I’m considering creating a website that is solely devoted to my SPN series rewrite “Wayward Hearts”. I think it might be fun to have it available almost as a book, to post art I’ve made, fan art I’ve gotten (which still blows my mind), share my writing process, and make it an all around experience for those who want to dive back into the Supernatural world.
Welcome to my series rewrite masterlist! I hope you enjoy and find yourself wanting to join the hunt with me and share our heroes’ journey together.
“Wayward Hearts”
Summary: As Sam and Dean begin the search for their father, a chance encounter with another hunter will change the roads ahead. Riley Munroe is a hunter, raised by her father after her mother tragically died when she was only six months old. Brought together by loss, grief, and the family business, Sam, Dean, and Riley join forces. They’ll find that their stories are intertwined and lean on each other as they search for answers and to avenge those they’ve lost. They’ll face evil, darkness, and hell itself…as a family.
Getting back to the family business over the next couple weeks. With all the fandom drama going on and no more SPN to feed our hunger for more…I hope this series rewrite helps fill the void.
Stay tuned and keep a look out for new chapters coming soon :)
But, I’m having surgery next week and will be on bedrest for 2-3 weeks. So…I’m thinking that might be a good time to get back into writing the SPN series rewrite “Wayward Hearts”.
I think about this series all the time and I’m constantly missing being a part of the story of Sam, Dean, and Riley. My life has been so chaotic (in mostly good ways) that I just haven’t had the time or energy to work on it. But, with no work, the kiddo out of town, and time off school…I think it’s as good a time as any to bring back our heroes. We still have at least a season and a half to go!
I will have more information for you over the coming two weeks. I’m eager to get back into this rewrite and to get back on the road with you all.
I love you, my friends and I hope you are all well and safe. Keep a look out for updates on our series :) (yes–it’s ours)
Check out the SPN series rewrite “Wayward Hearts”<—and get all caught up before we continue the hunt.
Summary:With nothing to show from their week’s stay in Stanford after Jessica’s death, the Winchesters move on to Black Water Ridge in search of their father.
A/N: y’all the fact that they changed the name of the town from Blackbottle Ridge to Black Water Ridge has been so frustrating. The “‘Blackwater?’ “No, Blackbottle” dialogue I put in the last part of the pilot was a joke for myself because I could not keep the name straight and now they’re just going to change it on me?? Insane. Also, as always, all dialogue taken from the show will be in italics.
~ ~ ~ ~
Sam woke up with a start, bolting upright in the passenger seat. Dean looked to him a few times, watching his movements as Sam tried to shake off whatever had scared him so.
“You okay?” Dean asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sam replied, brow furrowed as he played off his sudden waking. You looked to him from your spot in the back.
“Was it another nightmare?” you asked. Sam cleared his throat but, unsurprisingly, didn’t answer. They’d been happening so frequently since that night, but Sam refused to talk about them.
“Wanna drive for a while?” Dean looked to his younger brother. Sam chuckled in response, shocked.
“Dean, in your whole life, you’ve never once asked me that.”
“Yeah, me neither,” you agreed, leaning forward and resting your arms on the seat in front of you.
“Just thought you might want to. Never mind,” Dean replied to Sam. “And, Y/N, you’re never driving Baby again after what happened.”
“God, you crash a car into a house onetime,” you replied, sitting back in your seat. This seemed to lighten the mood enough to take Sam out of his head.
“Look, guys, you’re worried about me. I get it and thank you, but I’m perfectly okay.” Dean only hummed in response. Quick to change the subject, Sam spoke again, grabbing the map as he did: “Alright, where are we?”
“We are just outside of Grand Junction,” Dean replied. Sam looked over the map for a few minutes before taking a deep breath.
“You know what? Maybe we shouldn’t have left Stanford so soon,” he mused. Dean shut his eyes for a moment, and you leaned forward again to look at Sam.
“Sam, we dug around there for a week. We came up with nothing. If you want to find the thing that killed Jessica-”
“Gotta find Dad first,” he interrupted, finishing your thought.
“Dad disappearing, and this thing showing up again after twenty years? It’s no coincidence. Dad’ll have answers. He’ll know what to do,” Dean reminded Sam. The same words he’d used to convince Sam to leave Stanford in the first place. Sam tried to change the subject again.
“It’s weird, man. These coordinates he left us, this Black Water Ridge…” Sam trailed off, looking at the map again.
“What about it?” Dean asked, glancing over at the map.
“There’s nothing there. It’s just woods.” Sam lowered the map and looked out the windshield, confusion clear on his face. “Why’s he sending us to the middle of nowhere?”
——————-
You looked around the ranger station with Dean while the three of you waited for the ranger. Sam was at the terrain model of the woods, looking at the entirety of the area.
“So, Black Water Ridge is pretty remote. It’s cut off by these canyons here—rough terrain, dense forest, abandoned silver and gold mines all over the place,” he explained to you and Dean. His words fell on deaf ears, however, as you and Dean were too preoccupied with looking at the pictures on the wall.
“Dude, check out the size of this friggin’ bear,” Dean called the two of you over. You walked over with Sam and shrugged when you saw the bear.
“…and a dozen or more grizzlies in the area,” Sam concluded his summary of the area.
“I’ve seen bigger than that. I fought a werewolf twice that size a few months ago before I met back up with you and Dad in Des Moines. I could take that thing on no problem,” you scoffed. Dean smiled proudly, but Sam furrowed his brow. He knew how invested you were in this life, how much you’d always been, but he couldn’t help feeling a bit overprotective of his kid sister. You’d been out facing monstrous werewolves three times your size without any help during his absence?
“It’s no nature hike, that’s for sure,” he said, shaking his head. The three of you were interrupted by the ranger’s entrance.
“You three aren’t planning to go out near Black Water Ridge, by any chance?” he asked. The three of you turned to face him.
“Oh, no, sir. We’re environmental-study majors from U.C. Boulder. Just working on a paper,” Sam answered. Dean fist-bumped the air.
“Recycle, man,” he added.
“Bull. You’re friends with that Hailey girl, right?” The Ranger moved to stand behind his desk. You stepped out from behind Sam and Dean, nodding.
“Yes. Yes, we are, Ranger…Wilkinson,” you answered, leaning in slightly to make out the name on his badge. He set his coffee mug down.
“Well, I will tell you exactly what I told her. Her brother filled out a backcountry permit saying he wouldn’t be back from Black Water until the 24th. So, it’s not exactly a missing persons now, is it?” Dean shook his head. “Tell that girl to quit worrying. I’m sure her brother’s just fine,” Ranger Wilkinson finished, stepping away from his desk again.
“We will,” Dean stated with a nod. “Well, that Hailey girl’s quite a pistol, huh?” He chuckled.
“That is putting it lightly,” the ranger replied with a shake of his head.
“Actually, you know what would help is if I could show her a copy of that backcountry permit. You know, so she could see her brother’s return date,” Dean suggested. Ranger Wilkinson looked down for a moment then nodded.
——-
“Yeah!”Dean laughed victoriously as he led you and Sam to the back of the car.
“What? Are you cruising to hookup or something?” you asked. Dean looked to you.
“What do you mean?”
“The coordinates point to Black Water Ridge. So, what are we waiting for?”
“She’s right, Dean,” Sam agreed. “Let’s just go find Dad. I mean, why even talk to this girl?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should know what we’re walking into before we actually walk into it,” Dean shot back defensively. He looked between you and Sam and shook his head.
“What?”Sam asked, clearly annoyed at this point.
“Since when are you two all ‘shoot first, ask questions later?’ anyway?”
“Since now,” Sam quipped, getting into the car with a slam of the door. Dean turned to you before you could follow suit.
“You know, you’re the one who said we were friends with this girl. Now you’re mad it got us some information?”
“Yeah, the wrong information. How was I supposed to know that girl wasn’t a victim going in?” you sighed. “If Dad’s here in those woods, he could fill us in on what we need to know. Making all these other stops, interviewing people Dad probably already got to…it’s just more time spent not looking for him.” With that, you slid into the backseat before Dean could answer.
———-
You opted out of going to the girl’s house, choosing instead to stay back and do some more research of your own. If you weren’t going right into the woods, you might as well look further into all this while you could. Besides, Hailey didn’t need two strangers at her door during all this, let alone three. However, this left you up to analyzing the video Dean and Sam collected while at her house. You met back up with Dean and Sam at a local dive-bar to share your findings.
“So, Black Water Ridge doesn’t get a lot of traffic. Local campers mostly, but, still, this past April, two hikers went missing out there. They were never found,” you recanted, searching through the papers on the table before you.
“Any before that?” Dean asked.
“Yeah.”You finally found the old newspaper you’d printed and laid it on the table in front of your brothers. While they read, you got the laptop from the bag and turned it on. “In 1982, eight different people all vanished in the same year. Authorities said it was a grizzly attack. And, again, in 1959, and before that in 1936. Every 23 years, just like clockwork.
“Okay, watch this. Here’s the cincher. I downloaded the video Sam sent over. Watch this.” You spun the laptop to face them. “Here’s the clincher. I downloaded the video Sam sent me. Watch this.” You pressed a key, playing a few frames of the footage. Sam and Dean leaned in closer to the laptop.
“Do it again,” Dean said. You complied, rewinding the tape then playing those three frames again.
“That’s three frames. It’s a fraction of a second. Whatever that thing is, it can move.” Sam’s eyes stayed locked on the screen as he spoke, reaching forward to play the clips once more. Dean hit Sam’s arm triumphantly.
“I told you something weird was going on here,” he said. You shook your head, shutting the laptop.
“Yeah, I got one more thing. In’59, one camper survived the supposed grizzly attack. Just a kid—barely crawled out of the woods alive.” You passed your last paper across the table for them to look over. Dean grabbed it first, and Sam looked on over his shoulder.
part 1 -Dean and Y/N are off to find John in Jericho, but Dean has a stop to make and another passenger to pick up on the way.
part 2 - With Sam finally on board, the three Winchesters begin their search for their father and the hunt in Jericho.
part 3 - You’ve stumbled upon a major break with John’s motel room, or so you’d thought. When he’s found to be long gone, you, Sam, and Dean must pick up where he’s left off. An unforeseen run-in with the local law enforcement leaves you and Sam stuck working without Dean. Will it lead to more disaster or push you both in the direction you need to go to fix your relationship?
part 4 - With Constance taken care of and John’s next location deciphered, the three Winchesters leave Jericho behind. Y/N and Dean are ready to keep moving, but Sam’s new, normal life pulls him back.
Summary: With Constance taken care of and John’s next location deciphered, the three Winchesters leave Jericho behind. Y/N and Dean are ready to keep moving, but Sam’s new, normal life pulls him back.
A/N: All dialogue taken from the show will be in italics.
~ ~ ~ ~
Dean drove down the highway in the darkness, one headlight out. The journal was open on the seat between him and Sam, and Sam had a map open in front of him. You were sat in the back, holding a flashlight up to help Sam see.
“Okay, here’s where Dad went. It’s called Blackbottle Ridge, Colorado,” Sam spoke, finally finding the coordinates.
“Sounds charming. How far?” Dean asked, glancing over at the map.
“About 600 miles,” Sam replied almost immediately, barely looking at the map. He’d always been so good at that. You leaned forward, looking between your two brothers.
“If we shag ass, we can make it by morning,” you suggested. Sam looked to you and Dean, unsure of how to phrase his next statement.
“Guys, i, uh-“ he stuttered.
“You’re not going,” you finished his thought for him.
“The interview’s in, like, ten hours. I got to be there,” Sam continued. Dean was silent for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah. Yeah, whatever. I’ll take you home.” He tried to mask his hurt, but you could still hear it. In his feigned nonchalance, in the softness of his voice. You sighed and sat back, turning the flashlight and letting the darkness fully take over the space.
——————
Dean pulled up to the front of Sam’s apartment and parked. Sam quickly got out, bag over his shoulder, then turned to look back at the two of you.
“You’ll call me if you find him? Maybe I can meet up with you, huh?”
“Yeah, alright,” Dean replied. Sam hit the car before turning away and walking towards the door. Dean paused for a moment then leaned over and called after Sam. “Sam! You know, we made a hell of a team back there.”
“Yeah,” Sam replied with a smile. You swung your legs over the seat and crawled into the front, flipping the radio on and changing the station—carelessly breaking both the “no shoes on the seats” and cardinal “driver picks the music” rules in a few swift movements. Dean only shook his head before driving away, leaving Sam in the dust.
—————
An uncomfortable silence had fallen over you and Dean. Neither of you had wanted to talk about what had happened. Or, at least, neither of you wanted to be the first. But, it had to be addressed. Dean felt terrible. He’d truly thought Sam would stick with them, especially after seeing how he and Y/N had started to get along towards the end of the case. Now he had to face the reality that he’d been wrong, and he’d hurt the only one who’d stayed with him.
“Y/N, I-” Dean started. You cut him off with a sigh.
“Don’t. I know I was mad at you for a while there, but…I think we all needed that. I mean, he offered to meet up with us. He never would have done that before. So…” you paused, pursing your lips momentarily. “Thank you.” One corner of Dean’s lips pulled up into a smile, but his eyes remained on the road.
You went into the glove box and pulled out the map Sam had been looking over, desperate to change the subject. “Blackwater Ridge?”
“Bottle. Blackbottle Ridge,” Dean corrected.
“Right.” You nodded and looked over the map, trying to find the best route. The faster you got there, the less of a chance your father had taken off. Suddenly, a pit formed in the bottom of your stomach. Something was wrong. “We need to turn around.”
“What? Y/N-“
“Turn around!” Hearing the panic in your voice, Dean swung the car around and floored it, the car whipping down the road. You made it back to the apartment in record time. Dean parked across the street and looked up at the building before looking back at you. Before he could ask anything, you jumped out of the car and ran inside. Dean cursed, shut the car off and ran after you. You made it up to Sam’s floor in time to hear him scream. Dean pushed past you and kicked the door in.
“Sam!” You felt the heat radiating from the apartment as the flames began to spread across the ceiling. While Dean ran inside to help Sam, you began running to each apartment, pounding on the doors and yelling out to alert the other residents. The more people you could save, the better.
——————-
Sam dug through the trunk, looking over the weapons inside. You stood beside him, watching him carefully. The fire department had been called shortly after Dean had gotten Sam outside. You’d made quick work of getting the residents out, making your exit as the firefighters entered the building. Dean stood with the crowd, watching the building, but soon made his way back to the Impala. He looked to you before turning his gaze to Sam. Sam only sighed at first, then dropped the rifle into the trunk.
“We got work to do,” he said, with a slam of the trunk.
Characters:Dean, Sam, Reader, Joseph and Constance Welch
Age:20
Warnings:Gun Use, Car Crash
Word Count: 2,730
Summary:You’ve stumbled upon a major break with John’s motel room, or so you’d thought. When he’s found to be long gone, you, Sam, and Dean must pick up where he’s left off. An unforeseen run-in with the local law enforcement leaves you and Sam stuck working without Dean. Will it lead to more disaster or push you both in the direction you need to go to fix your relationship?
A/N:All dialogue taken from the show will be in italics. Part 4 will be the final part!
~ ~ ~ ~
You were frozen in the doorway, staring at the covered walls of the motel room before you. Sam and Dean stepped into the room, Dean turning on the lamp placed the end table while Sam went to get a closer look at some of the papers. Dean grabbed the half-eaten burger on the end table and sniffed it, recoiling at the smell.
“I don’t think he’s been here for a couple days at least,” he sighed, dropping the food back in its spot. Finally, you were able to walk into the space, looking down at the floor as you stepped through.
“Salt, cat’s-eyes shells. He was worried, trying to keep something from coming in,” you mused, making your way over to Dean, who was now reading over some of the papers on the wall by the lamp. Sam looked over at the two of you then quickly crossed the space.
“What do you got here?” he asked.
“Centennial Highway victims,” Dean replied. Sam began walking around the space again, this time really looking over each and every paper and surface he passed. Dean spoke again: “I don’t get it. I mean, different men, different jobs, ages, ethnicities. There’s always a connection, right? What do these guys have in common?”
It was silent for a few minutes as the three of you continued reading over everything John had compiled. You heard a light behind you click as Sam turned the second lamp on but continued reading from the paper before you, only turning when you heard Sam scoff.
“Dad figured it out.” The words fell from his lips, sounding more like he was annoyed rather than relieved at the idea.
“What do you mean?” Dean questioned. The two of you turned around to look at Sam but remained where you were.
“He found the same article we did. Constance Welch. She’s a Woman in White,” Sam revealed. Dean looked back at the victims on the wall.
“You sly dogs. Alright, so, if we’re dealing with a Woman in White, Dad would have found the corpse and destroyed it.”
“She might have another weakness,” you spoke up. Dean shook his head.
“No, Dad would want to make sure. He’d dig her up,” Dean countered. He walked over to Sam, looking at the papers. “Does it say where she’s buried?”
“No, not that I can tell. If I were Dad, though, I’d go ask her husband…if he’s still alive.” Sam pointed to a picture of the grieving man from the article.
“Alright, why don’t you see if you can find an address. Y/N and I’ll go clean up.” Dean dug your room key out of his pocket and tossed it to you before heading towards the bathroom. Thankfully, the owner’d made you pay for a room before giving you any more information about your father’s room. No fighting over who’d get to shower first and a space all to yourself—even for ten minutes—sounded like heaven. As you turned toward the door, Sam cleared his throat.
“Hey. What I said earlier about Mom and Dad— I’m sorry.”
“No chick-flick moments,” Dean quickly replied, putting his hand up to stop Sam from continuing further.
“Alright, jerk.”
“Bitch,”Dean shot back. You shook your head, offering up one word before walking out of the room: “Freaks.”
———————
Three hard raps on the front door shook you out of your thoughts as you finished drying your hair with the scratchy motel towel. You remained silent. That wasn’t Dean’s knock, and you were certain it wouldn’t be Sam. You slowly dropped the towel and went to the toilet, quickly climbing onto the seat to get a full view out of the window. The coast was clear, but you could see the back end of the police cruiser parked in front of the building. Shit.
Another three raps on the front door. You stepped off the toilet and grabbed all of your belongings before climbing back up and sliding out the window. The fall was short and easy, nothing compared to your swan dive off the bridge. You slipped into the sparse woods behind the building and pulled your cell phone out of your pocket. Sam’s number flashed across your screen the moment you were about to call Dean. You ducked behind a tree and answered the call.
“Five-o, dude. You guys gotta get out of there,” you spoke before Sam could.
“I know, I know. They grabbed Dean—“
“Son of a bitch.”
“Where are you?” Sam asked.
“There’s a bit of woods behind the rooms. I’m about ten feet in. I should be out of sight, but I still have a view of the lot.” You glanced back at the cruiser, ducking back behind the tree when you saw two officers throw Dean in the back. “They’re going to be coming after us, you know.”
“The two of ‘em at least are gonna take Dean back first.” Sam emerged in the woods and you hung up your phone.
“Yeah, well, finding him in a room covered in information on all those missing person cases isn’t going to bode well.” Sure, Dean had gotten himself out of stickier situations before, but it only took things going wrong once to get him hauled away for god knows how long.
“Let’s just focus on finding Dad. Dean can take care of himself,” Sam reminded. You nodded and looked back at the parking lot. The cruiser had driven off shortly after Sam had reached you, and so the two of you snuck your way back to the parking lot and over to the Impala in record time. Sam slid in the driver’s seat and you the passenger’s seat, and the two of you were off on the road before anyone could catch sight of you.
———————
“Yeah, he was older, but that’s him,” Joseph Welch spoke, walking back to the Impala with you and Sam. He handed the picture of a younger John, Sam, Dean, and you back to Sam. “He came by three or four days ago, said he was a reporter.”
“That’s right. We’re working on a story together,” Sam replied, sliding the picture back into his pocket.
“Well, I don’t know the hell kind of story you’re working on—the questions he asked me.”
“About your late wife, Constance,” you mused, fiddling with the strap on the camera around your neck. Honestly, the places you got into with a fake press badge and the old, broken camera were baffling to you.
“He asked me where she was buried.”
“And where is that again?” Sam pressed.
“What, I got to go through these twice?” Joseph questioned.
“It’s fact-checking,” you reassured him. “If you don’t mind.”
“In a plot behind my old place over on Breckenridge,” Joseph answered after taking a deep breath.
“Why did you move?” Sam asked. Joseph looked up at him incredulously before replying, his voice shaking.
“I’m not gonna live in the house where my children died.” The three of you stopped once you’d reached the Impala, and Sam turned to face Joseph.
“Mr. Welch, did you ever marry again?”
“No way. Constance—she was the love of my life. Prettiest woman I ever known.”
“So you had a happy marriage.” Sam pretended to summarize. Of course, the two of you knew that was false, or else you wouldn’t have the Woman in White on your hands. Joseph was quiet, staring up at Sam. A quick shake of his head, however, pulled him out of his thoughts.
“Definitely,”he answered. Sam nodded.
“Well, that should do it. Thanks for your time.” He walked over to the car with you and unlocked it. But, neither of you reached for the door handles. Instead, you looked at each other, having a silent conversation with your eyes. The two of you used to be so good at reading each other, which worked in your favor in moments like these. Joseph turned to go back to the house, but you called after him.
“Mr. Welch, have you ever heard of a Woman in White?” you asked. Joseph looked back at you, eyes narrowed in confusion.
“A what?”
“A Woman in White, or sometimes a Weeping Woman. It’s a ghost story. Well, it’s more of a phenomenon, really.” You started walking towards him, Sam following close behind. “They’re spirits. They’ve been sighted for hundreds of years, dozens of places in Hawaii and Mexico. Lately in Arizona, Indiana. All these are different women, you understand, but all share the same story.”
“Girl, I don’t care much for nonsense,” Joseph spat. He spun on his heel and began walking back towards his house. You and Sam followed him
“You see, when they were alive, their husbands were unfaithful to them, and these women, basically suffering from temporary insanity, murdered their children,” Sam continued your thought. At this, Joseph stopped in his tracks and turned back to look at you two.
“Then, once they realized what they had done, they took their own lives. So now their spirits are cursed, walking backroads, waterways,” you picked up where Sam had left off.
“And if they find an unfaithful man, they kill him. And that man is never seen again,” Sam finished. Joseph looked between the two of you
“You think…you think that has something to do with Constance, you smartasses?” He took a few steps towards Sam.
“You tell me,” Sam spoke calmly.
“I mean, maybe—maybe I made some mistakes. But no matter what I did, Constance never would have killed her own children,” Joseph’s voice was shaking again, this time seemingly from a mixture of his anger and sadness. “Now, you two get the hell out of here, and you don’t come back.” He looked between the two of you, jaw clenched and lip quivering, before turning his back on you. You looked up at Sam for a moment before walking to the car.
——————
Sam grabbed his phone as you sped down the road and, after a quick glance at the caller ID, flipped it open and put it on speaker. Dean’s voice immediately came through.
“Nice call on the fake 911 call.”
“Get this. It was all Sam’s idea,” you informed Dean, smiling over at Sam before turning your attention back to the road.
“I don’t know, Sammy. That’s pretty illegal,” Dean said. Sam chuckled.
“You’re welcome.”
“Listen, we gotta talk,” Dean started.
“Tell me about it,” you held your hand out for the phone, taking it when Sam handed it over. “So, the husband was unfaithful. We are dealing with a Woman in White. She’s buried behind her old house, so that should be Dad’s next stop—“
“Y/N, would you shut up for a second?” Dean interjected, but you were talking a mile a minute, trying to relay all in information to your brother, think and keep a steady hand on the wheel at the same time.
“We just can’t figure out why he hasn’t destroyed the corpse yet,” you mused.
“Well, that’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Dean interrupted again. “He’s gone. Dad left Jericho.”
“What? How do you know?” Sam asked.
“I’ve got his journal.”
“He doesn’t go anywhere without that thing.”
“Yeah, well, he did this time.”
“What’s it say?” you asked, grip tightening on the wheel.
“Same old ex-marine crap when he wants to let us know where he’s going.”
“Coordinates,”you breathed out, shaking your head.
“Where to?” Sam asked.
“I’m not sure yet,” Dean replied.
“Dean, what the hell is going on?” Sam was exasperated. You sighed, then jumped half out of your seat when a woman appeared on the road in front of you. Constance.
“Whoa!”You jumped, slamming on the brakes. Your grip on the wheel tightened even more, your knuckles turning a ghostly white. The car went right through her. Once you were fully stopped, you slowly sat back, letting out a long, shaky breath. You shot a quick look at Sam to make sure he was alright, then turned your attention to the rear-view. As soon as your eyes met Constance’s ghostly figure, she spoke.
“Take me home.” Her eyes were locked on Sam’s figure. You looked over to him, pursing your lips. Constance spoke again, her voice angrier. “Take me home.”
“No,”Sam stated firmly. Immediately, all the locks went down into the doors. You reached for your lock while Sam reached for his. While you were turned away from the wheel, the car began driving down the road. As hard as you tried, you couldn’t stop it, and neither of you could leave.
Shortly, you arrived at the old, dilapidated house. The car rolled to a stop then shut off. You stared out the windshield, trying to devise a plan.
“Don’t do this,” Sam spoke up.
“I can never go home,” Constance spoke.
“You’re scared to go home,” Sam corrected. He turned to look at her, but she’d vanished. You both looked around the space, and she quickly appeared on top of Sam, pinning him down on the seat.
“Hold me. I’m so cold.”
“You can’t kill me,” Sam struggled against her. “I’m not unfaithful. I’ve never been.” Constance leaned in close to him.
“You will be.” With that, she pressed her lips to his.
“Oh, that’s sick,” you couldn’t help but comment. Reflexively, you searched your pockets for your gun, but it must have gone flying when you’d slammed on the brakes. Your hands found it under the seat just as you heard Sam begin groaning in pain.
“Y/N!” He was able to get out. You looked over to see her hand in his chest, face morphed into something truly evil. Without another thought, you began shooting at her form. She disappeared just long enough for you to finally get a grip on the situation—now that she wasn’t holding your brother’s life in her hand. Finally, it clicked. You dropped your gun and started the car.
“I’m taking you home, bitch.” You slammed your foot onto the gas pedal and launched the car forward, crashing through the front of the house.
“Sam! Y/N!” Dean called, running inside. He ran to the passenger side and looked in. “You okay?”
“Fine,” you replied, crawling out of the car through the window after you were unable to get the door open through all the debris.
“Yeah, help me,” Sam answered. Dean helped him out through his door.
“There you go,” he stated as he got Sam up in his feet. You eyed Constance carefully, unsure of her next move, as you walked over to them. Constance threw the picture she had been holding down on the ground before looking to the three of you. She stepped out of the way and sent a large dresser across the room, pinning the three of you against the car. You groaned and tried to push it away, unsuccessfully.
Suddenly, the electricity began to crackle, lights flickering all around the space. Even Constance looked around, unsure of the cause. Water began to trickle down the stairs, and Constance looked to the top.
“You’ve come home to us, Mommy,” two young voices called out. You watched on as the two children appeared at the bottom of the stairs. They hugged Constance, and the three of them disappeared into the ground beneath them, Constance screaming and changing shape the whole way down. Finally, the three of you could push the dresser away and move away from the car. Dean led you and Sam over to the spot where the ghosts had vanished.
“So, this is where she drowned her kids,” Dean said, staring down at the wet spot.
“That’s why she could never go home. She was too scared to face them,” Sam added.
“You found her weak spot.”
“Nice work, Y/N.” Sam smiled weakly down at you.
“Thanks, Sammy. Couldn’t have done it without you, though.” You hit his chest, smiling, before following Dean over to the Impala.
“Ah!”Sam laughed through the pain then looked over at you. “But, what were you thinking, shooting Casper in the face, you freak?”
“Hey, saved your ass,” you shot back, still grinning. Dean looked up from inspecting the car.
“I’ll tell you another thing, Y/N. If you screwed up my car, I’ll kill you,” he threatened. You rolled your eyes, laughing softly.
“Oh, come on. I crash a car through a house one time…”
Summary:Dean and Y/N are off to find John in Jericho, but Dean has a stop to make and another passenger to pick up on the way.
A/N:All dialogue taken from the show will be in italics.
Dean looked to his co-pilot with a soft smile. The maps she’d been endlessly perusing—uselessly, for he’d given her a false destination—were now covering her torso like a much-to-small blanket. He felt terrible for lying to her, but this wasn’t a time for an argument, and he’d known that’s all he would’ve been in store for had he let her know they were making a stop before Jericho.
He’d spent his life protecting her, but he couldn’t protect her from everything. He couldn’t protect her from the pain of their brother leaving. And now, with their father missing, he couldn’t protect her from whatever feelings may arise when she laid eyes on the middle Winchester. So, instead of continuing to dwell on his shortcomings, he turned his gaze back to the road, tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and pressed harder on the gas. A cloud of dust was all that followed the old car, which was just the way Dean liked it.
——
Dean shook your arm, not violently by any means, but harder than you would’ve liked. You mumbled an incoherent complaint before rubbing your eyes and sitting up in the seat.
“We in Jericho yet?” You looked around outside, trying to make sense of the buildings in the darkness.
“Come on,” Dean replied as he stepped out of the car and shut his door. You grumbled but obeyed, following him over to one of the buildings. You narrowed your eyes as he surveyed the fire escape on the side.
“Dean, what the hell do you think you’re doing? Dad wouldn’t be in a place like this. I’m not breaking in without cause,” you whispered, crossing your arms over your chest.
“We have cause. It’s because I said we are. Just trust me.” With that, he grabbed onto the rungs of the bottom balcony and hoisted himself up. You rolled your eyes but followed suit, silently trailing after your brother up four flights of stairs before he stopped at one of the windows.
“What are you doing leaving this open? Didn’t you learn anything?” You heard him mutter as he slid his hands into the opening and slowly raised the window. Once he had it open, he swung one leg inside, then the other, poking his head out to look at you once he was in. “Coming?”
“If you tell me where the hell we are once I’m in,” you replied, mimicking your brother’s actions and entering the apartment. Rather than answer you, Dean began walking through the space, looking around at all that adorned the shelves and walls. You followed suit, eager for an answer. Just as you’d stopped to get a better look at one of the photos on the wall, a hand came at you from behind, grabbing your arm and flipping you onto the ground. The action knocked the wind out of you. As you stood and tried to catch your breath, the stranger began to fight with Dean. Within seconds, however, Dean had him pinned to the ground.
“Whoa. Easy, tiger.” Dean flashed a smile down at the man.
“Dean? You scared the crap outta me,” Sam scoffed incredulously. You narrowed your eyes. What the hell were you doing here?
“That’s ‘cause you’re out of practice.” Dean was still grinning. That is, he was until Sam flipped the duo seemingly effortlessly and had Dean pinned to the ground. Dean chuckled in response. “Or not.”
After the initial shock of being in the same room as your older brother for the first time in four years began to wear off and you’d found your voice, you crossed the room and stood over the two of them, arms crossed.
“You two finished?”
“Get off me.” Dean pushed Sam off of him. As Dean fixed his jacket, Sam took a few steps back, eyes never leaving you and Dean.
“Dean, Y/N. What the hell are you doing here?” You looked to Dean, eager to hear his response.
“Well, I was looking for a beer,” Dean answered with a smirk. Sam opened his mouth, but before he could speak, the light flicked on. The three of you looked over to the doorway to find a blonde woman watching you.
“Jess. Dean, Y/N. This is my girlfriend, Jessica.” Sam looked at both groups—his two worlds colliding—nervous after making the introductions.
Jess looked at him, eyes wide in surprise. “Wait, your brother and sister?” Dean smiled and gestured to her shirt.
“I love the Smurfs.” He began to walk over to her. “You know, I gotta tell you, you are completely out of my brother’s league.” You rolled your eyes.
“Just let me put something on.” Jess started to turn away, but Dean piped up almost immediately.
“No, no. No, I wouldn’t dream of it, seriously.” You grabbed your brother’s arm and pulled him away from the girl, hitting the back of his head when he was close enough. He cast a quick glare at you before turning back to Jess.
“Anyway, we got to borrow your boyfriend here, talk about some private family business. But nice meeting you.” Sam looked to Jess as Dean spoke, then quickly crossed the room to stand at her side.
“No. Whatever you want to say, you can say it in front of her.”
“Okay. Dad hasn’t been home in a few days,” Dean replied.Sam rolled his eyes at his brother’s words.
“So he’s working overtime on a “Miller Time” shift. He’ll stumble back in sooner or later.”
Dean looked down at the ground for a moment before turning back to Sam.
“Dad’s on a hunting trip. And he hasn’t been home in a few days.”
——–
You and Dean stood in the living room while Sam was in the bedroom changing. Dean continued to peruse the pictures on the walls, avoiding your glare. Finally, you spoke up.
“What the hellare we doing here, Dean? He left, and we don’t need his help finding Dad.”
“If that thing has Dad, we’re going to need all the help we can get. Like it or not, we need Sam.”
“Yeah, the old Sam. But college boy? Who’s to say he’s not going to walk us out to the car just to tell us not to come back? We don’t need him. Dean, Dad could be in danger. Every minute we’re here trying to convince someone who won’t be convinced is time we’re not helping him,” you said, eyes darting over towards the closed bedroom door in case Sam walked out.
“You don’t think I know that? Y/N, we’ve got our best chance at finding Dad if we’re together. I’m not fighting about this.” You crossed your arms but remained silent. Sam emerged from the bedroom shortly after.
“Let’s go outside,” he stated, looking between you and Dean. Dean nodded and walked to the front door, leading the two of you out of the apartment.
“You know, you guys can’t just break in in the middle of the night and expect me to hit the road with you,” Sam chastised as he followed Dean down the stairs.
“You’re not hearing me, Sammy. Dad’s missing. We need you to help us find him.”
“You remember the poltergeist in Amherst or the devil’s gates in Clifton? He was missing then, too. He’s always missing, and he’s always fine.” Sam stopped at the bottom of the stairs as Dean turned back to look at him, leaving you stuck behind him.
“Not for this long. Now, are you gonna come with us or not?”
“I’m not.”
“Why not?”
“I swore I was done hunting for good,” Sam stated.At this, you pushed past Sam to stand beside Dean.
“Come on,” Dean scoffed. ”It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t that bad.” He started walking toward the building’s exit, you and Sam on his trail.
“Yeah? When I told Dad I was scared of the thing in my closet, he gave me a .45.” You looked up at your older brother.
“What was he supposed to do?” you questioned.
“I was nine years old. He was supposed to say, ‘don’t be afraid of the dark.’”
“‘Don’t be afraid of the dark?’” Dean was incredulous. “What, are you kidding me? Of course you should be afraid. You know what’s out there.”
“Yeah, I know. Still—the way we grew up after Mom was killed, and Dad’s obsession to find the thing that killed her, but we still haven’t found the damn thing. So we kill everything we canfind.”
“Save a lot of people doing it, too. What, are we supposed to sit back and knowingly let innocent people die just because we haven’t found that one thing?” You couldn’t keep from lashing out, anger clear in your voice. Did he really think every life they saved and every monster they destroyed was negated because you’d yet to find Yellow Eyes?
“No. I just…” Sam sighed and looked at Dean. “You think Mom would have wanted this for us?” You stormed outside and over to the car, Dean close behind you. Sam followed you both, continuing his questions. “The weapon training and melting the silver into bullets? Man, we were raised like warriors.”
“So, what are you gonna do? Are you just gonna live some normal, apple-pie life? Is that it?” Dean looked back at his younger brother.
“No, not normal,” Sam replied. “Safe.”
“And that’s why you ran away. That’s why you abandoned your family,” you shot back.
“I was just going to college. It was Dad who said if I was gonna go, I should stay gone. And that’s what I’m doing.”
“That didn’t mean you had to leave Dean and me in the dust.” Your voice was softer with this, less angry and more sorrowful. Almost as if you didn’t want that heard. Sam opened his mouth to reply, but Dean spoke first.
“Dad’s in real trouble right now, if he’s not dead already. I can feel it. We can’t do this alone.”
“Yes, you can,” Sam countered before you could.
“Yeah. Well, I don’t want to.” Dean broke eye contact with Sam and looked down at the ground. Sam was silent for a minute before letting out a long sigh.
“What was he hunting?” Dean looked to you and you begrudgingly went into the backseat of the car, grabbing your backpack.
“It’s going to take me a minute to find everything,”you warned, mentally chastising yourself for throwing the papers in your bag so haphazardly before you left. The details of the demon you’d been pursuing and the information you’d helped John find before he left were intermingled in your bag. You made quick work of unshuffling the two cases.
“So when Dad left, why didn’t you guys go with him?” Sam asked Dean. Dean shrugged.
“The kid and I were working our own gigs down in New Orleans,” he replied, leaning back against the trunk of the car.
“Dad let you go on a hunting trip by yourself?” Sam chuckled.
“I’m 26, dude.”
“Finally,” you tossed your bag back into the car and stepped closer to your brothers. “Alright, so, Dad was checking out this two-lane blacktop just outside Jericho, California. About a month ago, this guy—“ you handed one of the papers to Sam. “—they found his car, but he’d vanished. Completely M.I.A.”
“So maybe he was kidnapped,” Sam theorized, looking down at the paper. You scoffed and began handing him the rest of the papers one by one while Dean opened the trunk and began rooting around.
“Yeah, well, here’s another one in April. Another one in December ’04, ’03, ’98, ’92—10 of ‘em over the past 20 years—all men, all same 5-mile stretch of road,” you finished your explanation and looked to Dean. He finally found what he was looking for and continued the run-through.
“It started happening more and more, so Dad went to go dig around. That was about three weeks ago. We hadn’t heard from him since, which is bad enough, and then I got this voicemail yesterday.” Dean hit play on the tape player and held it out for Sam to hear.
“You know there’s EVP on that?” Sam asked once the recording had stopped.
“Not bad, Sammy. Kind of like riding a bike, isn’t it?” You rolled your eyes and took the tape player from Dean.
“I slowed it down and ran it through a GoldWave, took out the hiss, and this is what I got.” You hit play and let the EVP play through.
“Never go home,” Sam repeated once the recording had finished. You handed Dean the player, and he stuck it back in the trunk before closing it up and turning back to Sam.
“You know, in almost two years, I’ve never bothered you, never asked you for a thing.” Sam sighed and looked at the apartment building before looking back at you and Dean.
“Alright, I’ll go. I’ll help you find him, but I have to get back first thing Monday. Just wait here.” He turned away and started to head back into the apartment building. You furrowed your brow.
“What’s first thing Monday?” you called after him. Sam stopped and turned back to look at you.
“I have an interview.” He seemed uneasy telling you even that.
“What, a job interview?” Dean asked. “Skip it.”
“It’s a law school interview, and it’s my whole future on a plate.” Sam straightened up a bit at this reveal, proud of his plans.
Summary:The investigation brings on new connections, revelations and deaths around every corner as you and your brothers get closer to finding the real monster of Lake Manitoc.
A/N:Thank you to everyone who sent messages while I was away. I appreciate every one of you so, so much. Thankfully (and miraculously) both of my grandparents have made full recoveries. (Still positive for COVID but symptom-free.) As usual, all dialogue taken directly from the episode will be in italics.
~ ~ ~ ~
“So, there’s the three drowning victims from this year,” Sam said, his eyes never leaving the computer screen in front of him. You were going through the clothes with Dean, silently planning a trip to the local laundromat as the “too used to wear again” pile grew larger and larger by the second.
“And before that?” Dean asked, lifting a shirt to his nose before setting it down on the bed beside him—the first of few wearable clothes.
“Uh, yeah. Six more, spread out over the past 35 years. Those bodies were never recovered, either. If there is something out there, it’s picking up its pace,” Sam replied.
“So, what? We got a lake monster on a binge?” Dean threw a pair of jeans to the large pile behind you.
“This whole lake monster theory—it just bugs me,” you cut in, mimicking your eldest brother’s actions. At this rate, you’d spend more time at the laundromat than working on the case.
“Why?”Dean asked. Sam continued to click through the articles on his screen.
“Loch Ness, Lake Champlain—there are literally hundreds of eyewitness accounts, but here, there’s almost nothing. Whatever is out there, no one’s living to talk about it,” you explained. Dean walked over to Sam, standing behind him and reading over his shoulder. He pointed at one of the articles.
“Bar. Christopher Bar. Where have I heard that name before?” he asked.
“Christopher Bar, the victim in May,” Sam mused, clicking around a bit to find the article he was looking for.
“Isn’t that Andrea’s last name?”you asked as he searched, making your way over to the table and leaning over Sam’s right shoulder. He pulled up the article he was looking for, and the three of you were met with a picture of Lucas. He was wrapped in a towel, and you could only assume it was his grandfather standing beside him.
“Huh. Christopher Bar was Andrea’s husband. Lucas’s father. Apparently, he took Lucas out swimming. Lucas was on a floating wooden platform when Chris drowned. Two hours before the kid got rescued,” Sam summarized. He clicked on the picture so it filled the screen, Lucas’s terrified face staring back at you.
“Maybe we have an eyewitness after all,” you said, moving away from the table and looking anywhere but the picture. Dean did the same, though his eyes were locked on the computer screen.
“No wonder that kid was so freaked out. Watching one of your parents die isn’t something you just get over.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Dean pulled up to the playground, and parked. He didn’t shut the car off, however, until he’d surveyed the area and spotted Andrea.
“Let’s go” was all he said before getting out of the car. He waited for you and Sam to get out before starting the walk over to where Andrea sat.
“Can we join you?” Sam asked once the three of you were in close proximity to her. Andrea looked up at the three of you and smiled.
“I’m here with my son,” she replied, glancing over at Lucas before turning back to you.
“Oh. Mind if I say ‘hi’?” Dean asked. Without waiting for a response, he turned away and walked towards Lucas. Andrea scoffed, smiling, and looked back at you and Sam.
“Tell your friend this whole “Jerry McGuire” thing’s not going to work on me,” she said.
“I don’t think that’s what this is about,” you answered, giving her a small, reassuring smile before looking back at Dean. Andrea mimicked your smile before turning her attention to Dean and her son. She rose from her seat and stood beside you on your left, Sam to your right. The three of you watched in an awkward silence for a moment, like parents only congregated to ensure their children’s safety. You decided to break the tense stillness.
“So, has Lucas always been so…reserved?” You asked, watching as Lucas almost refused to acknowledge Dean’s presence. A humorless laugh escaped Andrea’s lips, and she turned to face you.
“No, no. He used to be so talkative when he was younger. He shut down when his dad passed.”
“We’re sorry to hear that,” Sam interjected when Andrea paused. She sighed, crossing her arms. “I’ve taken him to therapists…done everything under the sun that I could, but still, Lucas hasn’t said a word. Not even to me. Not since his dad’s accident.”
“Yeah, we heard. Sorry,” said Dean as he went to stand beside her.
“What are the doctors saying?” Sam asked. Andrea sighed again, a sort of exasperated sigh that usually accompanied information relayed countless times.
“Oh, that it’s a kind of post-traumatic stress,” she replied. Something about her tone led you to believe she didn’t believe that herself.
“That can’t be easy for either of you,” you sympathized.
“We moved in with my dad. That helps a lot. It’s just…when I think about what Lucas went through—what he saw…” Andrea trailed off, focusing her gaze back on her son.
“Kids are strong. You’d be surprised what they can deal with,” Dean assured her.
“You know, he used to have such life. He was so hard to keep up with, to tell you the truth.” Her nostalgic smile was short-lived as her thoughts settled back in the present. “Now, he just sits there. Drawing those pictures, playing with those army men. I just wish—” She cut herself off when Lucas approached, bending slightly to greet the boy. “Hey, sweetie.” Lucas kept his eyes on the ground in front of him, but went to Dean’s side and held out a picture.
“Thanks.”Dean took the picture and looked down at it. “Thanks, Lucas.” He turned his head to look back at the younger boy, but he’d already set back toward the bench. Andrea watched him for a moment then looked back at Dean, mouth slightly agape.
~ ~ ~ ~
The door of your motel room swung open and Sam walked in, letting it shut itself.
“So, I think it’s safe to say we can rule out Nessie,” he announced. He looked to Dean, who sat at the end of the bed currently covered in clothes—cleanclothes you’d just brought back from the laundromat.
“What do you mean?” Dean asked as Sam sat at the edge of the second bed.
“I just drove by the Carlton’s house,” he explained. “There was an ambulance there. Will Carlton is dead.”
“He drowned?” Dean asked in disbelief.
“Yep, in the sink.”
“What the hell? So, Y/N is right; this isn’t a creature. We’re dealing with something else,” said Dean.
“Yeah, but what?” you asked, dropping the shirt in your hands. Sam shook his head.
“I don’t know. A water wraith maybe? Some kind of demon? I mean, something that controls water…” Dean trailed off, and the three of you looked at each other, eyes widening with the revelation you seemed to come to simultaneously. “Water that comes from the same source.”
“The lake,” you continued your brother’s thoughts. “Which would explain why it’s upping the body count. The lake is draining. It’ll be dry in a few months. Whatever this thing is, whatever it wants, it’s running out of time.”
“And if it can get through the pipes, it can get to anyone almost anywhere,” Sam added.
“This is going to happen again soon.” Dean moved to sit at the table and began putting his shoes back on, ready to go after this thing. You grabbed your boots from their spot beside the bed.
“And we do know one other thing for sure,” Sam continued. “We know that this has got something to do with Bill Carlton.”
“Yeah. It took both his kids,” you said, pointing out the obvious in Sam’s statement as you tied your laces.
“And I’ve been asking around. Lucas’s dad, Chris—Bill Carlton’s godson,” Sam revealed.
“Let’s go pay Mr. Carlton a visit,” Dean decided, rising from his seat.
~ ~ ~ ~
As if he’d never moved from the last time the three of you visited his home, Bill Carlton sat on his dock, looking out at the water. His back was to the house, and he made no move to acknowledge your arrival at any point as the three of you walked over. His grief was obvious in his movements—or lack of, that is—but it was a whole other thing to see the despair on his face, the sorrow in his eyes when you approached the man.
“Mr. Carlton?” Sam asked. “We’d like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind.”
“We’re from the Department of-”
“I don’t care who you’re with,” Bill cut Dean off. “I’ve answered enough questions today.” His voice quivered as he spoke, always on the verge of tears. You stepped forward to speak with him.
“Your son said he saw something in that lake. What about you? You ever see anything out there?” Your voice was empathetic, but professional—you’d found it was enough to give you an air of authority, but comforting enough to allow you to gain the trust of your witness. Bill, however, remained silent, refusing to meet your gaze. “Mr. Carlton, Sophie’s drowning and Will’s death—we think there might be a connection. To you or your family.”
“My children are gone. It’s…it’s worse than dying.” Bill blinked away tears and finally turned to look up at you. The air fell still for a moment, punctuating his words. He turned away before he spoke again. “Go away…please.” Dean nudged you before nodding his head in the direction of the car. You wouldn’t get anywhere badgering him any further. Sam and Dean left the dock, but you stayed planted in your spot, pursing your lips.
“I’m sorry,” you said softly. Bill only looked down at the ground and shut his eyes. With that, you finally turned and followed your brothers back to the car.
“What do you think?” Sam asked once you were back at the car and out of Bill’s earshot.
“I think the poor guy’s been through hell. I also think he’s not telling us something.” Dean answered.
“So now what?” Sam asked, resting his arms on the hood of the car. You went to stand beside him, ready to get in, but Dean had stopped and was now looking up at the house.
“What is it?” you asked.
“Huh. Maybe Bill’s not the only one who knows something.” He pulled Lucas’s picture out of his jacket pocket and held it out in front of him. The drawing was identical to the house standing before you.
~ ~ ~ ~
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” Andrea said, putting her hands on her hips.
“I just need to talk to him, just for a few minutes,” Dean pleaded.
“He won’t say anything. What good’s it gonna do?” Andrea asked him. Sam was the one to answer her.
“Andrea, we think more people might get hurt. We think something’s happening out there.”
“My husband, the others—they just drowned. That’s all.” Andrea shook her head, adamant in her beliefs. You sighed.
“If that’s what you really believe, then we’ll go,” you said. “But if you think there’s even a possibility that something else could be going on here, please let Dean talk to your son.” Andrea didn’t reply, and she cast her gaze downward. You could practically see the gears turning as she weighed the pros and cons of letting the three of you upstairs. Moments later, she looked back at the three of you and nodded.
“Alright.” She moved past you and walked up the stairs, motioning for the three of you to follow. You stood against the wall once you’d all reached Lucas’s room, standing close enough to see what was going on, but far enough back to give Dean space to do his thing without an audience. He stepped into the room and knelt down on the floor beside Lucas.
“Hey, Lucas. Remember me?” It was silent for a moment as he looked down at two of Lucas’s pictures. “You know, I, uh…I wanted to thank you for that last drawing. But the thing is, I need your help again.” Dean pulled the picture of the Carlton house out of his pocket and set it down in front of Lucas. “How did you know to draw this? Did you know something bad was gonna happen? Maybe you could nod yes or no for me. You’re scared.” Dean nodded. “It’s okay. I understand. See, when I was your age, I saw something real bad happen to my mom, and I was scared, too. I didn’t feel like talking, just like you. But, see, my mom, I know she wanted me to be brave. I think about that everyday. And I do my best to be brave. And maybe your dad wants you to be brave, too.” You quickly wiped a tear from your eye. The three of you had always had a bond, having lost your mothers to demons at such young ages, but Dean was the only one with real, concrete memories of Mary. Having been two when your own mother passed, you had a vague recollection of her, but nothing as real as what Dean had.
Suddenly, Angela’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open again. You looked back into the room to see what you had missed. Lucas was looking up at Dean, meeting his eyes. He grabbed another picture and held it out to your brother.Dean looked down at it then smiled at the boy. “Thanks, Lucas.”
~ ~ ~ ~
You sat in the back of the car, leaning forward and looking over Sam’s shoulder at the picture he held in his hands. Dean sped down the street, headed back towards the motel.
“Andrea said the kid never drew like that ’til his dad died,” Dean said.
“There are cases. Going through a traumatic experience could make certain people more sensitive to premonitions, psychic tendencies—” Sam relayed some Supernatural Psychology 101, but was cut off by Dean.
“Whatever’s out there, what if Lucas is tapping into it somehow?” He asked. Sam started to respond, but Dean continued his thought. “I mean, it’s only a matter of time before somebody else drowns. So if you got a better lead, please.”
“Alright,”Sam relented. “We got another house to find.”
“The only problem is, there’s about a thousand yellow two-stories in this county alone,” Dean complained. You reached forward and took the picture from Sam, moving it so Dean could better see it.
“See this church?” You asked, pointing to the building in the foreground. “Bet there’s less than a thousand of those around here.”
“Oh, kid thinks she’s so smart,” Dean mocked. You smirked.
“Only ‘cause I am,” you responded triumphantly, sitting back in your seat and setting the picture down next to you. Sam chuckled at the two of you before looking at Dean, shifting the mood of the car when he began to speak.
“You know, uh, what you said about mom—you never told me that before.” Dean kept his eyes on the road ahead.
“It’s no big deal,” he replied, voice monotone. He looked over at Sam when the younger brother refused to look away and grimaced. “Oh, god, we’re not gonna have to hug or anything, are we?” Sam smiled but shook his head, finally turning away from Dean. The two of them remained silent, though, and you decided to break the tension.
“Aw, look at college boy, all in touch with his feelings,” you teased, reaching forward to push on Sam’s shoulder. “You’re turning it into a real chick-flick in here.” You sat back and smiled when your brothers started laughing; your job was done.
~ ~ ~ ~
It had taken a little over half an hour to find the location from Lucas’s drawing, but your assertion had been correct and the three of you had found the white church and, subsequently, the yellow house with relative ease. You had opted to stay in the car this time, letting Sam and Dean go investigate this part of the puzzle. You didn’t have a good feeling about what they were going to find, and after your encounter with Bill, you thought it best to stay back, lest you start getting emotional. Sam and Dean were back in the car within twenty minutes and as always, were quick to fill you in on their discoveries.
“Okay, this little boy, Peter Sweeney, vanishes, and this is all connected to Bill Carlton somehow,” you summarized, looking between the two of them.
“Yeah, Bill sure as hell seems to be hiding something, huh?” Dean nodded, eyes on the road in front of him as he drove down the street, on his way back to the Carlton house.
“And Bill—the people he loves—they’re all getting punished,” Sam continued.
“So what if Bill did something to Peter?” Dean asked, connecting the dots in front of you.
“What if Bill killedhim?”Sam specified.
“Peter’s spirit would be furious,” you said. “It’d want revenge. I mean, it’s possible.”
You were back at Bill’s house minutes later. The three of you got out and looked to the dock, only to find it empty.
“Mr. Carlton!” Sam called, looking around. Dean looked back to the water and spotted Bill in the boat, going out into the water.
“Hey, check it out,” he said, getting you and Sam to follow his gaze. The three of you ran down the beach and onto the dock, calling after Bill.
“Turn the boat around! Come back here!” you yelled, your brothers calling out similarly. Bill only looked back at you before turning his head and speeding up. Seconds later the boat shot out of the water, flying back towards the dock. You jumped back at the sudden explosion of water. The boat landed upside down on top of Bill and, almost instantly, both disappeared under the water.
Summary:After another disagreement with Sam about how the trio is handling John’s disappearance, the Winchesters set out to Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin to investigate the drownings.
A/N:just so i don’t disappear for a while without a word, i’m going to try to remain consistent-ish with my posts, but my grandparents both have COVID and i’m not super motivated right now. if things get worse, i probably won’t be on for a bit. please bear with me through it. as always, dialogue taken directly from the episode is in italics.
~ ~ ~ ~
You sat beside Dean at the counter of the small diner, looking through a newspaper while he read another. Your waitress walked over and stopped in front of Dean, smiling at him. She leaned in close to him and smiled.
“Can I get you anything else?” she asked. You circled an obituary a few times, shaking your head.
“Just the check, please,” you replied without looking up at her. Sam walked over and took his seat on the other side of Dean while the waitress walked away. Dean hung his head then looked over at you.
“You know, Y/N, we are allowed to have fun once in a while.” He pointed over at the waitress. “That’s fun.” You only rolled your eyes in response.
“Here. Take a look at this. I think I got one.” you pushed the paper towards him. He took it and placed it between him and Sam. “Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week, Sophie Carlton, 18, walks into the lake, doesn’t walk out. Authorities dragged the water—nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found, either. They had a funeral two days ago.”
“A funeral?” Sam asked, looking up from the paper. His disbelief was clear.
“Yeah. They buried an empty coffin for closure or whatever,” you replied with a shrug.
“Closure? What closure? People don’t just disappear. Other people just stop looking for them.” Dean looked over at you then turned the stool to fully face Sam.
“Something you want to say to us?”
“The trail for Dad—it’s getting closer every day.”
“Exactly. So, what are we supposed to do?”
“I don’t know. Something. Anything.”
“You know what? I’m sick of this attitude. You don’t think me and Y/N want to find Dad as much as you do?”
“Yeah, I know you do. It’s just-” Dean continued to talk over him.
“Me and Y/N are the ones that have been with him every single day for the past two years while you’ve been off to college going to pep rallies. We will find Dad, but until then, we’re going to kill everything bad between here and there. Okay?” Sam didn’t reply. Instead, the two of them stared at each other, waiting for the other to make a move. You rolled your eyes and stood up.
“I’ll be in the car when you two are finished,” you said.
“Y/N-” Sam started, but you cut him off.
“No. I’m sick and tired of this. Dean’s right, you haven’t been here. This is how we do things. Even you just said you don’t know what we should do. God, if you want to do things your own way, just shut up and go. As soon as this is over, you’re going to leave anyway.” You turned to look at Dean. “This is exactlywhat I warned you about.” You looked between the two of them once more, shook your head, and walked out. Dean sighed and straightened up in his seat, piling the papers together. Sam cleared his throat.
“Alright. Lake Manitoc. Hey, how far?”
~ ~ ~ ~
You followed Sam and Dean up to the door, standing behind them. You smoothed out your jacket and readied your badge while Dean knocked on the door. A man opened the door almost immediately.
“Will Carlton?” Dean asked. Will nodded.
“Yeah. That’s right.” You held up your badge at the same time Sam and Dean lifted theirs.
“I’m Agent Ford. These are Agents Hamill and…Fisher.We’re with the U.S. Wildlife Service.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Will led the three of you outside. His father sat out on a bench on their dock, and Will watched him for a few seconds before turning back to the three of you.“She was about a hundred yards out. That’s where she got dragged down.”
“And you’re sure she didn’t just drown?” Dean asked.
“Yeah. She was a varsity swimmer. She practically grew up in that lake. She’s as safe out there as in her own bathtub.”
“So, no splashing, no signs of distress?” Sam asked.
“No. That’s what I’m telling you.” Will replied.
“Did you see any shadows in the water? Maybe some dark shape breach the surface?” You were the one to speak this time.
“No. Again, she was really far out there.”
“You ever see any strange tracks by the shoreline?” you followed up.
“No, never. Why? Why? What do you think is out there?” Will’s eyes met each of yours, begging for an answer.
“We’ll let you know as soon as we do,” Dean answered. With that, he turned around and walked back to the car. You began to follow but stopped and looked back when Sam remained planted in his position.
“What about your father? Can we talk to him?” Sam asked. His eyes never left the older man’s shape. Will sighed and glanced back at his father.
“Look, if you don’t mind, I mean, he didn’t see anything, and he’s kind of been through a lot.”
“We understand.” Sam nodded. He finally turned away and followed you back to the car.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Now, I’m sorry, but why does the wildlife service care about an accidental drowning?” Jake asked, opening the gate on the side of the desk to let the three of you in.
“You sure it’s accidental? Will Carlton saw something grab his sister.” Sam spoke, the three of you following Jake into his office.
“Like what?” His annoyance was already made clear in his tone. He gestured to the chairs in front of his desk as he walked further into the room.“Here. Sit, please.” You pulled a chair over and sat beside Sam.“There are no indigenous carnivores in that lake. There’s nothing even big enough to pull down a person unless it was the Loch Ness Monster.”
“Yeah, right,” Dean said. You leaned forward in your chair slightly to exchange a look with him before sitting back and turning your attention back to Jake.
“Will Carlton was traumatized, and sometimes the mind plays tricks,” Jake continued, finally sitting down. “Still, we dragged the entire lake. We even ran a sonar sweep just to be sure, and there was nothing down there.”
“That’s weird, though. I mean, that’s the third missing body this year,” you said, narrowing your eyes slightly.
“I know.” Jake’s voice was softer now, sorrowful. “These are people from my town. These are people I care about.”
“I know” Dean replied.
“Anyway…”Jake sighed, throwing his hands up as he leaned back in his chair..“All this, it won’t be a problem much longer.”
“What do you mean?” Dean asked. Jake looked at him quizzically.
“Well, the dam, of course.”
“Of course.” Dean looked over at you and Sam with widened eyes before continuing. “The dam. It’s, uh, it sprung a leak.”
“It’s falling apart. And the Feds won’t give us the grant to repair it. So they’ve opened the spillway.” Jake moved in his seat, resting his arms on the desk while he eyed Dean. “In another six months, there won’t be much of a lake. There won’t be much of a town, either. But as Federal Wildlife, you already knew that.” He looked at the three of you, suspicion lighting up his eyes.
“Exactly,”you nodded, trying to save face any way you could. Before anything more could be said, a woman entered the room.
“Sorry, am I interrupting? I can come back later,” she said, looking at Jake.
“Agents, this is my daughter,” Jake introduced as the four of you stood. Dean walked over and held out his hand.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Dean,” he smirked.
“Angela Bar. Hi,” she replied, shaking his hand.
“Hi.”Dean’s eyes never left hers, that is until Jake spoke up.
“They’re from the Wildlife Service about the lake,” Jake explained, interrupting your brother’s flirting.
“Oh,”Angela said. Her voice was barely audible. A young boy stepped out from behind Angela.
“Oh, hey there. What’s your name?” Dean asked him. The boy kept his gaze on the floor, then turned and walked out of the room. Angela looked at the four of you apologetically before following the boy.
“His name is Lucas,” said Jake. Through the doorway, you watched Angela help Lucas pick some crayons out of the box.
“Is he okay?” you asked, glancing back at Jake.
“My grandson’s been through a lot. We all have,” he sighed. With that, he walked around his desk and over to the door.“Well, if there’s anything else I can do for you, please let me know.”
“Thanks,”Sam said as you all filed out of the office.
“Hey, you know, now that you mentioned it, could you point us in the direction of a reasonably priced motel?” Dean looked to Angela.
“Lakefront Motel. Go around the corner. It’s two blocks up,” she replied with a smile.You and Sam turned to leave but stopped when Dean spoke again.
“Two…would you mind showing us?” he asked. You looked at Sam and rolled your eyes.
“You want me to walk you two blocks?” Angela scoffed.
“Not if it’s any trouble,” Dean replied.
“I’m headed that way anyway,” she said before looking over at Jake. “I’ll be back to pick up Lucas at three.” She leaned down and hugged Lucas from behind. “We’ll go to the park, okay, sweetie?” After kissing the side of his head, she stood and went to the front door.
“Thanks again,” Sam nodded at Jake before following you and Dean out of the building and after Angela.
“So, cute kid,” Dean said as soon as you made your way down the street.
“Thanks,”Angela smiled, crossing the street.
“Kids are the best, huh?” You and Sam started laughing softly and Dean shot a look at you both, a silent “shut up.”
“There it is.” Angela gestured to the motel across the street. “Like I said, two blocks.”
“Thanks,”you said, ready to head in. She nodded then looked at Dean, sighing.
“Must be hard with your sense of direction. Never being able to find your way to a decent pick-up line.” You turned around to try and hold back a laugh while Angela crossed the street again. “Enjoy your stay,” she called over her shoulder. You contained yourself and looked to Dean.
“I like her,” you smiled.
“‘Kids are the best?’ You don’t even like kids.” Sam criticized.
“I love kids,” Dean shot back.
“Name three children that you even know,” Sam challenged. Dean went silent; you could practically see the gears in his head trying to form an answer. Sam shook his head and walked into the motel, you at his heels.
“I’m thinking!” Dean called out, following the two of you in.
Characters:Reader, Dean, Sam, Hailey, Ben, Roy, Tommy
Age:20
Warnings:character death, dead body, (flare) gun use/mention.
Word Count: 2,446
Summary:The wendigo closes in and makes an attack. After going on a search for the creature, the Winchesters are separated. Sam, Ben, and Y/N have to work quickly to save Dean and Hailey and take down the creature once and for all.
A/N:check that out; got this one finished in 3 parts instead of 4! (i was originally aiming to have them all be 3, but the pilot had me thinking they’d all be super long lmao)now i’m going to go cry for about 6 years bc of jennamarbles’s latest video! as always, dialogue taken directly from the show is in italics.
~ ~ ~ ~
“Help me! Help!”
You, Sam, and Dean shot up and cautiously but quickly walked back to the campsite. Roy cocked his gun uselessly as the three of you approached. You aimed your flashlight into the woods, trying to catch a glimpse of the screaming creature.
“It’s trying to draw us out. Just stay cool. Stay put,” Dean directed.
“Inside the magic circle?” Roy mocked. You glared at him but were quickly vindicated when the wendigo’s growl seemed to send a shiver down his spine. “Okay. That’s no grizzly.”
Hailey took Ben’s hand and the two sat back on the log they’d been occupying earlier, comforting him as they did: “It’s okay. We’ll be alright. I promise.” The wendigo ran past the circle and she screamed. You jumped back, and Roy stepped closer, gun drawn.
“It’s here.” He took a shot at the brush, then turned and shot at another spot. The wendigo howled. “I hit it!” Roy jumped over the symbols and ran into the woods.
“Roy, no! Roy!” Dean called after him, trying to stop him. He looked back at Hailey and Ben. “Don’t move!” With that, he led you and Sam after Roy.
“It’s over here! It’s in the tree!” A voice called out. Suddenly, everything was silent. The two of you stopped and looked around, but Roy was gone.
~ ~ ~ ~
The woods were silent for the rest of the night. Sam found a spot against a tree stump to keep watch hours ago, and he’d yet to move. You and Dean were up at the campsite with Hailey and Ben, ensuring their safety.
“I don’t…I mean, these types of things aren’t supposed to be real,” Hailey said. Dean moved from his place beside one of the tents and sat beside her.
“I wish I could tell you different,” he sighed.
“How do we know it’s not out there watching us?” She asked, looking to Dean.
“We don’t,” you replied, keeping your eyes out on the woods. You glanced over in time to see Dean shoot you a look before he turned back to Hailey.
“But,we’re safe for now,” Dean reassured her. You rolled your eyes and went back to being the lookout. Hailey nodded then spoke again, her voice a bit softer.
“How do you know about this stuff?” Dean looked away for a moment before answering.
“It kind of runs in the family.” Before Hailey could ask another question, Dean stood up and Sam walked over, breathing heavily..
“Hey. So, we’ve got half a chance in the daylight. And I, for one, want to kill this evil son of a bitch,” Sam said. You turned around to look at him.
“You know I’m in,” you replied, stepping away from your post and closer to the group.
~ ~ ~ ~
As Dean readied the supplies you needed, you and Sam stood with Haley and Ben, getting them prepared for what they were about to face. You held out the journal, open to the page on wendigos, and gave them the basic summary.
“Wendigo is a Cree Native American word. It means ‘evil that devours,’” you shut the journal. “They’re hundreds of years old. Each one was once a man, sometimes a Native American, or other times a frontiersman or a miner or hunter.”
“How’s a man turn into one of these things?” Hailey asked.
“It’s always the same. During some harsh winter, a guy finds himself starving, cut off from supplies or help. He becomes a cannibal to survive, eating other members of his tribe or camp,” you answered.
“Like the Donner party,” Ben spoke up. Sam nodded.
“That’s right. Cultures all over the world believe that eating human flesh gives a person certain abilities—speed, strength, immortality,” he explained. Dean, finished with the weapons, stood and walked over.
“If you eat enough of it, over the years, you become this less-than-human thing. You’re always hungry,” Dean continued Sam’s thought.
“So, if that’s true, how can Tommy still be alive?” Hailey asked. You shook your head.
“You’re not gonna like it,” you warned her. She pressed on, demanding an answer. You sighed but spoke again. “More than anything, a wendigo knows how to last long winters without food. It hibernates for years at a time. When it’s awake, it,uh…”you trailed off and looked to your brothers, silently asking them to give her the news. Dean continued for you.
“It keeps its victims alive. It stores them so it can feed whenever it wants. If your brother’s alive, it’s keeping him somewhere dark, quiet, and safe. And we gotta track it back there.” You went to the bag of supplies as Hailey asked her next question.
“And then how do we stop it?”
“Well, guns are useless. So are knives,” Dean replied.
“Basically,”you cut in, holding up a rag, lighter, and some lighter fuel. “We gotta torch the sucker.
~ ~ ~ ~
The five of you made your way through the woods. Claw marks were spotted on the trees awhile back, and you used them as your guide to the wendigo’s lair. Suddenly, Sam stopped and called you and Dean over, looking up at all the claw marks in the trees. He pointed upwards, and you looked around to see the claw marks on every single tree, circling where the five of you stood.
“You know, I was thinking. Those claw marks, so clear and distinct,” Sam chuckled humorlessly.
“They were almost too easy to follow,” you finished his thought, voice barely audible. As if on cue, the wendigo ran past, back and forth around the area. You looked around, trying to get an idea of where it could be when Hailey screamed. You turned around in time to see Roy’s body fall on the ground. Hailey fell to the ground when she jumped out the way. Sam ran to her aid, and you went to Roy, putting your hand to his neck to feel for a pulse. You looked up at Dean immediately after, shaking your head. “His neck’s broken.”
“Okay, run, run!” Dean grabbed your arm and pulled you up while Sam helped Hailey. “Go, go, go, go, go!” The five of you rushed out of the area. Dean and Hailey ran ahead, but Ben tripped and fell to the ground. You and Sam stayed back to help him up. The three of you chased after Dean and Hailey, trying to cover the lost ground. Hailey screamed. You ran faster. Sam stopped at the bottom of a small hill when Ben called out for Hailey. You watched Sam bend down and pick something up off the ground; The top of Dean’s Molotov Cocktail. Your eyes widened and you looked around the area.
“Dean!”
~ ~ ~ ~
“If it keeps its victims alive, why would it kill Roy?” Ben asked, walking through the woods at Sam’s side. You led them a few feet ahead, searching for a clue.
“Honestly? I think because Roy shot at it, he pissed it off,” Sam replied. You stopped and nervously fixed your hair before closing your eyes and throwing your head back. Sam pursed his lips then walked over to you, putting a hand on your shoulder.
“Hey, Y/N, we’re going to find him,” he assured. You quickly turned away from him and wiped your eyes, shaking your head.
“I know, I know. I just…” you sighed. “We can’t lose him, Sam. He’s all I got.”
“I’m right here, Y/N. I’m not going anywhere.” You scoffed at Sam’s words.
“Yeah, I’ve heard that before. Sam, what’s keeping you here if Dean’s gone. He’sthe one who convinced you to come. He’sthe one that’s been able to talk you down. Besides, as soon as we find Dad and we get whatever killed Jess, you’re leaving, right? Right?” You shook your head again. “We have to find Dean.” Sam opened his mouth to reply, but Ben spoke up first.
“Hey, they went this way!” He called out, holding up an M&M. You went over to him, Sam right behind you. He took the M&M from Ben and chuckled.
“It’s better than breadcrumbs.” He chuckled again. You quickly began following the trail of candies, Ben and Sam on your trail again.
~ ~ ~ ~
Sam silently moved through the brush. Ben followed behind him, and you made up the rear, watching out for anything on your trail. Sam stopped at the entrance to the mine and looked through the opening in the old wooden fence. He looked back at you and shrugged before ducking under the top of the fence and slipping inside. You let Ben go in before you, made one last visual sweep of the woods, and went inside. Sam led both of you through the tunnels. He signaled for you to get against the wall then reached out and pushed Ben against the wall, covering his mouth when the wendigo walked out of the mine. One the coast was clear, Sam moved away from the wall and down to where the wendigo had emerged from.
You continued down the path for a few minutes, suddenly stopping when the wood began to creak. You looked back at Sam just as the wood cracked and the ground gave out beneath you. It was a short fall, but it still took you a minute to recover. Ben jumped away from a skull an inch in front of him, and Sam was soon at his side to calm him. While he did, you sat up and looked around. You turned your head to the right and gasped at the sight of Dean and Hailey hanging from the ceiling by their arms. You ran over to Dean.
“Dean, come on,” you softly pleaded, shaking your brother. Ben ran to Hailey and tried to wake her up. Dean’s eyes shot open and you let out a sigh of relief. “Hey, you okay.” He grunted in response. Sam went to Ben and helped him get Hailey down while you helped Dean. Once the pair were seated on the ground, Dean began groaning in pain. You looked at him, eyes slightly widened with fear.
“You sure you’re alright?” He brushed you off with a wave of his hand.
“Yeah, yeah. Where is it?” His voice was strained, but he was doing everything in his power to fake his well-being.
“It’s gone for now,” Sam answered him. With Ben’s help, Hailey stood up and walked over to Tommy.
“Tommy.”She grabbed his face, but gasped and jumped back when Tommy’s eyes opened and he took a breath in. She turned back to Sam. “Get him down.” While Sam helped her, you and Dean began digging through the backpacks beside you. Dean looked to you and smiled after a minute of digging, pulling out a gun. You smiled and pulled out one of your own.
“Hey, check it out,” Dean called over to Sam, standing up and holding his gun up.
“Flare guns,” Sam smiled. “Those’ll work.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Armed with a flare gun each, Sam and Dean led your group towards the entrance of the mine. Like before, you took up the rear, ensuring there were no attacks from behind. You kept your flare gun ready, finger centimeters from the trigger. Dean and Sam stopped when the wendigo began growling. Sam held his gun out in front of him.
“Looks like someone’s home for supper,” Dean commented.
“We’ll never outrun it,” Hailey said, looking at Dean as she struggled to keep Tommy up, even with Ben’s help. Dean glanced back at her then looked between you and Sam.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yeah.” You nodded. Sam looked back at him.
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Alright, listen to me,” Dean instructed the three siblings. “Stay with Sam. He’s gonna get you out of here.”
“What are you going to do?” Hailey asked. Dean only winked in response before walking down the tunnel.
“It’s chow time, you freakin’ bastard!” He called out. You looked at Sam, nodded, then followed after Dean.
“Yeah, that’s right! Bring it on, baby!” You yelled once you were a few feet away from everyone else. Dean waited until you were behind him before he began running.
“We taste good!” Dean yelled. You were hot on his trail, stopping once to look around when you didn’t hear any sign of the wendigo.
“You want some white meat, bitch? We’re right here!” You looked around once more then ran after Dean. The two of you continued through the tunnels, yelling out for the creature. You kept an eye on Dean as you ran, watching as he held his arm against his stomach, almost refusing to move it.
Sam screamed and shot his gun towards the entrance of the tunnel. You turned and ran towards the area, willing your legs to move faster than they ever had. You and Dean reached the area as the wendigo closed in on Sam and the three siblings. It threw its head back and roared, giving you and Dean enough time to aim your guns.
“Hey!”Dean called out. The wendigo turned and the two of you shot your guns, hitting it in two separate spots. It lit up from the inside out and fell to the ground. Once it was dead, Dean looked over at Sam and smiled. “Not bad, huh?”
~ ~ ~ ~
You and Sam led Ben over to where Hailey and Dean stood once Ben finished giving his statement to the officer. Hailey turned to look at Ben.
“Let’s go,” she said. She turned back to Dean then leaned in and kissed his cheek. “I hope you find your father. Thanks, Sam. You, too, Y/N.” Hailey smiled at you and Sam before putting her arm around Ben and leading him over to the ambulance Tommy was in. You leaned against the car on one side of Dean, Sam mimicking your actions on the other side.
“Man, I hate camping,” you said, shaking your head.
“Me, too,” Dean and Sam agreed simultaneously. Dean pursed his lips and looked down at the ground for a moment before looking over at Sam.
“You know we’re gonna find Dad, right?” He asked. Sam sighed.
“Yeah, I know. But in the meantime…I’m driving.” Sam held his hands out for the keys, but Dean stayed silent. Finally, he tossed him the set and walked around the car to the passenger’s side.
“Oh, that is sonot fair!” you complained as Sam got in the car.
“Youcrashed her into a house,” Dean replied, sliding into the passenger seat. You groaned and got in the backseat.
“It was one time!”you shot back. Sam smiled and revved the engine before speeding off out of the parking lot.
Summary:The Winchesters crash Hailey’s search and rescue team, hoping to find John and the creature before it finds them. But, a close encounter with the creature leaves Sam adamant to get every non-Winchester out of the woods and his siblings worried for their brother.
A/N:All dialogue taken from the episode is in italics.
~ ~ ~ ~
Again, you decided to stay back and let Dean and Sam do the interrogation. They filled you in on all the details as soon as they got back from Shaw’s house, and you had to admit you were glad you didn’t go. As much as you loved hunting, sometimes the stories of those involved with these creatures…they got to you; you felt their sorrow. Shaw’s tale was heartbreaking, and you didn’t know if you’d have been able to hold it together were you to have accompanied your brothers.
You double-checked the weapons in the duffel Dean had packed up the night before as the three of you drove into the woods. There was enough of an assortment that you felt comfortable going up against anything that could be thrown at you, and you were sure your father would have even more ammo to add to your supply. You’d be set. Dean pulled up behind the guide’s truck and parked. Hailey, Ben, and the guide watched as you all got out of the car.
“You guys got room for three more?” Dean asked, shutting the door and leading you and Sam over to Hailey.
“Wait, you want to come with us?” Hailey asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Who are these guys?” the guide asked, eyeing the three of you suspiciously.
“Apparently this is all the park service could muster up,” Hailey replied, glancing back over her shoulder to look at him.
“You’re rangers?” Disbelief was clear in the guide’s voice.
“That’s right,” Dean shot back. Sam began to head into the woods, ignoring the conversation. You glanced up at Dean then followed Sam. It didn’t matter whether they believed your cover or not, you just needed to get into the woods and find John.
“And you’re hiking out in biker boots and jeans?” Hailey questioned, looking Dean up and down.
“Well, sweetheart, I don’t do shorts,” Dean smirked, following your lead. The guide stopped him.
“Oh, you think this is funny? It’s dangerous backcountry out there. Her brother might be hurt.” You rolled your eyes and turned back to look at him. If only he knew everything the three of you had seen. Sam stopped and followed suit as Dean spoke up.
“Believe me, I know how dangerous it can be. We just want to help them find their brother. That’s all.” Dean began walking up the trail with you and Sam and, finally, Hailey, Ben, and the guide followed.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“So, Roy, you said you did a little hunting,” Dean said as the six of you walked further into the woods. You looked around the area, trying to find anythingthat would give you a clue as to where John was.
“Yeah, more than a little,” was all Roy gave in response, a hint of irritation lacing the words.
“Uh-huh. What kind of furry critters do you hunt?”
“Mostly buck. Sometimes bear.”
“Tell me, uh, Bambi or Yogi ever hunt you back?” Dean asked, stepping ahead of Roy. You chuckled lightly at Dean’s words, but the mood quickly shifted as Roy grabbed the back of Dean’s jacket and pulled him back. You balled your hands into fists, ready to fight. Dean looked to Roy. “Whatcha doing, Roy?”
Roy let go of Dean’s jacket then reached down and grabbed a stick off the ground. You and Hailey jumped when he reached the stick out and set off the bear trap directly in front of Dean. Roy dropped the stick and looked back to Dean.
“You should watch where you’re going stepping…Ranger.” With that, he pressed on, walking further down the trail. Dean chuckled and turned back to you, Sam, Hailey, and Ben.
“It’s a bear trap.” He continued on after Roy, the four of you following. Hailey rushed forward to match his pace.
“You didn’t pack any provisions. You guys are carrying a duffel bag. You’re not rangers, so who the hell are you?” Hailey grabbed Dean’s arm, forcing him to turn back and face her. Dean looked to you and Sam as Ben walked ahead. You looked up to Sam then back at Dean and nodded. She should know the truth now before things turned ugly. Sam nodded as well then nudged you.
“C’mon, Y/N,” he prodded, gesturing for you to go ahead. You shook your head and mimicked his gesture.
“No way am I almost breaking an ankle againbecause of you. You first.” Sam shook his head but stepped forward and began following after Ben, you on his trail. Dean began talking with Hailey.
“Y’know, it’s not my fault you didn’t watch where you were going,” Sam teased as the two of you walked together. You rolled your eyes and looked up at him, unable to keep the smile off your face.
“It’s kind of hard to watch where you’re going when you’re fiveand your brother is chasing after you with a handful of worms,” you retorted, shuddering as you thought back to that day. John was having Dean do some target practice, which left you and Sam to occupy yourselves. The then seven-year-old Sam had dug up about fifteen worms and tried to stick one down the back of your shirt when you weren’t paying attention. You caught him at the last second and ran, starting a chase through the trees, screams and giggles filling the air. You turned back to see how close Sam was, missing the hole in the ground in front of you. Your foot slipped in and you were on the ground before you even knew what happened.
“Munchkin! You want some M&M’s?” Dean called out from behind you, pulling you out of your thoughts with the nickname he’d saddled you with since childhood. You turned around to face him. He and Hailey had begun walking again, and he was holding up the bag of candy.
“Call me that again and I’ll make sure you end up in the next bear trap,” you replied, arms crossed. “But, yes, please!”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“This is it—Black Water Ridge,” Roy said, stopping when he reached the small clearing.
“What coordinates are we at?” Sam asked, moving past him and looking around. Roy got his GPS out of his jacket.
“35 and minus 111,” he read off the screen. Dean walked over to Sam, putting his hand on your shoulder and pulling you with him.
“You hear that?” he asked, voice lowered.
“Yeah,”Sam replied, staring straight ahead into the next group of trees.
“Not even crickets,” you added, looking around the area. Roy put his GPS back in his jacket.
“I’m gonna go take a look around.” Sam quickly looked at him.
“You shouldn’t go off by yourself,” he warned, turning back to look at that same spot he’d been staring at before. Roy chuckled mockingly.
“That’s sweet. Don’t worry about me.” He readied his gun and pushed past the three of you to walk deeper into the woods. Dean watched him for a moment then looked to the rest of the group.
“Alright. Everyone stays together. Let’s go,” he instructed, following Roy’s trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Hailey! Over here!” Roy called out, sending all five of you running to his location. He’d found the campsite. The tent was torn to shreds and belongings were thrown all over the site; blood was everywhere.
“Oh my god,” said Hailey.
“Looks like a grizzly,” Roy commented. You began walking the scene, taking in each rip in the tent, and track on the ground. Hailey began calling Tommy’s name, and Sam was quick to run over and quiet her. You noticed Dean walk away from the site, following something but continued looking for some kind of clues where you were. You were inspecting the tears in the tent when Dean called for you and Sam.
“The bodies were dragged from the campsite. But here, the tracks just vanish. It’s weird,” Dean informed the two of you once you’d reached him and knelt down beside him to see the tracks’ end.
“I’ll tell you what. It’s no skinwalker or black dog,” Dean said, standing. He looked around for a moment before walking back to the campground. You looked to Sam momentarily before following Dean. He was beside Hailey, comforting her as she held Tommy’s broken phone in her hands. Suddenly, a voice screamed for help. The five of you ran towards the sounds, Dean and Roy with their weapons drawn. You stopped at a ledge and spread out.
“It seemed like it was coming from around here, didn’t it?” Hailey asked. You continued looking out into the woods, narrowing your eyes.
“Everyone back to camp,” you said suddenly, turning and leading the group back.
“Our packs!” Hailey threw her hands up in the air upon seeing everything was gone.
“So much for my GPS and satellite phone,” Roy grumbled.
“What the hell’s going on?” Hailey asked.
“It’s smart. It wants to cut us off so we can’t call for help,” you said, shaking your head.
“You mean someone. Some nutjob out there just stole all our gear,” Roy thought he corrected. You rolled your eyes and went over to Sam and Dean as he spoke.
“I need to speak with you…in private.” Before either could respond, you walked off, away from the campsite. Once you were a reasonable distance away from Hailey, Roy, and Ben, you stopped.
“Okay. Let me see Dad’s journal.” Dean handed it to you, and you quickly found the page you needed. “Alright. Check that out.” You turned the book so they could see. Dean took one look at the page then looked at you.
“Oh, come on. Wendigos are in the Minnesota woods or Northern Michigan. I’ve never even heard of one this far west,” he scoffed.
“Think about it, Dean. Thespeed, the way it can mimic a human voice.”
“The claws,” Sam added. Dean looked between the two of you then sighed.
“Great. Well, then, this is useless,” he said, holding up his gun. You shut the journal and handed it back to him.
“We gotta get these people to safety.” Sam’s urgency was clear in his tone and the way in which he turned away from you and Dean and went back to the campsite. Dean shared a look with you before following your brother.
“Alright, listen up. It’s time to go. Things have gotten more complicated,” Sam directed as he walked onto the site.
“What?”Hailey asked, pressing for more information.
“Don’t worry. Whatever’s out there, I think I can handle it,” Roy spoke. The arrogance in his voice made your hands ball into fists. Had you met him under any other circumstance, you’d have decked him three hours ago.
“It’s not me I’m worried about. If you shoot this thing, you’re just gonna make it mad. We have to leave. Now.”
“One, you’re talking nonsense. Two, you’re in no position to give anybody orders,” Roy shot back at Sam.
“Relax,”Dean said, looking at Roy.
“We never should have let you come out here in the first place, alright? I’m trying to protect you,” Sam warned Roy. Roy moved closer to him, growing angrier.
“Youprotectme?I was hunting these woods when your mommy was still kissing you good night!”
“Yeah? It’s a damn-near-perfect hunter. It’s smarter than you. And it’s gonna hunt you down and eat you alive unless we get your stupid, sorry ass out of here.” Sam’s voice was condescending as he looked down on Roy. Roy laughed in his face and hit Sam’s arm.
“You know you’re crazy, right?”
“Yeah? You ever a wen-“ Sam was cut off when Dean shoved him away from Roy. You moved with Dean, standing between Roy and Sam to avoid either of them letting the situation escalate even further.
“Roy, Roy! Stop. Stop it! Everybody just stop.” Hailey looked around the group then let her eyes fall on Sam. “Look, Tommy might still be alive. And I’m not leaving here without him.”
“It’s getting late,” you said after a moment of silence. “This thing is a good hunter in the day, but an unbelievable hunter at night. We’ll never beat it. Not in the dark.”
“We need to settle in and protect ourselves,” Dean continued.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
You were on the ground, helping Dean draw the symbols in the dirt. Hailey and Ben watched on from their spot in front of the fire. You glanced over to Sam for what was probably the fiftieth time. He’d isolated himself on a log a few feet away ages ago and was yet to move.
“Once more time. That’s…”
“Anasazi symbols. It’s for protection. The wendigo can’t cross over them,” you answered Hailey, keeping your head down. Roy laughed. Once you’d finished your last symbol, you stood and tossed your stick in his direction, narrowly missing the man…accidentally, of course. You mouthed ‘sorry,’ and turned away before he could see your smirk.
“Nobody likes a skeptic, Roy,” Dean said. He finished drawing the symbol then stood, dusting the dirt off his pants. “Y/N.” He gestured in Sam’s direction once you looked over at him. You nodded and followed him over, taking a seat on one side of Sam while Dean sat on the other. “You wanna tell me what’s going on in that freaky head of yours?”
“Dean…”Sam began.
“No, you’re not fine,” Dean cut him off. “You’re like a powder keg. That’s not like you. I’m supposed to be the belligerent one, remember?” Sam’s eyes never left the spot in front of him, his mind seemingly racing.
“Dad’s not here,” Sam finally spoke, his voice soft. “I mean, that much we know for sure, right? He would have left us a message, a sign, right?”
“He’s right, Dean. I don’t think Dad’s ever been to Lost Creek,” you agreed, looking down at the ground. What was with all this secrecy with your father? He’d never left this long without at least letting you and Dean know where he was, what he was doing. You couldn’t help but wonder if you were following the trail of something you weren’t prepared to face. Sam shook his head and looked at Dean.
“We need to get these people back to town, and let’s hit the road. Go find Dad.” He threw the small stick he’d been drawing in the dirt with down on the ground. “I mean, why are we still here?” Dean moved to kneel in front of him but looked between the two of you, John’s journal in his hands. He held it out in front of him and placed one hand on top of it.
“This is why. This book. This is Dad’s single most valuable possession. Everything he knows about every evil thing is in here. And he’s passed it on to us. I think he wants us to pick up where he left off. You know, saving people, hunting things…the family business.” You sighed and rubbed your face with your hands, keeping yourself from tearing up.
“That makes no sense. Why…why doesn’t he just call us? Why doesn’t he tell us what he wants, tell us where he is?” You asked. Dean sighed and shook his head.
“I don’t know. But the way I see it, Dad’s given us a job to do, and I intend to do it.”
“Dean…no. I gotta find Dad. I gotta find Jessica’s killer. It’s the only thing I can think about,” Sam spoke. His voice was even softer than before, barely audible and quivering. He blinked away the tears in his eyes, but more came. You pursed your lips and put your hand on shoulder in an attempt to silently comfort him. Dean looked at Sam and nodded.
“Okay, alright. Sam, we’ll find them. I promise. Listen to me. You’ve got to prepare yourself. I mean, this search could take a while. And all this anger, you can’t keep it burning over the long haul. It’s going to kill you. You gotta have patience, man.”
“How do you do it?” Sam asked with a sad, half-hearted chuckle. “How does Dad do it?”
“Well, for one, them.” Dean looked over to Hailey and Ben. “ I mean, I figure our family’s so screwed to hell, maybe we can help some others. It makes things a little bit more bearable.” He paused for a moment, looking away from Sam. He was silent, pensive. “And I’ll tell you what else helps. Killing as many evil sons of bitches as I possibly can.” The three of you shared small, sad smiles, but the moment was quickly interrupted by that same voice calling out from deep in the woods.
I came across a tumblr post about how Felicia Day said in an interview her least favorite episode to film was the one where she died. She detailed that while filming the scene in the bathroom she kept looking to the window and thought “Charlie could fit through that window.”
She even measured it, but every time she tried to explain the various plot holes and how Charlie definitely could have made it, she was told “No, [Charlie] has to die.”
So, I figured I’d just make a little comic to “fix” this plot hole and give us all a version where Charlie lives at the end.
(Click images for better quality)
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