2
Dark clouds were starting to roll in over the horizon, with the sun still peeking out and setting the landscape of Bobby's mansion up to look like something out of a dark fairytale, with rays of light reflecting off of some of the windows or being blocked out completely by the massive house and even taller brown brick towers.
I picked myself up off the gravel driveway with a grimace, looking down and seeing a large bloody gash and scratches running up my arm and making a face before closing my eyes and allowing the icy cool feeling of restoration run through my body. I opened my eyes again, straightening up and stretching out my neck before I walked over and surveyed any damages done to my old beat up motorcycle, which now had even more significant scratches along the faded dark green paint.
I kicked my boot against the back tire, testing the rubber's reflex and shrugging to myself as I raised my eyebrows, "Huh, those are good tires. Maybe you're not such a piece of shit, Vincent."
I smirked to myself, remembering that I had decided to name my bike after my piece of shit ex-boyfriend who was still probably serving time for my attempted murder, and suddenly being reminded of the same feeling of a loss of a child settling deep into my chest, instinctually grabbing for my locket and closing my eyes as I held onto the piece of me that knew that Gabriel was still alive.
I took in a deep breath, opening my eyes and looking down at the bike, furrowing my brows and shaking my head as I reached down and started to pick it up from the ground, "I guess naming you after my ex wasn't such a bang-up idea after all? We're gonna have to workshop another name for you if you're actually going to start being useful now?"
I suddenly sensed someone standing behind me and turned back, looking over my shoulder and seeing Griffin standing at the end of the driveway by the garage with his arms folded and a shit-eating grin on his face.
I froze up, my expression tensing up into a slight grimace, "How much of that did you hear?"
Griffin unfolded his arms, walking down the driveway and shrugging with a smirk, "Which part? The part where you wiped out? Or the part where you were talking to your bike like it's a Transformer?"
I stopped, looking down at my motorcycle and shrugging, "That'd be pretty frickin' awesome if it was?"
I looked back up at Griffin as he came closer and stopped at the end of my bike, pushing down the kickstand and turning back with raised eyebrows, "I'm just trying to teach him how to fly?"
Griffin shrugged with a smirk, kicking the tire with his sneaker with a laugh, "Then why don't you name it Angel? You like Buffy, right?"
I stopped, my face lighting up as I raised my eyebrows and looked at him, "Holy crap. You're right, why didn't I think of that?"
Griffin hesitated, furrowing his brows and shaking his head, "I was saying that as a joke, but okay? You're welcome, I guess."
I looked back down at the bike with a slight smile, shrugging and raising my eyebrows, "I think it's kinda perfect, honestly? Angel... That's a sick name for a motorcycle that can fly?"
Griffin let out a laugh, giving me a look as he shook his head, "Not yet, apparently? What are you doing out here by yourself like this? Even if you try to heal a broken arm, you still have to reset it yourself? It won't heal right?"
I looked down at the ground, shrugging and making a face as I grimaced slightly, "I know. Trust me, I know how to reset a bone on my own by now. My limbs are still fully intact, aren't they?"
Griffin furrowed his brows, grimacing slightly as he shook his head, "Jesus, Cat. I thought you knew how to ride a motorcycle-"
"I do know how to ride a motorcycle, ass-hat. That's not why I keep eating gravel at the end of your driveway? It's because every time I teleport while I'm on my bike- I keep going at forty-miles an hour on my own? And my bike drives itself until I remember how to stop it."
Griffin made a face, grimacing in pain and looking away, "Damn. You are a lot tougher than you look. How long have you even been out here? This driveway looks like a human cheese grater?"
I made a face, shrugging in agreement, "Because it kind of is? Don't worry, I'll hose it off later..."
Griffin let out a short laugh, looking back at me with a slightly uncomfortable smile, "Well, it looks like it's about to rain soon anyway, so don't worry about it. Just come inside, okay? It was my turn to make lunch- even if it is a late lunch- so, I hope you like sandwiches?"
I shrugged with a half smile, "As long as I didn't make it, I'll eat it. Free food always tastes better."
Griffin's face eased up, furrowing his brows with a slight smile, "That's a sad way to look at things, but okay? Put that thing back in the garage, come on."
I furrowed my brows as I watched him turn away, looking back and grabbing onto the handlebars, kicking up the kickstand again and wheeling it around, "His name is Angel. And why does everyone always act like they have to babysit me? I know when to take a break and eat, okay?"
Griffin shrugged, walking away with his back still turned to me, "Because you've been known to go without eating for over twenty-four hours before? I'm starting to wonder if you even need food to survive?"
I furrowed my brows as I simmered on the thought, wheeling the bike behind Griffin and shrugging to myself, "Never really thought about that before, but maybe it just takes me longer to starve to death? I still get hungry? I'm just ADHD as hell, and my brain laser focuses on a task so much that I don't even notice I'm hungry or even thirsty? That ain't new. I've pretty much done that my whole life..."
Griffin glanced back as he reached the tall door of the garage, making a face as he turned back and gave me a look, "Yeah, well, even normal people with ADHD know to eat at least every ten hours? It's just because you've also always been a super freak?"
I gave him a mocking look, wheeling the bike into the garage and setting it up on its own before kicking down the stand again and shrugging in agreement, "It comes with the territory."
Griffin and I were now walking alongside each other through the hallways of the mansion, passing the main foyer when I glanced back, noticing a slightly troubled look on his face with his eyes mostly staying on the floor in front of him as he walked.
I looked back ahead, admiring the tall arches and checkered black and white marble floors when I shrugged to myself, "So... How are you doing?"
Griffin glanced back, furrowing his brows and shaking his head as he looked back ahead, "No. We're not doing this. It might work on Sam and Dean, but it's not gonna work on me, alright?"
I shrugged with a smirk, "Yeah, well, I also only promised them that I wouldn't read their minds. You and Mandy are free reign."
Griffin gave me a look, shaking his head as he turned his head back again, "Pretty sure you don't need to be a mind reader to know how I'm feeling? I was just mind-fucked by your sister."
I felt the sting of guilt in my chest, looking down at the ground and shaking my head, "I'm sorry, Griffin... That's on me, I should've known better that it wasn't safe for any of us to go back to the house alone-"
"Cat, I'm not really saying it's your fault or anything, but that doesn't mean I want to talk about it. No offense."
I hesitated, looking back and shaking my head, "Well, then we don't have to talk about it. I just want you to listen to me. I'm gonna do my job and end her, and then she's never gonna be able to hurt anyone like that again? She's a psychotic bitch who's now made herself my problem. I'm putting an end to this. All of it."
Griffin's head stayed forward as he walked alongside me into the kitchen, slowing down slightly beside him and glancing at the floor, "I also won't read your mind either. Unless I have a little too much to drink tonight at Dean's party? Then I might, but only by accident."
Griffin stopped by the counter, looking back and shaking his head, "Dean's actually having a party?"
I nodded with a tight smile when Griffin hesitated, smiling halfway and shrugging, "Am I invited?"
I let out a laugh, joining him at the counter and raising my eyebrows, "You live here, don't you? Why not?"
Griffin shrugged with a smirk as he reached for a plate and handed it to me, offering me a ham and cheese sandwich already sliced in half, "Well, at some point, I don't think it's gonna feel like much of a party if it's just the four of us drinking together?"
I stopped, furrowing my brows and shaking my head as I shrugged, "We're not all gonna be drinking? And I've been cutting back..."
Griffin raised his eyebrows, shrugging lightly, "I hope that stays true, Cat, but we'll see how that goes?"
I turned back, leaning on the counter beside him and giving him a look, "Why do you say that? He is doing a lot better, you know-"
"I'm not saying he's not, but no one's perfect? It's not even been a full two weeks since his last drink and his weird childhood best friend is still missing? And she broke his brother's heart? Not to mention-"
"Okay, Griff, I get it."
I turned my eyes toward the floor, shaking my head as I grew frustrated, "You know, for someone who doesn't want to talk about his own problems, you sure are quick to talk about other people's problems?"
Griffin stopped in place, looking down at the counter when I grabbed the plate, turning and starting to walk away, "Thanks for the sandwich."
Griffin shut his eyes briefly, sighing lightly before turning back, "Cat, wait."
I slowed down, turning back and when Griffin darted his eyes away, shaking his head, "I know I'm not exactly handling it well, but I don't think any of us are, really? And I can't help that every time I look at you, I just see your sister? So... Cut me some slack, will you?"
My eyes drifted down to the floor as guilt began to creep up in my chest, nodding lightly and slowly turning away, "You're right. I'm sorry."
I started to walk back out the room when Griffin looked back up, shaking his head and rolling his eyes a little, "I'm not saying you have to bail either, Cat."
I stopped when Griffin shook his head, crossing his arms and looking away, "I'll try not to be a dick."
I looked back down at the plate in my hands, smiling halfway and shrugging before turning back and walking up to the counter, "I guess I'll try not to be such a nosy bitch?"
Griffin cracked a half smile, shaking his head and looking back at me, "You're not being a nosy bitch? You're being a nosy mom."
I furrowed my eyebrows, giving him a playful look, "Someone's gotta be? It's not my fault every man in this house- except your father- has mommy issues? It's honestly kind of just a bad mix altogether, but we'll manage somehow?"
Griffin raised his eyebrows slightly, shrugging in agreement, "You're not wrong? Apparently having dead moms runs in the family."
I hesitated, picking up the sandwich and turning my head away as I looked down at the floor when Griffin glanced back at me, furrowing his brows slightly as he shook his head and looked away again, "I don't have mommy issues, by the way? I had a pretty good relationship with my mom, actually? From what I can remember..."
I stared down at the floor, shrugging slightly as I took a small bite of my sandwich, "Sorry. Maybe that's why I get along with you guys so much? I have two moms who are probably dead right now, so..."
Griffin shrugged lightly, reaching back and picking up one half of his own sandwich, "We don't know that for sure, Cat. And I don't mind talking about her, no need to be sorry. I was only like four when she died, so... I've had a little bit longer time to adjust than Sam and Dean have? With their mom, I mean. Leanne."
I took a small bite of my sandwich as I nodded methodically, glancing back at Griffin, "Your mom's name was Penelope, right? She's the big painting in the foyer above the fireplace?"
Griffin nodded with a tight smile when I shrugged with a slight smirk, "She's hot? She kinda looks like Catherine Zeta-Jones."
Griffin made a face as he let out a laugh, shaking his head and turning away, "I mean, yeah, she always got that a lot, but still... Don't call my dead mom hot, okay? That's weird."
I shook my head with a lazy smile, "I just tell it like it is?"
Griffin raised his eyebrows and shrugged in response as he took a bite of his own sandwich when I stopped, glancing back, "When are Sam and Dean supposed to be back from the house anyway? I've been outside for a while, right?"
Griffin shrugged, talking with his mouth half full, "They've still got Jim and Casey with them, don't worry. They should be back in about half an hour?"
I nodded in response, taking a larger bite of my sandwich when Griffin glanced back with a slight smirk, "What are you guys gonna do for Dean's birthday, anyway? I didn't think he'd want to do anything but stay in his room?"
I shrugged, "Well, we already made him a pie, so I knew that would pretty much do the trick?"
Griffin furrowed his brows, looking back and raising one eyebrow with a smirk, "We? You're telling me you and Sam baked a pie together? What is this, some kind of Hallmark movie?"
I let out a laugh, raising my eyebrows and shrugging, "More like an incredibly dark romantic comedy, but sure? Why not? And it's not so much of a party, I guess? We're just gonna play music together later and have drinks? Just like we used to when Sam and I first started dating, and before we started college and all the other normal stuff we did? We'd all be down in that basement on that hundred year old piano, and Dean had his dad's guitar and we'd just sing and play music together for hours?"
I smiled to myself as I reflected on the memories filled with laughter and music when Griffin smiled softly back at me, "I didn't know you guys used to do that?"
I let out a laugh, shrugging and raising my eyebrows, "We were three unsupervised kids pretty much living together? Dean was barely twenty-one at the time, so we did whatever we wanted for the most part? Mostly driving, of course, but... It was one of the first things I ever remembered when I came back to life. Even before I really remembered my mom? Molly, I mean."
Griffin nodded with a soft half smile on his face, glancing back at me and shrugging, "It's not like it was really all that different when we were growing up as kids? Most of the time, it was Dean, Sam, Mandy, Addison, Henry and I all in one house with our only supervisor being Laura? We got away with a lot of shit."
I raised my eyebrows, looking back at Griffin when he laughed lightly and shrugged, "Especially me, cause I was the youngest?"
I laughed, shaking my head and raising my eyebrows, "That doesn't surprise me at all? Henry was Ellen's son, right? Before Jo?"
I looked back down at the ground, now noticing just how torn up and bloody my jeans were and making a face when Griffin nodded while staring at the ground with a sort of forlorn look on his face, "Yeah... Did you know it was my mom who taught Sam how to play piano?"
I stopped, looking back and raising my eyebrows, "Really? He couldn't have been more than seven when your mom was still alive?"
Griffin shrugged in agreement, raising his eyebrows, "Eight, technically, but yeah? For a while, she was the only one he would even talk to? Besides Dean, of course. To them, she was 'Aunt Loopy'."
I smiled to myself, letting out a laugh and glancing back, "Did she pick that or did they?"
Griffin smiled softly, shaking his head and shrugging, "Nah, that was just what she wanted to be called. Family name, or whatever? Not that she was actually crazy..."
I nodded, smiling halfway and shrugging, "What was she like? I mean, I know she didn't really grow up like the rest of you? Especially coming from all that money..."
Griffin shrugged, "That doesn't mean it really changed her? Her family had a pretty dark history too, that's why most of them were already dead when she met my dad."
I nodded, smiling halfway and shrugging, "So, is that how she knew how to play piano and stuff? Sam told me a little bit about her, but he never told me she was the one who taught him? I didn't even know he was that young when he started playing?"
Griffin nodded, glancing back and shrugging, "I mean, Sam was always a pretty quiet kid anyway, and she mostly just taught him to keep that brain of his busy, but... When they came to live with us, it was way different? Not only had his mom tried to kill him and his brother almost a year before, but his dad most likely just got killed on a hunt? Or just... Disappeared...? They were both pretty different after that..."
I furrowed my eyebrows slightly, my chest feeling a little heavier as I shook my head, "Sometimes I forget how fucked up their lives were too? Even before I came along and screwed it up further?"
Griffin shrugged in agreement, raising his eyebrows and glancing back at me, "That just means they can handle all of this a lot better than most? Besides, can't get any worse than it is right now, can it?"
I gave him a look, shaking my head, "Don't say that. You're gonna frickin' jinx us? You know the kind of bad luck we have already. Why would you say that out lou-"
"You don't actually believe in all that, do you? That's just a superstition, there's no such thing as luck?"
I raised my eyebrows, shaking my head and letting out a laugh, "Okay, why don't we back this up here? It all started on June 6th, 2006 when I died-"
"Cat, that wasn't bad luck. It was just an evil skank who targeted the wrong family."
I eased up slightly, shaking my head and shrugging, "I'm not saying I don't agree with you? I'm just saying? Up until about three-hundred and seventy-nine years ago, the thought had never even occurred to me that I might be chosen to fight on Team Heaven in a war against Hell to save the world? With my evil twin sister and her mom, queen witch-bitch demon-skank, tag-teaming the apocalypse?!- I mean, do you know how ridiculous that even sounds- just saying it out loud?"
Griffin had a slight look of fear in his eyes as he looked at me, shifting uncomfortably and shaking his head as he looked away, "No, you're right? Sounds pretty ridiculous to me? And it just gets worse from there."
I cracked a half smile, feeling a strange mix of anger and frustration mixed with the part deep inside me that always told me to just step back and laugh about how baffling life can be sometimes.
I couldn't help myself anymore, letting out a laugh before it turned into a string of silent laughs bubbling from my chest and trying and failing to hold it in, snorting in the process and only causing Griffin to laugh along with me, "You're so twisted. Why is that funny to you?"
I looked back at him, laughing and shrugging as I shook my head, "I don't know, it just is? I mean... It's almost kind of like it's my brain just- keeping me awake, I guess? Not like awake-awake but like... Present? Or whatever... It's like I just know to step back for a minute and get a good look at the big picture, and what I'm looking at is just so bad that I can't help but laugh? It's just a mess?!-"
I was cut off by another laugh, smiling to myself and raising my eyebrows as I shook my head and made a face, "I know I probably sound like a basketcase right now, but it's true? I don't know why I'm sometimes stupid enough to laugh in the face of danger, but I just do? Whether I'm pissed off, or depressed? Doesn't matter... Sometimes I just laugh out of spite?"
Griffin laughed lightly, furrowing his brows as he looked back at me, "Why?"
I smirked, looking back at him and shrugging, "I just like to see their reaction?"
Griffin let out another laugh, shaking his head when I began to laugh with him, Griffin setting down his sandwich and rubbing his forehead, "You are so warped-"
"Shut up-"
"-When there's something strange, in your neighborhood-"
I stopped, putting down my sandwich and reaching for my phone as Griffin made a face, "Your ringtone is the ghostbusters-"
"Shh! Shut up!"
I read the caller ID, recognizing the number from our landline back home and furrowing my brows, feeling a sense of dread in my chest, "Why are they calling from the house?"
Griffin froze, his expression easing up as he shook his head, "Maybe it's Jim or Casey?"
I felt my heart drop, racing to answer the phone as I brought it up to my ear, "Hello?"
The room was quiet enough to hear a pin drop as I listened through the phone, the only sound coming from the other side was faint breathing from a man.
Tears stung my eyes as my chest grew tight, feeling my breath slow to a stop and forcing myself to swallow and speak up again, "Hello? Who is this?"
Griffin gave me a look, shaking his head and speaking at a hushed whisper, "Why would you ask that? You watch way too many hor-"
I shot him a look to be quiet, the lights simultaneously flickering in response when Griffin froze in place, hesitantly backing up when I darted my eyes away, checking the phone to see if they were still on the line before attempting to compose myself and closing my eyes. I brought the phone back up to my ear, keeping my hand over the microphone and listening carefully to the sounds of heavy breathing that sounded like it was getting further away before the loud snap of the other phone dropping sounded in my ears, filling me with panic as I flinched away from the phone.
Griffin reached for my phone, causing me to pull away when he shook his head, "What is it? What did you hear?"
I blinked away the tears, shaking my head and swallowing as I breathed in slowly through my nose, "It sounded like breathing and then- whoever they were dropped the phone or something?"
Griffin's face got pale as he shut his eyes, turning away and holding his head in his hands, "Don't go anywhere, Cat, just give me a minute to think about this, okay?"
I shook my head, looking down at the ground, "What if we don't have a minute?"
Griffin let out a sharp sigh, shaking his head before dropping his hands and nodding as he looked back at me, "Okay, go. Just- come right back if they're not there, okay?"
I nodded in response, shifting the air around me and appearing in the back hall of our darkened house, now noticing the old-school corded phone hanging down on the wall and still swinging ever so slightly. I looked back through the house and into the opening of the main foyer, only getting small glimpses of the kitchen, peering into the dining room with the living room being completely cut off from sight from the end of the hallway and stairs.
I looked back down at my phone, quietly hanging up and dialing Sam's phone number and waiting to hear a response in the house. The faint trilling of the phone ringing mixed with the deafening silence from the dark house surrounding me filled my heart with dread, silently praying for Sam to pick up and answer.
"Hey, Cat."
I let out a light sigh of relief, suddenly reappearing back in the kitchen of the mansion and bringing my phone up to my ear, "Where are you?"
"We're just about to pull down the driveway right now? Why?"
I glanced back at my phone to check the time quickly, "What time did you guys leave the house?"
"I don't know, like- five o'clock? What's going on, Cat? Did something happen-"
"Did you all leave together, or did anyone stay behind in the house?"
"No, we all left together. Cat, tell me what happened, please. Are you okay?"
I let out a light sigh, looking up at the ornate glass ceiling and nodding, "Yes, I'm okay. Are you okay?"
"Yes, Cat, I'm okay. We're both okay. Just- slow down, and tell me what happened. Please."
I closed my eyes as I dropped my head, shaking my head lightly, "I'll elaborate more when you get inside, but the gist of it was that someone was just in our house? They called my phone from the landline, and then dropped it? I was just there, it was still hanging and no one was there that I could tell?"
"Son of a bitch-"
"Dean, we don't know for sure if it-"
"Of course we do, Sammy, it was either that psycho, Meg, or Diana?!"
I took in a breath, trying to stave off the feelings of panic rolling up in my chest and clenching my jaw as I shook my head, "You two talk amongst yourselves, okay? Like I said, I'll just elaborate when you get inside. I love you, and I'm glad you're okay."
It was quiet for a beat before Sam's soft voice sounded from the phone again, "I love you too, Cat. And I'm glad you're okay too. I'll talk to you soon."
"See you soon. Bye, Sam."
"Bye, Cat."
Griffin turned away, making a face and shrugging, "Sometimes I wonder if that spell to rid us of that damn Pandora's box curse actually worked?"
I let out a laugh, shaking my head and shrugging with a smirk, "You and me both, buddy."
Griffin furrowed his brows, his face flushing slightly as his mouth twisted into an uncomfortable smile as he cocked his head to the side and causing me to laugh in response as I raised my eyebrows, "It's not your fault, kid. Apparently, I just have that effect on people?"
Griffin raised his eyebrows, giving me a look, "What, making people uncomfortable?"
I hesitated, my smile fading slightly and shrugging, "I'm working on it."