SPN fic: Molly And Sidon
SUMMARY: Marion, Ohio holds a massive presidential tomb with a secret -- Dean finds it just as the brothers investigate a coven. A curse de-ages both in different ways, and the secret of the tomb brings the brothers' imaginary friends to life. Sam's is a Martian lady named Sidon, but Dean's is a helpful older sister named Molly. Are the figments going to be a help on the case, or more of a hindrance? And can the brothers send them away?
Written for the 2015 springfling over at spn_bigpretzel. Gift for zelda_addict. Artwork by liketherifle_k. More artwork will be coming later on!
Marion, Ohio
"What are you doing?" the young woman gasped as she walked into the room.
The two women grinned at her. One of them said calmly, "There have been hunters close by - brothers by the name of Winchester. So we have cast an illusion to bring them here."
"And destroy them," the second one said.
The young woman cried out, "You what? Does the coven know?"
"The coven," the first one sniffed, "is full of old women who only care about other people. If things are going to happen for us, we are going to have to make it happen."
"You're insane!" the young woman barked. "You're selfish and insane! Grandmother will handle--"
Her arm was seized by the second woman and she was pulled from the doorway. "That, darling Crystal, is why you're coming with us. Right, Leia?"
"Right, Carol," Leia grinned coldly. "That way, you can't go to your precious grandmother - because you'll be just as guilty as we are!"
Crystal gulped, her face going milk-white, as she realised she was trapped.
~*~
"You are sucha nerd," Dean Winchester groaned as he exited the Impala and watched Sam grin as he looked up at the massive marble structure. "So, is there really a case here, or did you just drag me to some old dude's tomb?"
"There's a case here, but we have time." Sam Winchester grinned even broader as he swung a hand toward the gleaming marble. "But come on, Dean! This is the biggest monuent outside of DC made from this kind of marble! I had to see it!"
Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, geek boy. Knock yourself out." He couldn't help but return the sunny smile shot him before he jogged down the path and up the stairs.
Dean shok his head and drifted toward the six-sided podium that held information about the Monument. "Huh!" he mused under his breath as he read. "This guy Harding - he really was a President! In the '20s....Warren Ga-Ga...." He frowned. "Hey, Sammy!"
"What?" Sam called.
"Who the hell names their kid Gamaliel?"
"President Harding's parents!" Sam shot back.
Dean mockingly mouthed the words as he moved to the next panel - and felt his back pocket vibrate. He frowned, reaching back and pulling out the Walkman that he had modified ino an EMF meter. "...the hell?" he breathed, fitting a bud in his ear and pointing the meter at the podium.
"You gotta be kidding me," Dean whispered, running his fingers along the base of the podium. Finding an indentation in the concrete, he pressed.
With a metallic sigh, a hinged door sprang open and a small box tumbled out into Dean's hand before the door snapped shut, the indentation vanishing as if it had never been.
Sam jogged over, all smiles. "It's their graves," he announced. "It's an open circle of columns and their graves are--" He broke off, the smile fading. "What is it?"
Dean looked up at him. "EMF went off. Secret door in the podium opened and this fell out." He lifted the box. "Is this your case?"
"No," Sam breathed, eyes wide. "This... I didn't know that was there." He peered closer. "What are those symbols? Think it's something like a curse box?"
"Let's get to the motel and check it out." Dean put the box in his jacket pocket and took a step toward the car. "Tombs, huh?" He pointed the EMF meter at the monuent and grinned. "Okay, nothing."
Sam rolled his eyes as he slid into the passenger seat. "I can't believe you scanned a national monument for EMF!"
"Hey," Dean retorted as he got behind the wheel. "First of all, the meter went off at the podium. Second of all, I didn't even know the dude was an actual President, so how much of a national monument could it be?"
"Look," Sam growled over the sound of the engine turning over. "Just because you're not aware of something doesn't make it any less real! In fact-"
He was cut off when Dean cranked up Def Leppard. "Sorry, Sammy!" he yelled, grinning from ear to ear. "Can't hear you over the music!"
Sam groaned as the Impala blasted its way down Route 4, heading for the motel on the other side of town.
As they passed the final cemetery, Leia's voice hissed, "That's them."
Carol chanted, and power erupted from the graveyard, striking the Impala and spinning it out of control.
As Dean fought to regain control of the wildly spinning car and Sam fought to just hang on, the box fell from Dean's pocket and hit the footwell, the lock shattering and the box snapping open on impact. A burst of light swirled around both brothers, then moved to the back seat and began to solidify into two distinct shapes.
The Impala came to rest on the side of the road, with Dean slumped over the wheel and Sam slumped against the door.
Carol approached the car, laughing. "Not so formidable now," she laughed, blowing a handful of powder on them and chanting. Their forms glowed for a few seconds.
Carol then opened the passenger side door and reached in for the child that now rested in the seat. "You're coming with me, Winchester."
"I don't think so."
Carol's head snapped up and she frowned at the unconscious form of Sam's brother. "Who.... Who said that?"
From the back seat, the voice replied, "I did." The back door opened and a figure glided from the seat.
She sat in a gleaming black saucer that completely enclosed her legs. Her long, slender fingers manipulated the controls as if she were playing a piano. Her bright purple hair was in a rather severe braid piled on top of her head, and her olive green skin seemed to generate a soft glow. Her huge, slanted, solid black eyes were practically snapping with rage. "You," she growled, "are not touching that boy."
Startled, Carol fell on her backside and crab-scuttled from the car, grabbing a frozen Crystal and tugging her up the hill and out of sight.
Leia tried to pull Dean from the driver's side, but the instant the door was open she found herself facing the barrel of a gun. "....the hell?"
The driver's side back door opened and a tall blonde woman stepped out. Green eyes glared at Leia and a low rumble of a voice growled, "Back off, buddy. You don't touch him."
Leia spun and ran, and the blonde huffed and made the gun vanish as if it had never been. "They'll be back. How's Sammy?"
"Small," the alien creature said, bending over him. "Dean's unchanged."
"Unchanged doesn't mean unaffected," the blonde said. She touched his shoulder. "Dean? Hey, Dean."
"Come on, Sammy," the creature said. "Open your eyes."
Sam's eyes opened and he frowned deeply as clarity returned to them. "What the...." he breathed. "This... isn't possible."
"What isn't possible, Sammy?" the creature asked.
"Sidon?" When her perfect white teeth were revealed in a dimpled smile, Sam groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Oh, I'm dreaming."
"No, you're not dreaming, Sammy," the creature - Sidon - smiled. "We're really here."
"We?" Sam turned to see a beautiful blonde waking Dean. It was when he noticed how big Dean suddenly was that he realised: "I'm --- small."
"About twelve, I'd say," the blonde nodded, then grinned as Dean stirred. "Hey, there, Sleeping Beauty," she cracked. "Bout time you decided to join us."
Dean's eyes widened. A huge smile split his face and he lunged, grabbing her around the waist and burying his forehead in her shoulder. "Molly!" he cried out, like she was an old friend he thought he would never see again.
Sam blinked in shock as the blonde - Molly -- stroked his hair. She looked nothing like the ghost they had peacefully dissipated weeks earlier. No, this Molly looked.....
Well, she looked an awful lot like the pictures Sam had seen of his mother Mary. "M-Molly? Dean, who...."
Dean turned to face him, and a sliver of ice blasted down Sam's spine. This Dean he was facing looked the same as always - but there was an air of wounded innocence about him that was almost painful to see. "She's our sister, Sammy," he said - as if that explained everything.
Sam shook his head. "Our sister.... But we don't have---" His eyes widened. "Wait." He turned back to face Sidon. "If Sidon's here...." He turned back to face Dean. "And you say Molly's our.... Dean, was Molly your imaginary friend? Like.... L-Like Sidon was mine?"
"Not was, Sammy," Dean pointed out. "Is. They're right here, after all."
"About that...." Sam turned to look at Sidon again. "How are you here? Why am I ... small... again when Dean's young inside?"
Sidon nodded, her huge eyes blinking. "You both were affected by a coven's de-aging spell. You physically--"
"And Dean mentally," Molly nodded. "As for how we're here? Well...." An almost feral smile crossed her face as she finished:
"You can thank First Lady Harding for that one."
~*~
Between Molly steering and the others pushing, they got the Impala back on the road. And then, they found themselves with the issue of just who was going to be driving.
Sam, of course, volunteered himself. But the boy looked to be all of twelve, so that was nixed quickly. Dean looked grown up, but his only five years old brain couldn't remember how to drive.
Ultimately, Molly drove and Sam navigated. Dean sat in the back with Sidon, who kept him entertained with tales of the messes she and Sammy had gotten into.
Once they were back in the motel, Sam whirled on her. "Okay, you...how do you know all that? Who are you?"
"We just went over this, Sammy. She's your imaginary friend," Dean said. "And Molly here is mine."
"You had an imaginary sister?" Sam asked, incredulous. It seemed to be just sinking in.
"Someone to take care of him," Molly said. "Like Sidon would adventure with you. Dean needed someone older to love him. So I was born."
Sam shook his head. "But you're not real. Except, suddenly you are. What happened and what do the Hardings have to do with it?"
Dean tugged on Molly's sleeve. "Sissy, I'm hungry."
Molly's eyes widened even as she smiled. "I'll go get something. Sidon, would you mind--?"
"Absolutely not," Sidon smiled as she glided to settle her saucer on the bed across from Dean. "While they're gone, want to hear more stories?"
"Yes!" Dean's eyes lit up and they were in active conversation when the pair left the room.
"Well," Molly said, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets and shaking her head. "He's feeling safe, at least."
Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The only times he ever called me 'Sissy' was when he felt safe and protected. It.... It didn't happen a lot."
"How do you know this?" Sam protested, a childish whine of frustration creeping into his voice without his conscious control.
"Because I took it from Dean's memory, just like Sidon did from yours. We took what we needed to know to become the two people you loved unconditionally."
Sam's eyes closed. "Our imaginary friends."
"Your imaginary friends," she finished, then they were at the diner.
They walked in and the lady looked up. "Pickup for Winchester?"
"My.....name's Winchester," Sam said, startled.
The waitress rattled off the order that Sam had intended to get. She named a price and Molly paid in cash. Sam asked, "The person who called the order...."
"It was a woman from the motel down the street," the waitress replied.
"Sidon," Molly grinned. They thanked the waitress and began the walk back.
"So," Sam said slowly, "you became our imaginary friends. What are you, really?"
"We've had many names," Molly said. "We prefer to call ourselves figments. We've been called on several times when people feel they need help."
Sam frowned. "We didn't call on you."
"No, but you were in need when our box was jarred open. We latched onto that purpose, and here we are. And you're still in need."
"Your box - that curse box Dean found in the podium at the Harding Memorial." At Molly's nod, he asked, "What connection do you have with the Hardings?"
"Harding was a newspaper man. All he wanted to do was write and help. And all of a sudden he's elected Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, then a junior senator - and from there, President."
Sam nodded slowly. "I remember reading that. He came out of nowhere. There was a persistent rumour that his meteoric rise was ---"
"That he had help?" Molly interrupted with a grin. "That's because he did. Mrs Harding was ambitious - single-mindedly so. She wanted to be First Lady, so she summoned us."
Sam stopped walking and turned to face her. "Harding died in office."
"That's right."
"Mysteriously."
"Not really."
"You?"
Molly shrugged. "Every summons has a price. Usually a bad one. As First Lady Harding found out to her and her husband's detriment."
"Did she lock you in the box?"
"No. That was the head of the foundation to build the Memorial. He feared we would harm him."
Sam's eyes narrowed. "Would you?"
"No. See, he didn't summon us. He wanted only to make sure that we were neutralised. Your brother and yourself have nothing to fear from us, either."
"Why should I believe that?"
Molly grinned. "You didn't summon us, either. Our box jarred open. We saw a need, and acted to aid. We are only malicious to those who use us for selfish purposes. You and your brother? Didn't even know we were free. You didn't ask for us to help. Once you are no longer in need of us, we will--"
"-return to your box."
Molly frowned. "What?"
"Once this is over, if I understand your nature correctly, you will need to grant a boon. That is the boon we seek. Return to your box."
Molly hissed as her form glowed for a second. "Tricky boy."
Sam grinned big enough his dimples showed. "Ready to go in?"
Sighing, Molly opened the door.
~*~
Carol and Leia were completely shaken by what they'd experienced, and were not keeping a close watch on Crystal.
Crystal slipped away and raced down the hallways of the huge house. She pounded on an ornate door. It swung open and she raced in and threw herself, babbling, at the older woman's feet.
"Child." The older woman raised her to her knees. "Crystal, child, slow down."
"You will destroy me," Crystal gasped. "They said you will destroy me."
"Why?" The story came out, and the older woman's eyes narrowed. "Tell me truly, child - did you participate in these spells?"
"No, Grandmother," she sobbed. "Only Carol cast the spell. But I-I couldn't stop them. So they say I share in their guilt!"
"You did not cast the spell that did this to them," Grandmother said. "You wished to inform me of their actions, and they forced you to participate. You are exempt from their guilt. You will cast a scryer and lead me to these hunters. We shall set this aright - and as for the pair of troublemakers, I shall deal with them. Personally."
~*~
After the food was all gone, Molly kept Dean entertained while Sam and Sidon looked into the case that had brought them to Marion - and hit a dead end. The dead girls that were supposedly killed by strange means not only seemed to have had no family or friends, they also seemed to have no birth or death records. The only record of their existence whatsoever seemed to be the three articles in the "Marion Star" about their deaths.
"I don't know, Sidon," Sam groaned, sitting back in the chair. "This whole thing stinks like Dean's socks."
Sidon's nose wrinkled. "That? That is something I am so glad I haven't encountered in person. Your memories are bad enough!"
Before Sam could reply, a brisk knock sounded on the door. "I GOT IT!" Dean bellowed, racing across the room and flinging open the door before Sam could react. "Hi!" he chirped. "Come on in!"
Sam groaned softly, then stiffened when an older woman walked in, followed by a younger one. "Who are you?"
"You!" Molly hissed, grabbing Dean's arm and shoving him behind her, narrowed eyes fixed on the younger woman. "You were at the graveyard!"
"I was," she said, eyes down. "I'm Crystal, and this is my grandmother. We are here to right wrongs."
"Wrongs?" Sam stood sharply. "You were one of the ones who caused all this!"
"She was not one of those who cast the spell," Grandmother said. "Those that did will be dealt with. We are here to lift it."
"What about the girls?" Sam demanded. "What about those three girls that are dead because of --"
Grandmother held up a hand. "Those girls never existed. Those that harmed you lured you here with false stories. They intended to destroy you and make a name for themselves."
"Sidon?" Molly demanded.
Grandmother turned to Sidon, and her eyebrows rose. "Oh, I see," she said after a moment. "You are figments, aren't you?"
Sidon nodded. "And as such, we can tell when people lie. Sam, I hate to tell you this - but these two witches are telling the absolute truth."
Grandmother then nodded. "As you are their protectors at the moment, I address you. Allow me to inflict the tiny amount of pain I must to reverse the spell on them."
Sidon looked at Sam, who nodded. She turned to Grandmother. "Agreed."
Molly rubbed her hand down Dean's arm. "Okay, baby boy, there's gonna be a little pain and then you'll be okay, got me?"
He looked worried, but he nodded. "You won't leave?"
"Course not. I'll be here the entire time."
Dean nodded. "Okay, then."
Molly smiled. "Okay, agreed."
Grandmother cast the spell, and Dean moaned as his hands went to his head. Sam cried out once, sharply, then dropped like a stone.
"Sammy!" Dean raced to the child's side. "What did you do?"
Grandmother's voice was calm. "Your aging was mental, and thus the price would be a mere headache. His body must grow an entire foot and the pain would be tremendous. So he shall sleep through the worst of it."
To add truth to her words, Sam was already visibly growing larger. Crystal blew powder onto his body, "So his clothing won't strangle him, but will grow with him."
Grandmother smiled at her, then turned to Dean. "I know this means very little to you, Winchester, but I am sorry for what my rogue coven members have done. Once I leave here, they shall be dealt with."
"I want proof of this," Dean said, carding his fingers through his sleeping brother's hair. "I want proof that these people will never harm us again."
"You shall have it," Grandmother assured him. "After all, they broke our cardinal law."
"Acting without your word?" Dean guessed.
"Attacking children," Grandmother growled. "The spell had you as children - him physically, you mentally - when they attacked your vehicle."
"That's true," Sidon said. "If we hadn't been there, they might have dragged you out."
Grandmother looked at the figments. "Then I am grateful to you. With that one's protective instincts," she nodded toward Dean, "your quick action saved my coven from further retribution."
"Oh, that's still on the table, lady," Dean snarled. "If it's not settled to my satisfaction."
Grandmother smiled at him. "The one that cast the spell shall be punished to the fullest extent possible. The one who only acted as muscle will also be punished, but not as severely."
Crystal put in, "We shall see she is unable to harm anyone magically again."
Dean nodded. "Good. Get me the proof this is done, and retribution is off the table."
"Deal," the witches chorused, then Grandmother turned to the figments. "How does one thank figments?"
Molly grinned. "Follow me. I have an idea."
"So do I," Sidon said, gliding toward the door. She turned to Dean. "We will be back, Dean. We have our own boon to deliver." And she closed the door behind her.
Dean frowned. "Now what does she mean by--" That thought broke off as Sam groaned. "Sammy? Hey, Sammy..."
His adult little brother opened his eyes and sighed, "Dean.... I had the wierdest dream...."
"Hate to break it to you, buddy...."
~*~
On their way to Sioux Falls, Dean's phone rang. Sam answered it and put it on speaker. "Say that again, Crystal?"
Crystal's voice replied, "Carol and Leia have been dealt with. The one that was the muscle has been returned to her family without her memories or her magic. The one that cast the spell has been returned to her family in a body bag."
"Good," Dean said. "Is your grandmother listening?"
"She is."
"You kept your end of the bargain, lady. It's off the table."
"She says thank you. And we hope you enjoy what your figments requested we gift you with. Bye, Winchesters." The dial tone erupted until Sam turned it off.
"Okay, you two," Dean said, looking in the rear view mirror at the two smug figments in the back seat. "What did you do?"
"Now, that would be telling," Sidon laughed.
"And the only thing we'll be telling you is goodbye," Molly finished.
Dean's smile dropped and he pulled off to the side of the road. "What?" he gasped. "What do you mean, goodbye?"
The pair nodded, and Sidon said, "The danger's past. You're free now. And all that's left is the boon Sam extracted from us."
Dean looked at Sam, who nodded. "I told them when it was over, to return to the box."
Dean got out of the car and walked away a few steps. Molly followed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, champ."
He swiped a hand over his face. "Look, Molly...."
"I know," she said. "I'll miss you, too. But we both know we have to. We're what we are, and it's safer this way."
Dean took a deep breath, and nodded. "You're not really my Molly, are you?"
"Oh, honey." She hugged him. "I'm as much your Molly now as I was the Hardings' then. What I am, changes with who I am serving."
"The Hardings died after your service," Dean pointed out.
"Yes, but like I told Sam, the situation is completely different. You never actively called on us or used us. Therefore, we were free to help you without any price extracted. Sam used a trick of semantics to lock us back to the box once the danger had passed. That's why we have to go now."
Dean hugged her back, then they walked back to the car to find Sidon hugging Sam just as fiercely. Sam released her, and then set the opened curse box on the ground.
Both figments smiled at their charges. Then their bodies shrank into balls of golden-reddish light. They danced around each other - and the Winchesters, making them laugh - and then flew into the box, which closed with an audible snap! The lock glowed for a second, then settled shut.
After a few moments, the brothers put the curse box into the trunk, got into the Impala and continued their drive toward Sioux Falls. They pulled into a gas station rest stop, and Dean frowned. "Huh."
"What?" Sam asked, grabbing his laptop case.
"We still have a full tank of gas."
"We what?" Sam leaned over. "But you haven't filled up since--"
"Marion, Ohio," Dean said. "And we're in Nebraska."
"Well....is the gauge broken?"
"About to see," Dean said, getting out and opening the gas tank cover. He checked, and turned wide eyes to Sam. "We have a full tank of gas."
"Wow," Sam said. They went into the small restaurant, and Sam booted up his computer while Dean ordered for them. He frowned, seeing Dean's expression upon his return. "What?"
"You online?"
Sam glanced at his screen, then looked back at Dean. "Yeah....so?"
"So, the waitress wished you good luck with your writing. She assumed you were using a word processing program, since this place doesn't have Wi-Fi. There should be no way you could be online."
Sam's mouth worked, but nothing came out for a long few minutes. Then his eyes widened. "The figments."
"And the witches," Dean agreed. "These are the gifts. They gave them to us, since they couldn't to the figments."
"Always full tank, always connected to the Internet," Sam breathed. They sat in silence for another few minutes, then Sam shrugged. "Could be worse."
Dean blinked, and laughed softly. "Got that right. This might actually come in handy."
The curse box that once rested inside the Harding Memorial Podium now rested inside a larger one inside a secure safe in Bobby Singer's house. Bobby had the brothers write down everything the figments had told them about themselves, and about their history with the Hardings.
However, the brothers kept the gifts that seemed to have been granted them to themselves. Dean's words proved prophetic - the gifts did come in handy. Without having to buy gas or Wi-Fi in rooms, they were able to save money. Those gifts proved to be enduring, as well. So long as either of them was in possession of the Impala or using the internet, it didn't matter what machine it was, the gifts were in effect.
As for the coven in Ohio, the word spread that they were that rare breed that used magic to help and not to harm. Hunters left them alone and they helped keep the peace.
The brothers talked about this adventure for months, always in amazement, before Dean finally asked the one thing he'd wondered since it all happened. "How come you named her Sidon?"
Sam laughed. "Blame Pastor Jim."
"How?"
"Well, I'd had her in my head for awhile. You know how imaginary friends develop, kind of percolate, before they 'talk' with the kid." Dean nodded, and Sam went on, "We were staying with Pastor Jim and I heard him reading from the Bible. He was reading about Christ talking, and He mentioned 'Tyre and Sidon'. Well, I always pictured Sidon in that saucer cause we always had gym teachers who loved to make us run, and Dad always made us run."
"So you make it that she didn't have to run," Dean said. "And you called her 'Sidon' after 'Tyre and--'"
Sam nodded. "Cause I misheard it as 'Tirin' Sidon'. And I figured her name was Sidon cause she was tiring and that's why she was in the saucer."
Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "Only you, Sammy. Only you."
END
Written for the 2015 springfling over at spn_bigpretzel. Gift for zelda_addict. Artwork by liketherifle_k. More artwork will be coming later on!
Marion, Ohio
"What are you doing?" the young woman gasped as she walked into the room.
The two women grinned at her. One of them said calmly, "There have been hunters close by - brothers by the name of Winchester. So we have cast an illusion to bring them here."
"And destroy them," the second one said.
The young woman cried out, "You what? Does the coven know?"
"The coven," the first one sniffed, "is full of old women who only care about other people. If things are going to happen for us, we are going to have to make it happen."
"You're insane!" the young woman barked. "You're selfish and insane! Grandmother will handle--"
Her arm was seized by the second woman and she was pulled from the doorway. "That, darling Crystal, is why you're coming with us. Right, Leia?"
"Right, Carol," Leia grinned coldly. "That way, you can't go to your precious grandmother - because you'll be just as guilty as we are!"
Crystal gulped, her face going milk-white, as she realised she was trapped.
~*~
"You are sucha nerd," Dean Winchester groaned as he exited the Impala and watched Sam grin as he looked up at the massive marble structure. "So, is there really a case here, or did you just drag me to some old dude's tomb?"
"There's a case here, but we have time." Sam Winchester grinned even broader as he swung a hand toward the gleaming marble. "But come on, Dean! This is the biggest monuent outside of DC made from this kind of marble! I had to see it!"
Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, geek boy. Knock yourself out." He couldn't help but return the sunny smile shot him before he jogged down the path and up the stairs.
Dean shok his head and drifted toward the six-sided podium that held information about the Monument. "Huh!" he mused under his breath as he read. "This guy Harding - he really was a President! In the '20s....Warren Ga-Ga...." He frowned. "Hey, Sammy!"
"What?" Sam called.
"Who the hell names their kid Gamaliel?"
"President Harding's parents!" Sam shot back.
Dean mockingly mouthed the words as he moved to the next panel - and felt his back pocket vibrate. He frowned, reaching back and pulling out the Walkman that he had modified ino an EMF meter. "...the hell?" he breathed, fitting a bud in his ear and pointing the meter at the podium.
"You gotta be kidding me," Dean whispered, running his fingers along the base of the podium. Finding an indentation in the concrete, he pressed.
With a metallic sigh, a hinged door sprang open and a small box tumbled out into Dean's hand before the door snapped shut, the indentation vanishing as if it had never been.
Sam jogged over, all smiles. "It's their graves," he announced. "It's an open circle of columns and their graves are--" He broke off, the smile fading. "What is it?"
Dean looked up at him. "EMF went off. Secret door in the podium opened and this fell out." He lifted the box. "Is this your case?"
"No," Sam breathed, eyes wide. "This... I didn't know that was there." He peered closer. "What are those symbols? Think it's something like a curse box?"
"Let's get to the motel and check it out." Dean put the box in his jacket pocket and took a step toward the car. "Tombs, huh?" He pointed the EMF meter at the monuent and grinned. "Okay, nothing."
Sam rolled his eyes as he slid into the passenger seat. "I can't believe you scanned a national monument for EMF!"
"Hey," Dean retorted as he got behind the wheel. "First of all, the meter went off at the podium. Second of all, I didn't even know the dude was an actual President, so how much of a national monument could it be?"
"Look," Sam growled over the sound of the engine turning over. "Just because you're not aware of something doesn't make it any less real! In fact-"
He was cut off when Dean cranked up Def Leppard. "Sorry, Sammy!" he yelled, grinning from ear to ear. "Can't hear you over the music!"
Sam groaned as the Impala blasted its way down Route 4, heading for the motel on the other side of town.
As they passed the final cemetery, Leia's voice hissed, "That's them."
Carol chanted, and power erupted from the graveyard, striking the Impala and spinning it out of control.
As Dean fought to regain control of the wildly spinning car and Sam fought to just hang on, the box fell from Dean's pocket and hit the footwell, the lock shattering and the box snapping open on impact. A burst of light swirled around both brothers, then moved to the back seat and began to solidify into two distinct shapes.
The Impala came to rest on the side of the road, with Dean slumped over the wheel and Sam slumped against the door.
Carol approached the car, laughing. "Not so formidable now," she laughed, blowing a handful of powder on them and chanting. Their forms glowed for a few seconds.
Carol then opened the passenger side door and reached in for the child that now rested in the seat. "You're coming with me, Winchester."
"I don't think so."
Carol's head snapped up and she frowned at the unconscious form of Sam's brother. "Who.... Who said that?"
From the back seat, the voice replied, "I did." The back door opened and a figure glided from the seat.
She sat in a gleaming black saucer that completely enclosed her legs. Her long, slender fingers manipulated the controls as if she were playing a piano. Her bright purple hair was in a rather severe braid piled on top of her head, and her olive green skin seemed to generate a soft glow. Her huge, slanted, solid black eyes were practically snapping with rage. "You," she growled, "are not touching that boy."
Startled, Carol fell on her backside and crab-scuttled from the car, grabbing a frozen Crystal and tugging her up the hill and out of sight.
Leia tried to pull Dean from the driver's side, but the instant the door was open she found herself facing the barrel of a gun. "....the hell?"
The driver's side back door opened and a tall blonde woman stepped out. Green eyes glared at Leia and a low rumble of a voice growled, "Back off, buddy. You don't touch him."
Leia spun and ran, and the blonde huffed and made the gun vanish as if it had never been. "They'll be back. How's Sammy?"
"Small," the alien creature said, bending over him. "Dean's unchanged."
"Unchanged doesn't mean unaffected," the blonde said. She touched his shoulder. "Dean? Hey, Dean."
"Come on, Sammy," the creature said. "Open your eyes."
Sam's eyes opened and he frowned deeply as clarity returned to them. "What the...." he breathed. "This... isn't possible."
"What isn't possible, Sammy?" the creature asked.
"Sidon?" When her perfect white teeth were revealed in a dimpled smile, Sam groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Oh, I'm dreaming."
"No, you're not dreaming, Sammy," the creature - Sidon - smiled. "We're really here."
"We?" Sam turned to see a beautiful blonde waking Dean. It was when he noticed how big Dean suddenly was that he realised: "I'm --- small."
"About twelve, I'd say," the blonde nodded, then grinned as Dean stirred. "Hey, there, Sleeping Beauty," she cracked. "Bout time you decided to join us."
Dean's eyes widened. A huge smile split his face and he lunged, grabbing her around the waist and burying his forehead in her shoulder. "Molly!" he cried out, like she was an old friend he thought he would never see again.
Sam blinked in shock as the blonde - Molly -- stroked his hair. She looked nothing like the ghost they had peacefully dissipated weeks earlier. No, this Molly looked.....
Well, she looked an awful lot like the pictures Sam had seen of his mother Mary. "M-Molly? Dean, who...."
Dean turned to face him, and a sliver of ice blasted down Sam's spine. This Dean he was facing looked the same as always - but there was an air of wounded innocence about him that was almost painful to see. "She's our sister, Sammy," he said - as if that explained everything.
Sam shook his head. "Our sister.... But we don't have---" His eyes widened. "Wait." He turned back to face Sidon. "If Sidon's here...." He turned back to face Dean. "And you say Molly's our.... Dean, was Molly your imaginary friend? Like.... L-Like Sidon was mine?"
"Not was, Sammy," Dean pointed out. "Is. They're right here, after all."
"About that...." Sam turned to look at Sidon again. "How are you here? Why am I ... small... again when Dean's young inside?"
Sidon nodded, her huge eyes blinking. "You both were affected by a coven's de-aging spell. You physically--"
"And Dean mentally," Molly nodded. "As for how we're here? Well...." An almost feral smile crossed her face as she finished:
"You can thank First Lady Harding for that one."
~*~
Between Molly steering and the others pushing, they got the Impala back on the road. And then, they found themselves with the issue of just who was going to be driving.
Sam, of course, volunteered himself. But the boy looked to be all of twelve, so that was nixed quickly. Dean looked grown up, but his only five years old brain couldn't remember how to drive.
Ultimately, Molly drove and Sam navigated. Dean sat in the back with Sidon, who kept him entertained with tales of the messes she and Sammy had gotten into.
Once they were back in the motel, Sam whirled on her. "Okay, you...how do you know all that? Who are you?"
"We just went over this, Sammy. She's your imaginary friend," Dean said. "And Molly here is mine."
"You had an imaginary sister?" Sam asked, incredulous. It seemed to be just sinking in.
"Someone to take care of him," Molly said. "Like Sidon would adventure with you. Dean needed someone older to love him. So I was born."
Sam shook his head. "But you're not real. Except, suddenly you are. What happened and what do the Hardings have to do with it?"
Dean tugged on Molly's sleeve. "Sissy, I'm hungry."
Molly's eyes widened even as she smiled. "I'll go get something. Sidon, would you mind--?"
"Absolutely not," Sidon smiled as she glided to settle her saucer on the bed across from Dean. "While they're gone, want to hear more stories?"
"Yes!" Dean's eyes lit up and they were in active conversation when the pair left the room.
"Well," Molly said, stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets and shaking her head. "He's feeling safe, at least."
Sam frowned. "What do you mean?"
"The only times he ever called me 'Sissy' was when he felt safe and protected. It.... It didn't happen a lot."
"How do you know this?" Sam protested, a childish whine of frustration creeping into his voice without his conscious control.
"Because I took it from Dean's memory, just like Sidon did from yours. We took what we needed to know to become the two people you loved unconditionally."
Sam's eyes closed. "Our imaginary friends."
"Your imaginary friends," she finished, then they were at the diner.
They walked in and the lady looked up. "Pickup for Winchester?"
"My.....name's Winchester," Sam said, startled.
The waitress rattled off the order that Sam had intended to get. She named a price and Molly paid in cash. Sam asked, "The person who called the order...."
"It was a woman from the motel down the street," the waitress replied.
"Sidon," Molly grinned. They thanked the waitress and began the walk back.
"So," Sam said slowly, "you became our imaginary friends. What are you, really?"
"We've had many names," Molly said. "We prefer to call ourselves figments. We've been called on several times when people feel they need help."
Sam frowned. "We didn't call on you."
"No, but you were in need when our box was jarred open. We latched onto that purpose, and here we are. And you're still in need."
"Your box - that curse box Dean found in the podium at the Harding Memorial." At Molly's nod, he asked, "What connection do you have with the Hardings?"
"Harding was a newspaper man. All he wanted to do was write and help. And all of a sudden he's elected Lieutenant Governor of Ohio, then a junior senator - and from there, President."
Sam nodded slowly. "I remember reading that. He came out of nowhere. There was a persistent rumour that his meteoric rise was ---"
"That he had help?" Molly interrupted with a grin. "That's because he did. Mrs Harding was ambitious - single-mindedly so. She wanted to be First Lady, so she summoned us."
Sam stopped walking and turned to face her. "Harding died in office."
"That's right."
"Mysteriously."
"Not really."
"You?"
Molly shrugged. "Every summons has a price. Usually a bad one. As First Lady Harding found out to her and her husband's detriment."
"Did she lock you in the box?"
"No. That was the head of the foundation to build the Memorial. He feared we would harm him."
Sam's eyes narrowed. "Would you?"
"No. See, he didn't summon us. He wanted only to make sure that we were neutralised. Your brother and yourself have nothing to fear from us, either."
"Why should I believe that?"
Molly grinned. "You didn't summon us, either. Our box jarred open. We saw a need, and acted to aid. We are only malicious to those who use us for selfish purposes. You and your brother? Didn't even know we were free. You didn't ask for us to help. Once you are no longer in need of us, we will--"
"-return to your box."
Molly frowned. "What?"
"Once this is over, if I understand your nature correctly, you will need to grant a boon. That is the boon we seek. Return to your box."
Molly hissed as her form glowed for a second. "Tricky boy."
Sam grinned big enough his dimples showed. "Ready to go in?"
Sighing, Molly opened the door.
~*~
Carol and Leia were completely shaken by what they'd experienced, and were not keeping a close watch on Crystal.
Crystal slipped away and raced down the hallways of the huge house. She pounded on an ornate door. It swung open and she raced in and threw herself, babbling, at the older woman's feet.
"Child." The older woman raised her to her knees. "Crystal, child, slow down."
"You will destroy me," Crystal gasped. "They said you will destroy me."
"Why?" The story came out, and the older woman's eyes narrowed. "Tell me truly, child - did you participate in these spells?"
"No, Grandmother," she sobbed. "Only Carol cast the spell. But I-I couldn't stop them. So they say I share in their guilt!"
"You did not cast the spell that did this to them," Grandmother said. "You wished to inform me of their actions, and they forced you to participate. You are exempt from their guilt. You will cast a scryer and lead me to these hunters. We shall set this aright - and as for the pair of troublemakers, I shall deal with them. Personally."
~*~
After the food was all gone, Molly kept Dean entertained while Sam and Sidon looked into the case that had brought them to Marion - and hit a dead end. The dead girls that were supposedly killed by strange means not only seemed to have had no family or friends, they also seemed to have no birth or death records. The only record of their existence whatsoever seemed to be the three articles in the "Marion Star" about their deaths.
"I don't know, Sidon," Sam groaned, sitting back in the chair. "This whole thing stinks like Dean's socks."
Sidon's nose wrinkled. "That? That is something I am so glad I haven't encountered in person. Your memories are bad enough!"
Before Sam could reply, a brisk knock sounded on the door. "I GOT IT!" Dean bellowed, racing across the room and flinging open the door before Sam could react. "Hi!" he chirped. "Come on in!"
Sam groaned softly, then stiffened when an older woman walked in, followed by a younger one. "Who are you?"
"You!" Molly hissed, grabbing Dean's arm and shoving him behind her, narrowed eyes fixed on the younger woman. "You were at the graveyard!"
"I was," she said, eyes down. "I'm Crystal, and this is my grandmother. We are here to right wrongs."
"Wrongs?" Sam stood sharply. "You were one of the ones who caused all this!"
"She was not one of those who cast the spell," Grandmother said. "Those that did will be dealt with. We are here to lift it."
"What about the girls?" Sam demanded. "What about those three girls that are dead because of --"
Grandmother held up a hand. "Those girls never existed. Those that harmed you lured you here with false stories. They intended to destroy you and make a name for themselves."
"Sidon?" Molly demanded.
Grandmother turned to Sidon, and her eyebrows rose. "Oh, I see," she said after a moment. "You are figments, aren't you?"
Sidon nodded. "And as such, we can tell when people lie. Sam, I hate to tell you this - but these two witches are telling the absolute truth."
Grandmother then nodded. "As you are their protectors at the moment, I address you. Allow me to inflict the tiny amount of pain I must to reverse the spell on them."
Sidon looked at Sam, who nodded. She turned to Grandmother. "Agreed."
Molly rubbed her hand down Dean's arm. "Okay, baby boy, there's gonna be a little pain and then you'll be okay, got me?"
He looked worried, but he nodded. "You won't leave?"
"Course not. I'll be here the entire time."
Dean nodded. "Okay, then."
Molly smiled. "Okay, agreed."
Grandmother cast the spell, and Dean moaned as his hands went to his head. Sam cried out once, sharply, then dropped like a stone.
"Sammy!" Dean raced to the child's side. "What did you do?"
Grandmother's voice was calm. "Your aging was mental, and thus the price would be a mere headache. His body must grow an entire foot and the pain would be tremendous. So he shall sleep through the worst of it."
To add truth to her words, Sam was already visibly growing larger. Crystal blew powder onto his body, "So his clothing won't strangle him, but will grow with him."
Grandmother smiled at her, then turned to Dean. "I know this means very little to you, Winchester, but I am sorry for what my rogue coven members have done. Once I leave here, they shall be dealt with."
"I want proof of this," Dean said, carding his fingers through his sleeping brother's hair. "I want proof that these people will never harm us again."
"You shall have it," Grandmother assured him. "After all, they broke our cardinal law."
"Acting without your word?" Dean guessed.
"Attacking children," Grandmother growled. "The spell had you as children - him physically, you mentally - when they attacked your vehicle."
"That's true," Sidon said. "If we hadn't been there, they might have dragged you out."
Grandmother looked at the figments. "Then I am grateful to you. With that one's protective instincts," she nodded toward Dean, "your quick action saved my coven from further retribution."
"Oh, that's still on the table, lady," Dean snarled. "If it's not settled to my satisfaction."
Grandmother smiled at him. "The one that cast the spell shall be punished to the fullest extent possible. The one who only acted as muscle will also be punished, but not as severely."
Crystal put in, "We shall see she is unable to harm anyone magically again."
Dean nodded. "Good. Get me the proof this is done, and retribution is off the table."
"Deal," the witches chorused, then Grandmother turned to the figments. "How does one thank figments?"
Molly grinned. "Follow me. I have an idea."
"So do I," Sidon said, gliding toward the door. She turned to Dean. "We will be back, Dean. We have our own boon to deliver." And she closed the door behind her.
Dean frowned. "Now what does she mean by--" That thought broke off as Sam groaned. "Sammy? Hey, Sammy..."
His adult little brother opened his eyes and sighed, "Dean.... I had the wierdest dream...."
"Hate to break it to you, buddy...."
~*~
On their way to Sioux Falls, Dean's phone rang. Sam answered it and put it on speaker. "Say that again, Crystal?"
Crystal's voice replied, "Carol and Leia have been dealt with. The one that was the muscle has been returned to her family without her memories or her magic. The one that cast the spell has been returned to her family in a body bag."
"Good," Dean said. "Is your grandmother listening?"
"She is."
"You kept your end of the bargain, lady. It's off the table."
"She says thank you. And we hope you enjoy what your figments requested we gift you with. Bye, Winchesters." The dial tone erupted until Sam turned it off.
"Okay, you two," Dean said, looking in the rear view mirror at the two smug figments in the back seat. "What did you do?"
"Now, that would be telling," Sidon laughed.
"And the only thing we'll be telling you is goodbye," Molly finished.
Dean's smile dropped and he pulled off to the side of the road. "What?" he gasped. "What do you mean, goodbye?"
The pair nodded, and Sidon said, "The danger's past. You're free now. And all that's left is the boon Sam extracted from us."
Dean looked at Sam, who nodded. "I told them when it was over, to return to the box."
Dean got out of the car and walked away a few steps. Molly followed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, champ."
He swiped a hand over his face. "Look, Molly...."
"I know," she said. "I'll miss you, too. But we both know we have to. We're what we are, and it's safer this way."
Dean took a deep breath, and nodded. "You're not really my Molly, are you?"
"Oh, honey." She hugged him. "I'm as much your Molly now as I was the Hardings' then. What I am, changes with who I am serving."
"The Hardings died after your service," Dean pointed out.
"Yes, but like I told Sam, the situation is completely different. You never actively called on us or used us. Therefore, we were free to help you without any price extracted. Sam used a trick of semantics to lock us back to the box once the danger had passed. That's why we have to go now."
Dean hugged her back, then they walked back to the car to find Sidon hugging Sam just as fiercely. Sam released her, and then set the opened curse box on the ground.
Both figments smiled at their charges. Then their bodies shrank into balls of golden-reddish light. They danced around each other - and the Winchesters, making them laugh - and then flew into the box, which closed with an audible snap! The lock glowed for a second, then settled shut.
After a few moments, the brothers put the curse box into the trunk, got into the Impala and continued their drive toward Sioux Falls. They pulled into a gas station rest stop, and Dean frowned. "Huh."
"What?" Sam asked, grabbing his laptop case.
"We still have a full tank of gas."
"We what?" Sam leaned over. "But you haven't filled up since--"
"Marion, Ohio," Dean said. "And we're in Nebraska."
"Well....is the gauge broken?"
"About to see," Dean said, getting out and opening the gas tank cover. He checked, and turned wide eyes to Sam. "We have a full tank of gas."
"Wow," Sam said. They went into the small restaurant, and Sam booted up his computer while Dean ordered for them. He frowned, seeing Dean's expression upon his return. "What?"
"You online?"
Sam glanced at his screen, then looked back at Dean. "Yeah....so?"
"So, the waitress wished you good luck with your writing. She assumed you were using a word processing program, since this place doesn't have Wi-Fi. There should be no way you could be online."
Sam's mouth worked, but nothing came out for a long few minutes. Then his eyes widened. "The figments."
"And the witches," Dean agreed. "These are the gifts. They gave them to us, since they couldn't to the figments."
"Always full tank, always connected to the Internet," Sam breathed. They sat in silence for another few minutes, then Sam shrugged. "Could be worse."
Dean blinked, and laughed softly. "Got that right. This might actually come in handy."
The curse box that once rested inside the Harding Memorial Podium now rested inside a larger one inside a secure safe in Bobby Singer's house. Bobby had the brothers write down everything the figments had told them about themselves, and about their history with the Hardings.
However, the brothers kept the gifts that seemed to have been granted them to themselves. Dean's words proved prophetic - the gifts did come in handy. Without having to buy gas or Wi-Fi in rooms, they were able to save money. Those gifts proved to be enduring, as well. So long as either of them was in possession of the Impala or using the internet, it didn't matter what machine it was, the gifts were in effect.
As for the coven in Ohio, the word spread that they were that rare breed that used magic to help and not to harm. Hunters left them alone and they helped keep the peace.
The brothers talked about this adventure for months, always in amazement, before Dean finally asked the one thing he'd wondered since it all happened. "How come you named her Sidon?"
Sam laughed. "Blame Pastor Jim."
"How?"
"Well, I'd had her in my head for awhile. You know how imaginary friends develop, kind of percolate, before they 'talk' with the kid." Dean nodded, and Sam went on, "We were staying with Pastor Jim and I heard him reading from the Bible. He was reading about Christ talking, and He mentioned 'Tyre and Sidon'. Well, I always pictured Sidon in that saucer cause we always had gym teachers who loved to make us run, and Dad always made us run."
"So you make it that she didn't have to run," Dean said. "And you called her 'Sidon' after 'Tyre and--'"
Sam nodded. "Cause I misheard it as 'Tirin' Sidon'. And I figured her name was Sidon cause she was tiring and that's why she was in the saucer."
Dean chuckled, shaking his head. "Only you, Sammy. Only you."
END