Chapter 9

The restaurant was filled with a few happy couples while Christina and Christopher walked in. The waitress wearing a plaid pink outfit walked up. "Just two of you today?"

"Yes," Christopher said with a smile. "May we get a booth please?"

"Certainly, come this way." The waitress lead the two to the booth and while also setting down two menus on the table. "Is there anything I can get you for a drink?" She asked as Christina and Christopher slid into the booth.

"Two chocolate fudge milkshakes please, Susan." Christopher said winking at the waitress who blushed before running off to the kitchen.

"I take it you come here a lot." Christina said with a giggle.

"It's the joys of living just a few blocks from this place which is exactly the same distance from the shop." Christopher said with a grin. "Besides this place has killer milkshakes."

"That could be a problem for my older brother." Christina chuckled checking over the burgers on the menu.

"By the way is that my nanna's pin?" Christopher asked reaching up and gently tugging it.

"Yes. By the way you should know you still need to call her Mama Oakley." Christina grin broadened as the milkshakes arrived.

"Did you guys decide what you'd like?" The waitress said looking at Christopher. "The usual?"

"You got it." Christopher said with a wink.

"Miss?" The waitress asked looking at Christina.

"Double bacon cheese with red onions and avocados but hold the pickles please."

"Not a problem, Miss." The waitress wrote down their order. "Will get that right out."

"Thanks, Susan." Christopher said before looking at Christina. "May I read your palm?" He asked after looking at her for a few minutes. "I'd like to see if I can read them. I have been practicing since my Mom has been trying to keep doing the family legacy."

Christina sighed before nodding. "Sure go ahead. But if you see a love life I know you're wrong."

Christopher smiled and nodded gently cupping her hand into his. He gently picked an ice cube from some water the waitress had given and slowly dragged it over her fingers and palm. "It's to keep the blood from moving too fast so I can get an accurate reading."

Christina chuckled. "Mama Oakley must have taught you to read minds."

"No, I was able to read the question on your face." Christopher smiled and looked into Christina's eyes. "Your eyes are so beautiful."

Christina blushed as she glanced away before going back. "Thought you were gay since you were trying to hit on my brothers earlier."

"I just wanted to say how handsome they were. No harm in teasing." He slowly leaned closer his hand still gripping Christina's as their lips were only inches apart. "But I...think..."

Christina let Christopher's lips touch against hers but flinched when she felt something prick her finger. She jumped and laughed when she saw it was just Christopher gently pinching the tip. "Okay are you ready to read my palm?"

Christopher grinned and nodded. "Okay," he marveled at her hand for a second before gently sliding his finger across each line. "You are a warrior. Given your job I'd hope you were one." Christina giggled and he continued. "Your past was troubling and you're keeping that from your family." Christina smile disappeared but Christopher was still looking at her hand to notice. "I don't see any love in your life, not saying you won't try and look for it. And your life line looks good and long."

"Well that's good that I'll have a decent life." Christina said sitting back and sliding her hand out of Christopher's. "Be honest was my love line really non existent?"

Christopher shook his head. "You did say you didn't want to hear it."

"Well it's a good thing you're honest." Christina said picking up her burger and began to eat. "Oh my god," she muttered over the flavors she was experiencing. "This is good!"

"Like I said best burgers in Baton Rouge." Christopher said taking a bite of his own burger. "But slow down. Enjoy your food." He laughed when Christina tried to take a drink of her milkshake only to get her nose coated with the whipped cream that garnished the top.

Outside the restaurant staying a half a block away Dean and Sam kept a watchful eye on their sister who they could keep an eye on their sister who was currently wiping her face with a napkin from her nose getting covered with whipped cream. Sam couldn't help but chuckle but Dean's face never cracked. His eyes didn't leave the two laughing and eating even when Christopher left the table and Dean's cellphone began to vibrate.

"Hello?" Dean answered not checking on the caller ID.

"Get off of my trail, Hunter." A male voice said on the other line. "Get off or you're going to regret it."

"Who's this?" Dean asked looking confused. "How did you-"

"I know things, hunter. You leave my stomping grounds and you won't pay the price."

The call hung up making Dean break eye contact with Christina who was sitting alone at the table and looked at the number. Checking the call he saw that the voice spoke for only twenty seconds before hanging up.

He looked over at Sam who was confused. "Everything okay?"

"No," Dean said seeing as Christopher was coming back to the table and sat down. "You up to break up a date?"

Sam paled as he looked over at the window to see Christina and Christopher kissing sweetly. He stumbled out the door when Dean went first. "Dean, are you sure you want to stop this?"

"I don't want to," Dean said quickly crossing the street with Sam right behind, "but I have to."

Christina was laughing when Dean walked up and stood at their table. "Dean?"

"Date's over." Dean said shooting Christopher a suspicious look.

"What?" Christina asked looking shocked as Dean grabbed and wouldn't stop staring daggers at Christopher. "Dean what's goin-"

"We've got a hunt to do." Dean said pulling on Christina's arm.

Christopher stood up and pushed on Dean's chest making him drop her arm. "She's still on a date." He said gently pulling Christina behind her. "If you want I'll take her back to the motel."

"She's not going anywhere with you." Dean growled dangerously shoving Christopher back not caring for the scene he was getting by the customers and staff.

"You going to make me?" Christopher asked shoving Dean back towards the entrance, clearly wanting to take the shuffle that was about to go down outside. "Christina is a capable woman to make her own choices. She doesn't need a man, who isn't her father, tell her what she can and can't do."

"Dean, I think we should just let her stay." Sam said grabbing his brother's jacket wanting to stop him from causing a scene and making it into a bigger problem for them. "She's happy."

"Stay out of this Sammy." Dean growled his eyes still glued on Christopher who was defending Christina.

"Dean just stop and leave us alone." Christina said standing in front of Christopher and pushing against Dean's chest. "You're not dad and I'm a big girl."

Dean tensed but forced himself to turn away from them making Sam sigh with relief.

"I guess that's what happens when someone's a daddy's boy." Christopher said wrapping around Christina's shoulders. Dean spun around and tackled Christopher to the ground who pulled Christina on the ground next to him. "Dean you need to stop this." Christopher growled shoving Dean off and checked on Christina who was holding her face as blood began to fall from her nose from hitting the ground. "You okay?" He asked gently wiping a handkerchief under her nose to wipe at the blood.

"Yeah I'll be fine." Christina said glaring at her brother who was being picked up by Sam and was being shoved towards the Impala. "But I think we're going to have to leave. Sorry for his behavior."

"Don't worry. He's just acting like a protector. Though I think he should take it down a notch."

"I agree." Christina said with a chuckle. "I guess I should leave. Night Christopher."

"Night." Christopher headed back inside the resturant while Sam pulled Dean towards the Impala.

~DSCWIN~

Dean drove in silence to angry to speak but he also knew the woman that sat in the back was even more angry.

"How could you do that?" Sam asked quietly as they stopped across the street of the cemetery.

"He just poked the wrong button." Dean grumbled glancing into the rearview mirror and could see his sister angry but fighting back tears that rolled down her cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself when Christina climbed out of the Impala and stomped across the street.

Sam quickly jumped out afterwards closely being followed by Dean. No one spoke as they walked into the maze of mausoleums and above ground plots. Dispite them all having experience with more then enough cemeteries something about how strange it felt inside that the only sound was the wind whistling between the marble structures.

"Mama Oakley's family mausoleum is down this way." Christina whispered as she carefully headed down a small path in between older marble with a thick layer of moss coating on the sides. A cool breeze blew past the three more cold then it should at eight at night. "Stay here." Christina said when a black and moss covered mausoleum stood in front of them.

"The gate's locked." Dean said grabbing the rusty metal gate with a thick rusty chain.

"Yeah." Christina grunted as she pulled out a large stone out of the wall making a hole barely bigger then herself. "And the key is nonexistent. Mama Oakley made it like that to not only protect her family's remains but her herbs."

Dean watched as Christina slowly climbed through the hole and appeared at the gate. "You know what you're looking for?" He asked his hunting senses starting to tingle same as Sam who kept his head on a swivel as he kept glancing at the area around him. "If you do, hurry and get it over with." He said seeing that something black shifted quickly across some plots a few hundred yards away.

Christina nodded at the urgency her anger from earlier gone. She quickly scanned the crumbling crypts at the herbs until she spotted the one she needed. Slowly taking the handkerchief Mama Oakley had given her Christina unfolded the fabric and reached out for the small twigs that she needed. As she was folding up the edges a large gust of wind blew around her causing the fabric to unfold itself. Even as she folded it up and try and get it to her jacket pocket the fabric refused to stay folded.

Christina looked down at the pin she was wearing and decided the herbs were more important unpined it from her lapel with relative ease and pinned the fabric closed. Instantly the wind stopped as Christina quickly shoved the handkerchief into her jacket. She moved quickly to the hole in the wall and slid out.

"Did you get it?" Dean asked his hair speckled with leaves and debris.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." She grunted as she tried to lift the rock but Sam had taken it from her and slid it into the empty hole.

"Come on." Dean said and they started to run through the plots until reaching the Impala.

~DSCWIN~

They had two hours to kill when they arrived in the front of Mama Oakley's business when Christina let out a high wail of pain and gripped at her right arm. Sam and Dean turned towards her and rushed to her side as she fell to her knees. Tears falling rapidly down her cheeks.

"What's the matter?" Dean asked seeing her biting down hard on her lip that it was causing it to bleed.

"My...arm..." Christina began to cry. "It's feeling like my bones..." she let out another wail of pain as it began to rain hard on top of them. Christina tried to see through tear filled eyes as she saw Tia running towards them.

"Get her inside now!" Tia cried over the howling wind as lightning split the sky illuminating several gray figures surrounding them. Thunder made the ground tremble making the four humans fear the Earth was going to break apart. Soon the grey figures began to run towards an alleyway nearby and Tia helped Sam and Dean carry Christina to the shop.

"Who were those grey people?" Dean asked as they descended down the stairs into the brightly lit shop. The usual smells were absent as they made their descent.

"Spirits that serve Mama Oakley willingly." Tia said helping Sam with placing Christina into a chair. "They've always been surrounding this shop. Sam go grab some Lavender from the middle shelf and bring it here. Dean go grab the teapot and fill it up." As the boys rushed to do what Tia had ordered them to do, Mama Oakley slowly moved into the room looking worried and pale.

"Dlo Lilly sa ki mal te fè move lespri yo nan zansèt mwen chase lwen?*"

"Mwen pa fin sèten. Men, timoun sa a te atake."

Mama Oakley made her way to Christina who was trying her hardest not to sob and gently touched her wounded arm getting rewarded with another muffled cry of pain. "Pa zansèt yo child why didn't you wear the pin?"

"I did wear it," Christina mumbled softly. "But I had to use it to close the handkerchief to keep the twigs from flying away by the wind."

Mama Oakley's face was soft when she gently hugged the sobbing child. "Ou dwe jwenn move bagay ki te atake l la." Mama Oakley said softly in the direction of her daughter Tia. "Prepare eple la. Nou konnen se Vodou. Men, nou dwe jwenn nenpòt moun ki evoke fènwa sa a."

"Wi, Mama." Tia nodded and left pulling Dean and Sam who had stood there watching the three women talking.

Mama Oakley gently touched Christina's arm and frowned. "I'm so sorry, child." Suddenly Mama Oakley turned to her left and smiled at an empty room. "Could you please help soothe this child's pain?"

Christina looked up and noticed that the room was empty and she didn't feel a presence in their either. But slowly warmth spread through her arm taking away then pain but left the bones still broken inside. She felt relaxed as she slumped into the seat Tia had put her in and she could tell her eyelids were starting to grow heavy.

"Sleep child." Mama Oakley's voice cooed as she draped her own shawl over Christina's shoulders. "Se pou rèv ou yo navige ou nan lapè jiskaske ou reveye." Before Christina's mind shut off completely the last thing she head Mama Oakley say was, "Mèsi zanj."

Translations:

"Dlo Lilly sa ki mal te fè move lespri yo nan zansèt mwen chase lwen?" - "Water Lilly what evil did the spirits of my ancestors chased away?"

"Mwen pa fin sèten. Men, timoun sa a te atake." - "I'm not sure. But this child has been attacked."

"Pa zansèt yo" - "By the ancestors"

"Ou dwe jwenn move bagay ki te atake l la. Prepare eple la. Nou konnen se Vodou. Men, nou dwe jwenn nenpòt moun ki evoke fènwa sa a." - "The evil who attacked her will be found. Prepare the spell. We know it's Voodoo. But we must find whoever conjured this darkness."

"Wi, Mama." - "Yes, Mama."

"Se pou rèv ou yo navige ou nan lapè jiskaske ou reveye. Mèsi zanj." - "May your dreams sail you to peace until you awaken. Thank you angel."