SPN/DA Fic: Aftershock Four
The bang!verse icon is courtesy of urdsama because she's pretty much the coolest person ever. ♥
-mink
Title: One, Two, Three - Aftershock Four - Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen & Sixteen
Also: Minor Tremors parts One & Two
accompaniment(s) to: With a Bang
Author: Mink
Rating: SPN/DA Crossover - PG - Gen - AU in the year 2020
Spoilers: General (for all aired episodes)
Disclaimers: SPN & DA & characters are owned by their various creators.
Summary: Directly following: Aftershock One & Three. Alec POV. Moving to Minnesota isn't as glorious as it sounds.
Alec had never been on an actual farm but he didn’t think they would look just like what he’d seen in pictures.
It was pretty in a lame postcard kind of way.
“You awake?” Sam asked even though he knew. “We’re almost there.”
His father’s voice sounded different and Alec realized it was because the guy was in an exceptionally good mood. Trying to smile along was a little hard. The last few hours of nonstop barns and endless woods were making Alec nervous. “How far are we from the highway?”
Dean glanced back at him and caught the look on his face. “What’s a matter? All the fresh air makin’ you dizzy?”
“A little.”
“Great, ain’t it?”
Alec watched a field go by filled with real life cows and decided to stay quiet.
After a few miles of gravel roads that ran between the patchwork cornfields they passed through what might have been a town. But as soon as they turned off the asphalt they were headed back into the corn. Before Alec could start asking where the hell they were going the tires were bumping on a dirt road. A house finally appeared on top of a small hill. It was one of those old deals with peeling white paint, wooden shutters on every window and a bright red door.
“This is just our spring and summer place,” Dean put the car in park. “Not bad huh?”
“Wait, you live here?” Alec was slightly confused by the statement. “Like you own it?”
“Yup, all 113 acres,” Dean said. “And the church.”
Alec tilted his head to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. The three-story house seemed like a stack of cards leaning a little too much to one side. At the bottom of its own dirt road was an even more rundown structure of sagging wood and stained glass. But the modest steeple had fresh white paint and its steps were swept clean of the scatter of leaves and pink petals from the cherry blossoms. Alec wondered who would come all the way out here to take care of it while they were away. He stepped out into the late afternoon sun and picked up the distant smell of charcoal grills burning and fresh cut grass.
Alec studied the house uneasily.
“What do you do with it?”
“We sleep in it,” Dean answered. “Sometimes we even eat.”
“With your friend?” Alec guessed as stepped up the porch steps. “He lives here too?”
“Lived.” Sam corrected him.
“O-Oh,” Alec squinted at the stained glass of the church glinting in the waning sunlight. “And what do you do with that?”
“That’s Sammy’s thing,” Dean popped the trunk. “Ask him.”
Alec turned uncertainly towards his father.
“Our friend was a Pastor here in town,” Sam hesitantly explained. “A lot of people depended on him for stuff and… and I’ve kinda taken over I guess.”
“Every Sunday,” Dean clapped Sam on the back. “He’s live and on stage.”
“Wait,” Alec looked back down at the church and then again at his father. “You-You’re a priest?”
“Well, technically I'm not ordained-”
“The folks in town don’t know that though,” Dean smiled. “And it’s pretty hard to tell the difference when he’s got the collar on.”
“I know it’s not completely ethical,” Sam sighed. “But I read from the same book the real guys do.”
“Yeah, it’s riveting stuff,” Dean said. “If you ever want to catch up on some sleep I recommend sitting in on one of his sermons.”
Alec realized he was staring at Sam and tried to stop.
“It’s just a cover, Alec,” Sam assured him with a small smile of his own. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna start saying grace at the table.”
A few decades of watching the flock seemed like a lot more than a cover but what did he know. “What happened to the guy that lived here?”
“You like it?” Dean asked too loudly. “There’s lots of extra place so pick a room and get comfortable. Except for the basement.”
“Why not the basement?”
“Because it’s taken.”
Alec was distracted by the cheerful chirp of birds in the oak trees draped overhead.
“Hey, Dean look,” Sam had shouldered open the front door. “The rain didn’t do too much damage. All the wards stuck too.”
Alec followed them into a surprisingly sunny living room. He had expected rotted plaster and cobwebs but the place was oddly clean and pleasant. It was nice to see a television sitting in the corner even if it had a sheet thrown over it. The furniture was old and moldy but it looked like a pretty nice set up all round. But he couldn’t hold back a sigh when he spotted the back steps that led out to a sea of waving corn stalks. It was real nice place to settle in. Except for that whole ‘stranded in the ass crack of the universe’ part.
It was pretty cold in here too.
Alec realized he was hugging his arms to his chest. He didn’t experience discomfort from temperature differentials very often. The staircase behind him suddenly creaked loudly enough to make him jump. He turned expecting to see Sam or Dean moving up the dusty planks but there was no one there.
“So?” Dean asked. “What do ya think?”
“Uh...” Alec caught the duffel bag before it made heavy contact with his face. “I think it’s better than nothing?”
“That’s the spirit.”
~
It was way after dark before they ate.
Alec hadn’t expected it to be a big deal but they both waited for him to come to the table before they put anything on their plates. He could tell that the sit down dinner wasn’t a fluke or some rare homecoming tradition. Even though his father didn’t say grace Alec still had the feeling that he was late for something.
“You find everything okay?” Sam asked.
“Sure,” Alec helped himself to the food. “Thanks for the clothes.”
He hadn’t meant to disappear upstairs for quite so long but no one had come calling for him. There were several rooms up there that he could have dragged a bed into but he kept poking around until he found the attic. The tiny place under the roof was covered with bookshelves crammed to overflowing and a sliver of a window that carried the breeze. It was a little cave-like and cramped but it reminded him of home in a way.
Or not home.
Whatever.
“Nice house,” Alec was a little surprised to realize he meant it. “A little drafty though.” The forks and knives on ceramic faltered for only a microsecond but he caught it.
“It’s an old place,” Dean said. “What are you gonna do?”
Alec wondered whom he should ask about some sheets for the musty mattress he found up there. He was all about slumming it but even he had his limits. If the basement door hadn’t been sitting behind a couple of pounds of chain and a deadbolt he would have looked for the stuff himself.
“Does someone wanna let me in on the whole basement thing?” Alec ventured. “’Cause I can pick those locks no problem.”
Dean cleared his throat and sat back in his chair. When his uncle couldn’t seem to find the right words Alec thought he’d help him out by cutting to the chase.
“Are you keeping a dead guy down there?”
“Dead is a strong word...”
Alec felt his appetite waver.
“We’re not keeping anything down there,” Sam quickly interrupted. “Pastor Jim’s body is interred in the church crypt.”
“So... where’s the rest of him?”
“Right behind you.”
Alec felt a shock of cold run touch his spine like ice water. He swung around and saw nothing but the unlit living room and the shadows of the trees swaying with the wind. He sat back rigid in his seat when the brass chandelier overhead flickered in and out a couple times. The water in their drinking glasses began to ripple like someone was lightly thumping the table.
“If you wake up and see an old priest in your room don’t freak out,” Dean’s breath fogged as the temperature dropped. “He doesn’t talk much but he’s not so great about personal space.”
“What the f-“
Alec went still as another wave of frigid air moved across the back of his neck and brushed against his bar code. He slapped at it but it didn’t go away.
“W-Why is he here?”
“Where else would he be?” Dean shrugged. “It’s his house.”
If Alec wanted a more elaborate explanation he wasn’t going to get one. He gave up and let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Hi,” he waved in a general direction at the dark. “Hope you don’t mind me taking the attic. I’ll keep it clean. Just keep your cold ass out of the shower if you don’t mind.”
He got back to eating before he noticed his family wasn’t joining him.
“What?” Alec shoved another pile of string beans into his mouth. “After a couple demons and a hell gate a… a g-ghost is no problem.”
“I think he likes you,” Dean broke into a grin. “Ole’ Jim hasn't pulled out all the stops in years.”
He wasn’t sure but he thought he saw the faint glimmer of something bright moving right outside his peripherals. Sam startled him by suddenly laughing out loud like he’d just heard a joke even though no one was talking. No one that Alec could hear anyway. He noticed his fork shaking a little and immediately steadied his hand.
Rummaging for the least burnt biscuit, Alec concentrated on chewing without choking.
“Just keep out of the basement and don’t spill any salt,” Dean told him. “And he likes us to keep the church nice and tidy. In fact, you can help me chase the raccoons outta there tomorrow.”
“Sure thing.”
He just hoped they didn’t get any ideas about him mowing the damn lawn.
go to part 5
-mink
Title: One, Two, Three - Aftershock Four - Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen, Fifteen & Sixteen
Also: Minor Tremors parts One & Two
accompaniment(s) to: With a Bang
Author: Mink
Rating: SPN/DA Crossover - PG - Gen - AU in the year 2020
Spoilers: General (for all aired episodes)
Disclaimers: SPN & DA & characters are owned by their various creators.
Summary: Directly following: Aftershock One & Three. Alec POV. Moving to Minnesota isn't as glorious as it sounds.
Alec had never been on an actual farm but he didn’t think they would look just like what he’d seen in pictures.
It was pretty in a lame postcard kind of way.
“You awake?” Sam asked even though he knew. “We’re almost there.”
His father’s voice sounded different and Alec realized it was because the guy was in an exceptionally good mood. Trying to smile along was a little hard. The last few hours of nonstop barns and endless woods were making Alec nervous. “How far are we from the highway?”
Dean glanced back at him and caught the look on his face. “What’s a matter? All the fresh air makin’ you dizzy?”
“A little.”
“Great, ain’t it?”
Alec watched a field go by filled with real life cows and decided to stay quiet.
After a few miles of gravel roads that ran between the patchwork cornfields they passed through what might have been a town. But as soon as they turned off the asphalt they were headed back into the corn. Before Alec could start asking where the hell they were going the tires were bumping on a dirt road. A house finally appeared on top of a small hill. It was one of those old deals with peeling white paint, wooden shutters on every window and a bright red door.
“This is just our spring and summer place,” Dean put the car in park. “Not bad huh?”
“Wait, you live here?” Alec was slightly confused by the statement. “Like you own it?”
“Yup, all 113 acres,” Dean said. “And the church.”
Alec tilted his head to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. The three-story house seemed like a stack of cards leaning a little too much to one side. At the bottom of its own dirt road was an even more rundown structure of sagging wood and stained glass. But the modest steeple had fresh white paint and its steps were swept clean of the scatter of leaves and pink petals from the cherry blossoms. Alec wondered who would come all the way out here to take care of it while they were away. He stepped out into the late afternoon sun and picked up the distant smell of charcoal grills burning and fresh cut grass.
Alec studied the house uneasily.
“What do you do with it?”
“We sleep in it,” Dean answered. “Sometimes we even eat.”
“With your friend?” Alec guessed as stepped up the porch steps. “He lives here too?”
“Lived.” Sam corrected him.
“O-Oh,” Alec squinted at the stained glass of the church glinting in the waning sunlight. “And what do you do with that?”
“That’s Sammy’s thing,” Dean popped the trunk. “Ask him.”
Alec turned uncertainly towards his father.
“Our friend was a Pastor here in town,” Sam hesitantly explained. “A lot of people depended on him for stuff and… and I’ve kinda taken over I guess.”
“Every Sunday,” Dean clapped Sam on the back. “He’s live and on stage.”
“Wait,” Alec looked back down at the church and then again at his father. “You-You’re a priest?”
“Well, technically I'm not ordained-”
“The folks in town don’t know that though,” Dean smiled. “And it’s pretty hard to tell the difference when he’s got the collar on.”
“I know it’s not completely ethical,” Sam sighed. “But I read from the same book the real guys do.”
“Yeah, it’s riveting stuff,” Dean said. “If you ever want to catch up on some sleep I recommend sitting in on one of his sermons.”
Alec realized he was staring at Sam and tried to stop.
“It’s just a cover, Alec,” Sam assured him with a small smile of his own. “Don’t worry, I’m not gonna start saying grace at the table.”
A few decades of watching the flock seemed like a lot more than a cover but what did he know. “What happened to the guy that lived here?”
“You like it?” Dean asked too loudly. “There’s lots of extra place so pick a room and get comfortable. Except for the basement.”
“Why not the basement?”
“Because it’s taken.”
Alec was distracted by the cheerful chirp of birds in the oak trees draped overhead.
“Hey, Dean look,” Sam had shouldered open the front door. “The rain didn’t do too much damage. All the wards stuck too.”
Alec followed them into a surprisingly sunny living room. He had expected rotted plaster and cobwebs but the place was oddly clean and pleasant. It was nice to see a television sitting in the corner even if it had a sheet thrown over it. The furniture was old and moldy but it looked like a pretty nice set up all round. But he couldn’t hold back a sigh when he spotted the back steps that led out to a sea of waving corn stalks. It was real nice place to settle in. Except for that whole ‘stranded in the ass crack of the universe’ part.
It was pretty cold in here too.
Alec realized he was hugging his arms to his chest. He didn’t experience discomfort from temperature differentials very often. The staircase behind him suddenly creaked loudly enough to make him jump. He turned expecting to see Sam or Dean moving up the dusty planks but there was no one there.
“So?” Dean asked. “What do ya think?”
“Uh...” Alec caught the duffel bag before it made heavy contact with his face. “I think it’s better than nothing?”
“That’s the spirit.”
~
It was way after dark before they ate.
Alec hadn’t expected it to be a big deal but they both waited for him to come to the table before they put anything on their plates. He could tell that the sit down dinner wasn’t a fluke or some rare homecoming tradition. Even though his father didn’t say grace Alec still had the feeling that he was late for something.
“You find everything okay?” Sam asked.
“Sure,” Alec helped himself to the food. “Thanks for the clothes.”
He hadn’t meant to disappear upstairs for quite so long but no one had come calling for him. There were several rooms up there that he could have dragged a bed into but he kept poking around until he found the attic. The tiny place under the roof was covered with bookshelves crammed to overflowing and a sliver of a window that carried the breeze. It was a little cave-like and cramped but it reminded him of home in a way.
Or not home.
Whatever.
“Nice house,” Alec was a little surprised to realize he meant it. “A little drafty though.” The forks and knives on ceramic faltered for only a microsecond but he caught it.
“It’s an old place,” Dean said. “What are you gonna do?”
Alec wondered whom he should ask about some sheets for the musty mattress he found up there. He was all about slumming it but even he had his limits. If the basement door hadn’t been sitting behind a couple of pounds of chain and a deadbolt he would have looked for the stuff himself.
“Does someone wanna let me in on the whole basement thing?” Alec ventured. “’Cause I can pick those locks no problem.”
Dean cleared his throat and sat back in his chair. When his uncle couldn’t seem to find the right words Alec thought he’d help him out by cutting to the chase.
“Are you keeping a dead guy down there?”
“Dead is a strong word...”
Alec felt his appetite waver.
“We’re not keeping anything down there,” Sam quickly interrupted. “Pastor Jim’s body is interred in the church crypt.”
“So... where’s the rest of him?”
“Right behind you.”
Alec felt a shock of cold run touch his spine like ice water. He swung around and saw nothing but the unlit living room and the shadows of the trees swaying with the wind. He sat back rigid in his seat when the brass chandelier overhead flickered in and out a couple times. The water in their drinking glasses began to ripple like someone was lightly thumping the table.
“If you wake up and see an old priest in your room don’t freak out,” Dean’s breath fogged as the temperature dropped. “He doesn’t talk much but he’s not so great about personal space.”
“What the f-“
Alec went still as another wave of frigid air moved across the back of his neck and brushed against his bar code. He slapped at it but it didn’t go away.
“W-Why is he here?”
“Where else would he be?” Dean shrugged. “It’s his house.”
If Alec wanted a more elaborate explanation he wasn’t going to get one. He gave up and let out a deep breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “Hi,” he waved in a general direction at the dark. “Hope you don’t mind me taking the attic. I’ll keep it clean. Just keep your cold ass out of the shower if you don’t mind.”
He got back to eating before he noticed his family wasn’t joining him.
“What?” Alec shoved another pile of string beans into his mouth. “After a couple demons and a hell gate a… a g-ghost is no problem.”
“I think he likes you,” Dean broke into a grin. “Ole’ Jim hasn't pulled out all the stops in years.”
He wasn’t sure but he thought he saw the faint glimmer of something bright moving right outside his peripherals. Sam startled him by suddenly laughing out loud like he’d just heard a joke even though no one was talking. No one that Alec could hear anyway. He noticed his fork shaking a little and immediately steadied his hand.
Rummaging for the least burnt biscuit, Alec concentrated on chewing without choking.
“Just keep out of the basement and don’t spill any salt,” Dean told him. “And he likes us to keep the church nice and tidy. In fact, you can help me chase the raccoons outta there tomorrow.”
“Sure thing.”
He just hoped they didn’t get any ideas about him mowing the damn lawn.
go to part 5