Women in White 6/12
Chapter 6
By the time they reached the bridge it had become dark. The car had been removed and the bridge stretched out before them quietly. Jess shuddered and wouldn't mind to stay in the backseat. This was getting creepier by the minute. She had no idea what Sam and Dean hoped to find. Even if that poor woman who took her own life here years ago had something to do with whatever was going on - and that idea was just ridiculous - there wouldn't be anything left to find.
"Shotguns?" Sam asked and that word out of his mouth was just so wrong.
Dean shook his head. "Don't know if the Sheriff's still lurking around. Besides, we'll have a quick look and be right back."
So they got out of the car and Jess had no other choice than to follow them. Staying close to Sam didn't seem to be the worst thing in the world either.
"Get a grip, girl." Jess tried to reassure herself. It was a bridge. In the dark. Where at least two people had died. Nothing to worry about, right? She hurried to catch up with Sam.
The brothers stopped near the middle of the bridge - where Troy's car had been - and leaned over the railing looking down to the river.
"You better not fall down there, Sam." Jess muttered but got a look herself. A river, nothing special about it.
"So this is where Constance took the swan dive." Dean looked around.
"So you think Dad would have been here?" Sam looked over to Dean.
"Well, he's chasing the same story and we're chasing him." Dean walked down the bridge and Sam followed him after a second.
"Okay, so now what?" Sam asked. Jess knew that tone. There was an argument lurking just around the corner but Dean seemed oblivious to that.
"Now we keep digging until we find him. Might take a while."
Jess opened her mouth to tell him what he could do with his "might take a while". Probably good he couldn't hear her. What was he thinking? Dragging Sam out here on this stupid goose chase while the chance of his life waited for him on Monday? But Sam beat her to it. And him Dean could hear.
"Dean, I told you, I've gotta get back by Monday."
"Monday. Right. The interview." As if he had forgotten. Jess snorted. "Yeah, I forgot. You're really serious about this, aren't you? You think you're just going to become some lawyer? Marry your girl?
"Maybe. Why not?" Defiant Sam at his best. And he would marry her? Really? Jess fought the urge to pose in front of Dean and yell a "ha" into his face. But then Dean continued to talk: "Does Jessica know the truth about you? I mean, does she know about the things you've done?"
Sam stepped closer, looking his brother in the eye. And Jess wondered what else Sam hadn't bother to mention.
"No, and she's not ever going to know."
"Well, that's healthy." Jess was with Dean with that point. They would have a really long conversation as soon as Sam got home. Which maybe would be too late, the little voice whispered in her mind but she ignored it for the moment. This was far too interesting.
"You can pretend all you want, Sammy. But sooner or later you're going to have to face up to who you really are."
Dean turned around and kept walking. Sam and Jess followed. Maybe now she would get a name for what they actually did. Something better than hunter.
"And who's that?"
"One of us." Okay that was helpful. But Sam seemed to know exactly what Dean meant. With two long steps he was in front of Dean.
"No. I'm not like you. This is not going to be my life."
"You have a responsibility to …"
"To Dad? And his crusade? If it weren't for pictures I wouldn't even know what Mom looks like. And what difference would it make? Even if we do find the thing that killed her, Mom's gone. And she isn't coming back."
"Oh, Sam." Jess whispered. So that was why Sam never ever mentioned his mother.
Then Dean grabbed Sam's collar and shoves him up a pillar. For a second Jess was sure he would punch Sam in the face.
"Don't talk about her like that." He said in a low voice before he let go of his brother and walked away.
"Sam, are you alright?" Jess tried to cup his face and wanted to cry when her fingers couldn't touch his skin. "Did he hurt you?" Of course Sam didn't answer and stepped right through her.
Following him Jess turned just in time to watch a woman jumping of the bridge. All three of them sprinted to the railing searching for the woman - the face had been familiar, though - but Jess couldn't see anything besides the water deep down in the dark. Where had the woman even come from? A second ago they had been alone and it wasn't that somebody could sneak up on them on a bridge.
The brothers were still searching for the woman when suddenly an engine came to life. They turned and stared into the headlights of Dean's car. Blinded by the light Jess couldn't tell who was behind the wheel.
"Who's driving your car?" Sam asked and Dean fished his keys out of his pocket. As if that proved anything. Jess would bet that Dean could hot-wire a car in seconds.
Then the car jerked into motion.
"Boys?" Jess just stared at the upcoming car. Whoever was driving wouldn't try to overrun them, wouldn't he? Then she was pulled backwards when Sam started to run.
Jess turned and tried to keep Sam's pace but it was a lost cause. More dragged than actual running she followed the brothers. They were fast, long legs eating up the asphalt but it was a long way to solid ground. And the car was definitely faster.
"Sam, run!" Jess screamed and could already see him being crushed by the car. No way he could outrun a car. Jess didn't feel it but the hood was already past her - this thing is driving through me - which meant it was less than ten feet behind Sam.
Jess looked behind - her nose was way too close to the windshield - and now she could see the driver. It was the same woman she had seen earlier. The same woman she had seen jumping of the bridge and whose picture had been in the newspaper. And she looked really pissed. Murderous.
"You are not killing him!" Jess screamed at her and to her surprise the woman made eye contact with her. Not sure who was more surprised Jess hold the stare for a second longer and then reached through the windshield. If she could only grab the wheel … but of course her hands moved right through. But they didn't go through the woman. Their hands touched - it felt like dipping her hand in ice water - and then the woman was gone. The car stopped, the engine went silent, the headlights fell dark.
"Sam, did you see that?" Jess asked staring at her hand. "I did … I don't know what I just did. Sam?" She looked around but neither Winchester brother was in sight. She was alone on the bridge.
"Sam?" She asked again despite that she knew he wouldn't answer her. The icy feeling she had felt in her hand seconds ago spread though her whole body. She was alone.
"Dean?" Sam's voice bellowed right next to her. "Dean!"
Jess ran to the railing, tried and failed to brace herself on the metal construction - this no resistance thing really got on her nerves - and found herself hanging mid-air ten feet below Sam who had barely caught himself on the edge of the bridge.
"Thank god." For a second she had been sure that Sam was dead. Which was ridiculous because she knew he would come home the night to Monday.
From the river Dean answered and Jess couldn't stop laughing. This was so insane. She was floating in the air and if Dean could see her he'd get a nice view under her nightgown. But he couldn't and she hold the fabric close nevertheless.
The ghost of a suicide jumper drove a car and she stopped her. She had no idea how she did it but she had stopped the ghost. And she didn't even believe in ghosts. Considering her own state it was kinda hypocritical but who cared? She was just hanging around and waited till Sam went far enough for her to get her feet on the ground again. Sort of.
At least at this point the bridge was low enough for Dean to survive his jump without any injuries. He still wasn't her best friend and if Sam decided not to see his brother for another two years it would be totally fine with her but she didn't want him to die or break his leg or something.
They regrouped at the car and Dean checked the inside, under the hood and everywhere else before he even let Sam near it.
"Your car all right?" Sam asked when Dean had finished his inspection. Jess stayed away from Dean as far as possible. She couldn't touch anything or feel anything but sure a hell she could smell everything. And Dean stunk.
"Yeah, whatever she did to it, seems all right now. That Constance chick, what a bitch!" He yelled his anger into the night without response and then settled on the hood of his car.
"Well, she doesn't want us digging around, that's for sure."
"You haven't seen her face." Jess added with a shudder. That woman was out to kill somebody.
"So where's the job go from here, genius?" Sam sat beside his brother and for a moment they both looked lost. Dean flicked mud off his fingers, he was coated from head to toe with that stuff.
If anybody would bother to ask Jess' opinion the next step should involve a hot shower for Dean.
Sam sniffed audible. "You smell like a toilet."
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continue to chapter 7