Chapter Twenty-Five: Simon Said
He walked out of the gas station with some snacks for Alec and started back to the car. He frowned when he realized that Sam wasn't back from the bathroom yet. Alec was still passed out in the backseat, so he headed for the bathroom instead.
He opened the door to the bathroom and said, "Sam, c'mon, zip it up. Let's hit the…" He stopped when he saw his brother. Sam was pale and shaky, which definitely wasn't a good sign. "What?"
Sam practically ran back to the car, startling Alec as he got in. He got in too, knowing now that Sam had one of his visions again.
"What's going on?" Alec asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.
"Sam had a vision," he said.
"Where're we going?" Alec asked.
"The Roadhouse," Sam said. He and Alec looked at Sam in surprise. "What?" Sam asked defensively when he didn't say anything.
"I don't know, man, why don't we just chill out. Think about this," he suggested. He wasn't even sure how the Roadhouse would help.
"What's there to think about?" Sam asked.
"I just don't know if going to the Roadhouse is the smartest idea," he said.
"Dean, it's another premonition. I know it," Sam said. He wasn't arguing about that; he just wasn't so sure they should be bringing other people into this. "This is gonna happen, and Ash can tell us where."
"Yeah, man, but…"
"Plus, it could have some connection with the demon. My visions always do," Sam said.
"That's my point. There's gonna be hunters there," he said. "I don't know if going in and announcing that you're some supernatural freak with a demonic connection is the best thing, ok?"
"So I'm a freak now?" Sam asked.
He shot a smirk over to his brother, "You've always been a freak."
"Alec, what do you think?" Sam asked.
"If you're a freak?" Alec asked innocently, which made Sam huff. He laughed since Alec was hilarious. "I thought we already had the freak talk. We're a family of freaks, remember?"
"About the Roadhouse," Sam said, trying not to smile.
"Well, obviously I wanna go to the Roadhouse," Alec said cheerfully. "Jo probably forgot what I look like."
"What about the other hunters," Sam asked. "Do you think Dean's right?"
"I'm always right," he muttered.
Alec hesitated this time, "It could be dangerous to let other hunters know…We don't want them to know about me, right?"
"Alec, you're different," he said.
"Obviously," Alec replied. "I just think we should be careful, that's all."
"But we should still go to the Roadhouse," Sam said.
He didn't like it, but he didn't want to argue anymore.
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He watched as Jo played some kind of shooting game against an older guy. He smirked when the guy groaned as Jo hit every target. He wasn't sure if she saw them come in, but he was definitely excited to see her again. He wasn't sure what they should do about Sam's visions, but he was going to let his brothers deal with that for now.
"Damn, little lady, that was my room money," the guy said, pulling out a wad of cash to hand over to Jo.
"Well, I guess you're taking a truck nap tonight," Jo replied with a smile.
"Hey sugar," Ellen said to him suddenly, making him jump.
"Hey Ellen," he replied. Jo quickly turned away from the trucker and smiled more when her eyes landed on him.
"Well, go on," Ellen said to him, gently nudging him forward.
He walked over to Jo as Sam rushed over to Ellen. "Where's Ash?" Sam asked.
"In his back room," Ellen said.
"Great."
Sam and Dean walked to the back of the bar, and Sam knocked on a door. He knew Sam was in a hurry, but he wanted to talk to Jo for a few minutes at least. "Hey," he said to Jo, trying not to smile too much so he wouldn't look like an idiot.
"Hey yourself," Jo replied. "You guys here for a while?"
He shrugged and picked up the plastic gun to the game. "I don't know…Sam might've found a hunt."
"Hey. Dr. Badass," Dean said loudly from the back.
He looked over to see what his brothers were doing, but then looked back at the game when Jo pushed a button. "Wanna see if you can beat the high score?" Jo asked.
"I don't think you'll be able to hustle me like you did the last guy," he said. "Plus…I don't really know how to play."
"Just shoot the targets," Jo teased.
He could hear Sam and Dean talking to Ash, but then Ash mentioned something about needing pants, so he figured he had a few minutes. He scanned the screen to try to figure it out, and then raised the plastic gun. He fired at each target that popped up, hitting all but the first two. He looked over at Jo after the game ended but frowned when he saw that she was scowling at him. "What?"
"You've never played this game?" Jo asked suspiciously. He shook his head no. Jo finally smiled again and playfully pushed him. He laughed, relieved that she wasn't mad at him.
"I didn't beat any of your scores," he pointed out.
"No, but you were close," Jo said. Jo looked him up and down, noting that he didn't have the crutches anymore. "You look good."
"All healed up," he said with a small smile. He wished he could go back to the small room and just watch movies all day with Jo. Maybe he could talk Dean into staying here for a couple days after the hunt was over.
"Maybe we could-" Jo started.
"Alec," Dean called out to get his attention. Ash was sitting at a table now with his laptop open, and Sam was sitting across from him. He reluctantly walked away from Jo, seriously considering sitting this hunt out and staying at the Roadhouse again. He hated missing out on hunts, but they'd just gotten here.
"I'll come back in a minute," he said to Jo as he walked over to where his brothers were.
"Well, I got a match," Ash said. He stood next to Dean, behind where Sam was sitting, and looked over to see a sketch of a logo. Sam had told them about his vision on the way over. Some guy had gotten a phone call and gone into a shop. He'd asked to see a gun, loaded it, and then shot the guy who had given it to him. Then he'd shot himself. It was definitely strange from the way Sam had described it, but he was starting to think maybe they should ignore Sam's visions. He knew someone was going to die, but most of the time, they got there too late anyway. "It's the logo from the Blue Ridge bus lines in Guthrie, Oklahoma."
"Ok. Do me a favor," Sam said. "Check Guthrie for any demonic signs, or omens, or anything like that."
"You think the demon's there?" Ash asked.
"Yeah…maybe," Sam replied.
"Why would you think that?"
"Just check it, alright?" Dean grumbled.
Ash gave them a funny look, but then started typing on his laptop. It took a few seconds before he looked up again and said, "No, sir, nothing. No demon."
"Alright, try something else for me," Sam said. "Search Guthrie for a house fire. It would be 1983, fire's origin would be a baby's nursery, night of the kid's six-month birthday." That was definitely too specific. Ash gave them a weird look and Dean looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on them. He caught Jo watching them as she wiped off a table, but he wasn't sure if she could hear them or not. How good was a normal person's hearing?
"Ok, now that is just weird, man," Ash said. "Why the hell would I be looking for that?"
"'Cause there's a PBR in it for you," Sam said as he put a bottle of beer on the table next to Ash. He snorted out a laugh because that was just funny. They were in a bar for crying out loud! But whatever, it worked.
"Give me 15 minutes," Ash said.
"I'm gonna go do something else," he said, giving Dean a pointed look. His brother just chuckled and messed up his hair. He wanted to walk right over to Jo, but she was busy talking to someone now. He didn't want to mess her up since she was technically working right now, so instead, he went to the back room and racked up a game of pool.
It didn't take long for Jo to find him. He felt a lot more relaxed while he was playing pool. He didn't look like such an idiot since he didn't have to stumble over words or try to come up with something to say. He knew how to play pool, and it was even more fun to play with Jo.
"You're taller than I remember," Jo said, making him look up in surprise.
"I was using crutches and barely standing last time I was here," he said. He sunk another ball in the pocket before he stood up again.
Jo moved closer to him until she was standing right in front of him. His heart pounded and he felt like he was breathing too much. Was that a thing? Could someone breathe too much? He didn't know what he should do. He really wanted to kiss her, but what if she didn't want him to kiss her? He wasn't hurt anymore, and yeah, they talked all the time, but talking through texting and talking in person were two very different things.
Thankfully, Jo made the decision for him. She quickly pressed her lips against his own, kissing him. He kissed her back, but more out of reflex than anything else. He was so stupid. Jo smiled when she pulled away from him, which meant he definitely had a stupid look on his face. "I missed you," Jo said in amusement.
"I missed you too," he said. He looked over to the bar to make sure Ellen wasn't looking, and then he kissed Jo again. He quickly jumped back though when he heard someone walk up, afraid that Ellen was going to catch them.
"Relax, it's just me," Dean said.
"Did you think it was my Mom?" Jo asked with a laugh.
"Maybe," he admitted.
"What's that profile you've got Ash looking for?" Jo asked Dean. His brother just hummed back, pretending like he didn't hear her. He obviously had heard her, but he must not want to talk about it. "Your Mom died the same way, didn't she? A fire in Sam's nursery?"
"Look, Jo, it's kind of a family thing," Dean hedged.
"I could help," Jo said. He looked at his brother in panic since he didn't know if he wanted Jo to come with them on a hunt.
"I'm sure you could," Dean easily agreed, but he knew his brother wasn't really caving in. "But we've got to handle this one ourselves." He was a little relieved and a little disappointed at the same time. He didn't want Jo to get hurt, but he wanted to hang out with her some more too. "Besides, if you ran off with us, I think your mother might kill me."
Dean looked over at the bar, probably afraid that Ellen was going to know that Jo was trying to come with them. "You're afraid of my mother?" Jo teased.
Dean looked over at him, so he barely nodded back. "I think so," Dean said.
"We have a match," Sam said, running over to them suddenly. "We've gotta go."
"Alright, Jo. See you later," Dean said as he grabbed his arm and pulled him away. He gave Jo a small wave, and then followed his brothers back out to the car.
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"What d'you got?" Dean asked as he drove.
He flipped through the stack of papers that Ash had given him, "Andrew Gallagher. Born in '83, like me. Lost his mother in a nursery fire exactly six months later, also like me."
"You think the demon killed his mom?" Dean asked.
"Sure looks like it," he replied.
"How did you even know to look for this guy?" Dean asked.
"Every premonition I've had, if they're not about the demon, they're about the other kids the demon visited," he said.
"Like Max Miller," Alec said, moving to the edge of the seat in the back, so he could see the papers he was holding. He nodded in agreement since he'd been thinking the same thing.
"Yeah, but Max Miller was a pasty little psycho," Dean said.
"The point is, he was killing people," he said. "And I was having the same type of visions about him. And now it could be happening all over again with this Gallagher guy."
"How do we find him?" Alec asked as he reach over the seat to move the top paper, so he could see the next one.
"Don't know," he replied. "No current address, no current employment. He still owes money on all his bills…phone, credit, utilities…"
"Collection agency flags?" Dean asked.
"None in the system," he said. Alec reached over the seat again and moved another paper, so he just handed him the whole stack.
"They just let him take a walk?" Dean asked, surprised.
"Seems like it," he said.
"What's this?" Alec asked, passing back a piece of paper.
"It's a W2," he explained. "Employers give them to their employees at the end of the year for taxes. It shows how much you made, where you worked-" He looked back at Alec, thinking maybe his little brother already knew what this was and was just playing some kind of game. But Alec was just looking back at him curiously, just like he always did when he explained something to him. "We can use the address on his W2 for a place to start." He reached back and messed up Alec's hair, which made him smile.
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"I hate wearing these things," he grumbled as he messed with the tie. "Why can't I just be the delinquent little brother like I usually am."
"Because, if I have to wear a suit, you do too," Dean said. "And if you keep messing with the tie, it's gonna choke you like it did last time."
He sighed and slouched in the booth next to Dean. "Dean, he has a point," Sam said, sticking up for him. "He's a little young to pretend to be a lawyer."
"Hey, the rule is, if I'm wearing a suit, you're both wearing one," Dean said.
"Says who?" he asked.
"Says me. And I'm the oldest, so what I say, goes," Dean said.
"That's a load of-"
"Hey, watch it," Dean cut off. He rolled his eyes since Dean didn't care if he cursed, but he was in a bossy mood today.
He straightened up when he noticed a pretty waitress heading their way with a pot of coffee. Her name tag said 'Tracy'. She took one look at them, and then smiled like she knew something they didn't. "You won't get anything out of Andy, guys," she said. "I'm sorry, but they never do."
"They?" Sam asked.
"You're debt collectors, right?" Tracy guessed. "Once in a while they come by. I don't know what Andy says to them, but they never come back."
Whoever Andy was, he definitely sounded psychic. He didn't really want to meet the guy. He wasn't afraid of Sam, but he didn't care for psychics. Max Miller had been messed up, and who knew what this guy was like?
"Actually, we're lawyers," Dean easily replied. "Representing his Great Aunt Leta. She passed, God rest her soul, and left Andy a sizable estate."
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "So, are you a friend of his?"
"I used to be, yeah," Tracy said with a nod. "I don't see much of Andy anymore."
"Andy? Andy kicks ass, man," a guy said, overhearing them.
"Is that right?" Dean asked.
"Yeah. Andy can get you into anything. He even got me backstage at Aerosmith once, it was beautiful, bro," the guy said. He raised his eyebrows and tried not to laugh. This dude was weird.
"How about bussing a table or two, Weber?" Tracy suggested.
"Yeah. You bet, boss," Weber replied before walking away again.
"Look, if you want to find him, try Orchard Street. Just look for a van with a barbarian queen painted on the side," Tracy said. He frowned in confusion since that also seemed really strange to him.
"Barbarian queen?" Dean asked.
"She's riding a polar bear," Tracy said. Apparently, this hunt could get weirder. "It's kind of hard to miss."
They left the diner, but he immediately went to the trunk to grab his bag again. He figured they were going to go find Andy next, which meant that he didn't need to be in a suit anymore. Dean grabbed his bag out of his hands and tossed it back in the trunk, but he blurred before Dean could shut the trunk and grabbed it again.
"Dude," Dean complained.
"If we're gonna go stake out a psychic, then I'm gonna change," he said. "And you can't tell me I can't."
"C'mon Dean, this guy apparently has a van with a barbarian queen riding a polar bear," Sam said. "I don't think it's gonna matter what we wear."
Dean finally agreed, so they all three changed before they went to go find this van on Orchard Street. It was definitely hard to miss Andy's van. Dean parked and they sat there and watched it, which was incredibly boring.
"I'm sorry, I'm starting to like this dude," Dean said. "That van is sweet."
"You're joking, right?" he asked.
"Seriously?" Dean asked, turning around to look at him.
"Seriously," he said.
Dean shook his head in exasperation but didn't try to convince him that this guy was cool. He wasn't going to let his guard down for even a second. He couldn't trust psychics. Sam was the only psychic he'd ever trusted, or ever would trust.
"What's wrong?" Dean asked Sam when he didn't say anything else about the van. He should've just stayed at the Roadhouse. He didn't want to be around psychics.
"Nothing," Sam replied.
"Sam, you look like you're sucking on a lemon," Dean said. "What's going on?"
"This Andrew Gallagher…he's the second guy like this we've found, Dean. Demon came to them when they were kids, now they're killing people," Sam said. He knew where this was headed, but he just sat back and continued to watch the van.
"We don't know what Andrew Gallagher is, alright? He could be innocent," Dean said.
"My visions haven't been wrong yet," Sam said.
"What's your point?"
"My point is, I'm one of them," Sam said.
"No, you're not," Dean argued.
"Dean, the demon said he had plans for me and children like me," Sam said.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, maybe this is his plan," Sam said. "Maybe we're all a bunch of psychic freaks…maybe we're all supposed to be-"
"What? Killers?" Dean challenged.
"Yeah," Sam said with a nod.
"So, the demon wants you out there killing with your minds, is that it?" Dean asked. "C'mon, give me a break. You're not a murderer, Sam! You don't have it in your bones."
"No? Last I checked, I kill all kinds of things," Sam said.
"Those things were asking for it. There's a difference," Dean said.
"You're nothing like other psychics," he said firmly. Sam and Dean looked back at him in surprise. They both sort of knew about the psychics at Manticore, and he didn't really want to talk about them again, but he would if it meant Sam would understand that he was good. "You don't hurt people."
"Alec…"
"I'm guessing that's our guy," he said with a nod to the building across the street. The guy was talking to some lady, who was leaning out of the second-story window to wave at Andy. She was way out of his league. Andy blew her a kiss, and then smiled at a guy he passed on the street. Andy was wearing a robe, but the guy he passed just smiled at him and handed over his coffee like it was nothing. Either Andy was friends with a lot of people, or this was part of his psychic crap.
Andy said hello to another guy and shook his hand, which grabbed Sam's attention. "That's him," Sam said. "That older guy, that's him, that's the shooter."
"Alright, you keep on him, we'll stick with Andy," Dean said to Sam. "Go." He wished he could stay with Dean and go with Sam. He didn't want Sam to try to stop the shooter by himself, but if Andy was the one doing this, then he needed to stay with Dean.
Sam got out of the car without any argument and went after the shooter on foot. He climbed over the benchseat to sit upfront with Dean as Andy got in his van and started to drive off. Dean followed him, driving slowly down the street.
"You wanna tell me more about your time around psychics?" Dean asked as they rolled down the street.
"Not really," he mumbled. Dean just waited; they both knew how to make each other talk. Unfortunately, the same thing typically worked for both of them. He sighed, "I don't trust psychics and I don't like them. I only like Sam."
"Sam's not some psychic," Dean argued.
"Yes he is," he shot right back. "He literally has visions of people dying that come true. That's psychic." Dean didn't say anything since he didn't want to admit that Sam was a psychic. "They get into your head. They can make you do things that you don't wanna do, and there's no hiding anything from them. If Andy is anything like Max Miller or the other ones I knew…" He stopped since he didn't want to admit to Dean that he'd be willing to kill this Andy guy, and the only hesitation would be because of his brothers. And he didn't want to kill a human. He was out of Manticore; he didn't have to kill people anymore. He didn't want to be the monster that Manticore made him to be. He wanted to be worthy of having Sam and Dean as his brothers.
"We'll be careful," Dean said.
He just nodded, hoping this wouldn't be a disastrous hunt.
Andy stopped his van after a few minutes, so they stopped too. Dean tucked his gun into his jacket since Andy was walking back to where they were. Andy smiled as Dean rolled the window down. "Hey," Andy greeted.
"Hey," Dean replied with a smile. He just glared.
"This is a cherry ride," Andy said.
"Yeah, thanks," Dean said. Dammit…Dean was going to like this dude. Anyone who complimented the Impala was good with Dean.
"Man, the '67? Impala's best year if you ask me. This is a serious classic," Andy said.
"Pouring it on a little thick, don't you think?" he mumbled coldly. Dean elbowed him to get him to shut up.
"Yeah. You know, I just rebuilt her too," Dean said.
"Yeah?" Andy said with interest.
"Yeah, can't let a car like this one go," Dean said.
"Damn straight," Andy agreed before he said, "Hey. Can I have it?" He frowned since something wasn't right. He felt foggy. And he felt like he should do something.
"Sure, man," Dean easily replied as he got out with a smile. Andy got in the driver's seat, but he just sat there in confusion. What was happening? "C'mon kiddo," Dean said.
"Go on, 'kiddo'," Andy said, motioning for him to get out of the car. He didn't really want to get out of the car, but he was doing it anyway. He was really annoyed that Andy called him 'kiddo'. Only Sam and Dean got to call him that. He hesitated once he was standing in the open door. He didn't want to get out of the Impala. Why were they doing this?
Andy leaned over and hit his leg to get him to move, and then closed the passenger door before he could change his mind. He looked over at Dean in confusion when Andy drove away in the Impala. Dean looked just as confused as he was.
He jumped when Dean's phone started to ring. He could just barely hear Sam on the other end, "Dean! Andy's got the Impala!"
"I know!" Dean replied angrily. "He just sorta asked me for it and I, I let him take it."
"You what?"
"He full-on Obi-Wanned me. It's mind control, man! It worked on Alec too," Dean said. Now he felt horrible. He couldn't fight the mind control. He was supposed to be better. He heard something on the other end of the phone, but he wasn't sure what it was. Sam cried out though, and that was all he needed to know.
He took off running, going in the last direction Sam had gone. He didn't know what had happened, but he knew he needed to get to Sam as fast as he could. Dean was right there with him. He stumbled to a stop when he finally spotted Sam sitting on the curb. There was a bus stopped in the street, and there was a lot of blood. There were paramedics and police officers all around, which made him nervous, but he didn't say anything. Sam looked horrible, so he knew his brother needed them.
Dean got to Sam first and slowly crouched behind him, putting his hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him. "I kept him out of the gun store," Sam said. "I thought he was ok…I thought he was past it, at least…" Sam stopped and wiped his nose on his sleeve. "I should have stayed with him."
They should have just stayed at the Roadhouse.
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He felt horrible. He'd thought he could save this one. He'd been so close, but the guy had still died. At least he hadn't taken anyone else out with him. Alec walked with him while Dean went ahead to try to find the Impala. Alec didn't try to talk to him about what had happened, but it helped to just walk with him. He wanted to ask Alec about his encounter with Andy, but they just walked in silence.
"Thank God!" Dean said, running to the Impala as soon as he spotted her. "Oh, I'm sorry, baby. I'll never leave you again." Dean ran his hand over the side of the car as he looked her over to make sure Andy hadn't damaged her. "Well, at least he left the keys in it."
"Yeah. Real Samaritan, this guy," he grumbled. Alec didn't say anything, which was normal while they were on a hunt, but he didn't look happy. No one liked having their head messed with, and Alec had more reason than most to dislike psychics.
"Well, it looks like he can't work his mojo just by twitching his nose. He's gotta use verbal commands," Dean said.
"The doctor had just gotten off his cell phone when he stepped in front of that bus. Andy must have called him or something," he said.
"I don't…maybe," Dean said.
"Beg your pardon?" he asked in disbelief.
"I just don't know if he's our guy, Sam," Dean said. Alec scowled, which meant his little brother thought Andy was their guy, but he didn't want to argue with Dean.
"Dean, you had O.J. convicted before he got out of his white Bronco, and you have doubts about this?" he asked.
"He stole the Impala," Alec said coldly. He was still quiet, but he could see the anger simmering under the surface. Alec really didn't like having his head messed with.
"He just doesn't seem like the stone-cold killer type, that's all," Dean reasoned. "And O.J. was guilty."
"Either way, how are we going to track this guy down?" he asked.
Dean thought for a moment, but then smiled, "Not a problem." It turned out it was really easy to track down Andy's van. He should have thought about that. "Not exactly an inconspicuous ride," Dean said once they found Andy's van. "Let's have a look."
They walked up to the back of Andy's van, and Dean let Alec break in. Probably to try to cheer him up. Shockingly, he was still surprised about the inside of the van even though it matched the outside of the van. There was a tiger painted on the wall, a disco ball, and fur rugs…along with a massive bong. Dean laughed as he picked up the bong.
"Oh, come one. This is…this is magnificent, that's what this is," Dean said happily. "Not exactly a serial killer's lair, though. There's no…clown paintings on the walls, or scissors stuck in victims' photos…I like the tiger."
He picked up a couple of the books, surprised to see them with all the other junk. "Hegel, Kant, Wittgenstein?" he said. "That's some pretty heavy reading, Dean."
"Yeah, and uh, and Moby Dick's bong," Dean said.
Usually, that would have gotten Alec to laugh, but their little brother stayed silent. Dean sighed as they went back to the Impala to wait for Andy. He wasn't surprised when Dean started the car and went to get takeout before he drove back and parked to wait. Dean tossed Alec a wrapped burrito, probably trying to make things better for him. Alec ate the food, but he still wouldn't talk to either of them. At least he took the peace offering.
"Ugh. You know, one day I'd love to just sit down and eat something I didn't have to microwave at a minimart," Dean grumbled.
"What I don't get is the motive," he said, going through the file Ash had given them. "I mean, the doctor was squeaky clean. Why would Andy waste him?"
"If it is Andy," Dean said.
"Dude, enough," he said. If Alec had stuck up for Andy, then he would have considered the possibility that it wasn't Andy. But Alec was pissed at this guy, and he had to admit, Dean would have never given up the Impala for anyone. And if it wasn't Andy, then who else could it be?
"What?" Dean asked.
"The doctor was mind-controlled in front of a bus," he said. "Andy just happens to have the power of mind control. You do the math."
"I just don't think the guy's got it in him, that's all," Dean said. "Alec?"
"You don't want my opinion," Alec muttered.
"It's not him," Dean said.
"Well, how the hell would you know? I mean, why are you bending over backwards defending him?" he asked. This was so unlike his brother, it was weird.
"'Cause you're not right about this," Dean said.
"About Andy?" he asked, confused. He jumped when there was a sudden noise. He turned and saw Andy standing at his opened window, leaning in slightly. This guy was lucky Alec didn't shoot him as soon as he showed up.
"Hey! You think I haven't seen you three? Why are you following me?" Andy asked.
"Well, we're lawyers," he replied, easily spinning their story. "See, a relative of yours has passed aw-"
"Tell the truth!" Andy demanded.
"That's what I'm-"
"We hunt demons," Dean interrupted.
"What?" Andy asked, confused now.
"Dean!" he yelled to try to stop his brother. He glanced back at Alec, but his jaw was clenched so tightly, he was afraid he was going to break his teeth.
"Demons and spirits," Dean continued. "Things your worst nightmares wouldn't even touch. Sam and Alec are my brothers."
"Dean, shut up!" he snapped. Alec looked like he was in some serious pain now. Like his head was killing him.
"I'm trying," Dean said. "Alec's my clone. He was made in this place called Manticore where they trained him to be a soldier and an assassin. He's a badass. And Sam's psychic. Kind of like you. Well, not really like you, but see, he thinks you're a murderer, and he's afraid that he's going to become one himself, 'cause you're all part of something that's terrible. And, I hope to hell that he's wrong, but I'm starting to get a little scared that he might be right."
"Ok, you know what? Just leave me alone," Andy ordered.
"Ok," Dean replied simply, starting the car. He looked at his brother in shock for a moment as Andy walked away. Dean let out a huff of air, and then held his head. He'd check on his brothers in a minute. He couldn't let Andy get away.
He got out of the car and followed Andy. "What are you doing?" Andy asked, surprised. "Look, I, I said leave me alone." He just kept walking. "Get out of here. Just start driving and never stop."
"Doesn't seem to work on me, Andy," he said.
"What?"
"You can make people do things, can't you? You can tell them what to think," he said. He heard the car door open, but he motioned for Dean to stay where he was. He didn't want Andy to hurt either of his brothers. He was guessing it was Dean who had gotten out of the car. Alec would have probably blurred to Andy to keep him from giving out anymore orders.
"Look, that…that's crazy," Andy tried to play off.
"It all started about a year ago, didn't it? After you turned 22. Little stuff at first, and then you got better at controlling it," he said.
"How do you know all this?" Andy asked. He imagined that Alec would have rolled his eyes if he was out here with him.
"Because the same thing happened to me, Andy," he said. "My Mom died in a fire too. I have abilities too. You see, we're connected, you and me."
"You know what? Just, just, just, just get out of here, alright?" Andy tried to order.
"Why did you tell the doctor to walk in front of a bus?" he asked.
"What?"
He was about to respond when a spike of pain went through his head, and he saw a flash of fire…someone at a gas station… "Why did you kill him?" he asked, trying to ignore the flashes for the moment.
"I didn't!"
Then he saw a woman, she was blonde, and she was at a gas station. She was pumping gas into her SUV. Her phone rang and she answered it. "Hello? Sure, I can do that," the woman said. She hung up and leaned into the car to push something. She stood up again and pulled the gas pump out of her car before she turned it toward herself and started drenching herself in gasoline. An employee saw her and asked her what she was doing. She stopped pouring gas on herself, and then leaned into the car again to get the cigarette lighter out. She stood there for a moment and said, "It's gonna be ok," before she lowered the lighter to her arm and she burst into flames.
He saw Andy again and his head was killing him. His legs gave out, and he fully expected to hit the pavement, but then both of his brothers were there, easing him gently to the ground.
"Sam? What is it?" Dean asked.
"Look, I didn't do anything to him," Andy said when Alec glared at him. He shakily put his hand on Alec's arm to keep him next to him.
"A woman," he forced out. "A woman burning alive."
"What else did you get?" Dean asked calmly.
"A gas station…a woman is gonna kill herself," he said.
"What does he mean, going to?" Andy asked. "What is he…what is-"
"Shut up!" Dean and Alec yelled at the same time.
"She gets triggered by a call on her cell," he said.
"When?" Alec asked.
"I don't know," he said. Dean helped him get back on his feet but stayed close just in case he started to fall again. "But as long as we keep our eyes on this son of a bitch, he can't hurt her."
"I didn't hurt anybody," Andy said.
"Yeah, not yet," he said coldly. They all looked over when a fire truck went by with the sirens on. He looked to Dean and nodded for him to go. He tried to motion for Alec to go with Dean, but his little brother refused to budge. Andy started to move, but Alec blurred to be in front of him, keeping him there. "No, not you," he said, agreeing with Alec. "You're staying here with us."
It took a few minutes, but then Dean finally called him. "Hey, it's me," Dean said. "She's dead. Burned up just like you said."
"When?" he asked, sharing a look with Alec.
"Like minutes before I got here!" Dean said. "I mean, the smell hasn't even cleared. What's up with your visions, man? This wasn't even a head start."
"I don't know, alright? I can't control them. I don't know what the hell is going on," he said.
"Listen, you were with Andy when this whole thing went down, so it can't be him. It's gotta be somebody else doing this," Dean said.
"That doesn't make any sense…"
"What else is new?" Dean grumbled. "Well, I'll dig around here, see what else I can find."
He agreed, and then hung up. He knew Alec had heard everything Dean said, so he didn't tell him that it wasn't Andy. They waited for Dean to get back, which was awkward to say the least. Alec wasn't giving Andy looks like he wanted to kill him anymore, but he still glared at him every time he looked at him.
"So, you get these premonitions of people about to die?" Andy asked when the silence got too uncomfortable. He nodded since that about summed it up. "That's impossible."
He laughed, "A lot of people would say the same thing about what you do."
"But…death visions?"
"Yeah."
"Dude, that sucks," Andy said. "I mean, like, when I got my mind thing? It was like a gift, you know. It was, it was like I won the Lotto." That got Alec glaring again.
"But you still live in a van," he pointed out. "I don't get it…I mean, you could…have anything you ever wanted."
"I mean, I got everything I need," Andy said with a shrug.
"So, you're really not a killer, huh?" he said.
Andy laughed, "That's what I've been trying to tell you!"
"That's good. Means there's hope for both of us," he said.
Alec perked up suddenly, which meant Dean was back. He looked over and saw Dean a moment later. "Victim's name was Holly Beckett, 41, single," Dean said once he was next to them again.
He looked over at Andy, "Who is she?"
"Never heard of her," Andy said.
"Called Ash on the way over here," Dean said. "He came up with a little something. Apparently, Holly Beckett gave birth when she was 18-years-old, back in 1983. Same day you were born, Andy."
"Andy, were you adopted?" he asked.
"Well, yeah," Andy said like they should already know that.
"You were? And you neglected to mention that?" Dean asked. He expected something sarcastic from Alec, but his little brother stayed silent.
"Never really came up," Andy said. It was too bad Alec disliked Andy so much. They'd probably get along if Andy hadn't messed with Alec's head. "I mean, I never knew my birth parents, and, and like you said, my adopted Mom died when I was a baby…Do you…do you think this Holly woman could actually be my m-"
"I don't know," Dean said. "I tried to get a copy of the birth records, but they're hard copy only. Sealed in the county office."
"Well, screw that," Andy said with a smile.
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He was definitely wishing that Sam's psychic ability was like Andy's. It was a lot easier to just tell someone to let them in to look for a file than to lie their way in. He and Sam went through a couple boxes of files while Andy talked to the security guard. Alec was standing by the door, watching Andy's every move.
"Probably shouldn't have let you kids in here," the security guard said as he walked by with Andy.
"No, it'll all be fine, alright? Just go get a cup of coffee," Andy said, and then continued, "These aren't the droids you're looking for."
He chuckled, "Awesome."
"I got it," Sam said. He walked over to see what Sam had found. "Yeah. Andy, it's true. Holly Beckett was your birth mother."
"Huh," Andy muttered. "Does anyone have a Vicodin?"
"Dr. Jennings was her doctor too," Sam continued. "I mean, he oversaw the adoption. You have a solid connection to both of them."
"Yeah, but I, I didn't kill them," Andy said, shooting Alec a worried look. At least this guy knew who he needed to watch out for. Not that it would do him any good. If Alec wanted to kill him, then there wasn't a lot Andy was going to be able to do. It looked like his mind tricks worked on Alec, but he wouldn't count on that if he was Andy. He shot Alec a look just in case he needed to be worried. But Alec just looked like he didn't like Andy, not that he wanted to kill him.
"We believe you," he reassured.
"Yeah," Sam agreed. Alec remained silent.
"But, uh, who did?" he asked.
"I think I got a pretty good guess," Sam said. "Holly Beckett gave birth to twins." That got Alec's attention. He remembered his little brother telling him about his own twin, but he was pretty sure Alec had said his twin was dead.
It took a few minutes for Andy to wrap his head around the fact that he had a twin. He had to sit down and put his head in his hands, he was so overwhelmed. He walked over to the computer and hacked into the DMV's site to pull up a picture of the dude. Sam showed him the name to look up, and it only took a second to find him. He selected to print the pages, hoping there was a recent picture in the file. He got up to get the pages from the printer, but then sighed when he saw the ancient printer in the corner. This was going to take a while.
"I have an evil twin," Andy finally said.
"Join the club," Alec muttered under his breath. He frowned and looked over at Alec again, curious if Alec knew more about his twin than what he'd told him before.
"Holly put you and your brother up for adoption," Sam said, reading the file. "And you went to the Gallagher family, obviously, and your brother went to the Weems family from upstate."
"Andy, how you doin'? Still with us?" he asked when Andy didn't respond.
"Um…what was my brother's name?" Andy asked.
"Here," Sam said, pointing at the file. "Um, Ansen Weems. And he's got a local address."
"He…he lives here?" Andy asked, surprised.
"Let's get a look at him," he said. The DMV file finally finished printing, so he walked over and grabbed the pages. "Got his picture coming off from the DMV right now." He flipped through the pages until he found a picture of the dude. He raised his eyebrows in shock, which definitely grabbed Alec's attention since he was there in an instant, his curiosity getting the better of him. Alec looked like he wasn't sure if he should be pissed or laugh once he saw who it was. "Hate to kick you while you're freaked," he said to Andy as he handed him the picture. "Take a look at that."
Andy glanced down, but then looked up at him in shock.
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He sat in the backseat with Andy while Dean drove. He didn't even have to talk Alec into sitting up front since he knew Alec wouldn't sit back here with Andy.
"Alright, Andy," he said. "Tell us everything you know about this guy."
"Well, I mean, not much," Andy said. "Weber shows up one day, eight months ago? Acting like he's my best friend in the world. Kinda weird, like, trying too hard, you know?"
He rubbed his eyes to try to fend off the headache he could feel coming on. "Must have known you guys were twins," Dean said. "Why did he change his name? Why not just tell you the truth?"
"No idea," Andy said.
He cried out as pain spiked through his head. He could hear Dean say his name, but he sounded far away. He could see Tracy, the waitress from the diner, wearing some satin lingerie. She was crying as she climbed onto a ledge of a dam. She looked behind her right before she jumped.
He came back to the present and felt like he was going to be sick. He started to open the door, even though Dean was still driving, but he knew his brother wouldn't want him to puke in the car. He heard Alec yell something, and then the car stopped, and he threw the door open. Dean ran around and crouched in front of him to try to help.
He told his brothers what he saw, still feeling like he was going to be sick. But they needed to hurry. Last time there hadn't been any time to try to save the person he'd seen. He wanted to try to at least save Tracy if he could.
He told Dean where to go, and thankfully, it didn't take long to get close to the bridge for the dam. Dean stopped the car, and then the three of them got out and headed for the trunk.
"Dean, you and Alec should stay back," he said as Dean opened the trunk.
"No argument here," Dean replied. "Had my head screwed with enough for one day."
He grabbed two handguns out of the trunk, and then started forward. He wasn't sure where exactly Dean and Alec were going to go, but as long as they stayed back, then things would be fine. He stopped suddenly when Andy blocked his path.
"I'm coming with you," Andy stated.
He shook his head no, "Andy, no."
"If it's Tracy out there…then I'm coming," Andy said, leaving no room for argument.
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He grabbed the sniper rifle from the trunk as Andy and Sam walked off together. Dean gave him a look, silently telling him that he wanted him to stay here, but he ignored him. If he needed to, he wouldn't have any problem taking out this Weber guy. Well, he would, but he'd do it if he had to.
He started walking since it would take a few minutes to get far enough away but still within range to take the guy out. Dean fell into step next to him, deciding now wouldn't be the best time to argue.
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He smashed the window behind Weber as soon as he saw him, and then pointed his gun at his face. "Get out of the car! Now!" he yelled. Tracy was in the passenger seat, crying, but at least she was still alive.
"You really don't want to do this," Weber said. He hit the guy, hard, while Andy got Tracy out of the car.
"Tracy! Come here, come here. It's ok," Andy said.
"Andy?" Tracy said in surprise. "I couldn't control myself."
He opened Weber's door and forced him out of the car. He pinned him down on the pavement and kept his gun against his head. "Don't move!" Andy came over and forced a strip of duct tape over Weber's mouth, but then he kicked Weber twice, as hard as he could. He had to get up and force Andy back. "No! No, Andy, let me handle this, alright?"
"I'm gonna kill you!" Andy yelled over him, trying to get back to Weber.
"No! I'll handle this!" he yelled. Andy still wouldn't listen to him. "Andy! Listen to me! Listen to me!"
He was hit suddenly on the back of his head, making everything go black.
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He watched in shock as Tracy hit Sam on the back of the head, making him collapse. "Tracy, stop!" he ordered. "I said STOP IT!"
Tracy dropped the stick, but then slowly backed away from him. She was afraid of him now. He turned to see Weber getting up, pulling the duct tape from his mouth. He'd given Tracy the order without saying anything out loud.
"How did you do that?" he asked.
"Practice, bro," Weber said. "If you'd just practice, you would know. Sometimes you don't need to use your words. If you have to, all you need is this." Weber tapped his forehead. "Sometimes the headache's worth it."
"You're a twisted son of a bitch!" he yelled, grabbing Weber and shaking him.
"Back off, Andy. Or Tracy's gonna do a little flying," Weber threatened. He let go of Weber and turned to see Tracy standing on the ledge of the dam. "Aren't you, Trace?" Weber looked back at him, "I'm stronger than you. I can do it."
"Ok, ok," he said, holding his hands up in surrender. "Ok, alright? Just…just please don't hurt her."
"Don't be mad at me, ok?" Weber said. "I know, it's all wrong. I didn't mean for this to happen…it's just…Tracy? She's trying to come between us."
"You're insane," he said.
"She's garbage!" Weber yelled. "Man, they all are! We can, we can push them, we can make them do whatever we want!"
"Are you really…are you really this stupid?" he asked. "I mean, you learn you've got a twin…you call him up. You go out for a drink. You don't start killing people!"
"I've wanted to tell you for so long, bro. But he didn't let me. He said I had to wait until the time was right…" Weber said.
"Who?" he asked.
"The man with the yellow eyes," Weber said.
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"He came to me. In my dream," Weber explained. "He said I was special. He told me he's got big plans for me. Wait 'till you see what's in store, Andy, for both of us! See, he's the one who told me that I had a brother. A twin."
"Why did you kill our mother? Why? And why Dr. Jennings?" he asked. This guy was totally insane.
"Because they split us up! They ruined our lives, Andy! We could have been together this whole time. Instead of alone," Weber said. "I couldn't, I couldn't let 'em do that. I couldn't let them get away with that."
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He lined up the shot. He hadn't been ready when Tracy had knocked Sam out, but he wasn't going to shoot Tracy unless he absolutely had to. He needed to take out Weber.
Dean was behind him, looking through binoculars to help him keep track of everything. He looked through the scope and put Weber in the crosshairs. He was on his stomach with the scope set up on a pile of rocks to help him keep it steady. His finger was resting on the trigger, ready for the second he had a clean shot.
"You got him?" Dean asked.
"I got him," he said. He wouldn't freeze even though he really didn't want to do this. He was good at this though. He was just a weapon, so it shouldn't bother him. But he didn't want to lose Sam or Dean, and he didn't want to lose himself. He got to be his own person now. But none of that would matter if he pulled the trigger. He'd always be what Manticore made him.
He was just about to squeeze the trigger when he felt foggy again. He sat up, and he knew this wasn't what he wanted to do. He needed to shoot someone, didn't he? Oh, yeah, he was supposed to shoot Dean.
No. That wasn't right. He couldn't shoot Dean. He wouldn't hurt his brother. He fought against whatever was telling him to shoot his brother. He wouldn't do it. He couldn't.
His head was really hurting now. He felt foggy and in a lot of pain. He needed to tell Dean that something was wrong.
Something snapped suddenly and he felt himself tipping sideways.
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He was being told to hold still. Alec got up to his knees but kept one hand on the rifle. He wasn't sure what Alec was doing since he was supposed to be doing…something? What were they doing up here again?
Alec sat there for a few seconds with his back to him. He was just starting to think that he should ask Alec what he was doing when his little brother made a small sound and started to fall over. He just sat there. He couldn't move. He couldn't reach out and help Alec or try to stop him from hitting the ground.
Alec hit his head on a rock, and then he started seizing. His little brother was shaking uncontrollably and all he could do was sit here and watch. He felt panic when Alec started slipping closer and closer to the edge.
He jumped when he heard a gunshot.
He didn't question why he could suddenly move again. He didn't care. He was just glad that he could grab Alec before he fell off the edge. He knew he wasn't supposed to restrain someone who was seizing, but he didn't have a lot of options right then.
He grabbed Alec and held him against his chest, keeping his arms against his sides to try to keep him from hurting himself.
"I gotcha, I gotcha," he said as Alec continued to shake. He didn't know if hitting his head brought this on or what it was, but he wasn't going anywhere. He was pretty sure it wasn't about his pills or the deficiency problem since Alec was always good about taking his pills. He knew how much Alec hated having seizures, so he doubted his little brother would mess up with his pills.
He breathed out in relief when Alec finally stopped shaking. He was still unconscious, and now half his face was covered in blood, which was probably from hitting his head on a rock, but he wasn't seizing anymore. He still kept Alec against his chest, knowing his little brother was going to need the contact when he came back to consciousness.
He nearly jumped when his phone started ringing. He managed to get his phone out of his pocket without jostling Alec. "Yeah?"
"Dean, you guys ok?" Sam asked.
"Alec's hurt," he admitted. "I don't know what happened, Sam. He had the shot all lined up, and then…I don't know! He fell over, hit his head, and started seizing."
"What?" Sam asked in concern.
"He's not seizing now, but he's not awake either," he said. "What happened with you? Is Tracy ok?"
"Tracy's alive," Sam said. "Andy shot Weber."
"Good thing he did…" he said, tightening his arms around his little brother.
"Cops are on the way," Sam warned.
"Paramedics too?" he asked. He wanted Alec to get looked at.
"Yeah, paramedics too," Sam said.
"Alright, we'll head back in a minute," he said. Alec groaned and shifted slightly as he slowly came back to consciousness. "I gotcha, kiddo."
"Dean?" Alec asked.
"Hey," he said. "I'm gonna get up, ok? Moving is gonna hurt, but we gotta get back to the car."
Alec just nodded. He wasn't sure if Alec remembered what happened, but he figured they could talk about it once they were back at the car.
He hauled Alec up to his feet, keeping his arm around him since he was pretty unsteady right now. Alec stumbled along and he didn't argue about the support, so he knew Alec was hurting.
"What happened?" Alec finally asked.
"Sam said that Andy shot Weber," he said. He wasn't exactly sure what part Alec was asking about since he wasn't sure how much Alec actually remembered. "Do you remember why we were up here?" he asked, just getting right to it.
"I was supposed to take a shot at Weber," Alec said. "I think he tried to get into my head. He wanted me to shoot you…"
"Guess you were able to fight it this time," he said.
"Guess so," Alec mumbled. "Hurts like a bitch though…"
"You hit your head and had a seizure," he said.
"I guess fighting mind control was bad for my health," Alec said with a tired smirk.
"Good for mine though," he said.
They made it back to the car before the cops showed up, which was good since he had time to put the rifle back in the trunk. He moved the car closer to where Sam was waiting with Andy and Tracy. Sam walked right up to Alec and gently turned his head slightly to try to get a look at where he hit his head.
"I'm gonna have the paramedics check you over once they get here," he said. He figured Sam would need to be checked over too since he'd been hit over the head with a stick.
"They're gonna tell you that I need a scan and that I should be monitored overnight," Alec grumbled.
"I won't let 'em take you to the hospital," he reassured.
"Why can't you just stitch me up like you usually do?" Alec practically whined.
"Because you hit your head on a rock and had a seizure," he said. He looked around impatiently for where the paramedics could be.
"Both have happened before and I'm fine," Alec said. He swayed though and Sam had to steady him, which definitely ended any other argument Alec could have come up with. He opened the backdoor of the Impala and nodded to Sam, who gently guided Alec to sit down.
The paramedics and the cops all showed up, and he had the paramedics check out Sam and Alec. He stood nearby to fend off any questions directed toward Alec, but still close enough to Andy to hear what he told the cops. And to make sure the cops believed him.
"He shot himself," Andy said to three officers. "And you all saw it happen."
"Yeah. We did," one officer said.
Sam walked over to him and nodded over to Andy. "Look at him. He's getting better at it." He nodded in agreement, just hoping Andy wouldn't turn dark like his brother had. "How's Alec?"
"They wanted to take him to the hospital to get him officially checked out…and they recommended overnight observation, but he's ok. He's stitched up, so we'll just have to watch him," he said. He looked over and saw that Alec was already curled up in the backseat.
He looked up when Andy walked over to them. "She won't even look at me," Andy said, talking about Tracy. She was shaken up, but she would be ok.
"Yeah, she's pretty shaken up," Sam said. He smiled to himself since he'd been thinking the same thing.
"No, it's…this is different," Andy said. "It's, uh, I never…I never used my mind thing on her before. Before last night. She's scared of me now."
"Hey, Andy, I hate to do this, but, um, we have to get out of here," Sam said, glancing back at the Impala, and then over to the cops. "Here," Sam continued, handing Andy a card. "I wrote down my cell. You don't have to be alone in this, alright? If anything comes up, just call me up."
"What am I supposed to do now?" Andy asked.
"You be good, Andy," he said. "Or we'll be back."
They let that threat hang in the air as they walked back to the Impala. "Looks like I was right," Sam said.
"About what?" he asked back.
"Andy. He's a killer after all," Sam said.
"No, he's a hero," he argued. "He saved his girlfriend's life. He saved mine and Alec's lives too."
"Bottom line, last night, he wasted somebody," Sam said.
"Yeah, but he's not a foaming-at-the-mouth psycho," he said. He wasn't going to let Sam make this fit what he wanted to think. Sam wasn't a monster, and he wouldn't let him think that. "He was just…he was pushed into that."
"Weber was pushed too, in his own way. Max Miller was pushed. Hell, I was pushed by Jessica's death," Sam said.
"What's your point, Sam?" he asked.
"Right circumstances, everyone's capable of murder. Everyone," Sam said. "You know, maybe that's what the demon's doing. Pushing us. Finding ways to break us."
"Sam, we don't know what the demon wants, ok? Quit worrying about it," he said.
"You know, I heard you before, Dean, when Andy made you tell the truth," Sam said. "You're just as scared of this as I am."
"That was mind control! I mean, it's like, like…that's like being roofied, man, that doesn't count," he said.
"What?"
"No. I'm calling do-over," he stated.
"What are you, seven?" Sam shot back.
"Doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head no. "Look, we've just gotta keep doing what we're doing. Find that evil son of a bitch and kill it."
Sam hesitated, but then finally agreed, "Yeah, I guess…"
He sighed when his phone started to ring. "Hello?"
"Dean, it's Ellen."
"What's going on?" he asked.
"You boys need to get back here," Ellen said.
He shared a look with Sam, "Yeah, we'll be right there."
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He really didn't feel great. His head was killing him, and his entire body ached. He'd almost told Dean that he was going to stay in the car and sleep, but he wanted to know what was going on, and he figured he could talk Dean into hanging out at the Roadhouse for at least one night.
"What happened?" Jo asked with a frown once they were inside. He had a pretty nasty looking bruise at his temple, which covered like half of his face.
"Hit my face on a rock," he said, trying for lighthearted since he didn't want to worry anyone.
"Jo?" Ellen said.
"Hmm?" Jo hummed back.
"Go pull up another case of beer," Ellen said.
"Mom…"
"Now. Please," Ellen cut off. Then she looked at him, "You. Sit."
He didn't argue since he probably should sit down. His legs felt like jelly. Jo left the room, and he felt like he should have offered to help, but it would have been embarrassing if he went with her, and then fell down or something. So, he would just sit here until he could figure out a way to get to the back room where he'd stayed before.
"So, you, uh, you want to tell me about this last hunt of yours?" Ellen asked.
"No. Not really," Dean stated. Ellen just gave him a look. "No offense, it's just kind of a family thing."
"Not anymore," Ellen replied. She turned away from them to grab a stack of papers, which she dropped on top of the bar. "I got this stuff from Ash. Andrew Gallagher's house burnt down on his six-month birthday. Just like your house. You think it was the demon both times, don't you? You think it went after Gallagher's family?"
"Yeah, we think so," Sam said.
"Sam…" Dean warned.
"Why?" Ellen asked, ignoring Dean.
"None of your business," Dean growled.
"You mind your tongue with me, boy," Ellen snapped. "This isn't just your war. Now, something big and bad's coming and it's coming fast. And their side holds all the cards." Ellen gave Dean a hard look, just daring him to argue with her again. "Now, at best, all we got is us. Together. No secrets or half-truths here."
It was quiet for a minute, and then Sam said, "There are people out there, like Andy Gallagher…like me. And um…we all have some kind of ability."
"Ability?" Ellen asked.
Dean rolled his eyes, but he didn't interrupt. "Yeah. Psychic ability," Sam said. "Me, I have, um, I have visions. Premonitions. I don't know, it's, it's different for everybody. The demon said he had plans for people like us."
"What kind of plans?" Ellen asked.
"We don't really know for sure," Sam replied.
"These people out there, these psychics…they dangerous?" Ellen asked, shooting him a quick look. He kept himself from nodding since he didn't want Sam to think he was afraid of him.
"No. Not all of them," Dean said.
"But some are," Sam quickly cut in. "Some are very dangerous."
"Ok, how many of them are we looking at?" Ellen asked.
"We've been able to track a clear pattern so far," Dean said. "They've all had house fires on the night of the kid's six-month birthday."
"That's not true," Sam said.
"What?" he and Dean asked at the same time.
"Weber? Or…Ansen Weems, or whatever his name is…I looked at his files," Sam said. "And there was no house fire. There's nothing out of the ordinary."
"Which breaks pattern," Ellen said. "So, if there's any others like him, there'd be nothing in the system. No way to track 'em all down."
"And so, who knows how many of 'em are really out there," Dean summed up.
Jo walked up next to him and put her hand on his shoulder before she set down a bottle of painkillers on the bar. He gave her a small smile, enjoying having her hand on his arm.
"Jo, honey?" Ellen said.
"Yeah?"
"You'd better break out the whiskey instead," Ellen said.