Supernatural

Supernatural
Reunion; Fear Itself

         Elise was almost done with her Christmas shopping. Her son, Connor, was suspicious of Santa this year, so she was making sure to only get him things he’d asked her to put in his letter to Santa. On this particular trip, she was swinging by the Mammoth Caves to pick up her sister, Ashleigh who worked there as a tour guide.
         As Elise pulled up in the Visitor Center driveway a state policeman walked over to her car. There were flashing lights and people in what she thought of as “Emergency Response Uniforms” all over. She jumped from the car, and ran past the cop. There were body bags laying in front of the Visitors Center.
         A fireman caught her before she reached the cluster of police men surrounding the bags. “My sister... my sister...” she whispered over and over under her breath.
         “There are still people in the caves, Ma’m.” he told her, “The may be alive.”
         ‘May be?’ she thought. He asked her for her sisters name.
         “What happened?” she asked.
         “I’m afraid I can’t tell you. If you give me your sisters name I can try to find her status”
         Status? “Ashleigh.” she heard herself say, “Ashleigh Crawford, spelled A-S-H-L-E-I-G-H.” The world was covered in a fog.
         What happened in those caves?

         “This SUCKS!” Dean yelled kicking a tire on the drivers side of his car. They’d stopped to get food in a small town in Kentucky called Cave City and not three minutes out of the diner parking lot, his car just quit. Sam was back at the diner asking about a garage they could take it to and Evan had her head under the hood.
         “Dean?” she asked taking the dipstick out of the oil tank, “When was the last time you got the oil changed?” the oil sticking to the dipstick was sludgy.
         “Oh... well... uh...” he looked a little embarrassed. “I’ve been thinking about other things...”
         She replaced the dipstick and put the hood down. “Dean, I love you to death but, “she wrapped her arms around his waist, “Sometimes I just don’t know what to think.”
         He hugged her tight, “Why is Sam taking so long?” and before he could turn to look for his brother, Sam spoke up.
         “I was getting a phone number, directions, and a newspaper.”
         “Why do we need a newspaper?” Evan asked, walking around to look at the headline: “Mysterious Creature Attacks Visitors and Staff at Mammoth Caves”.
         “Mysterious Creature?” she asked taking the paper from him, “That sounds pretty X-Files to me.”
         “No kidding.” Sam said. He hooked his thumb over his shoulder at the diner, “But a couple of older men in there were talking about something similar that happened thirty years ago, and sixty years ago, and ninety years ago.”
         “What?” Dean asked, looking at the paper over Evan’s shoulder.
         “One of them looked old enough to remember it.” Sam told them
         “Did you find a mechanic?” Evan asked.
         “Yeah,” Sam read off a piece of paper he pulled from his pocket. “John Sherman, Sherman and Son Garage. It’s just up the road.” Dean called and Sherman sent his tow truck. They rode up to the garage where Evan explained what she thought was wrong with the car. John promised to “give it a work over” but he was swamped so it might be a few days. He recommended a place for them to stay and then gave them a lift there.
         It was a small, family run bed and breakfast. The owners and staff were very nice. They rented them a room with a small children's room attached for Sam. He walked in to put his stuff on the bed and was blinded by the pink walls. He looked around the room. Everything from the bedspread to the curtains were decorated with My Little Pony.
         “Awww... Nice room Sammy.” Dean said, poking his head in over Sam’s shoulder.
         “It SAM!” he yelled playfully, dropping his stuff on his bed.
         Sam volunteered to go talk to someone about the “Mysterious Creature”. Dean was eating and Evan had just jumped into the shower, so neither of them really objected.

         Evan turned the hot water on and set about shampooing her hair. She was a little worried about Dean. He’d been very absent minded the last few days, ever since he’d talked to his father. She was just glad John Winchester was talking to his kids again.
         She was almost ready to get out when the bathroom door opened and closed. She heard the rustle of clothing and Dean climbed into the shower with her. He held her close and kissed her and she suddenly found herself unable to worry about anything.

         Sam came in and sat in the recliner that made up their sitting area. There was a small noise from the bathroom and Evan laughed. They were still in the shower.
         Sam shook his head and opened the folder the woman at the newspaper office had given him. It was full with articles and pictures, artist renderings of a creature with scales and horns and one old photo of a 1930’s movie monster.
         Evan let out a squeal and a lilting sigh. They would be done soon.
         Sam was halfway through an article written in 1650 when Evan and Dean came out of the bathroom wrapped in towels, both with small smiles. Evan took her clothes into Sam’s room and got dressed there.
         “What does it say?” Dean asked, pulling a shirt over his head.
         “There’s been something in the Mammoth Caves forever.” Sam explained, “It only eats every thirty years and it eats twenty or so people and goes back to sleep. There were two people who survived an attack in 1945 and they described it looking like two totally different things.”
         Evan walked in. She nodded for Sam to continue as she put her stuff away.
         “One,” Sam explained, “Was a fifty-six year old man, very religious. He described a reptilian creature, claiming the Devil had come for his unclean soul. The other (and this is the interesting part) was a fifteen year old boy who described The Wolfman from the 1930’s movie.” They sat in silence for a moment and Sam offered, “It sounds like a Fear Demon.”
         The phone rang. It was the front desk informing them that they had a guest on the way up, so when there was a knock on the door, Sam jumped up to open it. His hand fell off the handle and he stepped back, suddenly unable to breath. “Dad?” he whispered.
         John wrapped him in a fierce hug and after a few seconds, Sam returned it. When John finally released him, he asked, “Where’s your brother?”
         Dean stood on shaky legs, tears standing in his eyes. John held out his arms and Dean walked forward, as if in a dream.
         Evan saw movement in the doorway. There was a black woman standing there with a relieved look on her face.
         Dean sniffed and suddenly his eyes were clear. “What about Evan?” John asked. Dean stepped out of the way and John hugged her too, whispering in her ear how sad he was to hear about Charlie. She didn’t remember ever telling him that she was pregnant, but the woman who cam in with him gave her a look that told it all.
         Dean sat down on the edge of the bed and Evan sat beside him, holding his hand. Sam surrendered the recliner to the woman and sat on the floor, leaning against a door. Bob stood.
         “What are you doing here?” Dean asked, “We were going to meet you in Atlanta.”
         “Missouri said you were in over your head a little.” John said, motioning to the woman who came in with him.
         “And we weren’t in over our heads before?” Sam almost spat, “Why wouldn’t you talk to us?”
         John turned his attention to his youngest son, “Sam. I don’t know how to explain it.”
         “Try the beginning, John.” Missouri said from her seat.
         “Sam,” John began after a moments thought, “I am SO sorry about Jessica.” Sam nodded and looked at the ground. John continued, “There was increased spirit activity around your school for weeks before It Happened.” Dean clearly heard the capitals in his voice. “When Dean came to get you, I had just been gone longer that I’d planned, nothing serious. I was checking out dozens of haunted houses, some of them on campus then... the fire. I rushed over to make sure Sam hadn’t been hurt. I heard two firemen talking about what they’d seen. A fire that started in the middle of the ceiling, the shape of a body burned in.” John paused. Sam had tears in his eyes and Evan quickly wrapped him in a hug. He sniffed, wiped his eyes, and nodded for his father to continue.
         “I couldn’t believe it. And then I saw Sam and Dean standing by Dean’s car. Sam was safe, but I couldn’t figure out why Dean was there. Then I saw the look on Sam’s face. I recognized it. I used to see it in the mirror a lot.” he paused again, gathering his thoughts.
         “Sam, I couldn’t bring myself to see you again until I found out what hurt you so bad. I couldn’t bare to see that in your eyes.”
         “You know what killed Mom?” Dean asked, eyes wide.
         “No.” John replied, “But I know WHY is did. I figured a lot of it out on my own, but Missouri helped me with the last bit.” he turned to Sam.
         “All your life, Sam, you’ve known things. Where to find something someone’s lost or to study for a pop-quiz.” Sam smiled faintly, “You have a gift, Sam. You knew to go to the old house when someone needed you and you knew to go to Michigan. You even picked up the newspaper with the article about Bayse in it because Evan needed you, didn’t you?”
         “I didn’t know it was Evan.” Sam sighed, “I found the clipping in a week old newspaper. it just felt like I should read it.”
         “I knew it!” Dean said triumphantly, “You DO have the Shining!” John gave him a look and he fell silent.
         “The spirit, “ John continued, “Or demon, or whatever it is, is trying to bring that out in you, to make it more pronounced. You know how when a person goes through a traumatic experience, psychic abilities may develop? THAT is what it’s trying to do.” John fell silent, waiting to see how Sam would react.
         “So...” Sam said after what seemed like forever, “Mom... and... and Jessica... It’s all my fault?”
         Everyone opened their mouths to protest but Evan’s voice rose above the rest, “You had better make a distinction Mr.” she told him, standing up, “What ever it is, you didn’t summon it, or tell it to do what it did. It was using them to get to you.” she thought her inner-mommy was coming out, but she didn’t care, “Sam, I know you, and you would NEVER hurt someone like that.”
         Something inside him snapped. He put his face in his hands and cried like a baby. After a few seconds, John knelt down and hugged him.
         Sam cried for nearly ten minutes then used a whole box of tissues, but when he finally brought his head up Dean saw the difference. The guilt that had haunted his eyes ever since Jessica died was gone. Evan had somehow made him see what even Bloody Mary couldn’t: He didn’t hurt Jessica.
         “Now, it’s late,” John said, “and we’ve all got a lot on our minds. We’re going to go to bed and talk about the things in the caves tomorrow morning. Missouri and I have a room right down the hall if anyone needs us.”
         Dean, Sam, and Evan nodded agreement. “I need to talk to you tomorrow, Evan.” Missouri told her.
         “About what?” Evan asked.
         “Tomorrow.” Missouri insisted and followed John out of the room.
         Sam mumbled goodnight and went into his room. Dean and Evan changed into their pajamas.
         Dean sat down on the end of their bed and Evan stood in front of him, a worried look on her face. He hugged her, pressing his head against her belly and placing a kiss where he knew there was a small cesarian scar. She ran her hands through his hair and asked, “Are you alright?” He scooted back and pulled her up onto his lap.
         “I’ll be fine.” He kissed the bare skin on her shoulder.
         It was, she thought, like being touched by fire. She pressed against him and kissed him desperately. He pulled her shirt over her head and she found she was not, as she had previously thought, to tired for one more journey tonight.

         Sam jolted awake the next morning. There was a loud thump from the next room. Dean made a surprised noise and, as Sam rolled out of bed, Evan started ranting about something. Sam poked his head into their room and saw the problem. Her suitcase had fallen over, landed on her toe, and everything had fallen out. Everything.
         Evan swore to shame a sailor. Dean and Sam managed to keep straight faces until she got to “bloody fucking DUCK!”, and they both dissolved into helpless laughter.
         It took her nearly twenty minutes to repack her suitcase so that everything fit right and by then John and Missouri were there. Sam read them the article about the survivors and they agreed with him, the Mysterious Creature was probably a fear demon.
         While the boys talked about ways to combat fear demons, Missouri dragged Evan into Sam’s room.
         “What is it?” Evan asked.
         “There are two things.” Missouri began, “One I can tell you now. The other has to wait.”
         “What?” she nearly shouted.
         “Your Charlie.” Evan winced, but Missouri pressed on, “His fathers name was Andrew.”
         “Andy, yes.”
         “Andy knew what he was doing. He blew up that house because he was turning into a killer, and Charlie would too. Andy would have become a full blown werewolf in less than ten days. He would have killed Sam, and then Dean, and then he would have killed you.”
         Evan sat there, silent tears streaming down her face.
         “Andy loved you, so he saved you.” Missouri assured her, “And he left Sam and Dean because he knew they would take care of you and treat you right.”
         “How could he know?” Evan asked.
         “Animals know all sorts of things.”
         “What’s the other thing? The one you couldn’t tell me till later?”
         “It has to wait till we’re out of the caves, for better or worse.”
         Evan nodded. She wiped her eyes and they went back to join the boys. Dean stood when she opened the door.
         “I’m alright.” she told him, answering the question in his eyes, “What have you big strong men decided?”
         “There’s a woman in the hospital that they pulled out of the caves. We thought we might talk to her before we go in, just to know what to expect. Also, we need a map of the caverns.” Bob told them.
         “Ok,” Missouri took charge, “Evan and Sam are going to the library to look up maps and fear demons. The three of us are going to talk to the lady in the hospital.”
         Dean looked at his father and raised his eyebrows. John smiled and nodded.
         They had breakfast and then set off on their separate missions.

         When John, Missouri, and Dean arrived at the hospital, there was a woman sitting in a wheelchair outside the elevator gasping from labor pains. Dean had a horrible flashback/dream of Charlie’s birth and what could have happened. Evan turning white, her eyes rolling up into her head, not taking another breath...
         “Are you alright?” John asked.
         “Yeah,” Dean told him, “Just... just tired.”
         John nodded, but Missouri looked unconvinced.
         They got a room number and made their way up to Ashleigh Crawford's room. She was sleeping when they got there, but there was another woman there with a little boy.
         “Can I help you?” she asked, looking Dean over appreciatively.
         “Yes. We’re with the folklore dept. over at Shenandoah University. We were wondering if we could ask Ms. Crawford a few questions.” Dean told her, “But we can come back when she’s awake.”
         “Maybe I can help you.” she said standing, “My name is Elise, I’m Ashleigh’s sister.” she also introduced her son, Connor, who never looked up from his coloring book.
         “Has she said anything?” John asked as they all took seats except Dean who stood in the doorway.
         “She’s said a lot, but it was all jumbled because she’s got a pretty good concussion. I think I’ve pieced together pretty much what happened though.” Missouri nodded for her to continue and Elise began her sister’s story, “She was conducting the last tour of the day and the lights suddenly went out. It happens all the time so she waited for them to come back on. When they didn’t, she tried to radio the control center but the radio didn’t work either. She instructed the tourists to take hands and count off so she could lead them out with her flashlight. They were all present and accounted for, so aimed her light towards the exit and there was something there. She wasn’t quite sure what it was at first but when it came into focus she couldn’t quite get her mind around it. She said it was one of the Wicked Witch of the West’s Flying Monkeys, waving it’s arms at her. Then someone yelled something about a clown, someone else about a giant spider, and everyone panicked. All she remembers after that is pain in her head and waking up in the back of an ambulance.”
         Dean hadn’t expected her to tell them so much without some prodding and convincing, but he’d missed the way her eyes wandered from his face to his crotch throughout her story. Missouri hadn’t though, and promised herself she would tease him about it for the rest of his life.
         “Does she remember what part of the caves she was in?” Dean asked.
         Elise fluttered her eyelashes, “She hasn’t said, but because of how late it was they were probably on their way out. Are you going back to the school soon? Because if you’re not I’d love to show you around, maybe take you to dinner.”
         Dean was caught flat footed, but after a moments quick thinking, replied, “That sounds wonderful, but my wife is waiting for me to get home.”
         Her eyes lost their sparkle, “I don’t know what else I can tell you. The police won’t tell me anything.”
         “What can you tell me about the Flying Monkeys?” Missouri asked.
         “She was afraid of them when we were little. Whenever it got to that part of the movie, she would hide her face in a pillow or something.”
         “Well,” John said, standing, “Thank you for your help.”
         They all shook her had and she helped herself to another eyeful of Dean’s crotch before they left and when they got outside the hospital, Missouri broke into gales of laughter.
         “What?” Dean asked when it became obvious she was laughing at him.
         “Boy, that girl was lucky Evan wasn’t here. She might have clawed Elise’s wandering little eyes right out.”
         John jointed her laughter. Dean felt his cheeks turning red, but after a moment he was laughing too.

         It was after dinner when they met up with Sam and Evan at the hotel. While exchanging information, Sam informed them that they’d not only found maps of the tunnels, but tour schedules as well.
         John looked over the schedules, “The last tour would have left twenty minutes ago, so we’d better get going. Are you coming Missouri?”
         “John,” she responded playfully, “What kind of question is that? I wouldn’t miss this for the world.”

         Between them, the Winchester men had about twenty flashlights, so they all carried two. John found the controls for the lights and turned them all on. Just before they went in, Missouri latched onto John’s hand (she was claustrophobic).
         The area where Ashleigh had been pulled out was blocked off with police “DO NOT CROSS” tape. Sam was glad because it saved them the trouble of guessing.
         They’d been walking for about fifteen minutes when the lights went out. Five flashlights immediately went on. Missouri grabbed John’s hand, Dean grabbed Missouri’s hand, Evan grabbed Dean’s hand, and Sam grabbed Evan’s hand. There was a small noise and they all tried to pinpoint it with their flashlight beams.
         A wave of dizziness washed over them and Sam’s had disappeared from Evan’s grip.
         “Sam?” she called, “SAM?!”

         “Dean? Dad? Evan?” Sam yelled, “Missouri?” He was alone. They’d all left him. For a moment, he panicked, and then he realized: He’d been afraid Dean and his father would leave him ever since he’d left for college.
         “Ok...” he sat down, “I just have to not be afraid of this anymore.”
         And he tried.

         Dean turned and looked at Evan, “What’s wrong? Where’s... Sam...?”
         The front of Evan’s jeans were covered in blood. Blood that was spreading down the legs of her pants. The scariest word he’d ever heard, “Miscarriage” echoed in his head. Her baby was gone and she was dying. He let go of Missouri’s hand and grabbed Evan by the waist.
         “Dean, what’s wrong?” Evan asked.

         Evan forgot all about Sam. She pulled Dean’s hands from her waist and held them tight in her own, “Dean WHAT HAPPENED?” she asked, trying to force an answer out of him.
         “Don’t die...” he whispered, “Please don’t die.”
         She tilted his head up, forcing him to look into her eyes, and she screamed. His face was getting longer and growing hair.... And his eyes. His eyes were the same horrible yellow Andy’s were right before he left. Dean was a werewolf.

         Evan screamed and John turned, trying to find her in his flashlight beam. She was sobbing, backing away from Dean who was on his knees in front of her. Sam was nowhere to be found.
         “Sam!?” John yelled.
         “Dad!” Sam answered. John looked up. Sam was on the ceiling, burning. John tried to force the image from his head and then it was Dean on the ceiling.
         John covered his eyes and screamed, “NOT REAL! NOT REAL!”

         Missouri couldn’t hear a thing, she couldn’t see. She was in a box. The walls were pressing in on her, squeezing tight. Then suddenly she heard a voice from somewhere, “NOT REAL! NOT REAL!”
         It was John. She wasn’t in a box, she was in the Caves. Just as suddenly as the box appeared it was gone.
         Evan was backing away from Dean who was pleading with her. Sam was sitting in the middle of the floor and John was covering his eyes.
         It was up to her.
         “I’m not afraid!” she shrieked, “Do you hear me? I AM NOT AFRAID!”
         Something inhuman screamed in the darkness.

         Dean heard Missouri’s shouts. For a moment, he couldn’t be distracted from Evan (she was growing paler by the second) and then he had two revelations: Evan wasn’t pregnant, followed closely by: A FEAR demon. Evan didn’t see what was wrong because it was only in his mind.
         He saw in her eyes she’d just come to the same realization. He held out his hand and she took it. Together they joined Missouri's cries.
         “I AM NOT AFRAID!”

         Sam decided it was time to try option B, because trying no to be afraid just wasn’t working. He stood and raised his voice, unknowingly joining the others.
         “I AM NOT AFRAID!”

         John heard his children’s voices. He pulled his hands from his eyes and looked around. Missouri, Sam, Dean, and Evan were facing the demon down. He took Missouri’s hand. Five voices rang out in unison.
         “I AM NOT AFRAID!”

         There was a bright light in the depths of the caves and then the smell of old, wet wood burning. They’d done it.
         Sam turned and they were all there. Dean and Evan shared and embrace and the lights came back on.
         John looked at his companions and, for reasons he would never understand, began to laugh. Within a minute, they were all laughing. Missouri knew why. They’d just beat the greatest foe: fear itself.

         It was nearly midnight when they got back to the hotel. They were all tired from their ordeal, but Missouri insisted she have a talk with Evan.
         The Winchesters gathered in Dean and Evan's room and celebrated, drinking themselves into amazing hangovers. Missouri and Evan talked for a long time and when Evan went back to her room Sam was sleeping in his little side room, John was snoring in the recliner, and Dean was laying on their bed. She smiled. He’d taken his shirt off but was still wearing his boots and jeans. She changed into her pajamas and pulled Dean’s boots and socks off. She laid down next to him and watched him sleep for a very long time.

         The next day they got Dean’s car back and left for Atlanta, Evan and Missouri driving, the men curled up trying to get over their hangovers.
         Evan spent the whole day thinking about what Missouri told her. Missouri had explained the state of things in Sault Ste. Marie, about what they needed to go fix, and about what might happen to Dean if they did.

To be continued...