AN: ...Yeah I don't have a good excuse. Except that I love summer because it means I never have to go inside if I don't want to. So I did not. Which means I did not get any writing done. It was amazing though. I went hiking like every day, I went to the lake a lot too. This will probably be my last relaxing summer though, so I can't really regret neglecting this story, but I do feel bad for leaving all of you hanging. Especially because while I was chasing squirrels away from my picnics, you all were being amazingly dedicated readers who surpassed 100 reviews! Thank you so much! Seriously, you guys are the best, it's such a small fandom, but you all are so enthusiastic, I never feel neglected or under-appreciated.
The weather is atrocious here again, so I promise my summer bliss is over. I'll be inside, avoiding the cold and writing like a good girl for the rest of the year. The only new thing I think I haven't mentioned yet is that I've added a general location at the top of each chapter along with the timeline. It won't always say exactly where the Winchester boys and Elena are, it will usually just be whichever location they spend the most time in for that particular chapter. All right, without further ado, enjoy!
Addendum
(n.)
A thing to be added; an addition.
Chapter Ten
Home
aka
There's Nothing Left to Take From Here
Lawrence, Kansas: March-April 2018
Lately, Sam's nightmares have changed. Instead of reliving Jessica's death, or even one of their recent cases, he dreams of a blonde woman trapped in a house, banging on the windows, begging to be let out.
This is the third time Elena has shaken him awake from that particular dream, not that she knows it. She never asks him about his nightmares. She just wakes him up and then takes him on some of the most vigorous cardio of his life. Every time he feels like he's caught up to her, she suddenly switches it up and he realizes she's been holding back this entire time, she can run faster, she can do more difficult terrain. She's ever-adapting and he's not sure if he'll ever catch up.
This time she's still in her sleep clothes, so he knows she can't have been awake for very long, often she's already dressed when she wakes him. She sits down on her and Dean's bed, gesturing for him to get dressed first. In his sleep, Dean moves closer, almost nuzzling his head against Elena's hip.
Sam gives her an amused look at his asleep brother cuddling her. She returns his look with a stern one of her own, jutting her chin out to tell him to get into the bathroom and change. He goes in, almost grinning, knowing he'll pay for it once they start.
By the time Sam exits the bathroom, Dean is practically in Elena's lap, his arms around her waist. Sam stops in his tracks and then snaps a picture with his phone while Elena struggles to untangle herself from Dean's vice-like grip. He chuckles and admires his handiwork.
Eventually she gives up, and, refusing to look at him, bends down to whisper in Dean's ear. She strokes her fingers through his hair and after a moment he sighs in his sleep and lets go of her. Without a word, she gets up and grabs her own running clothes to change into. As she passes Sam, he swears she's blushing, but it's too dark in the room for him to know for sure.
When Elena comes out a few minutes later, Sam is ready to go. She leads him uphill this time, barely slowing her pace against the weight of gravity. Sam finds himself swearing and puffing all the way up. He's so focused on the effort of it all that he barely has time to contemplate his nightmare.
Nearly two hours later, Elena finally relents, leading him to a bench overlooking the river that flows through town.
"Jesus," he wheezes.
She grins. "But you feel better, don't you?"
He starts to laugh but it turns into a cough. "Are you bionic or something?"
She shakes her head. "Nah, I was a cheerleader, builds stamina."
He starts laughing again, a wheezy, creaky laugh. "Dear god, please tell me Dean knows."
She gives him a look, shaking her head. "I'm not stupid."
Sam shakes his head in fond exasperation.
"One of these days the two of you are gonna be the death of me, you know that right?"
She rolls her eyes at him. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
He sighs in exasperation.
"C'mon, Elena, I don't know what your deal is, but it's okay if you have feelings for Dean."
She rolls her eyes and heaves a sigh.
"Okay, just to be clear, I don't, but Sam, my life is incredibly complicated, and I'm not dragging anybody into that."
He gives her a skeptical look.
"Okay, well, yes you do, but, I think Dean can handle complicated. In fact, I think he'd like to, very much."
She gives him a look that's uninterpretable.
"Sam, I'm not having this argument with you."
He blinks in surprise.
"I don't think it matters if Dean and I are friends or there's something more there. I think you just need something else to focus on besides your own problems."
He sits in stunned silence for a moment.
"Whoa." This is more talking than they usually do ever, but definitely this early. He almost regrets bringing it up. Elena does not pull her punches, literally or figuratively.
She shrugs, unrepentant. "It's probably easier to focus on us than the things you can't change, but Sam, you can't change that either. We are what we are, get used to it."
He absorbs her words. He knows in the logical part of his brain that she's going for the jugular as a way to distract him, but that doesn't change the fact that it's stingingly accurate. He has been using them as a way to distract himself from his dad's disappearance and Jessica's death.
"Well, I do think something is there, and I can't figure out why you won't admit it, but I am sorry for pushing you both on it. I guess I just want you to be happy, both of you."
Elena shrugs. "I am happy."
Sam studies her, not quite believing it, but unwilling to call her on it. "Is Dean?"
She shrugs again. "That's not up to me to determine."
Seeing that he isn't going to get anywhere with it, he changes the subject.
"Can I tell you about my dream?"
She gives him a surprised look. He never talks about his nightmares. After a moment, she nods.
Slowly, he starts to talk. The oddly specific details, the screaming woman, the way the house seems so familiar, so sharply in focus when most dreams are out of focus.
Elena listens without interrupting, and somehow it makes Sam feel closer to her. He remembers his first assessment of her, and recognizes its truth. She's full of the kind of empathy that makes you want to spill all your secrets.
He just tells her about his dream, for now.
When he's finished she studies him for a moment.
"I think you should tell Dean."
He gives her a look. "What do you think he's going to say? He's never going to take me seriously."
Elena returns his look with one of her own. "It doesn't matter, you're having this dream for a reason, and I think he needs to know."
Sam shakes his head, but he smiles. "You're a great future sister-in-law."
She rolls her eyes. "Get fucked, Sam."
He laughs. Despite her not completely underserved attack against him earlier, he's having a good time. It's a relief to talk to someone about his nightmares. He can feel the guilt swelling up inside of him. He's started a journal entry on her like she's one of the monsters in his dad's journal.
He feels bad; but as much as she might accuse him of using her unresolved relationship with Dean and the shroud of uncertainty surrounding her and her background, he knows he's not going to stop. Sam knows a mystery when he's living with her.
"All right, I've been cruising some websites. Think I found a few candidates for our next gig."
Sam is drawing nearly obsessively as Dean speaks. Elena is still in the bathroom, so Dean takes some time to enjoy his coffee before he starts in on his list.
Sam flips through the hotel notepad, drawing after drawing of the same tree. He can't quite explain why it's the tree that gets to him.
Elena, having just come out of the bathroom, looking freshly washed, leans over Sam's shoulder to look at his drawing.
Oblivious, Dean starts listing potential cases. "A fishing trawler found off the coast of Cali, its crew vanished. And we got some cattle mutilation in West Texas..." Seeing that Sam and Elena aren't paying attention to him, he trails off.
"Nice style, your lines are very bold and decisive." Elena says. Sam flicks an eyebrow at her, clearly she's paid attention to Jeremy's interests. She continues. "Does it have any specific meaning?"
He gives her a look, knowing exactly what she's doing.
"Hey," Dean says, waving his hand at them, annoyed. They both turn to look at him. "Am I boring you with this hunting evil stuff?"
Elena rolls her eyes. "No, not at all, Dean." She doesn't even pretend that her tone isn't pacifying. She looks at Sam meaningfully.
He rolls his eyes, but nods. Her not-so-subtle nudge works though, he takes a deep breath. He flips back to his first drawing.
"I've seen this," he says.
It's Elena's turn to roll her eyes. "Because that's not at all cryptic, Sam."
Dean snorts and nods in agreement. "Seen what?"
Sam ignores both of them, getting up to go grab John's journal out of his bag.
"What are you doing?" Dean asks.
He finds the picture he's looking for, then hands it and his drawing over to Elena.
"Oh," she says.
"Dean, I know where we have to go next."
"Where?"
Sam takes a breath. "Back home. Back to Kansas."
Dean stares at him. "Okay, random. Where'd that come from?"
Sam looks back at Elena, almost desperately. She shakes her head, refusing his silent request for her to explain it to Dean. She holds out the photo and his drawing for him. He sighs, takes them and brings them over to Dean.
"All right, this photo was taken in front of our old house, right?" Sam sits down across from Dean. "The house where mom died?"
Dean's attention is on the photograph, so he doesn't see Elena get up from her place on the bed. Sam sees the way he relaxes imperceptibly when she puts her hand on his shoulder, resting her hip against his chair.
"Yeah," Dean says finally.
"It didn't burn down completely. They rebuilt it, right?"
Dean leans into Elena's touch.
"I guess so, yeah. What the hell are you talking about?"
Sam sighs. "Okay, look, this is gonna sound crazy, but the people who live in our old house…" He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out for a moment. It takes a concentrated effort to make himself speak, like he has to manually force his vocal chords into motion. "I think they might be in danger."
"Why would you think that?"
Sam looks up at Elena almost beseechingly. She gives him a steadying look, but doesn't speak.
"You just gotta trust me on this, okay?" Sam's already up and across the room, too afraid to look his brother in the eye.
Dean looks at him incredulously. He moves to stand too, putting his hand on Elena's waist, guiding her backwards and out of his way so he can follow Sam.
"Hey, whoa, trust you?"
Sam nods fervently. "Yeah." He's already repacking his bag.
"C'mon man, that's weak. You gotta give me a little bit more than that."
Sam shakes his head. "I can't really explain it, is all."
"Well, tough. I'm not going anywhere until you do."
Elena speaks up finally. "Sam, just tell him."
Dean looks over at her. "You know what this is about?"
She nods. "He told me this morning, after our run." Dean gives her an annoyed look. "He thinks you won't believe him," she adds, preempting his complaints.
Dean considers this. "Do you believe him?"
"Yes, I do," she says firmly.
Dean nods then turns to Sam. "All right, lay it on me, I promise I'll listen to what you have to say."
Sam heaves a deep sigh, dreading his brother's reaction, but he nods anyway.
"I have these nightmares."
When Sam doesn't immediately continue, Dean replies. "I've noticed." He tries not to sound too dry.
Sam continues, reluctantly. "And sometimes, they come true."
Dean stares at him. "Come again?"
Sam heaves another breath. He hasn't told this part to Elena, he'd mostly just focused on his dream of their childhood home, anything to avoid the truth.
"Look, Dean…I dreamt about Jessica's death for days before it happened."
Dean looks taken aback. Elena looks solemn.
"Some people have weird dreams, man," Dean says, instantly reaching for denial. He walks over to sit down on the bed. "I'm sure it's just a coincidence."
Elena follows him, sitting so close that their thighs are touching.
Sam shakes his head vehemently.
"No, I dreamt about the blood dripping, her on the ceiling, the fire, everything. I didn't do anything about it 'cause I didn't believe it." He inhales harshly, speaking faster and faster. "Now I'm dreaming about that tree, our house, and about some woman inside screaming for help. I mean, that's where it all started. This has to mean something."
Elena speaks suddenly and sharply, recognizing that Sam is about to work himself up to a panic attack. "Sam, sit down, take a breath."
He complies, sitting down on the bed opposite them.
Elena reaches out, taking his hand.
"Take another breath, and another one after that, don't think about anything else, just focus on your breathing."
He does just that, slowly regaining control over his emotions.
When he's calm again, Dean speaks.
"Sam, I think you should let go of Elena's hand." He doesn't sound upset, but he does sound unusually firm, and that catches Sam's attention.
He looks down and sees Elena's hand is white. He lets go quickly.
"I'm so sorry, Elena."
She shakes her head. "It's fine, Sam." Her tone is firm.
Dean takes her hand in both of his, gently looking it over. It's shaking a little, but she doesn't seem to be in pain so he relaxes. He doesn't let go of her hand, keeps it in both of his, stroking her palm gently with his thumb.
"This woman might be in danger," Sam says finally, trying to keep his emotions in check as he returns to the original topic. "This might even be the thing that killed Mom and Jessica."
Dean gives Sam a look like a caged animal. If he didn't have Elena's hand in his at this moment, he'd probably be up and across the room, and Sam knows it.
"Just slow down, would you?" Dean asks between clenched teeth. "I mean, first you're telling me that you've got the Shining, and then you tell me that I've got to go back home…Especially when…"
"When what?" Sam prompts him when Dean doesn't continue.
"When I swore to myself that I would never go back there."
Elena leans against him, dropping her chin onto his shoulder. Dean lets go of her hand with one of his to wrap around her back.
Sam looks at them, sighs heavily. "Look, Dean, we have to check this out." He stands up, readying himself to finish packing. "Just to make sure."
Dean looks up at him.
"I know we do."
"You know what I can't believe?" Dean asks meditatively.
Sam looks over at him from the driver's seat. They only just passed the sign for the exit to Lawrence, and Sam can't imagine what's on his brother's mind right now.
"What?"
Dean meets Elena's eyes in the rearview mirror.
"Elena hasn't made a single 'there's no place home' joke and it's been nearly three hours since we crossed the Kansas border."
Sam laughs.
Elena cocks her head to the side. "I didn't know I was allowed," she says honestly. "I'll get right on that, Dorothy," she adds seriously.
Dean joins Sam in his laughter.
"Wait, why does he get to be Dorothy?" Sam complains.
Elena raises an eyebrow at him. "He's the older brother, Toto."
Dean laughs so hard Sam almost wants to make him pull over.
"Ouch," Sam says, but he can't even pretend to be serious, he's laughing too hard.
He knows that as bitingly funny as Elena can be, their laughter is bordering on hysterical. The stress of going home for the first time in over twenty years is just fully hitting them.
"What does that make you?" Sam manages to choke out between guffaws.
Elena barely has time to consider this before Dean answers for her.
"That's easy, she's the Scarecrow."
Sam is already grinning, he gets what Dean means instantly, but Elena doesn't.
Her jaw drops in incredulity. "Ouch, Dean, ouch! I have a brain."
Dean shakes his head. "Of course you do, but the Scarecrow is the one Dorothy says she'll miss most of all, Gilbert. You're my Scarecrow."
Elena grins at him, clearly touched.
Sam can't help it, he tips his head all the way back and snorts. "You guys are disgusting."
Without a word, as one, Dean reaches out to hit him in the stomach at the same time Elena drops her hand down onto his face. The double attack makes him jump and hit his head on the roof of the car.
"Oh screw you both." Sam groans, rubbing his sore head.
They just cackle at him.
By the time they pull up in front of the house they've all calmed down. Sam has no memory of this place, just an awareness of what exactly it means to their family. Dean, on the other hand, spent nearly five years of his life in that house, the first five years.
"You gonna be all right, man?" Sam asks tentatively.
Dean turns off the car. "Let me get back to you on that."
Elena leans over the front seat to wrap her arms around Dean's shoulders, pressing their cheeks together. He wraps his hand around one of her wrists.
"I mean this from the bottom of my heart," Elena says quietly. "Better you than me."
Dean laughs roughly.
"I am so serious. I'm so glad I don't have to go home."
Sam shakes his head. "You just jinxed yourself, you do realize that?"
Elena considers this and then sighs. "Fuck."
Dean reaches a hand back to tug on her ponytail affectionately.
Sam coughs conspicuously. "Playground losers."
They both turn to glare at him.
"Get out of the car, Toto," Dean says seriously.
Elena nods. "C'mon, boy."
Sam groans and rolls his eyes. He gets out of the car.
Dean knocks on the door.
A blonde woman answers the door. "Yes?"
Elena nudges Sam to get his attention. He simply nods in reply to the inquisitive look she gives him. It is the woman from his nightmare.
Dean starts on one of his usual spiels. "Sorry to bother you, ma'am, but we're with the federal –" Sam cuts him off.
"I'm Sam Winchester, and this my brother, Dean, and his girlfriend, Elena. Dean and I used to live here."
Dean gives him an incredulous look, but Elena nods along.
She chimes in. "We were just driving by, and I was hoping I could see where Sam and Dean grew up, I practically forced them to the front door."
The blonde nods. "Winchester, that is so funny." She addresses the brothers "You know, I think I found some of your photos the other night."
"You did?" Dean asks, taken aback.
She looks between them, then steps back out of the doorway to allow them in.
"I'm Jenny. Please, come on in."
Elena looks like she wants to say something in reply, almost like she wants to protest, but instead she bites her tongue and follows them in.
Without looking, Dean reaches back and Elena doesn't hesitate to take his hand. He squeezes her hand gratefully.
They follow Jenny into the open living room-kitchen area. There's a girl sitting at the kitchen table doing her homework, and a little boy in a playpen jumping up and down chanting "juice".
Elena flashes him Dean an amused look, hoping some levity will bring him back from whatever memories he's trapped in.
"That's Richie. He's kind of a juice junkie." Jenny opens the child safety lock on the fridge in order to grab the much-anticipated juice. "But hey, at least he won't get scurvy."
Elena laughs in genuine appreciation.
The second he has his juice, Richie settles down.
She addresses the little girl. "Sari, these are Sam, Dean, and Elena."
The three of them wave at the little girl.
"Sam and Dean used to live here."
"Hi," Sari says somewhat shyly.
"Hey Sari," Sam says.
"So you just moved in?" Dean asks Jenny.
Sam can see that he has a firm hold on Elena's hand.
Jenny nods. "Yeah, from Wichita."
"You got family here, or?"
She shakes her head. "No, I just…needed a fresh start, that's all." She smiles bravely.
"So, new town, new job – I mean, as soon as I find one – new house."
They nod in understanding despite her vagueness. If anyone could understand why she might need a new start for any particular reason in the world, it would be the three people standing in her new kitchen.
"So how are you liking it so far?" Sam asks.
Jenny hesitates. "Well, all due respect to your childhood home – I mean, I'm sure you have lots of happy memories here –"
Almost simultaneously Sam and Dean look away. Elena squeezes Dean's hand comfortingly.
Jenny continues on, oblivious. "But this place has its issues."
Sam looks back to her. Dean still has his gaze fixed on the sloping lines of Elena's neck, her ponytail spilling over her shoulder and down her neck. His attention is on Jenny, though.
"What do you mean?" Sam asks.
"Well it's just getting old, like the wiring, you know? We've got flickering lights almost hourly."
Dean's gaze snaps over to Jenny.
"That's too bad." He tries to sound calm. "What else?"
Jenny takes a moment to think. "The sink's backed up. There's rats in the basement."
Elena shudders delicately.
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to complain." Jenny looks somewhat abashed.
Dean shakes his head reassuringly. "No," he says like it's no big deal. "Have you seen the rats or have you just heard scratching?" There is no casual way to ask this question, but Dean does a hell of a job of it.
Despite how unusual it is, Jenny considers the question.
"Just the scratching, actually," she says, realizing it even as she speaks.
"Mom?" Sari asks, interrupting them.
Jenny goes over to kneel down next to her daughter, giving Dean, Sam, and Elena a chance to exchange looks.
"Ask them if it was here when they lived here."
Jenny turns to look at them almost reluctantly.
Sam jumps in before Jenny can brush off her daughter's question. "What, Sari?" he asks.
She looks up at them with wide eyes. "The thing in my closet," she says with little-kid matter-of-factness.
Jenny replies right away, rushing to reassure her daughter. "Oh no, baby, there was nothing in their closets." She turns back to them. "Right?"
They both nod accordingly.
"Right, no, of course not," Sam says.
"She had a nightmare the other night," Jenny explains.
Sari protests right away. "I wasn't dreaming," she says insistently.
Her next words steal their collective breaths away.
"It came into my bedroom and it was on fire."
"You hear that, a figure on fire?" Sam can feel that he's getting worked up again, but it's hard not to.
They're leaving the house now.
"And that woman, Jenny, that was the woman in your dreams?" Dean asks.
Sam nods fervently. "Yeah, and did you hear what she was talking about? Scratching, flickering lights?"
Elena sighs heavily and follows Sam's train of thought to its inevitable conclusion. "Both signs of a malevolent spirit."
Sam nods frantically. "Exactly."
Dean still has a tight grasp on Elena's hand, but he looks deeply unhappy.
"Yeah, well, I'm just freaked out your weirdo visions are coming true," he admits.
Sam shakes his head. "Well forget about that for a minute – the thing in the house, do you think it's the thing that killed mom and Jessica?"
Dean waves him off. "I don't know."
His tone is harsh, but that doesn't stop Sam from barreling on.
"Well has it come back or has it been there this whole time?"
Dean finally stops and turns to look at him.
"Or maybe it's something else entirely, Sam, we don't know yet."
Sam continues on like he hasn't spoken. "Those people are in danger. We have to get them out of that house."
Elena interrupts them. "Stop," she says sharply.
They both turn to look at her.
"You both need to calm down, especially you, Sam." She gives him a meaningful look, reminding him of his almost panic attack.
He forces himself to take a breath, knowing she's right.
Elena turns to Dean. "Sam's nightmares are a problem for another time, so far we have no proof that they're inherently harmful to him, beyond taking a toll on his mental state. Jenny and her children are more than likely in real, physical danger."
Dean nods reluctantly.
"We need to get them out now," Sam says, trying to speak calmly.
Elena shakes her head. "It's not that simple and you know it, Sam."
Dean nods grimly. When Sam opens his mouth to protest, he interrupts.
"You got a story she's gonna believe?"
"Then what are we supposed to do?"
"We're going to get gas."
They both turn to look at Elena. She shrugs.
"Tank's almost on empty. It'll give us something to do."
Dean smiles at her. "Always gotta be the smartest person in the room, don't you?"
She gives him a cheeky grin.
"It's not like you guys make it hard."
Despite everything, Sam laughs.
"We just gotta chill out, that's all." At the gas station, Dean seems to have found his cool again. "You know, if this was any other job, what would we do?"
Sam exhales sharply, trying to play along. "We'd try to figure out what we're dealing with. We'd dig into the history of the house."
Elena nods. "Exactly."
"Except this time we already know what happened." Dean's tone is short, the general situation itself is taking a toll on all of them.
"Yeah, but how much do we know?" Sam asks. "How much do you remember?"
Dean looks at him. "About that night, you mean?"
Sam nods. "Yeah."
Dean looks away, shakes his head. "Not much. I remember the fire…the heat." It takes Dean a long time to continue. "Then I carried you out the front door."
Sam looks over at him, startled. He's never heard that detail before. Elena is on his other side, leaning against his arm and looking up at him like she wants to put her arms around him again.
"You did?"
Dean looks over at him, surprised. "Yeah, well, you never knew that?"
"No," Sam says simply, words failing him.
"And, uh, well you know Dad's story as well as I do – Mom was…was on the ceiling, and whatever put her there was long gone by the time Dad found her."
Elena leans her head against Dean's shoulder when he finishes, looking up at him with her impossibly big eyes. He can't quite bring himself to smile at her, but he wraps an arm around her shoulders, squeezing her tight against his side. She wraps one arm around his back, keeping herself in place.
Sam takes a deep breath. "And he never had a theory about what did it?"
Dean clears his throat. "If he did, he kept it to himself. God knows we asked him enough times."
Sam shakes his head imperceptibly. "Okay. So, if we're gonna figure out what's going on now, we have to figure out what happened back then." He looks over at Dean. "And see if it's the same thing."
"Yeah," Dean says shortly. "Talk to Dad's friends, neighbors, people who were there at the time."
Sam snorts softly. "Does this feel like just another job to you?" He looks over at his brother.
Dean doesn't answer. "I'll be right back," he says abruptly. "I gotta go to the bathroom," he mutters, tacking on an excuse hastily.
He rubs his thumb across Elena's cheek in silent gratitude before he releases his hold on her, moving quickly before Sam can ask him any more questions.
Dean makes his way to the side of the gas station where the bathroom is, but he walks right passed it, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
He dials the number, then glances over his shoulder once, making sure neither of them have followed him.
"This is John Winchester, if this is an emergency, call my son Dean…" It's the same message they always get any time one of them tries to call.
Dean waits for the beep.
"Dad? I know I've left you messages before." Dean shakes his head "I don't even know if you get 'em." He clears his throat. "But I'm with Sam and Elena…" He looks over his shoulder again, almost instinctively. "And we're in Lawrence, and there's something in our old house." He pauses.
"I don't know if it's the thing that killed Mom or not, but…" He inhales sharply. "I don't know what to do. So, whatever you're doing, if you could get here…please." He looks up, vainly trying to prevent any tears from falling. "I need your help, Dad."
He ends the call quickly. When he turns around, Elena is waiting for him.
Before he can speak she shakes her head.
"I just got here, I didn't hear anything, I promise."
He nods, trying not to show how relieved he is.
She cocks her head to the side.
"Obviously I am the last person in the world who's going to try to make you talk to me."
He gives her a look. She rolls her eyes in return.
"I know, that's what I'm saying. I don't have the right to try to make you talk, just, if you want to, I'm not gonna tell anyone."
He studies her for a moment, then asks the question that's always on the tip of his tongue.
"Do you ever want to?"
She cocks her head to the side inquisitively.
"Do you ever want to tell me about it?"
She laughs incredulously, then nods fervently.
"All of the time. Sometimes it's so bad I can't even let myself speak because it feels like everything is just going to spill out of me and I will never stop telling you all the things that I can't say."
Her confession takes him aback for a moment. When he composes himself he asks her another question. "Why don't you?"
She shakes her head. "It wouldn't be fair."
When it becomes clear that she's not going to elaborate further, Dean walks over to her and scoops her up into a hug. He buries his face into her ponytail. She doesn't hesitate to wrap her arms around him.
"Dean?" Her voice is muffled by his shoulder.
"Yeah, Elena?"
"I meant it, I'm really glad I don't have to go home."
He laughs dryly.
"And I'm so sorry that you did."
He squeezes her tightly, too overwhelmed to reply.
She raises one of her hands to the nape of his neck, brushing her fingers through the short bristles there.
He shivers, tells himself he's going to let go of her in another minute.
"You and John Winchester, you used to own this garage together?"
Somewhere between Dean finally letting go of Elena and them driving over to his dad's old garaged, she made the decision that she's taking point on the case, and neither brother can exactly complain.
"Yeah, we used to, a long time ago." He considers this. "Matter of fact, must be twenty years since John disappeared."
He eyes Elena's two silent companions.
"So why are the cops interested all of a sudden?"
Elena shifts, recapturing his attention. She flashes him a smile, meant for disarming, and it does its job perfectly.
"We're reopening some of our unsolved cases, and the Winchester disappearance is one of them."
The mechanic nods. "What do you want to know about John?"
"Whatever you remember, whatever sticks out in your mind."
He takes a deep breath, considering her question.
"Well…he was a stubborn bastard. I remember that. And whatever the game, he hated to lose, you know?" He looks at them. "It was that whole Marine thing."
Sam and Dean exchange a look, but Elena keeps her attention on the old mechanic.
"But, well, he sure loved Mary, and he doted on those kids."
Elena doesn't even look back, just blindly shoves her hand backwards, finds Dean's searching fingers right away. She clasps his hand in hers. She doesn't let anything show on her face, especially not the way she can feel the way his hand trembles in hers.
Sam speaks up, finally breaking his silence. "But that was before the fire."
He nods. "That's right."
"Did he ever talk about that night?" Elena asks.
He shakes his head. "No, not at first. I think he was in shock."
Elena nods, compassion etched onto her perfect features.
"Right, not at first, but eventually – what did he say about it?"
He shakes his head dismissively.
"Oh, he wasn't thinking straight. He said…" He pauses. "He said something caused that fire and killed Mary."
Dean still has his hand tightly latched in Elena's. He speaks for the first time since their introductions.
"He ever say what did it?"
Elena side-eyes him.
"What my partner means to say is, what did he think did it?"
It's a small distinction, but Sam knows it's an important one. It's the difference between personal feelings coloring a narrative and having all the facts on a case their working on. Dean knows it too, and he squeezes Elena's hand gratefully.
The mechanic still doesn't look too comfortable with the question.
"Nothing that made sense," he says firmly. "I begged him to get some help, but…"
Elena raises a questioning eyebrow, silently encouraging him to finish his thought.
"It just got worse and worse."
"How?" All three of them ask at the same time. Elena gives them both a look.
"He started reading these strange old books. He started going to this palm reader in town."
"Palm reader? Do you have a name?" Elena asks.
Sam and Dean try not to look over-eager.
He looks at them in disbelief, he scoffs.
"No."
Elena raises an eyebrow, giving him a stern look.
"Anything could be a lead."
He looks appropriately quailed by her tame scolding. Sam has seen Elena decimate men with nothing but a look, he can't help but feel like his dad's old partner has gotten off easy with nothing but some chastising words.
"Forgive me for my tone, I don't put much stock in the superstitious, but you're right. John might've told her some stuff. I really don't know the name, though."
Elena nods. The smile she gives him is just this side of saccharine.
"Thank you for your time."
Sam is on his phone, scrolling through local listings.
"So there are a few psychics and palm readers in town. There's someone named El Divino. There's…" He pauses, reads the name again and chuckles a little. "The Mysterious Mr. Fortinsky." He makes a face at Dean and Elena, then goes back to reading. "Uh, Missouri Moseley, some dude—"
Dean interrupts him. "Wait, Missouri Moseley?"
Sam looks over at him. "What?"
"That's a psychic?"
Sam scrolls back up. "Yeah, I guess so."
Without saying anything, Dean goes to the trunk to grab John's journal.
"Dean?" Elena asks.
He doesn't respond right away, just flips it open.
"Come here, look at this," he says finally, once he's found what he's looking for. "First page, first sentence, read that."
Sam takes it from him, reads it out loud.
"'I went to Missouri and I learned the truth.'"
Dean shakes his head. "I always thought he meant the state."
Waiting in Missouri Moseley's sitting room, they're all a little jittery. When Elena gets up to pace, Sam and Dean exchange a look.
"You all right there, 'Lena?" Dean asks.
She stops in front of him, makes a face, but shakes her head.
"I don't really like psychics."
Her confession takes them both by surprise.
"Well, why not?" Sam asks.
Elena sighs, but sits down in the chair across from Dean. The waiting room is so small that their knees almost touch. Dean takes advantage of this, leaning forward to press their knees together.
"You remember my witch friend?" They both nod. "Well, when Bonnie and I were 17, we did something stupid."
"Sounds like typical teenage behavior." Elena gives Dean a scolding look, clearly not appreciating his attempt to lighten the mood, for once.
"The two of us and our other friend, Caroline – of the "be prepared" fame – we had a séance."
Sam's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.
"All right, extra stupid. Horror movie stupid, in fact," Dean says.
Elena nods. "Yeah, especially because it worked and Bonnie got possessed by her witch ancestor, Emily."
"Well, fuck." Dean's reply is succinct but accurate.
Elena nods again. "My sentiments exactly. Anyway, it all worked out eventually, but ever since, I haven't exactly been fond of all the psychic, other side, contacting the dead shit."
Sam snorts and nods. "Makes sense."
Dean reaches out and takes her hand, squeezing her fingers.
"Well if she says anything about a séance we'll book it, okay?"
Elena rolls her eyes at his teasing but she nods gratefully.
Before any of them can say anything else, Missouri and her last client come out of her offices.
"All right, then. Don't you worry about a thing." Missouri smiles reassuringly at the man. "Your wife is crazy about you."
The man thanks her as he exits the door. Once the door is securely shut behind him, she turns to the three of them, shaking her head.
"Poor bastard, his woman is cold-banging the gardener." She says this with a matter-of-fact tone and a brief chuckle.
"Why didn't you tell him?" Dean asks.
She gives him a look over her shoulder.
"People don't come here for the truth. They come for good news."
They all stare at her.
"Well? Sam and Dean, come on already. I ain't got all day." She looks hard at Elena. "Relax, Elena, I'm not gonna go fucking around with Emily Bennett, especially not with you in the room, lord knows who would come out to play instead." She shakes her head. "You girls, you're all too beautiful for anyone's good, you know that. All the beauty in the world attracts all the sorrows in the world too."
Elena stares at her, wide-eyed.
"'You girls'?" Dean asks.
Missouri shakes her head. "Nuh-uh, Dean Winchester, that little girl will tell you when she tells you."
Elena giggles a little until Missouri fixes her with another look.
"You? Tell him, soon."
This shuts her up immediately. Hesitantly, the three of them follow her into the next room. Without thinking, Elena tucks herself behind Dean again.
Missouri gives her a look, but doesn't say a word about it. "Well, let me look at you." Hands on her hips, she surveys the brothers. "Well, you boys grew up handsome." She points at Dean. "And you were one goofy-looking kid, too."
Elena giggles into Dean's shoulder. Missouri shakes her finger at her.
"Hush now, Miss Beautiful, we can't all be born perfect."
Elena bites her lower lip to stifle her giggles. Dean rolls his eyes and reaches back to pinch her hip. She jumps but grins at him unabashed when he looks back at her.
Missouri shakes her head in fond exasperation, sharing a conspiring look with Sam.
"Those two flirts must be driving you crazy."
Dean and Elena stop in their tracks and stare at her incredulously. Sam laughs out loud.
"We are not—" They both start but she gives them a look and they both fall silent.
She nods her head. "Uh-huh, that's what I thought." She turns attention back to Sam. "Sam." She takes his hand, giving him a look of sympathy. "Oh honey. I'm sorry about your girlfriend."
He stares back at her in astonishment, but she simply continues.
"And your father…" She glances over at Dean. "He's missing?"
"How'd you know all that?" Sam asks.
"Well, you were just thinking it, just now," she replies like it's the most logical thing in the world.
Elena barely shifts her weight from one foot to the other, but it's enough for Dean to know she's uneasy. He can't say he disagrees.
"Well, where is he? Is he okay?" Dean asks.
Missouri shakes her head. "I don't know."
Dean stares back at her, incredulous. "'Don't know'? You're supposed to be psychic, right?"
Elena immediately hits him in the back of the shoulder. He turns to glare at her, but she just glares right back at him, unflinching.
"Don't be rude."
Missouri gives her an appreciative look. "Thank you, sweet girl." She gives Dean a look that quiets him. "You need to take a page from your girl's book, Dean. Your manners are appalling. As for your question, well, boy, you see me sawing some bony tramp in half? You think I'm a magician?"
Dean shakes his head, but she barrels on before he can speak. "I may be able to read thoughts and sense energies in a room, but I can't just pull facts out of thin air."
Sam can't help but smirk at his brother, thoroughly enjoying his dressing down.
"Sit!" she orders, then adds more politely, "please."
Sam does with confident ease. Elena and Dean exchange a few looks before he finally sighs and sits down next to Sam.
Missouri gives Sam an amused look.
"Oh that must get real old."
He considers this. "Actually I find it kinda fascinating?"
She laughs. "That makes one of us. I already wanna strangle 'em both."
He grins but shakes his head. "Oh, trust me, I definitely those moments, just not about that."
She nods in understanding.
Glancing between them warily, Dean clears his throat. With one more silent exchange between him and Elena, he turns his attention back to Missouri.
"Excuse my earlier behavior, I guess I don't really know what you do, and it was unfair of me to make assumptions."
Missouri laughs in amazement, looking over at Elena.
"Oh honey, you already got him that whipped?" She shakes her head in amusement.
Elena looks a little confused, which Sam finds hilarious.
Dean clears his throat again. "No, she just made a good point that's all."
Missouri looks at him, clearly enjoying his discomfort.
"Oh? What point was that? I don't think I heard her say a thing."
He blinks. "Uh, well, I can't exactly expect you to be helpful if I'm being belligerent, now can I?"
She nods. "That is a good point, thanks for saying it out loud." She looks at Elena. "And thank you, sweet girl, for reminding him that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar."
Elena stares, then catches herself, looking down at her hands. "My mom used to say that, but I was just thinking that when Dean shoved his foot in his mouth again."
Missouri nods in sympathy. "A true Southern lady, I see where you get all your sweetness from."
Elena just smiles sadly, so Missouri moves on.
"You boys are here to ask me about your daddy."
Sam nods, leaning forward eagerly.
"When did you first meet him?"
"He came for a reading a few days after the fire." She pauses. "I just told him what was really out there in the dark. I guess you could say, I drew back the curtains for him."
"What about the fire?" Dean asks. He stumbles over his next question. "Do you know about what killed our mom?"
"A little," she replies. "Your daddy took me to your house. He was hoping I could sense the echoes, the fingerprints of this thing."
"And could you?" This time it's Sam that asks.
She has a look on her face that is indescribably dark. "I don't…" she shakes her head.
"What was it?" Sam asks directly.
"I don't know." She shakes her head again. "But it was evil."
The three of them exchange looks. It's a very real possibility she might have felt the thing that was currently haunting their old house. It's only matter of bringing up the topic.
Missouri doesn't miss a thing. "So which one of you wants to explain to me why you're really here?"
An amused glance between Dean and Elena and then he's clearing his throat to explain. Eventually he nudges Sam into the conversation too. Missouri listens patiently, getting up to pace a little.
"So, you think something's back in that house?"
Sam nods. "Definitely."
She sighs and sits back down. "I don't understand."
"What?" Sam asks.
"I haven't been back inside, but I've been keeping an eye on the place, and it's been quiet. No sudden deaths, no freak accidents. Why is it acting up now?"
Sam shakes his head. "I don't know. But Dad going missing, and Jessica dying, and now this house – all happening at once – it just feels like something's starting."
Dean sighs heavily. "That's a comforting thought."
Without a word, Elena reaches out and takes his hand.
When Jenny answers the door, she's out of breath, holding Richie in her arms.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?"
Sam clears his throat. "Hey Jenny, this is our friend Missouri."
Dean chimes in. "If it's not too much trouble, we were hoping to show her the house, for old time's sake."
Jenny gives them a strained smile.
"You know, this isn't a good time. I'm kind of busy."
Elena cocks her head to the side, studying her.
"Jenny, are you all right? You seem spooked."
The concern in her voice is enough to make Jenny burst into tears, surprising all of them. She can barely speak through her tears but Elena manages to catch the words "fridge" and "Richie" amongst all of the sobbing. Then, miracles of miracles, she's opening the door and gesturing them in.
Elena goes in first, Sam at her heels. Missouri smirks at Dean.
"You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, boy," she says, reminding him of her exchange with Elena earlier. She goes in and he follows behind her, shaking his head fondly at Elena's prodigious way with people.
Twenty minutes later they're all seated at the kitchen table, steaming mugs of tea in front of them. With Richie still in her arms, Jenny has recounted the fridge incident and, with a bit of coaxing from Elena, the incident with the plumber.
"I don't know how any of this happened, but I'm scared. It scares me."
Elena takes her hand, and Jenny clutches hers like a lifeline. Elena glances back at Dean over her shoulder. Sam and Missouri exchange an amused look at their silent communication.
Elena turns to Jenny again, clearing her throat before she speaks.
"Jenny, there are some things you should know about this house, about what happened to Dean and Sam's family here."
"If there's a dark energy around here, this room should be the center of it." Missouri leads the boys into the room with confidence.
"Why?" Sam asks.
The answer makes Dean wish Elena hadn't elected to stay downstairs with Jenny, comforting the distraught woman.
"This used to be your nursery, Sam. This is where it all happened."
Trying to ignore his discomfort, Dean turns on his EMF reader.
"That an EMF?" Missouri asks from across the room.
"Yeah," he replies.
"Amateur."
He gives her a look. "You know, you're about as vinegary as they come."
She returns his look, unafraid.
"Boy, don't you go getting sassy with me just because that sweet girl isn't here to keep you in line."
Dean gives her an outraged look, and it's enough to make Sam huff out a laugh, despite the circumstances.
Missouri continues her perusal of the room.
"I don't know if you boys should be disappointed or relieved but, this ain't the thing that took your mom."
They both stare at her in disbelief.
"Are you sure?" Sam asks after a moment.
She nods.
"How do you know?" is his follow up question.
"It isn't the same energy I felt the last time I was here. It's something different."
"What is it?" Dean asks, speaking at last.
She opens the walk-in closet.
"Not 'it', 'them'." She goes into the closet. "There's more than one spirit in this place."
Dean glances sideways. "What are they doing here?" he asks, sounding almost cautious.
She comes out of the closet, moving stand directly in front of the brothers.
"They're here because of what happened to your family."
Sam feels his stomach drop.
"You see, all those years ago, real evil came to you." She looks at them imploringly, trying to make them understand. "It walked this house. That kind of evil leaves wounds, and sometimes wounds get infected."
Sam finds himself shaking his head. "I don't understand."
She sighs, tries again.
"This place is a magnet for paranormal energy." She looks away, distracted by something neither of them can see. "It's attracted a poltergeist." She shakes her head. "A nasty one – and it won't rest until Jenny and her babies are dead."
"Well we'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen."
Sam is startled by Elena's voice. She must've slipped in at some point during Missouri's explanation. She's standing just behind Dean, her chin fitted comfortably on his shoulder. If Sam shifts his weight back just a little, he can see their clasped hands.
Missouri nods in determined agreement with Elena's statement.
"Yes we will, sweet girl, yes we will."
Dean and Sam both nod grimly.
"You said there was more than one spirit?" Sam asks.
Missouri nods briskly. "There is." She moves back towards the closet. "I just can't quite make out the second one." She sounds mystified.
Dean clears his throat, leaning back into Elena just a bit. "Well, one thing's for damn sure; nobody's dying in this house, ever again."
Elena lifts her head up from his shoulder to look at his determined face.
He turns to face Missouri as she crosses the floor, and without thought, Elena moves with him.
"So whatever is here, how do we stop it?"
"So what is all this stuff, anyway?" Dean asks, his attention on the assembly of the ingredients in front of him. He barely resists the urge to toss a handful of herbs at Elena sitting across the table from him. She gives him a look like she knows exactly what he's thinking and he just grins back at her, causing her to roll her eyes.
Missouri answers, "Angelica root, van-van oil, crossroad dirt, a few other odds and ends." She turns away from the duo at the table.
"What are we supposed to do with it?" Elena asks.
"We're gonna put them inside the walls. In the north, south, east, west corners on each floor of the house," she explains as she comes to sit down beside Elena.
"Punching holes in the drywall, Jenny's gonna love that," Dean mutters.
Missouri glances up at him. "She'll live," she says dryly.
"And this will destroy the spirits?" Sam asks.
Elena tosses a pieces of string at him, silently scolding him for not helping. Sam throws it back at her, where it instantly settles in the mass of her hair. Without missing a beat, Dean reaches over, plucks it off of her head, and uses it to tie his bag.
Missouri rolls her eyes at their antics and nods her head. "It should. It should purify the house completely."
The three younger hunters are giving her their full attention, their shenanigans abandoned for the moment.
"We'll each take a floor, but we work fast."
His attention drifting, Dean sticks out his tongue to taste the herbs in his hand. He quickly withdraws it at the bitter taste. Elena is watching him like he's the most fascinating thing she's ever seen in her life. She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth to keep from laughing at him.
"I have had just about enough with the two of you," Missouri says reproachfully.
Elena turns her big eyes on her, and it takes everything she has not to melt.
She wags her finger at her. "None of that, sweet girl."
Elena sits up straight in response, looking slightly guilty.
"Once the spirits realize what we're up to, things are gonna get bad."
"Look, I'm not sure I'm comfortable leaving you guys here alone," Jenny says, addressing Elena and Missouri as they help her and her children out of the house.
"I understand that, but you're just going to have to trust us," Elena replies.
"Just take your kids to the movies or something," Missouri suggests. "It'll be over by the time you get back."
Jenny sighs but nods, leading Sari to the car.
Missouri and Elena head back in to where the boys are waiting for them. They each take their share of supplies. Sam heads to the second floor, Dean to the first, Missouri takes the basement, and Elena, by virtue of being the smallest, has the great pleasure of crawling into the miniscule attic. It's more of a crawlspace, really, but Missouri is insistent that it's better to be safe than sorry.
Each of them has the great displeasure of being attacked in a different creative way. Missouri is pinned to the wall by a dresser, Dean faces off with knives that throw themselves, and Sam gets choked out by a lamp cord.
Elena has the smallest space to work with, which makes her a very easy target. She finds herself drenched in an unidentified flammable fluid from the lovely selection of household chemicals in the corner. The sparking of the electricity box is enough to make her blood run cold. Holding her breath, she shoves the last bag into place and dives for the ladder.
She hits every step on the way down, but her movements are closer to free-falling than actual climbing. She lands on her back, hard. Without giving her time to recover, she hooks her ankle into the collapsible ladder, flipping it into the folded position before she kicks it closed firmly.
She gets up quickly, going to find Sam, the closest to her. She makes it there just in time to cut the cord off of his neck with the pocketknife in her boot. Dean comes in a few moments later, having used the kitchen table to deflect the knives.
"You guys all right?"
They both nod, Sam sitting up in order to finally place his talisman into the wall.
A blinding white light stuns them all. Instinctively, Dean puts his arm around Elena, pressing her into his chest. It's gone as quickly as it came.
Dean helps Elena up, notices for the first time that she is suspiciously damp.
"Why do you smell flammable?"
"Poltergeist tried to set me on fire."
"Huh. Tried to skewer me."
"Nice."
Sam stares at the two of them, casually conversing about the ways in which a malevolent spirit tried to murder them. He shakes his head in bemusement.
"We should go check on Missouri."
Examining the chaos in the kitchen, Sam can't help but feel doubtful.
"Are you sure this is over?" he asks Missouri.
She takes a moment, but her reply is confident.
"I'm sure." She turns to face him. "Why do you ask?"
She's looking at him like he's a puzzle. He shifts uncomfortably under her gaze.
He shakes his head. "No, never mind." He sighs heavily, but when he tells her, "It's nothing, I guess," he's trying to convince himself just as much as he's trying to convince her.
Before Missouri can question him further, Jenny and her children arrive.
"Hello, we're home," she calls out in greeting.
Upon entering the kitchen, she stops in her tracks.
"What happened?"
Sam grimaces. "Hi, sorry. Uh, we'll pay for all of this."
Dean gives him an affronted look, but Elena grasps his wrist and he remains silent.
Missouri cuts in. "Don't you worry, Dean's gonna clean up this mess."
He turns betrayed eyes on her.
Before anyone else can speak, Elena pipes up. "And Elena is going to help him," she says firmly, rising on her tiptoes at the same time that she releases his wrist to drape her arm across his shoulders.
He slips his arm around her waist in return, unbothered by her dampness.
"This is why you're my favorite," he tells her seriously.
Missouri and Sam both roll their eyes.
The two of them head off to find cleaning supplies, brushing past Jenny.
Missouri turns back to Sam. "Your brother is a lot more agreeable with that sweet girl around."
Sam laughs but nods fervently. "Yeah, that's an understatement."
She points a serious finger at him. "You better figure out a way to make sure she sticks around for good."
He cocks his head to the side. "I'm working on it, but they don't make it easy for me."
She shakes her head in sympathy.
Jenny stares at them, feeling left out.
"Why is Elena wet? And why does she smell like turpentine?"
It doesn't take much for Sam to convince Dean and Elena to keep watch over the house that night. He can't shake the feeling that it isn't over, and it's practically their father's motto that it's better to be safe rather than sorry.
Elena is pressed up against the back of Dean's seat, one arm wrapped around his neck, her head resting on the seat back. Every once in a while Dean reaches back to tug on her braid or rub his thumb against her cheek. As far as Sam can tell, it's for no other reason than the fact that he can't help but touch her.
"You really think we're gonna be out here all night?" Dean asks Sam. "Elena really needs to shower before that smell soaks into my car."
Elena thumps him in the chest in protest.
Sam tosses her an apologetic look but just shrugs, uncomfortable. "I don't know, I still have a bad feeling."
Dean looks tired and annoyed, but resigned to spending the night in the front seat of his car instead of in a bed.
Looking up at the house, Sam notices something in the window. It's Jenny banging on the glass, just like in his dream.
"Dean!" He's already opening his door and stumbling across the street.
Elena and Dean react instantly to his shout, both diving out of the car after him.
"You guys grab the kids, I'll get Jenny," Dean says.
Sam throws himself against the door and they all tumble in, running up the stairs.
When Dean gets to Jenny's room she's already banging on her door.
"Stand back," he yells. He gives her a moment to follow his orders before he kicks the door down.
"Come on," he says, reaching for her the second she's within sight.
"No, my kids!"
He shakes his head, hustling her out the door. "Elena and Sam have got 'em."
Richie clings to Elena, too young to be aware of exactly what is happening but terrified nonetheless. She rushes down the hall. Sam comes bursting out of Sari's room with the young girl in his arms.
They move as quickly as they can to the front door. Sam stops suddenly, his face going blank. Elena stops too.
Sam puts Sari down, still unresponsive.
"Sam?"
Elena's voice seems to snap him out of it. He turns to her with wild eyes.
"Give Richie to his sister." Something about his tone makes Elena obey.
Sam kneels down. "All right Sari, take your brother outside as fast as you can, and don't look back."
The little girl nods, and runs for the door. Once they're through the door Elena turns back to look at him, bewildered by his actions.
"Close the door," he says. "Close the door, I don't want them to see."
She complies, trying not to let her fear get the better of her. "Sam, what the hell is going o – "
Before she even turns around an invisible force has swept Sam off his feet, dragging him by the ankles.
"Sam!" Elena screams, chasing after him.
He slams into the kitchen dining set like they're bowling pins.
Elena can hear something pounding against the front door. Knowing it has to be Dean, she turns back, sure that the two of them will have a better chance at saving Sam. She barely makes it past the coat closet in the hallway before the door opens and she's abruptly thrown inside by an invisible force.
She throws herself at the door. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't budge.
Outside, Dean has taken an axe to the front door. When he has a decent hole in it he yells for them.
"Sam? Elena?"
Elena bangs against the closet door in response.
"Hold on, I'll be right there."
Dean bursts through the door. He goes to the closet first.
"Move back," he orders her, but Elena stops him.
"No, go get Sam," she says, raising her voice so he can hear her clearly through the door.
"You sure?" he asks, torn.
"Yes, I'm fine!" Sure, she's stuck in a dark closet, but nobody threw her into a kitchen dining set like a bowling ball, she can handle a few cobwebs.
Dean obeys, moving to find his brother.
He finds him in the living room, staring at the burning spirit as it advances towards him slowly. Without hesitation, Dean points his gun at the spirit.
"No, don't!" Sam insists.
"Why not?" Dean asks.
"Because I know who it is. I can see her now."
The effect is instantaneous. Before them, the flames die down, a blonde woman in a white nightgown taking shape. In the hallway, the closet door opens for Elena – gently, kindly – like someone is inviting her to step out into the hallway.
Carefully, she walks down the hallway and into the living room.
The blonde woman smiles at Dean. He lowers his gun, and Elena's attention is so devotedly on him that it's only when he speaks that she realizes what is happening.
"Mom."
Elena startles, her eyes snapping over to the woman, to Mary Winchester.
"Oh," Elena says quietly, taking a step back.
This is enough to turn Mary's attention to her. She smiles at Elena, stopping her in her tracks. As shocked as she is, Elena is far too Southern to do anything but smile back at her.
Certain that she won't try to leave again, Mary returns her attention to her sons.
She walks to stand in front of her eldest son.
"Dean," his name is warm and comforting from her lips. Her smile is full of all the love in the world, and he tries not to fall to his knees.
She walks past him to Sam, still being held against the wall by the other entity.
The closet door had been easy to open for Elena, since the spirit has most of its energy focused on holding Sam against the wall.
"Sam."
He's not surprised to find his eyes filled with tears.
Her smile fades. "I'm sorry," she tells him seriously.
Sam stares at her confused. He shakes his head. "For what?" he asks.
She doesn't reply, just looks at him with all of the sorrow in the world. Then she's turning, walking away towards the center of the room. She looks to the ceiling.
"You," she addresses the spirit. "Get out of my house, and let go of my son." And she is aflame again, soon she is disintegrating into smoke, and then with a blast of heat she is gone.
Sam finds himself free.
Looking around the room wildly, both brothers search for any sign that their mother is still there, in some way or another.
She isn't. She's gone.
"Now it's over," Sam says with certainty.
Elena walks over to Dean slowly, and when she presses her hand to his lower back, he leans back into her.
Dean looks through the family photos Jenny has rescued from the basement.
"Thanks for these," he tells her seriously.
She shakes her head. "Don't thank me, they're yours."
They exchange understanding looks, and then Jenny heads back towards the house. She drifts off towards her front lawn, strewn with toys. Annoyed at her children's messiness, she starts picking up.
Elena is sitting on the front of the Impala. Instead of scolding her, Dean sits down next to her.
"You wanna talk about it?" she asks.
He cocks an eyebrow at her, examining her critically. At last, he speaks. "I really hope you don't ever have to go home, Elena."
She sucks in a breath, because that says it all, really.
"Seeing her was…beyond my wildest dreams but…it's not enough. This is still the place where everything went wrong. Nothing's gonna change that."
She leans against his shoulder.
For a moment they're silent, content to just be together.
Then he can't help but ask.
"Why wouldn't it be fair for you to tell me?"
It takes her a moment to remember their conversation after his futile call to his dad.
"Because knowing about what's after me only ever seems to get people in trouble. It's bad enough that your dad knows. Sometimes I'm afraid of what it means for him."
Dean struggles to make sense of her cryptic words, or the sudden fear they inspire. He presses his face into her hair after a while.
"I really wish he was here." His voice is muffled by her hair, but she hears him.
Elena nods.
They sit there in silence for a while longer.
"Does my hair still smell like turpentine?"
Dean laughs. He wraps an arm around her shoulder, pressing her head into his chest to sniff her hair dramatically while she giggles.
"Nah, you smell like pure, 100% Elena Gilbert."
She shoves her way out of his embrace.
"You're smothering me!" Her accusation is ruined by her giggling.
He laughs too, because he can't help it, he loves her laugh. He looks her over again, this time more for effect than anything else.
"Nice jacket," he says.
She grins, knowing exactly what it means. She's wearing the leather jacket he bought her in exchange for her trip underground. It's a gorgeous light tan colored moto jacket, and it fits her perfectly, the light color offsetting her dark hair beautifully.
She lightly hops off the car, twirling to show it off, her hair whips around her and she's so beautiful it almost makes Dean dizzy. He tells himself it's the spinning.
"You like it?" she asks him. He nods, trying to pretend it isn't stupidly.
She grins at him coyly.
"This really hot guy gave it to me."
He laughs, shaking his head.
"Your flirting is out of control, Gilbert. You officially flirt with everyone."
She shakes her head at him, still smiling, but it's not coy this time, somehow it's the most serious smile in the world.
"Sure I do, I only mean it with you, though," she says lightly, intentionally parroting his reply when she accused him of telling all the other girls that they're pretty.
She knows she shouldn't say things like that, even if she means them, but God, she means them.
Sam is still sitting on the front steps to what should've been his childhood home. He watches Dean and Elena flirt. He allows himself a moment of weakness. Pretends his parents are inside, pretends he's home for spring break, pretends Dean is bringing Elena home for the first time to meet his family. The make-believe version of his brother is nervous, but excited, knows they will love this girl like he does.
At the end of this fabricated week in this made up version of his life, Sam will go back to Stanford and Jess will be waiting for him there, whole and happy and alive, excited to tell him all about her own visit home. Alive-and-Never Dead Jess is looking forward to hearing about his brother's girl, to kiss him slow and deep, just like he likes, and everything is normal. Everything is good. For a moment, pretending there on the steps, it is.
Missouri breaks the spell.
"Well, there are no spirits in there anymore. This time for sure."
She comes to sit down next to him.
Sam clears his throat and pretends everything is fine.
"Not even my mom?" he asks.
Missouri shakes her head sympathetically. "No."
He draws in a breath, asks his next question. "What happened?"
"Your mom's spirit and the poltergeist's energy, they cancelled each other out. Your mom destroyed herself going after the thing."
Sam stares at her.
"Why would she do something like that?"
She gives him a pitying look for his ignorance.
"Well to protect her boys, of course."
Sam blinks, overcome by surging emotions.
She rests a comforting hand on his shoulder briefly. "Sam, I'm sorry."
He looks at her, confused. "For what?"
"You sensed it was here, didn't you? Even when I couldn't."
He struggles to explain, but comes up with nothing. "What's happening to me?"
She shakes her head. "I know I should have all the answers, but I don't know."
Dean calls out to them from the car. "Sam, you ready?"
Sam nods, standing to help Missouri up as well. In his head, he's already composing a list of things he's learned about Elena to add to his journal. He hasn't forgotten the cryptic things Missouri said about her, even if his diligence on the matter was distracted by this place, this job.
Jenny comes over, finally giving up on her messy lawn as a lost cause.
They exchange quick goodbyes and then Sam heads in the direction of the Impala.
"Don't you three be strangers," she calls after them.
"We won't," Dean promises.
Elena smiles and nods, Dean helping her into the backseat before he opens his own door.
"See you around," Missouri tells Sam.
He nods, gets into the front seat.
Without hesitating, Dean starts the car and drives away, knowing it's best not to linger.
Jenny heads back into her house, but Missouri stays to watch them go.
Back in her house, Missouri can't help but muse over Sam.
"That boy, he has such powerful abilities."
She turns to address the man in her living room.
"Why he couldn't sense his own father, I have no idea."
She walks over to stand in front of John Winchester, holding his head in his hands.
He lifts her head, ignores her unspoken displeasure at his game of hide in seek with his children. "Mary's spirit…" he trails off. "Do you really think she saved the boys?"
She nods. "And that sweet girl, too."
John's face twists in discomfort at the mention of Elena. He turns his attention to his wedding ring, twisting it with all of the love and reverence he had on his wedding day, for his wife.
Missouri does not ignore her own displeasure, nor does she leave it unspoken.
"John Winchester, I could just slap you. Why don't you go talk to your children?"
He shakes his head, his gaze still on the ring.
"God, I want to. You have no idea how much I want to see them." He snorts. "Even Elena, pain in my ass that she is."
Missouri can't even laugh at that; knowing how badly that scared little girl needs this emotionally distant man in front of her, she can't find it funny at all.
"But I can't. Not yet." He turns to look at her. "Not until I know the truth."
She returns his gaze unflinching.
"And what if it's too late for her?"
They both know they're talking about separate issues – Mary's death and Elena's secrets are two vastly different topics, but they both know that John's obsession with the former could very well be the downfall of the latter.
22 years of obsession and pain, of misery and single-minded focus is nearly impossible to give up, even if the consequences could be fatal.
"Dean will take care of her."
Missouri nods. "Yes, he will, but what if that's not enough?"
John shakes his head, his focus still firmly where it's been for over two decades.
"He will be."
tbc.
AN: Chapter title is taken from You Can Never Go Home Again by Jasmin Kaset. I was originally gonna use something from The Things We Lost in the Fire by Bastille, despite the fact that it's so overused for the Winchesters, but then this song came up on shuffle. The title is an idea that has always stuck with me, even before I heard the song, and I felt like it fit the idea of the episode, and ultimately Sam and Dean's experience, incredibly well.
Fun fact, Elena falling down the stairs and then closing the attic ladder/door with her foot is based off of something I actually did when I was in middle school. Granted, a poltergeist was not trying to set me on fire. I had a loft above my bedroom which was where my bed was located. One day I woke up about an hour late for school and in my panic to get ready and leave, I basically fell down the ladder instead of climbing down it, and then I landed on my back and somehow managed to close the ladder and door with my bare feet from my place on the floor. My mother was standing outside of the door, staring at me like I was insane. Good times, lol.
Anyway, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter, thanks again for 100 reviews! Any thoughts on this chapter? Questions? Please leave a review!
xoxo
-Pixie