The Littlest Winchester

Chapter 110

They found Dean, and he was Dean, just regular Dean. I ran through the halls and got to the garage, I saw him get out of the car. I ran to him and hugged him, his arms wrapped around me.

I was walking down the hall with them,
Dean said" It's just every time I think about it, you know, it's like a- it's like a nightmare." Sam sighed, Dean's talking about Sam's beard," I mean, I can't eat. I can't sleep. It's always just there, watching."
Sam said" Dean, it's just a beard. I've been a little busy lately."
" Yeah, well, that's not an excuse." Sam scoffed," You know, 'cause, uh, Duck Dynasty called, and they just- they want it all back."
" Some people say I look good." I scoffed,
" No. No, Sam. No people say that."
" Hey, hey. You, uh-"
" Hey, if you're gonna ask if I'm okay, you don't have to."
" All right. It's just, uh, you know, you didn't talk a whole lot on the ride here."
" Look, Michael bailed, all right? I don't know how. I don't know why. He just- he just cleared out. And as far as my memory goes, I mean, everything from the second I said yes to the moment I walked through those doors is blank, so I'm good. I'm just really, really happy to be..." He stopped as he saw all the hunters," Home."
I said" Yeah, there have been a few changes made. So, uh..." A guy stopped,
" Yeah. Not Michael anymore."
The guy said" Right. Chief told us. Welcome back."
" Chief?"
Sam said" Yeah, I-I asked them not to call me that, but-" Jack walked up,
He said" Dean?"
Dean said" Hey, kid."
" Is it really you?"
" Yeah." Jack looked at Sam and me, we nodded, Cas came up, Jack hugged Dean.
Cas said" Dean."
" Cas."
" Sorry, I wanted to be there, but we figured that Michael would sense my presence, so-"
" Sam told me. Ain't no thing."
Jack said" Where's Mary?"
Sam said" She and Bobby stayed back in Duluth to clean up the, uh-uh, the situation."
Dean said" Yeah, well, speaking of cleanup, I, uh... need a shower." He walked away,
" Hey, y-y-you-"
" Still okay. I promise." He walked away,
" Uh, how's Nick?"
Jack said" He's... He's gone."
" What?"
Cas said" Nick just- he left a note, said that he had some personal business to attend to, and he hasn't-he hasn't been returning my calls. He was in a dark place. Maybe he just needed some time."
" All right. Yeah. Maybe."
" Sam... Dean- how is he really?"
" I don't know."
" Why would Michael just... give up his vessel like that?"
" I don't know."
" And why was... why was Michael helping monsters?"
" Cas... truth is... we don't know anything."
——
Cas mind-melded Dean since Dean had this weird scar, I walked into the library as Sam called Jody.
Jody said" Sam, anything?"
Sam said" Jody, hey, u-uh... yeah, uh, sorry. Uh..." Sam hit Dean's arm,
Dean said" Hey, Jody. I'm back."
Jody said" Hey, Dean. It is so good to hear your voice."
" Yeah, you, too."
Cas said" Um, Jody, that's-that's the good news."
Jody said" What's up?"
Dean said" You know that thing that killed Kaia in the Bad Place? Well, we think it's here."
" What?"
Sam said" Yeah, uh, any chance you've noticed anything rift-related over there? A flare up or, um, uh, anything?"
" No, I- No. I have video surveillance going down at the ferry. Claire practically sits shiva down there. There's been nothing. How do you know?"
Dean said" Well, short version- When Michael was possessing me, he got hurt. It left a scar- uh, two deep gashes. Stabby, prongy, kind of like, um-"
" Like someone stabbed you with a giant meat fork?"
" Yeah, exactly. How'd you know that?"

They were packing up,
Jack said" You're leaving?"
Dean said" Kaia's killer is in Sioux Falls."
Sam said" And he, she, or it can hurt Michael. We just gotta figure out how."
Jack said" I'll get my things."
Cas said" Uh, Jack, um... that might not be the best idea."
" Michael's my enemy, too. I fought him for months, and Kaia- I'm the one who brought her into this. I'm responsible for what happened to her. I want to help."
Dean said" Yeah, well, not gonna happen."
" Because I'm human now?"
Sam said" Jack, maybe you just need a little more-"
" Training? I've been training with Bobby."
Dean said" C'mon, kid. Look at you. You're barely 100 pounds soaking wet. You know?" I looked at Dean, dropping my head, Jack started walking away," Wait, Jack. Hey, I didn't mean... I didnt mean to be a dick."
Jules said" A little help here!" We ran to the map table,
Sam said" Jules, what's going on?"
" Case I was working in Wichita- the missing teenagers, dried up husk bodies?"
" Yeah."
" Turns out it was a witch. She was holding the girls hostage, and this... is the only survivor. Took Broom-hilda down with that witch-killing bullet you gave me, but soon as I did, something went wrong. Didn't even have time to bury the body before-"
Dean asked" Before what?"
" Lora, darling, show them." She showed us her aged hand," The witch must've hexed her."
Cas said" Looks like an aging spell."
Sam said" Can you fix it?"
" I think so." Cas touched her forehead but nothing happened,
" Cas?"
" Uh, this might take a while. You two, go. Get to Sioux Falls before the trail goes cold, and I'll catch up when I'm done."
" No, no, I don't know."
Dean said" Yeah, no, Cas is- Cas is right. He can handle this. We need to hit the road. Let's go." Sam looked down,
Cas said" Sam."
Sam said" All right. All right, yep. Good work." He walked away, I looked at Cas, then ran to catch up to Sammy. He stopped to let me catch up,
I said" I can come along, if you need me to."
" No, no, I've got it. You stay here and make sure everything works out." I looked at him, raising my eyebrow intently," I'll call if I need you."
" Okay, be careful."
" Worrier."
" My job." He walked to catch up with Dean, I sighed then bit my lip, I hope Dean's okay. Maybe Sammy can get something out of him.

Lora was asleep, my eyes glowed, I raised my hand above her body, and tried to fix the spell. I got dizzy, then dizzier... then I went falling, Cas caught me in his arms and steadied me. I leaned against the wall, he gave me that stupid look of his,
I said" Not seeing the appeal of having these stupid powers if they're not strong enough to heal people or myself for that matter."
He said" You'll get there one day... if you stop being reckless."
" I'm a Winchester, that's like in my blood."
" Go, bed."
" I hate you." He nodded his head, I walked out, up the stairs and headed for my room.
I got to my room, I closed my door and laid down, I stared at the ceiling, then closed my eyes.
——
If I can find Michael, and we somehow get Jack's powers back, then Jack and me... we can end this, end Michael. Michael's doing something to the monsters, and it's weird, terrifying, and it needs to be stopped before it gets any further than some werewolves.

Cas and Jules did the spell, but she was still dying,
Jack said" Lora!" Lora gasped for help, I flinched, looking down, Jack wanted to help her without powers, he wanted to be helpful. He thinks he's useless without his powers, and I've tried to tell him different... but he's stubborn, damn stubborn.
Cas pulled the sheet over her face,
He said" Jack..."
" We let her die. I'm-I'm sorry. If-If I still had my powers, I could've saved you. I..." Jack stood up, uncovering her face
" Jack, what are you doing?"
" The witch. Where's her body?"
Jack pulled the body out,
He said" The witch-killing bullet- it's still in her."
Jules said" Guess so."
Cas said" Jack, what is this about?"
" The witch told Lora she and the others kept her young. I thought it was a metaphor, but the witch was stealing their youth. When you killed her, maybe the magic kept working, sucking Lora's life force, trying to keep the witch young, to keep her alive, but it couldn't work because the bullet was still inside her. So the magic worked harder and harder and consumed more and more of Lora. That's why the reversal spell didn't work. She wasn't cursed." He pulled the necklace from the witch's body, holding it up," This was." He walked away from the body, he grabbed a small hammer," Lora's life force- it's in here."
" Jack, are you sure?"
" No." Jack smashed it, and a green fog went to the necklace around Lora's neck. Then she gasped, sitting up,
She said" What happened?" I looked at Jack, Ata boy!

I walked past Jack's room, he was coughing,
He said" Yes. Sorry."
Cas said" You okay?" I walked in, standing next to Cas,
" I'm fine. I'm human now. Must be getting my first cold."
" Well, I'll make you some soup, then." He walked out, closing the door, I stared at Jack,
" I'm fine, Hazel."
I said" Okay, when you want to tell me the truth, tell me, and maybe we can figure it out." He glanced down," But till you're ready, I'm gonna go make sure Cas doesn't burn the kitchen. He's not good at the whole cooking thing." I walked to the door," And if you ever think about leaving me behind again, I'm gonna kick your ass, Jack Kline. And yes, I know everything." I walked out, after hearing him sigh, I closed the door and walked away.