Sam stammered a little.
The older woman gave him a flirty smile. "Oh it's alright. It's Ms. Case and please call me Gert. Alex said the case was solved though."
Ruby nodded her head. "We just wanted to go over it again to make sure we didn't miss anything. So you were the one that found her?"
Gert sighed sitting up a bit straighter. "Yes. She was in the shower with the water running. They ruled it an accidental drowning. Who drowns in the shower though?"
"Was your niece frightened or acting strangely in the days leading up to her death?" The younger Winchester asked.
She nodded her head and placed her hand on his knee. "Sheila liked to jog. She stopped by after her last one. Poor thing was a bit frightened and confused. She thought she saw a ship in the harbor which doesn't sound that unusual, but the way she described it sounded rather spooky. Do you think she might have seen a ghost ship?"
"I don't know, but we'll be sure to look into it." Dean assured her.
Ruby sighed after they left a few moments later. "Well this is a weird one."
"I think she means well." Sam's shoulders shrugged.
"Aww Sammy, sticking up for your girlfriend. Such a cougar magnet." Dean teased him.
"Shut up." He rolled his eyes at him.
"So what's the lore on this one?" The older Winchester raised his brows.
Ruby spoke up to diffuse the tension. "Ghost ship sightings aren't unusual especially around here. There's tons of lore about it. Narrowing it down might be hard without knowing what the ship looked like."
"Yeah, every 37 years there's reports of a three mast ship appearing then vanishing near the bay here. Like clockwork, every 37 years around the same time there are a string of weird dry land drownings." Sam added.
"Uh, guys? We parked here, right? I mean, I know we parked here. Where's... where's my car?" Dean glanced around as they reached the parking lot then started to hyperventilate.
"Hey, whoa, it's okay. Breathe, Dean." Sam rushed to his side.
"'67 Impala right?" An all too familiar accent was heard suddenly.
"Bela. You're Alex, aren't you?" The younger Winchester glared at her.
"Yes, I am and because of you three, the old hag won't cough up the cash even though I told her the case was solved. I expected the attitude from him, but not you, Sam." She scoffed at them.
"You shot me!" Sam pointed out.
"Oh I barely grazed you."
"How do you sleep at night?" Dean asked after calming down.
"On silk sheets rolling around naked in money." Bela smirked at them.
Ruby rolled her eyes. "You've got thirty seconds to tell us what is going on or my boot is going up your ass."
"I had the Impala towed." She huffed.
"It was in a valid parking spot." Dean scoffed.
"Not when I was done with it. You boys better hurry along before they find the arsenal in the trunk." Bela waved and walked away.
"Can I shoot her?" Dean glared.
"Not in public." Sam sighed.
After recovering the Impala, the three hunters settled in an abandoned house. It was over the police scanner the next day that they became aware of a potential second victim. They found their way over to the Warren home. It was a frenzy of activity. Ruby found herself feeling uncomfortable by the presence of several officers now that Dean was wanted by the FBI. The boys didn't seem to be bothered and made a beeline for Bela who was posing as a reporter. They sent her on her way while posing as officers themselves.
"Sorry about that, sir. They're like roaches." Dean stated loud enough for Bela to hear.
"You were saying your brother saw a ship? Did he mention what it looked like?" Sam raised his brows.
"Yes. It was, uh, like those old Yankee clippers. A smuggling vessel, maybe. The rakish topsail, barkentine rigging, and an Angel figurehead on the bow." Peter Warren recalled.
"That's awfully detailed for something your brother saw." The older Winchester pointed out.
"My brother and I were night diving. I saw the ship too." He revealed.
The brothers shared a look then Ruby excused them after seeing Bela point them out to the real officers. The three hunters quickly left the area. It was a short while later that Bela found them near the woods preparing their weapons.
"I see you got your car back." She mused aloud as she approached them.
"You really want to talk to me while I've got a loaded weapon in my hands?" Dean raised his brows at her skeptically.
"Now, now, mind your blood pressure. What are you doing here? Don't you have enough to I.D. the boat?" Bela asked in disbelief.
Ruby waved at her sarcastically. "That's exactly what I'm doing. They're going to go save the other Warren brother."
"Why? It's a waste of time. He can't be saved." She scoffed.
"Because we're not heartless. Even if he can't be saved, at least we can say we tried." Sam spoke up.
"Well while you waste your time, I'll go find the boat." Bela smirked as the brothers moved to get back in the Impala.
"So how did you get like this, Bela? Daddy didn't give you any hugs?" Dean taunted her.
"I don't know. Your daddy give you enough? Don't you dare look down your nose at me. You're no better than I am." Her gaze hardened toward them.
"We help people." The older Winchester shrugged.
"Oh please. You do this out of vengeance and obsession. You're a stone's throw away from being a serial killer. Whereas I get paid to do a job and I do it. So you tell me which is healthier." Bela scoffed at them again.
The blonde clenched her fists glaring at the other woman. "You don't know a damn thing about them or me. We do what we do to help people and to protect them. You do what you do to make a quick buck."
Huffing, Bela got into her car and drove away. The Winchesters dropped Ruby off so that she could research the ship then headed off to the surviving Warren brother's house. It was nighttime when Peter Warren left his home in a hurry. He was panicked when he saw the boys sitting in the Impala.
"You're those guys from earlier. Go away. Leave me alone." He frowned moving quickly to his car.
"Wait, sir, we just want to help you." Sam called out to him.
"You're not cops. Especially not in that crappy car." Peter pointed out opening his car door.
"Hey, no need to be nasty." Dean remarked in return.
Peter got into his car slamming the door shut. The car revved to life and he tried to leave his driveway. Suddenly the vehicle stalled. He tried to get it to start again to no avail. The Winchesters watched helplessly as the car fogged up on the inside and a figure appeared beside Peter. They rushed to try to save him. Even tried shooting at the spirit. By the time they got the door open and checked his pulse, he was dead. Dean kicked the door in frustration. After leaving an anonymous tip for the police, the brothers met up with Ruby.
"You want to say it or should I?" Dean said as he parked the car outside of the abandoned home that they were staying in.
"Don't." Sam sighed rolling her eyes.
"We can't save everyone, Sammy." He sympathized with his younger brother.
"Yeah well lately it feels like I can't save anyone." He frowned.
"Oh you're actually squatting. How charming." Bela remarked after Dean let her in later that night.
Ruby rolled her eyes at the other woman's presence. "What do you want?"
"Put your claws away. I've brought a gift." She smiled and handed a file to Sam.
"You've ID'd the ship." He sounded surprised as he flipped through the file.
"It's the Espirito Santo, a merchant sailing vessel with quite the colorful history. In 1859, there was a kangaroo court held for a sailor accused of treason. He was found guilty and died by hanging at 37 years old." Bela filled them in.
"That explains the 37 year cycle." Sam realized.
"Aren't you a sharp tack? Anyway, his photo is... oh right here." She found the photo and showed them.
"Isn't that the guy we saw earlier? Minus a right hand." Dean's brows raised as he glanced from the photo to Sam.
"Yeah that is definitely the spirit we saw." He confirmed.
"His right hand?" Bela asked curiously.
"Yeah, how'd you know?" The older Winchester glanced over at her.
"After his death, his right hand was cut off and they cremated the rest of him. The hand was turned into a Hand of Glory." She explained to them.
"A Hand of Glory? I think I got one of those at the end of my Thai massage last week." Dean laughed.
Ruby smacked his arm lightly. "The right hand of a hanged man is a serious occult object. It is very powerful or so they say."
"It also counts as remains." Sam noted.
The blonde eyed her warily. "So what's the catch? Why are you telling us all of this freely?"
"Because I know where to find it. The hand is displayed in an exhibit at the Sea Pines museum in this town. It's a macabre part of maritime history. I just need help." Bela further explained.
"What kind of help?" Sam asked her curiously.
A short while later, Sam was in a tux on his way to a gala at the museum. Bela was in a fancy dark blue gown with quite the expensive sparkling necklace adorning her neck. Dean walked down the stairs fidgeting in his tuxedo and her breath caught in her throat at the sight.
"I feel like an idiot in this." He grimaced fidgeting a bit in his tux.
"You and I should really have angry sex after this." Bela noted staring at him.
"Don't objectify me." Dean rolled his eyes.
Ruby appeared at the top of the stairs in a black off the shoulder gown. "So not sorry to burst your bubble, but the only one getting to do that with him is me. Stay in your lane because I'd hate to get your blood on this dress."
"That's my girl." He gazed up at her in awe grinning softly.
"Let's just get this over with, alright?" She huffed at them.
The three of them made their way over to the Maritime museum where the gala was being held. Sam had his hands full with Gertie who was getting increasingly drunk. Much to Ruby's irritation, Bela faked fainting and Dean caught her pretending to be her husband. The blonde grabbed a glass of champagne knocking it back letting it settle her nerves.
Gert gave Sam's backside a squeeze then whispered to him. "It was never proven either way, but there's all sorts of rumors around town that those boys killed their father."
"Oh that's... terrible. Do you think they did?" He asked trying to process that information.
Her shoulders shrugged as they swayed on the dance floor to the music that was playing. "I wouldn't be surprised. Do you think that's why Sheila..."
"Your niece killed someone too?"
Gert softened at that. "My Shelia was younger when she got into a terrible car accident with her cousin. She survived, but it killed him."
The puzzle pieces began to fit together in Sam's mind while Dean and Bela were upstairs retrieving the hand. She hid it in her purse and walked back downstairs with him. Sam was relieved when Bela interrupted them and took Gert home. He met up with Dean and Ruby outside. They were all annoyed when Dean pulled out what he thought was the hand wrapped in a cloth only to realize that it was a ship in a bottle instead.
Bela had a haunted look in her eyes when they saw her next. Ruby wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. The boys were a tiny bit more willing to hear her out. They were all surprised to hear that she had seen the ship.
"You know, after talking to Gert, I did a little research. The pirate that was hanged and the captain of the ship were brothers. The captain had his own brother killed. Sheila Case was driving with her cousin when they were younger and got into an accident. Her cousin died. The Warren Brothers? They more than likely murdered their father. This spirit is going after people who have killed family, Bela." Sam revealed.
"So who'd you kill?" Dean looked at her.
"Are you going to help me or not?" She asked rolling her eyes.
"Sure. Just give us the Hand. We'll salt and burn it." The younger Winchester assured her.
"I can't. It's halfway across the Atlantic by now with its buyer." Her eyes were a little glassy though she refused to cry in front of them.
"Guess you're out of luck then." Dean shrugged.
"I might know a spell that could work." Sam pointed out.
Ruby sighed then nodded at Sam. "Let's do it. I know she's been a bitch, but she doesn't deserve to die."
The four of them were at the cemetery later that night. Sam finished lighting the candles and started the spell. The spirit appeared frightening Bela. Water began to pour from her mouth. Suddenly a second spirit appeared. It was the captain of the ghost ship. The spirit attacking Bela let her go and attacked his brother's spirit instead making both spirits vanish. Bela coughed while Ruby patted her back checking on her. Luckily she was alright once she caught her breath.
"Here. Ten grand for you. Consider it a finder's fee." Bela handed each of them money a short while later as they were putting their stuff in the Impala.
"So ponying up cash is easier for you than saying thank you? Wow you're damaged." Dean remarked.
"Takes one to know one. Goodbye." She smirked and walked away.
"She's got style. You've got to give her that." Sam chuckled.
Ruby shook her head. "Can we just go?"
"You know, we don't know where this cash has been." He pointed out.
"No, but I know where it's going." Dean smirked.
"Atlantic City? Seriously?" Sam rolled his eyes later that night as Dean drove.
"Well yeah. Look, seriously though, I get why you went after the Crossroads Demon. I understand why. I probably would have done the same if I were in your shoes." Dean admitted.
"Yeah sure."
"I see what you're going through with this whole deal. Me going away and all of that. You'll be okay though. I mean it. You're stronger than me. You'll keep hunting and living your life. You'll get over it, but I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for putting you through this." He sighed.
"You know what, Dean? Go screw yourself!" Sam scoffed at him.
Ruby bit her lip. "Sam..."
"No, I'm a big boy now. I can take care of myself. I don't want your apologies. I don't want you worrying about me. That's the whole problem anyway. I want you to worry about you! I want you to give a crap that you're dying!" He continued.
"I think I'll play some craps." Dean remarked.
Sam threw his hands up in frustration and looked away. Instead of going to Atlantic City, Dean drove them to Bobby's house. The older man was happy to see that the three of them were okay, especially his daughter, but he could sense the tension between the Winchesters.
He sighed pouring Dean a drink. "Should I be worried?"
"No. He's mad that I'm not caring about dying, but I am. I have to be strong for them, you know?" Dean picked up the glass taking a sip of the whiskey.
Bobby nodded his head in understanding and sat down. "They don't need you to be strong for them. It's okay to show that you care."
"Yeah I know. I don't want to die, Bobby. I want to marry Ruby and have a family with her. I want to be around for Sammy." He admitted with a sigh.
The older Singer took a long sip of his drink then gave him a look. "You really do love her, huh?"
"Of course I do. She means everything to me, Bobby." Dean smiled softly.
Bobby patted his shoulder. "Then live what time you have left with her to the fullest."