Fic: Witches, Demons and Hunters - Oh My! (Chapter 15)
Title: Witches, Demons and Hunters - Oh My!
Authors: Rachel/ princess_schez and Claudia/gidgetgal9
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence; AU
Fandom: Charmed/Supernatural
Summary: **Does contain spoilers for Supernatural S3, but none for S4.**
Dean's deal comes due and it has dire consequences for the Halliwell family in the future. Will the Halliwell family be able to change the past in order to protect their family?
Pairing: Sam/Melinda-ish
Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester; Bobby Singer; Piper, Leo, Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda Halliwell; Ruby; Lilith; and Missouri
Disclaimer: We own nothing from either Charmed or Supernatural. Everything belongs to their respective owners. We're merely having fun with them.
Author's Note: This was a collab effort between me and my wonderfully talented co-conspirator, Claudia/gidgetgal9.
There are also some things we would like to point out regarding this story:
1. It was stated after Charmed's series finale that Piper did have a third child, the long-awaited Melinda.
2. Most of Ruby's history has been changed to fit the plot of the story.
3. Chris Halliwell still has memories of what his "past life" (when Wyatt was evil) was like, even though he changed the future at the end of Charmed's S6.
4. Plot takes place after Malleus Maleficarum.
Prologue and Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
X-posted to different communities.
Chapter 15
Bobby had persuaded the kids to hole up in a motel until they figured out their next move. Melinda’s crystal had pointed to Stull Cemetery. Bobby was all too familiar with this cemetery and wasn’t looking forward to sharing his knowledge with the others.
After everyone was settled in the room, Bobby decided to let them know what they were up against.
"Alright guys, Melinda’s crystal pointing to Stull doesn’t surprise me, but it scares me. Stull is supposed to be a gate way to Hell. If Lilith wants a bigger army, that would be the place to go." Bobby paused and scratched his head.
Sam swallowed hard and spoke. "Stull is near Lawrence, right? Do you know the lore about Stull?"
Bobby cleared his throat. "Yeah, Sam, it’s near Lawrence. It’s supposedly where Satan mated with a Witch, and his still-born-unholy son is supposedly buried at Stull. Every Spring Equinox and Halloween, accordingly to lore, he visits his son’s grave at midnight. No one is sure where exactly the portal that Satan uses is, but that would be your gateway."
Chris shook his head. "This doesn’t sound good. We need to stop her before she opens it, or we may not be able to stop her."
Melinda joined in. "I agree with Chris. We should orb there now; we may not have much time."
Sam was sitting next to Melinda and laid his right hand over hers. "I agree that time is of the essence, but I’m not sure I’m ready. I willing to try, but I’d like to have firepower available if things go south. We need to take the Impala."
Bobby cleared his throat. "Maybe not, son. I was thinking. I have a hunting buddy who lives near Stull. He’s like our unofficial look out there. In fact, I’m sure that things haven’t got too dicey yet, or he would’ve called. We could orb to Hank’s place, and I’m sure he’d lend us supplies."
Bobby could tell everyone seemed on board with the idea by their expressions.
Sam stood up. "I’m going to lock up the Impala and call Missouri. She might be of some help."
"Good idea. I’ll give Hank a buzz and warn him that we’re in the neighborhood. We just need to orb a little ways out so as to not freak the man out. He's close to eighty years old, but his eyes work, and I don’t want to get shot." Bobby huffed out.
Melinda smiled. "That’s doable. Just give us the address, and we’ll aim for an uninhabited area. May I ask who Missouri is?"
Sam stopped at the door. "She’s a powerful psychic and a good friend. We can trust her. The only problem is that Dean knows about her, so I’m not sure how safe it would be at her place. I need to warn her about Demon Dean anyway so that she’s on her toes."
Chris stood up. "Need help locking the car down? "
"I got it." Sam replied as he headed out the door.
As Sam left the room, Bobby picked up on the way Melinda was looking at the young hunter. He had always pegged Dean as the lady’s man, but it was quite apparent that Sam had this girl hooked. Bobby just hoped that the attraction didn’t prove to be a distraction. They all needed their wits about them.
-0-
Demon Dean found himself pacing and waiting for word on his brother. He had arrived at Bobby’s house to find it and the yard in disarray and no Sammy. It was frustrating to him that the bitch, Melinda, had already taught his brother to access his powers.
That was his job, not hers. She would pay for being so bold, for taking his place as his brother’s mentor. Sam belonged to him and no one else. In fact, with this new development, he wasn’t sure he wanted to turn Melinda. It might just be easier to kill her. That would show the Halliwells who was in charge and eliminate his competition over Sam’s attention.
His newest recruit, Wyatt, interrupted his musings. "Master, we traced them to a motel and found the Impala, but they were gone. I fear they orbed before we arrived."
"Damn it, I’m surrounded by incompetence. Once Sam is by my side, then things will finally run right. We need to find him now." Dean gritted out.
"Master, I did some scrying, and there is a lot of demonic activity going on near Stull, Kansas. If it’s Lilith, would they follow?" Wyatt asked quietly.
"I not sure what they would accomplish by confronting Lilith now. If Lilith dies, it wouldn’t change the fact that I’m already in Hell … but damn it, what if they have some plan? I can’t let Sam risk himself. We need to head there soon, just to make sure my brother doesn’t sacrifice himself." Dean felt at unease for the first time in a long time. His brother might be in danger, and that was one thing that Dean couldn’t allow.
-0-
The landing wasn’t too bad, Sam thought. They had orbed about a mile from Old Hank’s house, which was located in the very small town of Stull.
Sam was happy that the walk to the house had been uneventful, and even happier that Melinda had held his hand on the way there. It was nice to have a female around who knew the truth about him and still wanted to be near him. She was the first person since Madison who he could be himself around, and it felt nice, even if it was going to be short lived.
Sam knew that once this was over, she would go back to her time in history and that would be the end of what had started between them. It made him sad; but as long as things didn’t end in tragedy for his family and hers, he could live with the brief romance.
As they approached Hank’s house, Sam had to stop himself from laughing. Before him was a scene out of The Beverly Hillbillies. Hank sat on his porch in an old rocking chair, whittling on a piece of wood, shotgun resting beside the chair and a large dog at his feet.
As they approached, Hank moved quickly and grabbed his gun.
"Dang it, Hank, it’s only me, Bobby Singer. Lose your eyesight old man?" Bobby had stopped dead in his tracks, Sam and the others had followed suit.
"I can see just fine, Bobby. You said you were a coming, but an old man can’t be too careful. You see that stump over there?" The old man nodded towards a knurled old trunk in the middle of the yard. "There’s four bottles of holy water. I want you and the young’ins to help yourselves. After that we can do some talking."
"Sounds fair." Bobby nodded at the group. Sam grabbed the first bottle and handed the other three off to his friends. Each drank from their bottles until Hank motioned for them to approach.
Slowly Hank lowered the gun as they moved closer. "So, Bobby, what exactly brings you to this neck of the woods?"
"Well, we have Intel on a possible attempt to open the gate." Bobby replied as he approached.
"Hmm, well I’m not as young as I used to be, and maybe something has slipped by me. To be honest, it’s been quiet as far as I can tell." Hank’s face was scrunched up in worry. "Wouldn’t hurt to check it out, I suppose."
Sam nodded. "That’s what we thought, sir."
Sam now had the elder hunter’s attention. "Your Winchester’s boy, aren’t ya?"
"Yes, Sir."
"I met you once, you and that little soldier brother of yours. It’s been a might long time ago. Where is that brother of yours?" Hank smiled at the young hunter.
Sam swallowed hard. "He um, .."
Before Sam could get the words out, Bobby finished for him. "We lost him recently."
Sam could feel Melinda’s hand on the small of his back in a gesture of comfort. Hank’s face softened before he replied.
"Sorry about that, boy. He was a good kid."
Wiping away a single tear, Sam steeled himself to the business at hand. "Sir, our last battle with demons left us running without supplies. We were wondering if you’d let us use some of yours?"
The old man nodded. "Sure, the least I could do. I owe Bobby and your daddy a lot for help over the years, . I’d be honored to return the favor. In fact, you can use my place as your headquarters as long as you’re here."
"Thank you, sir." Sam answered.
-0-
Demon Dean walked through Bobby’s hunting cabin looking for clues as to where Sam might have hidden his body. He knew it had to be around somewhere, and he had hoped just to get the information from his brother. But Sam was still missing, and Dean was approaching a deadline if he wanted to keep his body and not use another meat suit.
Wyatt came up from the basement. "Master, I think I’ve found your body. They have protective symbols all over the freezer down stairs."
"Good job. What I need you to do is to bring me this woman." Dean handed Wyatt a sheet with an address and a name.
"Who is this, Master?" Wyatt asked.
"That’s the woman who is going to put me back in my body. We changed history, but originally she gave my brother the ritual that brought me back. This time, I’ll just have to have her do it. It has to be on the second night of a full moon, which is three days away. I want her brought here, and convinced to perform the ritual, and I want to make sure she has everything she needs." Dean barked out.
"I understand, Master, but we’ll need to thaw the body. And right now, we can’t get to it." Wyatt huffed out in frustration.
"That’s why we need the priestess. She’ll be able to get to the body and prepare it. So go, you’re wasting time." Dean was frustrated to see the boy was not making a move to go.
"Dude, what is it?" Dean was losing his patience with his new apprentice.
"Don’t you want me to accompany you to Stull, Master?"
"No, I’ll handle getting Sam back on my own, . I need you to get this priestess. NOW!" Dean ordered.
"Yes, Master."
-0-
Bobby had decided to introduce Melinda and Chris as hunters, to his old buddy. No use getting Hank riled up over the witches.
True to his word, the old hunter had opened up his home and all his supplies to the rag tag group. Hank had also given the group a layout of the small cemetery.
Hank cleared his throat. "So, it’s a small area, at least the old cemetery is. Police usually keep an eye out there at night, because kids like to go there and get drunk. It’s a cheap thrill for them. So you’ll have to be on the lookout for demons and cops."
Bobby scratched his head and put his cap back on. "Do you have an idea of exactly where the gate is?"
Hank shook his head. "Nope. The way I see it, it must just open up from the ground. I imagine it would be near the older graves."
Sam placed a finger down on the map they had spread out. "Don’t ask me why, but I have this feeling that this would be the area to watch."
Melinda nodded. "That’s where the crystal showed demon activity."
Hank huffed. "So we have a new age hunter, huh? Well, I guess starting there is as good as any spot."
Chris nudged his sister and winked. "You know girls and their crystals, sir."
"In my day, son, the girls stayed home. But times have changed, and I won’t fuss at her for having her heart in the right place. I just wish I could be part of this fight, I waited all my life for the gate to open up, and it has to happen when I’m no use in a fight." The elder hunter wobbled over to an easy chair and settled himself in it.
“Hank, you’ve been more help than you give yourself credit for." Bobby started. "Your lay of the land and supplies are going to be a big help."
Sam joined in on the praise. "Yes, sir, we really appreciate all your help."
Hank waved his hands in exasperation. "Yeah well, do me a favor and try not to get you sorry asses killed."
Bobby chuckled. "We’ll do our best. And on that note, I figure we should head out. Hank, can we borrow your pick up?"
"You’re little group must have had to run with your tails tucked between your legs after the last tangle with the demons, if you don’t even have transportation. The truck is out back with the keys in it."
Bobby was glad that the old man just let the whole no supplies thing go. "Alright kids, let’s grab gear and head out."
-0-
Sam parked a ways out. The little group walked to the old part of the cemetery. The moon was out and lighting their way as they moved.
When they reached the site they had been aiming for, they were disappointed to find it empty.
Moments later, Sam noticed movement from behind one of the old grave markers. A little girl in a white dress was stooped over, placing rocks side by side.
Sam silently motioned to the others, pointing out the lone visitor.
The group watched in silence as the girl slowly made a large circle using the rocks. Once she was finished, she slowly stood up admiring her handy work.
Not looking up, she spoke. "So Sammy, you came to play with me. How nice! And you brought friends. This should be fun."
The little girl slowly turned around and faced the group with a smile plastered on her face. She raised her hand and suddenly Sam felt himself flying backwards and landing with a thump against a gravestone. His head connected with the stone.
Sam fought the darkness closing in. The battle would be lost if he couldn’t stay conscious. Reaching deep within himself, he tried to focus on his chakras and using the power there. The sound of Melinda screaming broke his concentration.
Sam looked up and watched in horror as Lilith suspended both Melinda and Chris in the air. Bobby was lying in a heap below them unconscious.
Sam screamed. "Stop. Let them go!"
Lilith shrugged, and the two siblings dropped to the ground. "Okay."
Sam was relieved to see that the two siblings were still conscious and appeared to be okay.
"So Sammy, you wanna be first, huh? That’s fine with me." The little girl walked forward, waving her right hand waving in the air.
Sam tried to stand, but he found himself pinned to the stone behind him. He then felt a growing pain in his chest and wetness there.
The pain of losing to Lilith hurt. The fact that he and his friends would probably die tonight was frightening, but the thought that he had failed Dean was what devastated him the most. If he couldn’t save his brother, then his brother was doomed to be the thing he hated most. A demon.
-0-
Demon Dean arrived in Stull just in time to watch in horror, as Lilith tore his brother’s chest open. He had vague buried memories of the time the Yellow Eyed Demon had pulled his flesh apart, and he couldn’t let it happen to his Sammy.
The demon bitch had opened one good size wound and had started another when Dean used his energy to knock her away from his brother.
"Damn you, Lilith, you will not touch my brother." Dean roared out.
Lilith slowly picked herself up off the ground and disappeared into the night.
Dean fell to his knees next to Sam. "Sammy, what the hell were you doing?"
"Saving you." Sam whispered.
Demon Dean smirked. "No little brother, you’re just trying to get yourself killed. If you would just join me, I could protect you, and we’d never be apart again."
Dean was hurt when he saw the anger in his brother’s eyes. Sam whispered. "No, Dean, this isn’t right."
Grasping his little brother’s hand, Dean spoke in a gentle voice. "Sammy, this is right. All our lives we’ve been hunting, and running after evil. For what? To lose everything? Demons are always going to win. Why not be on the winning side for a change, kiddo?"
Sam winced in pain. "You’re not thinking right. Your time in Hell has brainwashed you."
Dean shook his head. "No, I’m thinking clearly for the first time ever. Look Sam, I’m tired of fighting with about this as you bleed to death. So here’s the deal."
Dean looked up at the others, who were hovering nearby, weapons drawn. "Bobby, Sam’s hurt and needs to be taken care of. I want you to take him to Missouri’s house. He’ll be relatively safe there. And hopefully that pain in the ass Gloworm can heal him. I’m going to go after Lilith. Now that you pissed her off royally, she’ll want to finish the job on Sam."
Sam sat up. "No Dean, you can’t hurt Lilith, . I need to get her to put your untainted soul back in your body."
Dean smiled at his little brother. "Now Sammy, that’s not going to happen. I’ve already sent Wyatt after the voodoo priestess. In two nights, this crap will be over. My tainted soul will be united with my body, and you can give up and join me. All of you."
Sam shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "Please no."
Dean let go of his brother. "Sorry, kiddo. The puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work this time. I’ll be back for you in a couple of days."
Dean sighed as he heard his brother scream. No longer able to stand the pleas, anymore he orbed away.
-0-
Bobby motioned for the two stunned siblings to approach a sobbing Sam. It broke Bobby’s heart to see the youngest Winchester in so much mental and physical pain.
"Chris, can you heal Sam?" Bobby asked as they approached Sam.
"Yes, sir, but I need to have someone hold him still." Chris sighed as the three of them knelt down by the fallen hunter.
Bobby was relieved to see Melinda comforting Sam, not that Bobby was against hugging another man when needed; it just wasn’t something he was totally comfortable with.
Melinda pulled Sam into an embrace, and Bobby watched as the younger Winchester clung to the young woman.
"Sam, you need to calm down and let Chris heal you. Can you do that?" Melinda cooed into the young hunter’s ear.
As Bobby watched, Sam seemed to still a bit. Melinda nodded to her brother to approach.
Chris placed his hands on Sam’s chest and an unearthly glow blinded Bobby as he tried to watch the proceedings. Moments later, the light dimmed, and Sam stilled completely.
Chris looked up at Bobby. "I think this was all too much for Sam, and he passed out. Should we load him into the truck and head back to Hank’s place and regroup?"
Bobby shook his head. "Nah, as much as I hate to say it, Demon Dean’s right. We need to head to Missouri’s house. She will be better able to tend to Sam’s needs and protect him from unfriendly demons. I’m assuming that Sam needs more practice on accessing his psychic abilities, and she would be the one to help. Hank ain’t gonna take kindly to psychic stuff going on under his roof. He’s too old school."
Melinda spoke in a soft voice, probably trying not to disturb Sam. "Do you trust this woman, Bobby?"
"To be honest, I’ve only spoken to her on the phone a few times. But Sam and Dean’s daddy trusted her. John didn’t just trust anyone, so I’m sure we’ll be okay there. Well at least until Dean shows back up, but I have a feeling that we aren’t gonna be able to shake him." Bobby huffed out.
Chris nodded. "Okay then, let’s get out of here before we have any more visitors."
Between Chris and Bobby, they were able to get the lanky unconscious hunter back to the truck and headed for Missouri’s house.
Bobby made a quick call to Hank to let him know that things had gone south and they needed the truck, with a promise to get it back to the older hunter as soon as possible. Hank had been happy to hear that the group had survived and promised to keep an eye open for activity at Stull.
As the rag tag group headed to Missouri's, Bobby just hoped that things were going to get better soon.
-0-
Sam awoke to the smell of lavender and the feel of a soft bed under him. He slowly opened his eyes and winced. The room was dimly lit, but the light still assaulted his eyes. His head was pounding.
"Honey, you go ahead and take your time waking up for Missouri. I was worried about you."
Missouri, . I’m at Missouri’s house. Oh God, just like my demonic brother wanted.
Sam started to panic, and tried to scramble out of the bed. Strong hands grabbed his shoulders, halting the process.
"Boy, you need to calm down now, or I’m gonna get my wooden spoon after you!" The words were harsh, but the tone was anything but.
Sam took a calming breath and settled down. "I-I’m sorry."
Sam was shocked at the raspy quality to his voice, but then he remembered the screaming pleas he had launched at his now evil brother.
"I know baby, you’re worried. It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna figure something out before that brother of yours shows back up. Promise." Missouri’s words were soft and calming.
"But, I need to leave. I don’t want him to hurt you." Sam squeaked out.
Missouri gave him a sympathetic look and reached for a glass of water that was sitting on the bedside table.
"Here honey, drink this. Your throat will thank you for it."
Sam gratefully took the glass and greedily drank the cool liquid down. It did make his throat feel a lot better.
"Thanks Missouri, thanks for everything, but I need to go." Sam made a move to rise.
"Sam Winchester, sit yourself down right now and listen to me and listen good. Demon Dean is not going to stop with you. He will hunt down and kill or possess every one of your friends if you don’t stop him. I’m not afraid to help you stop him. I’m afraid of what will happen if we don’t stop him." Missouri’s voice had taken on a tone of authority that reminded him of his dad.
"I guess, but how can we stop him?" Sam asked tentatively.
"Well, while you were taking your nap, your friends were busy. It seems that demon Lilith hasn’t left the area. They’re guessing she is still gonna try to open that gate tomorrow night. So the plan is to get you in shape to face her again. In the mean time, Melinda did some sort of cloaking spell that will hopefully keep that demonic brother of yours from finding Lilith. That should buy us some time to have this face off." Missouri’s voice was full of confidence, but her expression was one of worry.
"I don’t know." Sam sighed.
"I’d be lying to you if I said that I know this will work, but it’s all we got. As soon as we get some food in you, Melinda and I are going to help you work on your powers. While we do that, Bobby and Chris are going to try and figure out the exact location of your brother’s body so that we can orb it here once we have Lilith where we want her. Do you think you’re up to eating?" Missouri gave Sam a reassuring smile.
Sam nodded yes; he wasn’t sure his stomach could take food right now. Truthfully, Sam just wanted to run. To run away from it all, but he knew there was no escaping his life or what had happened to his brother.
He slowly followed Missouri through the house towards the kitchen. His mind was miles away, pondering over his brother.
God, how messed up was it that even as a demon, his brother was still taking care of him? He had always wanted to think of demons as evil; but with his new experiences with Dean, he knew that demons could love in their own warped ways. Things were now less black and white. It was confusing and disturbing.
As worn down as he was at this moment, he could understand why Ava and Jake had snapped. It would be so easy to just give in and join his brother. This could all be over.
Sam was brought out of his musings by Missouri tsking at him. "Sam, nothing in life worth having is every easy. You have too much of your daddy in you to just give up. Your brother is savable and worth the fight."
"God, you’re right. He is worth the fight. He’d be doing everything he could to bring me back from the evil side if our positions were reversed. I...I just needed reminding. Thank you." Sam stuttered out just as they entered the kitchen.
Sam could smell the food cooking, and Melinda was stirring a big pot of chili. Chris and Bobby were sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee.
Melinda spotted him first. "Hey Sam, it’s good to see you up and around. The chili is ready; so have a seat, and I’ll get you some."
Bobby then spoke. "I think we have that evil bitch cloaked, Sam. So Dean shouldn’t be able to interfere with our attack this time."
Chris nodded in agreement as Sam sat down across from him. "Bobby’s right, and I think I have us cloaked so that our attack should surprise Lilith this time."
Sam gave them all a weak smile as Melinda sat a bowl of chili down in front of him. "Thanks guys, and I’m sorry for breaking down on you after Dean left." Sam could feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.
Melinda placed a bowl of chili in front of Bobby and then laid her hands on Sam’s shoulders. "Sam, don’t worry about it. This week has been tough on all of us. We understand."
Bobby cleared his throat. "Sam, we’re all in this together. It’s gonna work itself out."
Sam nodded and hoped that they were right.
-0-
Missouri spent the next day getting her house-guests ready for the biggest battle of their lives. She was happy to see how well Sam was catching on to accessing his powers.
He was the most powerful psychic that she had ever worked with, and she was so thankful that Sam had stayed on the side of good.
It was also nice to have Melinda helping her train the boy. She was young, but she knew her stuff - and it was painfully apparent that the girl had a crush on Sam.
Missouri could tell that Sam shared her feelings, and it made Missouri’s heart ache for them. With the lives that both of these kids lived and the fact they were living in different time periods, their romance was doomed from the start.
After a hearty lunch, Missouri had Sam in her backyard trying to move garden tools around. His concentration was broken as a young blonde girl approached the white picket fence in the back.
The boy spoke in almost a growl. "Ruby, what are you doing here?"
"Gee Sam, you don’t have to be so pissy. I just came to have a little chat." Ruby started to move forward but was stopped by an invisible wall.
Missouri scowled at the intruder. "Missy, you must be a demon. I have protection against demons."
"Why yes, you figured me out. But don’t fret, I’m not here to do anything more than talk to Sam and my cousin." Ruby smirked.
Missouri shook her head. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Melinda laid a gentle hand on Missouri’s shoulder and spoke. "She was once part of my family years ago. She got duped by Lilith and ended up serving her until she recently escaped through the devil’s gate."
Sam’s deep voice finished the story. "She’s been tailing me for months, and telling me, she could help me save Dean, for all the good that’s done."
Ruby crossed her arms in agitation. "Now Sam, if it wasn’t for me saving your butts, you and Dean would both be dead. I can see I just need to get to the point. I want Lilith dead. I need my revenge, and Sam here is the only one capable of doing that. But he needed to access his powers in order to take the bitch out. Dean was dead set against it so I had to bide my time. But now, Sam’s ready."
"I’m ready, I don’t want to kill her. I want to corner her, threaten to kill her, and then offer her the chance to put Dean’s untainted soul back in his body, preferably without the memories of hell." Sam’s voice was stern.
"That might just work, but I have a proposition for you. I want to come with you, cloaked by hex bags.. Once she performs your request, I just want the chance to take her out myself."
Sam tensed. "I don’t think so. I don’t trust you."
"Like you can stop me. I’ll just follow you tonight. Sam, this is to your benefit; if things go south, I’ll be there to back you up." Ruby glared at the group before her.
Melinda shuffled forward. "Fine, you can come and take her out after we get Dean back. I’ll be watching you, and if you make a move early, I’ll de-cloak you and expose you to Lilith. Be sure of it."
"Fine." Ruby huffed out.
Missouri had a bad feeling about the whole situation, but she knew that there really weren’t any other options.
Authors: Rachel/ princess_schez and Claudia/gidgetgal9
Rating: PG-13 for language and violence; AU
Fandom: Charmed/Supernatural
Summary: **Does contain spoilers for Supernatural S3, but none for S4.**
Dean's deal comes due and it has dire consequences for the Halliwell family in the future. Will the Halliwell family be able to change the past in order to protect their family?
Pairing: Sam/Melinda-ish
Characters: Sam and Dean Winchester; Bobby Singer; Piper, Leo, Wyatt, Chris, and Melinda Halliwell; Ruby; Lilith; and Missouri
Disclaimer: We own nothing from either Charmed or Supernatural. Everything belongs to their respective owners. We're merely having fun with them.
Author's Note: This was a collab effort between me and my wonderfully talented co-conspirator, Claudia/gidgetgal9.
There are also some things we would like to point out regarding this story:
1. It was stated after Charmed's series finale that Piper did have a third child, the long-awaited Melinda.
2. Most of Ruby's history has been changed to fit the plot of the story.
3. Chris Halliwell still has memories of what his "past life" (when Wyatt was evil) was like, even though he changed the future at the end of Charmed's S6.
4. Plot takes place after Malleus Maleficarum.
Prologue and Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
X-posted to different communities.
Chapter 15
Bobby had persuaded the kids to hole up in a motel until they figured out their next move. Melinda’s crystal had pointed to Stull Cemetery. Bobby was all too familiar with this cemetery and wasn’t looking forward to sharing his knowledge with the others.
After everyone was settled in the room, Bobby decided to let them know what they were up against.
"Alright guys, Melinda’s crystal pointing to Stull doesn’t surprise me, but it scares me. Stull is supposed to be a gate way to Hell. If Lilith wants a bigger army, that would be the place to go." Bobby paused and scratched his head.
Sam swallowed hard and spoke. "Stull is near Lawrence, right? Do you know the lore about Stull?"
Bobby cleared his throat. "Yeah, Sam, it’s near Lawrence. It’s supposedly where Satan mated with a Witch, and his still-born-unholy son is supposedly buried at Stull. Every Spring Equinox and Halloween, accordingly to lore, he visits his son’s grave at midnight. No one is sure where exactly the portal that Satan uses is, but that would be your gateway."
Chris shook his head. "This doesn’t sound good. We need to stop her before she opens it, or we may not be able to stop her."
Melinda joined in. "I agree with Chris. We should orb there now; we may not have much time."
Sam was sitting next to Melinda and laid his right hand over hers. "I agree that time is of the essence, but I’m not sure I’m ready. I willing to try, but I’d like to have firepower available if things go south. We need to take the Impala."
Bobby cleared his throat. "Maybe not, son. I was thinking. I have a hunting buddy who lives near Stull. He’s like our unofficial look out there. In fact, I’m sure that things haven’t got too dicey yet, or he would’ve called. We could orb to Hank’s place, and I’m sure he’d lend us supplies."
Bobby could tell everyone seemed on board with the idea by their expressions.
Sam stood up. "I’m going to lock up the Impala and call Missouri. She might be of some help."
"Good idea. I’ll give Hank a buzz and warn him that we’re in the neighborhood. We just need to orb a little ways out so as to not freak the man out. He's close to eighty years old, but his eyes work, and I don’t want to get shot." Bobby huffed out.
Melinda smiled. "That’s doable. Just give us the address, and we’ll aim for an uninhabited area. May I ask who Missouri is?"
Sam stopped at the door. "She’s a powerful psychic and a good friend. We can trust her. The only problem is that Dean knows about her, so I’m not sure how safe it would be at her place. I need to warn her about Demon Dean anyway so that she’s on her toes."
Chris stood up. "Need help locking the car down? "
"I got it." Sam replied as he headed out the door.
As Sam left the room, Bobby picked up on the way Melinda was looking at the young hunter. He had always pegged Dean as the lady’s man, but it was quite apparent that Sam had this girl hooked. Bobby just hoped that the attraction didn’t prove to be a distraction. They all needed their wits about them.
-0-
Demon Dean found himself pacing and waiting for word on his brother. He had arrived at Bobby’s house to find it and the yard in disarray and no Sammy. It was frustrating to him that the bitch, Melinda, had already taught his brother to access his powers.
That was his job, not hers. She would pay for being so bold, for taking his place as his brother’s mentor. Sam belonged to him and no one else. In fact, with this new development, he wasn’t sure he wanted to turn Melinda. It might just be easier to kill her. That would show the Halliwells who was in charge and eliminate his competition over Sam’s attention.
His newest recruit, Wyatt, interrupted his musings. "Master, we traced them to a motel and found the Impala, but they were gone. I fear they orbed before we arrived."
"Damn it, I’m surrounded by incompetence. Once Sam is by my side, then things will finally run right. We need to find him now." Dean gritted out.
"Master, I did some scrying, and there is a lot of demonic activity going on near Stull, Kansas. If it’s Lilith, would they follow?" Wyatt asked quietly.
"I not sure what they would accomplish by confronting Lilith now. If Lilith dies, it wouldn’t change the fact that I’m already in Hell … but damn it, what if they have some plan? I can’t let Sam risk himself. We need to head there soon, just to make sure my brother doesn’t sacrifice himself." Dean felt at unease for the first time in a long time. His brother might be in danger, and that was one thing that Dean couldn’t allow.
-0-
The landing wasn’t too bad, Sam thought. They had orbed about a mile from Old Hank’s house, which was located in the very small town of Stull.
Sam was happy that the walk to the house had been uneventful, and even happier that Melinda had held his hand on the way there. It was nice to have a female around who knew the truth about him and still wanted to be near him. She was the first person since Madison who he could be himself around, and it felt nice, even if it was going to be short lived.
Sam knew that once this was over, she would go back to her time in history and that would be the end of what had started between them. It made him sad; but as long as things didn’t end in tragedy for his family and hers, he could live with the brief romance.
As they approached Hank’s house, Sam had to stop himself from laughing. Before him was a scene out of The Beverly Hillbillies. Hank sat on his porch in an old rocking chair, whittling on a piece of wood, shotgun resting beside the chair and a large dog at his feet.
As they approached, Hank moved quickly and grabbed his gun.
"Dang it, Hank, it’s only me, Bobby Singer. Lose your eyesight old man?" Bobby had stopped dead in his tracks, Sam and the others had followed suit.
"I can see just fine, Bobby. You said you were a coming, but an old man can’t be too careful. You see that stump over there?" The old man nodded towards a knurled old trunk in the middle of the yard. "There’s four bottles of holy water. I want you and the young’ins to help yourselves. After that we can do some talking."
"Sounds fair." Bobby nodded at the group. Sam grabbed the first bottle and handed the other three off to his friends. Each drank from their bottles until Hank motioned for them to approach.
Slowly Hank lowered the gun as they moved closer. "So, Bobby, what exactly brings you to this neck of the woods?"
"Well, we have Intel on a possible attempt to open the gate." Bobby replied as he approached.
"Hmm, well I’m not as young as I used to be, and maybe something has slipped by me. To be honest, it’s been quiet as far as I can tell." Hank’s face was scrunched up in worry. "Wouldn’t hurt to check it out, I suppose."
Sam nodded. "That’s what we thought, sir."
Sam now had the elder hunter’s attention. "Your Winchester’s boy, aren’t ya?"
"Yes, Sir."
"I met you once, you and that little soldier brother of yours. It’s been a might long time ago. Where is that brother of yours?" Hank smiled at the young hunter.
Sam swallowed hard. "He um, .."
Before Sam could get the words out, Bobby finished for him. "We lost him recently."
Sam could feel Melinda’s hand on the small of his back in a gesture of comfort. Hank’s face softened before he replied.
"Sorry about that, boy. He was a good kid."
Wiping away a single tear, Sam steeled himself to the business at hand. "Sir, our last battle with demons left us running without supplies. We were wondering if you’d let us use some of yours?"
The old man nodded. "Sure, the least I could do. I owe Bobby and your daddy a lot for help over the years, . I’d be honored to return the favor. In fact, you can use my place as your headquarters as long as you’re here."
"Thank you, sir." Sam answered.
-0-
Demon Dean walked through Bobby’s hunting cabin looking for clues as to where Sam might have hidden his body. He knew it had to be around somewhere, and he had hoped just to get the information from his brother. But Sam was still missing, and Dean was approaching a deadline if he wanted to keep his body and not use another meat suit.
Wyatt came up from the basement. "Master, I think I’ve found your body. They have protective symbols all over the freezer down stairs."
"Good job. What I need you to do is to bring me this woman." Dean handed Wyatt a sheet with an address and a name.
"Who is this, Master?" Wyatt asked.
"That’s the woman who is going to put me back in my body. We changed history, but originally she gave my brother the ritual that brought me back. This time, I’ll just have to have her do it. It has to be on the second night of a full moon, which is three days away. I want her brought here, and convinced to perform the ritual, and I want to make sure she has everything she needs." Dean barked out.
"I understand, Master, but we’ll need to thaw the body. And right now, we can’t get to it." Wyatt huffed out in frustration.
"That’s why we need the priestess. She’ll be able to get to the body and prepare it. So go, you’re wasting time." Dean was frustrated to see the boy was not making a move to go.
"Dude, what is it?" Dean was losing his patience with his new apprentice.
"Don’t you want me to accompany you to Stull, Master?"
"No, I’ll handle getting Sam back on my own, . I need you to get this priestess. NOW!" Dean ordered.
"Yes, Master."
-0-
Bobby had decided to introduce Melinda and Chris as hunters, to his old buddy. No use getting Hank riled up over the witches.
True to his word, the old hunter had opened up his home and all his supplies to the rag tag group. Hank had also given the group a layout of the small cemetery.
Hank cleared his throat. "So, it’s a small area, at least the old cemetery is. Police usually keep an eye out there at night, because kids like to go there and get drunk. It’s a cheap thrill for them. So you’ll have to be on the lookout for demons and cops."
Bobby scratched his head and put his cap back on. "Do you have an idea of exactly where the gate is?"
Hank shook his head. "Nope. The way I see it, it must just open up from the ground. I imagine it would be near the older graves."
Sam placed a finger down on the map they had spread out. "Don’t ask me why, but I have this feeling that this would be the area to watch."
Melinda nodded. "That’s where the crystal showed demon activity."
Hank huffed. "So we have a new age hunter, huh? Well, I guess starting there is as good as any spot."
Chris nudged his sister and winked. "You know girls and their crystals, sir."
"In my day, son, the girls stayed home. But times have changed, and I won’t fuss at her for having her heart in the right place. I just wish I could be part of this fight, I waited all my life for the gate to open up, and it has to happen when I’m no use in a fight." The elder hunter wobbled over to an easy chair and settled himself in it.
“Hank, you’ve been more help than you give yourself credit for." Bobby started. "Your lay of the land and supplies are going to be a big help."
Sam joined in on the praise. "Yes, sir, we really appreciate all your help."
Hank waved his hands in exasperation. "Yeah well, do me a favor and try not to get you sorry asses killed."
Bobby chuckled. "We’ll do our best. And on that note, I figure we should head out. Hank, can we borrow your pick up?"
"You’re little group must have had to run with your tails tucked between your legs after the last tangle with the demons, if you don’t even have transportation. The truck is out back with the keys in it."
Bobby was glad that the old man just let the whole no supplies thing go. "Alright kids, let’s grab gear and head out."
-0-
Sam parked a ways out. The little group walked to the old part of the cemetery. The moon was out and lighting their way as they moved.
When they reached the site they had been aiming for, they were disappointed to find it empty.
Moments later, Sam noticed movement from behind one of the old grave markers. A little girl in a white dress was stooped over, placing rocks side by side.
Sam silently motioned to the others, pointing out the lone visitor.
The group watched in silence as the girl slowly made a large circle using the rocks. Once she was finished, she slowly stood up admiring her handy work.
Not looking up, she spoke. "So Sammy, you came to play with me. How nice! And you brought friends. This should be fun."
The little girl slowly turned around and faced the group with a smile plastered on her face. She raised her hand and suddenly Sam felt himself flying backwards and landing with a thump against a gravestone. His head connected with the stone.
Sam fought the darkness closing in. The battle would be lost if he couldn’t stay conscious. Reaching deep within himself, he tried to focus on his chakras and using the power there. The sound of Melinda screaming broke his concentration.
Sam looked up and watched in horror as Lilith suspended both Melinda and Chris in the air. Bobby was lying in a heap below them unconscious.
Sam screamed. "Stop. Let them go!"
Lilith shrugged, and the two siblings dropped to the ground. "Okay."
Sam was relieved to see that the two siblings were still conscious and appeared to be okay.
"So Sammy, you wanna be first, huh? That’s fine with me." The little girl walked forward, waving her right hand waving in the air.
Sam tried to stand, but he found himself pinned to the stone behind him. He then felt a growing pain in his chest and wetness there.
The pain of losing to Lilith hurt. The fact that he and his friends would probably die tonight was frightening, but the thought that he had failed Dean was what devastated him the most. If he couldn’t save his brother, then his brother was doomed to be the thing he hated most. A demon.
-0-
Demon Dean arrived in Stull just in time to watch in horror, as Lilith tore his brother’s chest open. He had vague buried memories of the time the Yellow Eyed Demon had pulled his flesh apart, and he couldn’t let it happen to his Sammy.
The demon bitch had opened one good size wound and had started another when Dean used his energy to knock her away from his brother.
"Damn you, Lilith, you will not touch my brother." Dean roared out.
Lilith slowly picked herself up off the ground and disappeared into the night.
Dean fell to his knees next to Sam. "Sammy, what the hell were you doing?"
"Saving you." Sam whispered.
Demon Dean smirked. "No little brother, you’re just trying to get yourself killed. If you would just join me, I could protect you, and we’d never be apart again."
Dean was hurt when he saw the anger in his brother’s eyes. Sam whispered. "No, Dean, this isn’t right."
Grasping his little brother’s hand, Dean spoke in a gentle voice. "Sammy, this is right. All our lives we’ve been hunting, and running after evil. For what? To lose everything? Demons are always going to win. Why not be on the winning side for a change, kiddo?"
Sam winced in pain. "You’re not thinking right. Your time in Hell has brainwashed you."
Dean shook his head. "No, I’m thinking clearly for the first time ever. Look Sam, I’m tired of fighting with about this as you bleed to death. So here’s the deal."
Dean looked up at the others, who were hovering nearby, weapons drawn. "Bobby, Sam’s hurt and needs to be taken care of. I want you to take him to Missouri’s house. He’ll be relatively safe there. And hopefully that pain in the ass Gloworm can heal him. I’m going to go after Lilith. Now that you pissed her off royally, she’ll want to finish the job on Sam."
Sam sat up. "No Dean, you can’t hurt Lilith, . I need to get her to put your untainted soul back in your body."
Dean smiled at his little brother. "Now Sammy, that’s not going to happen. I’ve already sent Wyatt after the voodoo priestess. In two nights, this crap will be over. My tainted soul will be united with my body, and you can give up and join me. All of you."
Sam shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "Please no."
Dean let go of his brother. "Sorry, kiddo. The puppy dog eyes aren’t going to work this time. I’ll be back for you in a couple of days."
Dean sighed as he heard his brother scream. No longer able to stand the pleas, anymore he orbed away.
-0-
Bobby motioned for the two stunned siblings to approach a sobbing Sam. It broke Bobby’s heart to see the youngest Winchester in so much mental and physical pain.
"Chris, can you heal Sam?" Bobby asked as they approached Sam.
"Yes, sir, but I need to have someone hold him still." Chris sighed as the three of them knelt down by the fallen hunter.
Bobby was relieved to see Melinda comforting Sam, not that Bobby was against hugging another man when needed; it just wasn’t something he was totally comfortable with.
Melinda pulled Sam into an embrace, and Bobby watched as the younger Winchester clung to the young woman.
"Sam, you need to calm down and let Chris heal you. Can you do that?" Melinda cooed into the young hunter’s ear.
As Bobby watched, Sam seemed to still a bit. Melinda nodded to her brother to approach.
Chris placed his hands on Sam’s chest and an unearthly glow blinded Bobby as he tried to watch the proceedings. Moments later, the light dimmed, and Sam stilled completely.
Chris looked up at Bobby. "I think this was all too much for Sam, and he passed out. Should we load him into the truck and head back to Hank’s place and regroup?"
Bobby shook his head. "Nah, as much as I hate to say it, Demon Dean’s right. We need to head to Missouri’s house. She will be better able to tend to Sam’s needs and protect him from unfriendly demons. I’m assuming that Sam needs more practice on accessing his psychic abilities, and she would be the one to help. Hank ain’t gonna take kindly to psychic stuff going on under his roof. He’s too old school."
Melinda spoke in a soft voice, probably trying not to disturb Sam. "Do you trust this woman, Bobby?"
"To be honest, I’ve only spoken to her on the phone a few times. But Sam and Dean’s daddy trusted her. John didn’t just trust anyone, so I’m sure we’ll be okay there. Well at least until Dean shows back up, but I have a feeling that we aren’t gonna be able to shake him." Bobby huffed out.
Chris nodded. "Okay then, let’s get out of here before we have any more visitors."
Between Chris and Bobby, they were able to get the lanky unconscious hunter back to the truck and headed for Missouri’s house.
Bobby made a quick call to Hank to let him know that things had gone south and they needed the truck, with a promise to get it back to the older hunter as soon as possible. Hank had been happy to hear that the group had survived and promised to keep an eye open for activity at Stull.
As the rag tag group headed to Missouri's, Bobby just hoped that things were going to get better soon.
-0-
Sam awoke to the smell of lavender and the feel of a soft bed under him. He slowly opened his eyes and winced. The room was dimly lit, but the light still assaulted his eyes. His head was pounding.
"Honey, you go ahead and take your time waking up for Missouri. I was worried about you."
Missouri, . I’m at Missouri’s house. Oh God, just like my demonic brother wanted.
Sam started to panic, and tried to scramble out of the bed. Strong hands grabbed his shoulders, halting the process.
"Boy, you need to calm down now, or I’m gonna get my wooden spoon after you!" The words were harsh, but the tone was anything but.
Sam took a calming breath and settled down. "I-I’m sorry."
Sam was shocked at the raspy quality to his voice, but then he remembered the screaming pleas he had launched at his now evil brother.
"I know baby, you’re worried. It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna figure something out before that brother of yours shows back up. Promise." Missouri’s words were soft and calming.
"But, I need to leave. I don’t want him to hurt you." Sam squeaked out.
Missouri gave him a sympathetic look and reached for a glass of water that was sitting on the bedside table.
"Here honey, drink this. Your throat will thank you for it."
Sam gratefully took the glass and greedily drank the cool liquid down. It did make his throat feel a lot better.
"Thanks Missouri, thanks for everything, but I need to go." Sam made a move to rise.
"Sam Winchester, sit yourself down right now and listen to me and listen good. Demon Dean is not going to stop with you. He will hunt down and kill or possess every one of your friends if you don’t stop him. I’m not afraid to help you stop him. I’m afraid of what will happen if we don’t stop him." Missouri’s voice had taken on a tone of authority that reminded him of his dad.
"I guess, but how can we stop him?" Sam asked tentatively.
"Well, while you were taking your nap, your friends were busy. It seems that demon Lilith hasn’t left the area. They’re guessing she is still gonna try to open that gate tomorrow night. So the plan is to get you in shape to face her again. In the mean time, Melinda did some sort of cloaking spell that will hopefully keep that demonic brother of yours from finding Lilith. That should buy us some time to have this face off." Missouri’s voice was full of confidence, but her expression was one of worry.
"I don’t know." Sam sighed.
"I’d be lying to you if I said that I know this will work, but it’s all we got. As soon as we get some food in you, Melinda and I are going to help you work on your powers. While we do that, Bobby and Chris are going to try and figure out the exact location of your brother’s body so that we can orb it here once we have Lilith where we want her. Do you think you’re up to eating?" Missouri gave Sam a reassuring smile.
Sam nodded yes; he wasn’t sure his stomach could take food right now. Truthfully, Sam just wanted to run. To run away from it all, but he knew there was no escaping his life or what had happened to his brother.
He slowly followed Missouri through the house towards the kitchen. His mind was miles away, pondering over his brother.
God, how messed up was it that even as a demon, his brother was still taking care of him? He had always wanted to think of demons as evil; but with his new experiences with Dean, he knew that demons could love in their own warped ways. Things were now less black and white. It was confusing and disturbing.
As worn down as he was at this moment, he could understand why Ava and Jake had snapped. It would be so easy to just give in and join his brother. This could all be over.
Sam was brought out of his musings by Missouri tsking at him. "Sam, nothing in life worth having is every easy. You have too much of your daddy in you to just give up. Your brother is savable and worth the fight."
"God, you’re right. He is worth the fight. He’d be doing everything he could to bring me back from the evil side if our positions were reversed. I...I just needed reminding. Thank you." Sam stuttered out just as they entered the kitchen.
Sam could smell the food cooking, and Melinda was stirring a big pot of chili. Chris and Bobby were sitting at the kitchen table sipping coffee.
Melinda spotted him first. "Hey Sam, it’s good to see you up and around. The chili is ready; so have a seat, and I’ll get you some."
Bobby then spoke. "I think we have that evil bitch cloaked, Sam. So Dean shouldn’t be able to interfere with our attack this time."
Chris nodded in agreement as Sam sat down across from him. "Bobby’s right, and I think I have us cloaked so that our attack should surprise Lilith this time."
Sam gave them all a weak smile as Melinda sat a bowl of chili down in front of him. "Thanks guys, and I’m sorry for breaking down on you after Dean left." Sam could feel his cheeks heating up in embarrassment.
Melinda placed a bowl of chili in front of Bobby and then laid her hands on Sam’s shoulders. "Sam, don’t worry about it. This week has been tough on all of us. We understand."
Bobby cleared his throat. "Sam, we’re all in this together. It’s gonna work itself out."
Sam nodded and hoped that they were right.
-0-
Missouri spent the next day getting her house-guests ready for the biggest battle of their lives. She was happy to see how well Sam was catching on to accessing his powers.
He was the most powerful psychic that she had ever worked with, and she was so thankful that Sam had stayed on the side of good.
It was also nice to have Melinda helping her train the boy. She was young, but she knew her stuff - and it was painfully apparent that the girl had a crush on Sam.
Missouri could tell that Sam shared her feelings, and it made Missouri’s heart ache for them. With the lives that both of these kids lived and the fact they were living in different time periods, their romance was doomed from the start.
After a hearty lunch, Missouri had Sam in her backyard trying to move garden tools around. His concentration was broken as a young blonde girl approached the white picket fence in the back.
The boy spoke in almost a growl. "Ruby, what are you doing here?"
"Gee Sam, you don’t have to be so pissy. I just came to have a little chat." Ruby started to move forward but was stopped by an invisible wall.
Missouri scowled at the intruder. "Missy, you must be a demon. I have protection against demons."
"Why yes, you figured me out. But don’t fret, I’m not here to do anything more than talk to Sam and my cousin." Ruby smirked.
Missouri shook her head. "What is that supposed to mean?"
Melinda laid a gentle hand on Missouri’s shoulder and spoke. "She was once part of my family years ago. She got duped by Lilith and ended up serving her until she recently escaped through the devil’s gate."
Sam’s deep voice finished the story. "She’s been tailing me for months, and telling me, she could help me save Dean, for all the good that’s done."
Ruby crossed her arms in agitation. "Now Sam, if it wasn’t for me saving your butts, you and Dean would both be dead. I can see I just need to get to the point. I want Lilith dead. I need my revenge, and Sam here is the only one capable of doing that. But he needed to access his powers in order to take the bitch out. Dean was dead set against it so I had to bide my time. But now, Sam’s ready."
"I’m ready, I don’t want to kill her. I want to corner her, threaten to kill her, and then offer her the chance to put Dean’s untainted soul back in his body, preferably without the memories of hell." Sam’s voice was stern.
"That might just work, but I have a proposition for you. I want to come with you, cloaked by hex bags.. Once she performs your request, I just want the chance to take her out myself."
Sam tensed. "I don’t think so. I don’t trust you."
"Like you can stop me. I’ll just follow you tonight. Sam, this is to your benefit; if things go south, I’ll be there to back you up." Ruby glared at the group before her.
Melinda shuffled forward. "Fine, you can come and take her out after we get Dean back. I’ll be watching you, and if you make a move early, I’ll de-cloak you and expose you to Lilith. Be sure of it."
"Fine." Ruby huffed out.
Missouri had a bad feeling about the whole situation, but she knew that there really weren’t any other options.