HOME (part 2) chapters 63 - 68
63.
A short distance from the cabin, Dean sat by himself on a large rock next to the road. A half-second later, a small breeze was the only thing that tipped him off that he was no longer alone.
"It is done," Cas reported to him.
"Awesome," replied Dean, sounding like it was anything but awesome. "Will you be able to un-do it?" Dean asked.
"Everyone is different," Cas admitted, "but yes, for pretty much everyone, I should be able to bring back their memories when you return."
Dean nodded in response, looking off into the distance.
"Dean, this thing you're trying to do...it's not going to be easy," Cas said, looking at Dean with concern.
"I figured," Dean replied, still looking off into the distance.
Cas continued, "Lucifer and Michael, they've been locked in this battle for years. It is going to be like walking into the middle of a dogfight. It's war down there and a war doesn't stop just because someone new walks onto the battlefield."
"So what should I do, Cas?" Dean asked, finally looking at him. "You know it's our fault that Adam is stuck in that hell. And Sam hasn't been the same since that day. If it means that I can't make it out of this one, then, I guess that's how it's going to go."
"No, Dean, not now," Cas put a hand on Dean's arm and Dean looked at him questioningly. "You have much left to do."
"So you're saying I'm going to survive this?" Dean asked skeptically.
"I'm saying you need to be careful," Cas responded.
Dean scoffed, " 'careful'?" he asked, "I don't think 'careful' can be part of this."
"It has to be, Dean," Cas said. "I used to think that everything was preordained. You have proven to me though, that you are in charge of your fate. Not angels. Not demons. Not even God. If you are going to make it through, it is going to be because you decide you are going to make it through."
"And how am I supposed to say 'yes' to Michael long enough for him to let go of Adam but without him actually wearing me?" Dean asked.
"What does Sam say?" Dean asked.
"Sam says that there's an archangel binding spell he found, and if we can recite it at exactly the right time, if he lets loose of Adam, and if we can do it before, you know, he's inside of me, then we can stop Michael long enough to kill him or shut him back in the cage again," Dean said, sounding tired.
"Those are a lot of 'ifs'," Cas commented.
"Tell me about it," Dean responded.
"Michael is powerful," Cas mused, "though centuries of battle may have weakened him slightly..."
"Centuries?" Dean asked. "Cas, it hasn't even been two decades."
"You know time is different, both above and below," Cas reminded him. "Lucifer and Michael have been fighting for centuries."
"Shit," Dean commented. "Can Adam possibly still be alive?" he asked. "Or are we on a suicide mission?" Dean looked intensely at Cas now.
"I wouldn't let you go on a suicide mission," Cas said softly. "I hope you know that by now."
"Yeah, I know," Dean admitted. "But how can we know that we're not heading in to try to save a dead man?"
"Remember how that demon told you that it would still 'feel' something that felt like a connection to Lucifer?" Cas asked. Dean nodded. "Well, I've tried to tune in to Adam. I can't be sure. The cage has incredibly thick walls. But every few years I think I hear something."
"What kind of something?" Dean asked.
"You won't like it," Cas responded, brow furrowed.
"You'd better tell me everything you know Cas," Dean said forcefully. "I need as much intel as I can get before we do this."
Cas sighed. "Every few years, from the direction of the cage, I hear, or, it might be more accurate to say I feel, this wave of anguish. It's so strong, it makes me feel sick. I thought maybe it was Michael. I was concerned that what I was feeling was Michael...losing."
Dean was staring at Cas like he might burn a hole through him with his green eyes.
"But I know what an angel's energy feels like, and this was not that. This was...so much pain. A complete absence of hope. Even worse, it felt like someone who forgot what it was ever like to experience love." Cas looked down. "Dean," he looked back up and straight into Dean's eyes, "I've never felt another creature in pain like that. For that feeling to be strong enough to reach me....it is more pain than I can imagine. "
It was everything Dean had tried to forget over the years. What must be happening to Adam while he and Sam carried on with their lives.
Dean took a sharp breath. "Then I'm even more sure that we gotta do this, Cas."
"But the plan," Cas said, "it does not sound like you trust this plan."
"I don't," confirmed Dean. "But I trust Sam."
"I know," Cas replied.
"If we can get Adam, will you be able to help him?" Dean asked Cas.
"I doubt there will be enough left of him to put back together," Cas responded honestly. "But I will do my best to help him get to heaven. With his mother. Where he belongs."
Dean nodded. "Cas," he turned to look into Cas' crystal blue eyes, "if this doesn't go well - "
Cas held up his hand to stop Dean from talking, "Dean, don't - "
"No Cas, I gotta say this," Dean was determined. "If I don't make it back...can you watch out for everyone?" He held Cas' gaze as Dean's eyes started to water slightly. "You gotta promise me you'll watch out for Sam. And Lisa and Ben...." Dean wiped his eyes quickly.
"You know I will," Cas responded with steely determination, "But Dean, they need you. Not me. I can protect them, but they need you to love them."
"Fuck, Cas," Dean put his hand over his mouth and looked away. He swallowed hard. "I want you to know, you've always been there for me. I trust you with everything. I want to say thank you. You know. For everything."
"I do not accept your thanks," Cas stated flatly.
Dean looked insulted, "Man, I'm trying to lay it all out here, gimme a break, would ya?"
"You can thank me by coming back." Cas said simply. "That is the only thanks I will accept."
Dean gave a startled Cas a quick hug and nodded briefly. Next thing he knew, he was sitting alone on the rock again. Dean looked down and saw something small glinting in the spot that Cas had just vacated. It looked somehow familiar. He reached down and touched it and knew instantly from the feel of it what it was.
It was his amulet. The one he had thrown away so many years ago. The one Cas had proclaimed to be "broken".
Why had Cas left this behind? When did Cas even get it back? What the fuck?
"Cas!" Dean yelled into the air, "Cas! Why'd you leave this?!"
Silence.
In the back of Dean's brain, there was a slight hint of fondness for this amulet that he thought had been lost forever. Only because it was the first present Sam had ever given him. But in no more time that it took to have that thought, it was replaced by a newer one. The memory of the feeling of utter despair and defeat he had felt the day that he threw it away. Seeing it again brought it all back. He wished Cas had never rescued it from wherever the hell he had found it.
Dean stuffed it into his pocket anyway. Was everything from his past going to come back to bitch slap him this week, he wondered? Shit.
Cas, invisible to the human eye, watched Dean from a short distance away. He had only intended the amulet to bolster Dean's spirits as he went into this battle. He meant it to be a reminder of Sam's love for his brother. He could see that his intentions had totally backfired by the look on Dean's face.
64.
"What the fuck are they yammering on about?" Dean asked as he came back inside after his meeting with Cas about a mile down the road.
"I can't understand all of it," Sam admitted, "but Austin wanted to discuss what the Bible says about Lucifer. In Aramaic, of course."
" 'Of course'," Dean said mockingly. "This is too fuckin' weird," Dean commented, looking at Walker and Austin actually SMILING together as they talked. "I mean, he's the fuckin' Antichrist, Sammy."
"Maybe that's only part of what he is," Sam responded.
"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, confused.
"Well, am I a guy cursed by demon blood?" Sam asked.
"No, you're my brother," Dean responded matter-of-factly.
"Exactly," said Sam. "Maybe Ben's right and Austin's not just the Antichrist."
"I'd think that would be a hard thing to get past," Dean responded with a sarcastic smirk.
"So was the demon blood," Sam said seriously, and the smirk drained from Dean's face.
"Sam, I'm about to crawl out of my skin here," Dean admitted. "If we're going to do this, can we hit the road before I fucking go insane thinking about all the ways this could go sideways?"
Sam looked at Dean, concerned over how stressed he was. Sam felt the same, but at least he was trying to hide it. What had gotten into Dean? "Sure, yeah, let's get this freakshow on the road," Sam said, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.
"Alright then," said Dean as he gathered up their bags. The truth was, just knowing how bad it was for Adam, knowing that Cas had just confirmed that it was worse than he even feared (he had tried to convince himself for all these years that Michael must be treating his vessel with respect and as much care as possible, but obviously, that had only been wishful thinking), had Dean sick with guilt. He had to get moving. He had to do something. He had to fix it.
With the cabin packed up, the Impala and Walker's pickup headed for Kansas. The return trip was a hell of a lot more somber than the trip to Texas had been just a few short months earlier.
65.
Ben barely hesitated long enough to check the message for grammatical errors.
"Monsignor Delaney, I regret to inform you that I have a family emergency that I must attend to. My Uncle Adam is in critical condition and I need to see him before it's too late. I'm sorry that I have to leave immediately. I hope you will consider welcoming me back to finish out the term as a tutor here at Brook Hill, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity you have given me thus far."
Barely a minute later, Ben heard his computer alert him to a new message. He was just about finished packing.
"Take all the time you need, son. Your family needs you. Go to them. God's speed. Sincerely, Monsignor Delaney."
'Yeah, God's speed,' Ben though to himself as he looked around his now-empty room and picked up his duffel bag. The irony was not lost on him.
Ben switched on the smartware on his computer. It had been learning his e-mail style for a week. Now it could send out messages that sounded like they came directly from Ben. His first automatic message went out to Lisa:
"Mom, my phone crapped out, send me an e-mail if you need me. Love, Ben."
This program would answer anything she sent him as if he were typing it to her himself.
Ben hefted his bag over his shoulder and headed outside to Mary.
66.
Lisa and Walker pulled up to door of the bunker in Walker's truck. Garth threw open the door and ran out, hugging them both tightly at once. "I'm really glad to see you two," he confessed in a rush with his usual level of enthusiasm.
"Were you waiting by the door?" Lisa asked him, smirking.
Garth blushed, "Naw; I got bored and installed a camera; it's hidden in that post over there," he said, pointing to the left. "I saw you drive up. You two okay?" he asked with complete and utter sincerity.
"I've been better," Lisa replied. Walker nodded.
"I know," Garth said. "It sucks lemons to have to wait here. But you know that they couldn't focus on what they have to do if you were with them, right?"
"I know," Walker said dejectedly.
"Hey, don't sound like that!" Garth chastised her. "Sam would still be waking up in a cold sweat every night if you hadn't helped him figure all of this out...the spells, the incantations."
"But it's so risky," Walker lamented.
Lisa had been trying to ignore it. They'd tried to talk about Ben and college and the stuff that Sam and Dean did that drove them nuts...mostly they had tried to focus on the good things on the drive home from Texas, but Lisa's ability to hold back the fear was starting to wane. She had been trying to be strong for Dean. She felt herself go a bit pale and lightheaded.
Walker looked at her, "Lisa, what's wrong?" she asked.
Lisa stumbled sideways slightly and Garth caught her, "Whoa," he said, "I know I'm a handsome devil but I've never made a woman faint dead away before." That got a smile out of Lisa at least and some color started to return to her face. Walker was relieved.
"What we have to do now is take care of each other, okay?" Garth proclaimed. "Now listen to me, both of you. Sam and Dean have always won. Even when it looked like it wasn't going to go their way. In the end, they win. That's what they do. They aren't like other hunters."
"Yeah," Walker said with a small smile, "that's for sure." Lisa let out a slow breath and nodded.
"And they would totally kick my ass if they didn't think I was taking good care of you two," Garth said looking back and forth from Walker to Lisa. "Please don't make them kick my ass," he pleaded with mock sincerity, "If you haven't noticed, they have a very slight size advantage."
Walker couldn't help but laugh. Garth broke into a huge smile. "Okay then," he said, "I've got stuff for loosemeat sandwiches on the stove, you two must be starving."
Walker looked skeptical. "I am, but, sorry, what in the world is a 'loosemeat' sandwich?"
"You're in Kansas now, baby," Garth replied. Then, when her expression remained unchanged, he continued, "You're kiddin' me! You've never had a loosemeat sandwich?"
"No?" Walker said cautiously.
Lisa put an arm around Walker's waist, "Think 'sloppy joe'," she added helpfully. "They taste a lot better than they sound. Come on," Lisa said as Garth held the door open for them. Always the gentleman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When they were seated around the table, Garth, who had decided he would do whatever he had to to get Walker and Lisa through this, offered, "Hey, anytime you want to talk...it's okay."
Lisa looked at him, eyes shining, "You're something, Garth, you know that?"
Garth looked down sheepishly, then back up at her. He reached out and took her hand, "It's going to be okay," he said with utter conviction and pure trust. So much so that Walker and Lisa couldn't help but want to believe him. Garth held out his other hand and Walker took it. "I know we don't usually do this around here, but it can't hurt," Garth said, "so, if it's okay with you?" he looked questioningly back and forth between them.
"It's okay, Garth," Walker said. "I think it's what we all need."
Garth smiled quietly, closed his eyes, lowered his head and started, "God, please watch over Sam and Dean. They're damn strong, but they're gonna need all the help they can get. They have people here who love them and need them. They need to come home. Please help them come home."
Walker had tears in her eyes. So Garth got up and gave her a hug which she gratefully accepted. How had she been so lucky to stumble into this weird, but, to her mind, perfect family? She'd never had a real family before. 'This must be what it's supposed to feel like', she thought to herself.
"Let's eat," Garth said, letting go of Walker. She nodded. She took one tentative bit of her sandwich. She brightened and looked up at Garth. "This is really good, Garth," she said.
Garth beamed.
67.
Dean, Sam, Austin, and Nick pulled to stop at the gates of Stull Cemetery. Sam and Dean exchanged looks.
"Let's go get our brother," Dean said simply. Sam nodded silently.
Out in the clearing in the center of the cemetery, they set up the ritual. It had taken Sam years, but this was the culmination of all of his study and all of his work. Piecing together lore from hundreds of different sources. This was going to be complex, and it would take awhile.
68.
Ben had been following the Impala's path about an hour behind. He wanted to make absolutely sure nobody saw him.
He cautiously skirted the cemetery. He saw the Impala parked in a clearing, but no one was in sight. Ben didn't want to be a distraction, but he couldn't stay away from this. He parked a short distance away and cautiously approached the car.
Ben hadn't brought much with him. He only had his one handgun. He thought it might be a good idea to gather a few more supplies. He had no idea what he might encounter.
Ben worked the lock on the Impala's trunk until it popped open. He silently thanked Sam for teaching him how to pick a lock. Ben sorted through the contents in the trunk. Sam and Dean really hadn't taken much with them. Ben thought they must have an awful lot of faith in the incantations they planned to use. (Ben didn't realize that Sam and Dean had decided that most weapons were pretty much useless against these adversaries, so why carry anything they didn't need?) Ben picked up the sniper rifle; the new one with the awesome scope. He pulled an angel blade from the corner of the trunk. Then, just for good measure, and because it looked pretty bad-ass, he picked up the high- powered crossbow and slung it over his shoulder. He quietly closed the trunk and tried to figure out where to go next.
Ben saw there was a slight rise on the north side of the cemetery. It was at a pretty safe distance; about half a mile away. He headed in that direction and just as he was crawling up the back of the rise, he heard it; a deafening, deep, low sonic boom. His ears were ringing, like he'd just spent four hours at a rock concert. Everything he heard after the boom sounded muffled, the way things sounded after a heavy snow. He quickly scrambled the rest of the way up to the top of the hill to see what had caused the sound.
next - HOME (part 2) chapters 69 - 75
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A short distance from the cabin, Dean sat by himself on a large rock next to the road. A half-second later, a small breeze was the only thing that tipped him off that he was no longer alone.
"It is done," Cas reported to him.
"Awesome," replied Dean, sounding like it was anything but awesome. "Will you be able to un-do it?" Dean asked.
"Everyone is different," Cas admitted, "but yes, for pretty much everyone, I should be able to bring back their memories when you return."
Dean nodded in response, looking off into the distance.
"Dean, this thing you're trying to do...it's not going to be easy," Cas said, looking at Dean with concern.
"I figured," Dean replied, still looking off into the distance.
Cas continued, "Lucifer and Michael, they've been locked in this battle for years. It is going to be like walking into the middle of a dogfight. It's war down there and a war doesn't stop just because someone new walks onto the battlefield."
"So what should I do, Cas?" Dean asked, finally looking at him. "You know it's our fault that Adam is stuck in that hell. And Sam hasn't been the same since that day. If it means that I can't make it out of this one, then, I guess that's how it's going to go."
"No, Dean, not now," Cas put a hand on Dean's arm and Dean looked at him questioningly. "You have much left to do."
"So you're saying I'm going to survive this?" Dean asked skeptically.
"I'm saying you need to be careful," Cas responded.
Dean scoffed, " 'careful'?" he asked, "I don't think 'careful' can be part of this."
"It has to be, Dean," Cas said. "I used to think that everything was preordained. You have proven to me though, that you are in charge of your fate. Not angels. Not demons. Not even God. If you are going to make it through, it is going to be because you decide you are going to make it through."
"And how am I supposed to say 'yes' to Michael long enough for him to let go of Adam but without him actually wearing me?" Dean asked.
"What does Sam say?" Dean asked.
"Sam says that there's an archangel binding spell he found, and if we can recite it at exactly the right time, if he lets loose of Adam, and if we can do it before, you know, he's inside of me, then we can stop Michael long enough to kill him or shut him back in the cage again," Dean said, sounding tired.
"Those are a lot of 'ifs'," Cas commented.
"Tell me about it," Dean responded.
"Michael is powerful," Cas mused, "though centuries of battle may have weakened him slightly..."
"Centuries?" Dean asked. "Cas, it hasn't even been two decades."
"You know time is different, both above and below," Cas reminded him. "Lucifer and Michael have been fighting for centuries."
"Shit," Dean commented. "Can Adam possibly still be alive?" he asked. "Or are we on a suicide mission?" Dean looked intensely at Cas now.
"I wouldn't let you go on a suicide mission," Cas said softly. "I hope you know that by now."
"Yeah, I know," Dean admitted. "But how can we know that we're not heading in to try to save a dead man?"
"Remember how that demon told you that it would still 'feel' something that felt like a connection to Lucifer?" Cas asked. Dean nodded. "Well, I've tried to tune in to Adam. I can't be sure. The cage has incredibly thick walls. But every few years I think I hear something."
"What kind of something?" Dean asked.
"You won't like it," Cas responded, brow furrowed.
"You'd better tell me everything you know Cas," Dean said forcefully. "I need as much intel as I can get before we do this."
Cas sighed. "Every few years, from the direction of the cage, I hear, or, it might be more accurate to say I feel, this wave of anguish. It's so strong, it makes me feel sick. I thought maybe it was Michael. I was concerned that what I was feeling was Michael...losing."
Dean was staring at Cas like he might burn a hole through him with his green eyes.
"But I know what an angel's energy feels like, and this was not that. This was...so much pain. A complete absence of hope. Even worse, it felt like someone who forgot what it was ever like to experience love." Cas looked down. "Dean," he looked back up and straight into Dean's eyes, "I've never felt another creature in pain like that. For that feeling to be strong enough to reach me....it is more pain than I can imagine. "
It was everything Dean had tried to forget over the years. What must be happening to Adam while he and Sam carried on with their lives.
Dean took a sharp breath. "Then I'm even more sure that we gotta do this, Cas."
"But the plan," Cas said, "it does not sound like you trust this plan."
"I don't," confirmed Dean. "But I trust Sam."
"I know," Cas replied.
"If we can get Adam, will you be able to help him?" Dean asked Cas.
"I doubt there will be enough left of him to put back together," Cas responded honestly. "But I will do my best to help him get to heaven. With his mother. Where he belongs."
Dean nodded. "Cas," he turned to look into Cas' crystal blue eyes, "if this doesn't go well - "
Cas held up his hand to stop Dean from talking, "Dean, don't - "
"No Cas, I gotta say this," Dean was determined. "If I don't make it back...can you watch out for everyone?" He held Cas' gaze as Dean's eyes started to water slightly. "You gotta promise me you'll watch out for Sam. And Lisa and Ben...." Dean wiped his eyes quickly.
"You know I will," Cas responded with steely determination, "But Dean, they need you. Not me. I can protect them, but they need you to love them."
"Fuck, Cas," Dean put his hand over his mouth and looked away. He swallowed hard. "I want you to know, you've always been there for me. I trust you with everything. I want to say thank you. You know. For everything."
"I do not accept your thanks," Cas stated flatly.
Dean looked insulted, "Man, I'm trying to lay it all out here, gimme a break, would ya?"
"You can thank me by coming back." Cas said simply. "That is the only thanks I will accept."
Dean gave a startled Cas a quick hug and nodded briefly. Next thing he knew, he was sitting alone on the rock again. Dean looked down and saw something small glinting in the spot that Cas had just vacated. It looked somehow familiar. He reached down and touched it and knew instantly from the feel of it what it was.
It was his amulet. The one he had thrown away so many years ago. The one Cas had proclaimed to be "broken".
Why had Cas left this behind? When did Cas even get it back? What the fuck?
"Cas!" Dean yelled into the air, "Cas! Why'd you leave this?!"
Silence.
In the back of Dean's brain, there was a slight hint of fondness for this amulet that he thought had been lost forever. Only because it was the first present Sam had ever given him. But in no more time that it took to have that thought, it was replaced by a newer one. The memory of the feeling of utter despair and defeat he had felt the day that he threw it away. Seeing it again brought it all back. He wished Cas had never rescued it from wherever the hell he had found it.
Dean stuffed it into his pocket anyway. Was everything from his past going to come back to bitch slap him this week, he wondered? Shit.
Cas, invisible to the human eye, watched Dean from a short distance away. He had only intended the amulet to bolster Dean's spirits as he went into this battle. He meant it to be a reminder of Sam's love for his brother. He could see that his intentions had totally backfired by the look on Dean's face.
64.
"What the fuck are they yammering on about?" Dean asked as he came back inside after his meeting with Cas about a mile down the road.
"I can't understand all of it," Sam admitted, "but Austin wanted to discuss what the Bible says about Lucifer. In Aramaic, of course."
" 'Of course'," Dean said mockingly. "This is too fuckin' weird," Dean commented, looking at Walker and Austin actually SMILING together as they talked. "I mean, he's the fuckin' Antichrist, Sammy."
"Maybe that's only part of what he is," Sam responded.
"What are you talking about?" Dean asked, confused.
"Well, am I a guy cursed by demon blood?" Sam asked.
"No, you're my brother," Dean responded matter-of-factly.
"Exactly," said Sam. "Maybe Ben's right and Austin's not just the Antichrist."
"I'd think that would be a hard thing to get past," Dean responded with a sarcastic smirk.
"So was the demon blood," Sam said seriously, and the smirk drained from Dean's face.
"Sam, I'm about to crawl out of my skin here," Dean admitted. "If we're going to do this, can we hit the road before I fucking go insane thinking about all the ways this could go sideways?"
Sam looked at Dean, concerned over how stressed he was. Sam felt the same, but at least he was trying to hide it. What had gotten into Dean? "Sure, yeah, let's get this freakshow on the road," Sam said, trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood.
"Alright then," said Dean as he gathered up their bags. The truth was, just knowing how bad it was for Adam, knowing that Cas had just confirmed that it was worse than he even feared (he had tried to convince himself for all these years that Michael must be treating his vessel with respect and as much care as possible, but obviously, that had only been wishful thinking), had Dean sick with guilt. He had to get moving. He had to do something. He had to fix it.
With the cabin packed up, the Impala and Walker's pickup headed for Kansas. The return trip was a hell of a lot more somber than the trip to Texas had been just a few short months earlier.
65.
Ben barely hesitated long enough to check the message for grammatical errors.
"Monsignor Delaney, I regret to inform you that I have a family emergency that I must attend to. My Uncle Adam is in critical condition and I need to see him before it's too late. I'm sorry that I have to leave immediately. I hope you will consider welcoming me back to finish out the term as a tutor here at Brook Hill, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity you have given me thus far."
Barely a minute later, Ben heard his computer alert him to a new message. He was just about finished packing.
"Take all the time you need, son. Your family needs you. Go to them. God's speed. Sincerely, Monsignor Delaney."
'Yeah, God's speed,' Ben though to himself as he looked around his now-empty room and picked up his duffel bag. The irony was not lost on him.
Ben switched on the smartware on his computer. It had been learning his e-mail style for a week. Now it could send out messages that sounded like they came directly from Ben. His first automatic message went out to Lisa:
"Mom, my phone crapped out, send me an e-mail if you need me. Love, Ben."
This program would answer anything she sent him as if he were typing it to her himself.
Ben hefted his bag over his shoulder and headed outside to Mary.
66.
Lisa and Walker pulled up to door of the bunker in Walker's truck. Garth threw open the door and ran out, hugging them both tightly at once. "I'm really glad to see you two," he confessed in a rush with his usual level of enthusiasm.
"Were you waiting by the door?" Lisa asked him, smirking.
Garth blushed, "Naw; I got bored and installed a camera; it's hidden in that post over there," he said, pointing to the left. "I saw you drive up. You two okay?" he asked with complete and utter sincerity.
"I've been better," Lisa replied. Walker nodded.
"I know," Garth said. "It sucks lemons to have to wait here. But you know that they couldn't focus on what they have to do if you were with them, right?"
"I know," Walker said dejectedly.
"Hey, don't sound like that!" Garth chastised her. "Sam would still be waking up in a cold sweat every night if you hadn't helped him figure all of this out...the spells, the incantations."
"But it's so risky," Walker lamented.
Lisa had been trying to ignore it. They'd tried to talk about Ben and college and the stuff that Sam and Dean did that drove them nuts...mostly they had tried to focus on the good things on the drive home from Texas, but Lisa's ability to hold back the fear was starting to wane. She had been trying to be strong for Dean. She felt herself go a bit pale and lightheaded.
Walker looked at her, "Lisa, what's wrong?" she asked.
Lisa stumbled sideways slightly and Garth caught her, "Whoa," he said, "I know I'm a handsome devil but I've never made a woman faint dead away before." That got a smile out of Lisa at least and some color started to return to her face. Walker was relieved.
"What we have to do now is take care of each other, okay?" Garth proclaimed. "Now listen to me, both of you. Sam and Dean have always won. Even when it looked like it wasn't going to go their way. In the end, they win. That's what they do. They aren't like other hunters."
"Yeah," Walker said with a small smile, "that's for sure." Lisa let out a slow breath and nodded.
"And they would totally kick my ass if they didn't think I was taking good care of you two," Garth said looking back and forth from Walker to Lisa. "Please don't make them kick my ass," he pleaded with mock sincerity, "If you haven't noticed, they have a very slight size advantage."
Walker couldn't help but laugh. Garth broke into a huge smile. "Okay then," he said, "I've got stuff for loosemeat sandwiches on the stove, you two must be starving."
Walker looked skeptical. "I am, but, sorry, what in the world is a 'loosemeat' sandwich?"
"You're in Kansas now, baby," Garth replied. Then, when her expression remained unchanged, he continued, "You're kiddin' me! You've never had a loosemeat sandwich?"
"No?" Walker said cautiously.
Lisa put an arm around Walker's waist, "Think 'sloppy joe'," she added helpfully. "They taste a lot better than they sound. Come on," Lisa said as Garth held the door open for them. Always the gentleman.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When they were seated around the table, Garth, who had decided he would do whatever he had to to get Walker and Lisa through this, offered, "Hey, anytime you want to talk...it's okay."
Lisa looked at him, eyes shining, "You're something, Garth, you know that?"
Garth looked down sheepishly, then back up at her. He reached out and took her hand, "It's going to be okay," he said with utter conviction and pure trust. So much so that Walker and Lisa couldn't help but want to believe him. Garth held out his other hand and Walker took it. "I know we don't usually do this around here, but it can't hurt," Garth said, "so, if it's okay with you?" he looked questioningly back and forth between them.
"It's okay, Garth," Walker said. "I think it's what we all need."
Garth smiled quietly, closed his eyes, lowered his head and started, "God, please watch over Sam and Dean. They're damn strong, but they're gonna need all the help they can get. They have people here who love them and need them. They need to come home. Please help them come home."
Walker had tears in her eyes. So Garth got up and gave her a hug which she gratefully accepted. How had she been so lucky to stumble into this weird, but, to her mind, perfect family? She'd never had a real family before. 'This must be what it's supposed to feel like', she thought to herself.
"Let's eat," Garth said, letting go of Walker. She nodded. She took one tentative bit of her sandwich. She brightened and looked up at Garth. "This is really good, Garth," she said.
Garth beamed.
67.
Dean, Sam, Austin, and Nick pulled to stop at the gates of Stull Cemetery. Sam and Dean exchanged looks.
"Let's go get our brother," Dean said simply. Sam nodded silently.
Out in the clearing in the center of the cemetery, they set up the ritual. It had taken Sam years, but this was the culmination of all of his study and all of his work. Piecing together lore from hundreds of different sources. This was going to be complex, and it would take awhile.
68.
Ben had been following the Impala's path about an hour behind. He wanted to make absolutely sure nobody saw him.
He cautiously skirted the cemetery. He saw the Impala parked in a clearing, but no one was in sight. Ben didn't want to be a distraction, but he couldn't stay away from this. He parked a short distance away and cautiously approached the car.
Ben hadn't brought much with him. He only had his one handgun. He thought it might be a good idea to gather a few more supplies. He had no idea what he might encounter.
Ben worked the lock on the Impala's trunk until it popped open. He silently thanked Sam for teaching him how to pick a lock. Ben sorted through the contents in the trunk. Sam and Dean really hadn't taken much with them. Ben thought they must have an awful lot of faith in the incantations they planned to use. (Ben didn't realize that Sam and Dean had decided that most weapons were pretty much useless against these adversaries, so why carry anything they didn't need?) Ben picked up the sniper rifle; the new one with the awesome scope. He pulled an angel blade from the corner of the trunk. Then, just for good measure, and because it looked pretty bad-ass, he picked up the high- powered crossbow and slung it over his shoulder. He quietly closed the trunk and tried to figure out where to go next.
Ben saw there was a slight rise on the north side of the cemetery. It was at a pretty safe distance; about half a mile away. He headed in that direction and just as he was crawling up the back of the rise, he heard it; a deafening, deep, low sonic boom. His ears were ringing, like he'd just spent four hours at a rock concert. Everything he heard after the boom sounded muffled, the way things sounded after a heavy snow. He quickly scrambled the rest of the way up to the top of the hill to see what had caused the sound.
next - HOME (part 2) chapters 69 - 75
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