Down the Rabbit Hole

Ill Boding Patterns

The following morning there had been another killing so the boys went to investigate it and Lacey stayed at the motel. When they got back Sam went straight on the phone to Bobby and Dean came and sat down beside her. She was lying on her front, her feet in the air.
"You ok?" He asked quietly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you? Any progress in the whole not dying in five months thing?" She asked, arching an eyebrow at him.
"You're still pissed about that?" Dean asked.
"Pfft!" Lacey scoffed. "Of course I am." Dean looked down at his hands and Lacey let out a sigh of resignation. "Look, I get why you did it, I do. I just... it's hard to come to terms with losing you... again."
"Is that why you haven't been around much?" Dean asked.
"Well, maybe. I'm also trying to figure out a way to find you in my time, but you know I can't really talk about that." Lacey looked over at Sam, talking away on the phone. "I came here because not being with you sucked. Now I'm sitting here, waiting for you to die and there's nothing I can do to change anything, cos I'm even not supposed to be here." Lacey looked down as tears formed in her eyes. She shook her head as her vision blurred. Dean gently cupped her chin, getting her to look up at him.
"We'll figure something out, we always do."
"Doesn't make it any easier." Lacey told him quietly. Sam hung up the phone and turned to Dean.
"Well, we're not dealing with the Anti-Claus." He noticed Dean's expression. "You ok?"
"Yeah." Dean cleared his throat. "What did Bobby say?"
"Uh, that we're morons. He also said that it was probably meadowsweet in those wreaths."
"Wreaths?" Lacey frowned. "When did Sam get all into interior decorating?" Dean chuckled.
"Both killings, the houses had these weird wreaths."
"Oh." Sam gave Dean a look.
"Just filling Lacey in. So, what the hell is meadowsweet?"
"It's pretty rare and it's probably the most powerful plant in Pagan lore."
"Pagan lore?" Dean frowned.
"Yeah. See, they used meadowsweet for human sacrifice. It was kind of like a chum for their gods. Gods were drawn to it and they'd stop by and snack on whatever was the nearest human."
"Why would somebody be using that for Christmas wreaths?"
"It's not as crazy as it sounds, Dean. I mean pretty much every Christmas tradition is pagan."
"Christmas is Jesus's birthday." Dean reminded him.
"No, Jesus's birthday was probably born in the fall. It was actually the winter solstice festival that was co-opted by the church and renamed Christmas. But I mean, the Yule log, the tree, even Santa's red suit, that's all remnants of pagan worship."
"How do you know that?" Dean asked incredulously. "What are you gonna tell me next? Easter bunny's Jewish? So you think we're dealing with a Pagan God?"
"Yeah, probably Hold Nickar, God of the winter solstice."
"And all these Martha Stewart wannabes, buying these fancy wreaths..." Dean surmised.
"Yeah, it's pretty much like putting a neon sign on your front door saying "Come kill us.""
"Great."
"When you sacrifice to Hold Nickar, guess what he gives you in return." Sam was reading from his laptop.
"Lap dances, hopefully." Dean joked. Lacey poked him the side. He smirked down at her and she returned with a smile of her own, shaking her head.
"Mild weather." Sam answered.
"Like no snow in the middle of December in the middle of Michigan."
"For instance." Sam agreed.
"Do we know how to kill it yet?"
"No, Bobby's working on that right now. We got to figure out where they're selling these wreaths."
"You think they're selling them on purpose? Feeding the victims to this thing?"
"Let's find out."

Sam found the newly set up Christmas store in the town and the three of them headed over there. When they opened the front door Lacey's senses were filled with smell of fire trees and spices. Christmas carols were being pumped out of the overhead speakers and a model train whizzed around a track.
"Help you boys?" The shop owner asked from behind the counter.
"Hope so." Dean stepped forward. "We were playing Jenga over at the Walshes the other night and, well, he hasn't shut up since about this Christmas wreath... I don't know, you tell him." Dean shoved a startled Sam forward.
"Sure." Sam glared at Dean. "It was yummy." Lacey giggled freely, knowing Sam couldn't hear her.
"I sell a lot of wreaths, guys."
"Right, right, but you see, this one would have been really special . It had green leaves, white buds on it. It might have been made of meadowsweet?" Sam explained.
"Well, aren't you a fussy one?" The shopkeeper commented, causing Lacey to crack up more. Dean smirked and nudged her, trying not to laugh himself.
"He is."
"Anyway, I know the one you're talking about. I'm all out."
"Huh. Seems like this meadowsweet stuff is pretty rare and expensive. Why make wreaths out of it?" Dean asked.
"Beats me. I didn't make them." The guy shrugged.
"Who did?"