Authoress Note: Welcome to Chapter 2 of Temporary Home. Now this is where things are going to change. Will Aeron stay with them? This will be the episode stating if she stays or goes. I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter. I decided to add a few things into this episode. Some little times between Bobby and Aeron. Perhaps give some background on Bobby and Aeron's relationship. More than what I did in the last story. Without further ado Chapter 2 of Temporary Home.
Chapter 2
A week had passed since Sam and Dean burned their father's body on a pyre. Aeron had given them the time to do just that and she stayed away. She after all wasn't family. And it wasn't her place to be there when the boys did that. John was just a friend. Granted he was someone that she had threatened, but that was what you got when you almost killed someone or even that tried to get her killed.
But something bothered her. What did John do? Did he really do what she thought he did offering his soul and the colt to a demon to save Dean's soul? Why would he want to? It bothered her ever since he had called her Aeron at the hospital. Granted she didn't have many good memories of John. He almost had her killed, but he was a friend. She also had made him a promise and she was going to stick to it.
Aeron looked over at Sam and saw that he had his father's phone. Aeron walked into the other room where Bobby was looking through books. She rubbed her forehead. She couldn't stand looking at Sam. He was working forever on that phone trying to crack the voicemail code to get in and check the voicemail.
Bobby looked up at her and saw how she looked. She looked terrible. It was like she was having a hell of a time sleeping. "You look like hell kid."
Aeron looked at him and scoffed. "Oh thanks Bobby. Telling me I look like hell." She said with a small sad smile. She knew that she looked terrible. Dark circles under her eyes and her strawberry blonde hair disheveled. Yeah she knew that she looked like hell.
Bobby shook his head. "You alright there Anne?" He was concerned when she didn't sleep that well. But perhaps there was another reason why she wasn't sleeping well.
Aeron shook her head. "They're broken." She said softly looking back at Sam who was still trying to crack his father's phone code to get into the messages. She shook her head. "I was trying to make sure that this didn't happen to them. That they didn't lose their father." She ran her hand through her hair. "And now they are like me."
Bobby walked over to her and placed his hand on her thin shoulder. "Anne, they're strong boys. They'll pull through this." Bobby was so sure that the two Winchesters would pull just fine through it. It would just take time.
Aeron locked her eyes with his. "I don't think that they will. Sam maybe, but Dean… I don't know." She shook her head. "Perhaps I am thinking this all wrong Bobby. Maybe those two are stronger than I ever was." Maybe they were a lot stronger. She cracked when she lost her family. She almost had a death wish when her grandfather was killed. Perhaps she still had that death wish because she didn't get to mourn him properly like she should have. She only got revenge somewhat. She still had to hunt the other vampires down and kill them. Then she would be finished with her revenge, but perhaps she wouldn't have to worry about it. Perhaps the boys would be able to help her through this and make her more human.
"Anne, don't you dare say that about yourself. You are strong. You just lost a lot when you were younger. Perhaps you should tell the boys." Bobby really wanted her to tell Sam and Dean the truth. The truth of why she was the way she was.
Aeron swallowed the lump in her throat. "No. They don't need to hear it and I don't need the damn pity party Bobby." She shook her head. "And it is only me that can handle it." She thought that she was the only one that could handle what she had on her shoulders. The boys wouldn't be able to help her and she didn't want the pity. She hated the pity.
"And you think that your grandfather would want you to do that, Anne?" Bobby asked her, letting out a sigh. He knew that Daniel didn't want his granddaughter to be like this or even live like this.
Aeron let out a soft sigh. "It's something that would make them see me differently. I know they will. They lost their dad. I don't know what would happen if Sam lost Dean or Dean lost Sam. They'll end up as lost as I am." She shook her head. "And that is what I am going to do."
"What are you going to do?" Bobby asked her. He had a feeling he knew the answer. He didn't want to hear it from her.
"I will die trying to keep them both safe." She admitted. She was going to do what she could to keep both of those Winchester boys alive and well.
"Anne…" Bobby said, shaking his head and his voice cracking a little bit. He didn't want her to get herself killed.
Aeron looked at him sadly. "It's my choice Bobby."
"Anne… don't do this."
"Bobby… please. I have to at least try."
"Hey Aeron?" Sam called from his seat in the other room.
Aeron shook her head. She left the room and went into the other room to see what Sam wanted. "What do you need Sam?"
"Do you know Ellen?"
Aeron's eyes went wide. "Yes, I know Ellen."
Sam nodded his head and got up.
"Where are you going?"
"You know where she lives?"
"Yes, I do."
"We're gonna go and tell Dean." He grabbed her arm and dragged her out of Bobby's house and out to where Dean was.
The two of them came out and Dean was underneath the Impala working on it.
"How's the car coming along?" Sam asked curiously.
"Slow."
"Yeah? Need any help?"
Dean dropped something heavy. "What, you under a hood? I'll pass."
"I could always help." Aeron said, looking at him.
"You working on my baby? I think not."
"Oh come on Dean. I know how to work on a classic car." She huffed, crossing her arms carefully.
Sam let out a sigh. "Need anything else, then?"
"Stop it, Sam."
"Stop what?"
"Stop asking if I need anything, stop asking if I'm okay. I'm okay. Really. I promise."
"Alright, Dean, it's just… we've been at Bobby's for over a week now and you haven't brought up dad once."
"You know what? You're right. Come here. I'm gonna lay my head gently on your shoulder. Maybe we can cry, hug, and maybe even slow dance."
"Don't patronize me, Dean. Dad's dead. The colt is gone, and it seems pretty damn likely that the demon is behind all of this, and you're acting like nothing happened."
"What do you want me to say?" Dean asked Sam, narrowing his eyes at Sam.
"Say something, alright? Hell, say anything! Aren't you angry? Don't you want revenge? But all you do is sit out there all day long buried underneath this damn car."
"Revenge huh?"
"Yeah."
"Boys." Aeron said, shaking her head.
"Sounds good. You got any leads on where the demon is? Making heads or tails of any of dad's research? Because I sure ain't. But you know, if we do finally find it… oh. No, wait, like you said. The Colt's gone. But I'm sure you've figured out another way to kill it. We've got nothing, Sam. Nothing, okay? So you know the only thing I can do? Is I can work on the car." Dean said crouching by the car to get back to work on it.
"Well, we've got something, alright?" Sam pulled out a cell phone. "It's what I came by here to tell you. This is one of dad's old phones. Took me a while, but I cracked his voicemail code. Listen to this." Sam said, handing over the cell to Dean.
Dean stood up and took it reluctantly. He listened to the message that was left on it.
"That message is four months old."
"Dad saved that chick's message for four months?"
"Yeah." Sam said, looking at Dean.
"Well, who's Ellen? Any mention of her in dad's journal?"
"No."
"I know where she's at." Aeron said, looking at Dean.
"Ask Bobby if we can use one of his cars." Dean said to Sam.
Aeron shook her head. "Nah. You won't need to ask Bobby. We will just take my car." She said with a smile. "Come on. It's a little bit aways from here."
"Who's driving?"
Aeron pulled the keys from her pocket and tossed them to Dean. "I think I can trust you enough. Don't wreck my baby or I will have your hide."
"Noted."
SPNSPN
Dean, Sam, and Aeron pulled up in her challenger outside of the Roadhouse Saloon.
"God I feel like a chick pulling up in this thing." Dean complained. "It's humiliating."
"Watch it Deano." Aeron said, narrowing her eyes from the backseat of her car. "You are talking about my car here."
Sam shook his head.
"It's better to feel like a chick than a soccer mom. Bobby only has a running minivan." Aeron snapped getting out of the back of her car.
Sam and Dean got out of the car.
"Hello? Anybody here?"
"Hey. You bring the, uh…"
"Of course." Sam said, tossing something to Dean.
Dean caught it.
"I'll meet you boys in a few seconds." She said with a smile. She was going to allow the boys to go in first. Perhaps Dean would learn his lesson by saying that he felt like a chick pulling up in her purple challenger. Hell she should've let Sam drive instead of Dean. But Dean would complain, still showing up in her car. She watched Sam and Dean go in. She shook her head and allowed a small smile to come to her lips. This was payback to Dean. Too bad Sam had to go in with his idiotic brother.
SNSNSN
The two of them walked towards the back of the bar and saw a man passed out on the pool table.
"Hey, buddy?" Sam called out to Ash. Sam looked at his brother. "I'm guessing that isn't Ellen."
"Yeah…"
Sam went to the back to see if he could find anyone back there.
Dean took a few steps and felt something press up against his back. "Oh god, please let that be a rifle." He said to himself
The gun cocks. "No, I'm just really happy to see you. Don't move." Jo said calmly.
"Not moving, copy that. You know, you should know something, miss. When you put a rifle on someone, you don't want to put it right against their back. Because it makes it really easy to do…" He turned and was able to get the gun away from Jo and cocking it himself. "That."
Jo punched him in the face and took the rifle back from him.
Dean doubled over and clutched his nose. "Sam! Need some help here. I can't see, I can't even see." He muttered to himself.
Sam came back into the room with his hands on his head. "Sorry, Dean, I can't right now. I'm a little tied up." He nodded his head towards Ellen who had a handgun pointed at his head.
"Sam? Dean? Winchester?" Ellen asked, looking at the two boys.
"Yeah." They both said at the same time.
"Son of a bitch."
"Mom, you know these guys?" Jo asked, looking at her mother.
"Yeah, I think these are John Winchester's boys." She said lowering the gun laughing. "I'm Ellen. This is my daughter Jo."
"Hey." Jo said lowering her rifle as well.
Dean smiled a little bit. "You're not gonna hit me again, are you?"
Aeron came into the roadhouse.
Dean turned sharply. "Where the hell were you Aeron?" Dean demanded.
Aeron looked at Dean and saw that he was starting to get a shiner. A small smile came to her lips.
"Aeron Elkins is that you honey?" Ellen asked, looking at the small strawberry blonde haired girl.
Aeron looked at Ellen. "Sure is Ellen. I see ya met the Winchester boys."
"What the hell Aeron!" Dean shouted. "You knew that this was going to happen?"
Aeron tilted her head to the side with a small smile on her lips. "Perhaps. But you were being a dick earlier." She said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Dissing my car the way that you did."
"And you thought it was wise to put Sammy and me here in danger!"
"Oh quit being a baby." She snapped.
Sam just shook his head. Yeah Dean deserved it.
"Besides I was going to warn Sam, but he was already inside." She said sitting down at the bar.
Dean sat down.
Ellen handed Dean a small towel filled with ice. "Here you go."
Dean took it from her. "Thanks. You called our dad, said you could help. Help with what?" Dean questioned wondering what this woman could help them with.
"Well, the demon, of course. I heard he was closing in on it." Ellen said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"What, was there an article in the Demon Hunters Quarterly that I missed? I mean, who, who are you? How do you know about all this?"
"Hey, I just run a saloon. But hunters have been known to pass through now and again. Like this little lady right here." Ellen said, handing a shot of tequila to her with salt and lime.
Aeron smiled. "Thanks Ellen." She said licking her hand putting a little salt on the spot she licked. She licked the salt off, took the shot and put the lime in her mouth.
Ellen nodded her head watching the almost 22 year old take the shot like a champ. "Including your dad a long time ago. John was like family once."
"Oh yeah? How come he never mentioned you before?"
"You'd have to ask him that."
Dean shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "So why exactly do we need your help?"
"Hey, don't do me any favors. Look, if you don't want my help, fine. Don't let the door smack your ass on the way out. But John wouldn't have sent you if…." Ellen stopped realizing why the boys were there. Why were they there with Aeron? "He didn't send you."
Dean looked down and then looked at Sam.
Aeron looked down at her empty shot glass.
"He's alright, isn't he?"
"No. No, he isn't. It was the demon, we think. It, um, it just got him before he got it, I guess." Sam said, putting his hands in his pockets.
"I'm so sorry."
"It's okay. We're alright." Dean said softly.
"Really? I know how close you and your dad were." Ellen said, looking a bit skeptical at Dean.
"Really, lady, I'm fine."
"Another shot Ellen, please."
Sam looked at Aeron with wide eyes.
"Of course honey. Anything for you."
"And a beer."
"Of course." Ellen got another shot of tequila for Aeron along with Aeron's favorite beer, Jolly Pumpkin La Roja. "Ordered it in just in case you showed up."
"Must've heard it from Bobby?" She questioned.
Ellen nodded her head.
"So look, if you can help, we could use all the help we can get." Sam said looking hopeful at Ellen.
"Well, we can't. But Ash will." Ellen said with a smile.
"Who's Ash?"
"I'll get him, Ellen." Aeron said, getting up to her feet. She walked over to where Ash was sound asleep on the pool table. "Damn it Ash." She shook her head. "Ash!" She yelled smacking the bottom of his boots with her good hand.
Ash jerked up on the pool table sitting up looking at her with blurry eyes. "What? It closin' time?"
"That's Ash?" Sam asked in confusion.
"Mm-hmm. He's a genius." Jo said with a smile.
"Get your lazy ass up." Aeron said, looking at him.
Ash looked at Aeron and a small smile came to his lips. "If it isn't little Annie."
"Ash." She said, shaking her head. "Come on. We need some help."
"Gotcha." He said, stumbling off of the pool table.
Aeron walked over to the bar and shook her head. She sat back down, drowning her shot without the salt or lime. She then took a swig of her beer as a chaser.
Ash came over and sat down next to Aeron.
Sam put the folder down onto the bar in front of Aeron so Ash could look at it. He sat down next to her.
Dean stood behind them.
Jo was pouring glasses of water.
"You've gotta be kidding me, this guy's no genius. He's a Lynyrd Skynyrd roadie." Dean said in shock.
Ash looked at Dean. "I like you."
"Thanks."
"Just give him a chance. He's helped Ryan a lot of times." Jo said with a smile.
"Thanks Jo." Aeron said with a smile. "But she is right Dean. He has helped me."
Dean reached around Aeron between Sam and Ash to open the brown folder up. "Alright. This stuff's about a year's worth of our dad's work, so uh, let's see what you make of it."
Ash pulled out the papers and started going through them. He shook his head. "Come on. This crap ain't real. There ain't nobody can track a demon like this."
"Our dad could." Sam said, looking at Ash.
"There are nonparametrics, statistical overviews, prospects and correlations. I mean… damn! They're signs. Omens. Uh, if you can track 'em, you can track this demon. You know, like crop failures, electrical storms… Have you ever been struck by lightning? It ain't fun." Ash said as he continued to look through the papers that John had.
"Can you track it or not?"
"Yeah, with this, I think so. But it's gonna take time, uh, give me…." He thought for a minute. "Fifty one hours." Ash got up from the bar taking the work into his hands.
"Hey, man?" Dean said, stopping him.
"Yeah?"
"I, uh, I dig the haircut."
"All business up front, party in the back." Ash said leaving.
Aeron shook her head as Dean left to go and most likely flirt with Jo.
Sam saw something behind the bar. A folder. "Hey, Ellen, what is that?"
"It's a police scanner. We keep tabs on things, we…."
"No, no, no ,no, the, um, the folder."
"Uh, I was gonna give this to a friend of mine. But take a look, if you want." Ellen said, taking the folder from the wall and putting it in front of Sam.
Aeron shook her head and looked at the clipping. "Hm… what are you thinking Sam? Gig?"
Sam looked at her. "Maybe."
Ellen looked at Aeron. "So how are you holding up Aeron?" Her eyes locked onto the young hunter with concern.
Aeron took a sip of her beer. "I'm holding up fine."
"Never thought I would see you here with the Winchesters."
"Well." Aeron shrugged her shoulders. "Things change Ellen. They really do. Besides…"
"Don't need to say no more about it." Ellen said, patting her hand.
"Hey Ellen." Sam said, looking at the woman.
"Yes?"
"We will take the hunt."
"You will."
"Yeah."
"Might help Dean out some." Aeron said, looking at Sam.
Sam nodded his head.
"Alright if you two think you can handle it."
"It will be three of us." Aeron said with a smile.
"Dean, come here, check this out." Sam called out to his brother.
"Yeah." Dean said walking over to him and Aeron.
"A few murders, not far from here, that Ellen caught wind of. Looks to me like there might be a hunt."
"Yeah. So?"
"So, I told her we'd check it out." Sam said, looking at his brother.
"Seriously?"
"As a heart attack." Aeron said, looking at him.
Dean shook his head. "Alright."
SPNSPN
Dean, Sam, and Aeron were well on their way to where the murders had happened. The rain was making things more bleak than it already was.
Sam had his laptop on the research clear as day there.
"You've gotta be kidding me. A killer clown?" Dean said, trying not to laugh because he knew his brother's fear of clowns.
"Yeah. He left the daughter unharmed and killed the parents. Ripped them to pieces, actually."
"And this family was at some carnival that night?"
"Right, right. The, uh, Cooper Carnivals."
"So how do you know we're not dealing with some psycho carnie in a clown suit?"
"Well, the cops have no viable leads, and all the employees were tearing down the shop. Alibis all around. Plus this girl said she saw the clown vanish into thin air. Cops are saying trauma, of course." Sam explained the rest of the case to his brother and Aeron.
"Well, I know what you're thinking, Sam. Why did it have to be clowns?"
"Oh, give me a break." Sam said, groaning.
Dean laughed. "You didn't think I'd remember, did you? I mean, come on, you still burst out crying whenever you see Ronald McDonald on the television."
"Well, at least I'm not afraid of flying."
"Planes crash!"
"And apparently clowns kill."
"Come on boys. Let's not exploit fears here and make fun of me." Aeron said from the back seat with a groan. She had put up with the picking back and forth between the two of them that it was driving her crazy.
Dean cleared his throat. "So these types of murders, they ever happen before?"
"Uh, according to the file, 1981, the Bunker Brothers Circus, same M.O. It just happened three times, in three different locales."
"It's weird, though, I mean if it is a spirit it's usually bound to a specific locale, you know, a house, or a town."
"So how's this one moving from city to city, carnival to carnival?"
"Cursed object maybe. Spirit attaches itself to something and the, uh, carnival carries it around with them."
"Great. Paranormal scavenger hunt."
"Oh this is going to be a fun one. Scavenger hunt in a carnival is just grand." Aeron said, rubbing her face.
"What's a matter there Ryan?" Dean asked, looking back at her through the rear view mirror. "Don't like carnivals?"
"Never been to one in my entire life, asshat."
"Well this case was your idea Sam. By the way, why is that? You were awfully quick to jump on this job." Dean said, looking over at Sam.
"So?"
"It's just… not like you, that's all. I thought you were hell-bent for leather on the demon hunt."
"I don't know, I just think, this job, it's what dad would have wanted us to do."
"What dad would have wanted?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Nothin'."
Aeron shook her head. Boys. Those boys were something else. They were probably going to bicker all night long. She made herself comfortable in the back seat and closed her eyes.
SNSNSN
They got out of Aaron's car. They began to walk into the carnival.
"Check it out. Five-oh." Dean said looking at a three foot tall woman who was dressed in a clown outfit.
Sam puts his hands in his pockets shuffling closer to Aeron.
The woman looked at him before going on her way.
"Did you get her number?" Dean said with a smile coming back to the two of them.
"Really Dean? You have to be an ass to your brother?" Aeron questioned the elder brother with narrowed eyes.
Dean brought his hands up in surrender.
"More murders?" Sam scowled a little bit.
"Two more last night. Apparently they were ripped to shreds. And they had a little boy with them." Dean told the two of them.
"Who figured a clown." Sam said, shaking his head.
Dean gave Sam a weird look.
"What?"
Aeron shook her head.
"Yeah, a clown, who apparently vanished into thin air."
Sam shook his head. "Dean you know, looking for a curse object like this is trying to find a needle in a stack of needles. They could be anything."
"Well, it's bound to give off EMF, so we'll just have to scan everything."
"Oh, good, that's nice and... inconspicuous."
Aeron tapped Dean's arm.
Dean looked at where Aeron was looking. "I guess we'll just have to blend in."
Sam saw the sign as well and let out a soft sigh. This was going to end oh so well.
SNSNSN
The three of them walked into a tent as a man was busy throwing knives at a target all hitting near, but not on the bull's-eye.
"Excuse me, we're looking for Mr. Cooper, have you seen him around?" Dean asked politely.
"What is that, some kind of joke?" The man asked, pulling off his sunglasses revealing to the three of them that he was blind.
"Oh. God, I'm, I'm sorry."
"You think I wouldn't give my eyeteeth to see Mr. Cooper? Or a sunset, or anything at all?"
Dean looked at Aeron and Sam. "Wanna give me a little help here?"
Sam and Aeron looked at each other.
"Not really." Sam said with a cheeky smile.
"Don't look at me Dean. You're the one that got yourself into this." Aeron said, crossing her arms.
"Hey man, is there a problem?" A short man asked to see the three of them.
Dean turned and looked down, seeing a short man.
"Yeah, this guy hates blind people."
"No, I don't, I…."
"Hey buddy, what's your problem?"
"Nothing, it's just a little misunderstanding."
"Little?! You son of a bitch!"
"No, no, no, no!"
Aeron turned into Sam trying not to laugh her ass off, but it was too late she was already laughing. She supposed that it was more pay back for him dissing her car.
"I'm just, could somebody tell me where Mr. Cooper is?"
Sam laughed lightly.
"Please?"
Aeron pushed Dean back. "Could you please show us where to go, sir? My boyfriend." She gestured to Sam pretending that Sam was her boyfriend. "And his dumb brother are looking for a job." She told the short man.
The short man looked at her. "Sure lady. I take it you are looking for a job too?"
Aeron smiled sweetly at the man. "Yes, if he is looking for talent."
The short man smiled at her. "He's looking for talent."
"Oh good."
"What can you do?"
Aeron winked. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I showed you now would it?"
The short man chuckled. "Come on. I'll take you to him."
SNSNSN
"You boys picked a hell of a time to join up." Mr. Cooper said.
Aeron cleared her throat.
"And you too ma'am." He said with a smile. "Take a seat."
Dean looked at the chairs. He moved quickly to the one that looked normal before Sam could take it.
Sam scowled when he had to sit in the clown chair. He fidgeted before sitting gingerly at the edge of the seat.
Aeron stood beside him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder pretending like she had before with the short man who she had saved Dean's ass from getting it handed to him later on.
"We've got all kinds of local trouble."
"What do you mean?" Dean asked, looking at Mr. Cooper.
"Oh, a couple of folks got themselves murdered. Cops always seem to start here first. So, have you three ever worked the circuit before?"
"Yes, sir, last year through Texas and Arkansas." Sam replied like it was a normal answer.
"Yeah." Dean said with a smile.
Aeron shook her head.
Mr. Cooper looked at the boys skeptically. "Doing what? Ride jockeys? Butcher? AND men?"
"Yeah, it's, uh, a little bit of everything, I guess." Sam answered.
"You two have never worked a show in your lives before, have you?"
"Nope. But we really need the work. Oh, and uh, Sam here's got a thing for the bearded lady."
Aeron smacked him. "You moron."
"What? Oh right." Dean shook his head. "Forgot."
"Oh really? You forgot your brother's girlfriend."
Dean tried not to roll his eyes. This was after all a fake relationship between the two of them to make it look good. "Sorry."
"It's fine baby." Sam said softly.
Mr. Cooper pointed to something hanging on the wall. "You see that picture? That's my daddy."
"You look just like him." Sam said softly.
"He was in the business. Ran a freak show. Till they outlawed them, most places. Apparently displaying the deformed isn't dignified. So most of the performers went from honest work to rotting in hospitals and asylums. That's progress. I guess. You see, this place, it's a refuge for outcasts. Always has been. For folks that don't fit in nowhere else. But you two?" Mr. Cooper shook his head. "You should go to school. Find a girl for you." He told Dean. "And have two point five kids. Live regularly."
Dean was about to say something.
Sam leaned forward. "Sir? We don't want to go to school. And we don't want to be regular. We want this."
"And I fit nowhere else." Aeron said, looking at Mr. Cooper.
Dean looked at Sam.
"And what do you mean you fit nowhere else?" Mr. Cooper asked, looking at Aeron.
Aeron closed her eyes.
SNSNSN
"Huh."
"What?" Sam asked in confusion.
"That whole, uh, I don't want to go back to school. Were you just saying that to Cooper or were you, you know, saying it? Sam?"
Sam let out a sigh. "I don't know."
Aeron looked at him in confusion. Sam didn't want to go to college again? Perhaps hunting was going to be his life now.
"You don't know? I thought that once the demon was dead and the fat lady sang that you were gonna take off, head back to Wussy State."
"I'm having second thoughts." Sam admitted.
"Really?"
"Yeah. I think. Dad would want me to stick with the job."
"Since when do you give a damn what dad wanted? You spent half your life doing exactly what he didn't want, Sam."
"Boys please." Aeron said softly.
Both of them looked at her.
Aeron shook her head. "I'll see you afterwards. You two just sort this out." She said leaving the two of them to continue bickering.
Sam let out a sigh. "Since he died, okay? Do you have a problem with that?"
"Naw, I don't have a problem with it." Dean said, shaking his head.
"It seems like Aeron doesn't even want to continue hunting with us."
"What? Where do you get that Sammy?"
"Look at her Dean. Really look. She's upset. She doesn't want to be around us."
"She just had to show her hidden skill Sam. In front of us." Dean shook his head. "No one should be that flexible."
Sam shook his head. "All you can think is how flexible she is? Really Dean?"
"What?"
Sam moved away from his brother. It was time for work. Aeron would be doing her thing while he and Dean were working in red jackets picking up trash.
SNSNSN
Dean put the trash into the dumpster when his phone went off. He answered it. "Hello?"
"Hey man."
"What's the matter? You sound like you just saw a clown."
"Very funny." Sam huffed. "Skeleton, actually."
"Like a real human skeleton?"
"In the fun house. Listen, I was thinking. What if the spirit isn't attached to a cursed object, what if it's attached to its own remains?"
"Did the bones give off EMF?"
"Well, no, but…"
"We should check it out anyway. I'm heading towards you." Dean hung up his phone when the blind man had grabbed his arm.
"What are you doing here, kid?"
"I'm… I was just sweeping." Dean said covering the phone conversation that he was having with his little brother. Damn it this was not going well at all.
"Bull. And what were you talking about? Skeleton? What's EMF?"
"Dude, your blind man's hearing is out of control."
"We're a tight-knit group, we don't like outsiders, we take care of our own problems."
"We have a problem?"
"You tell me, you're the one talking about human bones."
"Do you believe in ghosts?"
"What?"
"My brother and I… we're writing about them."
SNSNSN
Aeron moved towards Sam. "Oh thank you for getting me the hell out of there." She said softly, running her good hand through her hair. "Who knew that rehearsals would tire someone out. My back feels like a damn pretzel." She looked around and didn't see Dean. "Where's Dean? I thought that he would have beaten me here."
"So did I." Sam told her.
Dean came up to the two of them.
Sam looked at his brother. "What took you so long?"
"Long story." Dean said, letting out a soft sigh.
"Mommy, look at the clown!" A little girl said pointing towards the clown that she saw.
The three hunters looked over to the girl.
"What clown?" Her mother asked.
The three hunters looked and didn't see a clown.
"Come on, sweetie, come on."
The three hunters shared a look. There's no clown there.
SPNSPN
Sam, Dean, and Aeron were staking out the family home of the little girl that had seen the ghost clown this time.
"Dean, I cannot believe you told Papazian about the homicidal Phantom clown." San said quite agitated with what Dean had done.
"I told him an urban legend about a homicidal phantom clown, I never said it was real." Dean said putting a gun and cocking it.
Sam grabbed it, pushing it down. "Keep that down."
Aeron shook her head.
"Oh, and get this. I mentioned the Bunker Brother's Circus in 81 and their, uh, evil clown apocalypse? Guess what."
"What?" Both Sam and Aeron asked at the same time looking at Dean.
"Before Mr. Cooper owned Cooper Carnival, he worked for Bunker Brothers. He was their lot manager."
"Oh." Aeron said and the wheels went turning in her brain.
"So you think whatever the spirit's attached to, Cooper just brought it with him?" Sam asked, thinking. It could be possible.
"Something like that."
SNSNSN
Aeron was passed out like she hadn't slept in days. Which was very much true. Hell Dean and Sam both knew that she hadn't been sleeping by the dark circles that she tried to keep hidden from them.
Dean had dozed off in the front seat.
Sam saw the dining room light come on. Sam leaned over and shook Dean awake. "Dean."
Dean woke up looking at Sam through blurry eyes.
Sam pointed at the house.
"What about Ryan?" He muttered tiredly.
"Let her sleep." Sam said looking at the sleeping 21 year old.
Dean nodded his head.
The both of them got out of the car leaving Aeron to sleep.
SNSNSN
Aeron awoke to Sam and Dean getting into her car. She rubbed her eyes. "What the hell boys?"
"Gotta go. Now!" Dean said starting the car up.
"What the hell did you two do?"
"We will explain that shortly." Sam said as Dean pulled away from the house.
"Dammit what did you two idiots do?"
"We shot the clown."
"And?"
"It was solid."
"Damn it. You two are idiots. You shot when the kid was around didn't you?"
Sam and Dean didn't answer her.
Aeron reached underneath the driver seat and pulled out a bag.
"What are you doing?" Sam asked, looking back at her.
Aeron pulled out a plate. "Dean pull over as soon as you can." She ordered him.
"What?"
"We're gonna have to change the plate." She said, showing him the plate that she had in her hand. "Because of you two not thinking I got to change my Colorado plate to South Dakota plates."
Dean let out a sigh. He knew that he was in trouble. "How many plates do you have?"
"Quite a few."
SNSNSN
Dean had pulled the purple challenger over
Aeron got out of the back seat and unlocked the trunk with her extra key. She got what she needed out to change the plates. She quickly changed the plates.
"You really think they saw our plates?" Sam asked her.
"I don't want to take the chance Sam. It was your fault boys." She said getting up, throwing the old plate into her trunk and putting the items that she had gotten out of the trunk back in. She slammed it shut.
"Well, one thing's for sure." Dean said looking at the two of them as the three of them had gotten back to the car.
"What's that?" Sam asked, looking at Dean.
"We're not dealing with a spirit. I mean, that rock salt hit something solid."
"Yeah, a person? Or maybe a creature that can make itself invisible?"
"Yeah, and dress up as a clown for kicks? Do you see anything in dad's journal?"
"Nope."
"What about you Ryan?" Dean asked, looking at Aeron as they took off down the road.
Aeron shook her head. "Sorry. This is my first time hunting something like that." She admitted.
Dean groaned. "Just great. Grand."
Aeron rolled her eyes and got her phone out.
"What are you doing?"
"Calling the Roadhouse." She said with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Hey… Dean do you think that dad and Ellen ever had a thing?" Sam asked, looking at his brother.
"No way."
"Then why didn't he tell us about her?"
"I don't know, maybe they had some sort of falling out."
"Yeah. Did you ever notice dad had a falling out with just about everybody?"
Dean didn't say a word.
"Well, don't get all maudlin on me, man."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this strong silent thing of yours, it's crap."
"Oh, god."
"I'm over it. This isn't just anyone we're talking about, this is dad. I know how you felt about the man."
"You know what, back off, alright? Just because I"m not caring and sharing like you want me to."
"No, no, no, that's not what this is about, Dean. I don't care how you deal with this. But you have to deal with it, man. Listen, I'm your brother alright? I just want to make sure you're okay."
"Dude, I'm okay. I'm okay, okay? I swear, the next person who asks me if I'm okay, I'm going to start throwing punches. These are your issues, quit dumping them on me."
"What are you talking about?"
"I just think it's really interesting, this sudden obedience you have to dad. It's like, oh, what would dad want me to do? Sam, you spent your entire life slugging it out with that man. I mean, hell, you, you picked a fight with him the last time you ever saw him. And now that he's dead, now you want to make it right? Well, I'm sorry Sam, but you can't, it's too little, too late."
"Why are you saying this to me?" Sam questioned his brother.
"Because I want you to be honest with yourself about this. I'm dealing with dad's death! Are you?"
"Can you two shut up!" Aeron yelled from the backseat. "I'm on the phone." Aeron shook her head. "Sorry about that Ellen. Yes, when they shot it with rock salt it hit something. Yeah. Uh huh." Aeron closed her eyes. "I was afraid of that. Thanks Ellen." Aeron hung up her cell phone.
"What?" Sam asked, looking back at her.
"Rakshasa."
"What's that?"
"It's Ellen's guess. It's a race of ancient Hindu creatures, they appear in human form, they feed on human flesh, they can make themselves invisible, and they cannot enter a home without first being invited."
"So they dress up like clowns, and the children invite them in."
Aeron shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so."
"Why don't they just munch on the kids."
"Dunno."
"Maybe not enough meat on the bones?" Sam said, looking at Dean.
"What else did you find out?" Dean asked Aeron.
Aeron ran a hand through her hair. "Rakshasas live in squalor. They sleep on a bed of dead insects."
"Nice." Dean said, looking slightly disgusted.
"Yeah you tell me. They feed a few times every 20 or 30 years."
"Well, that makes sense. I mean, the carnival today, the Bunker Brother's in 81."
"Right. There were probably more before that." Sam said, rubbing his face.
"Hey Sam, who do we know that worked both shows?"
"Cooper?"
"Cooper."
"You know, that picture of his father that looked just like him."
"You think maybe it was him?"
"Well, who knows how old he is?"
"Did Ellen say how to kill it?"
"Dagger made of pure brass." Aeron said, leaning back in her seat.
"I think I know where to get one of those."
"Well, before we go stabbing things into Cooper, we're going to want to make damn sure it's him."
"Oh, you're such a stickler for details, Sammy. Alright, I'll round up the blade, you go and check if Cooper's got bed bugs."
"And what about me Dean?" Aeron questioned him, looking at him with skeptical eyes.
"You come with me."
"Of course."
"Well you are good at killing things aren't ya?"
"Dean, seriously , you just want me to go with you because you just want a fresh pair of eyes because it has been a long ass day."
"You got that right and you slept."
"Yeah and I am still pissed at you."
"Oh details."
SNSNSN
The blind man was leading Aeron and Dean somewhere. "Well, I've got all kinds of knives. I don't know if I've got a brass one, though."
"Well I am sure that we might find one." Aeron said with a smile.
He led them to his trailer. He tapped the trunk with his cane. "Check the trunk."
Dean and Aeron opened the trunk. They saw a red clown wig.
Dean turned sharply. "You?"
The man dropped his cane and pulled his glasses off. His eyes were normal then shifted to cloudy. His face began to melt and he waved then was gone.
"Damn it!" Aeron said, running to the door.
Dean tried to get the door open.
A knife flew past them, nicking Aeron in the arm.
"Fucking hell."
Dean jumped. "Ryan you alright?"
"Come on, let's get the hell out of here."
Another landed a bit higher.
"Alright!" He managed to get the door open. He grabbed onto Aeron's arm and dragged her along with him. "I'll check your arm once we are out of danger."
"I know this."
The two of them booked it.
Sam caught up to them. "Hey! Hey. So, Cooper thinks I'm a Peeping Tom, but it's not him."
"Yeah, so I gathered."
Aeron held onto her bleeding arm.
"Aeron…"
"It's the blind guy, he's here somewhere." Dean told Sam.
"Well, did you two get the…"
"The brass blades? No, it's been one of those days."
"I got an idea. Come on."
The three of them went into the funhouse.
"Oh just love this plan." Aeron said following Sam.
A door separated Dean from Aeron and Sam.
"Sam! Ryan!"
"Dean! Dean, find the maze, okay?" Sam told his older brother. He looked at Aeron. "I promise we will get out of here in one piece."
Aeron held onto her arm. "Come on Sam. We got to find brass and fast."
They found a pipe organ.
Sam grabbed one of the pipes. He winced.
Aeron pulled his hand back from the pipe. She handed him something. "Use this."
Sam used what Aeron had given to him and began to pull the pipe off of the organ.
Dean came to them once he found his way through the maze. "Hey."
"Hey! Where is it?"
"I don't know, I mean, shouldn't we see its clothes walking around." A knife flew past Dean pinning his sleeve to the wall. Another pinned his wrist. "Sam!"
Sam pulled the pipe all the way off of the organ. A knife flew past his head. He dodged it. "Dean, where is it?"
A knife flew at Aeron. It caught her leg pinning her to the wall. "Son of a bitch!"
"I don't know!" Dean yelled. Dean looked over at Aeron. "You alright there Ryan."
"Once the son of a bitch is dead I'll be fine." She said trying to use her good arm that had been nicked by a knife earlier to release herself. Today was just not a good day.
Dean reached up and pulled a lever.
Steam poured from the pipe organ giving a vague shape to the invisible attacker.
Dean saw it. "Sam, behind you! Behind you!"
Sam stabbed the pipe behind him without looking. He turned and saw that it was buried into the creature.
Dean freed himself carefully. He went over to Aeron and freed Aeron from her knife that she was having a hard time with.
The three of them looked down seeing only empty clothes and the bloody pipe.
Dean scoffed. "I hate funhouses."
"I have to agree there." Aeron said, shaking her head. "No more carnivals for me."
SNSNSN
Dean, Sam and Aeron are sitting at the bar. Aeron was stitched up thanks to Sam.
Ellen laid three beers in front of them. "You guys did a hell of a job. You boys, your dad would be proud."
"Thanks." Sam said softly.
Jo sat down next to Dean. She gave Sam and Aeron a look.
Sam cleared his throat. "Oh, yeah, um, I've gotta… uh…"
Aeron shook her head. "Come on Sam." Aeron said, getting up slowly to her feet.
Sam wrapped his arm around her middle to keep Aeron from putting too much weight on her leg.
"You know you did good Sam." Aeron said, looking up at him.
Sam looked down at her. "You did good to Aeron."
Aeron chuckled. "Me do good? I am a liability at the moment." She shook her head. "I am glad that you trusted Dean enough to stab that thing."
Sam ran a hand through his hair. "Well…"
"And thank you."
"For what?"
"Stitching me up."
Sam smiled. "You're welcome."
Ash came from the back carrying the folder and his laptop. "Where have you guys been? Been waitin' for ya."
"Really now? You could have called Ash." Aeron said, crossing her arms.
Ash looked at her and shook his head. "Your phone wasn't on Annie."
Aeron rolled her eyes.
"We were working a job, Ash. Clowns?" Sam said, looking at Ash.
"Clowns? What the f…"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence Ash." Aeron said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"You got something for us, Ash?" Dean called from the bar.
Ash sat his laptop down on the bar.
"Did you find the demon?" Sam asked moving towards the bar helping Aeron.
"It's nowhere around. At least, nowhere I can find. But if this fugly bastard raises his head, I'll know. I mean, I'm on it like Divine on dog dookie."
Aeron shook her head laughing lightly.
"What do you mean?" Sam asked in confusion.
"I mean, any of those signs or omens appear, anywhere in the world. My rig will go off. Like a fire alarm."
Dean reached for the laptop.
"Dean no." Aeron said, shaking her head.
Ash gave him a look.
"Do you mind…" Dean pulled his hand back from the keyboard. "Yeah."
"What's up, man?"
"Ash, where did you learn to do all this?" Sam asked, looking at Ash.
"M.I.T. Before I got bounced for… fighting."
"M.I.T?"
"It's a school in Boston."
"Technical school." Aeron replied.
"Okay. Give us a call as soon as you know something?" Dean asked, looking at Ash.
"Si, si, compadre."
"He means it Ash. Call me on my cell." She told him.
"Got it Annie Oakley."
Aeron groaned. "Call me Annie Oakley again I will kick your ass." Aeron moved away from Sam and headed out the door.
Ash laughed lightly. "Now listen to you two. That girl there is like my sister. Take care of her or I will kick your asses if you hurt her."
"We got it Ash." Sam said with a smile.
Dean took another sip of his beer and then sat it down.
Ash picked it up while drinking it.
Sam and Dean headed towards the door.
"Hey listen if you three need a place to stay I've got a couple beds out back." Ellen said, looking at the three of them.
"Thanks, but now. There's something I gotta finish." Dean said, waving at them.
"Okay."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
This is the end of Chapter 2. I hope that you enjoyed it. I am glad that it is all over for this part of the story. I hope that I don't have to write about clowns for a good long while. Please review and let me know what you think. The next chapter will be purely my own. Answers will be given in the next chapter. What do you guys think that Aeron will reveal to Sam and perhaps Dean? I hope to update very soon with that chapter. You will all get to see a side of Aeron that you haven't seen yet in this series. Until next time.