Fic; Thicker Than Water 15/17 (Supernatural / True Blood)
Title: Thicker Than Water 15/17
Author: dragon_fall
Fandoms: Supernatural/True Blood
Rating: R
Word Count: 48,349 (so far)
Warnings: none yet
Spoilers: Supernatural through season 4, TrueBlood through season 1
Summary: After Lucifer is freed from the cage Castiel is MIA. Sam and Dean roll into Bon Temps in search of answers and find more questions than either hunter imagined.
Author's Note: Takes place after Lucifer Rising and at the beginning of True Blood Season 2. Since I started writing this years ago it is AU in the True Blood universe, but pieces from the second season will be working themselves in.
“Lafayette, we’ve got to do something.”
Lafayette ignored his aunt. He knew he’d put that damn card somewhere…
Tara laughed. “There’s nothing you can do you evil bitch.”
“Tara Mae, you listen to me-“
“Will both of you shut up?” Lafayette yelled. The past twelve hours he’d seen his world, however fucked up it was, gone to shit. First everyone in town acting like Jerry Springer was running a contest on who acted the craziest, then Tara camping out at Sookie’s with… when he figured out what she was, he’d fill that in. All he knew was the thing squatting in Sookie’s house was nasty. Evil. Just thinking about her left a foul taste in the back of his throat.
Finally, he spotted it, shoved between his copy of Sexy Men and his mother’s bible. “Oh dear God, thank you,” he whispered, digging out his cell phone.
Lettie Mae came over to him. “Who you calling?”
“Some people who might be able to help her,” Lafayette answered. He’d dealt with crazy, with his mother, with a boyfriend that had turned out to be one of the worst decisions he’d ever made, but this… this was outside his realm. Tara wasn’t his Tara anymore. He didn’t know what was inside her, but it wasn’t his cousin. Oh, God, tell me she isn’t possessed. I’ll do anything just tell me she’s not possessed…
After ten rings he was about to give up when the line picked up. “Hello?”
“Is this Dean?”
“Sam. Who is-“
“It’s Lafayette, from Bon Temps,” he rode over the other man. “Ya’ll need to come back. Somethin’s in Tara. The whole damn town’s gone crazy.”
“Calm down, Lafayette,” the other man soothed. “What’s happened?”
Tara was chuckling again, sharp and harsh. “I went last night to get my cousin from that Maryanne bitch, but it ain’t her. It’s like somethin’s inside her, like she ain’t there. Damn near everybody’s lost their fuckin’ minds out here. People’s runnin’ round in the street half naked. I don’t know where the hell you are, but you need to get back here.”
Someone spoke in the background. “Is Sookie with you?”
He shook his head. “She’s still in Dallas with Bill, far as I know.”
There was a shuffling on the other line, then, “Lafayette, its Dean. We’re heading back down your way. Here’s what you need to do.”
He didn’t understand half the instructions, but he didn’t need to. He had salt already, but not enough to take care of his whole house. He needed more, a lot more.
He hung up the phone and turned to his aunt. “Lettie Mae, I need you to do something for us.”
She stood, hands clasped. “I’m not leaving my baby.”
“You need to.” He dug around his coffee table until he found his keys. “I need you to get in my car and drive over to the Public Works building out on Eighteenth. This key,” he held up one with a green band. “Will get you in the building. I need you to go to the main shed in back and get as many bags of road salt as you can.”
The woman shook her head. “It’s crazy out there-“
“And it’s crazy in here,” he countered. “Nobody’s probably out there now; it’s too far away from town. Ten minutes there and back. We need that salt, it can protect us.”
“That’s what those people told you? Only God can protect us from this-“
“Bitch-“ Lafayette rubbed his head. “You know, I’m real glad you found religion, but God ain’t here right now, and this is all we got. It’s the only thing that might keep that crazy woman from coming here and takin’ Tara away.” He held out the keys. “I need to stay here and make sure she don’t try and chew through her arms gettin’ free.”
Lettie Mae looked like she wanted to argue, but slipped outside without a word. Lafayette held his breath until he heard his engine start up. The woman might be crazy for Jesus now, but she knew when to follow orders.
“She’s not gonna stop until she’s almost in Texas, you know that.” Tara said. “Bitch don’t know how to help no one but herself.”
Lafayette turned to Tara, leaning down until he was eye to eye with her. “You know the difference between us, Tara? When I need to, I got faith. Faith in more than whatever the fuck it is got you twisted up inside.” She turned her face away and he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You’re in there, fucked up, beat up, whatever the fuck, but you’re in there, hooker. I know it. Now snap the fuck out of it!”
All he got for his trouble was more spit on his face.
Lafayette wiped his face. “You’ll run out of spit before I give up,” he said, fighting to keep himself calm. “And when you get back from wherever the hell she put you, we’re gonna have a long talk about spitting on people who’re tryin’ to help.”
Tara didn’t respond, eyes squinting in confusion before she went back to chanting. Lafayette ignored her as much as he could as he rummaged through his cabinets.
Between the Children of the Sun, nearly getting raped, Godric, Bill’s maker, meeting another mind reader, an actual bombing, and Eric tricking her into drinking his blood, Sookie was tired of the strange and unusual. Dallas was more trouble than she’d originally planned on having, and solidified one thing in her mind: vampires, with the exception of Bill, all seemed to be insane. At least the trip back to Bon Temps had gone without a hitch. Anubis Air had taken the kidnapping attempt to heart, and they were met at Shreveport Regional with a discreetly armed escort. All she could think about on the long drive home was sinking into the big tub in Bill’s bathroom and soaking away the last few days of crazy.
Too bad it seemed like everything was against her getting what she wanted.
“What the hell is going on?” Jason asked for the fifth time.
Sookie shook her head, staring at the sun and willing it to go down. “I have no idea, but it’s better in here than it is out there.”
“Really?” he gestured to the coffin sitting in the living room. “Because we got crazies out there and fangers in here-“
Jason-“
“Don’t start.” He tugged the curtain aside. “I’ll call them what I damn well want to. Plus Mrs. Fortenberry keeps…looking at me.”
“I’ll do more than that, Stackhouse, you sashay that pretty little butt over here.”
Hoyt looked like he was going to be sick. “Momma!”
“Momma my ass!” She tried to stand up, but Hoyt pulled her back down. “That’s a fine piece of ass over there. Maybe if you didn’t have a stick shoved so far up your behind you could taste the wood, you’d be willin’ ta agree with me.”
Sookie leaned back into the chair she was sitting in. The chauffer wouldn’t take them to her grandmother’s house, quoting his company’s policy of only going to the address listed on his manifest. The man had been more than happy to drop them off at Bill’s and hightail it out of town as fast as he could, nearly spraying them with gravel in his haste to get out. That left them with Hoyt and his mother, and she had been infected with whatever else had the townspeople going insane.
Jason walked to another window. “You’re sure Bill don’t have any weapons we could use?”
A laugh tried to climb its way out of her chest. “He’s a vampire, Jason.” She turned to Hoyt. “You’re sure Tara’s at my place.”
“That’s what everyone says.” He walked to the Wii and turned it on. “Her and that Maryanne woman. She moved in right after you left. That’s when everything started going off the rails.”
There was a click, and the coffin Bill slept in opened the same time Jessica sped from upstairs. “Thank God, you’re home!” she said, racing down the stairs.
Bill looked between the humans and his progeny. “What are they doing here?” he asked, nodding to Hoyt and his mother.
Jessica sat down on the stairs and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s a really…really… long story.”
nbsp;
Bon Temps wasn’t the worst place they’d had to drive through over the years. It wasn’t the best, either. Looking at it now, though, made Sam feel queasy.
“We’ve been gone less than four days,” he said, taking in the destruction. There wasn’t a building on Main St. that still had all its windows. The library had a large fire smoldering in front of it he was sure consisted of its collection. Trash was everywhere, and the smell of rotting garbage lingered in the air.
Dean was quiet, eyes focused on the road, but Sam didn’t miss the way his fingers curled around the steering wheel. Night was just falling, and the town was deserted.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Jimmy asked. He must have realized how stupid that sounded, because he leaned into the backseat with a huff. “Of course it’s not safe,” he muttered under his breath. “Why even bother asking?”
“You could be with Bobby, Princess,” Dean countered, maneuvering the car around an overturned truck. “Your choice, remember?”
“What choice? I have a million year old angel yammering on about how he couldn’t leave you two.”
Sam checked his phone again. Bobby had taken a detour to one of the older hunter’s contacts in Winnfeld. Benjamin was as much a collector as Bobby, and he had some books he thought might help. He forwarded the single picture of Tara that Lafayette had taken to the other hunter. Whatever had a hold of Bon Temps, it wasn’t demon possession. Sam had rattled off an exorcism hours before, but the cook had reported no change in his cousin. So far neither man had turned up anything.
"Holy-!”
Dean hit the brakes, sending the Impala skidding to the left. A group of five had darted in front of the car. The headlights reflected off the black of their eyes and Dean slammed the car in reverse and hit the gas. One of them, a brunette with tattoos running up her arm, tried to reach into the cab and was clipped by the side-view mirror. More people emerged, crowding in from the seemingly abandoned buildings. Dean put the car in drive and swerved around them until the road was clear.
“This is most peculiar.”
Sam half turned. Castiel was staring out the window with squinted eyes.
“There is a presence here,” the angel continued. “It has enthralled the people of this town.”
“Got that worked out, Cas,” Dean said. “Anything new to report?”
The angel looked pissy, and Sam prepared for the blow up. That was the longest sentence the angel had let out since Alexandria’s.
“This is not the work of demons,” he said finally, though his tone was cutting. “The energy feels…wrong. Old, ancient, but firmly of this world.”
“Well, that’s something.” Dean glanced at his brother. “How far to Lafayette’s?”
Sam checked the GPS. “Another fifteen minutes.”
“Tara, please honey, you gotta let us help you!”
The darkness flickered, but remained. Sookie opened her eyes and shook her head. “I still can’t get to her.”
The look on Bill’s face scared her. He was trying; they’d both been trying for over an hour. He looked desperate and confused. “Tara, we are trying to help you,” he started again, panic tingeing his words. “You must let Sookie in.”
Tara tried to pull away, but his hands were firm. The darkness in her friend’s mind flickered again: a bonfire, food that was alive and dead at the same time and through it all Maryanne. Always Maryanne.
Bill leaned back releasing Tara. “I have never seen this before,” he said, wiping hands wet with sweat on his pants.
Freed from his grip, Tara tried to turn and bite her friend, but Sookie leaned back. “We have to keep trying,” she said firmly. Pain was beginning to bloom behind her eyes. It was the first time she ever experienced pain trying to read someone, but she took that as a good sign. It meant they were making progress. The flashes had grown longer with every attempt, but the sun was rising in a few hours. She was afraid that any progress they made would be reversed if they couldn’t break whatever hold she was under before dawn.
Headlights flashed in the driveway, and Lafayette jumped up from his spot on the couch. He twitched the curtains aside and tension drained from his shoulders. “Oh, thank God.” He threw open the door. “Took ya’ll long enough.”
“Traffic.” Dean stalked into the house, his brother behind him. Both were carrying sawed off shotguns, and Dean had a duffle bag thrown over one shoulder. Sookie was about to stand, she’d never been happier to see someone in her life, when she stopped.
It was light.
Sookie stared; she couldn't help it, even though it felt like she would burn to cinders if she didn’t look away. It was beautiful, perfect, absolutely terrifying. Tears came to her eyes as she fell to her knees. She wasn't worthy, she couldn't be. "Sookie?" Bill's hands were cold on his shoulders. Why wasn't he kneeling? Couldn't he see it?
"I'm sorry. I was unaware she would react this way."The voice was rough, tired. The radiance faded and she moaned in protest, wanted to beg for it to stay, but she couldn’t speak. She must have let out a sound, because she was hauled around by her arms and Bill was looking into her eyes.
Dean's voice cut through some of the haze."What the hell did you do? Sookie? Are you all right?"
She blinked. She was still crying, but she couldn’t say why. The radiance that had blotted out the living room, blotted out everything, was gone. In its place was a man in worn denim, blue eyes apologetic.
"What way?" Dean grabbed the man, forcing him to turn and Sookie gasped. "React what way?"
The man's eyes tore away from hers. "She is of ancient blood. Powerful blood. I told you that there were those who could perceive my true form. Your friend is one of them."
"What…" her voice cracked. Bill tried to keep her from facing them again, but she couldn't move. Wouldn't move. "What are you?"
Cassielcastielkaffielservantbrothersoldier…The words washed over her, whispered in voices high and low, threatened to deafen her. "Castiel?"
The man came forward and touched her arms, bidding her to rise. His eyes were blue, ancient. "I did not mean to overwhelm you, Sookie Stackhouse. I am sorry."
She looked down at her arms, thought she could see the golden light suffusing her flesh when his hands moved. “What are you?” she asked again.
Before he could answer Dean stepped in. “A friend. He might be able to help Tara.”
“I don’t need no fuckin’ help!”
Castiel turned to Tara and Sookie sagged into Bill’s arms. “I’m fine,” she whispered when he ran a hand down her arm. For the first time since meeting him his touch felt cold. Unnatural.
“How long has she been this way?” he asked.
“Since last night,” Lafayette paced around the living room. “She’s been chanting like that all goddamn day.”
Castiel reached forward and Tara pulled back as much as she was able. “Keep your hands off me.”
He ignored her and cupped her face, staring into her eyes. Tara whimpered, hands twisting against her bonds. After a few moments she started shaking. “This isn’t a demonic possession,” he said, voice low and serious. “She is being controlled by something else, something of this world, like the other residents of this town.” When he released her she slumped, still chanting, though now the sound was low and pained.
“It’s that Maryanne woman, I know it.” Lettie Mae settled next to him. “Please God, save my baby,” she started.
“Can you break through it?”
“Bill’s already tried,” Sookie supplied. “We’ve both been trying, but nothing’s working.”
Perhaps the two of us will have more success than you and your vampire. The words came through so clear Sookie jumped, knocking back into Bill.
You… you can hear me?
Very well. Castiel leaned forward, cupping Tara’s head gently. You’ve known her the longest; you would have more success trying to contact her. The longer she remains this way the harder it will be to revive her.
How-
“Sookie?”
She flinched when Bill touched her. The others in the room were staring at her and Castiel.
“We’re gonna try,” she told them, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. Years she’d been alone, thinking she was the only person who could do what she did, and then she meets two in one week. “What do you need me to do?”
Sam and Dean waited for Bobby to show up. They were five miles outside Bon Temps on the shoulder of Route 72. So far they hadn’t seen any of Maryanne’s followers out this far. It seemed they liked to congregate around Sookie’s house or Main St. It was almost noon when they set out, and the town was deserted. Whatever spell Maryanne cast had them climbing the walls at night and sleeping through the day.
His phone beeped. “Tara’s still awake,” he said, reading Sookie’s text. “Super Vamp still hasn’t contacted her.”
“It’s day, Dean.”
He rolled his eyes. “You really believe that helpless half the day bullshit? I bet they can just stay out of the sun and be perfectly fine.” He tucked the phone back into his pants. “Those jackasses who walk around wearing their motorcycle helmets all the time are probably bloodsuckers on the down-low.”
Before Sam could counter the glint of a car caught their eye, rapidly solidifying into Bobby’s Cheville. He climbed out of the old car with a sigh. “Much as I hate to say it, the vampire might be right. Ben crosschecked everything you gave us with what he dug up.It’s a Bacchante.”
“A what?”
“You’ve heard of Bacchus, right?” Bobby growled.
“God, right? Wine, food..."
“That be him. His priestesses were called Bacchante, or Maenads. Hell, there’s about ten different names for them, but they all mean the same thing. They oversaw the rites, sacrifices, began the bacchanalias.”
Dean smiled broadly. “Orgies.” he clarified.
Bobby sighed. “Yes, Dean. Look. This thing is old, real old. She’s probably been floating around spreading chaos for two thousand years. At least.”
“And now she has her claws sunk in this town. You should see the place, Bobby. Damn near everyone is caught up in this things. They’re all… out of control. We almost ran over a group of them yesterday and it didn’t faze them."
Bobby nodded in agreement. “That's pretty much what all the stories say. She’ll push the people around her to excess; food, drugs, anything that’s a vice, then she feeds off their energy like a succubus. The crazier things get, the happier she'll be."
Sam leaned against the hood. “What’s something like this doing in Louisiana?”
“Why not?” Dean held his arms out. “Not like anyone around here would have the slightest…” he trailed off. “Jeanette.”
Bobby’s face wrinkled in confusion. “Who?”
“A hoodoo woman,” Sam filled him in. “She was helping us find Castiel.”
“And less than four hours later she has her heart ripped out her chest,” Dean finished. "These things use animals in their rituals? You know… like give the person to a pet first, then finish up themselves?"
"There's some stories about them being shape shifters," Bobby's expression was puzzled. "But that's pretty rare. So unless you boys are holding out, that’s what we got."
"Rare seems to be today's theme," Dean said humorlessly. He glanced into the Impala. Cas was still down for the count. “We told you everything Tara told us.” When she wasn’t yelling about rescuing her boyfriend and trying to sneak out. Some people just didn’t know when to leave things to the professionals. He was sure she was probably trying to get past Sookie and Lafayette now that she was conscious again. They’d nearly ran over a couple of teenagers doing body shots in the middle of the street on their way to meet him. “So, immortal… whatever the hell she is blows into town, has a couple parties, murders a few locals, turns everyone crazy. Worse case scenario?”
“Chaos.”
Dean leaned down. Cas was awake, eyes squeezed shut. “Well, look who decided to join the conversation.”
The angel scrabbled at the door until he found the latch. “This is no laughing matter, Dean,” he said as he swung his legs out of the car. “Her kind have brought entire civilizations to the brink of destruction.” A shaking hand went to his forehead. “She will feast on the souls of Bon Temps inhabitants until-“
“They croak.” Dean finished. “So, standard rule for witches?”
“It’s not that easy.” Bobby handed them a book. “If she’s one a these things she’s not just a witch. She stopped being human a long time ago."
Dean flipped open the book. “Jesus, Bobby,” he whistled at the illumination. “This why you collect all those books?” He was tempted to turn the book sideways, because there was no way someone could bend like that. He ogled the image one more time before slamming it shut. “So, any idea how to kill it? Cas?”
“If I wasn’t imprisoned inside this vessel I might have been able to destroy her. At the very least, convince her to leave.”
“Might?”
Castiel wobbled to his feet. “All angels are not absolute, Dean. There are some creatures that even we are unable to kill, but we may have her at a disadvantage. Her kind are not known for their desire to battle other supernatural beings.”
Dean gave him a searching look. “You two all right?”
His jaw tightened. “James and I are fine.”
Bobby set his book in the Cheville “I’ve made some calls, but I haven’t been able to find anything on how to kill them. Ben’s still looking, but the last time anyone even saw one of these things in action was about three hundred years ago in Istanbul. She’s strong, though, from what you’re telling me. She could have had this whole town eatin' out the palm of her hand whenever she wanted. This one waited…what? A few weeks?"
"So why didn’t she?” Sam settled on the hood of the Impala, arms folded. “I mean, if she's so hard to kill, why would she reign herself in?"
Dean shook his head.“She had to want something… or someone.”
______________________________________________
Back
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Special thanks goes out to the people who didn't give up on this fic and gave me notes of encouragement to keep me writing. It's been a long haul, but this beast is just about wrapped up. One more full chapter and and epilogue to go, and it will be done. Once again, thanks for the support and reviews!
Author: dragon_fall
Fandoms: Supernatural/True Blood
Rating: R
Word Count: 48,349 (so far)
Warnings: none yet
Spoilers: Supernatural through season 4, TrueBlood through season 1
Summary: After Lucifer is freed from the cage Castiel is MIA. Sam and Dean roll into Bon Temps in search of answers and find more questions than either hunter imagined.
Author's Note: Takes place after Lucifer Rising and at the beginning of True Blood Season 2. Since I started writing this years ago it is AU in the True Blood universe, but pieces from the second season will be working themselves in.
“Lafayette, we’ve got to do something.”
Lafayette ignored his aunt. He knew he’d put that damn card somewhere…
Tara laughed. “There’s nothing you can do you evil bitch.”
“Tara Mae, you listen to me-“
“Will both of you shut up?” Lafayette yelled. The past twelve hours he’d seen his world, however fucked up it was, gone to shit. First everyone in town acting like Jerry Springer was running a contest on who acted the craziest, then Tara camping out at Sookie’s with… when he figured out what she was, he’d fill that in. All he knew was the thing squatting in Sookie’s house was nasty. Evil. Just thinking about her left a foul taste in the back of his throat.
Finally, he spotted it, shoved between his copy of Sexy Men and his mother’s bible. “Oh dear God, thank you,” he whispered, digging out his cell phone.
Lettie Mae came over to him. “Who you calling?”
“Some people who might be able to help her,” Lafayette answered. He’d dealt with crazy, with his mother, with a boyfriend that had turned out to be one of the worst decisions he’d ever made, but this… this was outside his realm. Tara wasn’t his Tara anymore. He didn’t know what was inside her, but it wasn’t his cousin. Oh, God, tell me she isn’t possessed. I’ll do anything just tell me she’s not possessed…
After ten rings he was about to give up when the line picked up. “Hello?”
“Is this Dean?”
“Sam. Who is-“
“It’s Lafayette, from Bon Temps,” he rode over the other man. “Ya’ll need to come back. Somethin’s in Tara. The whole damn town’s gone crazy.”
“Calm down, Lafayette,” the other man soothed. “What’s happened?”
Tara was chuckling again, sharp and harsh. “I went last night to get my cousin from that Maryanne bitch, but it ain’t her. It’s like somethin’s inside her, like she ain’t there. Damn near everybody’s lost their fuckin’ minds out here. People’s runnin’ round in the street half naked. I don’t know where the hell you are, but you need to get back here.”
Someone spoke in the background. “Is Sookie with you?”
He shook his head. “She’s still in Dallas with Bill, far as I know.”
There was a shuffling on the other line, then, “Lafayette, its Dean. We’re heading back down your way. Here’s what you need to do.”
He didn’t understand half the instructions, but he didn’t need to. He had salt already, but not enough to take care of his whole house. He needed more, a lot more.
He hung up the phone and turned to his aunt. “Lettie Mae, I need you to do something for us.”
She stood, hands clasped. “I’m not leaving my baby.”
“You need to.” He dug around his coffee table until he found his keys. “I need you to get in my car and drive over to the Public Works building out on Eighteenth. This key,” he held up one with a green band. “Will get you in the building. I need you to go to the main shed in back and get as many bags of road salt as you can.”
The woman shook her head. “It’s crazy out there-“
“And it’s crazy in here,” he countered. “Nobody’s probably out there now; it’s too far away from town. Ten minutes there and back. We need that salt, it can protect us.”
“That’s what those people told you? Only God can protect us from this-“
“Bitch-“ Lafayette rubbed his head. “You know, I’m real glad you found religion, but God ain’t here right now, and this is all we got. It’s the only thing that might keep that crazy woman from coming here and takin’ Tara away.” He held out the keys. “I need to stay here and make sure she don’t try and chew through her arms gettin’ free.”
Lettie Mae looked like she wanted to argue, but slipped outside without a word. Lafayette held his breath until he heard his engine start up. The woman might be crazy for Jesus now, but she knew when to follow orders.
“She’s not gonna stop until she’s almost in Texas, you know that.” Tara said. “Bitch don’t know how to help no one but herself.”
Lafayette turned to Tara, leaning down until he was eye to eye with her. “You know the difference between us, Tara? When I need to, I got faith. Faith in more than whatever the fuck it is got you twisted up inside.” She turned her face away and he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. “You’re in there, fucked up, beat up, whatever the fuck, but you’re in there, hooker. I know it. Now snap the fuck out of it!”
All he got for his trouble was more spit on his face.
Lafayette wiped his face. “You’ll run out of spit before I give up,” he said, fighting to keep himself calm. “And when you get back from wherever the hell she put you, we’re gonna have a long talk about spitting on people who’re tryin’ to help.”
Tara didn’t respond, eyes squinting in confusion before she went back to chanting. Lafayette ignored her as much as he could as he rummaged through his cabinets.
Between the Children of the Sun, nearly getting raped, Godric, Bill’s maker, meeting another mind reader, an actual bombing, and Eric tricking her into drinking his blood, Sookie was tired of the strange and unusual. Dallas was more trouble than she’d originally planned on having, and solidified one thing in her mind: vampires, with the exception of Bill, all seemed to be insane. At least the trip back to Bon Temps had gone without a hitch. Anubis Air had taken the kidnapping attempt to heart, and they were met at Shreveport Regional with a discreetly armed escort. All she could think about on the long drive home was sinking into the big tub in Bill’s bathroom and soaking away the last few days of crazy.
Too bad it seemed like everything was against her getting what she wanted.
“What the hell is going on?” Jason asked for the fifth time.
Sookie shook her head, staring at the sun and willing it to go down. “I have no idea, but it’s better in here than it is out there.”
“Really?” he gestured to the coffin sitting in the living room. “Because we got crazies out there and fangers in here-“
Jason-“
“Don’t start.” He tugged the curtain aside. “I’ll call them what I damn well want to. Plus Mrs. Fortenberry keeps…looking at me.”
“I’ll do more than that, Stackhouse, you sashay that pretty little butt over here.”
Hoyt looked like he was going to be sick. “Momma!”
“Momma my ass!” She tried to stand up, but Hoyt pulled her back down. “That’s a fine piece of ass over there. Maybe if you didn’t have a stick shoved so far up your behind you could taste the wood, you’d be willin’ ta agree with me.”
Sookie leaned back into the chair she was sitting in. The chauffer wouldn’t take them to her grandmother’s house, quoting his company’s policy of only going to the address listed on his manifest. The man had been more than happy to drop them off at Bill’s and hightail it out of town as fast as he could, nearly spraying them with gravel in his haste to get out. That left them with Hoyt and his mother, and she had been infected with whatever else had the townspeople going insane.
Jason walked to another window. “You’re sure Bill don’t have any weapons we could use?”
A laugh tried to climb its way out of her chest. “He’s a vampire, Jason.” She turned to Hoyt. “You’re sure Tara’s at my place.”
“That’s what everyone says.” He walked to the Wii and turned it on. “Her and that Maryanne woman. She moved in right after you left. That’s when everything started going off the rails.”
There was a click, and the coffin Bill slept in opened the same time Jessica sped from upstairs. “Thank God, you’re home!” she said, racing down the stairs.
Bill looked between the humans and his progeny. “What are they doing here?” he asked, nodding to Hoyt and his mother.
Jessica sat down on the stairs and ran a hand through her hair. “It’s a really…really… long story.”
nbsp;
Bon Temps wasn’t the worst place they’d had to drive through over the years. It wasn’t the best, either. Looking at it now, though, made Sam feel queasy.
“We’ve been gone less than four days,” he said, taking in the destruction. There wasn’t a building on Main St. that still had all its windows. The library had a large fire smoldering in front of it he was sure consisted of its collection. Trash was everywhere, and the smell of rotting garbage lingered in the air.
Dean was quiet, eyes focused on the road, but Sam didn’t miss the way his fingers curled around the steering wheel. Night was just falling, and the town was deserted.
“Are you sure this is safe?” Jimmy asked. He must have realized how stupid that sounded, because he leaned into the backseat with a huff. “Of course it’s not safe,” he muttered under his breath. “Why even bother asking?”
“You could be with Bobby, Princess,” Dean countered, maneuvering the car around an overturned truck. “Your choice, remember?”
“What choice? I have a million year old angel yammering on about how he couldn’t leave you two.”
Sam checked his phone again. Bobby had taken a detour to one of the older hunter’s contacts in Winnfeld. Benjamin was as much a collector as Bobby, and he had some books he thought might help. He forwarded the single picture of Tara that Lafayette had taken to the other hunter. Whatever had a hold of Bon Temps, it wasn’t demon possession. Sam had rattled off an exorcism hours before, but the cook had reported no change in his cousin. So far neither man had turned up anything.
"Holy-!”
Dean hit the brakes, sending the Impala skidding to the left. A group of five had darted in front of the car. The headlights reflected off the black of their eyes and Dean slammed the car in reverse and hit the gas. One of them, a brunette with tattoos running up her arm, tried to reach into the cab and was clipped by the side-view mirror. More people emerged, crowding in from the seemingly abandoned buildings. Dean put the car in drive and swerved around them until the road was clear.
“This is most peculiar.”
Sam half turned. Castiel was staring out the window with squinted eyes.
“There is a presence here,” the angel continued. “It has enthralled the people of this town.”
“Got that worked out, Cas,” Dean said. “Anything new to report?”
The angel looked pissy, and Sam prepared for the blow up. That was the longest sentence the angel had let out since Alexandria’s.
“This is not the work of demons,” he said finally, though his tone was cutting. “The energy feels…wrong. Old, ancient, but firmly of this world.”
“Well, that’s something.” Dean glanced at his brother. “How far to Lafayette’s?”
Sam checked the GPS. “Another fifteen minutes.”
“Tara, please honey, you gotta let us help you!”
The darkness flickered, but remained. Sookie opened her eyes and shook her head. “I still can’t get to her.”
The look on Bill’s face scared her. He was trying; they’d both been trying for over an hour. He looked desperate and confused. “Tara, we are trying to help you,” he started again, panic tingeing his words. “You must let Sookie in.”
Tara tried to pull away, but his hands were firm. The darkness in her friend’s mind flickered again: a bonfire, food that was alive and dead at the same time and through it all Maryanne. Always Maryanne.
Bill leaned back releasing Tara. “I have never seen this before,” he said, wiping hands wet with sweat on his pants.
Freed from his grip, Tara tried to turn and bite her friend, but Sookie leaned back. “We have to keep trying,” she said firmly. Pain was beginning to bloom behind her eyes. It was the first time she ever experienced pain trying to read someone, but she took that as a good sign. It meant they were making progress. The flashes had grown longer with every attempt, but the sun was rising in a few hours. She was afraid that any progress they made would be reversed if they couldn’t break whatever hold she was under before dawn.
Headlights flashed in the driveway, and Lafayette jumped up from his spot on the couch. He twitched the curtains aside and tension drained from his shoulders. “Oh, thank God.” He threw open the door. “Took ya’ll long enough.”
“Traffic.” Dean stalked into the house, his brother behind him. Both were carrying sawed off shotguns, and Dean had a duffle bag thrown over one shoulder. Sookie was about to stand, she’d never been happier to see someone in her life, when she stopped.
It was light.
Sookie stared; she couldn't help it, even though it felt like she would burn to cinders if she didn’t look away. It was beautiful, perfect, absolutely terrifying. Tears came to her eyes as she fell to her knees. She wasn't worthy, she couldn't be. "Sookie?" Bill's hands were cold on his shoulders. Why wasn't he kneeling? Couldn't he see it?
"I'm sorry. I was unaware she would react this way."The voice was rough, tired. The radiance faded and she moaned in protest, wanted to beg for it to stay, but she couldn’t speak. She must have let out a sound, because she was hauled around by her arms and Bill was looking into her eyes.
Dean's voice cut through some of the haze."What the hell did you do? Sookie? Are you all right?"
She blinked. She was still crying, but she couldn’t say why. The radiance that had blotted out the living room, blotted out everything, was gone. In its place was a man in worn denim, blue eyes apologetic.
"What way?" Dean grabbed the man, forcing him to turn and Sookie gasped. "React what way?"
The man's eyes tore away from hers. "She is of ancient blood. Powerful blood. I told you that there were those who could perceive my true form. Your friend is one of them."
"What…" her voice cracked. Bill tried to keep her from facing them again, but she couldn't move. Wouldn't move. "What are you?"
Cassielcastielkaffielservantbrothersoldier…The words washed over her, whispered in voices high and low, threatened to deafen her. "Castiel?"
The man came forward and touched her arms, bidding her to rise. His eyes were blue, ancient. "I did not mean to overwhelm you, Sookie Stackhouse. I am sorry."
She looked down at her arms, thought she could see the golden light suffusing her flesh when his hands moved. “What are you?” she asked again.
Before he could answer Dean stepped in. “A friend. He might be able to help Tara.”
“I don’t need no fuckin’ help!”
Castiel turned to Tara and Sookie sagged into Bill’s arms. “I’m fine,” she whispered when he ran a hand down her arm. For the first time since meeting him his touch felt cold. Unnatural.
“How long has she been this way?” he asked.
“Since last night,” Lafayette paced around the living room. “She’s been chanting like that all goddamn day.”
Castiel reached forward and Tara pulled back as much as she was able. “Keep your hands off me.”
He ignored her and cupped her face, staring into her eyes. Tara whimpered, hands twisting against her bonds. After a few moments she started shaking. “This isn’t a demonic possession,” he said, voice low and serious. “She is being controlled by something else, something of this world, like the other residents of this town.” When he released her she slumped, still chanting, though now the sound was low and pained.
“It’s that Maryanne woman, I know it.” Lettie Mae settled next to him. “Please God, save my baby,” she started.
“Can you break through it?”
“Bill’s already tried,” Sookie supplied. “We’ve both been trying, but nothing’s working.”
Perhaps the two of us will have more success than you and your vampire. The words came through so clear Sookie jumped, knocking back into Bill.
You… you can hear me?
Very well. Castiel leaned forward, cupping Tara’s head gently. You’ve known her the longest; you would have more success trying to contact her. The longer she remains this way the harder it will be to revive her.
How-
“Sookie?”
She flinched when Bill touched her. The others in the room were staring at her and Castiel.
“We’re gonna try,” she told them, trying to ignore the flutter in her stomach. Years she’d been alone, thinking she was the only person who could do what she did, and then she meets two in one week. “What do you need me to do?”
Sam and Dean waited for Bobby to show up. They were five miles outside Bon Temps on the shoulder of Route 72. So far they hadn’t seen any of Maryanne’s followers out this far. It seemed they liked to congregate around Sookie’s house or Main St. It was almost noon when they set out, and the town was deserted. Whatever spell Maryanne cast had them climbing the walls at night and sleeping through the day.
His phone beeped. “Tara’s still awake,” he said, reading Sookie’s text. “Super Vamp still hasn’t contacted her.”
“It’s day, Dean.”
He rolled his eyes. “You really believe that helpless half the day bullshit? I bet they can just stay out of the sun and be perfectly fine.” He tucked the phone back into his pants. “Those jackasses who walk around wearing their motorcycle helmets all the time are probably bloodsuckers on the down-low.”
Before Sam could counter the glint of a car caught their eye, rapidly solidifying into Bobby’s Cheville. He climbed out of the old car with a sigh. “Much as I hate to say it, the vampire might be right. Ben crosschecked everything you gave us with what he dug up.It’s a Bacchante.”
“A what?”
“You’ve heard of Bacchus, right?” Bobby growled.
“God, right? Wine, food..."
“That be him. His priestesses were called Bacchante, or Maenads. Hell, there’s about ten different names for them, but they all mean the same thing. They oversaw the rites, sacrifices, began the bacchanalias.”
Dean smiled broadly. “Orgies.” he clarified.
Bobby sighed. “Yes, Dean. Look. This thing is old, real old. She’s probably been floating around spreading chaos for two thousand years. At least.”
“And now she has her claws sunk in this town. You should see the place, Bobby. Damn near everyone is caught up in this things. They’re all… out of control. We almost ran over a group of them yesterday and it didn’t faze them."
Bobby nodded in agreement. “That's pretty much what all the stories say. She’ll push the people around her to excess; food, drugs, anything that’s a vice, then she feeds off their energy like a succubus. The crazier things get, the happier she'll be."
Sam leaned against the hood. “What’s something like this doing in Louisiana?”
“Why not?” Dean held his arms out. “Not like anyone around here would have the slightest…” he trailed off. “Jeanette.”
Bobby’s face wrinkled in confusion. “Who?”
“A hoodoo woman,” Sam filled him in. “She was helping us find Castiel.”
“And less than four hours later she has her heart ripped out her chest,” Dean finished. "These things use animals in their rituals? You know… like give the person to a pet first, then finish up themselves?"
"There's some stories about them being shape shifters," Bobby's expression was puzzled. "But that's pretty rare. So unless you boys are holding out, that’s what we got."
"Rare seems to be today's theme," Dean said humorlessly. He glanced into the Impala. Cas was still down for the count. “We told you everything Tara told us.” When she wasn’t yelling about rescuing her boyfriend and trying to sneak out. Some people just didn’t know when to leave things to the professionals. He was sure she was probably trying to get past Sookie and Lafayette now that she was conscious again. They’d nearly ran over a couple of teenagers doing body shots in the middle of the street on their way to meet him. “So, immortal… whatever the hell she is blows into town, has a couple parties, murders a few locals, turns everyone crazy. Worse case scenario?”
“Chaos.”
Dean leaned down. Cas was awake, eyes squeezed shut. “Well, look who decided to join the conversation.”
The angel scrabbled at the door until he found the latch. “This is no laughing matter, Dean,” he said as he swung his legs out of the car. “Her kind have brought entire civilizations to the brink of destruction.” A shaking hand went to his forehead. “She will feast on the souls of Bon Temps inhabitants until-“
“They croak.” Dean finished. “So, standard rule for witches?”
“It’s not that easy.” Bobby handed them a book. “If she’s one a these things she’s not just a witch. She stopped being human a long time ago."
Dean flipped open the book. “Jesus, Bobby,” he whistled at the illumination. “This why you collect all those books?” He was tempted to turn the book sideways, because there was no way someone could bend like that. He ogled the image one more time before slamming it shut. “So, any idea how to kill it? Cas?”
“If I wasn’t imprisoned inside this vessel I might have been able to destroy her. At the very least, convince her to leave.”
“Might?”
Castiel wobbled to his feet. “All angels are not absolute, Dean. There are some creatures that even we are unable to kill, but we may have her at a disadvantage. Her kind are not known for their desire to battle other supernatural beings.”
Dean gave him a searching look. “You two all right?”
His jaw tightened. “James and I are fine.”
Bobby set his book in the Cheville “I’ve made some calls, but I haven’t been able to find anything on how to kill them. Ben’s still looking, but the last time anyone even saw one of these things in action was about three hundred years ago in Istanbul. She’s strong, though, from what you’re telling me. She could have had this whole town eatin' out the palm of her hand whenever she wanted. This one waited…what? A few weeks?"
"So why didn’t she?” Sam settled on the hood of the Impala, arms folded. “I mean, if she's so hard to kill, why would she reign herself in?"
Dean shook his head.“She had to want something… or someone.”
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Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Special thanks goes out to the people who didn't give up on this fic and gave me notes of encouragement to keep me writing. It's been a long haul, but this beast is just about wrapped up. One more full chapter and and epilogue to go, and it will be done. Once again, thanks for the support and reviews!