After they'd gone back to the hotel for yet another costume change - the boys opting for a 'cardigan-clad therapist' look and Eden going for more of a 'new-age, crystal-healer therapist who idolises Stevie Nicks vibe' - they went to the Peterson's address.
They parked up by the front gate, where a bright red 'no trespassing' sign sat in plain view. Dean approached the gate, clearly not seeing the gap between that and the bushes next to it as he awkwardly scrambled over the metal railings.
Sam and Eden glanced to one another before walking around the gate.
"Moron..." The girl mumbled to herself.
As they walked through the property, they saw a chopped down electricity pylon, its metal long-since rusted.
"Woah. When they cut the cord, they really cut the cord." Dean commented.
"Yeah, no kidding." Sam replied.
"You boys rely on electricity way too much. It's really not that difficult to live without it." Eden shrugged.
"Yeah, says the second generation Human, first generation Angel of Darkness." Dean retorted, spying a cart over at the other end of the property. "Hey, how fast do you think that buggy goes? Like, top speed?"
"Nine to eleven miles per hour. Maybe fifteen with a couple of decent, pure bred stallions." The girl replied. "Why?"
"Can I help you?" A man in his early fifties approached them from the porch.
"Abraham Peterson? I'm James Morrison, these are my associates Ray Manzarek and Stephanie Nicks. We're your new case workers with Child Protective Services." Sam introduced.
"Pleasure to meet you." Abraham said, shaking Sam's hand, then Dean's and Eden's.
"Pleasure to meet you too." The younger brother smiled.
"I thought you'd be all, you know, long hair, suspenders, big hat." Dean chuckled nervously, earning an elbow to the ribs from Eden.
"We're not that kinda religious." Abraham laughed politely. "Come on in, meet the wife."
The trio nodded, following the man into the house where they greeted Mrs Peterson and sat down opposite them on the couch.
"Mr and Mrs Peterson," Sam started. "We're here because your previous case worker; Olivia Sanchez, has passed away."
Abraham took his wife's hand as they made crosses on their bodies.
"What happened?" The husband asked after a moment's silence.
"We're not sure yet." Dean nodded.
"But the authorities are doing their hardest to get to the bottom of things." Eden added.
"Now, how often did she visit?" Sam wondered.
"Every few months." Abraham replied.
"We liked her better than the other one - that Beth." Mrs Peterson said.
"And what was wrong with Beth?" Sam frowned.
"She hated us because of our faith." The woman told them. "Olivia Sanchez was a Papist but, at least she believed in God. Do you know God, Gentlemen? Miss Nicks?"
"Oh, yeah. Yeah, we're besties." Dean gave a knowing smile as someone else entered the house.
In walked a young boy, about sixteen or so, moving behind his parents' couch to whisper something in his father's ear.
"Oh, okay." Abraham nodded. "I'm a little embarrassed to ask, but do you think one of you boys might help me with something?"
The trio looked between each other, Sam giving his brother a beckoning nod.
Dean got up, following the other two men out to the yard.
"Would either of you like a drink?" Mrs Peterson offered.
"No, I'm fine, thank you." Eden gave a kind smile.
"Uh, sure. Thanks." Sam nodded.
Mrs Peterson stood up, moving out to the kitchen.
Sam and Eden took the time to look around the room, noting a photo of the whole family together, along with their deceased daughter on the mantle.
"I'm not sure how you do it, but you really make the sweater thing work." Eden commented, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Seriously?" Sam chuckled, glancing down at his clothes. "What is wrong with you these past couple days?"
"Honestly, I haven't got the foggiest." The girl replied as Mrs Peterson walked back in.
"Haven't got coffee, I hope lemonade's alright." She said, carrying two glasses.
"Oh, yeah. Great, thank you." Sam nodded, taking one from her as he took the family photo off the mantle. "Happy family."
"No, they weren't." Mrs Peterson replied, taking the picture from him to look it over. "The father was working eighty hours a week to barely pay the mortgage and what little time he did spend at home, he spent in a bottle. Children were on four different kinds of behaviour enhancing medication and barely spoke - could text up a storm, though. And the mother, she was the worst. She was so pilled up, she could barely think straight."
"I'm sorry to hear that." Eden frowned.
"So what happened?" Sam pressed.
"God showed them a better way." The woman replied, placing the photo back on the mantle. "I was in a car accident - almost died. The nerves in the lower half of my body were damaged." She lifted up the skirt of her sky blue, floral dress, revealing extensive scarring on her right calf. "I saw doctors. No one could stop the pain. The best they could do was give me drugs - which helped for a while. But, the more I took, the more I needed and, when I didn't get them... And then, one night, when things were at their worst, I was lying in a puddle of my own sick, I heard a voice. It was God's voice. And he said; 'go. Live a life of simplicity and humility. And all your pain will be taken away.'"
"So, has the pain gone away?" Sam asked.
"I get by." The woman gave a small shrug, moving to sit back down on the couch. "With his grace."
"Mrs Peterson, um, what can you tell me about Ricky Copeland?" The Winchester placed his hand on Eden's back, leading her to sit back down with him beside her.
"The delivery boy?"
"Yeah."
"Comes by once a week, brings us things we can't grow ourselves." She explained. "Why?"
"Well, he's dead too." Sam informed her, placing his lemonade down on the coffee table between the two couches.
Mrs Peterson paused for a moment, her face decorated with a blank expression.
"I see."
"You... See?" Sam frowned. "That's it?"
"God has a plan for us all." She said.
"So, what happened to your daughter? Was that God's plan?"
"Sam..." Eden whispered in protest.
"Yes." Mrs Peterson replied, the muscles in her neck tensing around the word.
"She didn't have to die." The Winchester continued. "She was sick. If you had taken her to a doctor-"
"God has a-"
"God doesn't care what kind of life you live, trust me." Sam argued. "And God didn't kill your daughter - you did."
Eden's eyes widened.
"Mrs Peterson, I'm-"
"I think you three should go." Abraham interrupted her, standing in the archway to the living room with his son behind him and Dean beside him.
Sam cleared his throat, taking one more, harsh glance to the wife before picking up their case file from the table and getting up, following Eden out of the house.
"What the Hell was that about?" The girl hissed as they walked towards the Impala.
"I was just saying what we were all thinking. What happened to 'I'd like to show them what their religion thinks of their actions', huh?" Sam retorted.
"Yes, but that's me. You're supposed to be the one who shows empathy, remember?" Eden retorted.
"Well, clearly you've rubbed off on me a little, because those people didn't deserve empathy."
"I agree, but..." The Dark Angel trailed off, unable to find the right words.
"But what? Should I have given them sympathy? An 'I'm sorry for the completely unnecessary and avoidable loss that you caused?'" Sam scoffed, shaking his head.
"Alright, you two, that's enough. Can't exactly turn back the clock here, so let's just get this over with and go home." Dean spoke up, opening the Impala's trunk.
The boys threw their sweaters into the back, replacing it with their typical hunting jackets.
"We're pretty clear on what we've gotta do, right?" The older brother asked, double checking that his gun was loaded.
"Yeah, definitely." Sam replied, picking up an EMF reader.
"What's that for?" Dean frowned.
"To track down Magda's ghost." Sam said as though it were obvious. "Eden had it right the first time, we're dealing with a spirit. What's-"
"Beth. The Witch." Dean cut him off as Sam pointed to his brother's gun.
Eden rolled her eyes.
"Dean, this isn't a Witch." Sam told him.
"Well, it's not a ghost."
"Those people let their daughter die. She's angry and wants revenge." The younger brother continued.
"Yeah, but they're alive. Besides, how's she getting around town, huh? Ghosts are tied to one place." Dean countered.
"Or to a person or to a thing." Sam scoffed.
"Oh, you're reaching." The older brother nodded.
"And you're not?! Beth didn't even know the delivery boy." The younger retorted.
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I'm gunna find out."
"Look, you didn't spend alone time with that woman. She is disturbed. Eden, tell him." Sam stressed.
"Don't get me involved with your sibling squabbles." Eden put her hands up. "But he's right, Dean. I've seen religious quacks in my time and that woman takes the biscuit."
"The whole family's weird but they're good people." Dean huffed. "Look, Beth wanted the better job, she killed to get it, end of story."
"You're wrong." Sam sighed.
"Alright, look, you got your ideas, I got mine. You two wanna stay here and scan the farm for EMF, you go right ahead. I'm on Beth."
"Fine." Sam nodded. "We'll see who's right."
"Well, we'll see I'm right." Dean mumbled.
Eden let out a loud groan, walking back a few paces as she looked up to the sky.
"Amara, if you can hear me, please give me the strength to not smash these boys' heads together." She uttered as Dean got in the car and drove away.
The remaining pair waited for it to get dark by hiding in the woodland on the opposite side of the farm, sitting together under a tree.
"I'm sorry I got snappy with you earlier." Sam started.
Eden shrugged.
"Your behaviour just seemed a bit out of place for you, that's all. Is everything alright?"
"Yeah..." Sam sighed, pulling her into his side a little more. "It's just... People like that... Their daughter died for no reason. Who, in their right mind, would put their child at risk like that just to enact 'God's will?' I mean, surely they must've known that it's a totally treatable illness."
"Some people are just... So blinded by faith that it doesn't matter what you tell them or how many facts you throw at them, they just won't open their eyes." Eden replied, snuggling into his chest.
"But to the extent of cutting your child's life short? I'll never understand or accept that. I just got so angry back there and I'm sorry." He kissed her hair.
"It's okay, Sam." She chuckled, leaning to look up at him. "Like I say, I just didn't expect that from you."
"I've gotta say, though... I'm not sure that would've happened - that severely, anyway - if we were still in the mind-set that you couldn't have kids." The Winchester sighed. "You know, I never thought I'd even have the option of having them, even before you came into our lives, with hunting and everything. But I'm really liking that we could one day."
"Me too." Eden smiled, leaning up further to place a kiss on his lips. "Dean was pissed that he never got to see your reaction, by the way."
"I'm sure he was." Sam chuckled. "Is the kid thing the reason behind your behaviour lately?"
Eden frowned, pulling away from him a bit.
"I don't think so..."
"Well, whilst I'm certainly not complaining," Sam smirked. "I'm thinking we probably need to be careful now. Did Amara say if you've always been able to have kids or is this a new thing that came along with the gift?"
"She didn't specify. Just that I could and they would be immortal like me - like us, if that's still something you want." Eden cocked a brow.
"Eternity with you sounds perfect." He smiled, cupping her face to kiss her again.
As it got dark, they began to make their way back over to the property. The pair crept their way into the barn across the yard from the house, figuring it was a good place to start hunting for Magda's ghost. But the EMF wasn't coming up with anything - it was totally silent.
A creaking noise surprised the pair and soon, they heard footsteps heading towards them.
Sam quickly turned off his flashlight and took Eden's hand, leading her behind one of the stable's half walls. Abraham walked in, hooking his oil lamp to the wall so he could feed the horses - his son soon following.
"Hello, Elijah." Abraham greeted. "What's wrong?"
"Mom's with Magda." His son told him.
Sam and Eden frowned to one another.
"Your mother's doing God's work, son." The father replied.
"She's hurting her."
"Son, the Devil is a deceiver. Don't let him sow any doubt in you." Abraham said. "If anyone found out about Magda, they'd come for her."
Sam and Eden pinned themselves against the wall as Abraham walked towards them, putting a bucket down on the floor beside them. If he'd have properly looked, he easily would've seen them.
"And if that happened," He continued, taking the lamp off the wall. "I love your sister, but you know what she can do. Magda... Magda's our cross to bear."
With that, he led the boy out of the barn.
"So, not a ghost..." Eden whispered.
"If she's not a ghost... You heard him, it sounded like she had some sort of powers." Sam sat thoughtfully for a moment.
"Come on, we've got to help her." Eden said, getting up and holding out a hand for him.
They silently jogged over to the house, where Eden heard Mrs Peterson reciting the bible in its Aramaic form. The sounds of whipping and a girl crying out could also be heard.
"Over here." She whispered.
They found a tiny basement window. Peering into it, Mrs Peterson was pacing the room as Magda knelt at an altar, whipping herself with a rather nasty looking cat-o-nine tails.
"I'm going to go and make some sort of distraction or something. You find a way in." Eden whispered, earning a nod from Sam.
She stood up and made her way back to the barn.
Eden approached one of the horses in its pen, figuring this would be the best way to cause a distraction big enough to get at least Abraham and Elijah out of the house.
But the sound of a shotgun cocking knocked her out of her thoughts.
"Step away." Elijah ordered, his hands shaking around the weapon.
Eden smiled, lazily putting her hands up.
"You're not going to shoot me, kiddo." She said, taking a step towards him.
"Don't move!" The boys shouted. "We... We have your friend."
Eden stopped moving at that, losing her smile almost instantly.
"You better not have hurt him. I'll make you regret the day your pathetic little bloodline started." She sneered.
"Elijah, go inside, help your mother with dinner." Abraham's voice came from the other side of the barn door.
He and his shotgun walked into her view as Elijah lowered his weapon, gingerly taking one last look at Eden before doing as his father had asked.
"What have you done with Sam?" She demanded.
"Same thing we're gunna do with you, of course." Abraham replied. "Invite you to dinner. Now, don't do anything you'll regret, because this thing's loaded and I'm not as shy as my boy."
"I don't regret much." Eden glared, pacing towards him.
Abraham's eyes widened and he shot.
The force of the shotgun shell jolted Eden's upper half, but she just stared down at it before looking back up at him through her lashes with murderous intent.
"What... What are you?" He gasped, dropping the shotgun in his surprise.
Eden rolled her shoulders back, releasing her wings.
Abraham staggered back, falling to the floor.
"Oh, God. Please! Oh, Lord, I'm sorry! Forgive me, please!" He wailed as Eden stalked towards him. "I didn't know, I swear!"
"Oh, you think I'm one of his?" Eden cocked her head almost innocently; though, from the man's angle, it most likely looked a lot more terrifying. "No. I'm the one God fears."
She leaned down, grabbing a fistful of his shirt to lift him up, dangling his legs above the floor.
As she revealed her black and red eyes, Abraham screamed.
"Though, I do know this." Eden continued. "He doesn't much like it when his so-called followers torture children. You'll pay for what you've done to Magda. Burn in Hell."
Her hand heated up around his clothes, glowing red hot. His clothes began to burn and a tormented scream left his gaping mouth as she dropped his body to the floor, walking towards the house, shaking her wings back.
"You see? There's your father and the girl now." Mrs Peterson's voice could be heard as Eden entered the house through the front door.
She walked through, seeing them all sat at the dining table.
"Sorry, daddy's feeling a little burned out right now." She sneered.
Sam looked over, seeing the burn marks all up her arm and the shotgun spray on her chest.
Mrs Peterson turned around, letting out a scream when she saw Eden's eyes.
The girl shook out her wings again.
"God's very disappointed in you." She said.
Mrs Peterson leapt from her chair, making a cross over her chest as Elijah did.
Eden put away her wings and blinked her eyes back to their normal crystal blue. She sniffed the air, smelling something she didn't like. She looked back into the kitchen, seeing rat poison on the counter top.
"You were going to poison your whole family." She frowned to the woman.
Mrs Peterson looked frantically between Eden and the bowls of food.
"It's the only way we'll be together as a family - in Heaven!" She cried.
"Oh, Heaven is the last place your filthy soul will end up." Eden smirked.
Mrs Peterson ran for her bowl of food, picking up a spoonful and offering it to Elijah.
"She's got the Devil in her too! You must eat, Elijah! Eat!" She urged her son.
"Do not eat that." Sam ordered from his place at the head of the table, tied to a chair.
"No!" Magda screamed, causing the spoon to fly out of her mother's hand.
"Devil!" The woman sneered. "Demons, the both of you! Eat, Elijah!"
Magda threw every bowl of food across the room, smashing them on the wall behind Mrs Peterson.
The mother reached for a knife on the table and lunged at her daughter.
"No!" Elijah shouted, jumping in the way.
The blade pierced through his diaphragm, Mrs Peterson's face instantly changed to that of horror as she removed the blade, her son dropping to the floor.
Eden dropped to her knees and dragged Elijah towards her, hovering her hand over his wound to heal him.
But her wounds were too much and her power was faltering.
"No! Damn it!" She cursed, placing her hands on the boy's chest and applying pressure.
Mrs Peterson went for her daughter again, but Magda glared at her, stopping the knife a couple of inches from her chest.
"I am not the Devil." She said. "You are."
The knife slowly turned around in Mrs Peterson's hand, aiming it towards herself. The woman struggled against the force.
"Magda, stop. You don't have to do this!" Sam shouted. "You can control it. Magda, nobody else has to die. Please!"
Just as the knife was about to imbed itself in Mrs Peterson's chest, Magda's gaze faltered, blinking back tears as her mother dropped the blade with a loud clatter of metal on wood.
The girl moved over to Sam, releasing him from his bonds.
He instantly hugged her as she cried.
"It's okay. You're okay." He panted.
By the time day broke, the property was heaving with police, news reporters and paramedics. Elijah was alive - barely.
"She's the Devil! The Devil is among us!" Mrs Peterson yelled as she was being brought out by two police officers.
When she turned to repeat the words, she came face to face with Eden, who smirked.
The woman thrashed and screamed 'get her away from me, get that Demon away from me' until she was shoved into the back of a police cruiser.
"Sorry I missed all the psycho." Dean said as they made their way over to Magda, who was being examined in the back of an ambulance.
They passed a gurney with the still smokey remains of Abraham piled into a body bag.
"The Hell happened to him?" The older brother frowned.
"What the Hell, indeed." Eden muttered.
"Yeah, you thought our family was crazy." Sam spoke up, looking back to the house before approaching the girl. "Hey Magda. Are you holding up?"
Magda gave a small nod, glancing to Beth who stood by her.
"Beth called my aunt in California. I'm gunna be staying with her. Elijah too when he's better." The girl said.
"She has a ranch. Lots of wide, open country." Beth smiled.
"That's great. You know, in order to figure things out, a person needs space." Dean nodded, earning frowns from his brother and Eden.
"Agent, can I talk to you?" Beth asked him.
"Yeah, sure." Dean replied, walking off with her.
"What are you?" Magda asked Eden once they were out of earshot.
"I'm an Angel... Of sorts." Eden gave a small smile. "But don't go telling the whole world, huh?"
"I won't." Magda nodded. "Thank you for saving my brother."
"You're most welcome."
Sam took a seat next to the girl.
"Magda. I know it doesn't feel like it now but, you're gunna be alright." He told her. "You can do this. You will do this. Just remember, that power, it doesn't control you. You control it."
"I know." Magda nodded once more.
"If you ever need anything, anything. Call me, okay? I'll be there." He promised.
Magda leaned into him, wrapping an arm around his waist.
"You think you made the right call back there? Letting her go?" Dean asked as they made their way up the drive.
"I hope so. I mean, what she was doing? She had no idea. I think she deserves a second chance." Sam replied. "What did Beth want?"
"She gave me her number. Her personal number." The older brother smirked.
"You were gunna shoot her." Sam gave an amused look, the corners of his mouth turning up.
"Yeah, I know. Kinda weird. Kinda hot."
"Is this a running thing with you boys? Because you were going to shoot me when we first met." Eden cocked a brow.
"Must be." Dean shrugged.
"Flirting - Winchester style." The girl chuckled as they got to the Impala.
"Hey, um, did you mean what you said back there?" Sam asked his brother.
"Yeah, you were right. This whole 'mom' thing, its... I mean, we get her back and then she leaves?" Dean sighed, shaking his head. "I hate it. But I get it, I do. I guess I'm still trying to work myself through some of that crap, so I'll try to be less of a dick about it."
"Deal." Sam nodded, turning to Eden. "Now are we gunna talk about how Abraham was burned alive?"
"Do we have to?" Eden mumbled, getting into the car.
Sam and Dean gave a glance to each other as they, too, got in.
"I'm just pissed I didn't get to do the same to the wife..." She continued. "Having said that, the fact that she's going to be a mess babbling about my wings and having everyone thinking she's crazy kind of makes up for it..."
"How are the cops gunna try and explain this one, though?" Dean asked, turning back to look at her.
"I burned up an oil lamp and dropped it next to him before they got here. They'll just think it was an awful, highly coincidental accident. That, or he was so overcome by guilt for what he did to Magda that he torched himself." Eden shrugged.
Dean glanced to Sam raised his brows in a sort of mouth shrug.
"You need some go-juice for that?" The older brother asked, motioning to the red, slightly mangled burned flesh on her arm.
Eden simply nodded, lightly grazing her fingertips over the wound as Dean got out of the car and went to the trunk to grab her a blood bag.